#and the amulet got literally shattered

[mysoulspiralbound]

it whitens your hair this explains so much about gideon

why didn’t we get to see ford in his evil warlock era

[sand-jam]

Remember that one drawing I made of the first master of wind/storm?

Yeah I kinda fell in love with her

Backstory + Extras undercut

Ok so her backstory:

Her name's Kona and she was alongside Nyad the first elemental master of Ninjago, being the master of storm. They were both trained as soldiers after their powers made themselves known. When she got older, Kona was chosen to become the Chief of the keepers.

She first met Nyad after the first spinjitzu master arrived in Ninjago. Both the merlopians and the keepers were brought together to fight against Wojira. Nyad and Kona were grouped together to learn from eachother, since they were both elemental masters. In that time before the battle they became friends (gay undertones).

During the battle Kona was kept guarded on a boat so she could ensure steady winds for the ships and ward Wojira off with lightning. Nyad was in the front line with the other warriors.

Quick stop to say that in my head the keepers are literal rock people. Imagine houseki no kuni rock people- like that. So they can break and whatnot

Anyways, when Nyad merged with the sea, she was only able to free one of the amulets, that being the amulet of storm, before disappearing. The fleet retreated with whoever they could save.

For the next few weeks they prepared themselves to head out again. Grief quite literally cracked Kona apart, leaving her fragile, but still, Kona was forced onto the front line, with her being one of their strongest soldiers.

The second and last time they fought, Kona led the charge, and after a long battle she managed to rip the other amulet off Wojira. But they celebrated too soon, because with the last of her strength, Wojira shattered Kona in two.

That's the day the sky split in two, into wind and lightning.

Nowadays only the keepers themselves remember her, guarding her amulet. Her image is seen as protective, so on the island you'll find varying symbols and statues etched next to entrances or just as a small wood figurine.

---

huge wall of text anw all i got of her for now will keep drawing her tho

also extra sketch to finish it off

[the-old-caius]

I have a lot of stupid thoughts about the Imperials worshipping a dragon-god and having dragonborn Emperors on their throne, the Amulet of Kings around their necks, over their chests, the stone's shape with the dragon inside being the symbol of the Empire itself, and I wanna look at... the accounts describing Pelinal:

Fifd of New Teed claiming he had no heart, only the "rage of a mindless dragon", how it's described that it was a gem in his chest, before it became the amulet of Kings apparently (suggesting that, within the stone, sat that mindless, draconic rage (golly, I wonder what'd happen if you broke it)), as well as how Whitestrake screamed madly about a sort of omnipotence he shares with Akatosh (implying, of course, that he is, in a way, not unlike a Player Character ("When the dream no longer needs its dreamer"))

(The Amulet of Kings; a stone in place of a heart, yet containing heart-blood and a dragon's fury, as well as possibly a soul? With all of it linking back to the omnipotence of a god. They swore a covenant on that blasted thing!)

On TOP of how Akatosh (or his 'equivalent' in a given culture) and dragons in general are viewed across the rest of Tamriel; in Skyrim, dragons, pictured in their totemic ur-religion as Alduin the World-Eater(who is very real and very much linked closely to Akatosh), essentially representing all-consuming, all-destroying time, or by Altmer and Bosmer as Auri-El, the sun, who, while benevolent, sees the creation of Nirn as a mistake (this being evidently also part of the god known as Akatosh, as an attempted seperation of these Aldmeri traits and traditions from him, reportedly, caused a massive dragon-break, which is said to have 'broken' the god)

In Skyrim, we also get Paarthurnax' insight on how dragons feel and live and experience the world, and- jeesh! (Anyone got more of a brain than me and wants to look into Thu'um and the 'Voice of the Emperor'? Dragonborn Emperors and the voice of a dragon, is all)

Of course, Tiber Septim's ascension to godhood (his crimes even being part of the idol worshipped, brutal conquest now an inherent part of the pantheon enforced by the Empire), how, through Imperial propaganda, cultural erasure and the conflation of Nord heroes with Talos, he became a widely revered god in Skyrim despite the Nords' beliefs about dragons, and how his Numidium being activated also caused a dragon break,

(This may warrant its own post, but; on a surface level, Martin may seem unlike a destructive and consuming dragon, unlike an Emperor, but would share a fate like all-- just less the conquering dragon and more the world-ending time kind (though the two concepts are closely connected, only just nearly the same.))

There's something about the exact contents of the Prophecy of the Dragonborn here, too, and how that yet again leads back to Alduin and destruction, conquest, time, the loss of something through it

It paints this sinister picture around the (already very sinister and fucked up) Empire, its Cult, the line of dragonborn Emperors, around anything involving the amulet and what actually happened when it was shattered, and I'm obsessed with it

As is an Empire's nature, it is a destructive force, conquering, destroying, consuming; a nature shared with dragons, and with time itself

And the literal symbol of the Emperors' reign is the Amulet, containing all of this in the flesh; the blood of a dragon, its mindless rage, ends and beginnings of Eras, a covenant with Akatosh, a metaphorical replacing of the heart-- how human are you, if you are born in the line of Emperors, etc.

And- there's a covenant! An agreement with the god himself, which was broken! It's fucked!

Akatosh says: Serve and obey your Emperor. Study the Covenants. Worship the Nine, do your duty, and heed the commands of the saints and priests.

Ten Commands: Nine Divines

[starshipstories]

some ramblings about the mess that was Rise of the Titans....

first of all. those character deaths were not only unnecessary but they were BRUTAL and far more intense and painful to watch than they needed to be. as a movie that largely targeted for kids and family and is only rated G, did I need to see Nomura shattered into a thousand pieces, Strickler get blown up, Nari turning to ice like that, and Toby literally getting crushed and dying IN FRONT OF JIM?!?! im not saying there couldn't have been emotional moments but the brutality of those scenes just went way too far. not to mention that there ended up being no point to this anyway bc now they're not actually dead?? either way it was awful to watch

second. If they wanted Toby to become the Trollhunter, why not just have the new amulet choose him?? That would have been such a good twist. instead of going to jim, the new amulet flies to toby who saves Jim from Bellroc. It's a great twist, it'd be great for Toby, gives the inspiring message that anyone can be a trollhunter, and it's a good conclusion to Jim's arc as he no longer has to be the trollhunter after going through so much.

which leads me to three. AFTER GOING BACK IN TIME WHY WOULD HE GIVE UP THE AMULET AND HAVE TOBY BE THE TROLLHUNTER???? we spent three seasons explaining that Jim was CHOSEN for a reason. he had to be the trollhunter. now how are they going to defeat Gunmar, Morgana, etc.

which of course is four. going back in time like that was stupid. it erased every single thing we've watched. essentially the series ended with "it was all a dream." seriously, remove the part about toby finding the amulet and that's exactly how it ended. every single relationship? gone. every character arc and journey? erased. no closure was given to anyone. we didn't get to see where they ended up at the end of the series. there WAS no end. claire lost all her sorceress powers, douxie lost all his beautiful development in wizards, aja and krel??? we dont even know what's gonna happen with them now. they even half assed strickler and barbara by just having jim set them up. sorry how is that gonna work out if we don't see strickler's whole arc of changing to be one of the good guys?? would he even do that now if jim wasnt the trollhunter??? ARGH I HATE THIS ENDING ITS SO STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!

and finally. the movie was just so anticlimatic. after the first battle scene, so many characters were underpowered. Douxie literally fought the Arcane Order in Wizards and now suddenly he's being thrown around like a ragdoll. Claire is suddenly just like "sorry ive exhausted my powers" at like 5 different points in the movie. she never even got to have an insanely badass scene like she deserved. what was the point of even bringing up jim's dad? we know he's irrelevant, who cares?? archie and douxie separated after being together for centuries and just being like "oh well, hope he's happy" like ????????????? what the HELL was the aja/steve shit??? that was just stupid and uncomfortable and took up screen time that couldve been used for real development and plot.

in short, this movie was terrible. I've loved this series so much and I used to consider it flawless. the characters are amazing and the story was so good. i'll always love the tv shows so much but i genuinely hope to forget this movie even exists. I'm just so disappointed by what should've been an epic conclusion to this wonderful series.

[ayma-nidiot]

“Don’t Speak Their Names” - Shrimpshipping fic Chapter 32

This chapter can be found here on AO3.

Chapter 32 - God-Shattering Star

“Oh, cry me a river, Rex!” Weevil glanced to the battle below; many of the Club members had already died. Joey, Mai, Yugi, Téa, Tristan, Atem, and Duke were the only fighters who hadn’t sustained any serious injuries against the massive Earthbound army. Even Phuckdis and William were riddled with gashes, yet refused to retreat with Dr. Balls. “So your allies still cling to life like a drowning man onto a rock. Cute. Not that it will do any of you any good!”

“Rex…” Mako crawled on the floor; luckily for him, Espa retreated from the battle before he got hurt at all. “Don’t listen to him! You’re… hah… You’re the only one who can… save us…”

“Mako, don’t…” It was just then that after recalling the fight with Nortius, Rex had an idea. “Wait a second, Amber.”

“Papa, what is it?”

“I want to try something out. Why don’t we try fusing, just like Mako did with Jinzo?”

“But we don’t even have Polymerization! Those who do either are incapacitated or otherwise occupied! And you can’t even fly… If you fell to your death just like Kaiba, and all because of a stupid and ill-timed experiment, I…”

“Argh, we’ll both die anyway if we do nothing!” Rex pumped his fists in the air. “Show a little bit more Raptor spirit, why don’t you?”

“Papa… Okay. I trust you.” So Amber spoke as she half-shifted, and Rex began a long freefall.

“You really are a blooming idiot, aren’t you?” Weevil would have laughed longer, but stopped when he saw Rex glow pink. “So you think you can- Huh?”

“What’s… What’s happening to my boy?” Ptera wondered as Spinos tended to her wounds.

“Don’t tell me…” Phuckdis began. “Rex is…”

Before Rex could fall very far, Amber had completely fused with him, and he grew angel’s wings that soon turned into Rabidragon’s wings. Even if only by a little bit, the gloomy weather began to dissipate, replaced by an enormous pink glow at the top of KaibaCorp Tower. 

“What is the meaning of this?” The shining presence of Rex - with his bow, fluffy white shirt, golden pants, and Rabidragon’s ears and tail - intimidated Weevil. “Just who do you think you are, that you can challenge me? Well, no matter! I’ll kill you right here, as I intended to do from the beginning! Take this!” 

“...” Rex didn’t say anything as he simply held his bow at his side, and grabbed the chain whip before it could hurt him.

“It’s… Impossible! Aaaah!” Weevil reeled backwards when Rex threw him. “How can a weak rabbit like you stand up to me? ”

“It’s because…” Phuckdis made his presence known. “Rex is the true God-Shattering Star.”

William bowed in reverence with his brother and the remaining members of the Club. “He is the light that will save us all.”

Espa could still see Weevil and Rex, even from his hospital room. “Is that you, Rex Raptor?”

Joey looked up at Rex’s true form with a hint of jealousy. “That’s more powerful than anything I could cook up with the Claw of Hermos. I suppose that runt isn’t as weak as I thought him to be.”

Rex finally opened his now-crimson eyes and began to speak in a distorted voice. “Weevil… No, Earthbound God Sanpedro. I will kill you, right here and now, and free my beloved Weevil Underwood from your clutches.”

“So now you want me to die? That’s rich! What a fool. Come on, boy, come try me!”

“Hey, let me help too!” When Joey rushed up to Rex, he could feel an invisible barrier push him backwards. 

“Joey, this is my fight alone. Why don’t you just take out the small fry and let a pro handle this?”

“Hahaha!” Despite the fact that there were still several hundred Earthbound soldiers left, Joey couldn’t help but laugh. “Even when he’s some almighty angel… god... thing, he’s still definitely that silly Rex Raptor. Well, my dude, consider my morale boosted! You heard the man, guys!”

“H-How dare you address the God-Shattering Star that way?” Phuckdis was clearly offended. 

“Aww, come on, lighten up! Or you can just, I don’t know, sit there and relax while us duelists take care of the bad guys.”

“Or I can just, you know, show you just how strong us shapeshifters are!” Upon hearing Joey’s words, Phuckdis felt his strength anew, as did his brother. “I cannot fly, but that doesn’t mean I cannot fight!”

“Headstrong and reckless like your ‘God-Shattering Star.’” Duke chuckled. “Well, then, you better do a good job proving how strong you are!”

“You’re a poet and didn’t even know it!” Tristan quipped.

“You see, Weevil?” Rex stared at the nearly-soulless shell of his boyfriend. “You picked the wrong side to fight for. You have no friends there.”

“‘Friends,’ huh…” Weevil stared absentmindedly at the fighting below, especially at Joey and Atem. The chain whip rattled in his hands as he shook in anger. “Must be sooooo nice to have them! It must feel soooooo nice to be able to get palsy-walsy with people who didn’t give a shit about you just four years ago!”

“Weeves?!”

“You… YOU FUCKERS WILL ALL PAY!” Weevil dove as fast as he could, with all the anger he could muster ready to fuel his strike upon Atem.

“You coward! Get back here!” Rex couldn’t dive anywhere near that quickly, but tried to keep up as fast as his unborn baby would allow him, holding onto her for dear life.

“Eh?” Joey noticed Weevil coming for him before anyone else did, and braced himself with the Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword. “Atem, look out!”

“Amulet Dragon, protect us!”

Weevil had originally planned to strike everyone in one blow with the chain whip. But being the deceptive little shit he was, he decided on a different mode of attack - bypassing all of the monsters and encasing his two most hated enemies in spider webs instead. “Ha! Syke!”

“Ggh!” Already, Joey was up to his neck in spider webs - yet for some strange reason, his sword arm remained free, as did the sword itself. The webs would not give way, no matter how hard or often he slashed at them.

“W-Weevil…” Atem could hardly talk, as the spider webs gripped his throat tightly. “I… I thought we were friends!”

“Me? Friends with you?! What a joke! Do you honestly expect me to believe a word of bullshit coming out of your mouth after the suffering you’ve caused me? Do you honestly think that after all you’ve done, I’d consider you a friend?” Weevil cackled as Atem writhed in pain. “If anything, you’re lower than the dirt underneath my feet!”

All the commotion awakened Heka. “F-Father… No! Dear gods, what’s happening to my father?”

“Boy! How does it feel to know that your father is no longer the King of Games?”

“Leave… him alone!” Heka flung a flimsy arm, releasing a ball of light that Weevil easily blocked. 

“Hmm… Nah, I think I’ll pass on that. In fact, I’d rather kill him before your very eyes!” Weevil approached Atem, with the intent to decapitate him with the chain whip. That was, until Rex blocked him in the nick of time, drawing Weevil’s attention away from his two captives. “Humph. It’s you again.”

“Damn right!” Rex’s smile faded when not long after he blocked the attack, his bow began to crumble. “Uh… Uh-oh…”

“Hah! Some ‘God-Shattering Star’ you turned out to be! Looks to me like you’re the one who’s shattered!” 

“Crud… I kind of need a weapon!” Rex picked up a sword from one of his fallen allies, but it was so weak that Weevil shattered it with his bare hands, grabbing Rex by the throat right after. “Ngh!”

“Before I kill you right here and now, tell me something, Rex. Why did you defend these guys?”

“B-Because… They’re… my… cough… cough…”

“They accepted you so easily, just because you play by the rules… Why is friendship such an easy thing for you, yet I could never make one friend? Why do Joey and Atem and literally everyone else in this fucking city love you and think I’M the worst duelist there ever was?”

“Don’t… Don’t I count, Weeves?” More than the iron grip of Weevil’s right hands, Weevil’s words hurt Rex. “And your own daughter? Have… cough… Have you already forgotten what we’ve all been through? We’re… willing to… forgive you… Just… Ugh!”

“Not another word out of you! The Earthbound Gods are the only friends I need now! Not you weaklings!” Ignoring the twinge of pain in his heart, Weevil lightly ran the chain whip over Rex’s left arm, barely enough to draw blood. “I’m going to fucking kill you!”

Weevil was so far gone into his own madness that Joey was certain he wouldn’t be able to hear him now. “Psst… Rex.”

“J-Joey?” Rex turned his head around, just enough to see Joey.

“You said… cough… that you needed a weapon, right?” Joey held up his sword arm. “Ya’ think this will be good enough?”

“That’s…!” Flashbacks of his Orichalcos duel flooded Rex’s mind. That’s the sword that sent my soul to the Great Leviathan! But if there’s no other choice, then…

“It’s now or never! Think fast!” Joey threw the Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword at Rex, hoping to the gods he’d catch it and put it to good use.

“If that sword can’t cut the spider webs, then what makes you think that Rex will somehow magically put it to good use?”

Rex felt the sword land in his right hand, and had a clever idea. “By doing… this. ”

“G-Gaaaaah!” Weevil howled in pain when Rex did the unthinkable - completely cutting off his right arms and thereby freeing Atem and Joey from their bonds. He stared at Rex wide-eyes. “You would dare hurt me? Aren’t you scared of losing the love of your life?”

“Yes, I am.” Rex pointed the sword at Weevil’s face. “But the thing I’m even more scared of? Seeing Weevil Underwood beat himself up and become a destructive monster where a man once was.”

“Ugh, you were always so talkative!” Weevil flew higher and dove at Rex like a peregrine falcon. Rex took to the air as well and parried this attack with the sword, but not without some recoil. “Just one of the many things I hate about you!”

“Hah!” Rex repelled Weevil with the sword, enough to put a slight dent in the chain whip. “Your psychological tricks aren’t going to work on me now, Weevil!” 

“But maybe a variety of attacks can!” Weevil shot spider webs from his left hands that stuck to Rex’s butt-length hair and part of his shirt.

“Tch…” Rex didn’t like the sensation of sticky things in his hair, but grinned and bore it for now. “Am I supposed to be scared by the fact that you’re still part-spider?”

Weevil smirked as he barraged Rex with the chain whip. “Oh, I still see the fear in your eyes, Rex Raptor. A fear that you will lose the father of that child you’re carrying.”

Weevil’s words reminded Rex of his more painful contractions that got ever closer - yet being the bold man and duelist he was, he paid them little heed.

“I’ll give you credit for one thing,” Weevil spoke while he beat his wings faster, deadlocked in battle, trying to crush Rex with the chain whip. “You’re quite the warrior. And you’ve changed since your Orichalcos duel with Joey. It appears that you’re not going to let something like mere words rile you up.”

“But I can tell my words are riling you up…” Rex whispered closed to Weevil’s ear, catching him off-guard, before stabbing him in the shoulder with the sword. 

“Ngh…” Finally in pain, Weevil could feel his strength dwindling.

“Weeves…” Rex stared at his boyfriend - and stabbed him in the left thigh - in sorrow. “You can’t honestly mean that you want this… any of this! Don’t you remember seeing your daughter for the first time on the ultrasound? A-And how I told you all those years ago that I want nobody but you? How fast our hearts were beating when we confessed our love?”

“You… dino brain! Ack!” Weevil could no longer repel Rex’s attack and fell a few feet downwards. “I thought I told you that you can’t sweet talk your way into killing an Earthbound God!”

“You called me ‘dino brain’ again…” Tears of joy pooled in Rex’s eyes. “I know you still love me… Once the Rex Raptor has his sights on you, you can’t get rid of him.”

“Actually, I can ,” spoke a voice that was clearly not Weevil’s.

“Is… Is that you, Watda?” Weevil’s real voice finally came out.

“It appears to me that you’re going to be useless now, Uru… So it looks like I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands.”

“No… No!” Weevil thrashed about in the air, confusing Rex. “Leave Rex and Amber alone!”

“Weeves, what’s going on?” Rex couldn’t hear Watda’s voice.

“Goodbye, you damned useless rabbit…”

Weevil couldn’t control the ball of dark energy coming out from his right hands. “Wait… Watda, stop!”

“Ah!” He wasn’t fully confident that he could block this evidently stronger attack, but Rex enveloped himself in his dragon’s wings. 

And Rex wouldn’t have to block the attack. For before Watda’s attack could hit him, Weevil managed to separate from Watda, taking the full brunt of the attack last minute.

“W-Weeves!” The strength in Rex’s eyes now gone, he watched in horror as his boyfriend froze in the air before beginning a rapid descent into Domino City’s concrete. “Oh my gods… No… You’re going to come back, just like you did last time… right?”

“Even an Earthbound God and the Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon can’t survive a 1000-meter fall. You saw it yourself when Cusillu, Aslla Piscu, and Kaiba all died.”

“Shut… up…”

“Now what are you going to do, since your beloved Weevil Underwood lies dead?” Watda laughed as his shadows grew fiercer. “You’re nothing without him, you weak-ass monster. Nothing!”

“That’s… That’s not… Oh!” Before Rex could aim his sword at Watda, he suddenly felt amniotic fluid trickle down his legs. He shook so badly that he lost grip of the sword as it plummeted after Weevil.

“You’re in labour, hmm? Looks to me like you have two choices: one, continue to fight me and risk losing your baby; or two, going back to ground level to give birth. But with that second option, there might be a sliiiiight chance I’ll destroy the world. Either way, you lose! Hahahahaha!”

No, he won’t, spoke Amber’s voice.

“Ngh… Amber, you’re still there?”

I’ve been with you the whole time, Papa. You’ve got to finish this fast!

“But how do you expect me to do that? Especially since… your Daddy is…”

There is one way. Now that Daddy has been separated from Watda… Papa, I’ll give you all of my strength. Use it to finally banish this mongrel to hell, where he belongs! Amber de-fused from Rex. In fully shifted form, she engulfed Watda, leaving only the Earthbound God’s chest exposed. In the process, lights sprung from the ground as the bow regenerated in Rex’s hands.

“Ggh! Let go of me, you wench!” Watda struggled to no avail.

Before Rex could process what was going on, he coruscated like the northern lights, and he stretched out his new angel’s wings. His hair grew past his legs, and brown locks encircled his arms.

“Oh my…” With the Earthbound army now vanquished, Phuckdis could truly behold his people’s chief god.

“That’s my boy!” Ptera cheered. “Give that bastard what for!”

“Hehe!” Rex gave his mom a thumbs up. “One kick-ass arrow, coming right up!”

“What are you doing?” Watda could feel his time at an end.

“Watda!” Rex continued to growl as he pulled his bowstring back, and his body and weapon grew ever brighter. “Go back to the shadows! Hyaaaaaaaah!”

“It’s…” Watda could say little more as the glowing arrow impaled a giant hole in his chest. “It’s done… I’m… done… Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgh!”

“Finally, something we can agree on.” Rex’s descent back to Earth started slowly, but upon reaching six feet above ground, he reverted forms and fell into Spinos’ arms.

“God-Shattering Star!” Phuckdis and the remaining Club members ran up to Rex.

“Is… Is that what I’m called? Heh, sounds pretty cool…” Rex would have rested if he didn’t wonder about Amber. “Wait a second, where’s Amber? Where is my daughter?”

“Rex!” Mokuba pointed to an approaching Joey, who carried a heavily mutilated Amber in his arms.

“Amber!” Rex got up from his prone position to hold Amber, whom Joey had gently lowered to the ground. “No! I… I thought we got him! I thought we defeated Watda together!”

“W-We did… But at a cost… What did you think I meant when I said ‘I’ll give you all of my strength?’”

“Amber…?” Rex couldn’t even hold Amber’s right hand anymore, as it began to fade into nothingness. “What’s happening? Please… This isn’t happening!”

“My… My granddaughter…” Ptera cried as Spinos and Tricera consoled her. Not a single eye was dry as Rex’s friends and allies watched the scene unfold. Even Espa and a newly-healed Mako could see what was going on.

“But… But we only got to duel once!” Joey got down and cried with Rex. “And you haven’t even dueled Espa yet! I thought you were going to win back his Serpent Night Dragon!”

“Joey… My friend…” Amber reached out her left hand to Joey. “I… I just wished I had… acknowledged you as such… earlier…”

“Amber! No, please don’t die!” Pretty much every body part Rex tried to grab at faded away, except for Amber’s head, shoulders, and left hand. 

“Die? No, I’m just about to be born…” Amber placed what was left of her left hand on Rex’s baby bump. “I can’t wait to see you again and forge our bonds anew.”

“Amber…?” Rex cried as Amber chuckled one last time before her future self was no more. “AMBER! NO! Oh… my gods… Sniff…”

“My love!” Heka, who had just fully healed, ran to Rex. He had only seen future Amber for a brief spell before she died. “Oh, no… My heart…”

“Heka, I’m so sorry…” Rex hugged his daughter’s boyfriend. “Not only for your mother’s death, but also for Amber’s…”

“Forget about me! You just lost your daughter!” Heka cried into Rex’s shoulder as Atem consoled him too.

“Amber… I… Aaaaargh!” Rex suddenly doubled over as the remainder of his amniotic fluid gushed out all at once.

“His water has already broken… Rex is going into labour!” Mokuba announced. “Someone call an ambulance!”

“It’s for real this time, guys!” Joey got up and dialed the campus emergency number. After that, he knelt down again, trying to calm Rex down in any way he could. “Rex, hang in there. We’re going to get you help!”

[hall-of-merlin2]

Magic, Monsters and Merthur - 1x03 - (Magic)

Been a while, hasn’t it?

Alright so I totally forgot to post the two other parts for this episode. I just put so much into the Merthur part that I... kind of got sick? Blergh, that was awful.

Magic is way more fun! A little recap.

Two prophecies for the world, we got the bad timeline. Magic is a living Being that blessed humans, but humans didn’t like that it didn’t give them god-like powers over all of nature, so they made their own blessings purely out of spite and they fought something that shouldn’t even be fight-able, or even like... physical, and won.

What the Episodes taught us.

1x01 - Teleportation is a thing, but is apparently complicated. Veil spells - covering ones form with a look that deceives human eyes, but not the world. Dragons were so fancy they re-purposed Druidspeak to turn it into Dragonspeak - a similarly echo-y way of communication. Imagine snapping your fingers to a tune and doing magic at the same time. A dream scenario, but nothing to confirm such an amazing possibility. Merlin is resistant to sleep magic, or in other words, enchantment magic (Stuff that puts people under a spell, different from amulets that put people under a spell.). Amulets can be shattered - they can break under a certain amount of force applied and the spells they were keeping alive break at the same time. Quite a useful way to render a sorcerer harmless.

1x02 - Human lives are not higher than those of animals - I refuse to accept anything else, and I made up a whole theory of how the Cup of Life doesn’t take lives, just life-force, which every living being has, to continue my theory. Which means that any life is worth another’s life, even a flower’s, and making dead material into living things is a trend that just keeps going.

Let’s see what bullshit the afanc can do!

<_><_><_>

<_><_><_>

00:40

(Wow thanks subtitles…)

Anyway if you’ve heard it, then you know it’s similar to what Merlin used to revive stone. So it’s the same spell with little variations depending on what material you’re using.

Apparently, I WAS A GODDAMN FOOL FOR THINKING THAT.

I was going to somehow find the spell that Nimueh used here and then put it through a translator to see what it meant, but some very dedicated people on the wiki have already done that for me.

Yes, there is a Merlin Wiki, there’s a wiki for everything but I was just shocked how much information it held on everything…

And… The only difference is Nimueh calls the afanc “ancient” or “old” and Merlin just skips that and tells the stone to wake up already (as you do).

It WOULD have been fun if there was ONE spell that made DEAD material ALIVE, but it CHANGED based on what MATERIAL you USED.

But no. Clay is more ancient than stone. That’s all.

*Writes this down on “Reasons I’m adding to the magic”*

<_><_><_>

01:45

Those rocks look familiar.

Because of that… not even fact, I used to think that Nimueh was just hiding out in one of Camelot’s deepest caves, very far away so no one could find her. Dumb idea, but imagine how many creatures would reside in these caves if they really were that large? Unending magical creatures attacks from somewhere underneath Camelot and the knights having to storm some “stronghold” of the creatures – that’s a whole episode!

<_><_><_>

16:36

Yeah… I’m not gonna try to explain how the hell healing spells work. Mostly because… I’m not sure the sorcerers know themselves.

Are there magical herbs at all? Or are simple herbs given better healing qualities through the use of magic? Are the herbs there as a placebo and healing magic doesn’t need anything but the incantations that all other magic needs?

There is one type of healing magic that I CAN explain, but that’s… Oh boy that’s in another season, and only relevant there.

But does any of this matter, really? Should we just accept that spells are spells and leave it at that?

I wanna leave it at that. It’s way more fun just thinking of what ways those spells can be used.

(I know that the whole point of this part of the re-watch is to try and fill in the gaps that the show left, but... Spells and what they do have always been iffy for me. I don’t like them, I don’t even know why. I like “silent” spells, or magic that you can do without speaking, I actually have no good reason for why I like that more and hate spoken spells and spells with rituals and specific materials.

Oh wait I did say why I hate them... But who read that rant anyway?

Not me, apparently.)

<_><_><_>

33:25

Oh no this line spiraled yet another theory.

This is taken from my “Too many reasons to hate Kilgharrah”, a book that I’m not sure when I’ll release since paper is scarce.

(I also think that everything Kilgharrah does is to somehow manipulate Merlin and get him to trust him.)

(Oh and assuming innocent and meaning-nothing lines have actually incredible meaning and are definitely hiding something is… The basis of this whole theory, I’m only staying in-character.)

***

Kilgharrah already knew of the afanc before Merlin came to him. Yes, you could say that Merlin hadn’t come to him before, so his advice on how to defeat it isn’t just another attempt to get the warlock to rely on him, but how did Kilgharrah know? If the dungeon he’s trapped in is connected to the other dungeons and the one Nimueh is doing her thing in, and the chain is long enough for him to reach and see her, why didn’t he call Merlin the moment he found out? A creature of his knowledge knows what the afanc does and he knows Camelot is in grave danger, what was he waiting for? For someone important to Merlin to die? Was he just petty and thought that half of Camelot getting destroyed was funny? What if it would have deterred Merlin further from him, make him leave Camelot, did this lizard really not think of that? Did he want Nimueh’s plan to succeed? Does Kilgharrah feel any kind of attachment to Nimueh? She is of the Old Religion. Maybe he feels that they are kin and he doesn’t wish for her plan to fail.

And if this has nothing to do with Nimueh at all and he doesn’t even know she still exists, then what reason would he have to withhold information? If he felt the afanc moving through the water, why didn’t call to Merlin and warn him? No excuse.

But when Merlin comes by, he has no choice. He tells him how to beat the afanc, but says nothing about Nimueh. He probably knows that she’s smart and she will see what Merlin is capable of and… who knows what she’ll attempt next.

Kilgharrah is willing to bet she doesn’t want to kill Merlin.

(ALSO MERLIN COULD HAVE KILLED THE AFANC HIMSELF, BUT OF COURSE, LET’S TRY TO HAMMER HOME THE IDEA THAT HIM AND ARTHUR ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING TOGETHER EVEN MORE SO MERLIN COMES TO TERMS WITH THE IDEA THAT HE HAS TO BE A SERVANT ALL HIS LIFE.)

***

That bit about Nimueh being of the Old Religion and Kilgharrah sort of… being an accomplice of hers, it…

It made me think that the dragons and the Old Religion used to be connected.

And with how Kilgharrah manipulates Merlin and then how Nimueh is a slave to prophecies – that’s probably because the dragon told her of the prophecies.

I think that the dragons used to rule over the members of the Old Religion.

Why not, right> Dragons are powerful, they’re knowledgeable, why not turn a few puny humans to their side? It would help to know more things, and it would stroke their egos just a bit more.

I’ve literally no basis for this idea, but knowing that Dragonlords exist, it makes you think.

Why would dragons allow/need humans to speak to them? I honestly don’t think that Dragonlords are natural. Commanding dragons? Humans? What about eggs hatching? Why the fuck couldn’t an egg just… hatch like all other eggs do? How is a dragon’s soul equal to a human’s – the two don’t even have similar magic among them! Their bodies decay differently, their thinking is different, how can the two’s souls be considered brothers if the human part of the soul retains no memories of past reincarnations? It’s like it’s a new soul, and the thing that’s actually passed down after death (HOW COULD IT BE A SOUL THAT’S PASSED DOWN IF A PERSON WAS PERFECTLY FIND WITHOUT THIS QUESTIONABLE GIFT UP UNTIL THEIR FATHER DIED?) is just a type of magic. A very specific type of magic, that’s coded to only be passed down this way, and to work in the way that it’s described – a dragon’s soul is felt like that of a sibling’s.

I think… I think that Dragonlords were a thing created by the Old Religion sometime after dragons tried to rule over them. This caused the tables to turn, and suddenly the Old Religion had knowledge of the Draconic prophecies, which Nimueh actually seems to follow.

This is far-fetched, obviously. The two prophecy sets were far-fetched. But I’m nothing if not a stubborn believer in going big or going home.

And oh boy the documents of text for each episode each have like… 5k+ words. It doesn’t count the screencaps, otherwise, the character number would be in the hundred thousands.

I am not even halfway of going big.

<_><_><_>

35:25

So the afanc is a beast born of clay, needs considerable power to be conjured, and we all know Merlin has enough power to do that so the stone-resurrecting is not ooc. Exudes some sort of toxic waste from its body that drains the life force of everything that has any (which is everything, apart from non-organic stuff – includes glass, stone, rock that formed incredibly long ago and leather, etc.), but it takes a few days for it to finish what it starts in the first burst of draining. It is defeated by using fire and wind, the two of the four base elements the afanc isn’t made out of.

(We never heard of elements again though. There are some fire spells, but if this type of effective-against-one-weak-against-another thing is going on, then certain alchemy is conducted every time you cast these spells. Water extinguishes fire, fire eats up wind(oxygen), wind… erodes? Earth?, earth… Yeah no, it’s the other way around. Water extinguishes fire, fire scorches earth, earth… takes over wind? Doesn’t leave space for it to move? And air just carries water around so the little droplets get separated and can’t form something stronger. Yeah, that sounds better.

The other way around is empowering then, I guess. Or… making different elements? Wind picks up the earth, making it more impactful in the air current,  earth… turns into… lava… because of the heat? Fire… makes water vapor? And water… gets inbetween the air and also makes it more impactful? I don’t know… NOT ENOUGH INFO DAMMIT. AND THAT’S SAYING SOMETHING SINCE I’VE SPUN AN ENTIRE NEW UNIVERSE FROM LIKE 2 EPISODES OF THIS SHIT. THIS IS DISAPPOINTING LEVELS OF LOW INFO.)

<_><_><_>

The Merthur

The Monster

[lotus-mirage]

episode 32 + 33 liveblog

this is going to hurt

I’m going to watch the opening again - hopefully I’ve bypassed most of the spoilers.

He snuck in!? That’s an awful idea, no!

He’s gonna get blamed for something else now, isn’t he.

:,(

This is a little hard to watch

She saw him! Shoot.

No! Don’t just - walk out like that! Ahhhhh

Disembodied screaming. Great.

Aaaand hallucinations.

:,(

The bodies....

And Wen Ning lost control again.

Hmm. Don’t think he actually was burned, considering he showed up in episode 2. Explains WWX’s surprise at that, though

Wait. They really didn’t see him standing there? I assumed that they just thought he was someone else.

Aaaaand he’s pretty much lost it. Great.

What was the paper that crumbled at the gate?

Are the teacups like a pledging support thing?

Okay, a funeral rite.

‘Bandit chieftains’. Right.

:,(

And there he is. Kind of unhinged sounding now.

Did. Did nobody see him up there?

Still honest, but yeah. Unhinged.

Jiang Cheng hasn’t said anything. :,(

I hate like. Half of the clan leaders.

He’s crying. :,(

Yeah none of these guys ever really supported him.

Who shot that!?

Well. The blood disappearing thing is new.

The brass in combination with the flute music is interesting

Are they not attacking the Jiangs? :,(

:,(

Generally don’t have a lot to say during fight scenes, and this one is kind of long. Sorry.

Oh! It’s LWJ! ...where is he jumping from? It kind of looked like he jumped down, but this is kind of the highest building.

:,(

Okay so on top of all the other emotions, the flipping and flying is making me laugh a little. It’s a weird combination.

How has the situation changed?

Oh. Uh. Hmm. Okay bringing his sister might normally be a good plan but I know she dies and... ahhhhhh.

LWJ’s protecting him!

Hhhhh I’m scared

She doesn’t even have a weapon

Oh no who’s that!

They’ve got a flute too. Oh no. That’s uh. That’s a great way to. Oh no.

Ohhhhh no

Oh and here’s the army from the first episode, I guess

Oh no

Ohhhh no

no

:,(

Everything hurts

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

GODDAMNIT

c’mon really

and now the vocals start up

Oh he’s got the force choke now

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

ending there.

Fine okay I have time for another episode today in a few hours fuck

End notes for that one:

Who was the second flautist there???

Everything hurts again! Huzzah! :,|

- episode 33 -

Yeah guys maybe don’t provoke the freshly re-traumatized unstable uber-powerful black magic user. Seriously.

Oh jeez is he absorbing the things that were flying around?

Not sure - they may just be being redirected

He coughed up blood? Was that from his magic or an outside thing?

(Background reprise of the romance song, ow)

I can’t tell if LWJ is killing live cultivators or just the puppets.

Haven’t heard this instrument in this show’s music before, I think. It gives a weird tone to the music, a bit.

Wait. The sky just lightened. It matches the opening scene now. How?

He broke the amulet?

Shoot, didn’t it influence Wen Ning? Is that why he seemed so out of it in episode 2?

Aaaand here’s the opening scene.

:,(

The laughing bit is new.

Owww

LWJ’s face

Jiang Cheng is still mourning in the middle of the battlefield

Owww

Ahhhhh

He’s still asking him to come with him

This scene is so slow - contrasts the last few and gives it weight. Which is good, but. Ouch.

Ohhhh he didn’t even respond, just let himself fall

Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

This entire scene is just. Very painful

Oh no Jiang Cheng

He’s not even walking quickly. :,(

LWJ’s face

All of their faces just hurt

He didn’t actually stab him. That’s. That’s actually worse. Oh my god that hurts so much worse.

The closeups on their faces, too

Owwwww

Okay I had to take a break for a minute there. Time skip time. 16 years. Wow.

You’d think that’d hurt less - it’s literally the first thing we see! But I guess if this happened sequentially I might have been frustrated too. That’s mostly staved off because I knew it was coming, so it felt a little inevitable.

Oh LWJ’s playing the song. :,(

Oh wait he’s got wwx right there

I guess the hiding-his-identity jig is up

Right, right. The recap is absolutely necessary here.

Did. Did Jiang Cheng not even refer to him using his full name? :,(

Is LWJ’s hairstyle a little different? It feels off, but I genuinely cannot tell

They really did just skip over any identity shenanigans

Three years later? Why three years?

LWJ looks tired

I feel like we skipped some things. Wasn’t the dancing statue that shattered an illusion? Where’s everybody else?

I guess they were kind of close to the Cloud Recesses, but it feels weird that they skipped over any hassle getting him there. Although I guess they can fly, so.

This music is really nice

:,( the flashbacks

Wait, didn’t this whole place get destroyed when the Wens attacked? I guess they did a really faithful job reconstructing it.

Awwww the bunnies

I’m a little confused that he seems to just be allowed to walk around here

OH

I was going to comment on LWJ not having a shirt on, but it does have a purpose. I’m no expert, but some of those scars look. Pretty deep.

Whips and a brand!?

Oh. They were probably for helping WWX. Or maybe endangering Jiang Yanli? :,(

The clans that I feel have more power and inclination towards this sort of thing probably cared a lot more about the former.

‘Underworld chamber’? That’s new.

It’s the nice baby-faced cultivator! The only one that I can recognize.

...How did that specific family happen to own something effected by the amulet?

Did. Did he have to use a spell to open the door.

WAIT. He can use non-red/black/evil magic again!

If LWJ’s taking over for the Grandmaster, does that mean he’s more powerful than him now? Wow.

Playing a flute might break any remaining semblance of a cover he still has, though?

See, even wwx knows that

He’s playing the romance song in the middle of a spell-song? Why??

Is he asking for no more flute because he’s scared or because the music is bad, haha. That might just be an effect of a hastily-made flute, though.

The sword fell, but it’s still leaking energy. Not sure what that means.

‘Infected’ by the amulet how??

Yeah maybe don’t grab the evil sword again. Remember how the last one turned out?

Oh that’s not good

At least he let go of it?

Why is Lan leader always bleeding from his mouth, anyway

Lan Sizhui is kind of being given more prominence than the rest of the group. Even in the first couple episodes. That hasn’t really happened for a while, but I guess a not-insignificant portion of our cast just did get killed off so.

Oh, WWX is talking to him! Does he know, or are there still identity-shenanigans to be had?

Oh he doesn’t excellent we need something less heavy like that

The sword was planted there, all right. I... think I did have some earlier suspicions, with the guy that tossed money at the story-teller (teacher?) that just happened to be talking about WWX as he returned.

He’s in a coma!? Yikes. They know that already?

I’m glad that somebody is asking about the mask.

I honestly cannot remember if LWJ’s hairpiece was always this big.

Oh! Okay, Xue Yang is relevant again! And. Has a piece of the Yin Iron. Which. Wasn’t the only remaining piece made into the amulet? We’re there secretly five pieces all along?????

Okay good they’re addressing it.

Oh? ‘The man in black’ - is that the guy who talked about spirits or the one who paid the teacher???

Do we have a suspect?

No, okay. I do wonder what the guy’s goal might be.

Okay no I recognize the face of the guy next to Lan Sizhui - he was complaining, I think?

And they’re off already.

This is. Moving a lot faster than I expected it to.

Oh those portraits are awful, hahaha

Hahaha his face

Strong contrast from the beginning of this episode, was not expecting to be laughing so soon.

Hahaha, that was one way to make an entrance! Why, though?

!!! It’s the nephew! :D

Well. Okay.

End notes:

Uh. Very strong swerve in tone in this episode. I was not expecting them to delve back into comedy in the same episode that the main character died.

I’m a little lost, but I guess the next couple arcs will include Xue Yang or the mystery guy who planted the sword?

I. Really don’t have a lot to say, I guess. A bunch happened, but I don’t know what’s going to happen next, and I’m not solid on how I feel about anything. Kinda bemused? I’m glad that we seem to be done with the angst, but it’s kind of weird to be seemingly done with all of that (for now) so quickly.

[missjosie27]

Year 1 Part 9- One Ending, A New Beginning

Hello, friends!

This is the last chapter of Year 1 that I wrote. I sincerely hope you enjoy it and as always, please leave feedback or comments if you’d like:)

Year 2 will be coming soon! Probably within the week!

It took about as long as Merula said (the only thing she hadn’t lied to them about in their year of knowing her) but after about ten minutes the body bind curse had worn off and the three Gryffindor boys were back on their feet, albeit heavily disgruntled.

“Have I mentioned how much I hate Merula?” Rowan said, rubbing the back of his head.

“Hate doesn’t even begin to describe it,” David seethed, his hands curling into fists. His mind was practically spinning from the amount of animosity he felt towards her.

“Now I know the exact pain you saved me from when she was bullying me,” Ben groaned as he clutched his side. “Ugh, everything hurts.”

“Not as bad as she’s going to hurt after I’m through with her!” David declared, charging forward towards the door.

“Wait, David,” Rowan said, grabbing his arm. “Hold on a second. She’s still in there.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Merula would have found what she was looking for and left. She wouldn’t stick around. Something must have happened.”

In the midst of despising the first year Slytherin no one had considered that angle until now and it left the trio pondering for a moment.

“It might be too dangerous to go back in,” Ben said nervously. “We don’t know what’s in there.”

David considered that possibility, but two worse ones overrode any hesitation he had in entering the door. With his anger subsided slightly, he was able to assess the situation much clearer, however, he felt more determined than ever.

“True, but if Merula gets her hands on something really powerful who knows what she’ll do with it. Above all, we need to find more clues about my brother. I can’t turn down the chance to find out what happened to him.”

“I agree,” Rowan said pulling out his wand. “If it was my brother, I’d feel the same way. Plus, an all powerful Merula is not something I want to think about right now.”

“It’s settled then,” David said, following his best friend’s lead. “Are you with me?”

Rowan and Ben nodded as they approached the door once more. All or nothing, Merula or not, this was the first step to finding answers to so many questions.

Alohomora!

The door creaked open once more, allowing the Gryffindor trip to step inside and shut it behind them. However, the sight that greeted them was far from what they were expecting.

True, the chilly cold that emanated from the door was ten times worse on the inside, but far from witnessing an all powerful Merula, she was trapped up to her midsection in a block of ice. Indeed, everything in the room seemed to be encompassed by ice. It was small, only big enough for a handful of people and unremarkable other than the frozen entity that marked its interior.

“Merula?”

“What happened?”

Rowan on the other hand was laughing.

“And here I was thinking you got your hands on some ancient amulet. This is too good!”

“Get stuffed, K-Khanna!” Merula shouted though she struggled to contain her shivers. “This weird ice st-stuck me to the f-floor, and k-keeps spreading all over me!”

That was disturbing to say the least. Ice of that nature couldn’t be common even within the magical world at Hogwarts.

“It’s spreading all over the door too!” she cried, pointing a finger. “G-get me out of h-here before I j-jinx all three of you.”

“I don’t believe you’re in a position to be making threats,” David said, the full brunt of his sarcasm coming to bear. “But by all means keep acting like a prat.”

“Grant! Will you just turn around?!”

All three of them turned to see that ice was forming seemingly out of nowhere and spreading down the door, forming a thick, icy top layer that eventually glossed over the door handle. Rowan quickly moved to open the door again, but found it wouldn’t budge.

“I can’t get a good grip on it!” he said, panic in his voice. “The lock and handle are frozen shut.”

“What do we do?” Ben asked frantically. “How do we get out of here? I-I’m s-starting to feel the cold too, D-Dave.”

Resisting the urge to wrap his own body in his arms, David realized none of them would last very long in here if they couldn’t get out. They had to find a way and fast. But none of the spells they had learned could break or melt ice. There was only thing they could do.

“We have to knock this door down off its hinges,” he said aloud. “We can use the knockback jinx to try and break it.”

“Are you sure that’ll work?” Rowan asked.

“It has to, otherwise we’ll be frozen statues by the time anyone finds us in here.”

He took out his wand and motioned for Ben and Rowan to do the same. However, he couldn’t help but take a glance back at Merula. It had only been minutes before since the full concentration of his rage had been focused upon her, but seeing her trapped- weak, afraid, and completely helpless- caused his resolve to soften. With her wand laying on the ground, she had no way to free herself.

I can’t leave her here. No matter what she’s done.

“Brace yourself, Merula,” David said to her, aiming for her entrapped legs.

“W-what are you g-going to do?”

“Save your arse.”

Without waiting for her permission, he fired the knockback jinx.

‘Flipendo!’

It had the desired effect, sending Merula backwards into the wall, shattering her icy prison.

“Oww,” she moaned.

“For the record, you totally deserved that,” Rowan remarked.

David, however, walked up to her and offered his hand to pull her up.

“Not even someone like you deserves to die in here. We’re going to need every wand on hand to bust down that door.”

She began to protest but the Gryffindor cut her off.

“We can go back to being enemies later, okay? But this one time, I need you to work with me. Help us so you can get out of here.”

Appealing to her own sense of self preservation did the trick as Merula reluctantly took his hand, grabbed her wand and jumped to her feet.

The foursome, briefly united in their desire not to end up in an early grave aimed at the door.

“On three,” David told them. “Fire with everything you got. One, two, THREE!”

A chorus of ‘Flipendo!’ rang out as four jets of light hit the door simultaneously, sending it clean off its hinges and onto the ground. They were free.

Merula immediately bolted without so much as a thank you, but Rowan hung back for a second, puzzling the other two boys.

“Rowan let’s go!”

“Wait, Dave. Look!”

He pointed up at a series of symbols and markings on the top corner of the wall.

“It’s the same language we saw on the golden brick outside of the door. I need to write this down.”

Rowan quickly pulled out a piece of paper, copying it down while Ben urged them to hurry.

“Filch is going to be here any second! Someone will have heard that noise!”

“Just a sec…got it!”

With barely any time left to spare, the Gryffindor trio ran as fast as they could, away from Mrs. Norris, Filch, Snape, or anyone else who could have possibly been alerted to the presence of a busted down door. They didn’t stop until they reached the common room, not even bothering to hide the noise they made whilst they hurried to their dormitories.

There were many more questions buzzing in David’s head as he jumped into bed and attempted to pretend he had the ability to sleep after what happened. But the questions could wait.

Presently, not getting expelled was more than enough consolation.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To the surprise of everyone involved from that night, almost nothing came of the incident. David had fully expected a visit from Professor McGonagall or Snape or someone about breaking into (quite literally) the mysterious door and a lengthy detention sentence that would lead into the next year. Even more shockingly, Merula kept to herself during their classes, only occasionally throwing out a barb or insult. She wasn’t stupid, any mouthing off on her part about the vaults would only serve to get her in trouble as well.

And so, life went on and the routine of Hogwarts returned. Exams were coming up and most of the student body settled into a quiet lull, especially the older students, who’s careers depended on their following results. Rowan in particular was adamant about focusing on their studies, constantly quizzing them on various spellwork, facts, and numbers. It became so intense, that even Ben was bold enough to suggest they should take a break from the library and actually eat a meal.

The routine wasn’t to last long, however. There was one last bludger to be thrown before the year was out, and it came in the form of Professor Dumbledore.

In the midst of eating dinner per Ben’s suggestion, their meal of shepherd’s pie (and a retelling of story about one of Charlie’s younger brothers) was interrupted by Angelica.

“David,” she said to him. “We need to talk.”

Swallowing a mouthful of pie, he gazed up at her.

“About what?”

“Did you try and enter that door on the 13th corridor?”

His stomach immediately lost any desire for food as it felt like a stone dropped in the middle of it.

“Maybe this can wait until later? This is a pretty good pie, if I do say so myself. And Charlie was in the middle of a joke so…”

“You have a comeback for everything, don’t you?”

“It’s where I get my dashing charm.”

Angelica looked as if she didn’t know whether to laugh or scream, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“You’re incorrigible, you know that? To think I’ll be your prefect for the next two years.”

“Imagine how fun that will be.”

“David, I know you think this is all hilarious,” she said, putting her arms on the table and giving him a piercing look. “But whether you care or not you represent Gryffindor, just like your brother did. Risking that representation is a poor way to go about your time here at Hogwarts.”

“I don’t know what you heard,” the first year answered back. “But it’s rumor.”

“You blasted down a door,” she shot back. “It’s not exactly a huge mystery that someone was in there.”

Sighing, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter.

“I didn’t come here to argue with you or punish you. I’m actually just a messenger. But I do want you to know that your house and everyone else in it matters. Not just you.”

David took the letter from her and recognized its seal- that of the Headmaster.

“Dumbledore wants to see you. He didn’t say why so don’t ask. But you better hope it’s nothing serious.”

He opened it straight away and saw a neat message inscribed:

Dear David,

I should like to speak with you tonight in the courtyard as soon as you are done with dinner. Please ensure you are alone as I would like our chat to be private. I look forward to seeing you then.

Sincerely,

Professor Dumbledore

In truth, David felt quite uneasy about the prospect of a one on one with the Headmaster, but he also had no choice. The most powerful wizard in Britain was not someone you could avoid or runaway from like Snape or Filch. He did, however, have one more thing to say to his prefect.

“Whatever you think of me, Angelica, know this. I’m not just here for myself, you can ask anyone at this table about how much I care about Gryffindor, my brother, my family. They’ll tell you.”

Ben, Rowan, and Charlie each nodded and that seemed to put Angelica more at ease.

“Okay,” she said approvingly. “I’ll hold you to that. You’d best be off now, you don’t want to keep Dumbledore waiting.”

Let’s get this over with

“Good luck,” Rowan said to him, while Ben smiled, and Charlie gave a thumbs up. Somehow, it was inspiring and that was not an emotion that he was intimate with. Even should he be punished; he knew his house had his back and he had theirs.

Deciding it was best to heed his prefect for once, David got up from the bench, and headed towards the Courtyard.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sure enough, the eccentric wizard was there when David finally arrived in the courtyard. Wearing blue robes with stars on them, they complimented the atmosphere rather well, as the first dots of light began to emerge in the evening sky. Approaching slowly, he figured Dumbledore knew he was there, but as of yet made no movement or indication of it, keeping his head towards the heavens.

When the Headmaster did acknowledge him for the first time, it was a warm, friendly greeting, almost grandfatherly in a way.

“Thank you for meeting with me, David.”

The first year Gryffindor wasn’t entirely sure what to say, but he figured it was best to at least be humble and not try and pull any funny business with Dumbledore.

“Of course sir, I just wanted to say that-”

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” the old man interrupted, returning his gaze to the stars.

“Sir?”

“The quiet night, the calm air of spring with the promise of summer ahead- it truly puts your troubles into perspective doesn’t it?”

David had no idea where he was going with this but decided not to question it.

“I suppose so.”

“I oftentimes come here when I need to make an important decision.”

Perhaps a decision about his time at Hogwarts thus far? It wouldn’t have surprised David if Dumbledore was pondering that topic as they spoke.

“My prefect said you needed to see me, but she didn’t specify what. I assumed it was everything that’s happened this year- the dueling, fighting werewolves, the cursed ice…”

He trailed off as the Headmaster took a long look at him through his half moon spectacles. He did not look angry, however.

“Perhaps you were expecting a lecture or a far worse punishment?” he asked aloud. “But I sense you have just as many questions about what has happened so far.”

David realized that he was allowing him a freebee to ask whatever he desired, a fact he failed until realize until now as the words came spilling out.

“Sir, what are these cursed vaults? And why was my brother so obsessed with them? Do you have any idea where he is?”

A whole year had led up to this moment, but perhaps constantly avoiding the subject of his brother had been unhealthier than previously realized. In any case, Dumbledore did not look surprised.

“I’m afraid I don’t know much more than you do on the subject of the vaults,” he explained. “I have been seeking out an expert on the subject myself. Some say that they were created by a powerful sorcerer who was a student during the days of the Founders, others say Salazar Slytherin used them to hide his immense treasures and secrets. Perhaps they originate with the school itself. One cannot be certain, but as you’ll find, Hogwarts holds many secrets.

“As for your brother, his disappearance has baffled even me. He came across the vaults as a second year and his efforts to prove they existed resulted in several dangerous incidents that forced my hand, unfortunately. I do not want to damper your impression of him, however, he was an excellent student and quite the keen mind. Jacob was quite popular with the staff and most of the students, but I have guessed that he was led astray by someone or something along the way.”

“My brother, for all his feats was…complicated,” David said quietly. “He was always good to me, but there was a lot more happening with him than he let on.”

“Much of which you are just finding about now,” Dumbledore added with a small nod. “It is not easy being apart from a sibling. It is something I can highly empathize with.”

“This whole thing…this whole year has been one giant mystery.”

“Indeed, Hogwarts itself can be considered a mystery. But I expect you to learn more in the coming years of your time here.”

David breathed out, as Dumbledore’s words sunk in, implying he was not about to be kicked out, which had been a very real prospect coming into this meeting.

“Sooo….I’m not going to be expelled?”

Dumbledore’s gaze was slightly stern but there was still the hint of his usual twinkling in his blue eyes.

“You have made many mistakes this year, David. But you have also demonstrated great compassion, resourcefulness, and courage. As I say to many of my students, it is the choices we make that truly define who we are underneath. From what I can observe, you are quite the talented young wizard and Hogwarts is better off with your presence. I believe you have earned Gryffindor one hundred points.”

David could hardly believe his ears, the revelation that he was not expelled consuming most of his happiness at the extra points.

“Thank you, Professor!”

“You are welcome. Though I daresay it does not erase the poor drubbing the Gryffindor Quidditch team took at the hands of Ravenclaw.”

David scoffed. “We’d need a thousand house points to erase that deficit.”

Dumbledore gave a booming laugh, one that resonated across the courtyard.

“Indeed, there is that famous sense of humor you possess. I look forward to six more years of it, the wizarding world suffers for the want of a good joke often times.”

The first year Gryffindor knew that his time with the Headmaster was winding down, but his mind still burned with questions.

“Sir, thank you for everything. But can we talk more about my brother and the vaults?”

Dumbledore nodded, the full twinkling in his eyes returning.

“We can and we will. Next year,” he said. “In the meantime, I believe you have final exams to attend and a feast to prepare for. I do hope you have a good summer holiday.”

Gesturing with his robe, the Headmaster indicated for him to be on his way and David obliged, heading back to the Great Hall to finish up his shepherd’s pie (if Charlie hadn’t finished it by now). There was much to do, and he wasn’t sure what would come next. But one thing he was sure of: he couldn’t wait for the next year to start.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The inevitable day arrived as the students took their luggage down to Hogsmeade station to depart back to London where their families and friends waited for them. Many were saying their goodbyes already as a sea of crimson, yellow, blue, and green interacted and chatted away while preparing the board the train.

“I can’t believe how fast it went,” Rowan said as he lifted his luggage into the compartment.

“Me neither,” David agreed. “Before you know it, we’ll be seventh years rowing back across the lake at graduation.”

“Don’t even say that!” Rowan shuddered. “I still have six more years of academics to go, Dave. I’ll have to do everything I can to become the youngest Professor in Hogwarts history. There’s not enough time.”

“I’m taking the mickey,” David laughed. “Relax, mate. We got plenty of time. Just you wait, there’s a lot ahead of us and we’re going to see it all.”

“You’ll definitely need more than seven years then,” Charlie interjected, joining their space. “Have you seen how huge this place is? Loads of people come through without learning half of what goes on here.”

“Personally, I’d be fine with that,” Ben added, the last to join their space. “Better safe than sorry.”

“It’s not Hogwarts without a little adventure, Ben,” David said with a wink, his good mood having been sustained the past few weeks. True, Gryffindor had only placed third in the house cup, but at least Ravenclaw had pulled out all the stops to take down Slytherin. It saved him the agony of seeing Merula brag with the rest of the snakes.

“I’ve had enough adventure for a lifetime really,” the blonde boy muttered but a friendly pat on the back from David was enough to induce a small grin from him.

“Just you wait. By the time this thing ends, you won’t be afraid of anything.”

Charlie took a glance at his watch.

“I gotta go find Bill for a second. Also don’t worry about Jae, he’s off selling the last of his merchandise before the train leaves.”

Before the three other boys could get comfortable, however, Rowan slapped his forehead.

“Oh, I almost forgot, Dave.”

He quickly took out a random piece of paper, the same one he had used to jot down the message inside the door with the cursed ice.

“I did a little digging after we broke down that door. Took me awhile, but I finally managed to decipher what was on top of the archway.”

This was certainly news to David, who had desired more answers after his talk with Dumbledore.

“You’re joking. What does it say? What was it?”

“I found on obscure book about ciphers and ancient languages. It’s Aramaic, probably goes back a thousand years. It says, ‘The Ice Knight stands guard past the vanished stairs.’”

This newfound information was both welcoming and also frustrating to the young Gryffindor. As opposed to answering questions it gave rise to new ones? What was the ice knight? And where were these vanished stairs?

“It’s not much to go off of but it’s a start,” David sighed.

“I’ll do more research over the summer,” Rowan told him. “I’ll have plenty of time too. Plus you know how much I love to read.”

“I can learn some more spells, too,” Ben offered. “I know it’s not much but…”

Rowan and David looked at each other, failing to stifle a grin, causing Ben to look alarmed.

“What? Oh God, did I say something stupid?”

“It’s alright, mate,” David explained. “I guess no one told you but we’re not allowed to do magic outside of school.”

“Yup, or else you get your wand snapped.”

The blonde boy sighed.

“This crazy world is just full of surprises isn’t it?”

“Too right, my friend. And there are far more awaiting for us when we’re second years.”

“Wonderful.”

The train soon whistled, signaling its imminent departure. The last of the students climbed aboard and they were off.

As Rowan, Ben, and Charlie set up a game of exploding snap, David gazed outside at the fields and hills that began to roll past, both confident and anxious about the future. In his heart, he knew the mysteries of Hogwarts had only just began.

[magic-and-moonlit-wings]

I did a full-series rewatch of Trollhunters

In the course of this rewatch, I made the following observations: 

A shop called “Bella’s”, with a picture of a flower on the sign, is seen four or five times when Bular is chasing Jim and Toby around town. Either they were going in circles or it’s a chain store. (Yes, I understand that animators recycle backgrounds.)

AAARRRGGHH carries Toby on his shoulders in the following scenes:

the first time Bular is chasing Toby and Jim,

the first time goblins are chasing Toby and Jim,

while chasing down Grit-Shaka’d Jim,

when Toby and AAARRRGGHH spot the Amulet flying from the museum to Jim in the woods,

during the fireworks fire,

when Toby is talking about taking Darci to play laser tag,

and in the Geode Caverns looking for Merlin’s staff.

Not Enrique climbs onto AAARRRGGHH’s shoulders in Bittersweet Sixteen and Recipe For Disaster. AAARRRGGHH rebuffs him both times, but allows it when Not Enrique climbs onto his head in Party Monster, by which time Not Enrique is more of a friend to the group.

Nomura’s grey-skinned lookalike can be seen at these moments: 

when Toby first notices the Heartstone, 

when Grit-Shaka’d Jim summons the armour at the ‘tattoo parlour’, 

when Claire first enters Trollmarket, 

at Not Enrique’s party (twice, first when AAARRRGGHH is asked about his injury, and then when Not Enrique climbs onto AAARRRGGHH’s head), 

during the initial cut to Trollmarket during the time-stop, 

when Vendel first announces the Pyrobligst match, 

when Jim pulls injured Barbara out of the wrecked car and calls for help,

when Jim tells Trollmarket that Angor Rot has a horngazel, 

during the preparations for Angor Rot’s attack as Claire practices with the Shadow Staff, 

during the preparations for Jim’s trial when Blinky and Claire begin searching for leads, 

and with Not Enrique during the Gumm-Gumm attack on Trollmarket; 

last seen in the crowd at the gyre station during the escape.

Barbara and Nomura never speak to each other onscreen. (I had noticed this before, but the rewatch confirmed it.) 

They speak about each other to other characters, and speak in each others’ presence. They presumably had conversations at the police station when Nomura had Jim and Toby arrested, at the Lake house when Nomura brought tea as a pretext for getting close enough to Jim to attack him, and at some point during the lead-up to the Eternal Night, but these were all off-camera.

The only women Barbara talks to are Nana, Ophelia, and Claire (and possibly whoever she was on the phone with in Bad Coffee).

Unless you count Nomura’s speech to the students at the museum in her introductory episode, the only woman Nomura is seen speaking to in the entire series is Usurna. 

(At least, I didn’t notice Nomura saying anything to Claire. When the other museum lady tells Nomura it’s nice to have her back, Nomura just nods silently. She must have had an off-screen talk with Gladys, the Changeling dental hygienist who told Toby that Nomura ‘warned’ her about Toby and Jim, but we don’t see that so Gladys being a Changeling can surprise the audience.)

There are actually two animation models for cats: a grey cat (Claire’s cat, the one in the Troll Pub after the first visit to Gatto’s Keep, and the one eaten by blood goblins), and a Siamese cat (has its food hover when Jim first summons the armour, and hisses at Morgana-possessing-Claire). I had previously only noticed the Siamese, which also appears in 3Below.

I’ve made this point before but don’t recall if I did so publicly: for a cat-lady, we sure never see any cats in Nana Domzalski’s house.

Toby is seen wearing his Chubby Tracker outside the Vespa dealership in Bittersweet Sixteen.

Why do the Lakes (and the Palchuks - it looks like the animation team used the same garage layout) have a refrigerator in the garage? Not a mini-fridge, a full-sized one.

At the end of Recipe For Disaster, Strickler stops Not Enrique from eating a pen.

Regarding the Spring Fling:

Coach Lawrence describes the dance as the “year end Spring Fling” when he first announces it, although there appears to be another term left between the dance and summer break. 

Coach also says the candidates for King and Queen are “faculty nominated”, which might explain how Eli got nominated when he doesn’t seem to be popular. 

Jim, Mary, and Eli were all in the school play (Mary isn’t seen on-stage but she is present during auditions and tells Toby she’s in the play when he tries to ask her out in Young Atlas), Steve is on a school sports team (do they ever say which sport?), Shannon is Student Body Treasurer, and the teachers would know Darci is the school mascot even if the other students didn’t yet. 

I literally just realized a few days ago that the reason we only saw three ‘dance themes’ presented could be because the girls’ theme suggestions happened off-camera, not because only the boys suggested themes - but this does not explain why the girls weren’t out there with the boys in the line of ‘candidates who are not presenting a theme right now, but either had or are waiting for their turn’.

Angor Rot killed at least four Trollhunters. That’s the greatest number of soul-lights onscreen at once after he dies the first time and their souls are freed. (There are actually five soul-light right before Ghost Kanjigar appears, but one of those was presumably Kanjigar, who we know was killed by Bular.)

Hunter Jim stomps on Jim in the same pose that Merlin and Gunmar later use.

I finally caught the joke when Toby tells the Tribunal, “Please have it noted for the record - and the MP3!”

I’ve been assuming Usurna used Creeper’s Sun to kill Vendel, but her knife wasn’t green so she might’ve just stabbed him. (That said, it appears to be the same knife Nomura stole and used to turn her restraints to stone so she could shatter them, so it might’ve been poisoned.)

When Strickler tries to stab Morgana-possessing-Claire, his knife is poisoned with Creeper’s Sun, seen in the green glow and confirmed when Blinky cuts the chains and they turn to stone. If Strickler knows the antidote, he might’ve seen that as a way to halt the threat of Morgana without actually killing Claire, in case they could later save her. 

There’s been some talk that Strickler was pulling his punches fighting Jim. Possible evidence: some of Strickler’s knives end up stabbed into the breastplate of Jim’s armour when they train together. That never happened when they were enemies. (Alternate theory, Jim wasn’t giving his all to shielding himself from an ally like he was when he actually expected Strickler to kill him.)

This one is pure speculation on my part: what if the reason Strickler tried to have Nomura killed by Bular in Season 1 was because he was angry she attacked his students? It could add evidence to why Bular thought Strickler was going soft.

The real plans for how the amulet is put together, seen in Merlin’s workshop, look exactly like the notes and diagrams seen in Strickler’s office when he was crafting the fake - did he acquire Merlin’s actual schematic? 

It’s been commented that the Staff of Avalon’s “human wielders only” rule was foolish of Merlin to use as a safeguard because Changelings, Morgana’s creations, can use it, but if Morgana really was Merlin’s apprentice once, it is both possible and probable that the staff predates Changelings. Maybe it was even one of her motives in inventing them.

Why did Strickler not at least attempt to steal the Staff of Avalon while escaping Trollmarket with Barbara?

I get that Troll Jim is stronger, faster, and more durable than Original Jim, but it was quite a gamble. 

He’s also taller and longer-limbed and heavier now, not to mention the horns, which should all throw off his balance and make him clumsy, requiring a learning curve to become a good fighter again. 

Even if trolls have better reflexes than humans, Jim’s not used to that and would overcompensate. 

I get that the writers couldn’t fit in that plot arc with only three episodes left in the series, but it would be nice if the risk had been addressed, even after the fact. 

We never saw where the portal went that Claire was trying to convince her parents to go through during the goblin attack, but we can assume she was trying to send them somewhere safe. We also don’t know where Enrique was, but can assume he was home with a babysitter. 

What if Claire’s portal went to the nursery, so that’s where she sent the goblin that got knocked through it? 

Tie it in to Wizards and have one of the wizards be the babysitter, thus equipped to deal with an unexpected goblin and not likely to tell their employer about it later: crossover episode! 

Why would the earthquakes damage the Darklands? That makes about as much sense as all the Gumm-Gumms exploding when Gunmar died. Which is to say, I can come up with an explanation if I work at it (Killahead Bridge was being built in Arcadia in the first place because that’s the epicentre of where the Darklands’ dimension matches up to the surface world; Gunmar’s death created a fatal magical backlash against everyone he was mind-controlling), but it doesn’t flow logically based on information provided in the show. 

Speaking of information provided in the show, this reaffirmed my belief it makes no sense for Jim to know Angor Rot used to be a hero because there are no scenes of Jim acquiring that information, which presumably would have been an emotionally charged and thought provoking discovery and thus should have been on-camera if it ever happened.

Everything speculated about when Bagdwella first barged into the Forge looking for help with a gnome problem ended up happening. The Heartstone was damaged and eventually destroyed, Jim had to fight a Stalkling, and ... well, Bular never got into Trollmarket, but Gunmar and Angor Rot both did.

Story idea that came about as a result of this rewatch: 

Instead of going out to his backyard and summoning the armour, Jim puts the amulet up for sale online like he threatened to do if it didn’t talk again. Several Changelings independently find the Amulet of Daylight on eBay and a bidding war ensues.

[journalxxx]

The Heart of the Matter

On the tenth day of Autumn of the second year of the New Reign, Wilson died.

Maxwell was not expecting it, inasmuch as one could not expect death in a world designed to kill. He hadn’t even really noticed the cry of the enraged tallbird echoing not too far from where his puppets were chopping trees. Wilson was too seasoned a survivor to be troubled by such daft creatures. He hadn’t given it any thought, going on with his day like a fool, as if he himself shouldn’t have known better, as if he didn’t know perfectly well how severely punishable overconfidence was, in the Constant.

He had worried, too late, when Wilson hadn’t showed up in the camp by sunset. He had headed out to look for him, lantern and duelists at hand, when Charlie fed his fears and doubts with floral scents and cryptic whispers, too late. He had found Wilson in the mining area, prone on the rugged soil, a bunch of gold nuggets scattered all around him, the yolk of a broken tallbird egg disgustingly mixed with his own spilled blood, a huge gash running through his messy hair and burrowing deeply into his head. Too late.

They had no amulets. No statues. No touch stones. Nothing.

Maxwell couldn’t do anything for the entire night. He spent it right there, kneeling beside the corpse, as lifeless as his own puppets. He couldn’t fathom how or why Wilson had met his demise so unexpectedly, so stupidly, after all he’d been through. Maxwell couldn’t fathom how he himself could have forgotten so easily of the fragility of a human life, especially of Wilson’s, which he had seen shattered countless times. It was simply unacceptable. He turned over the body, grimacing at the rivulets of dried blood streaking his face. He shook him, he called him. He cupped his cheeks - cold, so very cold - and ran his hands through his hair - blood, so much blood. In a way, that was already an acknowledgement of the gravity of the situation. He wouldn’t have dared, had there been a single spark of life left in Wilson. He wouldn’t have dared to voice or show the depth of those murky feelings he himself hesitated to name, he wouldn’t have dared to toy with their hard-earned camaraderie or to risk Wilson’s liberal trust or respect. Maxwell thought himself above regret: it was a pointless, cheap feeling, that had no place in the heart of a man who always acted according to his real desires, a feeling fitting for the insecure, the feeble, the foolish, and he hadn’t been such in a long while. It spoke volumes that now, of all times, he found himself regretting not having unravelled those complex emotions while he still had the time.

He did not cry. He hadn’t done that in a long time either, he wasn’t even sure he still could. At dawn, he lifted Wilson’s corpse - stiff, so stiff - and slowly carried him - it - back to the base. He lay it down beside the cold fire pit. He did not bury it. He wanted it to be there, when he’d come back. It was morbid, and evidently messed up, he could clearly see as much, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. He kept staring at it for another minute, or an hour, then left, duelists in tow.

It was a very productive day. He slew the tallbird, which gave him no satisfaction whatsoever. He harvested berries and traps, chopped trees, even mined rocks, all by himself. He usually deemed manual labor unnecessarily draining and uncomfortable, but he welcomed it with open arms, that day. The repetitive motions and the little pains in his creaky back and on his delicate palms did wonders to distract him from the pointlessness of it all. He wondered if this was the reason why Wilson usually didn’t mind that kind of work, he imagined how his little disbelieving laugh would sound seeing him grinding away at boulders so keenly.

When Maxwell returned to the camp, Wilson’s body was already gone. Mostly. Only the skeleton remained, his flesh and clothes whisked away by the peculiar magic decay of the Constant. Wilson had once tried to observe the phenomenon as it happened, sitting before Maxwell’s newly-shed mortal vessel for an entire night; he had missed it anyway, as Maxwell’s corpse had spoiled literally in the blink of an eye. Maxwell had offered to watch over Wilson’s body the next time he died, just to have an excuse to spend an entire day in the camp doing nothing. He had just remembered that. It looked like he had managed to fail a corpse. It was a new low for him.

Maxwell was unreasonably furious about the change. He should have expected it, but that didn’t make it any better. He shouldn’t care about it, because what was even the point of keeping a corpse around, but that didn’t make it any better either. Eventually, when he was done screaming at the sky and at Charlie and at Them and at any and every sentient entity that might be listening, he resolved to bury the skeleton. Bones were easier to handle than pale skin, rigid limbs, familiar features. It almost didn’t hurt to see the rough crack ruining the perfect smoothness of the skull. Almost. He gathered the remains and dug a grave, again by himself, not too far from the camp. He dropped the bones messily into it, not bothering to reassemble them correctly. There was a limit to self-serving sentimentalism, and he had crossed it by miles. He didn’t mark the grave. He wasn’t going to forget where it was anyway, and there weren’t many other people who could pay a visit. He cleaned his hands from the dirt, noticing a few blisters starting to pop up here and there, and turned to walk back to their - his - camp.

Then, he saw it.

At first he thought he was simply going insane. It was a very reasonable hypothesis, all things considered, but that wasn’t something insanity had ever done to him or to Wilson, as far as he was aware. Right above the freshly disturbed ground, floating, there was a ghost. It looked very much like any other generic ghost, but also it didn’t. Its wispy body was a barely visible mass of white vapours, thinner than fog or smoke. It had no clear shape or features, save for two exceedingly noticeable ones. The very tip of its outline was not round and undefined like the rest of it: curious spikes of mist rose from it, messy and twisted and awkwardly bent like a painfully familiar, utterly ridiculous hairdo. And then, there were its eyes. Bright and sharp and alive, somehow, more alive than Maxwell himself felt. Staring at him, through him, with a reproachful scowl that betrayed too many hints of concern.

Maxwell called his name. He responded. Vaguely, unintelligibly, almost inaudibly, with a deformed, subdued tone that sounded more like a faraway rumble, but somehow with the discernible cadence and pitch of the scientist’s quirky voice. Maxwell outstretched his hand to touch the apparition. Predictably, it went straight through it. The ghost approached Maxwell in return, enveloping him within his unsubstantial body. Maxwell didn’t feel a thing, not a change in temperature or thickness or flow in the air around him, it was perfectly immaterial, but it didn’t matter. Right then, right there, Maxwell almost felt like crying. Not quite, but closer than he thought he could. Wilson was still there, still tethered to that wretched world, somehow. Not all was lost. He wasn’t going to question it. He was-

He was definitely going to question it, he chided himself. It might be temporary, it might be a trick. He was definitely going to question it.

He made his way back to the camp, the ghost quietly following him. He had a quick meal, stoked the fire, stored his supplies. Then, he sat down and considered the problem, Codex open and floating at one side of him, black tongues of darkness already erupting from the fluttering pages, Shadow Manipulator whirring and glowing at the other, ready for the conjuring.

First things first. How had this happened? Why did Wilson still exist? Was it the grave? Did proper burial anchor souls under Charlie’s reign? It seemed a bit of a stretch. Death had already swung its sickle by the time one got buried, the soul should have already been severed by then. No, it was something deeper, something unrelated to his will or actions. Something had changed in the inner workings of the world itself, something unfathomable for him at the moment, and he could only thank the stars for it.

Second, and most important: what could he do about it? Wilson’s spirit might not be permanently tied to the world, it very likely wasn’t. He didn’t have the means to craft a resurrection item, nor he was sure how he could collect the necessary materials in a reasonably brief time. And time was of the essence, instinct told him. Or fear. Both were reliable enough, at the moment. He studied his book, reading and perusing and re-checking any possible meaning and interpretation of the obscure bits of knowledge the tome offered him. He poured his mind into his machine, squeezing every drop of inspiration and creativity from his own brain and soul, trying different combinations of spells and incantations and even shadow magic with his mind’s eye, but nothing seemed to do the trick. He could not find an answer. Not there, at least.

A different approach was needed, maybe. If something had shifted in the very nature of the Constant, maybe the solution should be found there as well. No advanced shadow magic or science, something uncomplicated, something simple. How to grasp the concept, though?

He smoked, and pondered, and smoked some more. Wilson hummed lowly at him. Maxwell could have sworn he was telling him to go to sleep. He did not, for he just had a small idea. It was worth a shot, he decided. He grabbed his lantern and headed out in the dark, ignoring the ghost’s more insistent nagging. He was slightly flourescent, Maxwell noticed, probably enough to keep Charlie away, if need be. That might be particularly useful, if anything went wrong.

There was a small circle of red roses near the camp. They were fragrant, and gorgeous, and utterly harmless, and Maxwell had never stood within a fifty meters radius from them, for any reason. Wilson had checked the circle once, he had even stepped into it, the blundering idiot. He had not been stricken down by lightning, or sucked into the earth by shadow limbs, or swarmed by hounds, as Maxwell had rightfully expected. Nevertheless, Maxwell himself obviously did not care to go anywhere near it. But drastic circumstances required drastic measures, he supposed. Lantern clutched in his hand, Maxwell crossed the floral threshold. When nothing happened, he sat on the ground, and waited.

No one greeted him, nothing attacked him. The smell of the roses, already naturally strong in the night, was positively overpowering there, almost intoxicating. It made it somewhat difficult to breathe. It wormed its way into his nostrils and burnt down his throat, it seemed to invade his very brain. And, incredibly, it carried an intuition with it. Yes, there was another way. A new way. A very simple one at that, brilliant in its straightforwardness, positively visceral. His extensive knowledge of the arcane arts had made him forget the basics, it seemed. How very embarassing.

He stood up, brushed off the dirt from his trousers, and stepped out of the circle. Wilson had remained perfectly silent the whole time, he didn’t react even when Maxwell unpinned the rose from his own jacket and lay it right at the center of the circle. He followed Maxwell back to the camp, and hovered over him as he finally slept.

Science was a harsh, unforgiving mistress, Maxwell mused as he made his way to the closest spider nest the following morning, the taciturn ghost still doggedly stalking him. He honestly could not see nor share the enthusiasm Wilson felt for such a rigid discipline, with its unbendable rules, its strict laws, its steely principles. ‘A life for a life’ would have been a perfectly fair, egalitarian, balanced solution to his current predicament, if approached scientifically. It would have been a rather costly and dissatisfying one nonetheless, presumably for both parties involved. Luckily, magic was a much more versatile and indulgent art. It dealt with the intrinsic value of quality, rather than nitpicking on the pedantic details of quantity. Magic could turn a life into acceptable currency for something much greater than a single mortal’s negligible and fleeting existence, or it could come at a much higher price than said mortal could even conceive. That specific brand of spell was especially lenient when it came to its requirements, uncharacteristically so. ‘A heart for a life’ sounded like an exceptionally good bargain given the circumstances, and Maxwell even felt willing to deal with any unexpected charges he might incur.

Placing a few traps and luring a bunch of dim-witted spiders to them was but a matter of minutes. He immediately strided back to the camp, fresh carcasses hoisted on his shoulder, and he splayed one on Wilson’s dented workbench. He accomplished his task on the very first attempt. He may not have the dissection skills or experience Wilson liked to boast about, but he had created the damn things. He knew exactly where every organ was, he could trace all the branches and paths of each major and minor vessel with his eyes closed. Carving the heart out of the wretched creature was like a child’s play, and just as smelly and messy. He prepared a few glands too, for later. He placed the organ in a large bowl, neatly arranged on a thin bed of grass, then he carefully cleaned the knife. He made a very shallow cut on the back of his own arm and directed few drops of blood onto the heart, as a test. As he expected, it reacted. The organ visibly absorbed the blood, very much like a sponge. Good. That was promising.

Sadly, it wasn’t going to be that simple. A heart would work, even a monstrous one, but some human additive was absolutely required. Blood was the most obvious and practical choice, and it was fair to assume that a considerable amount of it would be needed. It may take hours to complete the process few drops at a time, and it may not even be ultimately effective. Pain was, without a doubt, another mandatory quality the sacrifice demanded. Maxwell loathed pain, more so than anyone, but there was no alternative. Squeezing a mere scratch wouldn’t serve the purpose.

He drew a deep breath, and steadied himself. He rubbed some antiseptic on the inner side of his left arm, from the farthest third of his forearm to his palm, more as an excuse to buy himself an extra minute of respite than out of any real concern for infections. Then, without thinking, he swiftly slit his wrist.

It hurt. No surprise there. Wilson flickered beside him, his faint humming gaining a clearly inquisitive edge. Maxwell didn’t pay him any attention. He carefully aligned his wrist to the rim of the bowl, so that the blood could flow neatly inside it. He watched the warm fluid trickle down slowly, staining and soaking the grass and gradually creating a small pool around the base of the heart. The red puddle only grew so much, until the heart seemed to incorporate blood as quickly as Maxwell provided it.

Maxwell genuinely couldn’t tell how long it lasted. It felt like hours to him, though it surely couldn’t have been that long. The pain was constant and tiresome, he even had to prod and stretch the hems of the cut to hinder the clotting, making the whole procedure even longer and more disagreeable. Eventually he started feeling light-headed and weak, but interrupting the process halfway through would be an egregious waste of time, resources and effort. Wilson was getting restless as well. Maxwell half-heartedly hushed him as the ghost’s buzz became more urgent and alarmed, his volatile form uselessly phasing through Maxwell more than once. At one point he even started possessing the lighter objects scattered on the table, making them shake and glow and hop around with small jerks. Silly little man. He was learning quickly, as always. He did not try to possess Maxwell though, nor the bowl or its contents. Maybe he just couldn’t.

Finally, the heart changed. After taking in an undefined amount of blood, it suddenly shifted. It engorged and morphed, assuming a decidedly human size and build, and it even started beating, slowly at first, but quickly gaining vigour. Maxwell’s vision was getting spotty, and his breathing heavier and louder by the second, but at last he was done. He shakily grabbed the pulsing organ from the bowl. It was warm, vital, bloody, and simply holding it made Maxwell’s head spin harder. He gulped, too dazed to properly register the importance of the moment, and instinctively handed it to Wilson, pushing it in his ethereal body.

There was a flash. A blinding burst of light that incapacitated Maxwell for some long moments, tempting his brain to just shut off completely then and there. Then, then, there were feelings. There was Wilson’s voice, his real, human voice, shrill and annoying and scolding and horrified, drilling perfectly understandable words in Maxwell’s ears, words he admittedly did not especially care about. It was most irritating, and simply marvelous. There were his hands, shaking Maxwell’s shoulders, cupping his cheeks, pressing unyieldingly on the open wound, sternly bringing him back to his sore senses. There was him, his whole presence, intact and overwhelming and nervous. With what little lucidity Maxwell had left, he threw his free arm around Wilson’s body - warm, pliant, alive - and held onto it as if his own life depended on it. As a matter of fact, that might have been the case in that exact moment, but that wasn’t really the point. Maxwell held onto him, buried his face in the crook of his neck, drew the deepest breath he had ever drawn, and cried.

[varibean]

Hi, i know nothing about trollhunters but i'd like to know what u mean by sylas turning into a statue and then a pile of rubble and being ok after that. does he turn back into a troll or person and before that seiji has to deal with his bud being dead?? sorry if this doesn't make sense but i am confusion and want to know more about this idea u have here

never be sorry for giving me a reason to talk about my au that i’ll never write because it’s too self indulgent but still daydream about on the reg aowifj

ok so trollhunters au takes place in modern day, all the teens go to school with each other

sylas is a changeling, a troll that can transform into a human. only for a majority of his life he didn’t even know, since he’s a more recent changeling. most changelings have been around for hundreds/thousands of years 

sylas is just...he’s just 18, both in human and troll years. just an 18 year old mess. never taught about the fact that he was a changeling so he just lives his life without knowing.

then january becomes trollhunter, the first ever human trollhunter in existence (all trollhunters have been trolls. and ‘trollhunter’ refers to the fact that they hunt evil trolls, known as gumm-gumms, and changelings, since changelings work with gumm gumms). she gets this magic amulet and if she says the incantation she gets armor and a sword made out of the essence of daylight

and through some kind of...oracle troll magic she gets told that there’s a changeling around town and so january takes a gaggletack (a magically enchanted horseshoe that reveals a changelings form) and starts just Wackin ppl with it! not rlly, she’s careful about it cus u kno...can’t have ppl asking questions

after Shenanigans, sylas gets twacked on the head with it and Wouldn’t You Know It, he turns into this big ol troll (there are many different types of trolls and the type that i gave him....Is Big, he’s like 15 feet tall oof) and he starts freaking out because he had no idea about this, he never went through Troll 101, this is complete news to him

trolls turn to stone in the sun and there’s also this poison called creeper’s sun that turns them into stone if they’re cut with it. a lil cut will turn them to stone over a span of months, while a hard stab/deep cut/more poison will do so instantly.

not just that, but creeper’s sun turns anything into stone, so where as trolls are turned to stone by sunlight, creeper’s sun just...makes you stone

fast forward through more Shenanigans, all the teens are kind of a...very dysfunctional team in a way. they all have the same dynamic as canon except for the fact that like “ok we have to work and fight together or else the world will Literally End.” sylas and seiji still kind of keep to themselves a bit but they’re like, a bit more In The Group as it were than canon 

then sylas gets hit with creeper’s sun

and it’s because he was trying to Protect; january has the amulet so she’s like, got the Magical Destiny Power (and the others have their own powers too but that’s a Whole Other Thing) but as stated....Sylas’ Troll Form Is 15 Fucking Feet Tall, one of my biggest mistakes tbh, so he’s kinda like the tank of the team. takes a lotta hits to bash down a 15 foot tall troll with wings and giant neon glowing horns 

but one hit with creeper’s sun and he’s just...Stone. and easy to shatter

BUUUUUT he comes back when seiji makes a deal with Morgana, who’s the one who created all of the changelings. she connects sylas’ pieces again and then gives him the antidote to the creeper’s sun and he comes back 

BUT x2 in exchange for that, seiji has to be her champion, which is how he ends up with the Eclipse Armor. 

the incantation for the daylight armor is “for the glory of merlin, daylight is mine to command”

but when the amulet is combined with certain stones, it physically splinters into different versions of itself 

the incantation for the eclipse armor is “for the doom of gunmar (the big bad) eclipse is mine to command” 

it’s red so seiji is able to control it (that’s me inserting a bit of NS canon with the gemstones into trollhunters) 

and even though the incantation is supposed to mean ‘this is gonna doom gunmar’, since seiji is the champion of morgana, the incantation now translates to ‘this is the means of which gunmar brings about doom’ 

so yeah

that’s how sylas was a statue, then he was rubble, but he’s fine now

[pirate-and-soldier]

Deathcaster Forked Me Up (SPOILERS)

SO

DEATHCASTER WAS AWESOME AND WACKY AND SO GOOD BUT IM STILL SITTING HERE STARING AT THE WALL WAITING TO SEE IF SOME DISAPPEARING INK WILL MAGICALLY RESURFACE AND TELL ME WHAT THE F HAPPENED WITH EVERYONE ELSE—

Dont get me wrong, I absolutely L O V E this series and every book but like there seem to be a lot of loopholes and loose ends?? Did anyone else catch them? Or did I just completely skip over some important parts??

I literally read this in a little over 24 hours after getting this. I would’ve finished it yesterday had I gotten it earlier than 4:30 in the afternoon, but still.

WE GOT 647 PAGES OF AWESOMENESS I WANNA SCREAM RIGHT NOW

I’ll admit, I was kinda hoping for a bit more between Evan and Destin, considering that they both spend a LOT of time thinking about each other. I’m happy they got a reuninion, and that they were able to form an actual relationship and are planning to rule the Desert Coast together, but like—can I get a scene where they actually talk some stuff out? Before Destin was forcbly taken back to Arden by his father, he told/showed Evan that he thought he was a monster and believed it through and through. Evan told him that he wasn’t a monster and tried to convince him to see that. Yet we see no evidence whatsoever of them taking the time to talk about both that and other past things.

What happened to Destin’s mother, too? In the beginning just before General Karn is killed by his own son, Destin tells him that he can’t get revenge on his mother just because she birthed Destin because she was dead. We see a few lines here and there saying that it might be true but throughout what Deathcaster, that’s the only thing I saw that might have verified it. How did she die? And why? Why did Destin choose to tell his father that when all he wanted was for her to pay for having Destin anyway? What happened to the Destin’s extended family who were shown in the list of characters for the Shattered Realms series?

Honestly, though it may seem like I’m not happy about the conclusion, there are a lot of things that I really enjoyed. The humor was on point for me, I loved the characters, new and old, there were many surprising plot points, THERE WERE DRAGONS, we got to see the ship Evan and Destin repaired together, Destiny, Han is not fully gone and neither is Raisa, my favorite couples all ended up together happily, Destin and Evan were able to make peace, Evan, Breon, and Jenna found out who their family really is, the enemy spies were filtered out of court, and many more.

One thing that surprised and had me cackling was the fact that they had an actual exorcism. I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT. Especially not at 1:30am. I’m not disgusted or horrified, I just find it funny how this series, which has never had anything even remotely related to something like that, had an actual exorcism in the final book. Though, looking back on the fact that Han was thought to have been possessed by demons when he still had yet to be born, and the fact that the Church of Saint Malthus had a much larger role in the second series than the last, with the addition of demons—actual demons, not the things that most southerners believed to have been demons—were set loose in Ragmarket to find Han in the very first book of this universe, this shouldn’t have surprised me that much.

Before anything else, I wanna discuss the fact that WTF MELLONY WAS BEHIND THE MURDERS??? I mean, of course other people were involved, BUT WHAT??? I know she was jealous about the fact that Raisa came back before Mellony could be crowned queen in the previous series, but honestly I thought that had been long forgotten and over with. I never suspected her for a second. That might have been why she was a go-to for people who could have done it; she had motive, reason, means, and since she tried in the past but was thought to have let it go to let her sister rule, she was virtually the perfect choice. Although I realize this, it still has me reeling over the fact that she was the one who actually did it.

I was disappointed to see that Han only showed up in tiny bits after Ash went to Aediion and saw him again. He didn’t go into the amulet for several years just to hang around and just pass on teeny tiny bits of advice. No, he went because he wanted to help his children in any way he could, meeting with them in Aediion, telling them about things they should be wary of, and overall just trying to connect with them again, to soend time with them even outside the grave. He wanted to see them and Raisa again, as many times as he could. Han was—is, still—my favorite character from the Secen Realms. His cunning and sharp willed personality was such a wonderful thing to read through. His little tidbits and slang words were so funny, and his humor, though sometimes dark or deprecating, always sent me into fits of laughter, no matter how many times I read them. He was charming, both to the other characters and the readers, making everyone fall in love with who he was. At times it felt like he was an actual person rather than a book character. Chima put all that beautiful work inti such a strong, relatable character—and then didn’t use him much in the rest of the series. I know his death was meant to be a catalyst for Ash and Lyss and many others, but when I learned that he could be in the amulet I though we would see more of him. Was his absense just because there was already so much going on in the book that it just wasn’t an inportant thing to address? Or was he, sadly, just such a small little part of that series that he wasn’t that important to the plot?

Like I said, there were other things that made me really happy with how the book was written. I loved the addition of the dragon hatchlings and the bonds they formed with the other characters. They might have been added a little last-minute, but I think they were a wonderful addition to the story, and they were certainly tied tightly with the string in which the rest of the plot was woven. Evan, though he started out with little knowledge on how he should actually treat dragons, ended up forming a bond with one of the dragons named Splinter who had a deformed wing, either because of past injury or a birth defect. He even took a page out of Destin’s book in order to make a little prosthetic so Splinter could fly again. The others also formed a close connection to the dragons. Poor Cas though, losing a large portion of his sight. At least he has Jenna to help guide him.

Hal, when he became king, was so awkward and jerky in that role that I couldn’t help but laugh. His brother was right, though, on how the role of king would be better in his hands than anyone else in the empire. He made an excellent king, and had great moments and made admittedly stupid yet wise decisions, like teaming up with Lyss in order to trick the empress. I really loved his role in the book.

I have much more to say about this series, but I won’t make this too long. If you’re interested in this series or the universe or anything, come and talk to me!!! Please!! I need every last fan of this series to talk to because honestly I could go on about this forever.

[marvelousbirthdays]

Happy Birthday, leeef!

April 1 - Deke Shaw and Darcy Lewis “You punched me in the face while gesticulating wildly to a friend" for @leeef Written by @ozhawkauthor

Okay, that prompt’s funny. But punched in the balls is FUNNIER, right?

“So,” Wanda leaned across the table, grinning crookedly at Darcy, “do you see anything you like?” She waved vaguely around the crowded bar.

 “I’m never going on an Avengers girls’ night again,” Darcy grumbled as several avid stares were turned her way. “You’re all way too interested in my love life!”

 “We’re all boringly happy couples.” Helen Cho-Wilson waved her hand, the paired platinum bands on her ring finger flashing in the lights. “We gotta live vicariously through you, since you’re the only singleton, and you’ve resisted all efforts to set you up with the few remaining single guys in our midst.”

 “I appreciate the sentiment, but really!” Darcy shook her head. “Nobody in their right mind would date      Loki    .”

 “Told you that was never gonna work.” Jane elbowed the Valkyrie, who shrugged and belched before picking up her tequila bottle for another long shrug.

 “It was worth a try. That boy has a serious case of blue balls.” Brunnhilde sniggered at her own joke.

 “And while Wong’s a really sweet guy, he’s a little older than I like them,” Darcy plowed on.

 “What about Luis?” Hope demanded.

 “Another sweet, sweet guy. But I do like to get a word in edgeways occasionally. Look, I love that you guys would like to matchmake me, it shows you really do think I’m one of you and that means a lot.”

 “But butt out?” Pepper correctly summed up.

 “Yes!” Darcy flung her arms wide with relief as the other ladies at the table nodded along in agreement. Unfortunately, the gesture was a little too enthusiastic and she whacked a guy walking past their table right in the groin.

 The guy made a strangled noise and kind of folded up in a graceless ball, triggering hysterical laughter from some at Darcy’s table (Hope, Brunnhilde and Natasha) and everyone else jumping up and exclaiming with concern. Being closest, Darcy got to the guy first.

 “Ohmigod, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

 “No, I just got punched in the nuts!” the guy croaked out, curled in the foetal position. “What the hell did I ever do to you?”

 “It was an accident! Seriously, are you hurt? Two of my friends are doctors.” Darcy looked imploringly at Helen and Christine, who’d pushed their way to the front of the crowd.

 “I’m a trauma surgeon at Metro Central, I can have an ambulance here in two minutes.” Christine already had her phone out, but the guy shook his head.

 “No. No hospitals, thank you.”

 “If you don’t have insurance…” Christine started, and the guy barked out the oddest laugh.

 “I’m okay. Or I will be, in a minute. I’ve had worse.” He was already uncurling, trying to get to his feet. Darcy offered a hand, and after a moment he accepted, letting her help him up.

 At which point she realized he was really kind of hot. Tallish, wavy brown hair, eyes a fascinating shade of blue grey, a bit of scruffy stubble, leather jacket… he ticked all Darcy’s boxes.

 And she even had the perfect excuse to offer to buy him a drink.

 “Sure,” Hot Guy said when she offered. “I never say no to a drink.”

 She had to get him away from the other ladies, who were already starting to giggle, smirk and, in Brunnhilde’s case, make lewd suggestions. Hastily linking her arm through his, Darcy led him towards the bar.

 “I’m Darcy,” she said.

 “Deke,” he responded after a moment. He was limping a bit, Darcy noted, feeling guilty.

 “Are you really okay? I’m so sorry I hit you. My friends…”

 “I’m really okay. Like I said, I’ve had worse.” He smiled down at her.

 “You from round here?” Darcy asked curiously. His accent didn’t sound local, didn’t sound quite American, really.

 “Not really.” His mouth quirked up at the corners.

 From the corner of her eye, Darcy spied Wanda literally climbing over Natasha, heading in her direction. She’d never seen a look like that on Wanda’s face before, a mixture of shock, horror and disbelief.

 “So where are you from?” Darcy pressed, curious, as the barman set two beer bottles down in front of them. Deke picked his up and took a long swig before setting it back down on the bar and looking Darcy straight in the eye.

 “The shattered remnants of future Earth,” he said evenly.

 Flummoxed for an instant, Darcy snorted with laughter. “That work on many girls?” she asked derisively.

 “Nope.”

 “Then why bother with such a bullshit line?”

 “Darcy,” Wanda had finally reached them, grabbed at her elbow. “Darcy, he’s telling the      truth    .”

 “Whut.” Darcy looked from her to Deke, who lifted his beer in an ironic sort of toast before draining the bottle. “Are you serious? Of all the guys in the world I could have punched in the nuts, I pick a time traveler?”

 “Guess you’re just lucky, sweetheart,” Deke said with a warm grin which made her insides do strange squirmy things. “Unfortunately, I gotta go. Thanks for the beer.”

 “Oh,” Wanda said, “You’re not going anywhere. We need to have a Talk.”

 Deke’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at Wanda and Darcy, both a good deal smaller than him. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline that invitation,” he said.

 “No, you’re really not, sweet cheeks,” Brunnhilde said behind him, and as he turned to look at her, Wanda reached up and grazed a finger sparkling with red light over his temple. He collapsed into Brunnhilde’s arms.

 “A bit too much to drink!” Darcy babbled to nobody in particular as she followed them out of the bar. “He’ll be fine once he’s had some fresh air!”

* * *

 Deke blinked sandy-feeling eyes open and squinted around, wondering where the hell he was. He was in a bed, a surprisingly comfortable one at that, in a room fitted out with dark panels of what he thought might actually be wood. There were two people sitting beside the bed, neither talking to each other; one of them, an austere-looking guy with wings of white in his dark hair, was looking at a huge, ornate-looking old book, and the attractive young woman beside him was fiddling with her phone.

 The woman was familiar, and after a moment he recalled how he knew her. It was Darcy, the girl who’d whacked him by accident in the bar. He’d let her buy him a drink even though he’d been on his way out of there, thinking that a few minutes to enjoy the company of a pretty girl wouldn’t hurt.

 It seemed she had friends, however. Friends with really weird taste in clothing. He found himself staring at the older guy, wondering what the heck that red cloak was all about. Nobody dressed like that in the present day, did they?

 “The present day, a curious turn of phrase,” the man said, turning dark blue eyes on Deke, and he flinched to realize he’d spoken aloud. Damn, he was getting soft, no longer having to watch his back for the Kree every second of every day.

 “My friends say you claim to be from the future. No doubt you think everyone will write you off as a joker, insane, or a bit of both. Unfortunately for you, one of my friends is the Scarlet Witch.”

 “An Inhuman, then?” Deke asked.

 There was a beat of silence before Darcy’s eyes, as blue as the man’s, widened almost comically.

 “Shit, you really are from the future. Nobody’s that oblivious,” she said to the man, who nodded in agreement.

 “Which begs the question, how did you get here?” The man reached up to finger an amulet hanging around his throat. “Because as far as I know, there’s only one artifact in the entire universe which enables one to travel through time.”

 “If you’re talking about the White Monolith, I’m afraid we broke it. If you’re not talking about the White Monolith… well, looks like there were two, but we broke one, so now there’s one again.”

 “I like him,” Darcy said to the man. “Can we keep him, Stephen?”

 “Why are you even here?” Stephen shot her an irritated look.

 “Wong likes me and so does the Cloak,” Darcy said cheerfully, “and even you’re not mean enough to make me fall through space like you did to Loki, so. Plus, I found him.” She pointed at Deke.

 “Technically, you punched me in the groin,” Deke pointed out.

 “Accidentally slapped,” Darcy corrected. “And I bought you a drink to say sorry!”

 “Highlight of my night.” It had been the highlight of a lot more than that. She really was very pretty, and she also seemed to be kind of on his side. She even blushed a little bit when he said that.

 “I probably owe you a few more to say sorry for Wanda putting her whammy on you and then us kidnapping you.”

 “Any time. Now’d be good, actually.”

 “Stephen?” Darcy gave the man an appealing look, and he sighed irritably before holding out his hand.

 There was an empty beer stein in it. Deke opened his mouth to say he’d prefer a beer someone hadn’t already drunk, when the glass filled right before his disbelieving eyes.

 “That is a really fucking cool Inhuman power,” he said when he got his breath back. “Even the Kree would have to agree on that one.”

 Stephen smiled wryly as he handed the beer over. It even tasted fantastic, Deke thought as he took the first sip.

 “I can see you and I have a lot to talk about, young man,” Stephen said. “But before we start, I’d better explain just exactly who I’m associated with. Have you ever heard of the Avengers?”

 Deke spluttered into his beer. “The Avengers? They’re just legends! Old stories!” Although, come to think of it, he did vaguely recall Coulson muttering something about a last resort, one time… “Wait, were the Avengers real? In      this    time?”

 “You know what? I’m going to let Darcy catch you up on stuff you might not know while I go and search my books for reference to a White Monolith.” Stephen stood to leave the room, at which point Deke realized there was no door. Stephen made a weird gesture with his hand instead and some sort of circular blue portal opened in mid-air, showing a completely different room on the other side. The portal closed once Stephen stepped through, and Deke stared open-mouthed at Darcy.

 “It’s like Steve Rogers in reverse,” Darcy muttered. “As I’m sure you realize, he’s the only way in and out of this room. So escaping isn’t an option, I’m sorry.”

 “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Deke lied.

 “You’re full of shit, but I think I like you anyway. Are all guys as hot as you in the future? When exactly is this future of yours, anyway?”

 “Thought you were the one filling me in?” Deke arched a brow at her.

 “How about a trade? Answers for answers.”

 “I’d rather trade kisses for answers.” He was quite surprised when Darcy grinned.

 “We could play that game too.”

 He was definitely getting to like the early twenty-first century. Yes, indeed.

[citialiin]

ooc ; thank u for tagging me in fun memes and stuff! ヽ(　･∀･)ﾉ so i dont flood ppls dashes i just wait until i have a few & put them under readmores.

HORROR ARCHETYPE AESTHETICS tagged by: @ betelguide

GOTHIC HORROR.

gaslights.   corsets.   ballrooms.   candlelight.   mist.   starless nights.   full moons.  cobbled streets.   horse-drawn carriages.   mysterious strangers.   bogs.   moors.  forests.   mountains.   castles.   velvet.   silver.   brass.   gold.   jewels.   domino masks.   the opera.  dangerous romances.   tragic romances.   violins.   roses.   lilies.   empty graves.   crosses.   cemeteries.   snow.   ice.   the gallows.   crows.   milk-white skin.  ambiguous illness.  fangs.   pointed nails.   something howling in the night.   capes.   gloves.   top hats.   straight razors.   lightning.   pipe organs.   underground caverns.   bats.   mice.   rats.   ravens.   cats.   pearls.   attics.   talismans.   axes.   wood.  isolation in a room full of people.   vampires.   werewolves.   ghosts.   coffins.   western europe.   eastern europe.   bones.   churches.   catacombs.   mausoleums.   spiders.   books.

CLASSIC HORROR.

black   &   white.   powder puffs.   red lipstick.   winged eyeliner.   white kitten heels.  black lace lingerie.   icy blue eyes.   rain.   abandoned cars.   skeletons.   acid.  poison.   voyeurism.   switchblades.   strangling.   overcoats.   looking over your shoulder.   trans-atlantic accents.   private detectives.   dinner parties.   haunted mansions.   alcohol in glass decanters.   cobwebs.   perfect blonde curls.   kitchen knives.   shock.   cellars.  dust.  dark alleys.   empty streets.   driving at night.   horn-rimmed glasses.   radiation.  zombies.   serial murder.   paranoia.   the city.   witches.  the devil.   cannibalism.  conspiracies.   amulets.   abject terror.   the american south.   the american northeast.    england.   analog cameras.

SLASHERS.

bloodbaths.   massacres.   wanton nudity.   newspapers.   leather jackets.   letterman jackets.   converse sneakers.   obscured faces.   social unrest.   bonfires.   lakes.  babysitters.   suburbia.   high school.   lockers.   dead leaves in the fall.   jack-o’-lanterns.   outdated television sets.   nightmares.   psychiatrists.   hospitals.  unstoppable forces.   gunfire.   police.   landline telephones.   household objects turned into improvised weapons.   halloween.   secrets.   revelations.   character masks.  scrunchies.   queerness.   wild curls.   morbid humor.   jeering children.  parties.   fire.   swearing.  revulsion.   california.   the american midwest.   ambulances.

PARANORMAL HORROR.

malevolent spirits.   seances.   spells.   missing bodies.   hidden graves.   white noise.   static.   flickering lights.   rings of salt.   demons.   poltergeists.   dark histories.   old buildings.  cold air.   mausoleums.   wells.   urban exploration.   a dog barking at something you can’t see.   black ooze.   old photographs.   faces you can swear you’ve seen before  but can’t for the life of you figure out where.   dark bodies of water.   crucifixes.   priests.   possession.   exorcisms.   dolls.   jump scares.

CRYPTID   &   URBAN LEGEND HORROR.

ALIENS.  blinding light.   dark woods.   driving at night.   claw-marks.   bite-marks.   men in black.   memory loss.  dismembered bodies.   sewers.   flashlights.   cell phones.   video cameras.   cars with tinted windows.   abandoned houses.   unlabeled cassette tapes.  bugs.   big cities.   urban crimes.  clowns.   something rustling outside your window. glowing light.   unsolved mysteries.   suburbia.   mirrors.   the american pacific northwest.   the american midwest.   the american east coast.   hiking   /   backpacking.

THRILLERS.

daylight.   fluorescent lighting.   morgues.   asylums.   unwavering eye contact.  tension.   lit rooms with no one inside them.   a dog digging in the newly-planted flower bed.  steely gazes.   paperwork.   anagrams.   codes.   convicted killers.  missing persons.  law enforcement.   federal agents.  small towns.   suspicion.   paranoia.   subdued terror. dimly-lit parking lots.

CLASSIC NOVELIST AESTHETICS tagged by: @ finestprize

JOHN KEATS. the lavender in sunsets, flowers in the rain, sunlight slipping through clouds,  lazy summer afternoons, the heavy scent of musk, flickering candlelight reflecting off the gold titles of books,  fireflies on a cool summer night, being wrapped in fresh bed sheets, the ache of wanting what you can never have, dripping sunlight like gold,  loving someone so exquisite,  soft lips and soft whispers, fingers through hair, names of lovers carved in trees, broken glass,  the insistence of being perpetually dreamy.

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD.   crisp winter skies with cold bright stars,  mahogany wood, the solitude of an early autumn morning wrapped in fog,  empty bottles on stacks and stacks of books haphazardly placed in a messy room,  bruised arms reaching out into the darkness,  cigarette smoke just barely hiding the scent of alcohol,  a wall of books all poetry and old and weathered, the way tragedy strikes in your heart but ends up stopping your breathing for a moment,  your favorite sweater, parties spilling into four a.m. with the stars above spinning and dancing, the contrast of blood against snow,  a purple split lip oozing blood,  black eyes fading to blue to pale skin,  the butterflies of falling in love for the first time, the statues falling apart over time in cemeteries,  the romanticization of self-destruction.

FRANZ KAFKA.  the weight of dread that sits heavily in your stomach when thinking about the future,  decrepit houses cloaked in mystery from children telling stories of people who died there,  the way not even light can escape a black hole, the rich smell of old books, delicate veins in the wrist, ghosts filling lungs,  shattered bones,  raindrops on the tongue,  rusting metal, nostalgia that aches,  the way hope feels like a plastic bag over your head.

H.P. LOVECRAFT.   the anxiety felt when staring into an unknown cave,  pouring rain and mud, a child’s fear of the dark,  thinking so many questions about your existence as you stare at the vast expanse of never-ending ocean,  the silence of three a.m.,  ouija boards and urban legends. (WHO WROTE THIS???? HAVE YOU EVER OBSESSIVELY POURED OVER HP LOVECRAFT LIKE I HAVE??? THIS SUCKS!!! THESE ARE NOT HP LOVECRAFT AT ALL WHERE IS THE SECTION ABOUT CLIMBING UP MOUNTAINS TO SUMMON ELDER GODS AND HOWLING AT THE MOON LIKE A MADMAN AND HAVING A WIZARD BEAT YOU TO DEATH IN YOUR OWN HOUSE)

JACK KEROUAC.   the brisk pine air of being on a mountain,  travels without a destination,  those nights where you’re missing three hours of memory,  screaming to a lifeless desert about how you’re so alive,  coffee shops late at night, car rides at night spent speeding and laughing in the dark, naps spent in the sun,  novels highlighted and underlined with notes and epiphanies in the margins, the way uncertainty sits on the shoulders, ignoring flaws and loving life,  wind through hair,  depression as fog in the brain, impossible ideals, a quiet sunrise,  walks alone, when you think about trying to discover all the secrets to the universe, dazzling people, open lands stretching out into infinity, falling in love with being alive.

EDGAR ALLAN POE.   the ocean’s horizon inseparable from fog,  hollow bones,  a preserved heart held in hands,  twinkling stars above an old graveyard,  the way everything turns to dust,  silent black birds with eyes full of wisdom, self-inflicted flames,  perfection depicted as a rotting corpse,  death as bricks in the heart,  lips barely brushing against each other, glassy glazed eyes,  biting into a lemon,  heart-shaped bruises,  rotting flowers on a grave,  dried blood and spilled liquor,  the hush of dusk when it begins raining,  the intimacy of a secret.

LITERARY ARCHETYPE MEME tagged by: @ manenimittliv

HOMERIC EPITHET:  You are THE GREAT TELLER OF TALES

The Greek hero Odysseus had many epithets ascribed to him (others included “much-enduring,” “cunning,” and “man of twists and turns”), and this was one of them, so you’re in good company.

FATAL FLAW: YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH THE IDEA OF A PERSON.

And then I deleted the rest of this because it didn’t really apply to him. Oh well

LITERARY SETTING: GATSBY'S MANSION

You got Gatsby’s mansion! This larger-than-life crib is the perfect place for a party animal like yourself. It’s located on the Long Island Sound (ideal for swimming, lounging, obsessively staring across the water with a LaCroix in your hand and unattainable fantasies on your mind, etc.), but it’s also just a train ride away from New York City (city of dreams and $1 pizza). But let’s not forget the best part: it���s got a library that’ll make you wanna grab a fluffy blanket and a chai latte and literally never see the light of day again.

this is a lot of useless information. steal them if youd like

[tauristar]

Okay, as far as I can tell, everyone’s been here. Everyone knows this whole debate of Cullen vs. Alistair. However, I wanted to investigate it myself, and bring to light what makes them so different.

(And yes, their appearances count as a difference. Inquisition Alistair’s design was not the Alistair I know. I Do Not Like It. Bioware why.)

So, what makes them similar? They were both sent to the Chantry and were both to become Templars. Beyond that, there’s... Not much else. I think I could find more similarities in Anders and Alistair, or Sebastian and Cullen. Though since that’s completely irrelevant, let’s go back to that one similarity and expand on it to show just how little of a similarity it is.

Alistair’s case:

He never wanted to go to the Chantry. He was sent to the Chantry by Arl Eamon at age 10 because he had nowhere else to go.

Furthermore, he despised being sent away to the Chantry so much that in a fit of anger, he threw his mother’s amulet at a wall and shattered it.

He didn’t take his Templar training as seriously as he could of.

He’s not even that particularly religious, regardless of being taught by the Chantry. (This is noted in a conversation between him and Zevran.)

Does he actually become a Templar? No.

He doesn’t regret leaving the Chantry, or the Templar Order in that matter.

Cullen’s case:

He asked the Templars at the local Chantry every day if he could become a Templar, and they convinced Cullen’s parents to let him train at age 13.

He wanted to be a model student, no matter what. So, he took his training incredibly seriously, in hopes that he would become the best Templar Thedas had seen.

He is a religious man.

Cullen actually completed his Templar training, Alistair did not.

The only reason he left the Templar Order was because after Kirkwall, he didn’t want to be associated with them, and the Inquisition was doing more good than the Templars were at the time.

That’s just on their basis of which they got their Templar training. The only similarity they have, and there are a handful of differences to counter it. Now, to further prove how different they are, let’s move on to: their different views on mage rights and the treatment of mages.

Cullen, admittedly, has been through hell. He’s been tortured for days on end because of Uldred and the other blood mages in the Fereldan Circle, and he watched as countless other Templars succumbed to a fate he tried so hard to resist. Then, hoping that things couldn’t get much worse, he was sent to the Kirkwall Chantry and Circle in hopes of helping establish a sense of peace and control there. Lo and behold, blood mages were coming up all over the place, treatment of mages reach terrible heights, and then the Knight-Commander he was meant to trust goes crazy from red lyrium. Yikes.

But! Does that trauma excuse his anger with mages? To go as far as to state that “mages aren’t like you and me”?

Absolutely not. And that man can’t go back on his word, either: yes, you can romance him in Inquisition as a mage, but even then he seems nervous about it. He still clings to the Templar way of life even when he’s trying so desperately to let it all go. I mean, if he really wanted nothing to do with that life, wouldn’t he have just stayed right out of the choice between Mages and Templars when it came to sealing the Breach the first time? He instead defends the Templars when questioned about their abilities -- “I was a Templar. I know what they’re capable of.” He still wears the title like a badge of honor.

This could be put down as bad writing; it’s incredibly inconsistent, especially if we’re supposed to believe Cullen wants nothing to do with that life.

However, considering it is canon, it goes to show his character. He clings to the Templar life as it’s the only thing he knows, and he distrusts the mages so much that he counters their (theoretically sound) method of helping seal the Breach with the Templar (speculative) method. And have you heard him speak within a five mile radius during Origins and 2?

As a mage Warden, he says some harsh things upon your return.

“You are a mage and I, a templar. It is my duty to oppose you and all that you are.”

Warden: “Is it so surprising that I’ve returned? This was my home.” Cullen: “As it was mine. And look what they’ve done to it. They deserve to die. Uldred most of all.”

Warden: “You need to stay strong.” Cullen: “And to think I once thought that we were too hard on you.” Warden: “We’re not all evil, Cullen.” Cullen: “Only mages have that much power at their fingertips. Only mages are so susceptible to the infernal whisperings of the demons.”

“You can’t save them. You don’t know what they’ve become. They’ve been surrounded by blood mages whose wicked fingers snake into your mind and corrupt your thoughts.” (At this point, if you have Alistair with you, he comments: “His hatred of mages is so intense... The memories of his friends’ deaths is still fresh in his mind.”)

If you tell him that you refuse to risk killing innocents, he says: “I am just willing to see the painful truth, which you are content to ignore.” He also ends the conversation with: “Maker turn His gaze on you. I hope your compassion hasn’t doomed us all.”

... Yikes, buddy. I know your friends have been murdered by blood mages, specifically Uldred, but Yikes.

Oh, he also accuses First Enchanter Irving of being a blood mage. Since, of course, if one was corrupted in the line of Enchanter titles then he must definitely be, since he’s the First Enchanter, right? It’s a narrow thought process, but it’s an understandable one since he just went through a traumatic experience. The thing is he had no evidence in the matter, so his accusation is empty and uncalled for. I have to admit, I hated how Cullen pulled off that stunt.

But if you’re wondering about Dragon Age 2 quotes, there’s plenty in the limited interactions you can have with him:

“Mages cannot be our friends. They must always be watched.”

Hawke: “I got friends who are mages. Are you saying that they need to ‘always be watched’, as well?” Cullen: “I was at the Circle Tower in Ferelden during the Blight. I saw firsthand how templars’ trust and leniency can be rewarded. I still have nightmares of Uldred’s depravities.”

Hawke: “Not all mages are like that.” Carver: “Brother/Sister, not now.” Cullen: “True, not every mage gives into temptation, but none are ever free from it. At any time, any mage can become a monster, from the lowest apprentice to the most seasoned enchanters. Mages cannot be treated like people. They are not like you and me.”

“They are weapons. They have the power to light a city on fire in a fit of pique.”

Hawke: “There’s fault on both sides. We must find a way to live in peace.” Cullen: “Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps mages need better education as to why the Chantry functions as it does.” (Me @ this I... Don’t think that’s what Hawke meant.....)

Overall, he really... Can’t take back what he’s said in the past here. He’s clearly uninterested in the mages and their needs and / or wants after the incident at Ferelden, and doesn’t seem to want to be interested. There’s a level of genuine understanding here, because it can easily be seen as a traumatic experience he can’t move past, but it still doesn’t excuse him for his words / actions.

I would also like to add this quote: “I’ve seen the suffering magic can inflict. I’ve treated mages with distrust because of it, at times without cause. That was unworthy of me. I will try not to do so here.”

Okay, so Cullen at least acknowledges his treatment of mages as horrible and says he will try not to do that again. Try. The key with words is that if you use the wrong word, it creates an implication that you’re not aiming for; Cullen’s choice to use the word “try” in that last sentence proves that although he acknowledges what he has done in the past, he’s only going to try and change it. And, does he really try? Does he really?

He literally continues with: “Not that I want mages moving through our base completely unchecked. We need safeguards in place to protect people, including mages, from possession at the least.”

So, he acknowledges that he had distrusted mages in the past because of his awareness that magic can cause suffering -- especially since he endured torture for days on end thanks to magic. But then, instead of taking a crucial baby step to truly redevelop a better relationship with mages, he wants to place so-called “safeguards” to watch mages to try and stop possession. He can say this to the face of a mage Inquisitor -- can you imagine if the elf Inquisitor or the qunari Inquisitor could respond to Cullen’s suggestion? It’s as though he still refuses to trust them, even a little bit, to move freely through a base without scrutiny.

Overall, his original statement seems void. His choice of words devalue the meaning behind his half-promise; if anything, he should have avoided using the word try if he was being genuine about his attempt.

As for Alistair?

His view is very different. In Origins, he can talk with a mage Warden and express sympathy / empathy for them, when he asks if they ever lost someone close to them:

“That must have felt a lot like when I got sent to the Chantry. You mages don’t even get a say in the matter, after all.”

He genuinely sympathizes with the mages because he has an understanding on what it feels like to be sent away without a choice. The only reason he didn’t was because where else could he have gone? But Alistair recognizes and perfectly understands the situation in which mages face in the Circles. In a way, this really shows his character in one line: he cares. He treats the mages as if they’re like any other person in Thedas, which they are! But that’s not how Cullen sees it, as demonstrated in his quoting.

In Dragon Age 2, as King of Ferelden in Act III, you can go and meet him with Hawke and then walk into him and Meredith having a heated debate. There are two versions of this:

Alistair: Let me guess: that's your final answer? Meredith: Three mages have fled to Ferelden, and you have intervened to protect them as if it is your right to do so. What other answer did you expect, your Majesty?

Alistair: Let me guess: that's your final answer? Meredith: You declare your Circle of Magi free, as if its your right to do so, and thus stir up every mage outside of your kingdom. What other answer did you expect, your Majesty?

He actually protects mages fleeing into Ferelden, and probably being completely aware of what Meredith has been doing to the Kirkwall Circle mages. (Surely a king can gather information on that. Plus, it’s not like it was that big a secret.) Or, if your Warden was a mage and asks for the Magi boon, then the second option plays. He’s genuinely trying to give more freedom to the Circle of Magi, giving them the chance to live as any other human would.

This is one of the most obvious differences between Alistair and Cullen. And it doesn’t end there, either: if Hawke questions him on what happened between himself and Meredith, this is the answer given.

Hawke: You were having an argument about mages? Alistair: Yes, well, apparently I don't feel the same way about mages as the Chantry does. So we're in disagreement. That means they get nasty. They're like that.

Furthermore:

Hawke: Sounds like the Circle is better off in Ferelden. Alistair: You'd think so, wouldn't you? Sadly, I don't control the Circle. I can only deal with mages outside the Circle... of which there aren't many.

And after Alistair says to Hawke to protect Kirkwall, this can be initiated with the Diplomatic option:

Hawke: Protect Kirkwall from what, exactly? Alistair: You ask me, the biggest threat to this city just walked out the door. But maybe that's the ex-templar in me talking.

He’s commenting that Meredith is the biggest threat to the city. Knight-Commander Meredith, who Cullen trusted until the last minute, when she started wielding her sword infused with red lyrium and lost her sanity. Maybe we can’t fault Cullen for that, but Alistair has genuine concern about mages fleeing into Ferelden, mages having actual freedom, and recognizing that Meredith is one of three threats to the city falling apart (the other two being Orsino and Anders, respectively, but that’s incredibly complicated).

These are the two main differences between Alistair and Cullen, and though one can love either one of these characters, the other, or even both of them, it’s very important to know that they’re not both “Chantry boys”. That, and their views are very different particularly when it comes to mages.

(If anyone has anything else to add to this analysis of character, feel free to extend on it! The goal here is to remain neutral to both characters, and instead focus on the writing choices of Bioware and how this expands on the character’s faults, flaws and views that make them different. This may paint Cullen or Alistair in a negative light at times [which is inevitable in Cullen’s case due to his views on mages], but ultimately this is to challenge the character development of both characters and pick out their differences.)

[lilacmoon83]

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 182: Endgame, Pt 1

Gothel admired the glowing resurrection amulet, as it pulsed with sheer power. In theory, the amulet could bring back someone from the dead, which was normally a direct violation of the laws of magic. But the price of doing so was predictable. The resurrection amulet required a life for a life, therefore becoming a loophole to that rule. But it wouldn't have been the first time a law of magic was defied. After all, they were called laws for a reason, which ultimately meant they could be broken.

There were three defined laws of magic that were top tiers when it came to the rules of magic. Bringing someone back to life was one and it had already been broken. Hades broke it when he revived the Collector; a true waste of a broken rule and she was sure that was something they could all agree on. Theoretically, the powers that be, whether one believed that was the power of the cosmos, Gods, or some other mystical force, often managed to punish those that broke the laws in one way or another. Proof of that could be argued by Hades' demise. Not only was he killed, but completely erased from existence.

There were loopholes to that rule though and it was intriguing that the pair before her had suffered no consequences when they sought to defy death. The Goddess Aphrodite had taken a lot of extra precautions in order to protect her charges this time around, but those protections should have been bypassed when Snow White crushed her own husband's heart. But she had brought him back only minutes later by having her heart split in half. Under the law of magic that stated no one could be brought back to life, such an endeavor should have failed. Yet, because of who they were, they were allowed to slip through that loophole and succeed. Some might argue that the trade off to that was that this pair, while deeply in love and happy together, rarely knew peace. These two humans should be as fragile and easy to kill as any others really. But they weren't. Killing them had been proven to be much harder than it should be and she was determined to be the one to do it.

The second law and its purpose was a bit lost on her. But history was riddled with the failures in breaking this one. Forcing someone to fall in love with another. She really knew nothing of love and had no desire to. But the pair before her had mastered love in every way. It was why they were so hard to kill. It was why they had such magic and had created a rich legacy of love and magical offspring. And it was why she needed them to make the resurrection amulet do what she wanted.

Long ago, its mysterious creation had been intended to break that first law. Whoever had created it, the identity of whom still remained a mystery, probably intended to bring someone back by sacrificing another. But for what Gothel intended, it required star seeds or gems, as they were sometimes known. Everyone had star gems inside them, but most were not magical. However, certain people had very powerful ones and the two most powerful ones in existence were in front of her. She almost scoffed at that too. She wasn't sure how such powerful star gems existed inside two beings who, for all intents and purposes, should be fairly weak in the grand scheme of things. Powerful star gems potentially had unlimited and unparalleled power. To be fair, no one really knew the full potential of star gems and no one really knew who had created them. Star gems inside people was something unique to their sector of nine realms. There was likely other things among the infinite realms that were similar, but Gothel knew that the right star gems could remake the world into what she wanted it to be. The resurrection amulet was simply a tool to harness and focus their power. She was sure just by using the dark, mysterious object that she was about to shatter the laws of magic. But she didn't foresee any consequences, for once she had those star gems from the truest loves, she would become the most powerful being in these nine realms. When that happened, she could basically rewrite the laws of magic any way she wanted to, for she would be more powerful than any of the Gods of Olympus or any being in any realm within their sector.

Laws were meant to be broken, after all and the pair before her had broken the third law, with their consequence being separated by another curse. They had broken the law of time travel unintentionally. Usually, time travel was expressly forbidden, because traveling to the past could jeopardize all sentient life. The prospect of meddling with the past could have untold consequences and disrupting time was considered a grievous sin by the Gods. And it was also messing with aspects of science that shouldn't have been tampered with. Facilier wanted to travel back and they had been sent to the past, albeit only about five years. With that law being broken, it was hard to say what kinds of consequences it might have. But since all these so-called heroes were about to die by her hand, she supposed that was a moot point. Time was about to become irrelevant, for she was resetting the clock on this world. Humanity would wither and her perfect Eden would grow. It seemed the two idiots were intent on fighting her though and were presenting quite a defense, which meant she needed a defense of her own.

"Time to take things up a notch," she said, as the ominous clouds above flashed violently with lightning and boomed with thunder. They watched the vines around them begin to convulse and screeching was heard, as they came to life in a new way. The vines sprouted arms, legs, and heads, which came complete with a full set of sharp teeth.

"Holy crap," Emma exclaimed.

"It's like Little Shop O' Horrors on steroids," she commented. Leo cocked his head to the side, acknowledging her reference.

"I was going to say it's like a bunch of Groots if Groot was evil, but yours works too," he replied. But there was more, as some of the vines sprouted flowers, which opened up into Venus flytraps, also complete with sharp, vicious teeth.

"And now we have piranha plants from Super Mario," Leo deadpanned. Screams ensued, as the creatures attacked and it was up to them to stop them from hurting people.

"Leo...start zapping. Regina...light them up wherever you can," Emma directed, as she watched the Venus flytraps start shooting poison darts.

"Summer...circle the perimeter and get as many of those darts into bubbles as you can," Emma said. Summer nodded.

"I'll start healing people that get hit," Eva said, as she hurried off with a very confused Dr. Narita in tow.

"What can I do?" Bobby asked.

"You can stay close to us," Snow answered.

"But Mom...I can help," he insisted.

"I need shock waves from you, kid. Hit 'em at their roots and dust them," Emma said.

"Yes…" Bobby cheered, as he ran off.

"Bobby...be careful!" Snow called frantically.

"I got him," Henry assured, as he followed him, armed with a sword, taking Jacinda and Lucy with him.

"What can I do? Ana and I can help," Drizella offered. Snow and Charming exchanged a glance.

"This is the epicenter. There's too many innocent people around. Start leading people away. Keep them out of buildings and structures," David instructed. She nodded and they left for their task as well.

"Need I remind you that none of this will matter if you don't take her out," Rumple reminded, as he indicted Gothel, who stood about twenty feet above them in a nest type structure that her plants had woven together to create for her, like some living plant Throne.

"Yeah, I'm over the creepy Little Shop O' Horrors vibe she's got going on," Emma commented. Snow glanced at her husband and followed his vision, as his eyes were locked on the structure that the witch's vines had created. Where the community garden had once been was now a very tall mass of vines, like a jungle had literally sprouted from the ground. Her nest was a top the structure and somehow, she knew what he was thinking. But she asked anyway.

"I know that look...you have a plan," she mentioned.

"Of sorts...but it's nuts," he replied. She smiled, despite the situation.

"I'd probably be disappointed if it wasn't," she offered.

"Weaver is right. Any plants we slice or burn up out here won't matter. That thing she's created will just create more. We have to go in there and destroy it from the inside," he replied.

"Which is probably what she wants," Snow agreed. He scoffed.

"Oh yeah...it's a trap for sure. But none of this stops unless we stop her in the source. That's where the amulet is," he responded. She nodded and threaded her fingers with his.

"Guys…" Emma called, as they turned back to her, seeing the palpable worry on her face.

"We'll be okay…" Snow assured. Tears brimmed her eyes, as she wondered if her mother could really promise that.

"You better be," Emma replied. David gave her a gentle smile and she could only watch her parents rush into the epicenter of the massive tangle of vines. Emma then rushed off to help handle more of the chaos and failed to notice Clayton following her parents in…

~*~

"This is insane!" Jacinda cried, as she watched Henry slice through more of the living plants.

"I know...and though it will still be nuts, I promise it will make sense when the curse breaks," he promised, as they approached a wall of the greenery, complete with several man-eating plants. Bobby hurried in front of them and they, plus all standing trapped by the plants, watched in amazement. Bobby's hands lit with silver magic, as he thrust his hands toward the ground, sending his power beneath the surface. Silver pulses traveled up the vines and the man-eating plants screeched in pain, as they were all turned to ash. Henry smiled.

"Nice...your powers are getting crazy strong, kid," he said, as they high-fived.

~*~

Leo exhausted a dangerous amount of lightning into the large curling vine that was wrapped around Belfry Tower. He growled under the strain, as the vine convulsed and tried to overcome his power. But he pressed on and it finally uncoiled from the building, before slamming dead to the ground. He heaved air into his lungs, as Eva put a hand on his shoulder, before her pink magic swirled around her and she levitated herself into the air. Her wind magic carried her and her confused husband, who still had no memory into an opening of the damaged building.

"I promise it will make sense eventually," she offered, as his face showed utter disbelief. He took a deep breath and followed her with his bag, as they began tending to the injured.

~*~

Several poison barbs were encased in bubbles and floated harmlessly into the sky, as Summer stopped them from pelting the innocent people below. Regina and Gold stood on either side of her, along with Belle, as they used fire to burn up the plethora of flora life that was growing wildly around the city.

"This is insane…" Regina growled, as she blasted another Venus flytrap before it could snap up any innocent bystander.

"And this is worse than New York. We might not be able to put this genie back in the bottle so to speak," Belle mentioned, as she did her best, armed with a cutlass.

"Then we better hope that once this is over that Snow and Charming can open a portal to the future and get us the hell out of here," Regina commented, as she destroyed more.

"And why isn't this damn curse broken yet? Those two have kissed and saved their daughter, but no rainbow light," Regina added, side eyeing her old mentor.

"Don't look at me...I don't know what's holding this one back," he answered, as Summer spotted two people that she knew being cornered by one of the man-eating plants. The floral monsters screeched angrily, as it fired two poison darts at Frankie and Joe. She gasped and released two bubbles, saving them from the poison. They looked at her in astonishment, just as Regina turned the plant to ash.

"Joe...Frankie...what are you doing here?" Summer asked.

"I don't know...we just felt like this is where we needed to be," Frankie replied.

"We somehow knew that family needed us, even if we're still trying to wrap our heads around this," Joe added. Summer sighed.

"I know...it's a lot," she agreed.

"Where are your parents?" Frankie asked. Summer looked over at the virtual palace that Gothel had created from her vines and plants.

"In there…" she uttered, as they looked on, wondering what was happening inside.

~*~

Snow and Charming walked cautiously into the structure, hand in hand, finding that Gothel had created her own little palace out of it. And though it appeared to be purely made of an intricate web of vines and flora life, they knew the structure was probably nearly indestructible. They reached what appeared to be like a Throne room and watched Gothel's nest descend from atop the structure and situate itself far above them.

"You two will be a fitting feast for my lovelies," Gothel commented, as two plants, with snapping jaws, loomed behind them. But David was quick to cut them down and his sword, powered by the chalice, turned them to ash.

"Yeah...plant food is not how this is going to end for us," he challenged. Gothel smirked.

"I had hoped you'd save yourselves all the pain to come by giving into the inevitable. Surrendering your star gems will ensure far less pain than if I have to take them by force," she warned. Snow glowered at the woman and fired an arrow at her. The woman easily caught it, but her surprise was palpable when it exploded. It scorched her nest and she plummeted to the ground before them, singed and seething with anger.

"You will pay for that, Princess…" she hissed, as she climbed to her feet. The explosion had rendered her human appearance null and she was now in her natural form. Blue tinted skin and sea green hair. Her limbs also seemed to take on a boneless-type quality when she moved, much like her living flora. Her dress was red and complete with a cloak, both tattered and weathered.

"We'll see…" David retorted. But she smirked.

"The Earth once belonged to my people...until it was stolen by humans," she growled.

"You humans destroy and pillage everything in your wake. You feared my people and destroyed them!" she raged.

"We didn't do any of that. Not all humans are alike. Punishing all for the actions of a few is wrong," Snow stated righteously.

"No...you're all the same. You're an infection upon my beautiful garden and one that I plan to cure," she argued.

"Then we'll stop you...and destroy you," David promised. She smirked.

"You will try," she challenged, as there was a shuddering beneath their feet. Massive vines sprouted around them and they had to flee the coils. David grabbed her hand and they ran, as Gothel's monstrous flora chased them through the structure. By now, the moving and evolving structure was a sheer labyrinth. They dodged and darted through and around coiled and twisted vines. They soon realized they were now far above solid ground and a misstep could send them plummeting back down to either the ground or into the coils of a vine ready to constrict the life out of them.

"Any more ideas?" Snow asked offhandedly, as they climbed around the twisted mess of vegetation.

"Not really...but you know I usually never really have a plan. I just make it up as I go along," he quipped in reply, as they reached a large gap in the vegetation. And jumping was too dangerous, for a Venus flytrap was directly below them, snapping its powerful jaws.

"Now what?" Snow asked, as he looked up and sliced through one of the thinner vines. He sheathed his sword and then grasped the vine firmly. He wrapped his free arm around Snow's waist and pulled her flush against him. She knew he intended to swing them over the gap and she snaked her arms tightly around his waist.

"Don't drop me," she teased.

"Never," he promised.

"But a good luck kiss wouldn't hurt anything," he added. She smiled and kissed him passionately, before he swung them over to the other side. He let go of the vine and they stood precariously on the slippery and unstable vines beneath their feet. They carefully moved away from the gap, but as Snow happened to glance back, she saw Clayton swinging his way over to them. She gasped, but not in time, as the Collector knocked her husband off the beam.

"Charming!" she cried, as he hung dangerously above a man-eating plant. Without thinking, she kicked Clayton in the chest, sending him back. Unfortunately, he grabbed the vine and swung back to their beam. Snow helped David pull himself up and he drew his sword to defend them. Clayton stood before them again and drew his own sword.

"Only one of you has to die and I can take control of the chalice," he stated.

"Which would mean nothing. We're the only ones that can defeat Gothel," Snow replied.

"So you say...but if I have the power again, I know I can make mulch out of her," he boasted.

"Except that I know for a fact that you can't. Queen Serenity...my predecessor told me such," Snow claimed.

"A Queen that's been dead for three thousand years? The one that failed to fully defeat Gothel in the first place?" he questioned sarcastically.

"Forgive me if I don't put much stalk in that," he responded, as he stood poised for battle with his nemesis'.

"Fighting us won't end well for you," David warned. Clayton smirked smugly.

"I'll take my chances, Charming," he retorted, as their blades clashed, while Snow stood by, ready with an arrow. They dueled precariously on the winding and twisted network of vines that were woven throughout Gothel's treacherous and warped Eden. Clayton made a risky leap to another platform, trying to gain an upper ground on them, but Snow was ready and fired an arrow. It exploded and burned up the fauna around him, as he fell to a platform just below them.

"You'll pay for that, Snow White," he growled, as he chased them through the maze of deadly precipices. Snow and David climbed around the vines and managed to find the top finally, while Clayton sliced through another thin vine, intending to use it to get to them. But David was seeing from his position that he wouldn't be able to without risking his life. If he missed, it would be sudden doom for him.

"I'll give you two a moment to discuss who gets to die," Clayton boosted, as he prepared to swing himself to them.

"You don't want to do that. You'll never make it...we have the higher ground," David warned.

"Like I said before...I'll take my chances, Your Highness," he retorted. They watched as he swung himself up and over to their platform, barely touching the edge of it. His smirk was smug, but he had swung through many more vines that were around him and those vines suddenly pulled him back. They watched as now he was suspended in the air by the vines and he fought them by slicing through them. Clayton sliced his way out and jumped toward their platform, but he missed and Snow gasped, as they watched in horror, as he slipped upside down and there was a strangled noise, as well as a sickening snap. They looked over the edge cautiously and gasped, as they saw that Clayton had essentially hung himself by accident and swung there dead, suspended by the vines that became his end. Snow cried out and turned away from the gruesome sight, as it instantly got worse, as two Venus flytraps shot up and tore the body to shreds, consuming him as food.

"Ohhh…" she groaned, as her stomach churned at the sounds of crunching bones, while she buried her face in David's chest.

"Well...as disturbing as that was, it was well deserved," David said and she couldn't disagree with that. The Collector had was evil and his obsession with killing one of them to gain the power of the Chalice had daunted them for far too long. Thankfully, this time there would be no resurrection for him. He was gone for good and despite all that still faced them, his demise was a victory for them. They usually didn't find comfort in anyone's death, even their enemies, but the Collector leading to his own undoing was more than fitting. Snow sighed and relished his lips, as he pressed them to her forehead. She knew they probably had mere moments until chaos erupted around them again, but oh how she wished they could just go home, away from all this ugliness.

"We'll get there, my darling," he promised. She smiled.

"Reading my thoughts, handsome?" she teased. He smiled.

"More like feeling them through you," he corrected. And she had to agree. She wasn't sure it was possible, but it truly seemed that their love managed to grow every day.

"So...any more to this plan of yours?" she asked.

"Not really, but I'm not a fan of this hide and seek game she's playing. I say we make her take us on directly," he replied.

"Then we need to bring this thing down, which is a lot of magic," she agreed. He smirked.

"Which we have," he said, as they grasped the chalice together. A beam of light slammed into the roof of the warped nightmare of a palace, quickly eating away at it. Once they had an exit, David grabbed a couple vines and they scaled the wall, before climbing out on top of it.

By then, most of their friends and family had gathered around, seeing the peculiar light coming from Gothel's garden monstrosity.

"We could use a bubble, peanut," David called down. Summer smiled and released one, which encased her parents safely inside and transported them to the ground, before popping.

"Let's take it down," David said, as they surrounded the structure and unleashed an assault of magic. Regina and Gold shot several fireballs at it, setting it ablaze. Bobby released shock waves into the ground going after the roots and while they were stunned by his power, Elsa released her ice powers into the ground, freezing the roots and killing them. Leo continued to hit the structure with his lightning powers, while Emma used beams of white magic to do the same. Alice stared at the structure and looked unsure, but soon felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You can do this, starfish...they need you," Hook encouraged.

"I know...but I think I'm supposed to do something else first. I'm the Guardian…" she said, as she started toward Snow and Charming, just as Gothel's palace collapsed to mulch. She emerged from the smoke, seething with rage and unscathed.

"Whoa...what happened to her?" Leo asked, referring to her shocking appearance.

"She is a nymph. Her mother was Mother Nature. This is her true form," Rumple answered. Alice fired her golden colored magic at her biological mother, but she batted the attack away like nothing.

"I'm through playing," she growled, as they watched in horror, as vine-like tentacles sprouted from her very being and she hit Alice first, knocking her away.

"Tilly!" Margot cried, as she and Hook rushed to her. Leo and Elsa rushed her next, ready to blast her with their powers, but she was ready, as her powerful tentacles swept them away as well. She smirked and blew golden dust on them.

"Can you move?" Leo asked.

"No…" she groaned, realizing they were both paralyzed by her pollen.

"All right, let's fry this bitch," Regina growled, as she and Rumple prepared to unleash their fireballs at her. But there was a rumbling beneath them and Belle, as more vines re-emerged from the ground, despite Bobby and Elsa's efforts to kill the roots and the three of them were captured within the coils.

"Hey tree huger...over here!" Emma called, as her magic collided with Gothel's. But the witch smirked, as she easily overpowered the Savior, allowing a vine to coil around her.

"Not today, Savior," Gothel cooed, as she moved toward Snow and Charming.

"Surrender your star gems and I'll make the deaths of everyone you love quick and painless," she offered.

"Save it," David retorted.

"We're not afraid to fight you," Snow added, as they stood strong before her, armed with the chalice. She smirked.

"Pity...I was hoping to spare your children from seeing the gruesome deaths that await you both," she retorted, as her tentacles slithered toward them and they knew that this battle had only just begun...