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#yandere toh
yandere-toons · 8 months
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Yandere: I wasn't STALKING you. I was just educating myself on your lore. Calm down.
Okay, but imagine Hunter (TOH) sputtering out an excuse like this when you catch him spying on you. He trains himself to identify your voice over the din and leaps from his hiding place behind the gaudiest kiosk in the Night Market.
Depending on whether this is pre-Hollow Mind, Hunter might throw up a rambling explanation for how Emperor Belos assigned him to a reconnaissance mission.
"You're a person of interest." He keeps his golden mask securely fastened to his face, hoping that its show-nothing design will render you oblivious to the profuse sweat now dripping down his uniform.
A pang of fear stabs Hunter in the gut as he hears his own words and struggles to rip the wobble out of his voice. "To Emperor Belos, I mean!" The slight crack and fluctuation of intonation, embedded deeper in his memory than anywhere else, fills him with a cold awareness of the smallest things.
Hunter stops his arm before it satisfies an itch under the hem of his glove. The leather, once a gleaming sign of prestige, now traps his wrist and palm in a clammy prison.
He looks away, as if anyone else in this world could seize his attention more, and reaches out to wave his hand up and down a few times. "So, resume your daily activities, citizen." Hunter leans against the side of the kiosk, props one heel over the other, and crosses his arms in an attempt to appear suave.
"I'll ... I'll be here."
As you scout another stall for cheap contraband, Hunter lays his full weight on the kiosk and accidentally pushes it into a steep bend in the road. He saves himself with a stumble and looks from you to the fleeing kiosk, then sprints after it, cloak flaring, yelling at the kiosk to "give me a break!"
Wheels snap and pots shatter in a crash that summons from the night an immediate uproar.
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badgrrlscoven · 1 year
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Hey hey! May I request headcanons for luz and hunter (separately) with a S/o that's to innocent for their own good but at the same time always manages to get themself into some sort of trouble. (gender neutral pronouns please)
Luz and Hunter with innocent s/o headcanons
a/n: oh i had so much fun doing this! i hope you like this as much as i do, if you want anything changed at all you can message me :)
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luz:
- she honestly thinks you’re just super adorable
- this simple thing called common sense goes over your head and to her, you’re just a witch version of king
- def gives you the “who’s a whiddle guy” look when looking at you for too long
- she will tease you relentlessly for your innocence, and again, your dumbass won’t always understand or you’ll pout
- now for the danger part 😭
- Luz believes you can handle yourself just fine but the poor girl also has a hero complex
- she has made to help you with any tussle you somehow manage to get yourself into
- a lot of ‘oh nos’ leave her mouth when you give her the smile that tells her you most likely did something…again
- Luz will most definitely help you from any problem and support you always, but i know for a fact this girl will tease you about it later til’ your whole body is red with embarrassment
- the trouble you always get yourself into is always stupid or because you did/said something stupid
- you’re her ‘innocent whittle bwean’ as she likes to call you in that voice
- you: you know, warden wrath’s face looks like a bunch of mashed snake butts
- Warden Wrath in the distance just staring you down before charging
- Luz, face sweating and dragging you away: ThEy DIdn’T mEAn iT!!!
- conformatorium escapee buddies together
- you both definitely have wanted posters for different things and honestly, it makes Eda very proud
- You have no idea why she’s proud though
hunter:
- in the beginning he’d probably point out how innocent you are, maybe accidentally making you feel stupid but this would never be his intention with you this boy absolutely adores
- (Probably cause he hasn’t really had a chance to experience love just yet and he may be mildly obsessed with you)
- only titan knows how this boy doesn’t lose his mind sometimes
- he completely adored you but you worry him with how innocent you can be
- honestly, you both probably have the whole ‘dumb x smart’ dynamic going on (you’re not stupid, just super naive but super cute so dw)
- this boy will be explaining something and if a question pops in your head, you ask it. sometimes he’ll pretend to me irked, but he loves sharing any information he knows
- SO MUCH FLUFFFFFFF
- he knows he’s uptight sometimes but he tries his best with you to grow and be lenient with your innocence
- it’s honestly a surprise when you two start officially going out because he is a very big rules and authority person abut because of the trouble you get into it’s sort of out of the norm for him
- you’re his little way of rebelling against belos even if you may not realize it :)
- now, after the whole belos ordeal and you’re all in the human realm hunter would be different around you a bit
- More laid back and chill
- he’s such a smartass about your innocence, cracking jokes about your questions and acting a bit of a know it all
- He’d be happy to answer questions you have without problems
- his ass would trick you and answer the questions wrong and would just watch the chaos that would ensue from this
- flustered.
- that is the only word to describe this boy and how your innocence affects him
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temmtamm · 2 years
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✿ᥫ᭡DARIUS ROMANTIC HEADCANONSᥫ᭡✿
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(Asks are opened and appreciated)
Man will stand up to ANYONE that even so much as looks at you wrong. He is not above fist-fights when it comes to his SO.
He is a glamorous man, and he fucking knows it. So whatever he has, he makes sure you have. If he has status, so will you. If he has power, so will you. Hell, even small stuff like pedicures and shopping days, he'll include you in.
You can not convince me otherwise that this man is amazing at makeup and will be so eager to help you with it. All his wings are PERFECT!!
Mental health days are very important!! He already has to deal with Hunter, so he does not want his SO as mentally unwell.
If you do have trauma though, he will gladly be a shoulder to lean on and....oh, would you look at that?? Your abuser had went missing..how strange.
He denies that he enjoys it, but after a long day of work, he absolutely adores cuddles with you.
He is not shy about using his status to intimidate others into being nice to you. If he is a man of power, he might as well flaunt it.
He is rarely seen just relaxing and in pajamas, but he is definitely comfortable in showing that side to you. He might even get you two matching PJ sets.
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Thanks for reading~
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Yandere hunter/willow/reader headcanons, please? Individual & poly is fine!
Yandere Headcanons | Huntlow
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thank you for requesting, anon!
reader is assumed as gender neutral
for full transparency, i’m really not someone who ships huntlow at all (not my cup of tea), but i will be formatting this as poly yandere hcs for the sake of fairness with my luz/hunter/reader post
this relationship could be described in a single word: smothering
you aren’t given the space to breathe due to willow’s overprotectiveness and hunter’s anxiety over your safety
they’re constantly touching or watching you to the extent that you’ll start to find personal space more unusual than not
they will dispose of people who get too close to you and will either gaslight or emotionally blackmail you into siding with them
willow will be cooing over you and holding you close whilst hunter explains that they were only trying to protect you
they love you, don’t you love them?
even if people are cautious of hunter’s intentions with you willow is the perfect alibi as surely someone as kind and sweet as willow couldn’t hurt someone
hunter isn’t above punishing you for betraying them but willow is — like she’ll tie you up and scold you but she’d never outright hurt you
they definitely have a good cop, bad cop routine
your relationship began before you realised with; when hunter started stalking you from afar when he was the golden guard and willow started memorising your routines under the guise of friendship
both strive for you to love them equally and the best case scenario would be stockholm syndrome
hunter is more prone to insecurity and jealousy than willow (who is very calm and secure in your “relationship”) and if you show preference towards her he will start to withdraw and get crueler
they sleep on either side of you, clinging to your body so tightly that you wake up with more bruises after each night
willow presents herself as the rational loving spouse and tries to get you to understand their perspective — even talking hunter up to you and reassuring him when he has his doubts
she’s very much so the glue that holds the operation together — for better or for worse
but in the end, you’ll end up loving them both as much as they love each other
whether you want to or not
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owlish-owlhouse · 2 years
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Hi! If your asks are open, could you write Emperor Belos x reader? The reader is a wild witch who kept escaping his grasp, and he finally caught them! And when he does, a lot of tension cause they’re also his ex! Hurt/comfort with g/n pronouns pls! also don’t feel pressured to write this, it’s fine if you are busy! I just have a big crush on him:T Thanks and have a good day!^-^
Yandere asks where they kidnap their ex and it gets d a r k. Yes my shit!!!
~~~
Belos stared at you in shock blue eyes studying you as if you were a ghost.
At first he thought you were just some random insurgent from the group that tried to assassinate him. But no, you were so much more. As you fought against him with tooth and nail, your boots splashing in the recent blood shed of your fellow rebels all ripped apart from his curse, Philip began to shake from excitement. His grip tightening on your arm as he refused to let go, refused to loose you again.
The torch light in the room flickered and staring into your eyes they were wild with that passion you held all those years ago. Burning with that fury you always carried deep inside you, that anger that fueled your magic. Somehow despite all the time that had passed you hadn't changed at all.
"Let go!" You order him hair flying in every direction as you thrash like a cadged bird who wanted to be free. The mask that had been on your face, hiding you from him and blending you in with all the others was now knocked to the tiled floor. It was cracked from the impact and stained with red and black. As he stared at the split peices covered in his ooze his gaze snapped back to you. He'd almost killed you all because he had no idea. All because you had no idea.
He rips off his own mask tossing it as far as it'd go and as your eyes meet his, he knows he looks different but he's sure you'll figure it out. Blonde or brown hair, beard or shaved face, bright blue eyes, he was still the same. And after all he fell for your clever and cunning mind not your looks. Though staring at you intensely your looks certainly helped.
He searches your eyes for recognition and eventually when tears fill them and you shake your head he knows you know. It didn't matter how much time has passed, he hadn't changed much either. Whether you wanted to accept it or not it was him.
And here trapped in his throne room away from prying eyes he would remind you of your place and exactly where you belonged. With him.
"Hello love." He hisses into your ear and you begin to tremble in his grip. You shake your head no, weak sobs escaping your throat as the tears build up. Both at the revelation you just discovered and the carnage you'd witnessed by his hand.
"... Ph-philip? Phillip?" You stutter out through your gasping and he chuckles. Oh how he missed you saying his name. He can't believe the immortality spell he found before the wretched carvings worked on you. That you were still here. He assumed you had left this plain of existence long ago. You both had so much to catch up on.
As a hand goes over your hair petting you tenderly, tears streaked down your cheek. You looked so pretty even in this state. With your messy hair, spilled blood, tears, and ash smeared across your face. "No. No that's impossible!" You screech and the smirk that grows on his face from watching you realize who he really was makes his heart thrum with joy. He had to kill Philip with wild Magic and create Belos from his ashes to gain the power he now held, but he never stopped searching for you as he built his empire. He never lost hope that you were still in love with the strange but endearing foreigner with nothing that he'd once been. That his plan had worked and it had, you were here! "Let go of me! Let go!" You demand but his grip simply tightens, both hands latching around your arms as he stares at you, a large smiling growing on his face at having you here.
"Hello (Y/N)." He tries again but you continue to thrash despite knowing it's him.
"No! NO!" You close your eyes refusing to believe the scholar you once loved and this murderous Emperor were one in the same but that was all apart of the fun. Yes his appearance had changed over the years but he hadn't changed at all. His plans were still the same and despite your interference you would not stop him. Infact your original meeting when he stumbled into this world with his brother and showing them your spell circles is what made him discover the glyphs which eventually gave him the power to rise to where he was now.
"Yes." He responds cruely before smashing his lips to yours. Fighting back and trying to claw at him, he simply pulls your hands down forcing you closer, forcing your body flush against his. Eventually he pulls back to breathe but before you can catch your own breath or come out of the daze he kisses you once more stealing your protests away. More teeth and tongue than kiss he doesn't care, he wants all of you, no matter the cost.
He'd waited long enough.
"Stop!" You gasp in protest as his hands grip you tight but he ignores you.
He hated witches. Loathed them and only wanted their painful demise and extinction. But you? You he'd spare. After all it was because of you he got the power to be where he was. Because of you he'd do what every witch hunter dreams of. One survivor surely wasn't so much to ask for after killing thousands more.
"Oh my empress how I missed you." He snarls eyes just as wild as yours as he stares at you with a look only a mad man could possess. You pull away as much as you can but it's useless.
He will never let you go.
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r0semar1esp1ce · 2 years
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Hello can you do a yandre hcs of owl house characters being jealous (Luz, collector,amity,hunter?)
Thank you a lot for the request !
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Yandere Owl House x GN Reader HC [Jealousy]
⚠️Warning for obsessive behaviour , mentions of stalking and violence !⚠️
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Luz Noceda
Luz is definately more of a platonic yandere , so the thought of her being jealous is a little rare . She doesn't think you would ever leave her or replace her . And even if her jealousy were to get the better of her , she would simply confront you about it . She might get emotionaly while telling you about how she has been feeling .
After the confrontation , Luz will avoid getting involved with your new friend/acquantance . The only occasion where she will get involved is if she sees them treating you badly . In that case she will probably use her magic against them , nothing too major but still enough to teach them a lesson .
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Amity Blight
Amity is a little more likely to get jealous , due to he lack of experience with romantic relationships and knowledge about romance . She tries to push away any concerns she has and tries to trust you on the matter . She would occasionaly watch you from affar as you hung out with new people .
She probably wouldn't tell you about her feelings of jealousy , because she would feel like she is showing distrust towards you . So , instead she would simply ask you to hang out more often or pull you away from whoever you may be hanging out with .
If she ever sees your new friend/acquantance treating you badly she wouldn't hesitate to use her abominations against them
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The Collector
The Collector gets jealous whenever he sees you talking with anyone that isn't him . He will immediately demand that you pay more attention to him , throwing a tantrum and crying about how are going to betray them . The tantrum only stops when you apologise .
However , while the tantrum stops when you apologise , they don't immediately forgive you . While they have already made their point clear to you , they will also harm the person who was talking to you in order to make it obvious that you shouldn't pay more attention to anyone else more than them .
It doesn't matter if the new person you meet treats you nicely or badly , the outcome will be the same .
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Hunter (The Golden Guard)
Hunter is very insecure about your relationship , so whenever he sees you hanging out with someone he immediately feels as if he is being replaced and that he isn't good enough . Hunter will be feeling like an emotional wreck for the next few days or until you comfort him about it .
Hunter will try his best to not look jealous in front of you or resort to violent ways to get over his jealousy . He will simply try to act cool about it so you don't think any less of him .
If Hunter ever saw your new friend/acquantance trearing you badly , he would either make up a false accusation about them to get them in trouble , or he would simply beat them up by himself when they are alone .
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I hope I did a good job with your request !
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yandere-chocolate · 2 years
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Yandere Collector x human Reader ~(Platonic)~
(There is absolutely 0 demand for this character as a yan & in general, but we’re still here.)
(Sorry for any grammar mistakes/misspellings)
(Btw, the Collectors age wasn’t entirely revealed yet, so they’re a teenager in this. Doesn’t make a difference, but thought you’d wanna know.)
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(Scenerio: You are a human in the Boiling Isles. The Collector has been reduced back to their shadow form after the “Day Of Unity”)
TW: yandere content, implied abandonment, kidnapping
You were walking alone in the forest. You were lost & trying to find shelter, but it was too dark & the sounds of the creatures in the dark pulsed adrenaline through your veins. You had to get out of here. Out of “the Boiling Isle”.
You have no idea how you got here, you swear that you just woke up here, but that didn’t matter right now. Surviving did.
As you found some warm shelter you fell asleep there. You didn’t even notice the two glowing eyes on you.
“Hehe…a human! A human!” The Collector laughed excitedly, “a new friend! Oh, I won’t be alone anymore!” The large, glowing shadow ran across the room, spinning themselves in circles & loops. “After heartbreak, betrayal, & abandonment once again, finally I have found a brand new friend!” The Collector spun into a shadowy version of you, laughing. The shadow began making poems & rhymes, praising you for simply…existing.
When you woke up the next day, you almost screamed when you saw a glowing, moving shadow. Somehow…it was still dark. This can’t be normal….
“Hello, new friend!~” the shadow giggled, dancing around you. “What is your name?” You didn’t want to tell the strange being your name. “Don’t be afraid!” They said, “I’ve learned my lesson! Killing people makes you lonely…” he finished, hanging their head low. “W-What do you mean…?” You asked, the shadow perked up.
“Belos promised me a land with nine bright hues! Of fun & games, where no one would lose! But alas, I was deceived! betrayed, abused & left out to bleed. Beings still live here, though they had embark, for Belos & I have turned this land completely dark.” Throughout the poem, the shadow was dramatically throwing themselves everywhere, making extreme gestures & using their inhuman body to show scenes of what had happened, with “left out to bleed” & “of fun & games where no one would lose!” being just some examples.
“Now…” they started, “why don’t you tell me your name? We can’t be best friends if I don’t even know your name!” You backed away, a little nervous. “C’mooonnn!” he whined, “I showed you my trauma through rhymes & acting, the very least you could do is tell me your name!” It seemed as though the shadow was annoyed. “O-Okay…I’m (y/n)…” you muttered out & the shadow spun around in delight, “(y/n)! A human name! A real, human name! Hehehe! Oh, I haven’t had a human friend in so long!” They continued giggling, but smiled & held out their hand once they settled down. “I’m The Collector!” He said cheerfully. You tried shaking his hand, but you just ended up touching the wall. “Hehe! You’re going to so fun to play with! What games do you like?! Hopscotch? Tag? Red Rover?! Hehehe! Human games are so fun!” The Collector laughed, twitching a little. “I won’t be alone anymore! I WON’T BE ALONE ANYMORE!” Suddenly, you felt physical hands grab you, “BECAUSE OF YOU MY FRIEND! We can play forever, & ever, & ever, & ever—it’ll be SO much FUN!” You tried to loosen his grip, but they wouldn’t budge. “Why are you….are you trying to get away…?” The Collector asked, seemingly hurt. “You…you do want to be my friend, right? I promise I’m fun! I promise to keep you happy!” The Collector’s grip tightened, feeling a swirl of extreme emotions, namely desperation. “I’ll protect you! We can play whatever games you want—talk about whatever you want! I can get you a home—a-a real one! A big one!—just-just…j-just…” The Collector was shivering, “breathing” heavily, eyes wide & on the verge of tears, “JUST DON’T LEAVE ME!! PLEASE!!” The Collector finally let go of you, backing away on the wall, hiding their head in their hands. “I-I can’t handle being alone! not anymore! NOT ANYMORE!” Vibrant stars swirled around the room, along with blue hues. “YOU’RE NOT LEAVING ME! I…I woN’T LET YOU!” The Collector screamed & you felt yourself pulled into the shadows.
…As you slowly woke up, you saw that you were in some black water, surrounded by glass-like cubes. “Ugh…” you groaned.
“Hello, friend!” You heard a familiar, cheery voice. This time, they appeared to be a more human-like entity, with just their half-yellow-half-blue skin being the only visible non-human trait. That, & their white hair.
“Who…are you?” You asked, rubbing your head. “I’m The Collector, silly! Hehe! Humans are so weird!” You froze. “WHY AM I HERE?!” You asked, upset. “Oh! Well, you can’t leave me here! Hehe! Oh, you’re cute when you’re mad, (y/n)!” The Collector then booped you, smiling.
“So…what game do you wanna play first?” Stars appeared in his eyes as he said this.
Well, there’s no going back now.
But you’re getting out.
You refuse to stay with this insane kid forever.
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speedystarshine · 2 years
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Hey there, could I request a Yan Darius x witch reader?? Also idk if Ur doing this but could I be ☔ anon??
Ofc you can be ☔ anon, thank you for requesting! Enjoy!
Darius with a Parental!Witch!Reader
!!may contain spoilers!!
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-no because this would actually work perfectly for him??? I see him as a very casual yandere, confident in almost everything he does. He's determined to follow what he believes in, is protective of those ian his favour, and thus I see him himself as good with kids, so a parental darling would fit really well for him!
-Honestly, he never really expected to have children. While he did enjoy time spent mentoring people, or fondly helping some interested Hexside students when they came to visit, he never really considered 'setting down roots' so to say, until he saw this side of you.
-deadass he just goes 🥰🥰🥰 whenever he sees you being soft towards children
-more hcs bc we love him!
-oh oh, what about you, him, and Hunter? Just. Sign the adoption papers rn
-I think Darius does genuinely have a soft spot for Hunter, so both of you pretty much co-parenting him??
-aidjskkskakfn 💓💓💓
-I think Hunter also has a soft spot for you both as well, so get your ass to court and ad-
-oh ye emperor mmm fuck him ig
-Anyways, like I said earlier, I think he would be good with kids, due to his laid-back and sassy nature.
-back to co-parenting Hunter bc actually I am looking👀👀
-Just. Imagine, going to grugby games, getting ice screams, cuddling, with either your actual kid or Hunter!
-Best family there. Change my mind. Fuck you belos
-OH OH
-WHAT IF YOU WERE A NURSERY TEACHER AT HEXSIDE, OR EVEN THERE JUST FOR CREDIT??
-he sees you reading or laughing with the kids and just. Sighs dreamily
-ykyk how amity did the reading circle to the kids during 'Lost in Language'?
-imagine you two doing that! I feel he would begrudgingly go along with it, but then actually start to get into it.
- ahhhh you guys do voices!! And acting!!
-whether platonic family or not, sometimes Luz or Hunter shows up into the crowd to embarrass you guys. They actually adore it tho
-But I mean like... If you did wanna have kids, he wouldn't exactly be opposed to the idea👀👀 whether or not you have the parts, you could always adopt!
-yea adopt a certain blon-*gets shot instantly*
-10/10 husband, would recommend
-He'd definitely be down bad for a parental darling, you two would be so soft with each other, maybe even more so if you decide to start a little family!
-that is uh, if you are interested in him like that.
-please don't tell him otherwise.
-please.
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And that's that! Hope you guys enjoyed, this was really fun to make!
... I may have to write a small Darius, reader, and Hunter drabble now, you got me down bad anon 😭
-Ant
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If you do Owl House content can I please ask for a yandere hunter with a darling that has the personality of chiaki from Danganronpa
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Okie dokie. I've never seen Danganronpa so I had to Google the character 😁🙏 I srsly hope I didn't get her wrong. Anyways here ya go (hc format)
Platonic
Hunter first met you when you had been assigned to join him on a mission
You were only a few years younger then him
And sense he was the "teen prodigy" having someone as you g as you working so close to him threatened him
He didn't want to be seen as just another asset for the titan with you here
So he started sabotaging your efforts
Making anything and everything you did on the mission backfire
One night Hunter assigned you for patrol while the other scouts rested for the night
So you sat just outside of grounds staring at the stars
Suddenly a roar echoed through the woods surrounding your camp
You immediately got up with a defensive spell at the ready
A giant slitherbeast came crashing through the bushes and charged at you
Attempting to ward it off you sent fire spells to the beast
Woken by the commotion outside Hunter came charging towards you
To his surprise, he felt a jolt of fear at the thought of you being injured
So he summoned his staff and attacked the beast
Efficiently scaring it away
Hunter landed and rushed to you, bombarding you with questions
When he was sure you were fine he pulled you into a tight embrace
Ever since then Hunter grew protective of you and followed you everywhere
He made sure you were always assigned missions under his command
Over time you started to see him as you older brother, and he saw you as his little sister
As your relationship grew closer he started getting more overprotective and possessive
One time the emperor gave you a dangerous mission on your own
You came back a week later, successful, but severely injured
Hunter sat at your bedside for weeks after making sure you healed correctly
During that time he realized that the emperor's coven was to dangerous, and that he was the only who could protect you
So he slipped some sleeping nettles into your drink and watched as you grew steadily more tired
Once he was sure you were out he kidnapped you and took you to a safe house
When you woke you found yourself in a completely foreign room, wrapped like a little sushi in warm blankets
You started to panic
Hunter heard you and rushed into your room, pulling you close and hushing you while rocking you back and forth
"Don't worry little sister, your safe now. I'll never let anything hurt you again.."
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yandere-toons · 2 years
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YOU'RE IT
The Collector – Platonic Scenario
WARNING: body horror, death, undeath, blood, hospitalisation, reality warping, mentions of religious concepts, psychological manipulation, toxic mindset.
A.N. - !יחי האספן
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A GOLDEN THRONE reached halfway to the ceiling, and bordering it on either side were bowls of fire that stood upon thin stems made from metal. The fire was extinguished and then relit with blue flames, casting a warm glow across the green rug stretching from the foot of the throne to the doors.
The doors to the throne room were made of hand-carved wood taken from the forests of the Boiling Isles and were taller than any living witch. Opening the doors took as much effort as heaving a large rock, yet the Collector burst into the room with the ease of blowing a feather.
Despite never sleeping, the Collector dressed in the type of roomy jumpsuit and nightcap that someone who intended to stay in bed would wear.
Beads of sweat trickled down your face at how fast the Collector was carrying you through the air, your legs dangling above a floor that was approaching far too quickly for your old bones to catch. “Nay, nay! I'm not as spry as I used to be!”
The Collector slowed their descent with a groan of disappointment, but they kept their hands near you until you found your footing.
You stumbled forth with a lame leg on your right side and a cane in your left hand. The butt of the cane hit the floor at the same time as your foot, helping you amble to the throne. Your right leg clumsily landed beside the armrest, which you leaned against to stop and breathe for a moment.
“Buddy!” shouted a high-pitched voice with forced sincerity, and the dark-furred shape of something resembling a canine emerged from behind the throne. “I just had, like, the best idea. What if we had eight people hiding instead of just us three?”
As the Collector flew to hug the owner of the voice, your brain filled with static. The words exchanged between the two of them were hard to understand and seemed to be missing all meaning. The painful flutters in your chest returned, and by the time you deciphered one word, you had forgotten the rest.
After a few moments of staring into space, you shook yourself free of the mental mud and noticed someone was tugging at the bottom half of your clothes.
It was King, a bipedal, dog-like creature with an exposed skull for a head. Atop his head was a pair of long, straight horns, the left of which bore a sizeable crack at the middle.
He barely reached your hips, but you did not need to look far to see how his clawed paw was motioning to the doors. “I'll be back—uh, lickety-split!” King swung his arm forward in mock cheer, glancing at the Collector every other second to confirm that they had not gotten closer or were suspecting anything.
The Collector applauded the news with claps and laughter as they spun in a full circle.
King was gone for so long that you kept forgetting and then remembering that he existed and was supposed to be coming back, although the truth was, you did not know how much time had passed.
The large doors to the throne room were pushed open with a sweeping creak, and a group of five villagers walked forward in varying degrees of suspicion and curiosity. At the sight of you, four of the five villagers fell into hushed gossip and called you by an unfamiliar name.
King was scurrying at the flank of the group, his arms raised in a ‘Y’ shape as if to herd the much taller people in a specific direction. “Okay,” he shouted to ensure that his voice was heard, “here we are!”
The droop of his tail and the way he was tapping his claws together while glancing between the heads of the villagers were indicative of the knot twisting his stomach. “The old throne room. Just like I said,” mumbled King, dropping his gaze to the floor.
Murmurs of bewilderment and speculation spread from villager to villager as each one noticed the Collector, who had tucked their knees into their chest and were spinning vertically without rising or falling.
At the sight of additional players, the Collector gasped with joy and swooped to the front of the group with such haste that the villagers recoiled in fear. There was a cyclops woman, a two-headed reptilian, a humanoid with flaming purple hair, a shorter gremlin and Steve the former Coven Scout.
The Collector was shaking their fists up and down in an outpouring of enthusiasm. “Everyone, go hide! And I'll count to three hundred!”
Waving a hand as if it would dispel the fear leaking out of the villagers' wide eyes and clenched jaws, you babbled, “This place is a maze. I'll go get you folks a map.”
In the couple of minutes that passed in your absence, a thread of unrest was sewn into the group in the form of the cyclops narrowing her eye at the vacant throne. “Where's Emperor Belos?” she demanded, and the other villagers repeated the question while glaring at the cracks in the walls.
“Ol' Steve's gonna be late to brunch,” chuckled Steve, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the doors.
The noise of confusion soared to outraged chatter until it had descended into overlapping chaos.
Once the Collector had finished counting to three hundred, they turned to search for the villagers. No one was even pretending to hide—save for King, who took one look at the Collector and backed away from the group—, and this caused the smile to slip from their face.
King scurried to the opposite end of the group and clutched Steve's gloved hand, tugging on it with all his might and thrusting a paw at one of the more distant corners.
Steve allowed himself to be pulled for a few steps before he crouched and looked at King with an air of friendliness. “Did you need something, little buddy?” His answer came as all the voices behind him ceased at once, followed by absolute silence.
You staggered back into the throne room with the map tucked under your arm to find it empty of people besides the Collector, Steve and King. The Collector was levitating next to a gobsmacked Steve by the throne, and King was in the furthest corner.
King was cowering half-draped under a tapestry of Emperor Belos, eyes shut and paws covering where his ears would have been.
After squinting your beleaguered eyes and opening your mouth slightly, you peered around the space. “Where has everyone gone? Did the game start already?”
The Collector floated over to you like a brooding child, head down and lips pursed into a pout. This discontent morphed into a smile when you looked at them for an answer. “I sent them to the Dark Place,” explained the Collector, and the unconcerned ease with which they spoke was that of someone describing the weather.
“The Dark Place?” you repeated with a hint of hesitancy, wondering if it was a nickname for a shadowy corner or a subterranean part of the castle.
“It's where the fibbers go,” they said.
The footprints made by the villagers minutes before were no longer visible; it was as if they had never existed.
Sweat gathered on your brow, and something on the inside of your chest tightened. You peeked at the entranced Steve, who was slowly rocking back and forth and groaning unintelligible things in an attempt to communicate.
Your eyes pulled back to the Collector and their unwavering stare, to which you offered a smile that you hoped was convincing. “You know, I changed my mind. Maybe we can keep the games between the two of us for today.”
The joy vanished from their face. In its place was a blank mixture of surprise and lost excitement. Within seconds, it evolved into curious happiness as they tapped their chin and outstretched their arms in a cheerful shrug. “Hmm, okay!”
Steve disappeared from the room with a snap of the Collector's fingers, and he was dumped on the steps outside Police Precinct 206.
A Coven Scout dressed in a golden and white cloak was stationed at the foot of the stairs. He watched as Steve bonked his singular horn on the stone step and rolled down to the dirt, shaking his head. “You've gotta lay off the Apple Blood, dude.”
In the Emperor's throne room, the Collector hovered upside down in front of you with their legs outstretched so that they could touch their toes. “What'd you wanna play?”
The names of a few familiar games tumbled through your head, but these thoughts were dashed by a twinge in your chest.
You pressed a fist to the area, gritting your teeth and squeezing your eyes shut at the pain around your heart. Even though the pain faded within a minute, the knowledge of what it meant did not.
A question sat on your mind as the weight on your chest during a nightmare, and it took you many seconds to gather the courage to ask it. “Can I visit my home?”
When you spoke these words, the Collector froze in midair and looked at you as if you had declared your hatred for the game of tag.
“We can play as much as you want after,” you added with a hasty smile, although you were not certain there would be an afterwards.
This enticed the Collector into gaining a wide smile and floating higher. “All right!” They held up a finger. “But just for a little while!”
Not sure how to piggyback on a teleportation stint, you assumed that there needed to be some kind of physical connection and extended your hands for them to take.
The Collector stared at your offering with an unchanged smile and no indication of movement, causing you to lower your hands slightly. This mild embarrassment at making what appeared to be a dumb assumption faded when they pressed their palms against yours.
A short burst of laughter came from them, and for a brief moment, you worried that the Collector was only messing with you about going home. However, as their fingers clamped down on your hands, the world around you became fuzzy and blurred.
* * *
FIREFLIES BUZZED throughout the hills and the grasslands that sloped between them, with each winged beetle emitting a greenish-yellow light. These dozens of glowing dots lit up the night like fallen stars.
A pleasant breeze swept along your neck and slithered through the grass, tying blades of it around your fingers and tickling the skin on your hands. It was a soothing coolness that was neither too cold nor too mild, chilling you just enough to relieve some tension in your muscles without ruining your ability to focus.
Air whooshed from behind, and the Collector sat beside you with their legs crisscrossed.
They rocked back and forth while gripping their feet, eyes becoming fixed on the various light sources scattered around the hillside. Their repetitive motion slowed as they leaned against your shoulder, which was stiff and sore.
The Collector moved off you and stood up, looking between the silvery light of the crescent moon pouring across the countryside and the glow of the fireflies illuminating it like helpful lanterns. “The world's so bright now.”
“When I first got here, it was all dark. I couldn't see much until that big bully came around.” Their curious face soured into a pout at the mention of the “big bully,” and they crossed their arms with a sulky glance to the side.
This frown was washed away in a surge of laughter as the Collector flew into the air and circled you. “And I didn't have anyone to play with! Not like now!”
You watched their flight as best you could, struggling to keep at bay the pain in your neck that struck each time you used those muscles. The exhaustion of a creature in desperate need of a long nap weighed heavy on you.
It had nearly overtaken you when the Collector plopped themselves at your side again, startling you into awakening.
The glowing eyes of the Collector raked the infinite number of white dots in the sky and, from their seat on a hill, saw beyond the lens of the most advanced telescope. They saw the giant balls of gas as if floating in front of one, seeing celestial bodies of blue, red, orange, yellow, and a few that remained white.
Their mouth opened a bit, and the words that came from their study of the cosmos were laced with wonder. “Your sky has so many stars.”
You looked down at the celestial pattern on their outfit and skin and spared a moment to ponder what stars were to the Collector; cousins in the same way that a bee was to an ant; children still new to the universe; ancestors from a past life—or just bright objects that happened to share a space with them.
“It's more than pretty.” You lifted your head to the sky once again, pointing a decrepit finger and tracing a constellation overhead. “People would draw pictures of this and say you could see bears and old heroes. Some of them base their whole lives around it.”
Sitting up, the Collector raised their hands to the sky with the thumbs and index fingers extended. They shut one eye and narrowed the other, sticking out their tongue as they adjusted the nearness of their hands like a painter judging the measurements of a subject.
With a satisfied hum, the Collector lowered their arms slightly and eyed the piece of the galaxy they had chosen. They then moved their hands sideways in a sweeping motion, and all the stars except for a small cluster were pushed away to different areas of the sky.
The grunt of shock and confusion that burst out of you went unnoticed as the Collector dragged each star in the cluster to a new position with one finger. A smiley face was etched into the night sky, looking down at you with its white-dotted face among the sea of black.
As boredom started to itch like razors across their mind, the Collector snuck a mischievous glance at you before tapping your shoulder. “Tag! You're it!” They propelled themselves off the ground in a flurry of grass blades and wind sooner than you could acknowledge the tap.
The outsized fabric of their sleeves and nightcap flapped in the air as they levitated far out of your reach, floating back towards the stars. The Collector began to swim in the night sky and swoop near the surrounding hills to give you a chance of catching them if you reached out at the perfect time.
The sound of uproarious laughter carried on the wind, and it pulled your weary eyes to the airborne shape of the Collector. “Chase me!” they shouted with so much childlike glee that it was hard to believe they were ancient.
You matted a spot of grass with the butt of your cane, heaving your rickety knees off the ground and fighting the shaking in your arms.
“Come on!” whined the Collector.
You pushed yourself to stamp the ground with your cane faster and drag one foot in front of the other quicker, but this tiny increase in speed was a joke compared to the Collector doing cartwheels in midair and zipping around the sky like a peregrine falcon.
A sudden flutter in your heart was the only warning that was given to you before your vision blacked out.
“Huh?” The Collector turned after the consistent thumps of your cane stopped, their excitement faltering at the sight of you tumbling down the hill.
Your eyes were closed, and your body was as limp as a wet handkerchief. You made no move to stand or pull your face out of the itchy grass. When your cane rolled into your shoulder with an audible thwack, you accepted the bruise that would surely appear.
* * *
YOU AWOKE to a pair of red and yellow eyes staring at you. The Collector had stuck their face as close to yours as it could be without touching, leaving little else in your vision besides the light and dark running down their skin.
The once steady rhythm of the heart rate monitor exploded into a series of rapid beeps, and your eyes widened in what the Collector assumed to be the joy of seeing them again. You dragged your arms from side to side across the cot and clenched handfuls of the sheets in a drugged, half-paralyzed attempt to get out of bed.
“You sleepyhead! You've been knocked out for months!”
Leaning forward until their forehead bonked yours, they placed a finger on the top and bottom of both of their eyelids and pushed their eyes open wider. A slight glow emitted from their eyes when they did this, and you wondered if they had taken the phrase “eyes are the window to the soul” literally.
The Collector did not need to blink, so their eyes were able to bore into yours for hours without any kind of interruption. They took advantage of this fact daily, leading to a recurring situation where your bedridden self was forced into a staring contest with someone who had the stillness of a mannequin.
On the first day of the third week, a new kind of tiredness seeped into you.
They glided around the side of the bed and swept one of your hands between both of theirs, tugging your arm. “Get up! Get up! Let's play,” sang the Collector.
No part of you possessed the energy to budge from their pull. Your limbs were like the heaviest stones, immovable and numb.
Your eyes fluttered to the heart rate monitor, and the Collector pondered the significance of its rhythmic beeps. “I'll be leaving soon.”
The Collector tilted their head. “Can I come with you?”
“No,” you answered with a feeble melancholy, your eyelids beginning to fall.
“But the game's not over,” they spoke with resistance.
Summoning the final bit of strength still clinging to your body, you lifted a shaky finger and pressed it to the Collector's shoulder. “You're it,” came a whisper from the last gust of breath rolling past your lips. The finger then dropped to the bed.
A high-pitched hum filled the room as the heart rate monitor fell to a straight line, displaying the number zero in the top right corner.
The Collector turned to cock their head at the change in the machine, but when they looked back at you to ask, your eyes had closed. “Huh? Don't fall asleep again.” They gripped your upper arms and lightly shook you. “We have lots more to play.”
Your total lack of reaction caused their eyes to glow, their frown deepening at the way you sagged in their hold like a ragdoll. “Wake up now.” The constant rise and fall of your chest had ceased, and the Collector wondered why you were holding your breath.
Before they could resort to anything else, a panic-stricken voice flooded out of the intercom and echoed down the hall. “We have a code blue in Room 528! Repeat: a code blue in Room 528!”
A stampede of footsteps thundered in the intersecting corridors outside the door, and the noise drew closer to the room with each passing second.
At the first sound of the doorknob jiggling, the Collector hurled an impatient look over their shoulder and threw out their right hand with a defiant, “No!”
Just as the doorknob was beginning to turn, a triangular shadow raced along the right arm of the Collector like a snake and sprang from their hand at the door. It constricted the doorknob and stuck its spearheaded end halfway through the centre of the door, splitting a jagged crack into the surface.
Muffled yelps and confused chatter erupted on the opposite side. The doorknob rattled as it was jimmied by multiple hands, and someone began to slam against the door every few seconds like a battering ram.
The Collector stared at your closed eyes as if attempting to see through your eyelids. “If you're playing peek-a-boo, I don't like it.” Your skin was cool to the touch now, lacking the natural warmth it had generated so many times before.
On the eve of the third minute of uninterrupted humming, the Collector's arm flew out from their side and aimed at the heart rate monitor. “Be quiet!” they yelled, and the machine was banished from this reality to the Dark Place.
Your lips parted.
Some of the joy returned to the Collector as they perked up in anticipation of hearing you speak to them and announce an end to this charade.
Instead of words, a ghostly wisp of light streamed out of your mouth and began floating to the ceiling.
It was your soul, realised the Collector, but the fact that it was leaving meant there was no more time to play. They rejected this truth by launching themselves off the bed.
The Collector jumped into the air and swiped at the ball of light. “Come back!” they shouted, chasing the soul with frantic swings of their arms but reaching just below it every time.
The soul was slow-moving until they came near it, at which point it zoomed higher.
As their attempts to entrap it grew sloppy and uncoordinated, the building started to shake. It was minor tremors at first, but the rattle of metal tools soon became audible.
When the soul passed through the ceiling with a blip, all the shaking and swinging ceased. The Collector stared at the spot on the ceiling where it had vanished, their eyes aglow with an intense fury.
No matter how much they willed it to happen, the soul did not return. The room was colder for it. The light was dimmer, and the colours were fainter.
Clenching their fists, the Collector screamed, “I said come back!”
Their shrieking of the word “back” coincided with the shattering of every window and light on that floor of the hospital. Lamps melted like eggs; lightbulbs exploded like popcorn; storms of glass shards flew through the corridors.
Yelps were drowned out by the cacophony of destruction, for the one orchestrating it was deaf to the pain of those outside Room 528.
A whimper was all the Collector mustered as they looked at your body again, their lips drawn into a pout.
The shadow holding the doorknob was retracted.
Just as the door was thrown open by a team of ragged nurses and a defibrillator cart, the Collector vanished.
* * *
DEEP IN THE CAVERNS running beneath the remains of the Titan's skull, there stood a door. It led to an infinite number of realms if the traveller paid the price of blue blood, but under the hand of the Collector, it opened without tribute.
Tubes of colour writhed in the doorway with a vivid array of sparkling hues, forming an image like a liquid galaxy. Among them, stars twinkled and opened the swathes of colour just enough for a glimpse into the endless universe that lay beyond.
The Collector leaned forward slightly with their eyes glowing, and the portal changed to a land of death and after-living: the netherworld. No sooner than they reached out a hand to pass through it were they ejected from the doorway in a sudden and harsh push that sent them flying backwards into the rock wall.
The buzzing that had risen in pitch when the Collector was flung had settled down to an idle hum, flickering in tune with the rotation of the matter inside the door. It pulled them to approach the doorway and, upon reaching it, tilt their head from side to side with a curious finger hovering next to their lips.
In the reflection of the portal, they saw long horns protruding from the top of the skull-like face of a Titan. The deity's eyes were black, empty sockets that contrasted with the white of the skull.
It lunged out of the doorway as little more than a silhouette, but the imposing physique of the Titan was familiar enough for the Collector to yank their hand away. A grunt of alarm escaped them as they were forced back until they fell to the ground.
The shadow of the Titan stretched to the height of the cave, and for a moment, it seemed more than a shadow. The gigantic outline of a creature long since laid to rest in the dirt towered above them.
Raising their head to follow its ascent, the Collector expected the Titan to swoop upon them in a great tide the way it had over three millennia ago. The memory of the humongous bones falling over them and pressing them into the abyss was as fresh in their mind as it was on the day it happened.
The Collector looked down to see the door, but they noticed the slightest shaking in their arms. It was a strange sensation of a fear forgotten, one that had been revived by the Titan and instilled in them to relive at the sight of it.
They dug their fingers into their palms and stilled the shaking. With the birth of an open-mouthed smile on their lips, all the light in the room was dimmed. An abrupt gust of wind swept the Collector off the floor and placed them on their feet.
The buzzes and whines quickened and swelled as the Collector threw themselves at the portal time after time, only to end each attempt with their back slamming into the wall. Shadows spilled from their fingertips and mutated the one cast by their body into that of an eldritch beast.
Darkness crawled along the walls, ceiling and floor in jagged shapes that moved with independence. The shadows splintered into waves of formless black that crashed over each other and swallowed the natural light of the sun, growing taller and wider until they began to scream.
They howled and shrieked with such power that the walls were shaken and dropped chunks of rock to the ground, and the shadows then mutated into grotesque imitations of people with mouths open in trembling fear.
The Collector was blasted against the wall for the umpteenth time, but on this occasion, they waited to get up.
The motionless face of the Titan mocked them from the far reaches of the doorway, taunting their upside-down position at the foot of the opposite wall.
Trading their frown of displeasure for a smile of schemes, the Collector rolled to an upright position and stood with one hand on their chin. “If I can't go, I'll just find someone who can.”
* * *
SCUFFLING AND INANE MUTTERING followed a crooked-backed warlock of many years, his staff swiping old scrolls to the floor and stamping it as he hobbled along. He came to a spot where the balcony ended and the start of the throne room behind him began.
The sun shone life into the flowers adorning the balcony, all of which had died and wilted into brown lumps except for a lotus. The warlock grumbled at the daylight and the long shadow he cast through it, only to reconsider the light when he noticed a second shadow beside his.
A rapid swing of his staff cut nothing but air. Laughter, like a child at play, echoed in the dimly lit room. It oozed from every crevice that the torches failed to reach, and the warlock yelled, “Reveal yourself, foul demon!”
The Collector emerged from a shadow on the wall, a wooden smile on their face and a glassy look in their eyes. “Demon?” They tilted their head. “I'm not a demon!”
They floated in such a way that they appeared taller than the warlock, a fact which caused him to bare his teeth and pull his staff to his body. Their visage of childlike innocence drew a vicious scowl from the warlock.
“Remove your mask of virtue!” he cried, and the Collector raised a hand to their mouth.
Their head bobbed somewhat as they delivered a snicker, keeping their bi-coloured eyes narrowed in an ominous expression that tore his sense of security away from him. “I don't think you wanna see that,” they chuckled.
The distant booms of cannon fire lay beyond the walls of the palace. The air reeked of smoke and copper, the stench of a battle waged unseen from the opulent drapes of the throne room.
The Collector smelt the fetid air, and their nose shrivelled. They stuck their tongue out in disgust and gagged with a comical “bleh!” before inspecting the warlock. “Does your house always smell this bad?”
At this, the warlock's eyes widened as if he had been struck by a revelation. “Are you,” he stammered, his defensive posture slacking, “are you here to turn the tide of this war? Have you finally answered my calls?”
With the fluidity of someone drifting underwater, the Collector leaned forward and slowly rotated until they were floating on their back. “You could say that,” they replied while looking at the mural on the ceiling instead of at the warlock. “I'm here to play a game with you.”
The warlock rushed to the balcony, clasping the guardrail and screeching his excitement into a city filled with soldiers shouting orders and peasants wailing.
“Adonai speaks to us!” roared the warlock, shaking his staff in the air and raising his hands to the sky as if reaching for the heavens. His raspy voice carried on the arid wind and sank into the mob below to evoke a clamour of responses, the loudest of which was the chanting of the name Adonai.
He whirled around and flung himself at the space below the Collector. “Great One, grant me power so that I may purge this realm of those who speak ill of my rule!”
The Collector floated back to an upright position, and they looked down at the grovelling warlock with a face of indifference. “Power?” Placing a hand on their chin, they squinted and hummed in thought. “You mean like all the magic in this world?” They outstretched their arms as if to illustrate the size of that much magic.
The warlock nodded his head so fast that the Collector wondered if it was going to pop off his neck. “Yes, yes! All the magic!”
A smile began to spread across the Collector's face, a foreboding and devious kind of smile. “Okay!” They turned and threw up their hands in acceptance. “But I'll need tribute.”
A sprinkle of relief crossed his face, and some of the tension in his shoulders released at what he perceived to be a simple task. “Of course, I can fetch you any number of souls.”
The Collector balled their fists and extended their arms to rigid positions at their side. “No!” they barked, and the warlock cowered. “I need one soul in particular.”
They then chose silence for a bit instead of giving the next detail, eyes drifting. “This soul is gone.” The noticeable pause before the word “gone” was a glaring sign that it had been substituted for something more final. “It's in the netherworld.”
Pointing his staff at the Collector, the warlock spoke with a booming voice. “Pray tell, O Great One, how may I locate this soul?”
From the space between spaces, the Collector lifted an amulet of blue and grey. It bore the same design as the one around their neck: the darker face of a crescent moon slotted against a lighter half-moon. “Take this,” they said, “it'll light up if you're getting close.”
The warlock held the amulet with his right hand, and with his left hand, he waved his staff in a perfect circle. “It shall be done,” were his last words to the Collector before a portal to the netherworld opened at the end of his staff.
A miasma of sweat and decay flooded the throne room when the warlock returned in a mess of panting and pallid skin. He fell to his knees, scrambling to catch the glass jar under his right arm before it hit the floor.
Levitating on the inside of the jar were the amulet and a ball of light, a soul.
Within seconds of his getting up, the warlock was bombarded with a pushy voice asking, “Did you get it? Where is it?” The Collector was floating upside down at his eye level and lurching after him every time he stepped back or recoiled in any way.
As soon as he pointed it out, the Collector snatched the jar and zoomed past him as if seeking privacy.
The warlock sunk into his robe and glared judgement over its collar as he thought they were going to shatter the jar and devour the soul like some ravenous beast, but they came to an abrupt stop at the edge of the balcony.
The Collector loomed over the jar for longer than was necessary, dragging their fingers across the glass and drilling their unblinking stare into it. The soul moved in the opposite direction of wherever their hand went, but this prompted the Collector to hug the jar in a fit of delighted laughter.
They pressed the jar to their chest and squeezed it while kicking their legs and spinning in midair.
“Great One, my magic! What about my magic?” The haggard voice of the warlock badgered the Collector in their time of joy, prodding them like a stick used to poke a sleeping bear.
Following a slow turn of their head, the Collector looked askance at the warlock as he stumbled closer to them with an impatient sweep of his staff. “You want magic?” they asked, curling their lips and narrowing their eyes into a devilish look.
The jar levitated out of their grasp and hovered in front of them. “Here you go!” The Collector outstretched their arms, and when they clapped, all the magic born in that realm was ripped from its place.
Gales of strong winds flowed into the throne room as every window and door was flung open, banging against the walls in a rush of whooshing and howling.
Rivers of light and colour, magic in the form of a vibrant ooze, plunged into the warlock and enveloped him in a blinding tornado.
The whites of his eyes swallowed his irises and pupils, and his feet lifted from the ground. The length of his staff tripled, as did his spine until he was contorted into the image of a demonic prince ready to command the legions of hell.
Horns like jagged antlers sprouted out of his skull and twisted themselves into the shape of a crown. The warlock's neck sagged from the weight of it, but he had no time to care when his jaw widened to accommodate the birth of yellow fangs on each side of his mouth.
His bones split, his muscles tore like the fabric of his clothes, and his body started to dissolve under the stress of the transformation. His fingers became elongated and curved into deformed claws, stripping away the cuticles and nerve endings until his hands went stiff as if struck by frostbite.
Cracks dashed across his skin and allowed droplets of magic to seep through them. The breaks in his skin began to peel and glow, forcing streams of magic to gush from his ears, nose, eyes and mouth in unstoppable torrents.
“It's too much! It's too much!” he bellowed over the sound of his skin crackling and blistering from the searing heat of the magic tearing him apart from the inside out.
With the last bit of vitality still clinging to his bones, the warlock extended his hand and reached out to the Collector for help. No one answered his plea, for there was nothing but an empty room looking back at him.
An explosion of overwhelming light then filled the throne room and brought his painful yells to an end. The warlock had splintered into pieces and imploded, leaving only his staff to clatter to the floor.
The cheers from the masses were deafening, but the Collector had not stayed to listen.
* * *
THE DEWDROPS of a recent drizzle hung on the branches and leaves of trees, blowing into the air with each gust of wind and landing on the Collector's face in cold plops. Some of the dewdrops flew to the sky after touching them, while others were repelled off their skin and sent back to the trees as if time had reversed.
A subtle glow invaded their eyes, and the Collector outstretched their arm and pointed their palm at the square of land in front of them. They hovered like this for a moment before squeezing their hand shut into a tight fist, twisting their wrist and cocking their head along with the motion.
The grass was torn from the earth in clumps of stringy dirt. Roots, seeds, and pebbles were swept onto the breeze surrounding the Collector like a shroud, and the petals of flowers split in twain glided in circles around the gaping hole in the ground.
From the depths of the earth, rising from a dark grave as if pulled by invisible wires, came a half-decomposed skeleton. There were no clear remnants of who it once was, save for a few scraps of tattered clothing and the rush of joy that filled the Collector at the sight.
Whereas the grass was ripped off the ground as if the ground had stolen it and deserved to have it taken away, the skeleton was slowly lowered to the dirt like a priceless piece of china meant to be handled with the utmost care.
The Collector floated down to a kneeling position at the side of the right arm. When both of their knees were submerged in the dirt, the wild breeze that had churned plants and branches like a typhoon fell silent. It stopped as if struck from the air by a mighty hand, and a wave of leaves and sticks then rained on the disturbed land.
None of this debris was allowed to touch the Collector or the skeleton. It had been deflected by a gust of wind every time it came near, falling around the pair in a cluttered and dense circle.
The Collector cupped their hands and held the shape close to their face. They pressed their palms together before cupping their hands again, and then a brilliant light spawned in the space between their hands.
It was a warm ball of light that started to flicker and shrink like a dying candle, one that contained the life essence of a soul displaced.
The Collector's eyes began to glow as the smile on their face stretched. They maneuvered their hands around the light but never touched it, instead choosing to hang their head over it and whisper, “Let's play together again soon, okay?”
The soul flared, burning brighter and whipping the air.
Under the silvery eye of the crescent moon, the Collector shoved the soul into the ribcage of the skeleton. A jolt rocketed through the bones in the form of both arms and legs twitching as if hit by a defibrillator.
Bones that had been threatening to dissolve and break apart collected fragments rolling up and out of the grave, fusing back together into a skeleton so complete it would have made an archeologist cry.
With a loud crack, the lopsided jaw popped back into alignment with the rest of the skull.
Fractures in the spinal column and right femur vanished as if waved away by a magic hand.
Crooked teeth were straightened, and bad knees were healed.
The flesh and innards returned with the blue of veins; the purple of blood vessels; the cartilage of the nose and ears; the red of muscles turning to the colour of skin; the body filling out with organs and fat—a crime against nature that did not go unnoticed by the great Titan in the sky.
You lurched up in a fit of screaming, shrieking at the agony of being dragged back to life. Your physical form reassembled around you in a mess of writhing tendons and misfiring nerves, and the Collector watched it all with a slow tilt of their head.
The unnatural length of their smile stretched wider as if they were playing with building blocks and had arranged the blocks into a funny word.
The shrieks spilling out of you were uncontrolled and mad, becoming clearer with the addition of a tongue until the issue of a limited lung capacity and a stinging throat forced you into silence.
As your new brain grappled with a flood of old memories, it spread a buzzing tingle throughout your skin that was like dozens of needles poking you at once.
Your breaths were quick, shallow scrambles for oxygen that you had grown unaccustomed to needing. Remembering how and when to breathe was an invasive and uncomfortable experience, for the air running through your mouth and puffing out your chest was akin to someone sticking their arms down your throat.
With the eyeballs fresh in your skull, you could see this corner of the world tucked away in a forest under a moonlit night. The taste of rain on the air; the smell of pollen; the dew on your skin; the hordes of trees; the chatter of nocturnal animals—it was all too much, an overload on your senses that had your legs kicking and your arms flailing.
It was then that a pair of small arms encircled you. An equally small body leapt onto your side with an eager burst of laughter.
They hugged you as a child would hug a stuffed animal, eyes closed and head resting on your shoulder. They seemed at peace, but just as their patience lasted no longer than a five-minute game of hide-and-seek, your frantic movements caused them to open their eyes and look at you.
The unearthly glow of their red and yellow eyes, like a pair of lanterns in the night, awakened a memory so deep that it bypassed any thought and sent you scurrying across the dirt. Cold and damp soil was crammed under your fingernails as your hands flung wads of it in every direction.
The Collector jumped up with the crescent moon framed behind their head, which cast a long shadow over the front of their body and dunked every bit of it in darkness except for their eyes. “You want to play tag already?” they asked, feet beginning to lift into the air.
There came no pain from moving your neck; no wrenching in your chest; no wobble in your knees; no brain fog to suck the thoughts out of your head—a vile disease had been ousted from you.
For the first time in decades, you stood without nearly toppling to the ground on knock knees. Having such control and energy to spare was akin to the weightlessness of a bird in flight.
It was not so easy for your mind to return, and the scraps of memory and consciousness floating around in it were more confusing than enlightening.
A jolt then ran through your body, like a painless punch to the gut. It recharged you with the high of an eternal sugar rush.
The Collector was holding their index finger in front of where your heart sat, pointing at the organ as they looked at you. “You couldn't stay before.”
The glow in their eyes brightened, and a maddening hum invaded your ears. “I'll make sure that never happens again.”
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Do anything you want with my work, but never make me boring!
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melodyofsky · 1 year
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Yandere Adrian Graye
Sorry if it’s a bit confusing, had a random spark of inspiration.
 Based on this post here (If the creator is uncomfortable with me using this post then will take down) - 
https://at.tumblr.com/dopp-likes-yanderes/imagine-this-reader-who-works-in-the-emperors/qte1z6dpb9ju
TW: Yandere in general, mentions of stalking, blackmail, cornering reader, unwanted touch. 
Adrian Graye 
The man you’ve been avoiding since that blessing in disguise of a day off. When you woke up that day it had become apparent what happened the night before. The moment you had realized that you rushed out of bed, left some cash/snails to pay for the inn bill and left. But little did you know the certain coven head was already awake. 
Next few days were filled with paranoia. You served as guard captain under Belos so you had no reason to be paranoid that much but for some reason, you felt so insecure, like you were being watched. 
One while doing you rounds, kikimora you were called down for whatever reason. So you head down to her office and greeted with the one the only Adrian Fucking Graye Vernworth. 
“Holy fucking shit, no way.”
You think, as you enter. Kikimora gives a quick relay on why you were called here, “If you had not heard, the illusion head master was recently attacked, and has asked emperor Belos for a private guard, you have received that pleasure” She pauses to look at papers “Your shifts begin... tomorrow. You will receive a new schedule tonight. Do you understand?” You say yes in fear of what would happen if you refused. 
The next few days were anxious to say the least. “Does he like remember what happened on that day or like no?” you pondered. You were doing rounds around his area, until accidently running into a corner. You go to turn back but you are greeted with a looming shadow of none other then the coven head himself, Adrian
“Hello sire, how may I be of service of you as of right now.” You say with a bit of a quiver in your voice. “Yes, you can be of service of right now” “How so?” You question “Give me a kiss” He says bluntly with a smile “Excuse me sire?” 
“Did I not make myself clear? I said give me a kiss, not much maybe a peck on the cheek” At this point you’re trying to excuse yourself, without making it uncomfortable “Would you excuse me sire I-” “I said give me a kiss, not much, at least a peck on the cheek. After all you wouldn’t want a little lie about you sleeping with coven head for benefit running around now, would you?”  Well shit, you were stuck now. 
With no other options, you give him what he wants, a small peck on the cheeks, he waits for a moment then, moves out of your way, letting you know that you’re off duty for the rest of your day. He follows to your quarters, and lets you rest there. “Maybe a nap would do me some good...yeah that sounds nice.” You head to sleep. 
Meanwhile with Adrian, he feels like he’s just coming down from heaven. A kiss from his beloved. That night he saw you being cool in solitude and had a taste of you was when he fell in love for sure. He had been stalking making sure you were okay for quite a while and with that little sob story of him getting hurt and a illusions of bruises and such. He had scored the jackpot. With that little kiss of yours, you had just confirmed his delusions. 
You did love him, he was going to make sure of it. He has no intention of giving up.
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temmtamm · 2 years
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𖤓HUNTER ROMANTIC HEAD CANONS 𖤓
(Asks are opened and appreciated)
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Lowkey kinda obsessed. He has way too much stress in his life so when he finds something that brings him happiness, he latches onto it like it will disappear in any second.
He is always striving to impress you and prove he is worthy enough for your love. He tries doing so by using his fighting talents to the best of his ability.
He loved physical affection but shys away from PDA since he still wants to keep his tough golden guard persona around others.
He seems to like the nose kisses, considering he tries to do them. Sadly, he is still new to affection and instead of kissing your nose, he ends up just smooshing his lips on them.
He also really adores cuddles. It's great to come back after a long day and relax with you.
Ever since he got his own device, he loves to send you pictures of his palisman as well as pictures of his accomplishments (catching a wild witch, stuff like that) to remind you that he isn't a lost cause.
He doesn't like to cry in front of you, as he's afraid showing the wrong emotion will cause you to dump him.
Despite that though, he will absolutely burst into tears if you just remind him that he is worthy. Not like if he's upset or anything, but like you share it out casually like you were just repeating a fact to him.
Over the coarse of the relationship, he works on himself and even builds up enough courage to hold hands and hug in public. He still gets incredibly flustered and/or embarrassed by kissing though.
Very much a jealous type. He has an inferiority complex so anyone showing you any romantic interest is automatically assumed as a challenger and like they have a chance to actually take you away, even if you hate the person.
Despite all his flaws and him accidentally hurting you though, he does really truly love you and he only prays you love him back.
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Thanks for reading~
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sleepingdeath-light · 8 months
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yandere hcs ; edalyn clawthorne
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requested by ; anonymous (28/07/22)
fandom(s) ; the owl house
fandom masterlist(s) ; here
character(s) ; edalyn clawthorne
outline ; “May I Please request Yandere Edalyn Clawthorne (From The Owl House) Headcanons. NGL I think she would be scary considering the curse ,but that's just me.”
warning(s) ; yandere!eda, physical violence, kidnapping, obsessive behaviour, possessive behaviour, near-death of reader
as far as being a yandere goes, eda is absolutely terrifying in how her obsession towards you manifests — after all, she has no reputation to threaten, no job to lose, and she’s spent decades outmanoeuvring the emperor’s coven so the chances of her ever getting caught and punished for her actions is so close to nothing that it’s basically negligent
combine all of that with her emotionally volatile cursed form and her scarily loyal house demon, hooty, and you’ve basically got zero chance of escaping her once she’s finally got you in her grasp
she’d been watching you for a long time before she snapped, living vicariously through you as you went about your day as a normal citizen — covertly following you as you ran errands, staying outside of your home and listening to you as you go about your daily routine, sneaking into your home to watch you sleep, and so on
she knew your schedule like the back of her hand, talked about you constantly to king and hooty, and didn’t even consider taking you until king suggested it — like it was the most normal thing in the world — and so she did (the very same day in fact — even though she was woefully unprepared, but she wasn’t exactly known for thinking ahead when she did things, so this wasn’t too out of the ordinary for her)
outside of the kidnapping and refusal to let you leave her home, your relationship is shockingly typical and easy to adjust to — you find yourself getting used to the regular chaos of the owl house without even realising, even, until it feels more ‘normal’ than your previous life and you start to hate how much you ‘love’ your ‘new family’
she uses pet names for you, jokes around with you, is affectionate and mischievous in equal measure, and makes sure that you’re provided for as best she can — she’s very obviously enamoured by you, but she still doesn’t open up to you, not really
she knows everything about you and you know almost nothing about her, which makes conversations difficult and one sided — the most you figure out is that she’s cursed (because she leaves her potions everywhere), that she’s a wild witch (because you’d seen her wanted posters around bonesborough for years), and that she has a sister in the emperor’s coven (because you heard them arguing at the door when you were still trapped in the upstairs room — but she was long gone before you had the chance to call for help), but as far as her personality and life beyond that went she was incredibly guarded and avoided answering questions about it however she could
if it weren’t for how physically affectionate and flirty she was with you, you might have felt more like an object to stare at than someone who she cared for (in her own, twisted way)
at least you had king and hooty to keep you company, who were both orders of magnitude more open and genuine with you than eda was — with them both giving you more insight into the life of your captor and providing you with good company and laughter as best they can
(king in particular looks to you as a playmate and even a sort of parental figure, and you usually spend the days where eda’s at the market playing with and tending to him — he particularly loves cooking and baking with you and has been known to curl up on your lap and fall asleep after a particularly long day)
you rarely ever get a glimpse into eda’s curse, only having heard the basics from hooty and eda herself, but one notable encounter was the first and last time you tried to escape from her — the stress and anger and upset felt all mixing inside of her until she snapped and you ended up being hunted down by a furious owl beast, which caught you soon enough and nearly mauled you to death before she regained control
she used potions and spells to heal you as best as she could, but some scars, both mental and physical, still remain and act as a visceral reminder of what awaits you if you try to flee — the pain never leaving you even as you fully acclimatise to your new life, no longer trying to fight back
because next time she might not be able to stop herself
because next time the owl beast might not be as merciful as she tries to reassure you that it is
because next time might be the last time
and, at least, by staying with her you still have a chance of being able to see your loved ones again, however small that chance might actually be — because a small chance is still better than what you would have if you were killed
besides, this new human, luz, seems to be softening her up quite a bit so you might have a better chance than you thought — and, either way, you don’t mind her company (she’s a fun kid, after all)
maybe things will get better for you now
maybe
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frogspond200 · 9 months
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𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙻𝚞𝚣
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𝚁𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝙱𝚢: 𝙰𝚗𝚘𝚗
𝙰𝚜𝚔: 𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘! 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙻𝚞𝚣 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚙𝚕𝚣
𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚛
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
𓆗 Luz is deeply devoted to her loved ones, especially to someone she has feelings for. She becomes completely enamored with them and is willing to do anything to protect and be with them.
𓆗 Despite her friendly and cheerful demeanor, Luz has a dark and possessive side. She can switch from being adorable and caring to intense and manipulative, especially when she feels threatened by others.
𓆗 Luz becomes extremely protective of the person she loves and might show jealousy towards anyone she perceives as a potential rival.
𓆗 She often keeps a close eye on her loved one, monitoring their actions and interactions with others. Luz may even go as far as stalking them to ensure their safety.
𓆗 Luz has a talent for deception and can hide her possessive tendencies behind her usual energetic and friendly facade. This makes it difficult for others to suspect her true nature.
𓆗 She may indulge in dark fantasies of how she and her loved one would be together forever, often with an unsettling intensity. Aka she's delusional…
𓆗 When someone threatens the relationship she cherishes, Luz can display violent tendencies, resorting to manipulation, sabotage, or even physical harm to keep her loved one close. (Placed after season two)
𓆗 Despite her dark actions, Luz genuinely believes that what she’s doing is out of love and protection for her significant other.
𓆗 although, despite her possessive and obsessive tendencies, Luz might display moments of extreme sweetness and affection towards her partner. When she’s in a calm and content state, she could be incredibly gentle, caring, and loving, making her partner feel cherished and adored.
𓆗 During these soft moments, Luz might go out of her way to do thoughtful things for her partner, like preparing their favorite meals, giving them gifts, or simply spending quality time together. She could be very attentive to their needs and emotions, always trying to make them feel happy and secure in the relationship.
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r0semar1esp1ce · 2 years
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Hey hey! Nice to meet you :)
I had a small idea, Yandere Collector, who finally escaped and killed Belos, but when he turns around and sees Luz and her friends, he also sees his soulmate, the person who he is eternally bound to, and is ecstatic to finally find his 'eternal playmate'.
Ooh ! This is a really interestng concept ! Also , thank you a lot for the request !
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Yandere Collector x GN Soulmate Reader
⚠️Warning for depictions of obsessive behaviour and violence ! Also a spoiler warning for the gif and some other parts of the scenario !⚠️
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You watched as Belos's body hit the wall across the room , instantly turning into a green slomey substance that stained the wall as it dripped on the floor below . You couldn't help but hold on to the sleeves of your shirt , your knees quivering in fear .
"Too slow !"
The voice of the child like figure in front of you spoke , before turning his attention to the group . Despite their happy and childish attitude and innocent features , their aura was intimidating . They looked at the group with a child-like curiousity , until their wide red eyes landed in you . They observed you with wide eyes , before briefly turning their attention to the rest of the group .
"You all look slow as well ... Would you like a head start ?"
The strange figure took a few steps closer to all of you , and you watched as all your friends scrambled to their feet , scared for their life . You wanted to move , you wanted to run away as fast as possible yet it felt like your feet had been rooted to the ground .
"Well , what are ya waiting for ? Start running !"
Before you could even properly try to come up with a plan , you were dragged away by Willow . You felt as if you weren't in control of your own legs , like they were moving on their own . Your vision was starting to get blurry , you could barely even listen to the sound of Willow's voice . Everything slowly started to get dark , the voice of someone speaking to you was the last thing you remember before blacking out .
"I got'chu ! Hehe , I am so glad I found you ... The starts told me of your arrival ! I can't believe that now you are right before me ..."
When you woke up you were no longer with your friends . Instead , they mysterious figure from before stood before you . When they finally saw you were awake , their eyes lit up with joy . They took a few steps closer to you , causing you to flinch away from him .
"Please ... don't hurt me ..."
"Hurt you ? Why would I do that , silly little thing ! I could never hurt you ! "
Despite their happy and reassuring voice , you weren't comforted by their words in the slightest . As you nervously looked around your surroundings , you realized that you were in a cave-like area that you didn't recognise .
"So tell me about yourself ! I know we have all of eternity ahead of us to learn about each other , but I just can't wait !"
"All ... All of eternity ?? What does that mean ?"
"We are soulmates ! So that means that we are sould bount for the rest of eternity ! I have waited for decades to see you and now the time has come ... "
Your stomach dropped at the sound of that . You started to shake again , feeling confused and afraid . However , the Collector didn't seem to notice your distress and kept rambling on and on and on about all the different things you could do together . As he started to talk about all the mischief and chaos he could cause , you felt like you were going to faint once more .
"I cannot wait to spend my eternity with you , my dear playmate !"
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I hope I did a good job with writing your request !
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yandere-chocolate · 2 years
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Can you do yandere hunter (from toh) and how he would act after hollow mind happened?
Yandere Hunter Headcanons (After “Hollow Mind”)
(THIS MAN NEEDS THERAPY-
Also, I should disclaim I have yet to watch “Labyrinth Runners”, so don’t expect this to be 100% accurate to that)
(Sorry for any misspellings)
(TW: mentions of gore(bones), extremely possessive behavior)
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Okay so…trauma, right?
Poor boy came running to you almost immediately, cuddling you, breathing heavily, & spewing random nonsense that you couldn’t understand.
All you could understand is that Hunter was stressed & crying in your arms. But you comforted him. No, really! Just you being there & whispering “it’s going to be okay…” made him at least gain back a little of his sanity. After all, his life had just fallen apart. It was all a lie. But at least you were there for him.
After calming down, Hunter lived with you. He wasn’t going to leave, & you had no idea why. Whenever you asked the golden guard just went back to his panicked state, screaming & crying for you to not send him back—for you to not tell anyone he’s living with you!
This was for your own safety. Hunter would snap if you ever got hurt in a time like this.
He also tries to avoid everything moon, sun, or star-related. It remind him of “The Collector” kid that he saw in Belos’ mindscape. He also avoids anything that has to do with the Emperors Coven.
On a more yandere note, Hunter becomes much more possessive of you after these events, following you everywhere you go, actively fighting people you try to get near you, controlling your shopping, & keeping you home for as long as he can.
You’re all he has left & he’s not going to lose you! His mind is already broken, without you it will completely shatter.
Hunter also gets more clingy, holding you tight & keeping himself very close to you.
Unlike the Hunter you knew before, this Hunter was no longer afraid to shed blood. & he has. If anyone did so much as give you a half-hearted insult they’re blood & bones would be spread across the streets the next day.
Of course, Hunter calms down at some point, but he’s not fully healed. Don’t expect him to be as lenient with those who wrong you as he was before.
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