This is my first ever post on tumblr, but I wanted to have a place where I could share my thoughts on my hyperfixations and writing what with the whole tiktok ban and what not :)
I have never used tumblr before so if the formatting is weird, please be nice, I am. struggling. ToT
Anyways! Here's a little bit about me!
I'm Faceless_Aces, or just Ace! I'm a musician, writer, cosplayer, and general lover of all things crafty! You *probably* know me from one of my hypno fics, in which case you'd know that one of my long time interests is hypnosis! I'll probably be posting a lot about that, either educational, or just general thoughts :)
Some of the fandoms I'm in are Gravity Falls, Epic The Musical, and The Stanley Parable. Gravity Falls is my most current hyperfixation but I love all of them!
*Rings bell* Pyro's Hitlist propaganda, come get your Pyro's Hitlist propaganda!!! For the @vsmppolyshiptournament
CW: More gross descriptions of Czeslaw's body as a drowning victim, but not really explicitly gory
Pyro picked his way through the pale banches blocking his way, dead leaves crunching under his boots as he climbed the hillside. He would have preferred to bat back to the castle, but Abolish's ambush earlier that day had left his body heavy and his reserves drained. The long hike was supposed to offer quiet; a thin respite from all the fighting,a chance to let his thoguhts settle into something resembling calm. To anyone watching from a distance, he was simply a solitary figure lost in contemplation as he climbed.
But the chattering of two invisible spectres shredded any hope of silence.
"—I mean, just think about it! You've got two kills under your belt now. You're practically a seasoned expert."
Czeslaw's mocking drawl was a familiar companion. Pyro had scarcely gone a day without hearing it, even before the other's death. With the phantom stuck in another realm, it was at least slightly easier to ignore the needling comments about every insecurity Czeslaw could get his gnarled hands on.
"—I still can't believe I was right, you did kill someone. I mean, I actually did kind of figure that you were just like this, but I thought it was the vampirism that made you violent—"
Avid's comments on the other hand were a newer addition that they really could've done without.
His rambling words grated on Pyro's ears and their jaw tightened until his teeth ached. His claws dug into his palms until they drew pinpricks of old black blood, the sting a familiar, grounding pain.
He refused to entertain either of them. They were dead and Pyro was…well not quite alive but definitely closer to it than the phantoms trailing behind him. If nothing else, if he just ignored literally everything else, he could just suck it up and deal with it. At least until they could leave. At least until—
"I mean what would you do even if you could leave?"
"Has Shelby found out about me yet? Has Scott?"
"Could you stop talking about Goldsmith for one blasted second?"
Pyro whirled around with a snarl, chest heaving with barely contained rage. His red eyes burned holes into Avid's startled face. Heat flooded his veins, that familiar, sickening rush of control slipping through his fingers. His hands trembled at his sides, claws still wet with his own blood.
"He's not even your sire, he's mine," they bit out, trying to wrestle back some composure from the sudden outburst.
Avid floundered, an embarassed flush creeping up his translucent neck. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to form a defensive response.
"Ooh, that struck a nerve."
Czeslaw looked utterly delighted by Pyro's outburst, his milky eyes gleaming with a predatory shine, the look of something that had scented blood in the water and was already swimming closer. "Go ahead Avid, ask why he's so touchy about his precious sire."
"I—" Avid started, his expression twisting into something deeply uncomfortable. His wide eyes darted between the two of them, realizing too late that he'd stepped into something far more dangerous than he understood.
"Shut up Czeslaw," Pyro's voice dropped low, bordering on a growl. It was the warning sound before a strike, but also the sound of an animal trying to hide its wounds before they could be targeted as easy prey. They knew that look on Czeslaw's face. They'd seen it nearly everyday since childhood.
"No, no, no, he should get to hear this!" Czeslaw's grin stretched wide and mean, . He clapped a slimy hand on Avid's shoulder, the wet smack of it making Avid flinch. "We're all pals here aren't we?"
Czeslaw began to circle the pair, each squelching step deliberate and unhurried. "I mean, you gotta think about how it feels right? Goldsmith's first fledgling, in this town at least. Always thrown to the side. Useless. Second best."
His eyes narrowed as he looked right at Pyro, the unseeing gaze that somehow managed to pierce into any shields they could possibly throw up. "Not that that's anything new."
They couldn't meet his gaze, their eyes instead dropping to the ground in front of their shoes. He could feel his pulse in his throat, a dull, insistent throb as he swallowed the words that felt like glass. Something cold and hollow was settling in their chest, his fingers gone cold despite the heat still burning behind his eyes.
"Who'd want to deal with a monster like you?"
"Not me, that's for sure!" Czeslaw laughed, clapping Avid hard enough on the back to send him stumbling forward. "Not his parents, not the Capitol, not the town, not even his precious sire."
Pyro's throat tightened. The words landed like they always did, finding the soft bruised places he'd never managed to armor over. His chest constricted, a physical ache blooming behind his sternum. They thought they'd gotten used to these words by now, their bully never failing to remind them of their failures whenever the chance arose, but there was a new humiliating layer for Avid to see them like this. Czeslaw had known every deplorable part of Pyro, had dragged each one out with patient, practiced cruelty until Pyro had nothing left to hide. But Avid?
Perhaps it was naive to hope that he wouldn't see the monster Pyro truly was, the one that existed long before the red eyes and fangs.
"You try so hard to be liked," the ghost continued, stalking towards Pyro, each wet squelch of his boots making him flinch. "To be useful. To be wanted."
He stopped in front of Pyro, crouching down so they could get a good look at his face. He was close enough that Pyro could smell the river on him, that stagnant, silty stench of deep water and decay, of things rotting in the dark where no light could reach. Czeslaw's face tilted, not bothering to hide his pleasure as he drank in every reaction, every flinch and tremor.
"But no one wants a beast."
Pyro squeezed his eyes shut, a shudder wracked through him, violent and involuntary. His voice came out cracked, barely a whisper.
"Stop."
But when had that ever stopped Czeslaw?
"And then you came along!" Czeslaw straightened and turned around with a chuckle.
"M-me?" Avid squeaked, pointing at himself. His voice cracked on the single syllable. His expression was a strange mixture of confusion and growing dread.
"You." Czeslaw's grin sharpened. "When poor little Pyro here was first turned, starving, trying to reign in the beast that had always been inside him, there you were. So quick to call him all the names he was too scared to accept. Monster. Beast. Vampire."
Each word landed like a stone, each one a separate blow, and Pyro could feel himself retreating, pulling back from the surface of his own body. He could feel Avid's eyes on him, but he didn't look up. Couldn't.
"But hey, at least he could talk to his sire about you right?" He paused at Avid's confused tilt of his head, a delighted grin spreading as realization dawned. "Oh you didn't realize? They hated your guts. All of them, Owen, Pyro, your little 'sire daddy'. Said they'd rather final kill you than ever turn you. What a relief that must've been! He wasn't alone for once. Someone else was the problem"
Pyro glanced up, unsure of how Avid would react. He watched the words hit Avid, watched the flicker of hurt that crossed the hunter's face. Don't, he wanted to say. Don't let him see it. Don't give him that.
"And then you got turned."
Czeslaw's voice dripped with mock sorrow as he leaned against Pyro, the cold of his soaked clothes seeming to seep through fabric and skin alike. River wate dripped onto Pyro's shoulder, each drop a tiny, icy shock that made the muscle beneath twitch. They didn't move. Couldn't move.
"Of course it was Shelby, she was always so soft. But at least they were still going to keep you at a distance right? Just like Apo and Drift?"
"Except—no. No that's not how that went was it?" Czeslaw scratched his head in exaggerated confusion.
"Oh, that's right." He snapped his fingers as if the thought just occured to him, the sound sharp and wet. "Goldsmith actually got attached to you. Moreso than he ever did to his actual fledgling!"
Pyro made a sound. He didn't mean to. It was small and wounded and escaped from somewhere deep in his chest before he could choke it back. His claws pressed harder into his palms, reopening the half-healed wounds, even as he couldn't feel the pain past the numbness slowly crawling through his limbs, his chest, his throat.
"Poor Pyro. Always. Second. Best. When will you learn?" Czeslaw shook his head, clicking his head in disappointment. The mockery of sympathy was almost more painful than the cruelty. He leaned in close, blue lips nearly brushing Pyro's ear. The words were soft, almost intimate, and yet still devastating enough that it seemed the whole forest could hear.
"No one actually wants you."
Pyro's vision blurred at the edges. The world felt distant, muffled, like he was hearing everything from underwater. Which was fitting, maybe. Czeslaw would appreciate the irony.
"I mean you tried so hard it was really quite sad. 'Sire' this, 'sire' that, he had you running like a dog for him." Czeslaw's grin stretched impossibly wider. "So so loyal and what do you get? A consolation prize and the entire town turned against you. Any chance at living an innocent life—well as innocent as you could get after me—dead and buried."
"But Avid." Czeslaw turned, pointing at the spectre with one gnarled finger. "Scott's number one hater. Onto him from day one! Congratulations on that by the way. Maybe if more people believed you someone wouldn't be a vampire right now."
Both Avid and Pyro flinched at that. Through the haze clouding his vision, Pyro could see the way Avid's shoulders drew up in defense, the way his mouth pressed into a thin line as he restrained himself from saying something that he'd quickly regret once again. Something complicated moved behind his eyes as he glanced away.
"But even after all that," Czeslaw continued, relentless, "pushing Pyro off a tree, trying to kill them at any chance you could get—even before Pyro decided to throw his hat in with Goldsmith—positioning yourself as a problem and an annoyance at every opportunity, you were the one who Scott picked. And it wasn't even a competition!"
"No, he threw Pyro away like—" Czeslaw shrugged, the gesture almost lazy.
"Well. Like trash."
One final pat on Pyro's shoulder, cold and wet and lingering a moment too long, and Czeslaw stepped away. For a fleeting moment, they almost missed the contact, disgusting as it was.
"I- I didn't know-" Avid started, soft and halting. Something almost bordering on concern flickered in his eyes, fragile and uncertain. His gaze kept darting to Pyro and then away, as if he couldn't bear to linger on the implications. That the vampire he'd hunted, the creature he'd pushed and ostracized and tried to kill, the one who had killed him, had been drowning long before the fangs ever came in.
"No, you don't, do you? That's the problem." Pyro's voice finally surfaced from somewhere deep inside him, cracked and whispered but still simmering with a fury he used to cover the humiliation and misery threatening to swallow him whole. "But that's never stopped you before, has it?"
He watched Avid flinch again. Watched his mouth open and then close, for once without a quick retort or defensive accusation. It didn't make Pyro feel any better. If anything, the lack of fight made the ever-present ache in his chest yawn wider.
His claws dug fresh crescents into his already-healing palms as he turned around, resuming the journey back to the castle without another word. His pace quickened, just slightly, and Czeslaw's soft, knowing chuckle followed him all the way up the hill.
Go my Pyro's Hitlist propaganda! For the @vsmppolyshiptournament
Avid and Czeslaw's first meeting is...not a great first impression.
CW: Very gory body horror description of a chest wound and drowning victim.
"Ayyy welcome to the club!"
A freezing cold arm slung itself around Avid's shoulders as he was wrenched awake with a gasp.
"W-what? Where am I?" He turned his head and came face to face with a grotesque smirk. Sopping wet hair dripped rivulets of water into bulging, milky-white eyes. The chill of river water seeped through his borrowed clothing, mingling with his own cold sweat and trailing down his spine in an involuntary shiver.
He flung himself backwards, away from the disgusting creature as he scrambled for distance. Dark chuckles echoed off the claustrophobic stone walls of the hole, the grave Avid belatedly realized, too small, too closeT. he sound slithered into his ears with a wet gurgle choking off the end as he got a good lookat the thing.
Pale, blue tinted skin, stretched thin over bones, stood as a stark backdrop against a web of blackened veins. A thin dribble of pinkish-red foam leaked from the corner of puffed blue lips stretched grotesquely into a mean grin. It's milky white eyes didn't seem to look at anything in particular, and yet still seemed to pierce through Avid in a way that made him flinch back.
It's clothes were drenched, shedding water onto the stone floor in a puddle that crept outwards with a hungry purpose, stretching towards Avid's feet greedily. He stumbled back another step. It's hands, thrown out to his sides in a mockingly grandiose welcome, were gnarled and pruned into deep whorls, nailbeds still packed with dark river silt standing out against the bleach-white fingernails.
"Where else do you think?" The monster, for what else could it be, stepped forward with a wet squelch, water squeezing from its shoes. "The afterlife of course!" Another step. "Can't believe the little rat actually had it in him."
"The afterlife?" Avid's voice cracked. He backed up until the stone wall bit into his shoulders and pain flared through his chest, radiating outward in sharp pulses. He looked down and his vampiric pallor went even whiter.
The wooden stake jutted out from his chest, crudely carved from one of the fallen branches in the dead woods. Blood had dried around the wound in a dark, sticky halo, dead heart sluggishly oozing secondhand blood that was dark as ink. He could feel every inch of the wood inside him, a splintered pressure that exploded in a thousand spikes of pain with every panicked breath.
"Yep." The creature closed the distance and clapped one of those gnarled hands onto his back with a careless force. The contact sent a fresh wave of that bone-deep cold radiating through him and Avid gagged as he felt something in his chest grind against the stake. "Real cozy isn't it? Better get used to it soon, 'cause you're stuck here."
"I'm WHAT?" he shrieked, shoving himself away and stumbling. He looked around desperately for an exit, stepping backwards and feeling the disorienting sensation of walking through something. He looked down and saw his own body, saw his foot calf-deep inside of the bloodied chest cavity, felt the undead chill through his bones.
"No no no no no no-"
His voice climbed into something ragged, the words blurring together. His chest heaved and the sound of his own panic filled the chamber, loud and thin and echoing.
"No."
The word was soft, barely audible beneath Avid's spiraling, but it cut through nonetheless.
The drowned creature's grin grew impossibly wider. "Ah, well. Look who decided to join the party."
So obviously we have the parallels of both Avid and Pyro running away from murdering someone close to them when they get to Oakhurst. But there's so much to be said about this ship being about the cycle of bullying.
How Avid treats Pyro in the early episodes once he's revealed as a vamp is so reminiscent of Czeslaw's bullying, even if Avid is coming from a completely different place
He's still pushing them away from the town, from the *possibility* of being accepted and seen as not a monster for once, and he's also one of the most vocal in saying that Pyro is an evil vampire that can't be helped unlike Shelby
Pyro's already struggling with feeling like a monster now that he's been turned and having his fears validated, which is not helped by the voice of Czeslaw haunting him (either literally or metaphorically)
If Czeslaws a ghost watching this all happen, he is definitely alternating between commenting on how pathetic Avid's paranoia is and affirming Avid's violence and insults towards Pyro, just to torture them some more as payback for killing him, which definitely doesnt feed into Pyro's guilt complex
Once Avid is turned and accepted into the coven the dynamics shift since Avid can't really label Pyro as the big bad vampire now that he is one as well.
Czeslaw, seeing the chance to do the FUNNIEST thing, feeding Pyro's resentment towards Avid and urging him to take control of the situation for once which leads to him eventually killing Avid and being wracked with THAT guilt as well
So much of their relationship is Avid bullying Pyro, which reminds him of Czeslaw, but he has more power now that he's a vampire, but he still doesn't want to prove him right and be violent but Avid keeps *pushing* him to violence and for the first time he found people taking his side over his bully's in Scott and Owen hating Avid only to see Scott completely turn around and accept Avid once he's a vampire and that wounds them deeply
Theres so many different fun ways for them to interact too:
All of them in the afterlife bickering with one another and Avid meeting Czeslaw and realizing what Pyro was running from
Ghost!Czeslaw potentially haunting Pyro and possessing him to terrorize Avid (and the whole town (but also mostly Avid for shits and giggles))
BOTH ghost!czeslaw and ghost!Avid haunting Pyro and bickering with each other while he tries not to lose his mind even more
Anyways other things:
Czeslaw would have a FIELD day with Avid if they ever were to meet, like he's hazing the fuck out of Avid
Giving the most backhanded compliments ever for putting Pyro in his place, but he's still kind of lame and Avid definitely begins to realize how his actions actually hurt Pyro the *person* not just Pyro the *vampire*
Czeslaw also simultaneously taunting Pyro for just taking Avid's comments and feeding into every insecurity he's had decades to learn about
Czeslaw for his part is just having fun needling at the other's just to see their reactions
Truly an "I can make him worse" situation where they're all hurting each other
Congrats to @faceless-aces and @sadeuphora for being 2nd and 3rd most tortureable friends in that specific friend group. We all knew who would win, but you put up a good fight!
congrats @adderallshortage for taking the crown you always owned, king. Lets get torturing!
I did so much research on the commedia dell'arte for this lmfao. Wish I was better at art so I could actually draw them TwT
Scapino
Historical Role: Based off the traditional Scapino character, which is a branch of the Brighella character. Traditionally a witty scheming character, quick to escape fights including ones he started himself. Despite being self-serving, in depictions of him as a servant he will often serve his lord faithfully and devotedly.
Role in the Circus: Magician and Escape Artist; Main shows involve his "assistants" (the Fools) entering trapped boxes and failing to escape (and dying as a result) then him managing to escape successfully. Specializes in sleight of hand and card tricks, and will walk around the audience/circus grounds performing close up magic. Occasionally runs a tarot/fortune telling stand when not performing.
Design
Picrew used: Clown Maker
Main color/symbol: Primarily teal, with white and black accents. Is represented by a spade.
Appearance: Long teal hair, usually worn in a long braid or occasionally long ponytail with hair sticks. One white and one teal eye. "Paints" face white with black diamond makeup around white eye and spade symbol under teal eye, although usually covered by half mask. 6'8" so he's the second tallest in the circus, but his thin and bony limbs make him look more like an inflatable tube man than the imposing Doctor when he hovers over anyone. Well manicured normal length nails.
Outfit: Wears a teal top hat with a black ribbon and singular peacock feather. His half mask is teal with gold trimming and black and teal feathers and ribbon. He wears a black button up shirt with a teal cravat and brooch, a white and teal striped waistcoat, and a teal and black gilded tailcoat. His gloves are half teal and half black, with white ruffles at the wrist, and his black slacks end in teal heeled boots.
Monster form: Has two long antlers jutting out of his forehead and long, lanky capriform legs that end in hooves (similar to a satyr). Based off a deer for their flighty nature and looks a bit like a wendigo.
Personality: Fully motivated by his own self-interest and amusement. Quite similar to Harlequin, but is a lot more subtle in his teasing and pranking of the rest of the circus. He is quite the smooth talker and likes to flirt with the guests and toy with their emotions. He is very skilled in manipulating others and helps get the circus out of any sticky binds with the police or public.
Relationships: He isn't really that close with anyone in the circus, though he tends to get along the best with Harlequin. They often conspire about new ways to annoy and prank the others (mostly Pierrot or Captain), although Scapino almost always lets Harlequin take the fall, coming up with a clever excuse for his involvement. He tends to stay away from Jester, as his deceitful nature clashes with Jester's dislike of dishonesty, and he is the one circus member he can't manipulate into believing him. Scapino sometimes attracts the ire of others, but never anything too serious and he easily brushes off the issues. He also loves to feed the fire of Pierrot and Harlequin's feud, taking great delight in sitting back and watching them argue.
Captain
Historical Role: Based on the traditional Il Capitano role, he is traditionally a man of big words but little action. Despite his title and boastful tales, Capitano is a large coward and would be the first to flee from a battle in terror.
Role in the Circus: Lion and Big Cat Tamer; Primarily does shows with his main 2 lions, but also has other big cats like tigers and jaguars. Shows usually consist of Fools dressed as different prey animals and running from/being eaten by the big cats, where he'll jump in and "save" them only for the cats to eat the Fools when he's not looking.
Design
Picrew used and edited: Guts and Blackpowder
Main color/symbol: Primarily yellow and orange, with black accents. Is represented by a square.
Appearance: Long, fluffy, and unruly ginger hair, reminiscent of a lion's mane. For his shows he puts it up in a man bun/half up man bun. Amber eyes with slitted pupils. His "mask" features orange stripes reminiscent of a tiger's and more feline nose. It also has several scratches on it from being batted around by Captain's lions. 6'2" with a very solid and wide build. Not exactly a body builder, but still very muscular. Sharp but short curved claws nails.
Outfit: He wears a yellow and black checkered military hat with orange plumes emerging from the top. His suit consists of a military style yellow button up with black accents, embroidered black slacks, and a black and yellow mantle cape he wears over one shoulder that is secured with gold chains.
Monster form: Two long and curved horns coming out of his forehead and circling back around to reach his chin and act as tusks. Large paws and digitigrade legs with wickedly sharp claws. A long, thin tail with a tuft of fur at the end that is deceptively strong. Based off a manticore and looks reminiscent of the Beast from Beauty and the Beast.
Personality: While he can often come across as prideful and self-centered, Captain is actually a very caring member of the circus crew. He often prefers talking or playing with his big cats to actively finding out someone, but he does enjoy a good conversation. He rarely sugarcoats things, and prefers to just bluntly say things how they are, except in regards to himself, where he usually lies or exaggerates.
Relationships: Hangs out with the doctor when he's not with his animals, offering to be his test subject whenever he needs one. They have a very amicable relationship, if not a particularly deep one. He also occasionally finds himself teaming with Pierrot after Harlequin and Scapino subject him to pranking and teasing, coming up with plans of revenge that are never actually followed through. Like Scapino, he doesn't interact much with Jester or Ticket Taker, although Jester respects his bluntness regarding others, if not himself.
Why hello! I think this outreach has been a long time coming. After all, we frequent the same circles- around and around. We hold the same interests- focus on the same topics.
I'm sure you see what I'm getting at. I'm sure if I were to start a conversation, there's much I could learn from you. The question is, would the conversation be about hypnosis, or would it be hypnotic in its own right? Maybe both
Cheers
~ @totally-tranced
Hello there! First time really getting an ask >w<
I did in fact notice the word choice, very fun :3 The conversation would definitely be about both lmao. I'd even argue that most conversations about hypnosis are in fact hypnotic by nature, although that's probably on purpose lol
the devil on my shoulder when im fic writing telling me to associate vpyro with water imagery due to the parallels between his turning and his previous murdering czelaw and the other devil on my other shoulder telling me its way funnier to not associate him with water because he is Greasy and Does Not Bathe
So I made a bunch of character mask chains for my faceless cosplays and put a lot of thought into their designs and figured I'd share them here :D
v!Scott
So Scott's was the first chain I made, and kind of based it on the "stereotypical" vampire, before I decided on making specific chains for each character. Each mask has fang charms since I wanted that aspect of vampirism clear, since it's not like putting in plastic fangs would show past my mask anyways.
For Scott's I really was thinking of "elegance", with the little swirl ornament on the nosebridge and the delicate silver chain. He has little blood droplet charms, to kind of signify him spilling the most blood (pre-oakhurst), and turning most of the vampires.
v!Owen
For Owen, I wanted the "bat" portion of vampirism to be really clear, especially as I feel like I always saw him batting around more than anyone for some reason lmfao. His chain is more asymmetrical than Scott's to show how he's not quite as 'perfect' of a vampire, and that he stood out as apart from the main coven. The little blood droplet on one fang represents how he only turned one person, Legundo.
v!Pyro
PYRO'S, wow I could talk for a WHILE about Pyro's. I was thinking about a few different ways I could go about this, whether or not I wanted to lean into his more scholarly side and put in some fleur-de-lis symbols, some fire or water symbols, but I eventually landed on something with more of a feral dog vibe.
I went for a bit of a thicker chain than Scott's, with more layers since he was kind of Scott's leashed dog throughout the series. Instead of a fang wire charm like the others, he gets these elongated fang spikes (which I had to custom order cuz I was SET on this for Pyro lmfao) which reminded me a lot of dog collars and the grunge/punk vibe Pyro kind of had going on. His blood droplet is directly in the middle, and I was trying to design it to look a little bit like a bell on a dog collar. The entire chain is really meant to resemble a dog collar, really, since I'm really not normal about majorscythe lmfaooo
photograph of a doll caught in a spiderweb (part 5)
(here's the tag where you can find the other parts)
---
jim relayed the events of his conversation with bill to adrianus over text. he found some of it difficult to describe. the more he looked back on it, the more he felt it must have all been his imagination. bill had just been listening intently because he was curious. nothing hypnotic had happened whatsoever, and it would have been especially embarrassing to pretend that it had to adrianus, of all people.
still, it was, at least, very clear that bill was interested in hypnosis, so it was worth telling them about that. they responded by asking him if he would be willing to watch them hypnotize bill, if bill was alright with that. the idea sounded a bit voyeuristic and perverse.
he agreed anyway.
it was sort of bizarre, casually standing next to bill at adrianus' doorstep, as if this was just another visit. they hadn't talked about hypnosis on their walk there, although he was sure they had both been thinking about it.
this was his coworker. they hadn't even been friends for all that long. everything that had happened since he had shown bill that picture - no, since he had met adrianus, had been strange and surreal, as if the normal rules that had governed his reality until that point had suddenly been twisted. even knowing this, even consciously recognizing how differently he was behaving, the inertia pushed him forward, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
when the door opened, the two of them greeted adrianus and stepped inside.
"should we take some pictures again today?" they asked.
"we- we can!" bill responded. it felt sort of cruel to tease someone who already looked like he could burst from excitement and anticipation at any moment.
"let's do that later," jim said. "there's something more important to take care of first, isn't there?"
his coworker's face went bright red. "are we-- right now?"
he put a hand on bill's shoulder, without really thinking. "i don't think you're going to be able to focus on anything if you keep wondering when we're going to start."
he could feel him trembling slightly.
"are you alright?" he asked.
"you're just- this is just-" bill was still smiling. "i mean, both of you?! together?!"
"i'm just going to be watching, i'm not..."
"but when you act like you're making the decision for me... i mean, it's- i don't mind it, it's just a lot! it makes it feel like you wanna see this more than they do..."
was he being pushy? he gingerly withdrew his hand.
"how about this?" adrianus said softly. "i'll go get us some tea. why don't you both wait on the couch? jim, perhaps you can help bill calm down a bit, and remind him what he can expect, if he does feel ready to begin?"
"alright," he responded.
"that sounds good," bill said.
he did seem a bit less tense after sitting down.
"is there... anything you're nervous about?"
"no, not really! or, well, maybe it'll be hard for me to really get into it when i'm all... you know. i don't know how much i can relax and focus and everything! i always have so much energy, you know? and especially right now..."
"you'll relax anyway."
"do you really think so?"
"it's more automatic than you think."
"i mean, i'm sure it's easier for you!"
"you're going to relax."
bill paused. "see, how do you know that? when you say it like that, it's like... i mean, is it a prediction, or a command?"
"i just know from my own experiences. you seemed pretty absorbed in our conversation the other day, too. i think if you're that interested, it won't be hard."
bill leaned closer to him. "how... how relaxed do you think i'll be? i mean, do you really think i won't be able to move?"
"you won't. you won't move."
"can you keep saying stuff like that?"
"...what?"
"like how i'll relax and i won't be able to move and everything."
"i don't think i need to repeat myself." it wasn't that he didn't know what bill was really asking for. "i know you're impatient, but it will be better if you hear that from adrianus."
"but they said you're supposed to help me
calm down first, right?"
"you already seem better than before."
"but i'm still not-"
"it doesn't matter. you're going to listen, anyway. even if you were still trembling. it doesn't actually matter." he couldn't help but lean closer, himself. "if you can't relax, then just stay like this."
those wide eyes were staring at him again. it was amazing that bill could react so strongly, even after baiting him into saying things like that.
it was much more satisfying than it should have been.
"have you softened him up for me?" adrianus asked as they approached them, setting down the cups on the table in front of them.
"he's probably just as tense as he was before."
"it's just anticipation, isn't it?" they sat on the other side of bill, moving close to him.
"it is, i think, yeah," bill said. "yeah."
jim wondered if he could have made him jump, just by touching his arm or his shoulder at that moment, while he was focused on adrianus. he stayed still.
"here, why don't you have some tea, first? it's chamomile."
"alright!" he said, taking the cup and having a sip.
"it's nice, isn't it?"
"it's supposed to help people sleep, right?"
"yes. i thought it was appropriate right now."
"right..."
"have a little bit more, and then we can get started. if you're ready, of course."
jim drank some of his own, setting it back down after bill set his down.
"are you ready?"
"i think so! or, i mean, i want to try, i don't know if i... you know."
"that's alright," they said. "now, turn around to face jim."
"what? like, turn away from you?"
"yes."
he moved over, showing jim his face, which looked a bit bewildered. jim was surprised, himself. he knew he was going to be watching, but if bill was already flustered, it probably would be even worse having adrianus right behind him.
he visibly tensed up the moment adrianus' hands touched his shoulders.
"very good," they murmured, near his ear.
he shuddered. "wow," he said.
their fingers moved, lightly massaging him, in a way that was sort of mesmerizing even just to watch. "there's nothing to be nervous about... you can just relax."
it looked as if it had the opposite effect. jim could clearly see the blood rushing to his face.
they might have been doing it on purpose.
"is something wrong?" they asked, in a low, quiet voice, that felt more teasing than concerned. "i'm just going to hypnotize you. it's alright..."
he sat straight up, more alert than ever, with that nervous smile.
"i- i really don't think i can relax like this."
"well, perhaps you can't just yet. or, your mind can't, at least. but that's alright." they were speaking more slowly, softly. "see? your shoulders are already starting to release some tension, aren't they?"
he noticed them sink down as they said that, almost immediately, even though no other part of bill seemed even remotely relaxed.
"that's right... very good. do you understand now? it doesn't matter how tense you feel, how nervous or excited you are. you'll react exactly the way you are supposed to."
"that's..." there was already a strange kind of blankness in his eyes. he was twitching. "wow."
"by the end of this," they said, rubbing his shoulders with their thumbs, "all of the energy will be drained from your body. you'll be entirely limp."
though his posture was starting to change, his expression hadn't.
"do you feel it? it's already started happening... it keeps happening... just let go to it."
even as he trembled, his breath shaky and uneven, he melted, bit by bit, leaning back against adrianus. it definitely gave the appearance that this was something being done to him, that his body was acting entirely on its own, and he was unable to control or resist it.
it felt sort of like something jim wasn't supposed to watch, but it was already too late. it had only gotten easier to stare, now that bill looked so absorbed in the situation that he hardly even seemed to care that jim was sitting right in front of him.
"very good... you're doing so well."
his face seemed to be softening a bit, now, too, although it was subtle. his smile was just a bit smaller, his eyes just slightly less wide, his eyebrows not quite as furrowed.
"you'll make such a good doll."
it was as if those words jolted through him, but only for a moment. he didn't say a single word in response.
they ran their fingers through his hair. it seemed as though he was shifting from nervous excitement to a hazy, dazed sort of feeling. he was always so expressive. it was surreal to see those changes so clearly.
"what do you think, jim?" they asked, looking at him, completely catching him off guard.
"what? what do you..."
"he is cute, isn't he?"
he stared at bill again. "he is," he said.
jim blinked, only just now realizing how odd he had been feeling. he had been focusing so closely on bill, on his reactions. he knew adrianus' previous suggestions weren't intended for him, so he hadn't obeyed them, and yet, the instant they talked to him, he listened, the same way he would have in trance. had he been in trance this entire time?
their fingers gently brushed against bill's hair, so lightly, so softly, so slowly. it would be fine, he thought, if he was in trance right now. easier, even. it would mean he wouldn't have to feel weird about seeing his coworker like this. about how closely he was looking at him. about how strangely good it felt. it wouldn't mean anything. this was something adrianus was doing to him, to both of them. it was them. it was all them.
and it would be nice to feel the way that bill had looked then.
"you see, bill?" they murmured. "you are like a doll, already. being played with, controlled, watched. and so cute..."
there was no longer any sign of nervousness, resistance, or even excitement in him. just looking at him gave jim this empty, dull sensation.
adrianus' own voice had started to feel like it was just droning on. "don't worry. i won't fully turn you into a doll, just yet. you can just imagine it, for now... feeling heavy and blank... so good..."
it was like none of them were really there, anymore.
it continued like that for a while, jim wasn't sure how long. it was repetitive, nothing in particular was happening, there wasn't any real direction anything was going in, but the monotony lulled him into such a deep relaxation. every word felt good, even though he wasn't really listening in the way he would be if they were directed at him. every slow, deep breath coming from bill was comforting. the unchanging, peaceful look on his face was pleasant. nothing was boring, or interesting, or much of anything at all, but it was good, almost in the same way it felt nice to roll back over and fall asleep after waking up earlier than you needed to.
"alright, i think that's enough," adrianus finally said, as if to shake off their own tiredness. "we'll have to wake up at some point, won't we?" they straightened up, pushing bill up with them. "you can slowly feel the energy and alertness returning to you. you can stretch, and rub your eyes, if you need to, as well."
all three of them stretched in their own ways, bill yawning as he did so, as if he really had been sleeping. jim took another sip of his tea. it was completely cold.
"wow!" bill said, seeming almost as energetic as usual. "that was kind of crazy."
"you fell very quickly."
"it was just that voice you did! it's like, as soon as i heard it, it was like, oh, this is hypnosis."
jim looked at his watch. "it's around the same time you left last time. are you going to want to get home soon?"
"oh yeah! i guess i probably should." as he said that, he gave no visible indication that he was actually planning to get up.
"i did get a bit carried away," adrianus said. "but, it was quite nice. you do make an excellent subject."
"thank you! well, it didn't really feel like i was doing anything."
"you were listening very closely, though."
usually, after waking up from trance, jim was able to feel normal again fairly quickly, but this time, his head still felt a little foggy. it didn't bother him, exactly, and it didn't feel like he couldn't think, or do anything he needed to, but he was aware that it was different.
"i think i should go home, too."
"are you alright?"
"i am, i just kind of want to go home and do nothing."
"i feel like i could just sleep here," bill said.
adrianus chuckled. "well, really, if you don't have any obligations tomorrow, you could spend the night, if you wanted. i have a guest bedroom."
"hmm... i don't think i have anything important."
jim didn't, either. he was seriously considering it. he didn't want to bother riding the bus home, especially not while he was still sort of out of it. it was dark out already, which made it feel even later than it was. now that he thought of it, he could hear it raining outside, too. it must have started during the hypnosis session. he had completely tuned it out.
"you can take some more time to consider it, if you need to. you can always change your mind, later," they said, standing up and taking the cups with the cold, barely touched tea. "i do have clothes you can borrow. though they might be a bit big. there are spare toothbrushes, and such, too." they began walking off, before pausing. "oh, and if both of you decide to stay, you can either share the guest bedroom, or one of you can sleep on the couch, here, if you're alright with being visited by the shadow beast."
though he didn't particularly mind having a cat come bother him, he had a feeling the guest bed would be especially nice, considering adrianus' commitment to comfort in general.
"ah, but would the two of you like to eat anything? that may help you wake up."
jim sighed. "i think i'm spending the night anyway, so i should probably have dinner."
as he waited at the table with bill, while they cooked, he was struck by just how mundane it felt. he had watched his coworker get hypnotized, and now they were staying over at adrianus' house for the night, like stranded travelers who had nowhere else to keep them sheltered from the storm outside. it wasn't really even storming, the rain sounded fairly gentle. he could have just called a cab.
but here he was.
the food was a simple pasta dish, quick, inoffensive, and filling. their conversation had been light and casual as they ate, none of them talking about hypnosis, or even dolls.
it was comfortable. hanging out like this made it hard to believe that he had only been friends with bill for a couple of weeks.
"oh, yeah, so there's only the one guest bedroom, right?" bill asked as he put his plate by the sink.
"yes."
"and only one bed?"
"yes, although it is large enough for two people, if you wanted to share. but the couch is still available. i suppose you two should decide where you'll be sleeping."
"well," bill said, "if only one of us gets the guest room, it should be jim, right?"
"i really don't care either way," he responded.
adrianus smiled. "you should just share. the bed is more comfortable."
"i mean, that's fine with me." he turned toward bill. "if it's fine with you, i guess."
"well, i'd be fine on the couch, too, but i don't really care."
"you'll both be in the guest bedroom, then. here, i can show you where that is, if you'd like to get ready now."
bill and jim followed them up the stairs, and down the hallway.
jim supposed it was nice adrianus had made the decision for them. he didn't really want bill to sleep on the couch, and bill didn't want him to, either, but neither of them would have chosen to share if they hadn't said it. it would have taken forever to reach an agreement.
"you know, now that i think of it," bill said, "one of us could've slept with you, too, right, adrianus?"
they laughed. "well, that is true. is that what you would prefer?"
"i just thought it was kind of funny."
"is that it? you weren't thinking you wanted me to hypnotize you to fall asleep?"
bill blinked. "well, i wasn't, but..."
the thought was now in jim's head, too. the thought of slowly falling unconscious while they directed him to. the thought of such an automatic process being in their control. the thought of being guided into dreams.
it felt strange just to think about.
"i'm sorry to tempt you with that. i don't think i'll be doing that tonight. perhaps another time," they said. "but, here is the guest room."
it was nice, just like any other room in the house. the bed was large enough that they wouldn't have to be particularly close to each other, and the blanket looked warm and soft.
"do either of you want any pajamas, or robes? they might be a bit big on you."
"i don't think i need it," jim said.
"do you have a big t-shirt i could sleep in?" bill asked.
"i'll see what i can find."
they both got ready, taking turns brushing their teeth, getting changed. jim decided to just sleep in his underwear, while bill wore the shirt adrianus gave him, which was just a large, plain white t-shirt.
it suited him, in a way. it made him look small. maybe that was a weird thing to think.
"do you think you're gonna go right to sleep?" he asked, crawling into the other side of the bed. "or are you gonna be on your phone for a bit, or something?"
"i don't know how quickly i'll fall asleep, but i'm not going to shine a bright light in the room while you're trying to sleep."
"that makes sense. well, i won't either."
one of the lamps was still on, dimly lighting the room.
"but, you know," bill said, "i keep thinking about what adrianus said. this bed is so comfy, if someone was hypnotizing me here... well, maybe i would have an easier time sleeping."
"do you normally have trouble sleeping?"
"i just think a lot. when i'm really tired, i can sleep, but sometimes i end up staying up because i'm doing something, or i'm focused on something, and i keep thinking about it even when i get into bed. i think about stuff i wanna draw, and ideas i have, and it's hard for me to stop."
that did sound like bill. "so you want someone to just force you to stop, and focus on sleeping?"
"yeah, exactly."
it wasn't like he didn't understand. he didn't have as much trouble sleeping as he used to, but the idea of someone helping with that was still appealing.
maybe the idea of being able to help someone else with that was appealing, too. there was something about bill, lately. he had such an eagerness to be hypnotized, it made jim feel like he should do something about it, even if he wasn't really a hypnotist. he'd learned a few things from adrianus, and his own research, but he didn't have much confidence in it.
how much confidence did he really need with someone like this, though? and if he didn't do anything, bill might take forever to fall asleep. it's not like it would help his own sleep to be next to someone who's tossing and turning all night.
he turned onto his side, facing bill. "come here."
"you want me to come closer?"
"i'll help you sleep."
"you're going to hypnotize me?"
"sure," he said. trying to be casual about it only made it more awkward, but it felt too late to back out.
bill crawled closer, toward his side of the bed.
it wasn't as if he had to speak right into his ear to hypnotize him, but it'd certainly been more effective for him when adrianus was very close.
"is it alright if i get closer?"
"how close do you want to be? do you want to be, like, spooning?"
it wouldn't be a bad position for hypnotizing someone, although it might have been a little too intimate. "it doesn't need to be that close. i just want to be near your ear. to make it... easier to listen."
"i mean, it's alright, i'm just surprised."
he leaned closer. "get into whatever position is comfortable, however you normally sleep."
bill faced away from him, making the position similar to spooning after all. still, he didn't wrap his arms around him or press up against him, only putting a hand on his shoulder.
"don't focus on anything except my voice," he murmured. "don't think about anything."
it felt a bit bold to start with commands like that, but bill seemed to need that sort of directness from him.
he realized it was difficult to get feedback like this, though. he couldn't see his face. it was hard to gauge his reaction, and would only get more difficult as he stopped moving.
"say something when you like or dislike something. it's alright if it's just a mumble. you can stop responding when you get too tired to, or when i tell you to stop."
"i like this," bill said quietly.
"good."
bill shuddered. "i like that..."
it felt more sexual than he expected. he knew he was lying right next to him in bed, talking into his ear, and hypnotizing him, but he thought it would be a little easier to ignore those connotations. he was just trying to help him fall asleep.
"you shudder too easily..."
"i can't help it. it's just your voice... but i like it. i mean, i like you saying that..."
jim had barely even started, and bill already liked everything. maybe asking him to respond was pointless.
being firm felt a little more awkward now, but he knew he shouldn't let this drag on for too long. "you're feeling tired. you need to relax. you're going to relax for me."
he particularly seemed to release his tension after the "for me."
"that's good," bill said, his voice almost a whisper.
"just go limp," he said. "like a doll."
bill was tense for a moment, before relaxing again, more deeply than before. "i-i really like that."
"keep relaxing, until you can't move. until you feel warm and heavy. until your mind feels fuzzy."
"really good..."
his responses started to sound more automatic, like he wasn't even thinking about them. his voice was gradually sounding more blank and distant.
he really could have told him to stop responding, to be quiet. it was obvious that just about anything would work on bill. but he wanted to keep hearing it.
"that's good," jim whispered. "that's right. completely still."
"good..." his voice had become very quiet.
it was like that was all bill was even capable of saying.
"you can't think about anything. you can't move. you can only listen and relax. you're falling asleep."
"...good..."
his breathing had slowed. he did almost sound like he was asleep. it was relaxing just to hear. jim felt a wave of tiredness in his own body, his own words becoming more automatic and repetitive.
the last thing he remembered before falling asleep was muttering on and on about feeling tired, sleepy, and relaxed, wanting to sleep, as bill's responses turned to murmurs, to hums, and finally stopped.
Some thoughts on the coven's special thrall abilities if they had any
Inspired by @oliversrarebooks and the Vampires SMP x The Rare Bookseller fic I'm writing >w<
Scott:
He's definitely the classic vampire archetype if I've ever seen one. Glowing, enrapturing red eyes, Silver Ttongue, all of that. I think specifically he would specialize in twisting his words to convince people to do anything with his condescension and mockery (think Vicious Mockery if it was more literal).
He's totally had EXTENSIVE practice using his enthrallment powers, like when he said he felled armies and was living it up in Oakhurst before he went into his 600 year nap, there was definitely a significant portion of Oakhurst under his enthrallment.
A few scenarios that I feel are very hypnosis-coded and I bounce around in my head a lot are him convincing Apo to become a vampire in ep. 3, and the Crypt scene with Pyro in ep. 5. The slow, predatory walk towards Apo while he talks about Cherri....ough. And then the crypt scene. Obviously. I feel like I don't need to say more lmfao
Plus all the times where he'd talk with the villagers and they'd just agree with Scott (to the chagrin of Avid) just scream him confidently enthralling the entire group.
Owen:
I imagine Owen having this Bloodlust where he imposes humans with a crippling sense of fear and dread and paralyzes them, forcing them to go along with whatever he wants (murder) out of bone chilling fear. Almost more like body control than any actual hypnosis? Or I guess just being so intimidating that he strikes fear into people's hearts (in a more literal way).
He probably accidentally enthralled a good chunk of Oakhurst when he did the massacre, unintentionally forcing them to line up for their demise and not being able to leave, maybe even encouraging the running around to make the hunt more satisfying?
I think since Louis died and wasn't able to teach Owen all the ins and outs of vampirism that he doesn't really know how to use his power, so it only really gets activated when he's in a rage, like during the massacre or some of his monologues with the villagers. He's kind of the opposite of Scott's extremely tight control and wielding of his abilities, instead wrangling what abilities he's able to control to do vaguely what he wants.
Pyro:
MAN DO I HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT MY BOY JACK VON PYROSCYTHE. As always, to be fair, I'm never not thinking about v!Pyro lmfao
I'm SICK about the water and fire imagery in Pyro's lore so OF COURSE I'm including it in here. Because of him both drowning Czeslaw and BEING drowned, I think being enthralled by Pyro would also feel like drowning. That feeling of being held underwater, where it's suffocating, and not at all comfortable, but you're also powerless to do anything to stop it. This is kind of a consequence of Pyro being very new to vampirism and not having any control over his powers, or any control in general in Oakhurst. He's still seeking control and agency where he can find it, which leads to him overcompensating in his hypnosis.
In a Pyro Lives au or something where Pyro has the chance to heal, I imagine his power would eventually mellow out to feeling akin to being submerged in a bath where you feel calm and relaxed, or like the surface of a still lake where the thrall can feel this nice stillness and serenity, and then flow wherever Pyro directs them to with no distress.
Shelby:
I was a little stumped on Shelby but I thought it'd be funny if she had Infodumping but as a superpower. Like she somehow manages to be super super convincing even if you don't really understand why just from how earnestly passionate she is abt most things (cough cryptids).
It'd probably be similar to a mix of a confusion and overload induction where she starts rambling and the thrall tries to follow along but get's lost and starts mindlessly nodding because I mean, it sounds right? And she seems so knowledgeable about it so surely she's right. Definitely a more subtle power, and one that she accidentally uses a LOT before Scott finally picks up on it and teaches her how to control it.
I also have to come up with ideas for Drift, Avid, and Abolish, but I'm a little bit stumped so if you have any ideas lemme know! I'm thinking Avid might have a power related to his demon but I don't know enough of his lore to be sure....
Weapons. Trained, tested, forged in steel and fire. Failure is an inevitability that ends in death. Pain should not be felt--it should be recognized, familiar, and inconsequential
Martyrs. In the form of servants and princes, of leaders and underdogs. If blood is necessary, the martyr will lift their hands and offer it all
Shields. Like tempering a sword, but only to bear and not to lash out. Wounds are medals--not symbols of pride, but symbols of worth. A pretty shield is useless; scars mean a job well done
Experiments. Raised on the cold comfort of a lab table. Restraints are only necessary when they're not in their right mind. Is it honorable, to be twisted beyond recognition? Or is it just a necessary evil?
Monsters. Cruelty, caution, and regarding one as a creature beyond reasonable thought is tempering in its own right. But if you keep a leash at the right length, perhaps the massecre won't reach you. One can hope.
Idols. Pretty face, pretty name, pretty hands around their shoulders and throat. There to seduce, manipulate, force any feeling to come to the surface and twist it to their favor. Any genuinity stays locked behind the guilded cage that surrounds their pretty little heart
Trophies. Status and wealth and the traditions that keep someone at their heels, on their knees, to display and serve and decorate one's ballroom.
Sacrifices. Drenched in honorable clothes, prepared and adored and cleansed. The gift of hope at the cost of one's life. Is it taken with no fight? How can you escape the ropes you were born in?
Thinking about the fact that logically, V!Pyro was Avid’s saving grace.
V!Avid was a horrible person. I’ve talked about that a lot I don’t wanna repeat it lmfao
but also, they were more of narrative foils than Avid and Owen.
They were both paranoid, haunted by their past (and their victims) and yet hopeful that Oakhurst could be a new start.
Avid’s paranoia was loud, blaring. He was sowing discourse before the first night even passed, yelling about vampires and silver. Pyro’s paranoia was quiet, he was reserved. Didn’t make himself noticed. Both Avid and Pyro needed attention, but Avid actively drew it while Pyro simply hoped.
They both fell under Scott’s grip, of course, they both fell to Scott’s manipulation. The difference is that SCOTT decided who his favorite one was, and was not shy about hiding it.
Avid was going down a dark path. He arrived at Oakhurst paranoid, ostracizing anyone he viewed as “other”, and said if he was turned into a vampire he’d never side with them. Episode 6 FLIPPED THAT ON IT’S HEAD. He was suddenly willing, EXCITED even, to burn Oakhurst down.
By Ep 6, both Pyro and Avid hated the residents of Oakhurst. By Episode 7, Pyro hated Avid more than he hated the residents of Oakhurst.
The monstrosity that everyone at Oakhurst viewed Pyro as, the apathetic and psychotic vampire, was what Avid would’ve become. If anything, his death was a gift. It stopped Avid’s reputation from being dulled and tarnished, by the man whose reputation was 6 feet under long before the pit was dug.
i want it to be put on record that when i posted this to tiktok, i did not think it would blow up, nor did i ever imagine that the ship name would be "billfiddlesford"
the council decided that name without my consent, but i do appreciate the whimsy of it /j
i made these comics as a joke with myself about "what if fidds just got tired of bill's nonsense and teased him 24/7 bc Bill's a menace but Fiddleford grew up on a farm" type of thing, which has now spiraled.
also bc consider; I want Fiddleford to have a win? i want him to be happy and healthy and also in a polyamorous gay marriage with his college friend and his muse, nothing too dramatic
