A small warning: the language here can feel trance-like for certain readers.
Read consciously, pause if needed, stay grounded.
✦ ᛉ ᚨ ᚷ ᛟ ✦
People used to call Evanescence “emo,” as if it were all just teenage sorrow and eyeliner.
But Going Under was never a song about heartbreak.
It’s a song about awakening inside the trance of an unhealthy bond.
When she says, “Don’t want your hand this time, I’ll save myself,” she isn’t just rejecting someone’s touch — she’s rejecting the spell.
It’s the moment she realizes that rescue was never meant to save her, only to keep her submerged.
“Maybe I’ll wake up for once” — that’s not despair. That’s a trigger word for freedom.
The lyrics twist between truth and illusion: “Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies.”
It’s the sound of a mind fracturing, where thoughts no longer belong to the self but to the one who whispered them in.
She’s dying again, yes — but dying in the way the old self must, before the breath returns.
Underneath, there’s a warning: beauty can be a snare, and what feels like depth might be drowning.
The song becomes a ritual of reclamation — a struggle through confusion, dissonance, and loss of agency — until she finally gasps, “I’ve got to break through.”
In the video, she drifts underwater, surrounded by hunters, her own reflection barely human.
It’s not just a metaphor — it’s the psyche clawing its way back to consciousness.
Going Under isn’t about falling apart.
It’s about the terrifying grace of remembering who you were before you sank.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Original Percival Graves/Newt Scamander
Characters: Newt Scamander, Seraphina Picquery, Sudanese Obscurial Girl (Fantastic Beasts), Original Percival Graves, Gellert Grindelwald
Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Fix-It
Summary:
Newt’s last letter from his husband is a longwinded rant about the incompetency of some criminals and a distracted account of a maybe-creature loose in New York’s back alleys.
I had a weird dream last night. Probably because I just finished rereading Prince of Tennis a few weeks ago and I just went on a BNHA fanfic binge.
So Quirks would be the perfect explanation for the utter nonsense that happens on those tennis courts.
(I remember reading a fanfic once about quirked and quirkless sport leagues in the bnha world but I can’t remember which one it was)
Anyway so Inui has an analysing quirk and tennis is perfect, but he needs to analyse other things too and hero fights happen everyday all over the city so they’re easily accessible. Plus, you never know when a move can be incorporated into your tennis play.
Enter Midoriya Izuku, die hard hero fanboy in his last year of elementary school and as friendless as he is quirkless.
Inui is impressed by his analysis, finally someone who can keep up with him. He’s even more impressed when he finds out that Izuku is quirkless. And that’s how the most unlikely friendship starts. Inui starts seeking out hero fights more seriously so he can meet up with his new friend (they’re both awkward genius, it’s perfect) until he finally invites Izuku to the regionals where Seigaku is competing.
That’s how the Seigaku regulars meet Izuku and promptly adopts him. It doesn’t take much to convince Izuku to join Seigaku middle school once he’s done with elementary school. (Inui has already filled all the paperwork for Izuku to be the tennis club manager.)
So Izuku starts Seigaku the same year Echizen does, while Inui is a third year and almost everyone already knows him.
And Izuku thrives. He doesn’t love tennis like Inui and the other regulars do, but he loves quirks and using his analysing for tennis instead of heroing is not that different.
And they all have such awesome quirks!
Plus no one would dare bully the tennis club manager. Between Inui’s incredible mind, Tezuka’s quirk and Fuji’s well-known (if unacknowledged) sadism, no one dare step a toe out of line in fear of what their retaliation would be (and yes, it includes the teachers, those kids are terrifying).
Of course, Izuku can’t be the manager if he doesn’t know how to play tennis (or so everyone tells him) so he’s practicing with the other first years while still following Inui’s around and he’s in great shape.
He still wants to be a hero, but now it doesn’t look like an unattainable goal anymore. He has friends and a support system and everyone encourages him to follow his dreams, and they all believe in him and Inui even told him awkwardly that if anyone could become the first quirkless hero, it was Izuku. That was the nicest thing anyone has ever told him and Izuku cried a lot that day, but thankfully Inui-senpai has become used to it.
Three years later, when it’s time to take UA’s entrance exam, Izuku takes down robots with a racket and a bag full of tennis balls. He still gets more rescue points than villain points because he’s a bit overwhelmed by all the cool quirks he’s witnessing.
Obviously he makes it into class 1-A.
And when it’s time for the Sports Festival, all his friends show up to cheer him on and they are so worried about him because of everything with the LoV.
For some of the quirks:
Tezuka’s is called Penance Stare. If he looks you in the eyes he can make you feel guilty/ashamed for every little infraction you’ve ever done, like take the last mochi and putting the empty box back on the cupboard or passing before someone at the konbini because they were distracted. Of course, the quirk enforce the need for a punition so the tennis club members run a lot of laps. The bigger the infraction, the bigger the consequences.
Kaido has a stamina quirk.
Kikumaru can make doubles of himself.
Fuji’s is a mystery, but everytime he smiles at you, you can feel a chill down your spine and so there’s a rumour that it’s a ‘villainous’ quirk.
Kawamura has a sentient quirk like Dark Shadow but the quirk can take control of Kawamura’s body and that’s what happens when he has a racket in his hand.
Atobe can see everyone’s weak spots (his ice world in the manga).
Sanada has a minor control on the four elements and all the heroes hopefuls are disgusted because he only wants to use it for tennis.
Ryoma’s quirk makes him immune to other people’s quirks but he needs to be in close proximity with it for a little while before he can make it stop working. That’s why he needs a few sets every match before he can overcome his opponents’ quirks.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug, DCU, Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Roy Harper/Jason Todd, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Roy Harper/Jason Todd
Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Lian Harper, Roy Harper, Jason Todd
Additional Tags: Pre-Relationship, Established Roy Harper/Jason Todd, Snapshots, MariBat, Threesome - F/M/M, Curtain Fic
Summary:
The decision to move to Star City was a long time coming. Marinette could have chosen any city, of course, but Star City seemed like a good choice. It wasn’t as crime-ridden as Gotham. It wasn’t reduced to rubbles every other week like Metropolis. There had been incidents with aliens and supervillains, but nowadays it was hard to find a place without this kind of history.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Fíli (Tolkien)/Harry Potter, Bilbo Baggins/Fíli
Characters: Harry Potter, Petunia Evans Dursley, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, Fíli (Tolkien), Kíli (Tolkien), Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo Baggins
Additional Tags: Female Harry Potter, Female Bilbo Baggins, Rule 63, Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Genderbending, WIP, so read at your own risk, Hair Braiding, Bilbo is Harry, Harry is Bilbo
Summary:
Bella always had colourful dreams full of friends, family and adventures. The only thing she has to show for it are complicated braids.
Claus stood atop a small hill, a grave covered in flowers standing before him. A lonely grave atop the hill showered in love and adoration, for today was a very special day...A day that while so special made the little chimera’s heart ache.
And yet...even with that pain, he held a smile on his face.
“Sorry I’m here so early...Dad and Lucas are gonna come here with me later but...I wanted to talk to you on my own a bit...”
Despite his apology, he knew he wasn’t the first one that had come here. After all, the grave already had a fresh batch of flowers. Always the early riser, his dad...
“...It’s...been a long time since I’ve visited you...I’m sorry about that. I hope I didn’t make you lonely...”
No...his mom would never blame him...He knew that by now. She’d likely smile and comfort him, assure him that all was well and that she was happy he’d shown up now. Late was always better than never.
“...I miss you...I really really do...”
A pain welled up in his heart, tightening his throat and blurring the sight in his right eye. Claus took a trembling breath and pinched his eyes shut for a moment. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t cry. He didn’t want his mom to see him crying.
“I...I’m....I’m still here mom. Are you proud of me..? I made it another year.”
The more he spoke the more his voice began to crack. Try as he might, he could never hide how he felt from his mother. Not even before her grave.
“It’s tough but...I think I’m happy? Sometimes I wonder...but, with how things are now. I couldn’t ever leave Lucas or dad.”
Salty tears slipped down his face. With a trembling breath he used his sleeve to try and wipe them away. Yet, no matter how many times he tried they just kept falling...
No, no. He couldn’t face Hinawa like this. Surely, his mother would wish to see him smile.
So, he raised his head, and gave a grin despite the tears.
“I love you mom...”
Messy, and perhaps a bit out of the blue. But it was all he could think to say to the gravestone of his mother. He loved her...he missed her.
Perhaps someday they’d meet again, but that day was not today.
For now, all he could do was hope she was happy wherever she was, from wherever she watched them from.
And he would choose to believe that maybe, just maybe, that wind that lightly tousled his hair and brushed across his cheek was a sign from his mother...
The Commander walked silently through the halls of the Thunder Tower, drawing forth hushed whispers and stares from his subordinates. He could make out their words despite their attempts at remaining quiet. Confusion at his arrival, fear over it, doing all they could to stay out of his path and avoid his gaze.
However, what likely drew the most confusion out of all the pigmasks and scientists at the site was...the Whatever he carried in his arms.
Three times now had the Commander walked in holding one, leaving without one, and coming back with another. Three times...and not a soul had questioned what in the name of their king it was that he was doing.
Frankly, the Commander preferred that they not ask. He had already been given permission and explaining the situation to any curious troops would take up the already short amount of time he had.
The chimera paused in front of an automatic door, waiting for it to open before stepping inside. On the other side of that door was a tiny hallway- if it could even be called that. It was far too short to be called a hallway but it was also far too small to be called a room. Whatever it was however, it was now home to two chimeras.
Two Whatevers milled about the small room, beeping and squeaking with each little movement they made. With the Commander’s arrival, both of them plodded their way over and squeaked with glee. They were happy to see him it seemed, and happy to see their third ally napping comfortably in the soldier’s arms.
The third Whatever finally awoke from its short nap, likely due to the noise, and gave its own squeaks of delight in response.
Ah...good...they were behaving...none of them had left the room, just as the Commander had requested of them.
The soldier knelt down before the pair of chimeras, gently placing the last of the trio down on the floor to join its brethren. A chorus of beeps and squeaks greeted the action with the trio turning to the Commander after a short while to lightly bump their small bodies against his own.
Grateful...
They were...grateful to him...
“There is no need...”
He softly responded, resting a hand atop one of the Whatevers’ glass heads.
He had only done what seemed like the most logical course of action. It was a shame to let functioning chimeras go to waste. With so many chimeras becoming failures and having to be euthanized, it was a waste to decommission these mechanical chimeras.
‘Useless’ was what the scientists in the lab had called them. So useless they didn’t even deserve to have names. ‘Call them whatever!’
So useless they didn’t deserve to exist despite surviving their reconstruction.
A shame...a waste of tools and parts...
The Commander continued to pet the Whatever he had rested his hand atop, the other two now beeping out of frustration. They wished to be spoiled, to be pet as well, despite the fact they likely couldn’t feel a single thing. Mechanical chimera weren’t built with a sense of touch, after all.
Such strange beings...
“You have a purpose here.”
he stated, the trio of chimeras now all looking up at him with blank eyes.
“You are to guard this hallway. Should any intruders come in, you three are to alert any nearby soldiers of their presence. You may do this in any way you wish. Loud noises are the most likely to work.”
That was their purpose. That was their meaning. To prevent decommissioning the Commander had to give them a purpose. This was theirs.
A few moments passed, his words sinking in for the Whatevers. They weren’t terribly smart chimeras, most of their mental capabilities having been stripped away during the process of becoming what they were now. But, they could still understand basic commands, had basic thoughts that the Commander could read, and had the capacity for basic emotion.
After a few minutes passed they seemed to understand, beeping in unison.
Good. They understood their job now.
A gentle sigh slipped past the Commander’s lips, his shoulders easing...Just before an alert popped up on the screen of his helmet. Ah, there it was. The reminder that he had to start making his way to New Pork, that he needed to go see his master. He knew it would be today, but he hadn’t remembered when the meeting was meant to occur.
Raising to his feet, the Commander found the Whatevers huddling around his feet, continuing to beep up at him.
They did not want him to go...
“I must go now.”
He stated simply, gently nudging the small chimeras away with his foot so he could turn towards the door.
“Remember your mission.”
Was the last sentence he spoke to them before he left. They would miss him. For some strange reason those Whatevers would develop a fondness for him. They would be delighted to see him, make their way to him whenever he walked through that small hall.
They liked him, always wanted to be around him, another chimera that understood them and would protect them.
So, perhaps it was no surprise that much much later, when a boy with a similar face walked through the hall, they would greet him with the very same glee they would show the Commander.
