Worldbuilding Poll

Worldbuilding Poll

Sorry, I'm really indecisive, and I have no idea how to do stuff without a few opinions- The thing is most of my writing is based off of that world, and I have a hard time explaining things without explaining the basics first! I feel like I should, but I dunno. I doubt people actually like reading my stuff- I dunno if this blog should be just Undertale, or if this blog should just be all my writing, I just get really confused.

A Freak For A Friend - Error and Nightmare

TW: Manipulation, feeling uncomfortable and hearing things, not respecting boundaries (haphephobia), breaking of limbs (not gory, just Nightmare after the corruption lacking any stable bones), swearing

If you feel uncomfortable with any of these topics or subjects, leave. I’d rather live knowing I’m not responsible for someone's discomfort. If you are reading, please enjoy!

Summary - Nightmare recently became corrupted, trapping himself in the Anti-Void while escaping his AU. He meets a new glitchy friend and wants to be freaks together.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The Anti-Void. A place of nothingness. A place where time ceases to exist. Well, that’s close enough, isn’t it? It’s not like anything’s valuable there, so why was someone randomly walking there?

That was the situation Nightmare found himself in. He recently became corrupted from the apple, so he could barely feel his body. He felt cold and scared. Mainly cold. He couldn’t tell if they were his feelings or someone else's. Frankly, he didn’t care, either. He just wanted to find a way out of… wherever he was. The Anti-Void was all the code said. The rest was just blank, similar to his surroundings. It was strange. He felt so many emotions around him, yet he couldn’t. He felt like his senses were absent, yet they felt so sensitive. He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Eventually, the voices around him started to scream, his feelings and thoughts fusing and blurring together. He couldn’t tell what he was doing if he was in control. He just felt trapped. He felt apart from his body. He was confused if the thoughts were his or someone else's. Still, he kept moving forward.

No matter how much his body ached.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The longer he walked, the more clouded his vision grew. He felt so tired, weak, and pathetic. It was like the village, with reality nagging at his mind. The whole reason he ate the apple was to be just like Dream. Now look at him. He’s a freak. He wanted to shut them out. He could barely see. If he could, it was just an empty blank space. He grew tired of it. He wanted to see color. See something alive.

Anything.

Eventually, he forced himself to open his eyes and observe his surroundings. He looked on the floor, around him, and soon looked up.

Oh, how grateful he was to look up.

There was color! Amazing! He saw strange, blue strings hanging from the ceiling. Well, there is no ceiling. Just an endless void up, but still! They held souls from above, each placed in a specific area. He found it amusing as the souls lay motionless, entangled. He wanted to touch them, but he was still cautious. He may be going insane from the Anti-Void, but he’s not that delusional.

He sat down on the cold white floor, staring up. He grew bored and decided to count all the strings he could see. Then he tried counting the souls. The ceiling was vast, making his eyes hurt.

Getting back up, Nightmare walked randomly, following the waves of strings. They appeared to originate from a singular point. “Like a spiderweb,” he thought. The souls were like bugs, trapped in the harsh grip of strings and silk. After walking for… he doesn’t remember. After walking for a while, he found something in the distance. It was a body. He walked faster and faster, and he sprinted towards it. After reaching his destination, he towered over it. He wanted to know if he found a corpse or a living thing. It appeared to be a skeleton, just like him. It was black colored, just like Nightmare’s goop. It had blue “tears” on his face. They looked similar to the strings. Its eyes were closed, probably sleeping. It wore a baggy black jacket that faded into blue near the sleeves. Its teeth were yellow as it snored. “Still alive,” he gratefully thanked Destiny for a while, glad to know there was probably a way out. If this thing collected souls, they got it somewhere else.

Meaning they can get out of the Anti-Void.

His gaze trailed over its body, seeing how its skeletal hands and legs were bright red, unlike his face. Its shorts were black and blue, just like his sleeves. He noticed they seemed stitched. Maybe the skeleton knitted its clothing? Its neon blue scarf wrapped around his neck, the excess lying on the ground next to it.

Nightmare was curious, that’s for sure. The more Nightmare looked, the more detail he noticed. Its snores sounded glitchy, and there were a few glitchy error signs around his body. He couldn’t help but get closer. Using his hand, Nightmare gently touched its face. Its bones were ice-cold. “Probably from staying here too long,” he realized. He gently tapped its cheek. “Wake up,” Nightmare pleaded. The figure’s eyes slowly opened and eventually landed on Nightmare. Suddenly, it jumped up and backed away quickly, seemingly shocked. The error signs around its body started to cover most of its features. Its eyes were widened with shock, eventually covered by the error signs. Nightmare simply sat where it once lay, staring with dull eyes. The thing froze in shock, and a loud static rang throughout the Anti-Void. Nightmare flinched, covering where his ears would be. Maybe this is going to be interesting.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

After a while, the glitching skeleton calmed down. “Finally,” Nightmare groaned. The other stared at Nightmare like he was crazy or delusional. Maybe it thought Nightmare was both.

Maybe he is.

“W̵̢̠͂H̴̘̄̂O̷̙̐͒͝ ̴͓̹͔͂͛T̶̫̟́̐Ȟ̵̗͎͇͠Ë̸͔́́͜ ̷̲͖̘̓̀͐F̸͇̲̒Ű̶͎̱͕̂̇C̴̡̞̀K̵͒͊̀͜ ̸̹͗̈́A̷̦̥̭͐R̴̦̆̏͊Ẻ̷̪̚ ̷̼͋Y̵̢͐͗Ȍ̷͓̉̽U̸̖̯͂ͅ?̸͖̣̽̈!̵͖͙̲̿͘͝” Nightmare could barely understand what it was saying to him, but he gave a sinister grin. After all, if Nightmare knew one thing.

It was fear.

Nightmare gave a deep, demonic chuckle. It felt so refreshing to see someone so scared. Usually, Nightmare was the one scared of others. He was always begging for people to stop, to end their torment. He was glad the roles reversed for once. Was it sadistic? Sure. But in Hell, Nightmare would care.

“Relax, darling—”

“A̶̞N̸͙̈S̷̥̏W̴͉̔̍͛Ȇ̶͍̳̎R̴̦̠̠̓̈́ ̵̦̙̃ͅT̷̡̋̈H̴͓͖̗̔Ě̶̝̉ ̵͙̖͕͠F̴̩U̸̪͌Ĉ̵̮̱K̴̦I̸̺̼͑N̶̟͋G̷̨͛ ̴̠͑Q̴̰̞̤͆Ǜ̶͇̹E̴̢͔̜̿̂͑Š̷̤̗T̵̺̀̄͑Ȉ̸̱̦̱̆O̷͕͖̘͗N̶̳,̴̞̭̩̉̄ ̸̔T̷̢͚E̷͈͉͊N̶͎̏̂T̶̲̳̊͛A̶̲C̷̗͚̭̅L̷͈̈̃E̵̙̚ ̶̯̳F̴͙̺̭͂͑R̴̨̛̖̄Ẻ̸̝Ä̵̛̖́Ķ̸̲̳́!̵̞̏” Nightmare gave a playful pout. “How rude of you. I haven't done anything to you yet!” Nightmare’s tentacles slithered out of his back, slowly approaching the figure. Suddenly, blue strings wrapped tightly around his tentacles, causing Nightmare to scream in agony. "N̷̛͙̅͋-̴̝̣͕Ñ̸̥̥̤̃-̶̩̱͓̈́̐N̴̜̭̑͜ŏ̵̙t̸͎́̂ ̷̖̤̈́̅s̴̬͐̂ö̶̫͕̌ ̴͕̩̞̾͗͐c̵̦͇͐͘o̷̠c̴͍̈͛k̶̜̊̑̂y̶̮͛̓-̸͚̹̽̓̑k̴̞̫̈́̈́̐y̸͓̦̞̆͋ ̴͈̍n̶̳̹̒̓n̶͖͉̿͗n̶͙̠̎͛͘ň̶̡͚̮̋o̵̺̎̈́̎w̸̭̙̣,̸͓̘̾͘” “̵̛͎̤̋̅h̵̛̘̘̻͂̽-̸̙̈́̒h̸̆͘ͅ-̷͚͈̯̃͋̕ḩ̴̺̠̍̈́-̵̣̝̹͗h̶̫̊̉͘-̵͚͊͂h̶̢̢̽̏ṵ̵̲̤h̷̦̱͚̔͆-̷̹͎͗̊̕u̴̧̦͑ĥ̵̖͆̈́-̵̫͜͜͠u̸̖̮̇̽h̴̲̄̑?̶̬̬̀́̓” Nightmare could barely hear what he was saying. It was too corrupt. His tentacles eventually morphed and oozed out of the strings. Nightmare glared at the figure. “Why don’t you calm the fuck down, huh?” The glitchy figure let out a deranged cackle. It was so glitched and deformed, switching pitches every second. "̸̛̘̍̇͜Y̵̨̳̖͑-̷̞͇̐Ý̴̭̥͂̂-̸̲̦́̎Y̴̩̖̣͐̈́̆o̴̳̯͆̃u̸̡̬̎̂͘ ̴̪̝̃͂́w̴̤̐̎ă̶̦̹̼̊n̶̫̘͠n̶̗̊ǹ̴̋͒ͅn̴̖̳͘t̶̹̜̃ ̸͚́̍̎ṭ̷̨̳̿o̷̫̙ ̸̰̰͛̈t̷̲̤̻a̶͙̙͇͒͂-̵͔̫̀̚ã̷̮͚͐-̴̡̛a̷͍̹͒̐̅l̴̛͐ͅk̸̖͇̎?̷̩̋ ̷͍̘̎̄Ỳ̷̯͖̜͋o̶̹u̸̺̰ ̷͔̝m̷̮̉́-̷̪̼͉m̶̛̫͖̋̎ȗ̴̻s̵̬͠ṭ̸͐̌̍ ̷̼͍͛b̸̛ͅë̷͍̰́͜ ̴̙͐ń̴̻̼̻͌-̵̟̟͈́͝n̵̢̳͐-̶̲̏n̵̦͕e̵̳͖̰w̶̢̛̰ ̶̨͇̼̽h̴͇̊e̸̤̼̯͑̎é̷͎̼͇̉ê̴e̷̢͎͍̋͊̈e̶̢̼͑̔r̶̫̔ȩ̴̀̕͠.̶̰̰̈́́"̷̢̦̀ Nightmare couldn’t understand a single thing it said. So he gave an emotionless stare. “Uhhhhhh… right. The glitchiness…” He paused. “I didn’t understand a single fucking thing you just said, strange glitchy man.” Nightmare rolled his eyes, not even trying to hide his confusion. The figure sighed. His voice reminded Nightmare of the device the villagers called. It was something like a radio. Nightmare continued anyway. “The name Nightmare, strange glitchy man that steals souls and hangs them on the ceiling. I apologize we got off on the wrong foot. Also, Glitchy Man is a pretty weird name-”

"T̸̺H̵̦̰A̵̬̩̲T̵͓̫͒ ̴͚̌Ì̵͉̳S̸̢̥͖̓̄N̵̤̘'̸͔̯̈́T̴̬̭̕ ̷̙̹M̵̛Ẏ̵̖͖͓͛ ̸͍̤̻̌N̵̞̞̞̽A̵̱͑̅͠M̸̮̻̊E̷͑ͅ!” Now, at least Nightmare could understand a bit more. “You’re… quite rude, y’know? I didn’t even finish speaking, and you’re already interrupting with your harsh replies.” The figure was seething with anger and annoyance. Nightmare gave a smug grin, glad to know he was irritated with him. The negativity felt so amazing. It gave him pleasure. “Y’know, I was going to ask what your real name is, but with your interrupting… Might as well make it official.” Nightmare shrugged. The glitch wrapped strings around Nightmare’s body and brought him forward. The strings were trying to wrap around his body, but Nightmare easily slipped out of its grasp. The glitch went from angry to confused. Then bewilderment.

“H̵͓̗͋O̴̡̠̤W̷̟̙̄ ̴̖͋͆I̵̡͓̞̅N̴͙͙̤ ̷̻̹T̶͈Ḩ̷Ę̶̻̭̾̋ ̶͚͎͙̾̓F̵͓̟̼U̸̲̼͖C̸̙̝̲͌K̸̼͈̊͛Ȉ̴N̶̬͇G̵̻͕̝̅ ̷̟S̷̳̦̊̄͗ͅḦ̸̱ͅÌ̷͓͕T̶̮̮̀̀̕ ̴̢̲̃D̶̡͖̎̃I̵͙͒͝D̶͙͒ ̷̜̙Y̶̟̠̦̌Ö̸̜̺́U̷̳̯͘ ̷͕̦̈́J̸̹̐̑Ư̸̧̝S̸̲͕͇̅̃T̴̢-̴̹̮͘ ̴̝̻̞̀H̷̱̗̖Ọ̵͙͐͜W̴̪̓?̷̲̟̮͘!̸̦̻̘͒̀͗” Nightmare gave a polite smile. “Well, you can’t break broken bones, y’know?” He held out his arm and bent it the other way, making the glitchy figure screech in confusion and shock. It glitched out even more. It did the same as before, the error signs covering its eyes and body. That horrible screeching radio noise started, much to Nightmare’s displeasure. After waiting a few minutes, the glitchy figure came to its senses. Instead of speaking like usual, he stared at Nightmare as if he came from hell by Satan himself.

Again, Nightmare didn’t blame him. He wasn’t exactly ‘normal.’ He was a freaking four-foot skeleton covered in black goop, wearing attire that seemed to be for a prince, with four tendrils from his back.

Now Glitchy Man discovered Nightmare’s bones don’t exist.

They’re broken and shattered.

What the actual fuck.

They awkwardly stared at each other, wondering what to do next. It was an uncomfortable silence, that’s for sure. Nightmare let out a deep sigh while the glitch fiddled with its strings.

“So, what’s with the souls?”

"E̸̛̗͆n̵̛͈̏t̶̩̤ẹ̵̹̠͂r̶̋͆t̷̺̏â̴̡͈i̷͙̬ń̷ṁ̴͕̒e̵͎͒̏n̸̮ẗ̶̼̬́̽,̴̀ ̴̡̳̈́̿b̶̨̢a̸̱̅r̶̅g̷̱̰̼̿ḁ̵̍i̴̗̊n̸͐ỉ̶ͅn̴̺̊̕g̶̥̩̏̿,̷͔̠̀́ ̶̡͔̟͂̇d̶e̶̲̠͠p̵̩̐e̵̎͜n̷͐̈́d̸̟͎̉s̶͆͆ ̶͕̱̎ȓ̷̄ě̸̩̚͜a̶͋l̷͊̿l̵͎̖̋̇͠ỳ̷̯̲̭.̵” Honestly, all Nightmare understood was the entertainment part. But that was good enough for him.

“Ŵ̷͇͙ho̸͕͍̓̈́ ̴̨̧̛̈a̵rẹ̷͊ ̴̓͜y̷̢̻̙ou̷͍̫̎,̴̭̬̬ ̷̟̈́̀̈r̸eä̸l̷̈́̄l̸̢͋̆y̵̟?̷̯̖͕ I̵̢͊̅ ̶̡̅͌ǩ̷̩̃͝on̵̫͌w̷ ̷̛̻̩̪fò̷r̸̢̙̔͗̈ ̸̰̩͛sḫ̵̜̮i̷̒t̴͗ ̸̺̎̕y̶̻͊̑ǒ̸̥̯ŭ̸̧̪̑̚'̴͉̮̫r̶͈̄̀e̵̢͗ ̷̧̊n̶̼͑͂o̶̢̘̻t̵̯̾̒ ̵͔́j̸̩u̷̱͍̼̓s̸͎t̵̹͛ ̶̼́͒s̴͔͛͘o̵̬͑͌m̴͉͎͊̚͜e̸̹͂ ̷̹̣͆͜sk̵̡̦̊̇͆e̷͓͕͔̓l̸̰̄e̵̞̬̐̎tȍ̸̺ń̴ ̴͕͂̇f̸͈̗̤r̸̢̯̈͝͝o̵͑m̵̢̻͊͗ ̴̺͊ä̶̮̪́́ ̵̢͌̌̈r̷̫͚̀̐̓an̷͂̋̏d̷̢̆ö̴̹̰͍m̷̖̣̅̒ ̷͈̏Á̶̜͠Ũ̵͓̭͂̋.̸” Nightmare rolled his eyes, annoyed at the glitching voice. At least he understood what he needed to understand. “Well, I already told you I’m Nightmare. And I’m the guard…” He froze slightly, catching his mistake. “Well, ex-guardian of the Tree of Feelings.” Nightmare corrected himself. After all, he destroyed the tree, turned his “brother” into stone, committed a massacre of his village, and several other war crimes. Yeah, maybe he’s a bit less than “ex-guardian.”

“W̸͖̃e̸̻͇̅͜ir̷̞̹̋d̷̩͖̓.̷̡̗͚́͗̈́ ̵̢̨́̓Ṅ̶̻̑̇e̵̢͆v̵̒̋͝ė̶͝r̵͗̈́ ̸͂he̷͕͂́a̴r̵͇͐̀͑d ̴̠̱͓̈́̃o̸̗͇͝f̵̧̺̈͐̋ ̶̡͒y̴̘̙̋ọ̵̣̀u̵̻̟̓͋͒r̷̈̑ ̵͎̘͉́̒̕A̴̺͝Ṳ̸̩̅̚ ̷̛͓̺̽͋b̷͚͉̏́͑e̷͐f̴̛̖̦̆o̴̲̎́ͅr̵̤͆̾͠e̵̾͝.̴̗̻͑̈́͐ ̵̡̀̌̎G̴̳̬̜̍u̴͓͝a̶͉̔͘ŕ̷̭̍d̵̾i̶͙͙̍̈́̾ṉ̵͂ǧ̷̢̜͙͝ ̸̪̬̂a̴ ̶̄t̶̒̓̑r̵̓e̶ë̶͈̔ͅ'̶̀͝ś̶̎ ̶̣̍̋c̸̟͌͊͝è̶́r̵̝̾͗ţ̸͋͋́a̶i̷̜͝ṇ̵̏l̸̠͋͋͂ÿ̸̧̨́ ̶̻̫̈́̌n̶̖͋͂ͅe̵̛̯͖̜͋ẉ̶̙͔̿̌̊.̴̝͆͗” Nightmare didn’t stop him and its annoying voice. He heard about AUs, and this guy was giving him more information. At least it was useful. “What about you, strange glitchy figure that hangs souls from the ceiling of the vast void? What are you?” The figure seemed offended by that statement. “Ī̴̩̊t̴̂'̴̰͝s̵̛̾ ̴̮͕̀̒W̶̕H̵̔͒O̷̭̘͂͝ ̴̚͝ͅȁ̵̪m I̵̓! ̷́Į̸̯͛̍m̸̓ n̶͌o̶͋̇t̷ ̸̾a̴ ̴̩͒̋t̶̅h̷͊̽í̴̅n̷̄ǧ̶̹̑!” “Yeah, yeah. I get it. Just answer me, dipshit!” Nightmare was growing impatient, but he tried his best to stay cool. He saw what the skeleton was capable of and didn’t want to take any chances.

“H̶̅m̶̂p̸̺h̷̗!̸̨ ̶̱I̸̱t̵͇'̷͇s̷̱ ̶͙E̴̡r̴͚ŕ̶o̸̖ŕ̶ ̵͎S̸̤ǎ̷ń̶s̷̮ ̸̢ť̴o̷̩̐ ̵̟͑y̷̛̥ö̸̟́u̵̡̅,̴͍̂ ̴̰̄Ṋ̸Í̸G̷͙H̸͙T̶̛M̶̩Ă̵R̴̠E̴̯!̶̘ ̶̣Ị̷'̴̼m̵̹ ̶͇t̸̻h̵̩e̵̋ ̸̻D̵̗e̴̠s̶͈t̸̹r̷͖ǒ̷͎y̴̬͒ė̸r̵̹̈ ̷̧ö̶f̶̫ ̷̻Ä̷Ü̸Ś!̴ ̵̠T̷h̴̰e̸̹ ̴͉K̴̺ḯ̵l̸̠l̴̻͑ḛ̷r̵̠ ̴̗ȏ̵f̶̱ ̴͉a̷̪ ̵͙̚M̷͕ï̶l̷̺l̶͉i̴̩o̸̧n̶̨!̵̺ ̷͍I̸̪ ̸̺W̴̲R̸̘Ḛ̷Ḁ̵̓K̴̜̏ ̵̩͆Ḫ̴͑A̸͉̅V̵͈̿O̴̢͋C̶͓͛ ̸̟A̵̪C̴̻Ṟ̸O̷S̴S̴ ̸T̴H̵È̸ ̶̥Ù̵N̴̜I̶͚V̷̲E̴̮R̸̬S̴̼E̸̼!̴̧” His voice was becoming more and more complex and glitchy, changing pitches and stuttering all over again. However, Nightmare’s eyes widened at the phrase, “Destroyer of AUS.” He’s standing in front of the Destroyer of AUS.

Holy shit.

“... No offense, but if you never told me you were the Destroyer of AUS, I’d take it you were a man-baby who got stuck here and was too lazy to get out.” The skeleton, Nightmare now knew was Error, crossed his arms and frowned. Maybe he was a man-baby. "D̸̙ȍ̷ë̷̦ṡ̵n̵̰'̴̠t̶̰̎ ̶ m̴͖̓ȁt̴̰ț̴̒e̵r̸͇̂ ̶̦͗w̵̳̐h̴͔̀a̷ṯ̵̀c̴h̵̻͋a̵̤̒ ̷̲̆h̵̹̏e̷͙͝ar̷̗̓d̷̜͂.̴ ̸I̵ ̸c̷̣̔a̶̰̋n̷ ̵ďe̸s̷ṫro̶̘y̷͙ ̶͐ỵ̴o̷̲u̴̫ ̶̤ȋ̷n̴̩ ̸̦a̵̱ ̸͙s̵͚ȇ̴c̴͕ò̷ṉ̵d̴͉!̸̲”

“Oh, but you won’t.” Error glared at pulled-out strings from his eyes, threatening Nightmare. However, all Nightmare did was stand up straighter and huff. “I mean, it’s not like you have a reason, do you? All I’ve done was annoy you and disrupt your sad, pathetic life. Have I not?” Error froze and lowered his hands slightly, hesitating. Nightmare took the opportunity to get closer, circling him. “I mean, I could be beneficial to you. After all, you’re just like me! Lost…”

He stopped behind Error.

“Forgotten…”

Error slowly turned around to look at Nightmare, fear evident in his red, yellow, and white eyes.

Nightmare’s hand gently caressed Error’s cheek, causing Error to crash again. Nightmare gave a devilish grin, pulling Error closer.

“A freak. It would be a shame to waste your talent simply annihilating AUS, isn’t it? You could do so much more. All you need…” His hand trailed from his cheek to his neck, subtly pressing his nail into it.

“Is me.”

Error’s breathing turned more rapid and heavy. The simple crash turned into agony. Error felt pathetic, weak, useless. The voices that Nightmare heard earlier encouraged him to do this, saying it was the right thing to do. The dark aura of fear surrounded them, and Nightmare loved it.

“Trust me, Error. I can help you. You want to destroy AUS, I want my bloody revenge.”

Error covered his ears, trying to block out the voices, but Nightmare took them off gently. His soft touch felt like pin needles to Error.

“Just let me be a friend.”

Betrayal. Pt. 2

! THIS IS CANNON, BUT STILL GOING UNDER DEVELOPMENT! THE EVENT IS CANNON, BUT HOW IT WENT COULD BE TWEAKED IN THE FUTURE !

Part One

Summary - In the Nalux Empire, The Cult of the Angels decide how they'll deal with the Devil's Crest, including the two "traitors", Ori and Onyx!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── 

 After the “episode” with Midnight, Ori and Onyx needed a mental health day. A break from fighting and chaos.

Yeah, as if those still exist.

Not long after, Lunar called a meeting for all of the members. Since it was around two in the morning, Onyx dragged Ori in despite both of them being half asleep. As they entered the pearly white war room, made for meetings between alliances, they could see they weren’t the only ones. Solar, Lunar’s younger brother, had noticeable eye bags under his eyes. However, he was often in the library after hours. Next to him was Eclipse, the creature from the forest. Since the uprising, Lunar’s been more lenient towards creatures from the unknown.

Solar loved the idea.

The other members were the same, yawning and rubbing their eyes. Lunar sighed when he heard people silently complain about the light, though he was just as tired. His movements were sluggish, but he started the meeting nonetheless. He began with the expected “thanks for coming on such short notice” speech, then moved to the real reason.

“We’ve noticed unusual patterns in the Devil’s Crest,” he started slowly, looking to make sure everyone’s been paying attention. At the mention of the Devil’s Crest, most people stopped their side conversations and chatter. “They seem more constant with their attacks. It’s not necessarily in a pattern, just…” He trailed off, looking for the words. “They’ve been attacking more frequently, more than we can handle. They’re going by too quickly.” An audible groan rang throughout the room, much to everyone’s displeasure. It was true. The Devil’s Crest was advancing closer to kingdoms, destroying anything in their path. It was like a fire, consuming everything in its hunger.

“New reports came in recently,” he spoke calmly, taking a few papers from the side. “The Oparius Kingdom officially gave themselves to the Devil’s Crest.” Gasps rang throughout the room, many showing expressions of shock and disappointment. The Devil’s Crest had another kingdom on their side, no matter how they gained it. Solar’s muscles tensed up, tapping his fingers against the long table. It had a large, detailed map showing the precise locations of each kingdom and forest, ravine and cave, tribes and locals. He hovered over the table, looking at Lunar with confusion and shock. He couldn’t believe what he just heard. “Oparius? But…” he trailed off, thinking about the past. At one point, the king consulted with Lunar about a marriage offer. The family was explicitly power-hungry and thought Lunar would be thrilled with the idea. Lunar politely declined, saying he was only seventeen. Yet, that left them furious, and there’s been minor conflict ever since. “Nevermind. It makes sense,” He muttered, hanging his head low.

Lunar sighed, mumbling swears under his breath. “We know Oparius is more advanced in technology, and their kingdom is a bit bigger.”

“That means the Devil’s Crest has more technology weapons at their disposal,” Onyx chipped in, his face stern. “It explains how they’ve been getting more land quicker. New weapons mean we can’t attack head-on. It’s too risky.” He stared at the giant map on the table. He grabbed a blood-red knife and stabbed it on the table, marking Oparius as Devil’s territory. Lunar scanned the table and grabbed another knife, a Devil’s mark. His gaze traced carefully, and swiftly, he stabbed the Perdita Forest. “Scouts mentioned a few Devil Crest’s members sneaking around in large numbers. They were too small to engage, so they returned. By now, they’ve probably destroyed most of the trees and killed off the inhabitants.” Lunar’s eyes narrowed, clearly irritated. Over half of the map looked crimson.

Just like the world would be if they didn’t hurry.

Sighing, Ori shut his eyes. “We can’t do much. What’s the point, anyway? Oparius gave the Devil’s Crest new weapons! We don’t know how to handle them. All we can do is observe for now.” Mutters of agreement sprouted throughout the war room, people prompting solutions between one another. Lunar looked around warily, not knowing what to do. Eclipse stood near Solar, gently holding his hand. She gave a reassuring look to Solar as he prompted an idea. 

“We could try to ally with other kingdoms.” Most of the conversation stopped as they stared at Solar, who was awkwardly shifting legs. Lunar glared. “No, no way. It’s too risky. You saw what happened to Oparius, and we both know it could happen again. If Oparius is a traitor, there’s no evidence saying it won’t happen again.” The tension in the room grew thick between the two, no one wanting to intervene. “You don’t even know if they did it by choice! For all we know, they could’ve been holding them hostage!” Solar countered, but all Lunar did was sigh, rubbing his forehead. “It doesn’t matter either way. If anything, it makes it worse! If the Devil’s Crest can threaten a kingdom that advanced, god knows what’ll happen to the others. What’ll happen to us! They could be surrendering right now!”

“You don’t know that,” Solar stammered, trying to convince Lunar. “It’s the best shot we’ve got.” Lunar sighed in frustration. He recomposed himself, staring at Solar. “Solar, we don’t know how the Devil’s Crest thinks. They could have spy kingdoms or try to destroy us from the inside. If we ask anyone to join us, there’s no saying they’ll betray us. We don’t know who to trust anymore.” Lunar gave a solemn look, pleading Solar to end the argument.

Solar’s breath grew frantic, worry setting in. Eclipse tried to comfort him with a hand on his shoulder, but he shoved it off. He turned around and marched out, clearly aggravated. Eclipse chased after him, leaving the idea in the wind. The room was eerily quiet. No one dared to move a muscle. Onyx and Lunar moved closer together, their quiet chatter barely audible. Most guessed they were discussing plans and motives. Ori just stood on the sidelines, wondering what anything was anymore. The memories of Midnight’s anger towards him flashed in his brain, the image of him staring with dead eyes, a mere silhouette. It was all haunting him, and he hated every second of it.

A few gained confidence and debated their options, using prior knowledge about the Devil’s Crest. However, Ori quickly realized that their knowledge was limited. 

But his knowledge wasn’t. He’s been in the Devil’s Crest longer than anyone here.

“I can help you,” Ori strolled towards Lunar and Onyx, hunched over the map. They both turned their attention towards him, Onyx showing a relaxed face. Ori couldn’t help but blush slightly. His soft skin was pulling him in a trance. “Help us?” Lunar sounded skeptical, his eyes narrowing. Ori and Onyx were new to the group, but Lunar trusted Onyx more. After all, he acted like a spy to him, sharing information Midnight leaked through their conversations. The thought of betraying him like that brought Ori out of his trance. “Right, help…” He took a deep, shallow breath. “I’ve been in the Devil’s Crest longer than any of you! I understand how they work, how they fight, basically everything.” Ori stressed, wanting him to believe they were on the same side. Lunar wasn’t as thrilled, but Onyx shared an understanding look.

“Thank you, Ori. We’re grateful–”

“Speak for yourself, Onyx.” Lunar glared at Onyx, then looked at Ori with a degrading look. “What information can you offer?” Ori swallowed, his brain going blank. “Uhm… I know about how they fight and their weapons.” He messed with his fingers, picking at the nails. He sounded so pathetic and out of place. Lunar gave a reluctant look towards Onyx, but the look in Onyx’s eyes showed he trusted Ori. Sighing, Lunar spoke to Ori.

“We’ll need all the help we can get.” He sounded annoyed but looked around the room. The whispers were growing louder, and the meeting wasn’t going in the direction he wanted it to. “Everyone, silence!” Lunar gave an order that echoed throughout the hall, and a silence fell over the people. “It seems I’ve… overlooked one of our greatest accomplices,” Lunar started, motioning toward Ori. He gave an awkward wave and looked back at Lunar, waiting for him to continue. “We may not be able to observe the Devil’s Crest, but we have prior knowledge. Ori’s lived there for over half his life, and he’s bound to have useful information we could learn from. Right, Ori?” Lunar seemed expectant of Ori, giving him a half-glare. Onyx gently reached out to Ori’s hand, their fingers brushing against each other. It gave Ori a sense of comfort, but it quickly vanished. He knew what extent they had to go to be here, and the guilt was eating him alive.

“Yes, I do,” Ori mumbled, pulling his hand away from Onyx’s grasp. He could see the disappointment in his eyes but didn’t dare mention a word. “I know more about their fighting than anyone here. I know how they think and react to things. They always try to find a way around problems, despite any bloodshed along the way.” Ori could see people wince in the background. Almost everyone here lost someone from the Devil’s Crest’s hands. Now it’s their turn.

The meeting lasted longer than anticipated, lasting until seven. Most stayed, but Lunar was lenient enough to let others leave if it was urgent. Yet, no one knew about Solar or Eclipse’s wearbouts. Still, they had to keep going. Ori, Lunar, and Onyx took the lead, leading the meeting to where it was required. They needed to start attacking instead of waiting for the Devil’s Crest to attack. “We could start by gathering more weapons,” Lunar suggested, looking at Ori for confirmation. “Definitely. Make sure they’re lighter. The faster, the better. Their weapons are more advanced because they’re easier to carry, saving space for other, more valuable tools.” Lunar nodded and wrote this down in a notebook.

“What about their technology? They have Oparius on their side, but what was their original technology?” Lunar questioned, looking at Ori. He looked at the map, pointing to a forest. “There. There’s a lot of material like Yurite. It’s light but strong. Giant mines are scattered around here.”

“We should head there soon and try to stop them from gathering materials,” proposed Lunar, not caring if he sounded selfish, but Onyx shook his head. “We have too few numbers compared to them. Even if we tried an ambush, they’d prepare. Now that me and Ori are considered traitors, which we are, they’ll be on edge. We have to think this through carefully.” Everyone in the room sighed. No one wanted to do any more waiting.

“I get it, okay? We’re all tired. Should we just wait this one out?” Onyx said, sounding disappointed with his own words. Murmurs rose throughout the room, contemplating Onyx’s suggestion. Of course, most went against it, but what other choice did they have? They had too little supplies to deal with, more conflicts arising throughout the Devil’s Crest that would affect them, and they still didn’t know what action to take.

Lunar looked around, feeling the weight on his shoulders. “We’ll take a break. Consider this your day off, or whatever. Someone find Eclipse and Solar while you’re at it. I’ll be reviewing plans and maps. I’ll be here if you need me.” Slowly, people drained out of the room, including Onyx, but Ori stayed.

Ori tried initiating a conversation and, at the very least, apologize for being untrustworthy. It was seen clearly in Lunar’s eyes. “I just want you to know I’m on your side. You can trust me. Just let me help.”

Sighing, Lunar looked at Ori with tired eyes. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just…” He rubbed his eyes, mentally drained. “I don’t know who to trust anymore. With most of the kingdom’s giving up, it’s like they’re trying to pressure us into doing the same.” He glanced towards a photo on the wall, showing Solar and Lunar’s official royal portrait. “I don’t want him to get hurt, y’know? I just want him to be safe.” Ori could see a glistening in Lunar’s eyes, tears threatening to fall. Lunar cleared his throat and wiped his tears with his arm. “I apologize for my informality when we first met. I didn’t mean to be so hostile to you, Ori. I just didn’t know you well enough–”

“It’s fine, Lunar. Really, it’s not that big of a deal,” Ori assured, his voice slightly cracking. “Love does things to a person. It makes them overprotective and wary of others. I know how it feels.” Lunar gave a half-laugh, smiling slightly. “That makes both of us, doesn’t it?”

The silence grew awkward, neither knowing what to say.

“Still, it doesn’t excuse my actions,” Lunar said, still having his apologetic voice. “I’m truly sorry for everything. For doubting you, not showing trust, and being a total asshole. I swear, from now on, I’ll be more understanding.” Ori smiled, knowing he’d gained some trust.

“I know I don’t know how the Devil’s Crest was there, and I can’t say much about it. I don’t know who you are, how they raised you, or what shit you went through, but I’ll try my best to be better. To treat you better. You’ll always be treated respectfully here, despite where you came from.” Lunar gave a look of appreciation towards Ori, and Ori gratefully gave it back. Clearing his throat, Lunar composed himself and returned to his slightly cold demeanor. “Don’t think this means I like you or anything. Remember, you should know your place.”

Ori smiled despite the threat. “The feelings mutual, your highness.”

Before Lunar could reply, someone burst into the room, the doors slamming against the walls.

Onyx.

“The Devil’s Crest has Solar and Eclipse. They’re outside of the Silva Mortis Forest.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Welp, that was pretty bad- I know you don't know any of the characters, and you're probably not gonna read this, but ta-da(?) I'll post more about them on my worldbuilding blog (which I'll mention on a separate post).

As Easter gets closer, please remember and spread the word that lilies are DEADLY for cats. "The entire lily plant is toxic: the stem, leaves, flowers, pollen, and even the water in a vase. Eating just a small amount of a leaf or flower petal, licking a few pollen grains off its fur while grooming, or drinking the water from the vase can cause your cat to develop fatal kidney failure in less than 3 days." Source and more info.

Honestly, I'm not even sure if I should be using Google Docs anymore. I did a bit of research, and it claimed this was only happening if, (a) you give them full permission and consent to be using your data, or (b) if you opt-in for Google Labs AI. Reading through the terms and conditions, it all checks out. However, be and stay cautious . Don't put passwords, personal information, or anything major that could affect you if someone got a hold of it, in Google Docs, Slides, or anywhere online. The fact they're even attempting this sucks. It's like they forgot we're humans too with a mind of creativity, and they want to snatch it for computers. I'm really glad they included alternatives. Still, I don't like how they're all including AI to make ideas or write for you.

People can't just steal writing and get away with this. It's fucking bullshit. Writers could spend hours, days, weeks writing stuff, may it be whatever. Then some AI comes out and steals it and uses it. I've written so many drafts, and I don't want my work to be stolen to train some stupid AI. They're taking away what we mentally own.

Remember, our writing is ours, and we'll do what we want with it. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

WRITERS AND FUTURE WRITERS, PLEASE LISTEN UP

i saw a few tiktok videos that was very concerning to me and i decided to share some of the knowledge i got because as a community of people who freely write things about characters, we need to protect our work. i have just decided to edit this post and to put the whole videos here since a some reblogs were of how i was spreading misinformation.

GOOGLE DOCS IS NOT SAFE (full credit to woppydoesthings on tiktok for information)

thank you to @lighteez for suggesting “reedsy” as an alternative option

thank you to @braingoaaaaaah for suggesting “click up” as an alternative option

thank you to @koungacris for suggesting “LibreOffice” as an alternative option

thank you to @stellarnathy for suggesting “notion” as an alternative option

THEY GOT THE AO3 WRITERS AS WELL (full credit to tiktok user sakuradarling) (sadly i can only add one video in per post and the tiktok user had turned off saving videos but i have decided to link the original video https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSFbq1PRA/)

apparently some thieves i am NOT calling them people because who with moral compass would do this shit? are copying, pasting and printing out popular fanfictions on AO3, binding them, turning them into actual books and selling them on places like Etsy WITHOUT crediting the original authors. which is why we can’t find some certain popular fics or authors on AO3

TUMBLR IS SELLING OUR WORK/PROMPTS TO THIRD PARTY WITHOUT CONSENT

i think i came across a post or two about it. i think my mutual @livelaughlovesubs has reblogged a post about it. check it out and turn on a switch on your blog settings that prevent this. stay safe and protect your works writers

spread the word everyone, because… genuinely what the fuck?