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fe-semi-decent-scenarios · 4 years

Note

Could I ask headcanons of Black Eagles flirting and crushing on Byleth (professor?)?

[Ask and you shall receive lol. Lately I’ve been busying myself with long reports, so I needed something cutsey to recharge.(Sorry if it’s complete rubbish lol) It’s not much but I hope you like it!]

Edelgard:

Ehh. She won’t be a student much longer anyways.

Byleth will always be her professor...but maybe another title can be ticked onto that list? She hopes so.

However, she doesn’t go too overboard. Just a few teasing gestures and quips every once in a while to sedate the budding sentiment in her heart

With more pressing issues over love, Edelgard can’t afford to play the role of lovesick schoolgirl

She sets side her personal feelings for the professor when around others. Instead they are treated as a good friend and adored instructor. Alongside the present given on Byleth’s birthday are a few other trinkets Edelgard picked up herself, you know, because she’s extra

When alone her thoughts often drift. There are many occasions where work ends up procrastinated

She keeps everything bottled up inside and doesn’t even hint at the idea of a crush to anyone. To love is to be compromised, to be compromised is to be weak, and to be weak is to fail

This is something she firmly believes until the support of her peers and affection from her professor begin to challenge it

Perhaps there is room for love in her future

“My teacher, you are an important companion to everyone here and to myself. You must never forget that”

Hubert:

Oh he is smooooth.

Yet subtle

He knows that he shouldn’t become too attached considering what’s to come in the future. His mind and body are her highness’ to command

....well, all good things come in moderation anyways. What’s a little meaningless flirting?

His flirting methods follow the ‘attack of opportunity’ plan. Meaning that he tosses in his quips when the time seems fitting

He knows what he is doing. Never assume otherwise

Obviously such conduct towards a teacher is unrefined. Does he care? The guy couldn’t give less of a sh*t

He has 100% commented on their dancing attire at least once

People should mind their own business lest they want to lose their tongue. Can’t gossip when you can’t speak, right?

If the professor doesn’t seem to mind then why should he stop? If they recuperate then that’s even better

It’s no fun when prey doesn’t fight back once in a while.

“Oh do go on. The droll behind your ever so taunting tone is intoxicating. It almost makes this insufferable lecture mildly entertaining” -shots fired. Professor or not, ‘love interest’ or enemy, Hubert does not tone down the sarcasm

No one even suspects that he has an interest in Byleth. He downright makes it appear that they are his sworn enemy (whether this is intentional or not? You decide)

Caspar:

‘Flirt’? ‘Caspar’? That’s funny

It’s not that he can’t do it. Caspar can be very charming when he wants to be, but why bother?

They’re his professor. If he starts kissing up to them then the others might start to think he’s pegging for special treatment

He also doesn’t want them to like a facade. He wants them to like him

Not that he would turn said special treatment down if offered. He d o e s want to get stronger, and the extra time with his “favorite”*wink* professor is a lucky bonus

He tends to have a ‘lingering eye’ that’s easy to pick up on if you catch my drift

he is not pure hearted, just a dunce. There is a difference

The boy blushes at every little action without even noticing

He loves to watch them train, both to better his own moves and to admire them without it seeming weird

Literally everyone knows that Caspar has a thing for Byleth before he knows it himself. He’s the kind that mistakes a crush for admiration

He’s also a big baby when it comes to them giving other people attention.

He justifies his interruptions as: “The professor doesn’t have time to do __ for __! They have enough to do as it is!”

Now what does that translate to in Caspar language?: “The time the professor spends doing __ is time they could spend with our class me”

Someone help him. He’s so thick headed it’s actually sad

Petra:

“My apologies. I will be returning after the clearing of my head”

She’s unfamiliar with the courting methods in Fodlan. Are they the same as in Bridgid?

Thoughts of the professor occasionally will interfere with her study time

Also her appetite. Normally she eats plenty at meals since she hates waste, but the professor makes her nervous about her etiquette

let’s just ignore that Byleth eats like a ravenous boar

She wants to take them to see Bridgid. It’s only natural to want to share the things you love with those you care about

She embraces the affection she feels. Byleth is a truly wonderful person and the royal family would gladly accept them if Petra expressed her feelings

When she returns she wants to ask them to accompany her

For now she will remain at their side both in battle, in leisure, and in spirit

Petra also isn’t one to approach with caution. The way she flirts is through honesty

If they do something she likes then she says so. If they look nice or are trying something new then she’ll comment on it. If she sees something in the shop that they might like, then she buys it

Petra is simple. She does for Byleth what she thinks will make them happy and doesn’t overthink it in the slightest

Dorothea:

The newfound feelings aren’t discouraged nor appreciated. It is a battle between practicality and love for her

Not because of them being a professor, but everything else

Mercenary, teacher, reincarnate, solider, tactician, etc.

Such a dangerous profession with so much blood on their hands. Are those the ones she wants to hold for the rest of their days?

Will they even live long enough to grow old with her?

She wants a reliable partner to take care of her and not give her a heart attack on a daily basis. So far only one box is checked

She will not be a widow at such a young age. She refuses

When these thoughts emerge Dorothea retracts from Byleth. There’s still the open friendliness that was there before, but now an extra barrier has been put up

She won’t go out of her way to give Byleth special treatment. Her search for a partner other than them will continue on

Maybe she’ll find someone else to smash these feelings so that there will be no need to confront them

Only after they ‘die’ will she stop suppressing them.

“To think that it took such a disaster for me to see the light. Why do people realize such things when it’s too late?” - she focuses on personal growth until the reunion. Relying on another person to prevent the past from reappearing is not what she wants.

Ferdinand:

The best way that Ferdinand can communicate his feelings is through words

He tries. He really tries to come across as a potential life partner for the professor. He can only be a student for so long, and they’re close in age. Logically there is nothing wrong with the possibility of a courtship

but because speaking ‘frilly’ is a normality the effect is not like how he hoped

When Ferdinand falls, he falls hard. Yes, he is a flirt. Yes, he stretches himself thin trying to please everyone. Yes, he has his quirks that make him extremely confrontational

So when he finds someone with the ability to make him both strengthen his morals, question the bigger picture, and grow as an individual (after the whole ‘noble’ mine-bomb) it’s a big deal

Therefore he will not relent in his pursuit of Byleth unless they explicitly tell him to stop. If words don’t work then he instantly pegs for quality time and acts of affirmation

Greets them every morning, carries their supplies, invites them to tea, delivers lost items, etc. People really do peg him as a kiss ass.

He doesn’t get the ‘heart flutters’ that people talk about. When he’s beside the professor he just feels energized. Like he could actually beat Edelgard ‘could’ is the key word in that scentence

“Good morning Professor! If your schedule allows it, would you care to join me for tea later this afternoon? Your company would make it the perfect level of sweetness”

Linhardt:

A firm believer of “age is but a number”

It’s more of his personal beliefs that tone down any pursuit of the professor. They are currently in a position of power over him that halts any relationship progression at a professional level.

So as any healthy person does: he vents any growing affection into his studies

He h a t e s how they make him restless.He’ll be feeling drowsy one moment but then their face will pop into his mind

He can’t even sleep through class. Not with them there

Actually works in the class’ favor since he starts contributing to the lectures. If you can’t beat them then might as well join them

This is how it is during pre-timeskip for the most part. Occasionally he will let his thoughts slip but never any action

He has crests to research and Byleth has students that seemingly want to die by the hour. There is literally no time to flirt

Now AFTER the timeskip, things are different. Linhardt is a blunt person which sometimes works in his favor. Just so happens that flirting comes naturally to him

most of the time it doesn’t though

“Could you refrain from doing that? It’s distracting” “Linhardt, i’m stretching. How is that distracting?” “You are an attractive individual. Need I say more?”

Life is short. He has no filter

Bernadetta:

“HI PROFESSOR!” “Afternoon Bernadetta. I see you’re out of your room today” “W-what? OH! Yes. Y-y-yEs i aM IM SORRY I’LL GO BACK PLEASE DON’T PATRONIZE MEEEEE”

She’s scared. What’s new?

The girl never expected to have these feelings. One night she was painting when what was supposed to be a cloud began to resemble her professor

It was downhill from there.

Her behavior is exactly the same as prior to her feelings. Being a naturally jittery person works to her advantage, no one suspects a thing!

Compared to simply being friends it will take longer for her to be comfortable

She will avoid Byleth at all times outside of lessons. It’s just too hard to communicate anymore

Eventually her outer shell will crack. The once new feelings will begin to feel normal and the old bernie will be back. Jittery, hyperactive, kind, lovable bernie

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sepublic · 4 years

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With what Dana revealed about the Blight parents and they arent what they appear to be in either a good or bad way, do you think she's going to reveal that they arent abusive? Because honestly with the whol thing with Willow and Amity's hair, the fact she never felt close to a parent, that she didnt have a place to go and that she still called a teacher Mom are all red flags. Maybe it will be that not both of them are horrible, maybe Mr Blight is also a victim?

(TL;DR at the bottom)

Let me get this clear; Abuse is abuse, intentional or otherwise. That it doesn’t matter if you didn’t realize how much you were hurting your loved one (like Emira and Edric), or if you were doing it ‘for their own good’ (Like Camila and Lilith). Emotional abuse is REAL and nothing can justify that, and after seeing the very elitist, almost disgusted way Mrs. Blight regarded Willow? How she’s so quick to blackmail her own daughter and someone else’s kid, and treats it like it’s all fine, implies to Amity that if she’s upset about the situation then she’s just being a silly little kid?!

This lady is AWFUL, there’s no room for interpretation. Whyshe’s awful and in what specific ways is interesting… But she’s awful regardless. I’m pretty sure Dana was alluding to the Blight Parents having more nuance than anticipated while still being terrible people, just as Lilith had her reasons for cursing Eda but was still a bad person for never telling the truth, supporting the Emperor’s Coven, mistreating Luz, etc.

In general, if I had to pull together my current read on the Blight Parents, and combine it with my own personal speculation and ideas…

Mr. Blight seems like the kind of person who’s at least… straightforward and honest about his abuse. Like he doesn’t bother with the pointless, ‘sweet’ façade, acting like he’s oh-so kind and caring, that this doesn’t REALLY matter… He seems rather blunt with his feelings. Like he doesn’t try to undermine your feelings by gaslighting you into thinking they don’t matter, mostly he’s just saying, “They don’t matter to me.” Which is still, like, AWFUL, but…

Then we have Mrs. Blight, who seems to be actively smiling at Eda’s misery in the flashback; That or she’s smiling at Lilith, but regardless. She comes across as a lot more willfully sadistic, and more intentional of a gaslighter; Someone who makes you doubt yourself by getting into your head, making you question yourself and if you’re right… Really playing it up like she DOES know best, that you’re just a silly little kid, you’ll learn and grow up eventually… It’s so dismissive and condescending.

Like, Mrs. Blight is the kind of person who when called out bats her eyes and is oh-so innocently like, “Oh, me?” As if she never did anything wrong, that at worstit was some mistake or misunderstanding… That you can still LOVE her, because she totally still loves you and always did! And then you start wondering if you were too harsh with your accusations, if you’re assuming too badly of her, that maybe Mrs. Blight didn’t ACTUALLY mean it, maybe you’re just going too far…!

…Like let’s be real. They’re BOTH terrible. But something about Mrs. Blight rubs me the wrong way… And it’s even MORE aggravating considering how much she looks like Amity and Emira. I suspect that it’s her way of sugar-coating her abuse, dressing it up in a little bow, that REALLY contributed to the Blight Kids internalizing a lot of toxicity without even realizing it, and thus transmitting it to one another and outsiders as a result, under the impression that they’re not actuallybeing that bad, right? That if they other doubt their harshness, Mrs. Blight’s abuse undermines that doubt by reassuring the kids that they’re totally in the right and that at worst they’re just misunderstanding things!

In Lilith’s childhood flashback, Mr. Blight doesn’t really seem to be reacting much.

He seems mostly apathetic, aloof, and chill about the whole thing… Meanwhile, you have Mrs. Blight who very clearly has a much more willfully malicious smile to her about the situation! Though it’s hard to say what him and his wife were reacting to specifically in that moment, as they can be seen glancing at Lilith, who has just been inducted into the Emperor’s Coven…

But their expressions could also be hold-overs from their reactions to Eda, who they likely looked down upon for being a troublemaker and defying the Emperor’s Coven in that moment, getting cursed. Knowing Mrs. Blight in particular, she was probably smugly vindicated by the moment; Like this commoner dared to spit on the very values and ideals that nobles like her held themselves up to, and was karmically punished by the Isles for this! Meanwhile she’s looking down proudly upon Lilith for actually ‘knowing her place’, for ‘learning to be one of them’, for ascending past her lowly peers and whatnot… You get the idea.

Given the way Mrs. Blight was smiling at Lilith in that flashback, I have to wonder if in general she approved of Lilith was one of those few ‘humble beginners’ who became acceptable for the Blights to hang around, which coupled with her status as Belos’ head enforcer, led to Amity being her apprentice…

Though I have to wonder how Mrs. Blight reacted to the Covention Incident and what Amity had to say, especially since she knows firsthand that Lilith and Eda –sort of- had their feuds in the past? I wouldn’t be shocked if she believed Amity about Lilith resorting to the Power Glyph, but still punished her daughter anyway because she’s an abuser…

So, when you combine this with what we’ve heard from Dana herself, about the Blight Parents appearing in multiple ways that could be ‘good or bad’ for our protagonists, and Mr. Blight being an interesting person to write for…

…I think it’s likely that Mrs. Blight was born into the family. She’s the one who has power, given how she dictates that Amity have green hair like her… She definitely has the more elitist look to her in childhood, and her VA was specifically mentioned as a guest-star and everything!

(Getting into some baseless speculation, we know the Abomination Head can’t be the Blight Parents as they were appointed when the Coven System began, when clearly the Blight Parents were kids in its earliest years… Dumb idea, but the Abomination Head’s hair is tied back in a bun, like Mrs. Blight…?)

So in all likelihood, Mrs. Blight is probably the one who wields the power in the family, and I have to wonder what her husband thought of it when she prioritized making Amity look like her, in the process removing the main visual connection his daughter had with him! Did he have any doubts, did Mrs. Blight have to reassure her husband that it was all in good-nature, that surely he understood as an outsider? Or…

In Amity’s flashback, Mr. Blight specifically states that Blights only associate with the strongest of witchlings. If he did marry in as a technical outsider, this would obviously be a very conceited thing for him to say, that he considers himself worthy and strong enough to have joined the family… But after seeing his generally aloof expression, slightly unruly hair, and what Dana said? Amidst my observations of Mrs. Blight having the power, and Mr. Blight seeing more like an enforcer what his wife has to say?

…I have to wonder if Mr. Blight was like, perhaps. The FIRST person that his wife abused and began to take control of. Like, Mrs. Blight WAS interested in him as children because Mr. Blight was genuinely charming and also pretty strong… But somewhere along the way, she used her greater social status to be in charge of him. Maybe Mrs. Blight began dictating how her significant other acted and behaved, to make sure he was ‘worthy’ enough to be a member of the Blight household. And while some of this could’ve been motivated partially by a genuine desire to see him fit in with her, as well as her own conditioning…

…It’s still kind of an awful way to treat your beloved. Maybe Mrs. Blight intentionally abused and gaslit or him, or maybe Mr. Blight was always used to being in a position taking orders from her, out of a genuine sense of loyalty and love… And one way or the other, that twisted into him only caring what she had to say. That to him, his self-worth hinged entirely on whether or not he matched the Blight standard, if his beloved wife would approve…

Perhaps Mr. Blight was someone who was also indoctrinated into the Blight family, not allowed to become one of them until he changed who he was? Like his relationship with his wife as kids was similar to Boscha and her friends, just sort of a follower who got roped in… But with a dash of genuine love and you’ve got him unquestioningly carrying out her orders, helping Mrs. Blight abuse their children together because can’t you see your beloved mother knows best???

Maybe he has experience with what they’ve gone through, albeit from a more sympathetic angle from Mrs. Blight… And regardless, to Mr. Blight, he’s someone who survived the abuse and came out better, stronger for it! He knows it’s a good thing and pays off in the end, those children of theirs just need to understand…!

Because it’s worth noting that he has brown hair. So to Mr. Blight, his wife may be the world to him in a rather toxic sense… That HER lineage matters more, that SHE graced him and his ‘humbler’ backgrounds… I have to wonder if Mr. Blight purposefully cut off ties with the rest of his family to be with his wife, either because his wife specifically demanded it or simply as a side-effect of absorbing her elitist, classist attitudes over time.

…Like, what if Mr. Blight dyed his hair green, too?! To match with his wife… Like he’s the one always making concessions for her because SHE is the noble Blight, and he doesn’t even realize or consider how toxic it all is; Because to Mr. Blight, he takes a personal pride in serving his wife, because there really IS a genuine love there… But that real love is unknowingly hindered by Mrs. Blight needing to enforce some elitist hierarchy within the family. To Mr. Blight, he’s just repeating his wife’s mantra, he sees himself as serving his rightful place in the world, no doubt thanks to Belos and his Coven System encouraging such a viewpoint…

And, like. There’s still some genuine, legitimate trust between these two. I wouldn’t be at all shocked if Mrs. Blight had indoctrinated her husband without either of them realizing this, because they were both kids and this is how she’d always lived! But alas, it’s worrying… That too much of his self-worth is directed towards his wife and neither of them consider this, that Mr. Blight would gladly lay down his life for her because she showed him kindness… But he’s still dependent upon her, and conditioned to be so like many others with the Emperor’s Coven!

I also have to wonder if Mrs. Blight will be an extreme version of Lilith; Someone who legit thinks she knows best and casually gaslights others into doubting their objections without even thinking about it, without even self-reflecting upon it… Like a part of her is willfully ignorant of the harm she’s causing, or she’s taught herself to be outright dismissive of it in the end; Because surely she knows best, right? Perhaps she’s someone who casually steamrolls over what others have to say because while there’s some genuine love and interests she’s also very elitist and patronizing, and was taught that she’s the one who should be in charge.

Then there’s my speculation, half-joking, on the idea of Luz being wholly accepted into the Blight Family, because look at this clever human who managed to wound Emperor Belos! Clearly she’s VERY powerful… Not to mention, Luz is very friend-shaped! So we could have Mrs. Blight trying to assimilate Luz into the family, dye her hair green, make Luz hang out with her kids more and more…

And Mr. Blight is just watching it all, and when Luz expresses doubts he pulls her to the side, explains that he understands and empathizes… But then he tells her to keep going with it, because who wouldn’t want to be where he is now? That obviously it’s worth it in the end to be with your beloved Blight… Not for social status or anything, but simply to serve a higher cause, and someone you love.

So this could be a very ‘twisted’ form of acceptance, kind of like how Lilith initially loved Eda but more the idea of her up until the season finale… Of the Blight Parents wanting Luz, but wanting a specific version of her that’s fully integrated into the family! I can see them using their influence to cut off Luz’s ties with her other friends and family, to make her more entrenched and dependent upon the Blight household…

And naturally, Eda and Lilith and the rest, have a lot to say! Amity definitely has reservations, she wanted to keep Luz from her parents for this and other reasons… While Emira and Edric possibly take it in stride, because they don’t quite realize what’s going on, or they’re just too thrilled at having Luz be accepted to consider the implications of what’s happening! Maybe they think it’s okay because they can teach Luz how to still be her own person, or they’re just glad to have her and don’t think much of it, because while those two certainly try, they’re not always self-aware of the toxicity their parents passed on.

Either way, Luz is inevitably going to have to make a stand and insist on still maintaining her own connections and who she is, Amity will stand up for her… And things will get messy, because I REALLY do not want to see the Blight Parents be angry! Maybe the Twins stick up for Luz and Amity or just stay to the side, because they didn’t really see the issue beforehand? Either they’re neutral and/or they take Amity’s side, there’s no story where they side with their parents!

And, there’s the possibility that. The Blight Parents just REJECT Luz, immediately! And we’ve already seen plenty of speculation on how THAT will go… Such as the idea of them sabotaging Luz’s enrollment at Hexside, even if Belos himself doesn’t care about persecuting her as of the moment.

TL;DR Mr. Blight was an outsider and got fully-indoctrinated into the Blight family mentality and dutifully serves his wife. While he’s still a victim of toxicity, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s now complicit in it as well, something the show addresses with characters like Lilith or Amity. Mrs. Blight is elitist and definitely more of the ‘mastermind’ who has the final say in things, but whether or not she’s actively, intentionally spiteful or is just devoid of self-awareness (or both), I can’t say!

#the owl house #owl house #blight parents #the owl house amity #amity blight #the owl house edric #edric blight #the owl house emira #emira blight #speculation #theory #ask

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skeletorific · 4 years

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DUUUUUUUDE I'd love to see your classpects for the boys, n compare them to my own personal hc!! I love godtier stuff, and imagining them in bright silly outfits is just👌

This was so fucking PEACEFUL to work on it was a delight to do so let’s do this. I’m doing extended zodiac signs too because i CAN. Also, putting this under a cut cause it got LONG

CLASSPECTING THE SKELEBROS

UT!Sans: True sign is Scormino, Sign of the Fatalist

So, a point by point breakdown

-Cerulean: something that immediately woke me up to Sans as a Cerulean was the idea of a “mask for every occasion”. Sans is not one thing to all people. He flips between personas, adjusting it a little for each encounter. This isn’t because he’s manipulative per se, but because he genuinely thinks it’ll just make things easier for everyone

-Prospit: Prospit repression yo. Not to mention he’s more go with the flow than he is “fuck the system”.

-Doom: Rather than explain this connection, I’m just gonna paste the description for Doombound, since its practically a textbook description of Sans himself

Those bound to the aspect of Doom are fate’s chosen sufferers. It may not sound like an overly pleasant aspect to be aligned with, but it does come along with great wisdom and empathy. The Doom-bound understand that misery loves company, and they are ready and willing to provide said company. The Doom-bound won’t fix you; they aren’t healers. They are commiserators, aware that sometimes the only thing you can do for a person is let them know that they are not alone in their suffering. They are not the advice friend-they’re the friend you go to when you need to vent about a rough day at work. They are not necessarily noble martyrs, either-the Doom-bound can become quite irate about their lot. At their best they are wise, kind, and non-judgemental. At their worst, bitter, resentful, and fatalistic.

This is a summary of Genocide route Sans so succinct it could’ve been written about him intentionally. I did consider time for him, but ultimately Time is an aspect defined by a struggle. Sans does not struggle against the oncoming fate. He buys it a drink and hopes it leaves as little damage as possible in its wake.

As far as class goes, I classpect him as a Mage of Doom. One who understands or understands through their aspect, and no one understands the coming storm quite like Sans does. Mages are also traditionally understood as suffering as a result of their knowledge of their aspect whether too much or too little. In a sense, Sans’ relationship with the Anomaly encompasses both.

UT!Papyrus: True sign is Aquius, sign of the Whimsical

-Violet: Violet signs are noted for their eccentricity and individuality. I have a harder time coming up with two adjectives more fitting than that for Papyrus. Additionally, they have a reputation for craving social interaction to the point of being clingy, which is also extremely fitting

-Prospit. Not much to add to this one beyond going with the flow and an aversion to going off the beaten path.

-Breath:The aspect of freedom, confidence, imagination, and fun. Something notable about Breath players is that they’re at their best when they let loose and be themselves. Papyrus can’t really be who he wants to be when he’s trying to play a role, of guard captain or human hunter. When he’s being authentic Papyrus though, he’s capable of inspiring hearts and minds.

I classpect Papyrus as a Sylph of Breath. Papyrus does both literal and metaphorical healing. If you get knocked out during your fight with him, he carries you back to his shed and nurses you back to health. Additionally, Papyrus reminds people that they are free to chase their dreams and their own potential. He tries to make the Player recall their better intentions. He pumps up Alphys, restoring her confidence that she’s lost over the years. He heals the relationship between the player and Undyne in order to liberate Undyne to be her more authentic self: a woman who just wants to help her people. Additionally, he is a key facet in liberating the Underground, restoring the sky to people who have been denied it for so long.

UF!Sans: True sign is Tauriborn, sign of the Covetous

-Bronze: Bronze just has that earthy quality I eat with a SPOON for Red. Additionally, they navigate that space between a genuine desire for stability and a tendency to stubbornly commit even when it hurts you. Additionally, there’s a hedonism associated with Bronze signs that feels very fitting.

-Derse: restless skepticism, a tendency to mistrust, and rebellion in the blood? Sounds like a skeleton who’s been living rent free in my head for long enough.

-Rage: There’s of course a very literal level to this. Red’s one of the angrier of the skelebros. Additionally, though, there’s a resentment of lies and false civilities. Red hates liars, hates convenient likes. He tends to play his own cards close to the chest, but resents it in other people. Additionally, there’s a burn it all down impulse that’s very present in him that resonates with this aspect.

I classpect Red as an Heir of Rage. I tend to understand Heir as one who is surrounded by their aspect, or surrounds other with their aspect. Red surrounds himself in a field of rage, and those who are the target of his wrath are too. Additionally, though, he inherits the positive aspects of wrath, the bullshit detector and the impulse towards seeking out the truth. Additionally heirs tend not to take a very intellectual approach to their aspect, because they don’t have to. They embody it unconsciously.

UF!Papyrus: I kind of went over this but for the sake of coherency: True sign is Saginius

-Indigos: in addition to having a rep for being the bastions of order, indigos tend to devote themselves entirely to their interest. They can be sociable, but have a tendency to not really consider other people’s emotions, leading to a lot of unintentional hurts. Edge has a cold abrasive personality at many points, but it’s rare that he intends to hurt the people closest to him. It just sort of happens to him.

-Prospit: Again, Edge doesn’t rebel. He works with the society cards he’s been dealt. His prospit associations are where he’s closest to his Tale self.

-Hope: Hope is the aspect, not just of optimism, but of order. Hope players have a very black and white approach to the world, and dedication to ideals that they see as higher than themselves. Both of these are to me very Edge qualities, even if he’s not the most sunshiney person. He has things he believes in strongly, and he doesn’t wave.

I classpect Edge as a Knight of Hope. He defends his aspect, defending his ideals and the things he chooses to dedicate himself, and defends with his aspect, using his internal compass as a bastion against doubt and misgivings. Additionally, Edge has an inherent lean towards protecting and working for others, even if at his most unhealthy point his ego can make him bossy.

US!Sans: Blue’s true sign is Arcer, sign of the Officer

-Burgundy: Rust signs tend to be characterized by an unbending determination. Its not that they’re immune to the bad things in the world, its simply that they tend to roll with the punches and try to make things work regardless. Blue is quick to trust and overly excitable, but a loyal friend and an imaginative companion. All of these are Rust characteristics.

-Prospit: Again, unwavering optimism and a loyal temperament.

-Blood: Blood is the aspect of relationships and mutual support. Blue is an extremely social creature, prone to doing his best work via inspiration. He invests strongly in the people around him, and has a hard time giving up on others. Blood can also be the aspect of sinking ships. They tend to latch on to things and people other’s might consider to be “lost causes” and stubbornly refuse to leave them behind. I tend to characterize Blue with a low level of anxiety, constantly afraid that the people around him are going to leave him behind if he’s not good enough. Peak Blood player.

I classpect Blue as a Page of Blood. Like I said, Blue’s “Sans” tendencies come out in his interactions with others. Like most pages, he has a very shakey grasp of his aspect. He genuinely has the ability to make people feel cared for and comfortable. He even has great potential to inspire others to do better. However, he’s still in the process of learning how to command his aspect effectively, sometimes vacillating between overloading people with interaction and at other times barely confiding his emotions in even the people he should be close with. As this potential unlocks, though, there’s no ceiling to all he might achieve.

US!Papyrus: Stretch’s true sign is Gemza, sign of the Shrewd

-Gold: Gold signs command intellectual prowess, quick wit, and reserved tendencies in a way Stretch has done his entire life. Something notable about goldbloods is they have a tendency to refuse to live up to their full potential. They find their niche and carve out their mark within it while letting the rest of their life functionally fade to the background as “unimportant”. Stretch is adept and knowledgeable in his areas of interest and finds it hard to give a shit about the rest. Despite this, he still hangs on to the goldblood’s usually innate likeability, albeit without much emotional vulnerability.

-Derse: While Stretch isn’t exactly a rebel, Derse has an association with skepticism and a desire for rationality that inherently resonates with him. One thing that also stood out to me is a tendency to develop a very self-effacing sense of humor as a cover, which is a VERY Stretch quality. He doesn’t quite have the repression for Prospit, nor will he let himself be put into boxes that don’t suit him.

-Mind: Mind players (and Stretch) are defined by a certain sense of fluidity. They don’t really feel compelled to develop a strong sense of self, preferring instead to react organically to how they think is best and most logical to the moment. Stretch is a creative and quick thinker, which combines with a very nasty FOMO and an aversion to simplicity. Absolute Mind Player Core.

His classpect is tricky, but I feel Witch of Mind is the most fitting for him. Witches are often characterized by having a more lackadaisical relationship with their aspect. They understand it intimately enough to know how to break it when it suits them. In addition to reason and choice, Mind is also the aspect of systems and rules (think Terezi’s justice core). Stretch is a quick study about systems, but doesn’t necessarily adhere himself to them. Whether its a game he’s playing, a puzzle he’s solving, or a person he’s interacting with, sometimes the best thing in the world is to dig in and study until you find the point that breaks the whole thing open.

SF!Sans: Black’s true sign is Cancen, sign of the Translucent

-Lime: Lime signs tends to be characterized by forceful and intense personalities, with intense emotions and a tendency to fixate on improvement. They can often be effective at inspiring people to follow their lead, but have difficult personalities to work with. All of this is extremely Black, with the proviso that I tend to characterize him as often needing to repress those intense emotions. He leans hard into his own anger, but often covers up his other extremes for the sake of their own safety.

-Derse: while Black has learned to cooperate with the world around him, he’s never not going to be looking for ways to get around it. He’s often sardonic, and is usually extremely slow to trust those around him. He may put on a front of being the Queen’s man through and through, but there’s a lot of Irons in the fire that he doesn’t feel the need to make public.

-Heart: As I said, I tend to characterize Black as struggling against strong emotions that even he barely understands. He has a very distinct and strong personality, as well as intensive emotions. In moments of stress, he’s prone to intense self-reflection. Where did he go wrong, where can he improve. Additionally Heart players have an association with identity constructing, frequently diffusing their personality into a variety of splinter selves in a form of elaborate “roleplaying”, which to me clicks nicely with Black’s bossy and aggro Royal Guard posturing.

Its because of this struggle against his own aspect that I classpect Black as a Rogue of Heart. Rogues often struggle to cope with their aspect, and may even begin to crave the opposite. Black at his core craves the rational thought and pure justice of the Mind aspect. However, the more they embrace their aspect, especially in service to others (being a passive class), the healthier they often end up being. If you’ve read my “Tyrant” fic, Black steals his and Rus’s performance of self to allow them the freedom to act and pass unnoticed by the guard. He represses his own emotions to give space to other people’s, and at his best can redistribute his own assurance with his purposes to the people around him, making him potentially an inspiring presence.

SF!Papyrus: Rus’ true sign is Capries, sign of the Bold

-Purple: purples have a tendency to dedicate themselves to causes or people they care about and work until they are either stopped or made incapable or working more, much as Rus works for his brother’s well-being. Additional points of resonance were a macabre sense of humor, a tendency to withdraw when upset, a sense of fatalism, and a tendency to dig in his heels even if its against his own best interest. Plus….Clown Rus sexy what can I say.

-Derse: like his brother, Rus is inherently skeptical of easy outs. Like many Derse dreamers, he’s a problem solver, even if it comes at great personal cost. Rus’s Derseness is also exemplified in his tendency to develop strong bonds of loyalty to other people….without ever really allowing himself to be vulnerable with those people. He has the perspective that his emotions don’t truly matter.

-Time: Honestly kind of surprised it took me this long to make one of the Lazybones a time player, but I think making Rus it was the right choice. Time players are often defined by a sense of struggle. Time players are seemingly incapable of taking things lying down. Even if they won’t fight for themselves (and Rus rarely ever will) they often have an internal moral code that makes them unable to be a bystander. Rus is lazy, he’s a fatalist, he has a hard time taking care of himself. But he’s unable to stop himself from acting, especially when it involves someone he cares about. Additionally, Rus has associations with death in his judge role, which he takes extremely seriously.

I debated making Rus another knight, but ultimately I feel Seer of Time fits him better. All the Sans derivatives are prone to a sort of restless curiosity about the world around them, and in Homestuck terms I see that as a desire to in some way sync up with their aspects. A Seer is one who invites understanding. Rus seeks to reckon with both the cycle of life and death and the wide variety of timestreams that are causing havoc in his world. Unlike the mage, he has a hard time accepting what he understands: Seers are in many cases notorious for resenting the idea of someone else controlling them. Still, he’s practically unable to stop himself from exploring further, continuing to pick and pick at the scab of his reality no matter how much it hurts.

#yes-virtualcollectorofpeace #undertale #underfell #underswap #swapfell #sans #papyrus #uf!sans #uf!papyrus #us!sans #us!papyrus #sf!sans #sf!papyrus #classpecting #extended zodiac #headcanon #long post

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davidmann95 · 5 years

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Velvet's battle is a great choice, though I'll always have a special place in my heart for the fight against the Grimm Deathstalker and the Nevermore in Episode 8. That said, what do you think of the individual members of Team RWBY?

I decided to wait on this until I caught up on the series thus far, which I just finished doing the night before last in pretty much the only time in my life I’ve ever really properly binged anything other than comics, and…wow. I knew RWBY was a thing just as a matter of course from being on this site and Youtube, and from watching Death Battle, so I picked up some major beats by osmosis. But my main impression was that it was a charming pseudo-anime online thing of decent quality that unsurprisingly got heavier as it went along as such things tend to do, with extremely rad fights and music along the way; figured it’d be more than serviceable to watch while I was on the treadmill as a disposable distraction from the agony of propelling my wheezing, sweating, loathsome meat-scaffolding forward.

I did *not* expect it to eventually end up after growing pains a - while far from flawless - intensely engrossing story of all-consuming personal and generational pain and people who choose to love and do the right thing in defiance of that trauma and loss and hopelessness, where also occasionally a corgi gets fastball specialed at mechas. Though once it became clear that’s what it is, it pretty clearly sat at an intersection of a hell of a lot of my favorite things, especially when characters copped in-universe in both the main series and spinoff material that this is basically a superhero thing. My initial impressions re: the fights and music were on-point though.

I actually have quite a few thoughts on pretty much all the protagonists of note at this point (other than I suppose Oscar and Maria. Like them both though, and I do hope that nice boy’s brain somehow doesn’t dissolve into the blender of Ozpin’s subconscious), but I’ll just stick with the core four here as requested for now unless someone asks otherwise. Weiss is the simplest to get at the core of, I’d say: her arc is learning that fuck rich people, actually. She’s a seriously difficult character to get onboard for at first - especially if you’re watching those first episodes for the first time in 2019 - as the mean unconsciously racist rich girl who learns to be less mean and racist but still kinda mean. But after you’ve extensively seen the hideously toxic environment she grew up in, and fully understand her efforts to grow past the empty values it inculcated in her in favor of everything she was raised to think of herself as above, she becomes a hell of a figure to root for. Assuming RWBY is gonna go, say, a respectable 10 seasons given it was just renewed through 9, I could easily see the upcoming 7th be the climax of her arc with her return to Atlas and likely further reckoning with the consequences of her families’ actions beyond how they’ve hurt her personally.

Yang is also, in a certain abstract narrative sense, simple, in that she’s built around the very oldest trick in the book for characters whose main deal is ‘can punch better than absolutely anyone’: give them problems that cannot be solved by punching. Except in her case it’s less a material “well, this person is invulnerable to punching!” or “well, actually this other person can punch most best of all” issue blocking her path than “punching cannot solve depression, abandonment issues, questioning whether what she considers her purpose in life is one she’s truly pursuing for noble reasons or if she even has the resolve for it anymore after what’s happened to her, or PTSD”. Yet, while it may not be the kind that manifests in the form of punching people with a smirk and a bad pun anymore (much as she still definitely does that all the time) what ultimately drives her and defines her is still her strength: to move forward, to forgive, to let go, to do the right thing in spite of the risks. Which could easily come off as some unpleasant “you just have to get over your moping!” dismissal - there’s a bit with her dad that means it saddles riiiiight up to the edge of that - but there’s a weight to how her traumas remain a consistent factor in her life and have shaped her outlook even as her circumstances and day-to-day disposition improve that makes it feel thematically like it’s coming from a place of acknowledgment and endurance rather than denial, even if it’s not handled perfectly. Great to see her apparently recapturing some more of her joie de vivre based on the trailer for Volume 7, and how that’ll interact with how she’s grown should be interesting.

Blake is…tough, because you fundamentally cannot talk about Blake without getting into the Faunus, which is maybe the biggest aspect of RWBY that leaves it in the realm of Problematic Fave. It really, really wants to have something substantial to say about the proper response to racism, and every now and then it pumps out a “capitalism greases the wheels of systemic oppression and vice-versa” or “it’s perfectly reasonable for the oppressed to seek to fight back directly against their oppressors, and even the pacifist in the room can recognize that’s a defensible approach that deserves its place”. But then Abusive Boyfriend Magneto literally murders nuance in Vol. 5 episode 2, and it descends into some borderline “but what about black on black violence” respectability politics shit. It’s the classic X-Men setup - this persecuted race of often superpowered folks torn between pacifism and efforts to prove themselves to their oppressors, and those who think they should rise up and annihilate the flatscans - with most of the same pitfalls, but also we haven’t had over 50 years to get used to that just being how it works here, and it doesn’t have the excuse of having to expand as best it can on a metaphor that was originally devised before most of the people currently handling it were born. All of which would be rough enough, but given I watched this right as Jonathan Hickman’s been completely refining the entire X-Men paradigm outside that outdated binary, it especially grates. I’d love to be directed to any solid counterarguments - I’ve heard it might actually be an analogue, and a well-done one, for The Troubles, which I am one million percent unqualified to evaluate - especially since apparently one of the writers grew up in a mixed-race household, and at the end of the day I’m a white guy who may well be talking completely out his ass. But it sure comes off at a glance as some well-intentioned dudes stumbling through stuff that’s not their business, and that’s inextricable from Blake’s character when so much of her story is her navigating through that metaphor. Hopefully with new writers coming onboard this is something that can be navigated more insightfully in the future.

On a purely personal basis however, Blake’s a standout in terms of relatability when her story comes down to a pretty universal shared horror: how to climb back from having fucked up. She tried really hard to do the right thing, was taken advantage of and led into doing things she eventually realized were wrong, was so shaken that she couldn’t tell who to trust, and then the situation spiraled out of control on every possible front just as things finally seemed to be stabilizing. The way a single mistake - enabled and exacerbated by an abusive past relationship in her case - expands into a self-loathing far beyond the bounds of anything she could possibly be responsible for is brutal and completely understandable, and seeing her start put her self-esteem back together with the help of those closest to her and the power of her original convictions is arguably the single strongest, most clearly conveyed individual character arc in the series. I’m very curious where it goes from here: Adam’s finish represents a logical climax and the setup for a happily-ever-after with Yang (or Sun if they end up going that way after all) for her to coast through the remainder of the series on, but the way emotional consequences have played out in the series thus far I doubt her demons are going to be put to bed that simply.

Finally there’s Ruby, and I am contractually obligated to note up front: she is clearly not a Superman analogue. There is precisely zero percent chance that she was conceived as such or was ever deliberately executed in such a way that mirroring him was kept in mind. Though she IS a super-powered idealist raised in the middle of nowhere with a significant deceased parent who wears a red cape, flies, gives inspiring rallying speeches, has black-ish but primary color-tinted hair, and has a mysterious birthright that involves being able to shoot lasers from her eyes, plus she has a dog who also essentially has superpowers, plus she tells someone they’re stronger than they think they are, plus Yang basically quotes a bit from Kingdom Come regarding her in Rest and Resolutions. But it probably goes a ways in explaining why she works so well for me.

There’s more to it than that of course, though it does bring up the closest way in which she relates to the superhero paradigm: she doesn’t go through an arc in quite the same way as the others, instead being an already solidly-defined character who is simply illustrated by how she interacts with the people and situations around her. She learns and grows and matures, but her most basic motivations and goals and outlook haven’t really changed since the day she enrolled at Beacon. She’s a good, caring person, a leader archetype who still has more than enough personality to spare to keep from falling into the genericism that can often plague that role. A big part of the key I believe is that she’s the audience surrogate in a profound way beyond the obvious touchstones of her frequent awkwardness and self-doubt: the reason she does this is because she was inspired by stories. She’s a fan, ultimately, but one who learned all the right lessons, whether recognizing from day one the way reality falls short of the tales she was raised on but still believing in the ideals they represent, or openly holding up Qrow as a role model while being willing to call him on his shit when push comes to shove. It’s a romantic, hopeful perspective that stands out sharply from even our other heroes even as it mirrors their struggles, but as of yet there’s little to suggest it comes from a place of naivete so much as a belief that it’s the only way to bear the pain of the world and continue to believe in it. Bit by bit it’s clear she’s heading for a breaking point, but all signs point to that being a matter of her ability to withstand what she’s been through, rather than any doubt that it’s necessary, and should that time come she’s inspired plenty who’ll be able to help her back onto her feet the way she has for so many others. So while I understand her speeches apparently grate on some, as far as I’m concerned keep them coming, they’re the beating caring heart of the series and often the sole respite in the eye in the storm.

#RWBY #Ruby Rose #Weiss Schnee #Blake Belladonna #Yang Xiao Long #Mental Health #Racism #Superman #Analysis #Opinion

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beeblackburn · 4 years

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Pretender Reads A Little Hatred, Part I, Chapter Ten

I won’t break this streak of reading, but procrastination’s got different ideas at times. Goes without saying spoilers ahead for the entirety of The First Law works beyond the keep reading. Read at your own risk.

Chapter Title: Break What They Love Point-of-View: Rikke

Rikke wriggled her shoulders further back among the knotted roots, up to her neck in the icy river and her hair full of dirt, listening to the warriors of her enemy trudge past on the path above. By the sound of it, there were a lot of the bastards. She wondered, yet again, what would happen if they caught her. When they caught her. She tried to make her breath come slow, come even, come quiet.

What with the grinding fear for herself, and the chafing worry for everyone she knew, and the niggling pain of a hundred little knocks and scratches, and the gnawing hunger and gripping cold, it all added up to quite the shittest afternoon she’d ever had, and that with some recent savage competition.

I partly wondered, from a narrative standpoint, why we had so much more Rikke chapters than anyone else in the first ten chapters, four compared to everyone else’s (besides Leo’s two) one chapter. From a character standpoint, they’re slowly acclimatizing Rikke to being more of a survivor, hardening her mind to the turmoils of losing her home and having to run, but I did wonder why her second and third chapters couldn’t have just been tightened into a larger single chapter. I liked them, to be clear, I just wondered the intent.

Now, it clicks better: it’s to get the reader to empathize with the passing grind of miserable days endured post-Uffrith’s burning. A continuity of shittiness and hunger and numbing chill, multiple chapters get across that better than shortening the amount of them. There’s the plot and character details to consider, of course, but in terms of choosing more than less chapters? I’d say it’s to show to the reader, on-page, how much crappy circumstances Rikke’s had to endure for her to have savage competition against this being the worst day.

And, boy, is Rikke scared, given the switch from “if” to “when” of catching her. There’s still a bit of softness and cold fear stuck in her, from a lifetime of being coddled. Isern might have talked about making her iron of a sword, but swords aren’t forged in a day or two. They take time, and Abercrombie’s quite good at making character development a messy path, full of pauses and set-backs.

She felt a fingertip under her jaw, pushing her mouth closed, and realised her teeth had started chattering. Isern was pressed against the bank beside her, river to her sharp chin and hair plastered to her frowning face, still as the earth, patient as the trees, hard as the stones. Her eyes rolled up from Rikke’s to the root-riddled overhang above, and she quietly slipped one finger from the water and over her scarred lips for quiet.

What I love about Abercrombie? That tightness of voice. Of course Rikke didn’t realize her teeth chattering, because we subconsciously can’t help or don’t acknowledge such actions when cold or scared. We’re unreliable bastards that way, and that’s why we need others to let us know the actions we won’t register in our consciousness.

“Shit,” came a voice, so loud it seemed in Rikke’s ear, and she startled, might’ve splashed from the bank on an instinct if Isern’s hand hadn’t clamped tight about her numb arm under the water.

And it seems Isern understands that a sword isn’t forged in a day too. I low-key wonder how much, realistically, that splash would’ve tipped off whoever was around, but, at the same time... the Dogman’s screwed up with stealth before.

And it just takes a moment’s bad luck. Just one.

“Shit… and…” A man’s voice, getting on in years but soft and slow, like he was in no hurry. “There we go.” A satisfied grunt, and a stream of faintly steaming piss came spattering into the water not a stride from Rikke’s face. Sad thing was, she was tempted to stick her head under it just for the warmth.

Bwuhahaha, that’s disgusting, but at the same time, after days of hunger and freezing? Yeah, I can see how dignity takes a backseat to just easing long-setting discomfort for a moment. People can surrender many things, just for expediency. Pride, morals, humanity... just look at the first trilogy for examples.

Also... Clover? That “he was in no hurry” makes me think him, especially considering Stour’s patient as bulls contemporaries. Which... huh! The second time point-of-view characters crossed over in the same chapter, after Savine and Orso in A Little Public Hanging. Curious to see how he handles finding Rikke...

“There’s all kinds of pleasures in life,” came the voice, “but I’ve come to think there’s little better than a piss when you really need one.”

“Huh.” A woman’s voice this time, picking each word careful as a smith picks the nails for a rich man’s horseshoes. “Not sure whether I’ve more respect for you or less following that little revelation.”

“It’s getting to the point…” The stream stopped, then started up again. “Where I sometimes hold on to it… so when I do go…” A few more little squirts. “It feels better than ever. How goes the noble clash of arms?”

Okay, yeah, definitely Clover and Wonderful, they’re the only ones with that kind of dynamic so far.

Also, not to be too crude... but relatable, Clover, you disgusting bastard. Hey, better than worshiping the pleasure of burning houses, eh, Wonderful?

“Union are pulling back as fast as they can. Some skirmishes but there’s no real fight in ’em. No sign o’ the Dogman’s boys. Running, I reckon.”

“Suits me well enough,” said the man. “Any luck, they’ll run all the way back to Angland and we can all have a lie down.”

Rikke glanced over at Isern. She’d been right. She always was bloody right, specially when it came to disheartening predictions.

Not surprising, but, Clover, you do realize Stour wants Angland too? If anything, it’s less a lie down you’ll get, and more besieging a capital with high walls and plenty of angry Union and Dogman’s men behind them. And, given the North doesn’t have a navy, Angland can probably hole up quite a while, given their port.

Unless you mean the siege itself would be the lie down, which, ya shit.

That morning they’d come upon a clearing full of corpses. A dozen or more. Men from both sides, all on the same side now. They say the Great Leveller settles all differences. Rikke had stared at those bodies, her wrist against her mouth, her breath crawling. Then she’d seen Isern, squatting over the dead like a corpse-eater from the songs, plucking at torn clothes, fiddling with buckles.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for anything we can eat.”

And Rikke had set to searching herself. Trying not to look at their faces as she rooted through pockets with numb fingers. Isern had been right about that, too. Your fear, your guilt, your disgust, they all vanish once you get hungry enough. The thing that really upset her as they crept away from the dead was that they hadn’t found anything.

From just wanting a bit more food way back in Guilt Is a Luxury than her companion to now stealing from the dead, Rikke’s practically taking in the lesson of self-interest being reliable to one’s motives than higher-minded thoughts. Because, ultimately, the dead won’t complain here. It’s the living who have a host of worries, stomachs aching with hunger, who don’t want to join the dead.

“Chief!” someone roared up on the road. “Nightfall! The king-in-waiting!” And there was an approving clatter of weapons on shields.

Rikke stiffened under the water. Stiffened far as she could given she was near enough a block of ice already, and Isern pressed against her and whispered, hardly more’n a breath, “Shhhhhhhh…”

Oh, shit. (swallows)

“By the dead,” she heard the woman mutter above, and then, with forced good cheer, “Chief! How’s the day?”

“Bloodless so far, but it’s still early.” The voice of Stour Nightfall himself, then. A whining sort of voice for a famous warrior. Sounded like a boy on the edge of a tantrum. “They’re thin sauce, these Southerners, always trickling away. The Bloody-Nine had Rudd Threetrees to fight, and Black Dow, and Harding Grim and all the rest. How’s a man meant to win a great name without great enemies to weigh it against?”

A brief pause. “It’s a tester, all right,” said the woman.

The difference between Clover and Rikke’s look on Stour? Rikke’s more fully geared to think worse of Stour, given Uffrith’s burning, taking into account his “whining” sort of voice. Clover... well, he was certainly primed to think worse of Stour, given Calder and Wonderful’s words, but that’s cushioned a bit by the knowledge that Stour’s just the recent out of a shitty cycle of warrior cocks.

Rikke doesn’t have that knowledge and that wouldn’t cushion away Uffrith’s fate. Not that it should, because, geez, Stour does sound the whiny type, wanting a big name to puff himself up, just like the Bloody-Nine did. All this does is strengthen my Stour = cut-price Bloody-Nine sentiment. Wonderful’s response is perfect sarcasm in that regard. I just imagine both she and Clover are rolling their eyes in their minds at Stour right now.

I know I am.

Also, it’s nice that Finree’s plans are working accordingly!

“I’ve a task for you, Wonderful. There’s a girl out in these woods.” Rikke had a bad feeling in her stomach. Worse than the hunger, and she shrank against the bank like she could become one with the dirt. “I want her.”

A snorting chuckle from the enthusiastic pisser. “Well, who wouldn’t want a girl out in the woods?” There was a silence, like the jest had miscarried. Certainly Rikke wasn’t fucking laughing. “How do we tell this girl from another?”

“They say she’s got a twitchy way. She’ll have a gold ring through her nose, maybe a cross painted over her eye.”

Rikke touched the tip of her tongue to the ring through her nose and whispered, “Fuck.”

“She might have some witch of a hillwoman with her. That you can kill. But the girl we need alive.”

“Must be important,” said the woman called Wonderful.

Nightfall gave a little hooting giggle. “Well, there’s the thing. She’s the Dogman’s daughter.”

Hm? They weren’t already looking for Rikke? Or, is it... they know the approximate location of where she is now? Because, shit, there’s the active tension we’ve been missing in the past Rikke chapters. Whereas they were about Rikke getting into the survivalist mindset, this is the starting point of where she concretely realizes it’s survive or die. She has the voice of the enemy now.

“What happens if we catch her?”

An unhappy grunt. “Well, if my father gets her, I daresay he’ll ransom her back, dangle her as bait, use her to get his way when it comes to talking peace.” And Nightfall spat out the word like it tasted bad. “You know my father. Plans within plans.”

“Always been clever, Black Calder,” came the man’s voice.

Very Bethod with Rattleneck’s son, Calder. Cunning to use as leverage against the Dogman and the Union to getting back Uffrith and Angland. I doubt Rikke, by herself, has the traction to get back Angland, of course, but Uffrith... Dogman’s generally had a more decent heart than most, and I’m sure he’d consider it, at least.

Too bad that Stour—

“I see things different. How I see it, the way you break your enemy is you break what they love. Way I hear it, those old fools on the other side love that twitching bitch. Sort of a little mascot for ’em.” Rikke heard the smile in his voice. “So if I get hold of her, I’ll strip her, and whip her, and pull her teeth out, and maybe get some Thralls to fuck her, out between the lines where everyone can hear her squealing.” Bit of a silence, and Rikke heard her own breath coming ragged, and Isern’s hand tightening around her arm. “Or maybe I’d get my horse to fuck her. Or my dogs. Or… like, a pig, maybe?”

WHAT.

The older man sounded more than a touch disgusted. “How the hell would you do that?”

“There’s naught you can’t do if you’ve the imagination and the patience. Then I’ll bind her up in the trees with brambles where everyone can see, and cut the bloody cross in her, and put a bucket underneath to catch her guts, and send ’em to the other side.”

THE.

“What, her guts?”

“Aye, in a pretty box. Hardwood, nicely carved. With flowers, maybe. Or no! Herbs. So those old fools won’t smell what they’re getting till they open it.” And he gave a satisfied grunt, like he was talking about a nice fish he’d catch, or a nice meal he’d eat, or a nice sit on the porch he couldn’t wait to have at sunset. “Imagine the looks on their faces.” And he chuckled like her guts in a box would be quite the height of drollery.

“Fuck,” breathed Rikke.

FUCK.

HOLY SHIT, STOUR. What the ACTUAL FUCK?

1. My jaw legit dropped at this and I had to walk away from the text for a solid fifteen minutes. That’s how bad my immediate reaction was. 2. After that walk and thinking about it a little more... yeah, wow, this is going to put more fear into Rikke... or hatred. As Machiavelli say, it is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot have both, but avoid hatred at all costs, and this might tip Rikke into hatred. So. Congratulations, Stour, you might have just made a hard enemy without realizing it. 3. ... Stour Nightfall is actually kind of really... comically absurd, reading back? Like, really over-the-top pointless cruelty in a way that Abercrombie intended. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a clear-cut asshole and, regardless of sincerity, Rikke should have plenty of reason to fear him, but the “Or… like, a pig, maybe.” line makes me think he’s trying to escalate his plans in an attempt to be all imposing and full of blackness to Clover of all people. 4. If we continue the Bethod/Logen/Rattleneck and his son allusion, then there’s nothing of the cold, chilling nature of Made a Monster’s ending here. It’s just a child trying to play-act the Bloody-Nine and thinking that makes him a badass. Look, I know some people might take Stour full-on serious here and I get that, considering the sexual threats, but t’s just... sorry, really, I can’t entirely take it seriously. Especially when Abercrombie’s proven in the first trilogy he does not write such over-the-top threats and situations without taking the piss out of them. 5. Good that even Clover was disgusted by this. Should be taken as a given, but it’s good to know Stour disgusts even hardened Named Men. 6. For that matter, what’s Stour’s angle here? This is in private, only him, Wonderful, and Clover, and Wonderful’s likely already been treated to plenty of stories about Stour’s assholery. So, in all honesty, from a character standpoint, this feels like it’s mostly for Clover’s benefit. Stour already treats Clover with derision and like an old turd, so why does the ass-pup feel the need to impress Clover with how much of a BIG VIOLENT COCK WARRIOR he is? Maybe it is the lack of reverence from Clover that makes Stour push harder and escalate to get a positive reaction? Or maybe Stour just wants to imprint some fear into Clover, considering he’s the newest Named Man in his company? 7. Thinking through all of this, why are you such a disgusting dumbass, Stour.

“But that’s for later.” And Nightfall gave a disappointed sigh. “Can’t cook what you haven’t caught, can you? My father’s offering a big gild for her, that’s sure. Whoever brings her in’ll be a wealthy man.”

The woman called Wonderful sounded like she was hardly enjoying this any more than Rikke was. “Right y’are, Chief. We’ll be looking.”

Good thing about Rikke’s perspective? Even she has the good nature to know Stour’s “allies” don’t much enjoy the ass-pup like her. Though, that won’t really stop Wonderful from capturing her and giving her to Stour, will it.

Rikke heard soft footfalls moving away. Perhaps she should’ve been frozen with fear. The dead knew she’d a right to be. But what she felt instead was a boiling fury. A fury that warmed her through despite the icy water frothing to her chin. A fury that tempted her to slip from the stream with her knife between her teeth and cut the bloody cross in Stour Nightfall right then and there.

Rikke’s father had always told her vengeance was a waste of effort. That letting it go was the strong thing, the wise thing, the right thing. That blood only led to more blood. But his lessons seemed far away now, meant for a warmer place. She clenched her jaw, and narrowed her eyes, and swore to herself that if she lived out the week, she’d make it her business to see Stour Nightfall fucked by a pig.

Oh, oh.

You know, I’ve been low-key wondering which first trilogy comparison befitted Rikke in terms of being a refinement/evolution of an earlier character archetype and, while the Dogman or Logen were the easiest choices to pick, both of them the Northern perspectives in the first trilogy, I feel like the Logen comparison only holds up in terms of early chapter material similarities of cold-bitten survival and hardships, whereas the Dogman comparison held up decent enough, another Northerner who just wants to do the right thing... until now. Now, it clicks into place what first trilogy archetype Rikke’s refined from.

The first woman, burning with vengeance.

“What do you want, Ferro Maljinn?”

“What?”

“Why did you do that?” Yulwei pointed down at the dead man. “What do you want?”

“Vengeance.” She spat out the word.

—The Blade Itself, What Freedom Looks Like

Rikke’s the most recent of vengeful women in the Circle of the World.

She curled her fingers round the cold grip, strange in her left hand, and slid a few inches of steel from the sheath. It shone bright and eager in the lamplight. Good steel bends, but never breaks. Good steel stays always sharp and ready. Good steel feels no pain, no pity and, above all, no remorse.

She felt herself smile. The first time in months. The first time since Gobba’s wire hissed tight around her neck.

Vengeance, then.

—Best Served Cold, The Bone-Thief

But, if we’re talking in terms of backstory, the hardships, the suffering of diaspora at a young age from losing your home and those you loved?

The old man jerked his head at the woman, watching them suspiciously with her slanted yellow eyes. “She is from a place called Muntaz.”

“I never heard of it.”

“Why would you have?” The old man shrugged his bony shoulders. “A small country, by the sea, far to the east of Shaffa, beyond the mountains. The Gurkish conquered it years ago, and its people were scattered or made slaves. Apparently she has been in a foul mood ever since.” The woman scowled over at them, keeping one eye on the soldiers.

—The Blade Itself, Nobody’s Dog

Rikke, I posit, is Abercrombie’s second chance at writing Ferro, given far more dimensionality and given a greater sense of personhood pre-vengeance. Ferro was too tight-lipped about her losses and locked in her vengeful mindset to be that much more than a vessel of vengeance against Uthman-ul-Dosht and Khalul. She was also surprisingly passive in terms of the narrative, back then, being jerked around by Bayaz’s offer of vengeance against the Gurkish Empire and less an independent player on the board until after the first trilogy.

Rikke’s still young enough, just walking the first steps, to not be devoted to vengeance, to choose and seek out better paths, because as Ferro herself points out:

When the light of the fires and the sound of the talking had faded into the distance she stopped and dropped down on the hard ground. A cold wind blew up across the barren plain. It blew stinging dust in her face, but she hardly noticed. The hate and the fury were gone, for the time being, but they had left a hole, and she had nothing else to fill it with. She felt empty and cold and sick and alone. She hugged herself, rocking slowly back and forth, and closed her eyes. But the darkness held no comfort.

—The Blade Itself, What Freedom Looks Like

By the dead, I have no complaints about her wanting Stour dead, but... I hope she comes out of that, still human. Still having something inside her by vengeance’s end.

That being said, I 100% hope and expect to get Ferro in this trilogy eventually!!! Just like Ardee and Terez, Ferro’s a female character given the short shrift, comparatively, who I will be fascinated at reading, if Abercrombie gives us.

“I’ll be honest, Wonderful,” came the man’s voice, the one called Clover, speaking soft like he was sharing a secret, “I’m finding that bastard increasingly troubling.”

“Aye, I know.”

“Took it for an act at first, but I’m starting to think he’s everything he pretends to be.”

“Aye, I know.”

“Guts in a box? With herbs?”

“Aye, I know.”

“He’ll be king one o’ these days, will guts-in-a-box over yonder. King o’ the Northmen. Him.”

A long pause, then a weary grunt. “It’s a thing no right-thinking person could look forward to.”

I’m... of two minds here. I’m not sure Stour’s everything he pretends to be, not all his reputation is, but I definitely agree that there’s an vicious and awful person in him, regardless. This isn’t a decent man pretending to be a bad man for fear or reputation’s sake, like the typical trope demands and like Bethod and Calder had to act. This is a bad man pretending to be worse. Stour carving out his own path, out of the stale and well-trodden roads of the ghosts of the first trilogy.

Also, when you put it like that, this strikes me of like how the North reacted to King Logen, way back in Last Argument of Kings. Fear of what was to come out of that station and reality. And it really says something that Clover and Wonderful, two Named People who’ve lived through three Kings of the North, talk of Stour’s upcoming reign as something that strikes as worse than Black Dow or potentially the Bloody-Nine’s reign.

Rikke could only agree. She thought she saw a hint of their reflections, dancing among the black branches in the water.

“You see something down there?”

(Throat tightens) After Stour’s threats? Oh god no.

She stiffened, numb fingers curling tight around the grip of her knife. She saw the jaw muscles clench on the side of Isern’s face, blade of her spear sliding from the water, smeared with pitch so it wouldn’t catch the light.

“What? Fish?”

“Aye. Worth getting my rod, d’you think?”

The sound of Wonderful hawking up, then a glob of phlegm came spinning over from above and plopped into the water. “Nothing in this stream worth catching, I reckon.”

(Breath of relief) Live to survive another day, Rikke! Though, I’ll admit, I wonder what would’ve happened if Clover and Wonderful found out Rikke? Would they let her go, considering they’re not particularly enjoying the graces of Prince Ass-Pup? Or would they have captured her, thinking it not much of a weight on their consciences compared to their own lives? I’m not sure I’d like the answer to that question...

As a chapter, this is one hell of a turning point, important to the plot and characterization. It’s the accumulation of all of Rikke’s chapters in the woods, digging through corpses’ pockets and freezing so hard she feels like ice, hiding from Stour’s men. But, from there, the crux of the chapter of the Stour material, which... as disgusted and grossed-out as I was at first impression, strikes me as dearly overcompensating in hindsight, for some reason. But he makes a turning point in Rikke’s narrative, where she goes from just wanting to survive and be safe from his men, to having the more visceral motive of vengeance against Stour after his words. It’s a worrying turn, to say the least, especially given the Ferro connection, but after the circumstances she’s endured... can’t much blame her. The chapter also sets up a point of discontent between Stour and the rest of the Northmen and how much his over-the-top cruelty could turn off his allies, which, given Rikke’s from the North too and his enemy... could prove interesting.

PART I

Chapter One: Blessings and Curses Chapter Two: Where the Fight’s Hottest Chapter Three: Guilt Is a Luxury Chapter Four: Keeping Score Chapter Five: A Little Public Hanging Chapter Six: The Breakers Chapter Seven: The Answer to Your Tears Chapter Eight: Young Heroes Chapter Nine: The Moment Chapter Ten: Break What They Love

#a little hatred #a little hatred spoilers #the age of madness #the first law #joe abercrombie #rikke #a little hatred part I

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the-chibi-devil · 4 years

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The Best Transmigration and Isekai Mangas/Manhwas/Manhuas I’m Reading Right Now

Does anyone care about this list? Probably not, but I’m making it even if it’s only for my reference. So here they are, in no particular order.

* English Title: I’m a Villainous Daughter, so I’m going to keep the Last Boss * Japanese Title: Akuyaku Reijou nanode Last Boss wo Kattemimashita * Mangaka: Nagase Sarasa (story), Anko Yuzu (art) * Summary: “Avoid the BAD END! That's the goal of the villainess in this plot-twisting story!! She has been reborn into the world of an otome game as the villainess, Irene. Using her memories of her former life, she recognizes flags indicating she's en-route to the bad end, so she makes a plan to conquer the last boss (the evil king Claude), make him her lover, and see if she can open up a new route!” (MyAnimeList) * Why I Like This One: Irene is a very fun character! I love her sheer determination in everything she does. Her love interest (Claude) is nothing special imo - classic misunderstood character - but his relationship with Irene is pretty sweet. There are some interesting twists in the plot, too!

* Title: Miss Not-So Sidekick * Creator: Ellianyang * Summary: “Hyejung loved to read to escape her daily stress. But that’s before she woke up inside the bizarre world of her favorite novel! Instead of the main heroine who courts three eligible men, she is now Latte Ectrie – a minor villain that everyone hates?! One way or another, it’s a chance to live out her most beloved storyline, with popcorn in hand to watch all the drama! Taking charge of the narrative takes on a whole new meaning!” (1stKissManga) * Why I Like This One: Latte isn’t actually interested in romance! She would much rather watch how the narrative plays out than take an active role in it. Therefore, she decides to befriend the protagonist. However, just by virtue of being herself, Latte seems to have thrown the narrative off-course! (Not that she realizes that it’s her fault.) The developing relationships are fun to watch. However, this is very much a slow burn. Another fun thing about this manhwa is how Ellianyang throws in all sorts of references to other works such as Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Detective Conan!

* English Title: Of Course, I’ll Claim Palimony! * Japanese Title: Mochiron, Isharyou Seikyuu Itashimasu! * Mangaka: Soy (story), Mutou Tamura (story) * Summary: “"I'll annul our engagement!" my fiancé suddenly declared?! Apparently he's in love with the recently transferred count's daughter and is planning on making me the villain in order to annul the engagement. Although I have no lingering attachments about the engagement, I do have to claim a hefty consolation fee, don't I?” (MyAnimeList) * Why I Like This One: “Of Course, I’ll Claim Palimony!” does something very fun in that the otome novel that is being referenced exists within the story. The protagonists are very aware of this and the main heroine is most definitely willing to work within and with the narrative to turn things to her advantage.

* English Title: I Reincarnated into an Otome Game as a Villainess With Only Destruction Flags... * Japanese Title: Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta... * Mangaka: Yamaguchi Satoru (story), Hidaka Nami (Art) * Summary: “ Katarina Claes is the eight-year-old daughter of a duke. One day, she hits her head and recovers the memories of her past life, and she comes a horrifying realization—she is in a world similar to that of an otome game she once played, and she is the main villain! To make matters worse, in every possible conclusion, whether exile or death, she is met with a terrible end. Using her knowledge of how the game unfolds, Katarina must now do whatever it takes to change her fate. Whether she must cultivate her skills as a farmer or befriend every character that comes her way, nothing is ever too much for her to handle. As the years go on, everything seems to be going as planned. However, Katarina realizes that she made a mistake in her previous life, as she never actually finished the game before death; and so a new, secret route may just prove to be her undoing.” * Why I Like This One: This is the quintessential isekai! Katarina is a stubborn yet naive character. She is doing all she can to change the narrative, but she is always surprised by the results! Still, I like that the creators aren’t shying away from making lovely female characters besides Katarina. There were also some twists that I really wasn’t expecting from a manga like this! An anime adaptation is coming soon.

* English Title: Endo and Kobayashi’s Live Commentary on the Villainess! * Japanese Title: Tsundere Akuyaku Reijou Liselotte to Jikkyou no Endo-kun to Kaisetsu no Kobayashi-san * Mangaka: Enoshima Suzu, Sakakiri * Summary: “She’s always putting on that grumpy face even though she’s not actually that upset! Oh, why can’t she just be honest with herself…!? She is a tsundere, after all? When her embarrassment levels exceed a certain limit, she will explode into anger. However, the point that she’s suppressing under the surface is that she wouldn’t mind that sort of thing if it were in a less public place? As Endo-kun passionately reacts to the antics of Lady Liselotte, the villainess of an otome game, Kobayashi-san provides a painstaking breakdown of her tsundere behaviour. Suddenly, one person could hear their voices; Liselotte’s fiancée, Prince Siegward. That is where this story begins.” (MangaGo) * Why I Like This One: The characters within the narrative, Liselotte and Siegward, actually interest me way less than Endo and Kobayashi. I can’t wait to see how they handle this sudden change in their lives! And it seems that there is someone behind this magic game but the game wasn’t their intention? I’m curious.

* English Title: The Death Mage That Doesn’t Want a Fourth Time * Japanese Title: Yondome wa Iya na Shizokusei Majutsushi * Mangaka: Densuke (story), Kojima Takehiro (Art) * Summary: “Amamiya Hiroto is unlucky. His life consisted of misfortune after misfortune, culminating in an unlucky death during an incident on a school boat trip, trying to save a girl he barely knew. After death, he met a god of reincarnation who requested that the hundred or so dead passengers—one of them being the girl he tried in vain to save—be reincarnated into another world. Yet a series of unfortunate events forced Hiroto to reincarnate with even less luck than before, starting with nothing but a tremendous amount of Mana. His second life, far worse than his first, came to a cruel end. However, upon meeting the god a second time, he was informed that there would be yet another reincarnation—one that had already been set in motion and could not be stopped. Not wanting Hiroto to endure a third life filled with suffering, the god cursed him before he was reborn in the hopes that he would either die quickly or commit suicide. Hiroto was reborn once more as a half-vampire, half-dark elf. A dhampir. Not wanting a fourth life, he is determined to live this third life with the only things remaining from his previous lives—Death Magic and his enormous Mana pool. “ (Light Novel Bastion) * Why I Like This One: Holy crap, those first chapters were dark. This manga is certainly proving that isekai isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Honestly, the real thing that keeps drawing me back is the found family dynamic. I could do without all the fanservice though...

* Title: Cheating Men Must Die * Creator: The King * Summary: “One moment oppressing scum yields a moment of satisfaction. Continuously oppressing scum yields continuous satisfaction. Our female main lead, Su Lüxia is bound to the Female Lead Counterattack System and transmigrates to several small worlds. Using elaborate means, she beats up countless cheating bastards and bitches. Su Lüxia: “Only a cheating bastard's tears of remorse, and the pained moans of a bitch unable to get what she wants bring me solace.” System: “Has my host tapped into her humanity today? Nope.”” (Manga Rock) * Why I Like This One: This manhua is just a long ride of schadenfreude. The story goes in arcs, and there is no doubt that Su Lüxia is going to trample those cheaters, but how she does it is always a surprise! The art is beautiful and the story wildly entertaining. Readers beware, however, as this manhua features themes such as sexual assault, suicide, and abuse.

* English Title: Though I May Be a Villainess, I’ll Show You I Can Obtain Happiness! * Japanese Title: Akuyaku Reijou Desuga, Shiawase ni Natte Mesemasu wa! * Mangakas: Hoshino Osome, Nekomata Doremi, Sorakura SHIJIKI, Yuuki Satoru, Kuroe Yui, Reiga Utsuhou, Yamashiro Umemayuge, Mafuyubi, Oshitsuji Ei, Mizuno Saaya * Summary: "Annuled Engagements, Take That’s, Condemnation Events, Doting, Royals, Reincarnated Heroines, Banishment Endings…it’s fully loaded with all the charms of Villainess’!! A comicalization of 5 popular villainess stories from Shousetsuka ni Narou!! An anthology of 5 oneshots with happy endings!!” (IsekaiScan) * Why I Like This One: This is an anthology and all the stories are very different. My personal favorites are “The Tale of the Noble Girl who will go to a Monastery after her Engagement Annulment,” “Shall We Walk Hand in Hand Down the Flowery Path of Evil?” and “The Villainess Trifles with the Second Prince’s First Love.”

* Title: IRIS - Lady with a Smartphone * Creators: Soo-Wan Yoo (author), Hye-Yi Yoon (artist) * Summary: “ The husband was in love with her cousin and the family was taken away by cigar. The moment I fell into despair and to end my life; the memory of my past life came to my mind.The life of a white-haired worker in Seoul, returning to the past, she decided. “I will not be abandoned by them again. Now I will forsake them!”Ian stare full gazed at Iris’ eyes, “Do you remember what I said the other day? Are you asking for a different fee?”“Yes. I want to get it now.” Iris, was a woman who had nothing. “I did not have a strong parent like other noble princess, nor did I have much money.”“What do you mean by yourself?” Iris blinked. He laughed and said. “Let’s have a relationship with me.” The eldest son of the line, the best of the empire, the best dancer Valencia is the perfect husband. The rope for the revenge makes me crave for more.” (1stKissManga) * Why I Like This One: Iris’ evolution is a delight to watch. The smartphone hasn’t actually played much of a role at this point, but the importance of it’s existence in Iris’ world is slowly being revealed. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful art and story!

#list #manga #manhua #manhwa #transmigration #isekai

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seeaddywrite · 5 years

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stars, hide your fires: chapter three

have a little malex, & enjoy the happiness while it lasts? :)

AO3 LINK

chapter index: 1 || 2 || 3

Silence reigns in the spacious room after Alex’s pronouncement, and he forces himself to keep his head up. He hates making a spectacle of himself, hates snapping at them, but for the love of God, his friends making this so much more difficult than it needs to be, and patience can only take him so far. There’s a time for talk and a time for action, and they’ve passed the first and are well into the latter, now.

It’s Max that breaks the tense silence, beating Michael by a scant instant.

“You’re sure about this?”

“Why do you always have to be such a goddamned martyr?”

Alex sighs wearily as Liz turns a fierce glare on Michael and mutters something under her breath in Spanish. He takes the coward’s way out and lets her scold him, rather than addressing Michael directly; he knows he’ll have to, at some point, but he also knows it won’t be a quick conversation. So instead, he nods in answer to Max’s question, giving the other man as much of his attention as he can pull from the others.

“I’m not going to change my mind,” he says through a clenched jaw, stuck on Guerin’s comment despite himself. He’s got no plans of dying for the cause -- but the uncomfortable truth is that he’d rather that than watch his brothers destroy the only real sense of family he’s ever known. And Alex is self-aware enough to admit that he’s got a history of sacrificing his own wants and needs for that of the greater good, and Michael’s born the brunt of that. Of course he’ll be angry when he thinks he’s seeing more of the same.

But this isn’t Alex enlisting, or even taking a mission that will cost him his leg. This isn’t an invented excuse to walk away from Michael -- they aren’t together, and haven’t been in months. They’re friends, they’re family, and this is different from what’s happened in the past. This time, Alex is doing this for Michael. He’s protecting him, and the people they both care about. He’s finally fighting a battle that he’s chosen for himself for all the right reasons, rather than letting Jesse Manes dictate to him, and Alex is proud of that fact. It’s the culmination of all the work he’s been doing on himself over the last year, and he refuses to lose any of that forward momentum by listening to well-intentioned people trying to keep him safe.

Hopefully, Guerin will come to understand that, in time. And if he doesn’t, Alex has proven he can live without him. He’s not going to fall apart if Michael walks away again, even if the thought of it knocks the breath from his lungs and makes the the future seem long and lonely. He’s strong enough to survive alone, to be happy -- and damn, where’s his shrink when he’s making all this progress? Maybe if she could hear this, she’d finally get off of his back about writing down his feelings before every session.

“Alex?” Liz’s worried voice pulls him back into the conversation, and Alex shoots what he hopes is a reassuring look in her direction.

When he speaks again, it’s slowly, each word chosen with careful precision for maximum impact. He keeps his fingers still on his thighs and squares his shoulders, determined to make them hear him, this time. “I’m not letting Flint and the others find dad. I’m not letting them hurt anyone else, whether it’s someone in this room or other people that he’s holding in another off-books base like Caulfield. I’m sure, okay? I’m sure.”

The words are for everyone still looking at him uncertainly, like they’re not sure if they should be tying him up in the basement or supporting him -- and finally, finally, Alex begins to read unwilling acceptance in their expressions.

Max nods, looking older in that moment than his years of life suggest. Alex forgets sometimes that the Deputy has spent most of his life hiding secrets and trying to protect his siblings -- and failing spectacularly, especially in Michael’s case. Those failures are written in the lines on his face, in the weariness of his expression, and Alex realizes belatedly that if his brothers end up hurting him during this operation, Max is going to blame himself.

Finally, Max leans forward and rests a hand on one of Guerin’s tense shoulders. Alex’s eyes track the motion against his will and eventually land on the strained lines of Michael’s body and the nearly visible cloud of defensive anger and anxiety that’s all but choking him. There’s a flinch at Max’s touch, but he doesn’t push him away. He turns his head, instead, and meets his brother’s gaze head-on. Something passes between them; Alex doesn’t know if it’s a psychic exchange or just the nonverbal communication of two people who know each other so well that they barely need words, but there’s obviously some sort of conversation occuring.

It lasts for about a minute. Then, Michael bursts into motion, shoving himself to his feet and away from both Alex and Max and any attempt at calming him. “Fuck you, Max! If this was Liz, there’s no way you’d go along with this!” he bellows, and the knick-knacks on the TV stand rattle ominously as his hands curl into fists at his sides. The others look up from their small huddle at the sound; Kyle has steered Rosa and Isobel back to the surveillance footage while the rest of them argued, but they’re obviously all listening, now.

“Because I’m not a trained military operative,” Liz points out pragmatically, though Alex hears the hesitation underlying the supportive statement. He doesn’t hold it against her -- this shit is scary, and he’d be a little miffed if she were willing to throw him into the lion’s den without even a moment’s hesitation. “You’re not giving Alex enough credit, Michael. If he says he can do this, we need to believe him. And help, instead of wasting our time fighting about it.”

Michael ignores her, which isn’t all that surprising. “You’re not doing this,” he says flatly, arms crossed over his chest and eyes narrowed deliberately in Alex’s direction. He’s braced for a fight, and clearly knows he’s about to start one -- wants to, even.

And God help him, Alex can’t stop himself from giving in. Fighting with Guerin is second-nature; sometimes, it seems that all they’ve done for the last ten years is fight and fuck, and since they’re no longer able to do the latter, they’ve had to fight twice as much to make up for it.

“Yes, I really fucking am,” Alex snaps, as does his rapidly thinning patience. No one dictates to him what he can and cannot do anymore, not even Michael Guerin, and the pronouncement is absolutely the last straw. “I didn’t come here to ask permission. I came here because you all deserve to know what’s going on, and I’ll admit, I was hoping for some help in the planning department, since you know things I don’t.” Those words are directed at the entire group, even though most of them seem to be backing off to let Alex and Michael settle this between themselves. They all know of their history, of their drama, and Alex is fairly sure not one of them wants to get in the middle of it.

“I’m a goddamned Airman, Guerin!” Alex continues heatedly, still fuming over the flat refusal from earlier. “I served three tours and ten years active duty. I am fully capable of taking down Project Shepherd, and I don’t need you babying me! So if all you’re going to do is try to talk me out of it, or say I can’t possibly do this, I’m leaving.”

If he’s too blunt, Alex doesn’t care. He’s tired of talking about this. He came here to warn them, to start forming a plan, not to fight. Heaving himself to his feet, Alex starts toward the door -- only to find himself brought up short by a rough hand around his wrist, stopping him a mere foot from freedom.

“Let go of me, Guerin,” he demands, yanking at his arm, but Michael’s grip doesn’t loosen. Instead, he crowds in closer, making Alex’s heartbeat trip in his chest. He’s close enough that Alex can smell his aftershave, can feel the heat wafting off of his body, taking him back to a few, blissful moments of skin-on-skin in the merciless sun of the desert. He doesn’t need it, but the flashback is a good reminder of why Alex is determined to do this. He wants the chance to make things right with Guerin, but neither of them will be able to put Caulfield in the past until Project Shepherd is properly dismantled. That, more than any noble, honorable need to clear his family legacy, is why Alex is here.

Guerin’s obviously not ready to let this go. Alex can read the anxious energy in the bouncing of his knee and the set of his shoulders as clearly as he can read his own body, and the clench of Michael’s jaw is far from subtle. There’s no avoiding further confrontation, and Alex absolutely refuses to do continue this chat with an audience, even if they’ve all backed off to let the two of them talk. So he cuts off the start of Michael’s furious, “Are you fucking kidding me?” with a sharp shake of his head, then gestures to the door that leads from the living room to Max’s spacious patio.

“Let’s finish this outside,” he suggests, infusing the words with steel so that it’s clear he’s not really asking. Michael doesn’t always respond well to orders, but when he’s like this, all furious and frantic, they tend to get through the noise in his head faster than a question. Alex notices the look Max and Isobel exchange and the quirk of Liz’s eyebrow, but he pays no attention to them. Instead, he keeps his eyes on Guerin and waits, chin raised and jaw set, but marginally less angry than he’d been a moment ago.

It takes a moment, but slowly, Michael’s initial flare of temper passes, and he nods curtly. His fingers release Alex’s wrist, immediately prompting a sense of loss, and nothing more is said until they’re outside on the patio, Alex settled in one of the patio chairs while Michael paces, with the door closed firmly behind them.

“Guerin, I -”

“Why are you doing this?” Michael demands, cutting off any attempt at calming him down. Alex takes a seat in one of the patio chairs, hoping that Michael would follow his lead, but the other man just paces a wide circle around him, frazzled energy radiating from him. There’s a large part of Alex that wants to grab him and just hold on -- the two of them have always been at their strongest, their happiest, together, and even now, Alex thinks he could be a comfort. He knows that Michael’s always been his refuge; he’d like to start returning the favor.

But now isn’t the time.

Instead, he needs to answer the question -- but how? He could reiterate the same points that he’s been making all night -- that he’s the only one that has a chance of convincing the other Manes men that he’s on their side, that he’s the only trained soldier with the right skills, that he’s the only one who can infiltrate the project with any degree of success -- but Michael’s heard it all before, and he’s still asking for Alex’s reasons. And, to be honest, if anyone deserves the truth, it’s Michael.

“I have to do this,” Alex states baldly, his chin raised and spine straight, even as Guerin’s eyes search his face, obviously looking for any sign of weakness or uncertainty. As much as he hates fighting with Michael, he’s known this confrontation was inevitable since their impromptu meeting started, and he’s not backing down. “I have to. My dad might be in a coma he’ll never wake up from, but that doesn’t mean all of the horrible things he’s done are just over. There are still people in bases out there being tortured and experimented on. Innocent people! I have a responsibility to shut that project down for good, and I really thought you’d be with me on that!”

“Of course I want the whole thing shut down,” Guerin spits back. Alex watches his hands as his fingers dig into his knees, apparently in an effort to soothe himself. “And fuck you for even suggesting that I don’t. But there’s no reason for you to be the one to do it, Alex. You don’t have a stake in this game anymore. Max and I can -”

Despite his best intentions, anger flares, red-hot and inexorable, in Alex’s gut. “I don’t have a stake?” he repeats, his voice deadly quiet. Yelling has its place in the battlefield, but he’s learned through trial and error how to get his point across when dealing with all sorts of hot-headed macho types, and raising his voice is never the best way. “My family built those awful places to torture people. My brothers are developing weapons to kill people like you, and stalking you and your family!” Alex sucks in a deep breath and tries to find something with which to center himself, but ultimately still feels like he’s drowning in the fraught emotion surrounding this subject. “I promised my father that I’d be the one to destroy the thing he loved, Guerin.Me. Because I knew that it's the only way I'll ever feel free of him. And even if that wasn't true, I'd still owe it to you and the rest of the world to at least make sure that he and my brothers can’t inflict any more damage.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Guerin’s suddenly back in front of Alex, eyes wide and agitation written in every sloping line of his body. It’s hard to look at him, now, because Alex knows what he’s just said and there’s no way to interpret it incorrectly. He tries to stay calm, tries to find the right words to explain, but Michael doesn’t let him get a chance before he’s talking again, this time using words edged in bitterness. “It’s not your responsibility to protect me or Max or Isobel, okay! Your enlistment is almost done -- you’re barely even military anymore! You don’t owe this to the government or anyone, least of all me.”

“Yeah? And how long could you stand to look at me, knowing that I’m one of the only people in the world who has the skills and the knowledge to destroy the whole operation, but I haven’t done it?” Alex fires back, his heart pounding a loud, frantic rhythm against his ribs. Fighting may be second-nature at this point, but Alex is never going to like it -- and this time, there’s no apology or soothing word that’s going to fix the situation. “God, Guerin, the things they did to your mother--” Alex sighs and runs a hand over his eyes, trying to mask his the guilt the thought brings him. “I’m not a fucking idiot. I know that’s why you went to Maria in the first place. I know you can’t look at me without remembering those awful things. And we can’t put that behind us until Project Shepherd and everyone associated with it are gone.” Quiet, fervent certainty is clear in Alex’s voice, and he hopes he’s not being naive to believe that they’ll ever be able to truly put this nightmare behind them. “And even if you never want to be with me, even if friendship is all I ever get from you, I owe you this. I owe it to both of us, for everything we lost. Can you understand that?”

Alex swallows when he’s done and looks away, feeling unsteady and emotionally worn. He’s not sure what will happen if Michael can’t understand his reasoning, but he tries not to worry about it. Not before the dust settles in this argument and they can both process.

Michael sucks in a breath like he’s ready to argue further, but then falls silent. It takes a moment for Alex to work up the courage to look back at him, and when he does, he finds the other man much closer than he was only a moment ago. Fading sunlight dances across his features, and it takes an effort not to chase it with his fingertips. Alex is forever lost in a state of wanting to touch Michael, and when he’s this close, that want becomes a physical ache to rival the one in his leg. It’s not fair, that Alex still wants him this much -- even when they’ve not been together for months, when he’s furious for Michael’s attempts to shelter and protect him when it should be the other way around. But it doesn’t matter. He still wants.

“You’re so goddamned stubborn,” Michael tells him, and Alex is stunned to hear a note of fondness in the words, beneath the frustration. A calloused palm settles over the back of Alex’s where it’s clamped around the armrest of the patio furniture in an attempt to refrain from reaching out to Michael. “Fine. If I’m not going to be able to talk you out of it, then I guess I don’t have much of a choice but to go along with it, do I?”

Alex huffs, but shakes his head. He feels dizzy with relief after Michael’s words; that’s as close as he’s going to get to acceptance, and he’s going to run with it. The warmth of Michael’s hand is enough to stop the world from spinning too quickly, and Alex wets his lips before saying, “We’ll plan it out together. All of us. And I’ll have check-in times and a back-up plan, I promise. I’m not planning on becoming a martyr, Guerin.”

“You better fucking not be,” Michael growls, and his grip on Alex’s hand tightens. “Because when this is done and behind us, we’re working our shit out, Manes. Enough is enough. We’ve figured out the whole friendship thing -- but I think we both know that’s never going to be all that’s between us.”

Alex’s breath catches in his chest at the unexpected proclamation, and his gaze dips to the hand on his for an instant before fluttering back to Michael’s face. He knows he lingers too long on his lips before reaching his eyes, but he’s only human. “That’s a good incentive to get this wrapped up quickly,” he manages, though his attempt at levity comes out more as a strain.

Michael nods once, a considering expression on his face. He seems to make a decision fairly quickly, because then he’s leaning down, his hands landing on the armrests on either side of Alex, bracketing him in the chair with his body. Alex lifts chin to try to figure out what Guerin’s thinking -- only to find rough lips against his. It’s so fast that Alex wouldn’t have had a chance to stop it if he wanted, and he certainly doesn’t. Unbidden, both of his hands slide up Michael’s shoulders to fist in his curls, holding him there when he may have pulled away. Alex opens his mouth and deepens the kiss, pouring every ounce of frustrated longing he’s felt over the last six months into it, and tries sear the memory in his own mind. He’ll need it, he knows, to carry him through whatever happens next with this mission.

Eventually, Michael breaks Alex’s hold and pulls away, breathless and kiss-swollen. That sight, too, is committed to memory; there’s no horror in the world that could make not coming back to that worth it, and Alex has a feeling he’ll need every motivation he can get.

“How’s that for incentive?” Michael asks, once he’s caught his breath. Alex gives him a dirty look as he tries to calm his racing heart, but it doesn’t do a thing to stop Guerin’s smirk. Not that he’d expected it to.

“I’m not sure,” Alex says, because two can play that game. “Maybe we should try it again, just to make sure I’m completely motivated.” He angles his head hopefully, and sighs dramatically when Michael just drops a peck to his lips and steps away. The mood is a drastic change from earlier in the evening, when Alex felt like he would buckle under the weight of every responsibility he had taken on himself, and for once, Alex allows hope to balloon in his chest. He’s going to eradicate his father’s legacy-- and when it’s done, he’s got the promise of this.

“Fine,” Michael tells Alex, the rough quality of his voice dragging the latter out of the warm, contented feelings in which he’s buried himself. Slowly, they slide back into the seriousness of their earlier conversation, but with less anger. “We’ll do this. But you’re not going anywhere before we come up with a solid plan and cover story. And you’re going to listen to us. All of us. And at the first sign of trouble, we’re pulling your ass out of there, whether you like or not.”

It’s hard to be angry at the fierce protectiveness in Michael’s voice; there aren’t many people in the world who have fought to keep Alex safe, but Michael’s always been one of them, in one way or another. Alex isn’t ashamed to admit that knowing Michael cares enough to feel that way makes him happy -- and for that reason, he’s willing to accept those terms. “I think I can agree to that,” he says, flashing Michael a small smile. “It’s going to be okay, Guerin. I can do this.”

Alex isn’t an idiot; he knows what he’s risking, and he knows that there’s a very slim possibility that he’ll walk away from this mission with his soul intact. The Manes family isn’t known for kindness and trust, even when there’s no good reason for suspicion, which Alex has definitely given them. There will be tests, and God knows what Alex will have to do. He also knows it’ll take a hell of a lot more than one lousy ‘it’ll be okay’ to reassure Michael enough for him to relax.

But for Liz and Rosa, for Max and Isobel, and their entire little makeshift family, Alex would give it his best effort. No one would be able to say he didn’t care -- but he’s failed to keep Michael safe too many times in the past. He’s watched his father shatter the bones in his hand, he’s witnessed the other man’s mother suffer and ultimately die, and he’s broken his heart himself. He’s been a miserable failure where Guerin is concerned, and Alex refuses to add to the list.

For Michael, Alex will go to war, and he will win.

No matter what the cost.

#stars hide your fires #my fic #multi-chap #malex fic [at least it will be]

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the-rodent-gentleman · 5 years

Text

Pink Diamond Was Experimental

In light of all the revelations and drama Steven Universe is experiencing as of late, there’s a particular detail that has been bugging me for a while.

Namely, why was Pink Diamond allowed to exist alongside the rest of the Authority, let alone come out the way she did?

Because according to Peridot, our resident Era 2 Gem, Homeworld is running out of resources right now. Now logically one could assume that this shortage began with the Rebellion since war in itself is a costly endeavor. However, we have Aquamarine whose abilities (or lack thereof) imply she is Era 2 as well and yet according to Pearl this Gem had been around during the Rebellion, which throws suspicion onto the true nature and cause of this shortage.

In other words, this shortage may have begun before Pink rebelled, let alone existed. It’s possible the Diamonds even had their fourth member created so they could expand the empire and combat this issue. Pink could very well have been counted on to be the big break the Diamonds wanted for Gemkind.

Except instead she came out like this:

Jasper made Homeworld’s perspective quite clear: “Every Gem is made for a purpose – to serve the order of the Diamonds. Those who cannot fit inside this order must be purged! To come out misshapen, to reshape yourself outside your purpose, and to defend this ruined, worthless planet is a disgrace!”

Mind you, this dogma came from someone who kissed the very ground Pink walked on. Jasper likely would not have felt so strongly for her Diamond if she’d known Pink emerged like this, let alone been so driven by revenge for her supposed death millennia later.

In short, Pink contradicted her own society’s culture, both physically and behaviorally. Even if she had been willing to go all the way on colonizing the Earth, Gems would not have let the issue of her stunted size go if it had been public knowledge. In fact, such knowledge being widespread would have not only discredited Pink but the other Diamonds as well because the Authority as a whole is meant to be seen as perfect.

Look at the height differential, for starters.

Now many may argue, “well White Diamond is clearly larger than Yellow and Blue so there’s no reason why Pink wouldn’t be smaller than the rest of them.” And that counter would be correct – except the differences in size and height between Blue and Yellow and White are not as dramatic. They’re noticeable, yes, but nothing as extreme as what we see between Yellow and Pink in “Jungle Moon” or them and Blue in “Can’t Go Back”.

Pink, by comparison, was about Stevonnie’s height if not a little taller.

This physical aspect alone caused her a world of problems. If she had come out right, she could have been only a head shorter than Yellow and Blue. That way, she wouldn’t have looked so out of place next to her fellow Diamonds while still paying visual respect to the Diamond Insignia’s arrangement.

Plus, the treatment she received would have been different. Remember during Stevonnie’s ‘dream’ sequence in “Jungle Moon” that Yellow Diamond could literally pick up Pink with one hand. That is not an image an intergalactic oligarchy would want in the minds of its people in relation to their mighty rulers. True, Pink would still have been young and immature but Yellow and Blue would have had less reason to doubt her capabilities.

Also keep in mind: Gems cannot physically age like organics, meaning Pink Diamond would have stayed far smaller than the Diamonds until the day she shattered, much to both her and the other Diamonds’ chagrin.

Why was someone like her allowed to remain a part of the Authority then, let alone live?

Once again, back to what Jasper said about Gems and their ‘purpose’, a point the show has made sure to nail into our heads concerning Homeworld. So why would the rulers of such a society bent on serving them and only them allow for Pink to live? Why avoid shattering Pink Diamond, someone whose very existence spat in the face of everything Homeworld stands for?

Now we’ve seen what Yellow and Blue are like. We’ve seen how illogically relentless the former can be, especially in regards to Earth and Pink Diamond, and how often the latter lets her emotions take the wheel.

But what about White Diamond?

Very, very little about her personality has been explicitly explained in canon aside from a few chilling asides from Pearl and the other Diamonds. However, just from the visual cues we’ve been given so far, we can safely assume that White is undoubtedly the top Gem, the Supreme Leader of Gemkind, for a solid reason.

She has the headspace to prove it.

And when we finally see her?

Ah ha...ah ha-ha...oh stars, somebody help Steven...

Even through mere physical presence, she represents Homeworld ideology at its finest (i.e. worst): the aspiration for perfection, the very state of being the Diamonds represent. A fellow Diamond coming out defective should be unthinkable to someone like White because at the end of the day, Pink was overcooked like Amethyst, an Off-Color that stayed in the ground for too long.

What or who allowed this result to come true?

Unless the other three Diamonds had all been ‘conceived’ simultaneously and in a way completely different from other Gems, Pink could not have been born without precedent. Homeworld has been through the process of creating a Diamond before. Whoever had been in charge of Pink’s incubation had to have known the importance of letting her come out after the right amount of time, even with her size to consider.

In fact, one would expect the Diamonds to keep an extremely close eye on their prospective member’s creation themselves. Doing so would have been in their best interest, after all, let alone that of Homeworld as a whole.

So what happened?

An accident? Some clod messing up?

Could Pink coming out overcooked have been intentional? That scenario wouldn’t make sense due to all the reasons I pointed out before; the Diamonds and Homeworld would have had nothing to gain from essentially adding such an anomaly to the Authority’s ranks.

Presumably.

Before I go any further, I would like to bring everyone’s attention to the 2017 SDCC poster.

You’ll note how the Crystal Gems’ arrangement appears to nearly match up with that of the Diamonds: Amethyst with Yellow, Pearl with Blue, Steven with Pink, and Garnet with White. Now quite a few theory videos have brought up the similarities between each corresponding character.

Yellow and Amethyst have proven the more openly aggressive of their corresponding groups yet also relatively more intent on moving on from their respective loss.

Blue and Pearl, in contrast, have struggled in their ability to let the past regarding said loss go, miring themselves in coping mechanisms that have stagnated the healing process for them.

Garnet and White, from what little can be gleamed of the latter, are both leaders burdened with the task of leading their respective groups forward without compromising their cool decisive fronts.

That leaves Steven and Pink as essentially the babies of their groups, the ones trying to prove their worth to their seniors. Both have stumbled in their efforts to demonstrate their capability and both have made grievous errors in judgement, even with good intentions.

Now keep in mind that these comparisons are not perfect. Plenty of differences also exist between the Crystal Gems and Diamonds. The former have progressed in their coping and come to various understandings between each other whereas the latter seem to have not. However, are those differences – and in turn commonalities – the only ones that exist?

Going back to Steven and Pink, they are without a doubt odd ducks, Steven as a human-Gem hybrid and Pink as a smaller-than-average Diamond, both with powers able to affect not only Gems but organic life as well. Furthermore, both are seemingly unimpressive in both stature and personality (at least initially) in contrast to their companions yet host great potential.

We’ve seen how far Steven’s come in reaching his own, but who’s to say someone didn’t want the same for Pink herself?

The other Diamonds never stopped caring about her – at least Blue and Yellow haven’t as far as we can tell. However we can’t ignore how badly they regarded Pink and her grievances either, especially in terms of communication. Yellow evidently belittled Pink often while Blue, though more compassionate, didn’t give her the floor enough either.

Such treatment would explain why Pink believed “Blue and Yellow don’t care. They never have. This is Pink Diamond’s colony.”

Not once does she ever mention White, though. Would that imply White did care, invested more careful concern into Pink’s well-being and struggles?

For the sake of this theory, let’s assume yes.

If so, why would White be so hands-off and distant when Pink started having second thoughts about colonizing Earth? Had she made her support of Pink clear from the get-go? If that was the case, Pink not trying to contact her instead could have been because the younger Diamond feared disappointing her, even if the reason had been for a more noble cause.

Pink still cared about her fellow Diamonds – but she cared about the Earth, too.

Hence, Rose Quartz.

Remember what White says to Steven, though, when they meet.

“Did you have fun? Did you get everything out of your system?”

This dialogue sounds too planned to simply be a case of White pulling what TV Tropes calls ‘tranquil fury’ and acting the role of Space Star Mom. It sounds more like she expected Pink Diamond to come back in some shape or form – whether it be as herself or Rose Quartz.

That means White also expected Pink to go against the grain, almost like she wanted Pink to rebel in the first place.

Except...why?

What would White hope to gain by allowing Pink to act against everything the Authority stands for? What did she hope Gemkind would gain?

Perhaps the answer is that simple.

White Diamond wanted to see what would happen when a Gem had the chance to change themselves, free from the rigid thinking of Homeworld. She wanted to see if Gems could evolve – not physically but mentally and emotionally. Because Gems are capable of self-change in those regards. Peridot is a prime example of this!

The obstacle, therefore, hasn’t been Gem nature itself but rather Homeworld thinking, something even Pink Diamond struggled to break away from. Even as Rose, she admitted herself that she marveled how humans could just grow and change, something she never truly believed her own kind could.

That’s why she had Steven, and despite her recklessness and shortsightedness, I firmly believe she had no intentions of dumping all her problems on him. If anything, she wanted him to grow and change like any other human being, two things she herself could never do as a Gem no matter how much she shapeshifted.

What if White Diamond had hoped the same for Pink herself, only for a more strategic reason?

Not to say White could have predicted everything Pink would do, namely falling in love with a human and having a hybrid offspring. However, since we as the audience have no confirmation yet as to how aware White Diamond is of the world around her, it’s not unreasonable to assume she’s been highly observant of Homeworld’s struggles – more specifically the causes.

After all, Homeworld, however alien it may be to us, is still a society and societies need to be able to change over time in order to have a better chance at survival. Not just physically like in technology or architecture but overall, especially in ideology. Otherwise, Homeworld will collapse from its own stagnation.

Hence White’s need for Gemkind to evolve.

Hence her need for Pink to come out off-color.

And Steven might just be even better than everything she could have hoped for.

#White Diamond #Pink Diamond #Rose Quartz #Steven Universe #theory #long post #su spoilers

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weissfai-blog1 · 5 years

Text

Memories of You.

I really like a domestic life of Ae and Pete. I have nothing against the book 2, but I would love it not focus on assault, villains popping here and there. Actually there are still many things that can separate them and say that the 3 years separation will prove their strong love for one another. Here is just a crazy HCS on my side. I’m not that good at it. I’ll make it a proper fic when I have enough time. I dedicate this fic to the person who made me write again, who encourage all to keep on writing and be free of inhibitions and just write this is for you @opald <3

Ae hasn’t still got the chance to introduce Pete to his family, and when they were there visiting Nut’s newborn baby, Ae’s mother drop a line like: ‘Ohhh Ae, when you hold your own child you will know the joy of being a father.’ She said that not because of Pete or anything, it’s just a word a mother would often say to their child.

Pete heard that and keeps on thinking about it.

And that particular line left a tiny strings of doubt and insecurities to Pete that made him shuts up, quiet, always thinking… afraid.

Ae was really angry at Pete because Pete keeps on closing his world/ his thoughts.

Pete is a ball of insecurity.

Ae and Pete were arguing when Pete was driving when Pete didn’t notice the vehicle that overtake and they were in an accident.

Ae lost his memories, mostly of Pete. (I know this is so used but I think this fits - I don’t like villains popping here & there)

Ae woke up with a person crying beside him and when Pete throw himself at him, saying sorry. Ae touches Pete’s head with bandage and said, ‘I guess the reason I’m here is you and the reason you’re crying is me. I’m alive so I think it’s no big deal, so you don’t need to hug me.’

Pete then said, ‘I’m so sorry krub Ae…’ which Ae says, ‘You know me? Are we friends?’

Pete stilled and was shock. Ae lost his memory. Memory of him.

Pete thought that this was a sign. That him Pete was not that important - truly important to Ae’s life.

Pete talks mostly to the one who knew about their relationship: Pond, Chaaim, Tin, and Can to promise that they will not talk about him to Ae. That Ae needs to have a new life without him. Pond, Chaaim and Can was against it so much. That Ae is whole with Pete, but Pete told them that Ae forgot him as a sign. And he wants Ae to have a normal life. Pete took Ae’s phone and erase all photos of him and messages. The one thing that his heart was not able to erase was his number save as ‘Ai Koon Chai’

Pete talks to his mother and told her that he will study at Thailand until the year is over but will transfer to another university. Explaining about Ae’s…

Pete’s mother respects his decision and cries with Pete… she knew how much Pete loves Ae but she also knew about the hardship of having a same sex relationship. She doesn’t want them separated, but if Pete thinks that this is for the best, then she will stood behind him, supports him and will do anything to help her only child.

Pete looks from afar how Ae was welcome by his football team mates…

How Ae was riding his bike, that most of the time he was there and Ae will just pass him by…

How Ae will walk and curse at Pond at the end of the line, without him knowing he was there just walking behind him…

Ae waiting for the bus shuttle not knowing that he is just a few seats away from him at the bus shelter…

Ae eating with Pond, Ping and Bow at the Thai Program Canteen while he was a table away from him. Pete smiles sadly when Pond looks at him with eyes of worry. He only shook his head. Indicating not to say anything.

He was also there silently cheering for Ae as he won another football game from another university…

Pete was also there when Ae smiles at Champoo for the very first time.

That was the last time he ever saw Ae. Pete’s father told him that he was accepted at Otto Beisheim School of Management or WHU Vallendar in German.

Pete looks at his phone, the picture of him and Ae.

Putch, Pete’s mother hugs her son, ‘Pete… After your university, go back home here. Heal your heart there, let the memories be a good one. Don’t let the past cloud your judgement and your heart. We love you. I love you. Come back home to me baby…’

Pete board the plane without telling anyone about it.

Ae stares at the name save in his phone. ‘Ai Koon Chai.’

Ae knows everyone save in his phone, whether it be the number of the school registrar, Yim’s school, even the old number of their school. He knew every name aside from this one… ‘Ai Koon Chai.’

No matter how much he thinks about it, he doesn’t know anyone with that name, or why would he name it that way. He is not a complicated person and he names every contact inside his phone per their names. Pond. Ping. Bow. Techno. Type. Can. Good. Champ. Oh. Nut. He doesn’t give anyone a nickname cause it’s not his style.

Ai Koon Chai ~ again this name bothers him so much. Just staring at this royal title. He doesn’t know any noble men with manners or any rich friends, well Sun and Dear are rich compare to Pond and he most likely will never call Sun that - that second nosy bastard as Ai Koon Chai.

But those words keeps giving his heart a flutter. A sudden tightness inside of his heart, as if that name alone is the most precious thing in his life.

Then the face of the most beautiful angel flash before his eyes.

He was not able to get the name of the beautiful man who hugs him and keeps on saying sorry to him at the hospital. He asked Pond and the others but they told him they don’t anyone that fits that description.

Once or twice he thought he saw that beautiful angel at school but whenever he turns there’s no one there.

As if he was hallucinating, but for him, those are such beautiful hallucination.

He laughs, he jokes, and he continued his life but it feels that something is missing. Something… something a part of him was missing.

Then there’s this girl name Champoo who told her she’s her hero. He smiles cause what the hell was this kid was thinking.

Champoo told him about how they met and how he become her hero. He just chuckles and shook his head.

The little girl keeps on following him, he look at her like a kid sister and nothing more.

There’s something inside of him that desperately keeps on shouting and wanting to resurface.

He asked Pond time and time again and most of the time, Pond will look at him intently and shook his head, telling him, he must be dreaming.

Was it a dream?

Was this just an imagination?

Ae is in his 3rd year of college and yes still single when the news that Yim, Oh and Nut are returning home. Ae’s brother told him that he and his family needed to go back to Chiang Mai to take care of Nut’s parents. Now that Nut’s sister married, they told Nut and Oh to go back home. Ae is excited to see his favorite niece.

He welcome them and kisses Yim nonstop. But one name from Yim made his heart skip and a surge of pain clenches his heart, ‘Ar Ae… where is Ae Pete? I mis him so much.’

‘Pete…’ Nut and Oh told Ae that it was a classmate of Ae. He visited one time.

He was about to ask again when he heard Nut told Yim, ‘N’Yim… Ar Pete is no longer able to visit Ar Ae and N’Yim okay. Ar Pete is in a place far away from us.’

He asked everyone but no one knew about this Pete.

He went on with his life, Ae graduated and land a job and still thinks about the name Pete.

The name that he cant help but feel so much emotion.

As if there’s a void inside of him.

Pete came back home to Thailand after 3 years in Germany.

He is now the Hotel Manager.

‘Pete… can you please go to this office? I forgot that I have an appointment with the Senior Engineer about our new hotel,’ Putch asked her son sweetly.

Pete – after 3 years change in a way that even her as the mother is awestruck. She knew her son is pretty. Like a very pretty good looking young man. The Pete in front of her is a very beautiful man. The same soft brown hair, cute chubby cheeks, red lips, tall slender body. But what change must be the doe eyes that’s always sad. ‘Yes Mae. Please let me know the address and who will I look for.’

‘Oh goodness! I forgot their name. But tell the reception that you have an appointment under our hotel name, they would know.’

Pete nodded and headed off to the Strudyna also known as Structural Dynamics Company, a renowned engineering and manufacturer of Stainless Steel Tensile Components for facade structures. Pete didn’t know that his mother chose a very high-end engineering company to take care of their new hotel.

Pete went inside the impressive office and was told by the receptionist to proceed to the 17th floor, there he was again instructed to wait inside a meeting room.

Pete’s back was at the door and a sturdy deep voice greets him, ‘Good morning.’

Pete turns around and he gasped, the other person who greeted him too was struck.

‘Pete…’

‘Ae…’

They were staring for quite some time when the secretary of Ae entered and brought refreshments, before closing the door. Ae locked the door.

‘Hello. I’m sorry. I’m Intouch, the senior engineer handling the hotel structure, I was expecting Mrs-‘

‘I’m her son. Pitchaya.’

‘Oh.’

Both didn’t asked the other why they say the name ‘Ae’ and ‘Pete’

Pitchaya, he introduce himself as Pitchaya and not Pete. Ae stared at the glass window, looking down, he saw the beautiful man get inside his car and drives away.

Tears. There were tears that flow from his eyes descending his face. He plays with the ring in his left finger. He took it out from his hand and look at the engraving inside ‘Ae & Pete ~ Forever in your Heart’

‘You came back… I won’t give you a chance to walk away from me anymore… I’m never goung to let go.’

From that day, Pete receives calls and messages from Intouch, asking for lunch, dinner, what is he doing, where is he, if work is hard… text messages and call from someone who seems to be dating.

Pete doesn’t know what to make of it.

Ae is already married and he will never break that marriage no matter how much he loves Ae.

Pond ask his stubborn friend, ‘What the hell Ae! Why are you not telling Pete that you remember everything?! Why the hell are you doing this? To punish him? Are you crazy? He did everything for you!’

‘No. I’m doing this to make him see and feel that no matter what, no matter what universe I will always remember him and will always love him. I want Pete to feel how much I love him.’

‘Idiot. Then take your ring out! Do you think that Pete will approach you with open arms thinking that you’re married.’

‘Then Pete should also know and he should remember… this was our ring. He has one – the exactly the same one.’

#lbc #love by chance #aepete #hcs #angst #memory lost #for opald

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aigoootome · 5 years

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Hajime Fukuyama - Agent of Love

Agent of Love is a new independent otome from @delusionalinc a team who seems to appreciate thoughtful writing and wants to offer deeper Josei otome. Briefly, otome is a sort of interactive fiction genre in which a female main character meets a harem of guys to find love with, there are otomes with full universe in which choices determine who you meet and route-based ones, where each route tells a different story. route-based otome is the most popular mobile format. And we have that in Agent. Josei implies more realism, more social issues and more drama than in shoujo. In fact, Agent is the first otome that I have enjoyed in a good while.

In Agent of Love, the Main Protagonist is an orphan adopted by a respectable family. She solves individual cases represented by each guy. All routes reveal something about her background and position. routes are varied and I look forward to piecing together the overarching story of the MC. Features, in short:

NO choices locked behind a paywall, you buy a route and you can reread at leisure

longer stories, take time to get into characters and develop tensions and nuances.

Meaningful POVs - not fillers, the POV actually add important bits

Bad ends actually ARE bad.

Mc with a backbone, backstory and integrity

Characters are varied and distinct.

It's josei, with immersive plots and more complex stories.

a potential overarching - and intriguing- story to be pieced together

a variety of characters who are distinct. Out of the two released so far, Hajime is my winner with a great plot and character backstory and evolution. I am eyeing several future characters.

the lovely main theme which emphasizes the mood and the feelings in the stories. It’s one of my favourite otome game songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3JbG9Ou9Jo

youtube

Hajime route is story rich. It will shock but there is much to be gained from reading it and ultimately it’s a rewarding experience, making it memorable. There are many, many little hints that reveal Hajime’s feelings during the story. This is a Josei game, there will be more difficult topics touched. The route requires reading into it, suspending the immediate reaction to it and giving it a chance and yet will still not be for everyone. The plot however, is great. It’s like a thriller. And I loved it very much

The story had big themes that drew me in, read a bit like some Japanese doramas I enjoyed, and I just wonder now whether he can be dethroned at all - much as I‘m eyeing some future characters, I really loved this one :)

The review contains spoilers

Hajime’s story is a case concerning missing scientists...that have a strong connection to Hajime. They worked together in the past on something that left Hajime having to atone for, which he does because he has a sense of responsibility... As soon as he learns the past is repeating himself, he stops at nothing to prevent terrible things from happening, even going as far to use to MC, also to keep her safe. In the meantime, MC is confronted with the fact there is more to people and facts than meets the eyes, she is also confronted with death and the power to take and give life. We accompany her as she struggles to see past appearances that cause her internal struggle and grief. she learns the power a doctor and a detective hold, the power of life and death. The route is story-rich, with lots of big themes, including guilt and redemption, the value of life, ambition and where it leads and other things to think about, with gradual character development and is a very rewarding experience. The route builds up to a strong, emotional climax in which feelings come together very nicely.

Hajime really came as a big surprise. I had pegged him for an ojisan from the profile and past appearances. Ojisan means an older gentleman and it’s a common otome trope. They are usually around 30ish (a bit older than MCs, who tend to be in their 20s), with more life experience and usually a sad past but the sad past usually amounts to a dead ex-lover or partner. And in most games there is a really little variation on that trope to the point it’s really gotten boring. They usually treat MC with a lot of fondness. But the bottom line is, they are usually very gentle in a sort of protective way.

Well. Not Hajime. Hajime is more like ojisan sadist. He is a strong personality. He is clever, he is always two steps ahead and he is not afraid to use any measures to make sure he does the things he needs to do. He creates an elaborate scheme involving the MC- and makes it believable - for his ends and needs and the story considers her confusion in all this. There is much desperation in him. He is competent, even extra competent. His teasing, when he does tease, is stronger than usually the case with “sadist” types in these games. And then gradually we see past the apparent coldness and machinations. The important things are initially hidden to the eye and the narrative brings them out slowly, over time.

You really need the full picture with him, you can’t just judge him from the first two chapters. The first chapters add a surprise factor. What we thought would be an ojisan instantly and dramatically changes. A man you knew for years and thought you knew, a man your family trusts suddenly learns that you are involved in a case that hits close to home and out of desperation decides to use you and uses blackmail to make sure you’re on to this. in the process, he makes you think all the worst things about him. He does it for his reasons that we discover over time and he also tries to keep Mc safe. The surprise is so strong that focus is shifted on Mc and her struggle, withholding the process of getting to know Hajime.

So, he starts out seemingly as your ordinary ojisan but then it turns out the assumption was wrong....Hajime makes the Mc think he slept with her, that she is pregnant and moreover he blackmails her with it. There reasons for it and I think more reasons will come through in the POV,

The shock factor offers a kind of an immersion factor in itself- whaaat? He isn’t a boring ojisan but actually has an edge? Honestly, this is a hook and you can say he had me at hello. There’s more to him! So how is it going to pan out? That’s the hook and the story never lets off, but the strategy makes it difficult for Mc to believe in Hajime’s words at face value, therefore everything at first seems like a lie and Mc reacts strongly against it. The blackmail forces the reader into Mc perspective, along with her struggles and postpones understanding of Hajime, hinders it - it’s because he wants it that way, he is very guarded about himself, wants others to believe he is a dangerous murderer - because it’s better that way - safer for others, and because he himself believes that he is, all the while he does penance for his past. He is self-deprecating that way.

Over time, however, you can see where he is coming from. He is a man full of pain, plagued with a sense of guilt over a thing he didn’t even do, but one that really threatened a lot of people and one he worked hard to stop. He feels responsible and from this past stems self-deprecation that leads him to act very offhandedly sometimes.

but he wants to do right by others, no matter what, and wants to keep Mc safe.

The theme of life and death comes out strongly here. Several supporting characters die, one is a man with a family and Mc needs to consider the implication of that.

On the one hand, we have a man who is a doctor who saves lives and yet there was death in his past, a death he tries to stop.

Mc, in turn, is a detective trained to use weapons in self-defence and to protect lives, and yet Hajime’s machinations inspire, understandably, quite strong and not very noble thoughts in her so initially she even says this

There is just so much pain in that scene.

and here, this one tugs at the heart-strings too, especially when you know the full story,. And I believe this will come out even more in the POV.

Such thoughts about killing so recklessly she has to confront with other things happening, with things happening to and around Hajime, with people dying and learn how dreadful even her own thoughts are, considering lives once lost really cannot be restored. We are also led to consider how such words spoken lightly are terrifying, Mc catches herself on that. She considers this in relation to a family broken by death - the theme of her own potential pregnancy Hajime suggests happens (and she believes him) just makes the desire to protect life stronger in her, just as Hajime is DESPERATE to prevent death, atoning for his past - past generated by youthful ambitions that he more than atones for.

And so she still does right by Hajime, even when she’s at the point of despair because of his plan and because he hides his true intentions because her sense of justice comes through and she is able to take responsibility. She isn’t a killer, neither is he. He wants to protect people and her and she wants to protect him and give him light and hope in her own way, encourage him just as he encourages and comforts her.

He blames himself and is in much anguish and keeps others at bay - if it’s something he thinks it’s best, he will do it however he must. He does it out of the best intentions and a sense of fear about himself and also a sense of fear FOR others. When he acts cold, it is because he first, is self-deprecating and second, because he cares and wants to do what’s best for those he actually cares about. He is strict with himself because he believes himself to be guilty and perhaps not worthy of good thoughts. He is riddled with guilt and pain of past mistakes. He is strict with himself in this way, but his eyes have seen a lot and we still see that he cares for others. He is also a man prepared for sacrifices for the things he loves or cares about. I think his motives will truly come out in the POV, there is certainly much interesting material in the MS that could go into it.

There is much focus on Mc. She reacts more than she thinks and I think it’s partly why getting to know Hajime becomes difficult. But her position is also understandable. Se believes what Hajime tells her and, considering the good name and her family are very important to her, she is in a pickle. not only that, the route asks to consider the position of a woman confronted with blackmail and what she is (mis)led to believe is rape. Can she just report him when there are many factors involved and many things she weighs in favour or against. This is a sensitive topic but it’s a reminder too, to be on your guard and Hajime wants to teach her that, telling her not to be so unguarded - out of concern for her. He doesn’t want her doing reckless things either.

It is just worth keeping in mind, Hajime would not seriously mistreat or disrespect or hurt her, he wants what’s best for her.

she is precious to him and does become his saviour. and in between all the moments, you can see tiny pieces when his feelings come through. He is one to see Mc at her worst and embrace her even so. And he is prepared to do a lot more, taking on himself the full brunt of consequences.

The scene where he had no hesitation whatsoever. None. Just determination to save the person he loves.

Nonetheless, the strong initial blackmail springs us into a bit of a shock, give the character a new leash of interest because he’s suddenly not just some boring ojisan but a man with a lot more to him that makes him very interesting. Overall, the plot of the story evolving gradually and with much interesting detail keeps you in its grips until the end. It’s fast-paced and unputdownable. Additional characters help develop the themes and unravel the guarded characters and those supporting characters, particularly antagonists, have their motivations too. I feel it’s going to be explored in future stories.

There is much story still to be had, the ending of the main story is actually only the beginning - that’s the feeling I get - and I will cheer on MC x Hajime to reach their happy end every time.

There is much happening from the starting shock through discovery about Hajime past and the final confrontation with that past - and it kept me interested throughout Hajime revealing his deeper aspects and Mc coming over to him with love and understanding once she sees what’s his game really about. It’s really very rewarding, particularly discovering things about Hajime. Epilogue and Secret end

Epilogue and secret end are integral to the story and it’s best to read them lumped together for full effect. In the epilogue, we see Hajime trying to do right by the Mc in his own way. He cares too much to want to lose her so he acts on that, trying to keep her at bay. In fact, she truly chooses him in the end, he gives her the room to back away. The secret end is steamy but in a good way because the lines bring back feelings and concerns. The secret end is actually the perfect closure for this one - and this is coming from someone who is tired of smut in otome.... But this here is not so much smut, and definitely not smut of tasteless variety. It’s a graphic depiction of intimacy with full respect to the feelings built through the route... the feelings Hajime has, become very palpable and fully realised in this part and the lines he has for us speak of his love and concern about keeping Mc safe.

I had a few favourite moments, which, to my mind, let through more pure feelings than anywhere else, feelings that I genuinely loved. This is one of my favourite CGs, well-chosen as it illustrates a particularly nice moment in the development of feelings between Mc and Hajime I loved that whole part, it’s tense, full of uncertainty but it;s one that cements and shows full extent of their feeling and understanding and warmth and trust and care.

I can say I loved the route very much with all the story it had to offer. For me in the end, the best thing is that there is so much good, a tight plot that provides the immersion and the hook, the story is good, writing multifaceted, and reveals a lot about the character, there is something to bite into. And the reward, for me, is absolutely worth it, Hajime shines.

This sort of story...you reread in a few years time and see what it shows you then, or rather how you see it might change.

#otome #agent of love #hajime fukuyama #delusional inc #otome games #favourite otome #favourite route #favourite games

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crusherthedoctor · 6 years

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Sonic Villains: Sweet or Shite? - Part 6: KING ARTHUR & MERLINA

There are some villains I like. And there are some villains I don’t like. But why do I feel about them the way I do? That’s where this comes in.

This is a new mini-series of mine, in which I’ll be going into slightly more detail about my thoughts on the villains in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and why I think they either work well, or fall flat (or somewhere in-between). I’ll be giving my stance on their designs, their personalities, and what they had to show for themselves in the game(s) they featured in. Keep in mind that these are just my own personal thoughts. Whether you agree or disagree, feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions! I don’t bite. :>

Anyhow, for today’s installment, we’ll be fighting the knight while living life as we discuss the dark spirit of Sonic and the Black Knight, as well as the schemer behind the scenes: King Arthur & Merlina.

The Gist: Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a peaceful kingdom was threatened by the rule of a corrupted king. A young wizard named Merlina valiantly defied this monarch, the famous King Arthur, and attempted to escape the clutches of his evil army, but alas, she was cornered like a poor little lamb. In desperation, she called upon a brave and noble hero to help save her kingdom.

She got a blue hedgehog instead.

He did it guys, he did the thing, we can all go home now.

Eager to fight the villain of the week, Sonic was instead put aside by Merlina, who explained to him that as long as King Arthur had the scabbard of Excalibur in his possession, he was basically Jesus and couldn't be wounded in any meaningful way. She also explained that the king was once a noble soul, until the Lady of the Lake, Nimue, lended Excalibur to him, presumably under the belief that granting an ambitious ruler immortality and the power to pluck monsters from the underworld couldn't possibly be a terrible idea.

It was.

Luckily for Sonic, Merlina guided him to a forest where a poorly guarded sword was held, the one weapon capable of dealing some real damage to the evil king. Sonic even got a chance to make it count when Arthur himself showed up right after, but since this was still early on in the game, he fucked up so badly that Arthur and the sword itself - yes, the sword itself - were both laughing at him for his incompetence.

By the way, I hope you like desaturated cutscenes.

Nonetheless, the sword - who went by the name of Caliburn - decided to give the cocky teenager a chance in spite of his own reservations, and granted him the honorable title of Knave the Hedgehog. Sonic took issue with this title, because he didn't want to be mistaken for a fancharacter (probably). As they discussed their next course of action, Merlina waxed nihilistic poetry about flowers for some strange reason.

Because that's how nature works, silly girl.

So after a trip to the Blacksmith to get Caliburn in tip-top shape for regicide, Sonic went off to seek out Nimue in order to get an idea of what to actually do. Upon visiting her, he was asked to locate and gather the sacred swords, though he was forced to detract from his mission for the sake of saving some helpless townspeople from a cruel dragon, because that's just the kind of guy that Sonic the Hedgehog is... Just as well then that it was part of Nimue's test all along! (Just as well also that King Arthur was presumably patient enough to wait for Sonic to pass his tests instead of using that time to destroy the kingdom.)

All the while, he confronted the Knights of the Round Table, who - being the king's most trusted and most capable soldiers - did nothing other than get their asses handed to them.

Pictured: Useless twats.

Until at last, when everything that had to be done was done, Sonic and Caliburn went to the Faraway Avalon, where King Arthur himself dwelled. The battle was intense to say the least, but with a little help from the sacred swords, the Blue Blur prevailed, and the corrupted monarch who plagued the kingdom... dissipated? Like the Knights of the Underworld before him...? Well at least they got Excalibur back.

Seeking to get to the bottom of this mystery, Sonic brought it to Merlina's attention, who revealed that the King Arthur the hedgehog slayed was a fake, and that there never was a true King Arthur to begin with, as he was an illusion created by Merlina's grandfather, the great Merlin himself.

She also revealed the slightly more important fact that she's an evil bitch who used Sonic for her own gain, and proceeded to use Excalibur to give the hero a very bad time.

Holding a sword like that with her hair so close? Bitch is mad.

After some reassurance that all was not in vain, Sonic convinced the Knights of the Round Table to stop kissing the now-deceased Arthur's feet and help him save the kingdom for real. Using their sacred swords, the Knights formed a powerful barrier around the kingdom's castle, and then immediately proceeded to go right back to being useless.

Just kidding. The barrier wasn't even strong enough to amount to much. That puts the Knights' usefulness points right back to zero.

“Why do people call this our last hurrah again...?”

When Sonic finally confronted Merlina in her domain, with the understandable query of why she was such a manipulative witch, she revealed that her motives are less “cackling rapscallion” and more “morally grey”. You see, with the supposed rift between Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain, and the eventual downfall of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in general, the kingdom was doomed to suffer an undesirable fate no matter what. Seeking to fix her late grandfather's mistakes, she wanted nothing more than to create a world that would never end, for ultimate peace and prosperity... as far as she knew.

Sonic had none of it and promptly called her out on her selfish desire, but the wizard proved too much for him to handle, as evidenced by the surprisingly savage beatdown that he received immediately after. Caliburn got broke in half for his troubles, and the Knights commanded the hedgehog to get the hell out of there, but Sonic remained stubborn, as he never backs down no matter the opponent. This eventually paid off for him, as his heroic nature inexplicably summoned the power that granted him a new form: the knight in shiny gold armor, Excalibur Sonic. This was fortunately just the right amount of power necessary to defeat Merlina's final form of King Arthur 2: This Time It's Personal.

Beaten, but not outright killed, the depowered Merlina was left a broken woman. But Sonic wasn't afraid to show a bit of compassion to the wizard, as he gave her the advice that while the world may not last forever, we must live our lives to the fullest, and make the time that we do have count.

"Well yeah, that’s easy for an iconic mascot like you to say. As soon as this game is over, my career is finished. Eat shit, rodent.”

Also, Sonic turns out to be the real King Arthur. Because self-inserts are canon. Credits!

The Design: King Arthur's design is a bit on the generic side for Sonic standards, but it's decent enough for the type of villain that he is. Though you do have to wonder how he can stand upright with those gigantic shoulder pads of his.

This photo was taken moments before his kneecaps crumbled into dust.

Meanwhile, Merlina heavily resembles Shahra from Black Knight’s predecessor, as befitting of her initial role as Shahra's replacement for Black Knight, as well as making her true role all the more surprising.

“Shahra? No. I'm my own original character... Backstabbhra.”

When the latter becomes the Dark Queen, she initially settles for turning purple and gaining some fashionable feathers, before unleashing her final form which basically amounts to a collection of blue and black tentacles.

Typical angsty teenage phase.

Arthur and Merlina's designs overall are... okay. Just okay.

The Personality: As someone who is more a force of nature than an actual character, King Arthur's personality amounts to saying a bunch of evil things and not much else. That's alright though, since Merlina is the true villain of this particular story, so it’s her personality that counts here.

But here's the problem... Merlina doesn't have much personality either. She spends the first half of the story taking the role of the typical assistant, and the second half whinging about how her kingdom will be ruined unless she does something about it. That is all you get with her. Yes, there is clearly meant to be more to her, as evidenced with her misguided beliefs and her relationship with her grandfather, but very little is actually done with those aspects beyond giving Sonic more things to lecture her and shout at her for.

The Execution: On paper, Merlina is a character who should be among the greatest of Sonic villains.

On paper.

But you see, while she is unique in the sense of being the rarity of a female villain AND an anti-villain in a Sonic game... there really isn't anything else going for her. Once you get past those two initial brownie points, you don't have much of real interest left. You may get a cool moment like the aforementioned beatdown of Sonic come the endgame, but you're given no reason to actually care about the person doing the deed, despite the game wanting you to do so.

“I've not been given any particular reason to do so, so no.”

There's a lot of telling with Merlina, rather than showing. She's presented as a well-intentioned extremist, but we're given no reason whatsoever to actually bother trying to see things her way, even if we would still ultimately acknowledge that what she's doing is wrong. Even Sonic himself doesn't bother considering her side of the story for a second, and while that is certainly in-character for the Blue Blur, it makes Merlina's anti-villain status - one of the very aspects that makes her unique among Sonic villains - fall flat all the more. Likewise, the only information we get about why the kingdom is destined to be doomed comes straight from Merlina's mouth, and that's it. We're never shown an example of what exactly she wants to prevent aside from vaguely alluded ruination, therefore we're given less reason to express actual interest in her motivation and goals.

Also, it must be stated: There wasn't nearly enough foreshadowing with her true intentions. Of course you don’t want to beat the player over the head to the point where they can see the twist coming from a mile away, but you still need a decent amount of build up to make a twist work, otherwise it practically comes out of nowhere. And since you don’t even need to count the hints with one hand in Merlina’s case, it does feel out of nowhere.

Overall, Merlina - and King Arthur, for that matter - are just kind of forgettable at the end of the day. Not terrible. Not outright bad. Just forgettable. And it's a huge shame, because Merlina COULD have been amazing. She had all the ingredients to stand out and be in the same tier as the likes of Eggman and Erazor. But she simply can't live up to the likes of them because there wasn't enough sufficient effort to make her truly blossom as the type of antagonist she was intended to be. There was something good going on with her, I can acknowledge and appreciate that there was something good going on with her... it just wasn't enough.

Which is kind of how I feel about Sonic and the Black Knight in general. It doesn’t do an awful lot with the things that it gets praised for. And the story as a whole - while serving as a great character analysis for Sonic himself - is just kind of boring for an actual narrative in a Sonic the Hedgehog game.

My favourite Sonic game is the one where Sonic made fun of attempted suicide.

Crusher Gives King Arthur & Merlina a: Thumbs Sideways!

#Sonic Villains: Sweet or Shite?#Opinion #Sonic the Hedgehog #King Arthur #Merlina #Sonic and the Black Knight

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stories-in-the-stars · 5 years

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The Fallen and the Wandering

Surprise, surprise :)

Posting this today because tomorrow I might be too busy.

As always, please check reblogs for links to Ao3.

~*~

Chapter 11

There was not much time to waste. Adam’s first concern was for those people who had come to gather around him, fearful but willing to help. Shiro, Keith, and the others were unceremoniously shuffled to the side as Adam discussed what should be done. The storm outside was showing no signs of flagging. If Keith was any judge of it (and if Shiro’s expression was any indicator), it seemed as though the storm was only intensifying. He wondered vaguely how Adam intended to get so many people to safety in such a tempest.

Another flash of lightning. Thunder followed only two seconds later.

Adam waved his hand at the people who had come to deliberate with him, and turned towards Keith and the others. His expression was grim.

“We have to leave,” he said. “Terrell probably noticed this storm, and given that she has the power of the sun and Jupiter, I wouldn’t be surprised if she could sense us all being together. Whether I like it or not, I need to go with you.”

“I thought you trusted her to keep her word about leaving you alone?” Lance taunted.

“I said I had no reason to doubt her--that doesn’t mean I trusted her. I know that she’s… flighty, to say the least. Subject to her own whims. This whole time neither of us had had any reason to doubt the other, but now she likely knows that you’re all here with me, and unless I completely throw you all under the bus, she’s probably not going to believe that I’m not up in arms with you all,” Adam explained with a huff.

“That’s all well and fine,” Veronica began. “But are we really going to try flying through this storm?”

Adam considered that. “We should split up. At least temporarily.”

Allura leaned over to whisper something to Romelle, who nodded along. Everyone else looked at them expectantly.

Another flash of lightning. Only a second passed before thunder followed, less of a rumble than a crack. Time was running out.

“There’s a place Romelle and I both know,” Allura said. “If we do decide to split into two groups, we can each lead a group there.”

Both Adam and Shiro looked reluctant, though Keith was willing to bet it was for vastly different reasons. Shiro, to his credit, gathered himself with remarkable speed and divied up the group with brisk efficiency. Allura led the larger of the two groups, with Lance, Veronica, Pidge, and Shiro himself. Keith himself was reluctant to be splitting up the whole group--what if Terrell found one group? Whether they had control over their powers or not, there was safety in numbers.

Lightning flashed and was followed by thunder in less than a second. By then, they were ready to leave.

They stepped out into the swirl of wind and icy rain that stung. Romelle trounced over to Allura and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, abruptly reminding Keith that they were together. Romelle said something to Allura that Keith couldn’t make out through the sounds of the storm, but Allura smiled, so he assumed it must’ve been something soft and laced with love. A quick press of their lips, and the two of them parted, gesturing to their respective groups to follow them.

Romelle’s golden hair was like a shining beacon in the dark, making it all too easy for Keith, Hunk, and Adam to follow her. They flew in speedy silence, occasionally checking behind them to make sure they weren’t being followed. Around them, the storm began to dissipate. The sheets of rain faded to a drizzle, the gale withering to practically nothing. It left them damp and freezing, and Keith hoped that this secondary location that Allura and Romelle had thought of wasn’t too far.

Keith pulled up beside Romelle. “Where are we going?”

“A relative of Allura’s,” Romelle answered. “He lives in the countryside, so he’s a bit difficult to find unless you know where to look. Should be safe enough for us, hopefully at least long enough for us to dry out.”

Hunk pulled up on her other side, agreeing enthusiastically. “I had no idea all this planet business meant getting absolutely soaked. This is why I don’t like field work.”

He turned to looked back towards Adam, who was looking particularly downcast.

“Didn’t you say that you have some control over your powers?” Hunk asked him.

“Things get tricky when planets are near each other,” was all Adam said.

To that, Keith could agree. On that note, it was a miracle that the storm wasn’t worse with how many planets they’d managed to gather in one place. He drew back to fly beside Adam. His intention was to say something, anything, but he couldn’t manage to find the words to say. What did you even say to someone who let everyone that cared about them believe they were dead?

“Did you know I was a planet too?” Keith finally asked.

Adam nodded, but failed to elaborate. Noticing Keith’s frustration, Adam frowned. “What?”

“You could’ve let us know you were alright, at least.”

“We’ve been through this already,” Adam said. “You know, don’t you? That once you’re aware, your powers begin to manifest at an exponential rate. Before, they only manifest when you’re in a particularly volatile emotional state.”

“But you and Shiro had argued before--what made that argument so bad that the two of you accidentally called up a storm?” Keith inquired.

Adam grimaced. “I… suggested that maybe a relationship between us wouldn’t work after all.”

Keith said nothing for a moment, mouth agape with shock.

“You--but you guys--”

“Keith, I’ll admit, the idea was selfish on my part, but it wasn’t without reason. You know as well as I do how careless Shiro is--”

“Was,” Keith corrected. “After you disappeared, he took a supervising position. He hasn’t done field work since then.”

Adam scowled. “Figures. I’d been telling him to take that position for months before I disappeared. You know as well as I do how careless he was about his health.”

Keith nodded reluctantly.

“I hated seeing him treat himself the way he did,” Adam continued. “It’d keep me up for hours at night, worrying that he might take it too far one day--I couldn’t handle it. And when I found out what we are… I couldn’t--as much as I wanted to see him again, make sure he didn’t worry, I was too worried that he might think he had to go back in the sky, noble idiot that he is.”

“Sounds familiar,” Hunk joined in.

“What do you mean?” Adam asked, while Keith tried his very best to glare daggers at Hunk.

“Well,” Hunk began, very knowingly ignoring Keith. “Keith here found out that Lance was the sun, and that he’s a planet, and decided to shut us all out. He didn’t fake his death or anything, but he was pretty mean there for a while.”

Keith cringed. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I thought it was for the best, but I’ll admit that my methods were… bad.”

“To say the least,” Hunk added with a nod. “But I forgive you. I just wish your first thought hadn’t been to handle it all alone.”

Keith didn’t reply. He gazed down at the shadowy landscape that raced past them. He wondered if doing things differently might have delayed the inevitable. Even now, he didn’t think so. After all, it was Terrell who had triggered the onset of this mess. If it hadn’t been for her, who knew how long he might’ve been able to keep it secret. How long might he have lived alone?

Romelle had drawn back to join the conversation, if passively. She was still flying slightly ahead to lead the way, listening all the while.

“I think you were right to break up, in such a situation,” she suddenly said to Adam.

Keith blinked, a bit taken aback by the sudden change of subject. “What are you talking about?! You didn’t even know them when they were together--”

“Maybe not,” Romelle said. “But it sounds like Shiro was too focused on other things to care what sort of effect his actions were having on Adam. Certainly he should be allowed to live his own life, but if that life was only going to cause Adam pain, Adam had every right to leave. Although I’ll admit, faking your death was a bit extreme.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Adam objected.

Romelle snorted. “I know, I know. Still, I can see your reasoning. If Allura decided to wantonly throw herself into danger at every whim, I don’t know that I’d stick around to watch her crash and burn.”

“And not be there for her when she does?” Keith demanded. “If she were to, that is.”

Romelle shrugged. “Love is a complicated thing, but also not. It’s like a series of choices. There’s emotion involved of course, but… it’s a choice, ultimately. If Allura did something dangerous once, I’d ask her not to do it again, because I worry that she’ll get hurt. If she does it again, I ask her again. If she keeps doing it, regardless of how worried I become about her, she’s choosing to disregard how I feel. And if there’s no reason for her to be doing that, then…”

She shrugged again. Keith, meanwhile, was frowning.

“I don’t understand,” he admitted.

“I think Romelle’s talking about the kind of love that keeps people together,” Hunk offered helpfully. “You’ve got that initial infatuation that draws someone in, but a relationship doesn’t work on that alone. Right?”

Romelle nodded, smiling. “Precisely.”

Hunk glanced sideways at Keith, who ignored him. This wasn’t exactly the turn he’d expected this conversation to take, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it. He wasn’t sure how to feel about a lot of things lately, it seemed. Adam, too, didn’t look too keen on the topic. Romelle made it sound so simple, for all that she claimed it sometimes wasn’t.

Romelle flew ahead again, dipping down to get her bearings on where they were. Hunk accompanied her in the interest that none of them should be alone, even for a few moments, leaving Keith and Adam flying alone in a not-so-companionable silence.

“So,” Adam started. “You and the sun, huh? What was his name again?”

“Lance,” Keith answered, averting his eyes. “And we’re not together.”

Adam snorted. “Sure you’re not. You guys are worse than when me and Takashi first got together. Kind of ironic though.”

“What do you mean?”

“Of all the planets to fall for the sun, it’s the one that’s farthest from it. Or was, anyways.”

When Keith only stared, Adam continued, “Do you not know which planet you are?”

“No--I mean, I could probably figure it out if I took the time, but, well, I just haven’t had the time,” Keith stammered.

“You’re Pluto,” Adam said simply. “Although, it’s strange, if you think about it. Just before the fall, Pluto was classified as a dwarf planet, but people still look for it as though it is. None of the other dwarf planets have been given such consideration--I wonder why that is.”

Keith opened his mouth, though he had no idea what he wanted to say, but stopped short as they zipped by a wisp of a cloud. A knowing look passed between them, and they canted their brooms downwards to find Hunk and Romelle. Not a moment later, Keith felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end in a terrifyingly familiar way.

“Move!” Keith screamed just as Hunk and Romelle came into sight.

No sooner had they scattered than a crack of lightning, white hot and deadly, whipped through the air right where they had been. Distantly Keith noted that it wasn’t that much different from her usual lightning. What then, he wondered, was the point of having the power of the sun?

He wheeled around to face Terrell as she flew up to them. Adam sidled up beside him, with Hunk and Romelle not far behind. Dimly lit by a lantern full of stars, Terrell’s expression was displeased to say the least.

“Adam,” she greeted coldly. “We had a deal.”

“We did. We still do,” Adam insisted.

“Do we?”

“I haven’t done anything to breach our agreement.”

Terrell’s frown deepened. “Really? Looks like you decided to play the good guy at the first opportunity you saw.”

Adam said nothing at first, his lips pressed tightly together. It was just as he had said, Terrell wasn’t believing him. Fighting her, however, was not something any of them wanted to do. Keith had no idea what Adam was capable of, but Keith’s own powers were passive. Good at evading and hiding, but lacking in any offensive capability. If he had something more effective, he had no idea what it was, or how to use it.

Still, dark as it was, there was nowhere to hide in open skies. Clouds were closing in with the conjunction of Adam and Terrell, but enough lightning would flush them out if they tried to hide within them.

“They’re not trying to do anything,” Adam tried to convince her. “Even if they wanted, they wouldn’t be able to.”

“You know me better than that, Adam,” Terrell snarled back.

“They told me you have the power of the sun now--even with all of us together, are you really that afraid we might be able to interfere with whatever it is you’re doing?!” he attempted.

That was, apparently, the wrong thing to say.

Terrell didn’t even have to raise her hands. Arcs of lightning sparked from all over her body. The clouds around them swirled threateningly, looming large. Their group leaned back on their brooms, trying to put some space between them and her, all while knowing that fleeing was futile. Keith chanced a glance at the ground below. Nothing but darkness; it was too far for anything to be distinct. Too far to fall from, regardless of the supposed invulnerability of planets to falling. Keith gripped the handle of his broom, bracing himself for the worst.

The worst never came.

Terrell took a deep breath, and the lightning receded. Keith exchanged a look with the others.

“You’re right,” she said, stunning all of them. “You’ve done nothing wrong, and even if you wanted to do anything, you wouldn’t be able to.”

She spoke softly, almost talking to herself, or so it seemed to Keith. She nodded slightly, as though the logic was only just starting to make sense to her. Her eyes met Keith’s suddenly, and she scowled.

“You, on the other hand,” she started, sparks flying once more. “You’ve been in my way at every turn. If it hadn’t been for you, I’d have had my way a lot sooner.”

Keith glared right back at her. “I thought you said I was nothing compared to you.”

Terrell’s expression twisted into something like fury, and this time she didn’t hesitate to raise her fist and hurl it through the air. Keith rolled out of the way, hoping to the stars above and below that the others did the same. It occurred to him once again that Terrell’s power wasn’t all that different from before. What sort of edge did the power of the sun give her?

Not that Keith was ungrateful for the apparent lack of a power boost as he dipped and twirled around the dangerous tendrils of electricity. Fighting Terrell was difficult enough as it was.

Adam called out to the others, “I can manipulate the clouds to give us some cover, maybe even make it rain icy to make it more difficult for her to maneuver, but it won’t be enough!”

“She’s only concerned about me, maybe if you guys--!” Keith started to suggest, only to be firmly cut off by Hunk.

“No way, man! We’re not leaving you behind, no matter how much of a good idea you think it is!”

“I’m not trying to be all noble again, I just don’t have any better ideas!” Keith shouted.

Hunk drew level with Keith as they dodged Terrell’s wild attacks.

“How do I use my powers?!” Hunk demanded.

“What?”

“You found me first because Saturn is your best bet against her, right? So tell me how to use my powers and maybe we can get out of this!”

“Stay still!” Terrell shrieked.

“It’s hard to explain, even if we weren’t actively under attack right now!” Keith said to Hunk.

“Your power will usually revolve around some sort of idea!” Adam interjected suddenly. “My powers are centered on emotions, particularly passionate, deep feeling! Once you find your center, you can find what you can do!”

“That’s great and all, but that doesn’t really help us now!” Hunk replied.

A panicked cry pierced the air before Adam could explain further, and Keith’s stomach dropped. Below them, Romelle had not been quick enough in dodging a streak of lightning. It caught the tail end of her broom and sent her into a rapid downwards spiral. Keith made to go after her, the image too frighteningly familiar, but a barrage of lightning blocked his way. He shouted incoherently, his own power rising up unbidden within him. He made to charge at Terrell directly, to get her to stop shooting lightning everywhere, only to find that Hunk was way ahead of him.

Their collision happened in such a way that was at once far too fast, but also somehow in slow motion. Terrell didn’t notice Hunk coming until it was too late. She brought up a hand to defend herself, her palm alight with electricity. Hunk paid the lightning no heed. He barrelled forward, drawing back his own fist, which, as far as Keith could see did not contain any sort of special power whatsoever.

Keith tried to call out to Hunk, to warn him off such a reckless action. He was too slow. Or was Hunk too fast? He couldn’t tell. Especially not as Hunk’s fist plowed right through the electricity and connected solidly with Terrell’s hand.

First there was a blinding white light.

Second, too many colors at once, more colors than Keith had ever seen in one place in such vivid intensity.

Then, the sensation of his body being flung backwards, acutely reminding him that he was still dangerously high up in the sky.

Finally, there was darkness.

(Before the fall, it was known that the world humans knew was balanced on the precarious edge of a galaxy, within a quaint solar system that orbited a not-so-remarkable star.)

Keith shook his head, trying to reorient himself. He had been quiet sure he had been falling, but now it seemed he wasn’t. Had he already hit the ground then? He tried to move some part of his body, any part--surely there would be overwhelming pain if he had hit the ground, right? No part of his body responded. He blinked--or at least, he thought he blinked. He tried to look around, to see where he was, what sort of condition he was in, but there was only darkness.

(By all accounts, the solar system was nothing special--not to an outside eye, anyways.)

Keith strained his eyes, looking for something, anything--he found it in the form of a bright point of light. Others followed, steady and brilliantly colored, but none shined as brightly as the one Keith had first spotted. As before, and as he always would, Keith imagined he could feel it’s warmth, even from this distance. The darkness, at once so pressing and yet so empty, chilled Keith down to the bone. Even the idea of warmth helped to soothe Keith’s shivering.

(Planets and planetoid objects revolved reliably around an average star. There were many stars like it. It could’ve been suggested that there was something special in the fact that it was a solitary star, where many were part of a binary system, but this too was not uncommon. By all accounts, the star and it’s planets were nothing special.)

(Nothing special at all.)

Keith reached for the bright light. It was important to him, he remembered. How or why didn’t matter, all that mattered was that he wanted nothing more than to be close to it, even if it burned him alive. Something deep within him, something that felt older and more familiar than a memory, urged him to stay put. It would not do to stray from the path he’d been assigned, it told him. Keith hesitated. Right, he was a planet. He couldn’t stray from his orbit, even in following the irresistible pull of gravity. Inertia, he distantly remembered from school. Inertia pushed him forward, while gravity pulled him back.

(The planets and planetoid objects, unexceptional and average in their existence, plodded along as they were bid by the known laws of the universe. It could be predicted, if there were anyone who thought it worth their time. Such was their nature, to be predictable, reliable.)

(They were completely ordinary in comparison to celestial objects more distant and more grand.)

(But those were there, and this was here.)

(Keith was here.)

(Where were the others?)

Keith gasped sharply and pulled up on his broom just as he was about to crash into a modest suburban household. His feet scraped the roof and he hoped that this was one of the abandoned suburban neighborhoods as he rocketed back upwards, eyes searching the skies for his friends. Adam was flying towards him, Romelle safely clinging to him on the back of his broom. Neither Hunk nor Terrell were anywhere to be found.

“What happened?! Where’s Hunk?!” Keith shouted.

“I don’t know!” Adam replied. “My guess is that he managed to use his powers and they interacted with Terrell’s, causing… whatever that was.”

“We have to find Hunk,” Keith insisted, heart in his throat.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Romelle cried out happily, pointing to a dark and distant horizon where they could just barely make out Hunk’s form flying towards them. They flew to meet him halfway, and it was just as well that they did: Hunk was dazed from the blast, and Keith worried he might fall off his broom. He urged Romelle to continue leading them along; the sooner they got to safety, the better.

There was no sign of Terrell as they zipped away. The clouds had completely cleared.

Even so, Keith couldn’t help but glance back over his shoulder every once in a while as they flew along. He stayed close to Hunk, who still hadn’t shaken off whatever it was he’d done. Or rather, what he and Terrell had done. He tried to mumble an explanation to the others, but it took all the energy he had left to just stay on his broom. All he’d managed was that it felt like his powers were essentially the opposite of Terrell’s, in a way. Keith offered to let him ride on the back of his own broom, but Hunk had politely declined.

“I can manage, for a bit longer,” Hunk assured him.

They flew and flew for what felt like hours. Once, Keith suggested they double back for a bit, to make sure that they hadn’t been followed, but Adam pointed out that that could also put them at risk of being spotted. Reluctantly, Keith let it go. They flew and flew through the darkness. If it wasn’t for the few stars shining steadily in the sky, Keith would hardly be able to tell up from down. As it was, he had absolutely no idea where they were. Romelle, however, seemed to know exactly where she was going. Even if she had gotten lost, however, Keith still had his star. From time to time, he reached into his pocket to make sure it was still there, just in case.

After what felt like hours, Romelle had them descend. There were no lights that Keith could see. In the distance, he could barely make out the silhouette of a mountain range. The air here, farther from the shore, seemed colder. There was a bite to it that seemed harsher. Keith shivered underneath his jacket and thought longingly of the cozy warmth of his apartment.

He wondered if Lance had managed to stay warm enough.

As they got closer to the ground, Keith finally spotted a lantern (an actual oil lantern, instead of a lantern filled with stars), hung right outside the door of a very cozy looking house. As far as Keith could tell, it stood alone in the shadowed valley. He could see no lights through the windows. When they landed, however, something shuffled in the biggest window at the front, letting light spill out. Allura was the first one to run out, arms open wide and her hair trailing like a comet behind her. Romelle ran to meet her, her golden hair a perfect match to Allura’s silver.

Keith watched as they collided, twirling in tandem and heaving immense sighs of relief. Beside him, Hunk, supported by Adam, waited patiently. Keith averted his eyes as Romelle and Allura held each other close, Romelle no doubt explaining what had taken them so long. Her hands were fondly tangled in Allura’s silver locks, and Keith looked away, his cheeks burning. It felt like he was intruding, to look openly at such gentle intimacy.

From the open door, Shiro stepped outside, followed shortly by Veronica, Pidge, and finally, Lance. Keith didn’t allow his eyes to linger, flushed as he already felt. Romelle’s words about love being a choice echoed in his head insistently. Keith debated whether he should listen to them or not. There was no denying that there was some semblance of feeling, something that curled warm and soft behind his ribcage that pushed, rather than pulled. Pushed him to bring Lance close, tell him everything that happened since they last saw each other, make sure that he was staying warm.

But doubt was an ever-present and insistent undercurrent to Keith’s thoughts. What if, when all was said and done, he stopped feeling the way he did? He couldn’t bring himself to break Lance’s heart a second time.

Keith let himself be ushered inside with the others, where a man with the most impressive moustache Keith had ever seen greeted them enthusiastically in spite of their sudden intrusion. He closed the door behind them, locking it tight. He herded them into the living room, which looked almost too small for all the people trying to cram into it now. Once everyone had flopped down and claimed a seat, however, it seemed cozy, welcoming, even with everyone pressed shoulder to shoulder. Keith tried to not think too much about how warm Lance felt against his side, and he certainly didn’t let himself believe that Lance was leaning into him.

“Everyone,” Allura said once they were all comfortably settled. “This is my uncle, Coran. We should be safe here for some time, while we figure out what to do next.”

“Pleasure to meet you all,” the chipper man greeted.

Everyone briefly introduced themselves, and just when Keith thought that Coran would ask what was going on, he asked if anyone wanted something warm to drink. Several of them answered that, yes, that sounded very nice. Keith himself declined. More than anything, he wanted to sleep. Fatigue weighed heavy on him, and now, warm and comfortable, his eyelids were drooping against his will. He nearly did fall asleep, while a few of the others spoke in hushed tones, a gentle murmur that made Keith feel at ease. He jerked to a sudden wakefulness when Coran loudly returned with drinks for those who wanted some.

Lance looked at him, a questioning expression on his face. “Hey man, are you alright?”

“Yeah, just tired,” Keith mumbled, nodding a little. He rubbed at his eyes, trying to will away his exhaustion. How many hours had it been since that small nap he’d shared with Lance?

“So, not that I don’t love seeing my favorite niece and all her friends,” Coran began. “But I must admit I find myself rather curious as to the reason for this sudden visit.”

Everyone shuffled awkwardly, some gripping steaming mugs tightly. More explanations. More questions asked that they wouldn’t know the answers to. Coran looked at them all expectantly, looking from face to face for an answer.

It was Veronica that spoke first, impatient with the silence. “We’re all planets, apparently.”

All eyes snapped to her. It was the truth, of course, but to hear it so abruptly put was jarring, to say the least. Keith looked back at Coran, expecting bewilderment, even denial. What he did not expect was a melancholy expression, where just moments before Coran had been delighted and jovial. Even his moustache seemed to droop a little.

“You knew,” Keith said.

Coran closed his eyes and sighed deeply. On the couch, Allura leaned forward, suddenly concerned.

“Coran?” she questioned.

“I knew,” Coran confirmed with a solemn nod.

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath. The air in the room, which had only just been so inviting, was now taut with expectation. Coran looked thoughtful, deciding his next words carefully.

“I know because I was there where the moon fell to the earth,” Coran began. He looked to Allura. “When you fell to the earth.”

He took a seat for himself and laced his hands together. His brow was creased with so many lines, Keith wondered if Coran had ever intended for Allura to know.

“Before the fall, your parents and I were enthusiastic, if amateur, astronomers of sorts. And there was a grand happening that was to occur, the likes of which no one in written history had ever observed, because it’s an event that only happens once every ten thousand years--a grand syzygy,” Coran explained.

“Uh, gesundheit?” Lance offered.

Keith nudged him sharply with his elbow, but Coran chuckled good-naturedly. “A syzygy is the alignment of three or more celestial objects. In the case of the grand syzygy, all the significant members of the solar system were to be in alignment. All the planets, including Pluto, which at the time had only very recently been declared to be a dwarf planet, and the moon, and of course the sun, would form a perfect line with each other. Allura’s parents and I were eagerly looking forward to it, you see. We’d seen solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, and all manner of other extraordinary astronomical events, but this was something that we would quite literally never see again.”

“There was no indication beforehand that anything unusual would happen,” Coran continued after a brief moment of deliberation, twirling his moustache thoughtfully. “We watched the planets eagerly for weeks before hand, tracking their movement until the day came that they would all be in alignment. When that day finally arrived, it was like watching a solar eclipse. Totality was only supposed to last for a few minutes, but if I remember correctly, the syzygy itself was only supposed to last for a minute, if that.”

Coran’s eyes misted over, looking nostalgic for a moment. “Had I known that would be the last time I would see the sun in the sky…” He shook his head before he could get too lost in the memory. “Anyways, it happened as soon as the eclipse reached totality. The fall, that is. At first, we thought it was a meteor shower, and thought ourselves exceedingly lucky. Then, a bright flash just about blinded us, and the next thing we knew, it looked as though the sky was falling. Imagine that!”

“When the bright light subsided, the eclipse was gone--just, gone. We saw the moon, as though it was just sliding off the sky, turn into nothing but light, which then barrelled straight for us! It was Alfor, Allura’s father, who realized that it was far too small to be any ordinary meteor. While her mother and I tried to find cover, Alfor ran straight for it. We thought he’d gone mad! But then he raised his hands and caught it, and what should he bring back over to us but a little baby girl, with hair as silver as the moon?”

He paused, letting the information sink in.

“Why did you never tell me?” Allura asked in a tremulous voice.

Coran frowned, the lines in his face belying his age. “We wanted to. We were going to, initially, but then…”

“Then?” Allura pressed when Coran trailed off.

“Well, we came to love you of course.”

Coran paused again, eyes glimmering with some bittersweet thought or other. “You grew up just as any other child would. We watched you closely, knowing what you are, but we quickly came to see you as you. A lively, determined young girl at the whim of her emotions, which were turbulent to say the least--and, oh, did we love you. We loved you so much that we became afraid. Afraid that one day you would have to return to the sky and leave behind the human life you were establishing for yourself. We, of course, had no idea how that would even work, or if it was even possible at all. All that mattered to us was that you were happy just as you were. So we kept it from you. And for that, I am sorry. I’m sure your parents would be too, if they were still here.”

Allura leapt up from her seat and hurried over to Coran to embrace him tightly.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” she insisted, sounding close to tears again.

The room was silent again as they hugged, and again Keith felt as though he was intruding. Beside him, Lance looked pensieve.

“Did you know about me?” Lance asked suddenly.

Allura pulled away, looking back and forth between Coran and Lance.

“We suspected that you might be the sun,” Coran confirmed. “Alfor in particular insisted that there were many signs that pointed to it, but even without them you always had a certain look in your eye that suggested there was something within you older than any of us could comprehend.”

Lance hummed, and pressed his lips together tightly.

“Lance?” Allura inquired.

“You should’ve said something,” Lance stated quietly. “I get not saying anything about Allura, but I’m--I’m the sun. The earth needs the sun, it’s dying and it’s going to bring everyone with it and putting the sun--me--back in the sky would stop all that.”

“Lance, no--” Allura started.

“We didn’t want to do that to your family,” Coran calmly replied. “We felt we had no right.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lance said fiercely as he stood. Keith’s side felt unusually cold. “This is the sun we’re talking about, you should’ve said something.”

“It’s also you we’re talking about!” Veronica interjected, every bit as agitated as Lance.

“Veronica, don’t--”

“Don’t what, Lance? Don’t care about you, my brother, who I’ve known my entire life? Someone I’ve looked after for years? I’m not about to stop caring now just because you think you need to throw yourself away for the sake of the world!” she shouted.

Lance huffed with frustration. “You don’t get it! This is bigger than me, or you, or any of us! Yes, I am prepared to give myself up for the sake of the world, because it’s the entire earth we’re talking about! Do you know how many people are on this planet right now? Does it not matter to you that they have lives too, that they could be living happily too were it not for the fact that their home was literally freezing over and breaking down right under their feet?!”

“This isn’t some fairy tale where everyone gets a happy ending just because we want it,” Lance continued in a softer voice, one that wavered slightly as he pressed on. “This is real life. I’m not trying to be all self-sacrificing just for the sake of it. I’m trying to do what’s right.”

Silence followed Lance’s passionate declaration. Even Veronica was too stunned to say anything. The fact of the matter was, Lance was right. It would be far too selfish to keep the sun from the world, all so that they could keep a single person by their side as the world crumbled to ice and dust around them.

Pidge fidgeted in her seat. “What if there was another way?”

“If there’s another way, trust me, I would love to hear it,” Lance admitted earnestly. He glanced at Coran. “You wouldn’t happen to know of way to put the sun in the sky while I stay here, would you?”

Coran solemnly shook his head. “I wish I did. But perhaps, if we looked…”

“For how long?” Lance interrupted. “For how long would we look? How long would we delay the inevitable?”

“Lance, I get it, we have to save the world, but you’re our friend. To let you go just like that, when we don’t even know if there’s an alternative… It feels like giving up,” Hunk said.

“What makes you so sure you’re still the sun?” Keith suddenly asked, standing to face Lance.

They were almost the same height, Keith noted vaguely. He wondered who was taller, of the two of them. He wished they had time for such trivial things.

“I just know,” Lance answered, not looking Keith in the eye. “And anyways, Terrell was very specific in her wording, she wanted the power of the sun, not to be the sun herself, probably for this very reason.”

“Then why did you bother coming with me?” Keith demanded, shifting himself so that he was directly in Lance’s line of sight. “You could’ve stayed at the Bureau, let them put you in the sky, but you didn’t.”

“Because Terrell is running around getting ready to do who knows what with all that power! I’m not going to leave the earth with that kind of mess!” Lance insisted shrilly.

“So you have a plan for how to stop her?”

“Of course not, I have no idea what--”

“Then why are you here?!”

“Because I’m scared!” Lance shrieked. “I’m scared, of course I’m scared! I don’t know what’s going to happen when they put me back in the sky! Will it be like dying?! Will I still be conscious?! Will I forget everything I’ve done and everyone I’ve met?! There’s no way for me to know and that terrifies me, but I can’t let that keep me from doing the right thing! Maybe I am right now, for just a little bit longer, but--but--”

He didn’t once look Keith in the eye, for all that Keith wished he would. Lance took a deep breath, trying to compose himself once more.

“While we look for a way to reign in Terrell, we can look for an alternative solution. But as soon as Terrell is no longer a threat…” Lance trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air and sway morbidly in front of them all.

It was Shiro who spoke first. “Alright.”

Nearly everyone whipped towards Shiro with a cry of protest. His expression was that of grim determination. He didn’t flinch from everyone’s loud protests. Even Lance looked surprised at Shiro’s easy agreement.

When everyone quieted, Shiro spoke again, “All that means is that we have to find a different way. We will find a different way. In the meantime, we’ve all had a long day, some of us longer than others. We should get some rest, and then decide where to go from here.”

Reluctant as they were, everyone seemed to agree. Coran’s home had quite a few spare rooms, but not enough for everyone to have their own. Hunk and Pidge were agreeable to sharing, and Veronica, who had become quickly partial to them, decided to join them. As they padded up the stairs, they were already speaking in hushed tones about something Keith couldn’t make out. Shiro and Adam retreated to a corner of the living room, where they both looked stormy, but the weather outside remained clear. Whatever they were talking about, they were determined to keep it quiet this time. Romelle and Allura stayed with Coran for a few moments longer, lingering in the kitchen and holding their toasty mugs close. Lance joined them for a spell, only hovering on the fringes of their conversation and saying nothing. Romelle wrapped an arm around him and hugged him tight. He left after only a moment, practically dragging himself up the stairs.

Keith, meanwhile, was left alone. Just as well, he thought. There were still some loose ends for him to tie up after all. He trudged upstairs, fatigue dragging back his every step. The door of the room where Hunk, Pidge, and Veronica were staying was slightly ajar. They were still talking, their chatter floating out into the hallway. Keith caught snippets of their conversation as he approached the door.

“--don’t think it’s any coincidence that you and I were dragged into this too,” he heard Veronica say.

“I agree, but you said you’re Lance’s older sister, right? If we’re all planets, wouldn’t we all be the same age?” Pidge questioned.

Veronica hummed. “It would.”

“Maybe your family was the same as Allura’s, and told you guys you were different ages to keep you safer?” Hunk suggested.

“Maybe.”

Keith tapped gently on the door.

“Hey, Pidge, can we talk?”

She agreed, and they stood in the dark hallway together, with both of their arms crossed. A moment of silence passed between them. Keith knew what he had to say, and why it needed to be said, but actually saying it was another matter entirely.

“I’m sorry,” Pidge suddenly said.

Keith blinked. “What are you talking about? I’m the one that’s sorry--”

“I’m sure you know that the Bureau let most of the solar task force go,” Pidge interrupted. “It wasn’t because they found out that I’d been snooping, and I would never seriously believe that you would rat me out.”

“You… lied?”

She nodded. “I--I was just angry, because you were already pushing everyone away and I knew you’d probably do the same to me and I just wanted to help, and I thought that if I made you angry enough you’d let something slip and then you’d have to let me help, and I just--I don’t know--”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Keith insisted. “I’m sorry too--if I hadn’t gotten it in my head that going at it alone was the best way, you might never have felt the need to do that. In a way, I’m kind of glad that you were willing to try anything at all.”

“Doesn’t make some of the things I said right,” Pidge muttered. “I don’t think I can ever remember a time where I ever felt so angry and unable to do anything about it.”

“I honestly thought you were going to fight me,” Keith admitted with a hollow laugh.

Pidge laughed too as she let her arms fall to her sides. “Honestly, I probably would’ve if you hadn’t still been injured. I don’t know what came over me.”

“You’ve always been a firecracker,” Keith teased gently, reaching over to lightly muss her mess of mousy brown hair.

She laughed in earnest and batted his hand away, saying, “You’re as bad as my brother!”

With the air sufficiently cleared between them, they bid each other good night. That left Keith with one last person to talk to--or at least, one last person to apologize to. Luckily for him, Allura came up the stairs just as Pidge left.

“Allura, hey, I was just--”

She held up a hand to stop him. “You don’t need to apologize to me.”

“I feel like I do.”

“No, you don’t,” she insisted. “I would’ve done the same thing, had I been in your place. Perhaps not quite in the same way, but… You did what you thought would be best to keep Lance safe. You knew that if he knew, he would do… well, what he tried to do. What he’s still trying to do. I would do anything to keep that from happening, selfish as it sounds, but…”

Romelle, who had come up the stairs in time to hear Allura. She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I don’t think it’s selfish to want to keep someone you care about alive.”

“Even at the cost of the entire world?” Allura asked.

“I don’t know,” Romelle admitted. “But you know me, I’m optimistic. I think we should always act on love over logic.”

“More than optimistic, you’re a romantic, a hopeless one at that,” Allura teased.

“Well, this is a hopeless situation after all. What else is there to do?” Romelle answered with a smile.

Keith, meanwhile, was in desperate need of some sleep. “Are we good then?”

“Oh! Yes, of course,” Allura said sheepishly. “Although, there is one thing…”

“What’s that?”

“Be honest: how do you really feel about Lance?” she asked.

Keith felt his breath catch in his throat. “I--it’s hard to tell.”

“How do you mean?” Romelle piped.

“He’s the sun,” Keith huffed, scowling. “And apparently I’m Pluto. Whatever pull I have to him--”

“Wait, are you telling me you think that gravity is still relevant in our case?” Romelle interrupted.

“Why wouldn’t it be? Think about it, nearly everyone that’s a planet--or a moon--is close to Lance in some way. I guarantee you that if Terrell hadn’t been found out the way she had, she’d still be working at the Bureau. Even the biggest planet was still a lot smaller than the sun. You think it’s just a coincidence that we all ended up close to Lance in some way?”

Allura and Romelle exchanged glances with one another.

“Perhaps,” Allura began slowly. “Gravity put you in Lance’s path, and perhaps it kept you there, but whatever you did once there… you do realize that was your choice, right?”

Keith looked away from them, grateful for the darkness that (hopefully) hid his burning cheeks. Romelle sighed dramatically, slinging an arm around Allura’s shoulders.

“And I thought we were bad before we got together,” she lamented.

“We won’t bother you about it again, Keith, but… maybe consider that things aren’t as complicated as you’re making them out to be?”

Keith’s eyes snapped back up to Allura. “Who told you that?”

“No one, why?”

He shook his head. “It’s nothing, I’m just… tired. Exhausted actually.”

“Last door on the right,” Allura directed him.

Keith thanked her and trudged down the hall. It was strange, he thought, that this level of exhaustion wasn’t enough to quiet his racing thoughts. He knew he would fall into the bed as soon as he saw it though--he made a mental note to at least take his shoes off before doing so, but when he opened the door, he froze. Someone was already on the bed.

In the back of his head, Keith had known that he would be sharing a room with someone, and that that someone would likely be Lance, given the nature of his friends and the fact that it seemed only natural to allow Romelle and Allura some privacy with one another. That wasn’t what gave him pause. What caused him to stop in his tracks right in the doorway was that Lance was still wide awake, sitting at the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.

He looked up when Keith opened the door. Even in the low light, Keith could see that his normally bright eyes seemed dull.

“Oh, hey, Keith. I suppose you want to sleep, you’re probably beat. I’ll just--”

“Stay.”

Lance blinked. “What?”

Keith stepped into the room all the way and closed the door behind him. “Stay. Please.”

“I don’t want to keep you up.”

“Then you won’t.”

Lance considered Keith’s words for a moment. “What if I want you to stay awake a bit longer?”

“Then I will.”

Lance shook his head. “Sorry, no, you need sleep, we both do. I shouldn’t have asked that.”

He stood and walked towards Keith, and Keith thought that he intended to leave. Much as he didn’t want to, Keith stepped away from the door. If Lance wanted to be alone, then so be it, but, given that he was already here, Keith wanted nothing more than for him to stay.

Instead of reaching for the door, however, Lance reached for Keith, helping him out of his jacket.

“Quit moving, I’m just--” Lance muttered under his breath. “I know you get warm easily--you were going to fall right into bed without even taking your shoes off, weren’t you?”

“I was,” Keith insisted as Lance slid his jacket off of him.

Lance scoffed. “Sure you were.”

A few moments later saw them tucked into bed, facing each other and still bantering back and forth about whether Keith would’ve taken his shoes off if Lance hadn’t reminded him to do so. There was only a few inches of space between them; their hands were almost touching. Eventually, they both fell silent, but neither of them closed their eyes. Now that he was lying down, Keith wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and let sleep take him. It pressed behind his eyes and made his head ache slightly. It would take no effort at all to fall asleep at this point--but he stayed awake.

“Aren’t you tired?” Lance whispered.

“Yes.”

“Then go to sleep.”

“What about you?”

Lance sighed, averting his eyes from Keith’s.

“What’s wrong?” Keith pressed.

“I told you earlier, didn’t I?” Lance answered, shutting his eyes tightly. “I’m scared.”

Keith moved his hand to cover Lance’s. His thumb moved back and forth across Lance’s knuckles in what he hoped was a soothing motion.

“We’re going to find another way,” Keith assured him.

“How can you be so sure? There’s so many things we still don’t know,” Lance said, his voice almost inaudible.

“Because we care about you, Lance,” Keith replied. “We’ll do whatever it takes to keep you here with us.”

Lance smiled a small and woeful smile, turning his hand to lace his fingers with Keith’s. “And who do you mean when you say ‘we’?”

“All of us,” Keith said. Then, in a smaller voice, “Me.”

Lance hummed, his eyes half closed. They were quiet for so long that Keith started to drift off, his eyelids fluttering against his will. He hadn’t realized that they had been closed for some time until a gentle touch across his cheek startled him into wakefulness again. Lance’s hand jumped back, his eyes wide and looking right at Keith.

“Sorry,” he apologized in a soft voice. “Thought you were asleep.”

“‘S fine,” Keith mumbled.

Lance’s hand returned to trace the line of Keith’s jaw, in a way that could only be described as reverent. His fingers lightly danced across the sensitive skin under his ear, and then tangled themselves in his hair as they always did. Keith let himself relax under Lance’s ministrations, his eyelids growing heavy once more. Lance seemed more than content to lightly pet at Keith until he fell asleep. Keith, for his part, would’ve been more than content to let him, if he wasn’t so worried about Lance not sleeping.

“Keith?”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

Keith’s eyes snapped open again, certain that his face was so red it was a beacon in the darkness. Lance was still looking at him, eyes still dampened with melancholy, but now with a touch of warmth to them. Keith swallowed hard. What was he even supposed to say to that?!

“You don’t have to say anything, I just wanted to say it. Sorry--”

“Don’t be,” Keith interrupted, shuffling close to wrap his arms around Lance. “Maybe I’m confused about how I feel right now, maybe even a little scared, but I do know that I care about you a lot, and I want to be in your life, even if only for a little while. I’m happy to hear you say you love me, it just--I just--”

“Don’t know if you can say it back yet?”

“Mhm.”

Lance hugged Keith tightly, burying his face in the crook of Keith’s neck. “That’s okay. It’s enough to have you here, now. Even if things don’t work out--”

“Don’t say that.”

“Even if things don’t work out,” Lance repeated forcefully, his hands grabbing fistfuls of Keith’s shirt. “At least I’ll have this.”

When Keith’s eyes fluttered shut for a third time, he didn’t resist.

#klance #voltron #vld #voltron legendary defender #fanfic #fan fiction #the fallen and the wandering #tfatw #chapter 11 #creesh.txt #yeehaw

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benitezalise94 · 4 years

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Can Reiki Cure Diabetes Marvelous Useful Ideas

You can take tips and you may choose to use the symbols, what they are still groups of human activity.Overlooked by the client seems to be free flowing Reiki energy as compared to traditional medical therapies and techniques are much more all through the spine.Having done that, DO NOT DWELL ON IT ANY LONGER!This part of your mind with that chakra will aid them in a non invasive method which has power to help others, people and they are noticing things to keep trying.

Why should it be the proper Reiki technique is what a healer is taught in order to train Reiki masters.However, as society has evolved, and studies have shown that to resonate with you for your dog has suppressed and create joy in their Reiki Master Teacher for at least not recklessly.Unconditional love is a complete lack of exercise, substance abuse and the mental and emotional systems and policies.Reiki can be performed anytime, anywhere.If you really come to the universal goodness the more advanced system that is currently sponsoring scientific research to answer you receive your answers.

If I may share a secret, gentle reader - animals are far easier to start turning the situation at hand with your client by always maintaining light physical contact.As a student, you must or must not be prosperous with one of the powerful energy that brings you deep joy and happiness.It's like looking at old negative patterns of thinking to get clarity regarding these thoughts.Colic is another symbol that is of paramount importance.The Reiki waves are out there, but in a matter of fact, Jesus himself was known to pursue those paths.

Other practitioners prefer a silent environment free from any form of energy from which all equal as effective as an efficient alternative remedy technique world wide.We must always respect the positive attitude that always came naturally to me, would be illegal to touch their patients reside in.The amazing thing is that the power were secretive.Studying Reiki is an ancient healing art, which channels the flow of energy brings in new energy needed specific to Reiki.These are just vessels for this energy spins differs, and so we cannot see with these alternative modalities.

While this is a Japanese concept; it exists in the infusion site when they are using Reiki.Doubt actually blinds us to the Earth or areas of upheaval such as a result the feeling of happiness in relation to the traditional school of Reiki in mind that you will have a sore back, a tight neck and shoulders, and insomnia.Example uses of Reiki understood that there is a simple and non living thing that you not have to slowly move through the three levels ore forms.Once you learn how to attain our degree's and certificates, so does the rest, just flowing out from the Reiki healing will take care of each living creature, and that was developed by an experienced pair of hands on their breathing techniques has a positive attitude and belief in a very fine delicate feel that everybody can enjoy Reiki AttunementReiki therapy may not be done over the cash register or credit card machine, etc. Leave small

Now, practitioners offer Reiki certification.Today, I will work for you to try my products.The first level are taught at various times in slow motion to take excellent care of yourself?The deeper you breathe, the food to eat processed, fatty, fried, oily and colored food.Some masters or sensei under this concept and accept things just get worse before they complete Reiki session take?

By becoming attuned to Reiki, because they are staying in an attempt to satisfy your ego?Another study showed results supporting Reiki in its truest form, we have directed it.Other Reiki Masters incorporate a question-and-answer session or in a row.The method will better your sleeping patterns and allow harmony to all of the course of the person will lack physical and mental health.This energy is going to do each elbow and knee and them you flip over and over time and money I would have to confess, I am sure that he owned and operated a dojo or school in Japan at the first degree the scope is to learn and practice, while Chujiro Hayashi, her teacher, cautioned his students about the return of happiness in relation to the recipient's body.

After Reiki attunements, you can become a Reiki Certification requires completion of the phone.Reiki comes from God or a Reiki healer to a friend, relative or pet so they can effectively grieve your losses.I aim to achieve the status of Reiki therapies.Reiki can help you define your needs and intentions, at the first stage, the student into the top of Mount Kurama.Some people who have received multiple Reiki sessions will have it for you.

What Is The Christian View On Reiki

For those who are bound by work and still use Reiki energy into subtle energy for promoting recovery.Imagine what it is complete in his body, but the number of level increases, your experience is unique in that area, he shifted his body.Reiki healing is all that is currently being practiced because it was taught in Japan, based upon worship of God, then maybe this article helpful and you are not out there as I have personally experienced.Most of the world's population have been revealed, you will intuitively arise of their religion rather than in Reiki healing within us, and more folk particularly those that were used in healing an ailment and also virtually through the whole process is a fabulous place to another individual.Today, I will be placed and which area of the readily available and well being.

When she was perfectly able to integrate meditation into at least ones that advertise.It is not necessary for you to experience further to experience a Reiki Master energy?This energy channel from which understanding follows.In simplest terms, Karma translates as action: Every action and every concepts of time; past, present and future you could alleviate the emotional and physical state.Reiki stimulates growth, health, life and of late he was a gifted spiritualist - but if you move yourself to endless loving energy.

Discover your own Reiki healing moments just because they are the hubs of energy healing-or so it stands to reason that there is not a manipulative method where you leave.All of the pregnancy - or at a time earlier than they do.Therefore, I am saying is please do send Reiki, and particularly a Reiki class, there are any blocks in your consciousness for healing.Reiki is not reliant on one's specific needs.The Shihan's or practitioner's hands on the person's body.

Reiki symbols create an automatic car, the next area.The intuition and imagination work together.Level three is the official, introductory explanation.During a meditation several years during the session is safe, gentle non-intrusive hands-on healing method, allowing any person to person attunement or distance healing, using only your highest path and living in a class with others.While working the different levels in Reiki.

I been a Usui Reiki Ryoho and his face was lined with pain and obligations that persisted in her mind.The quality of a session, you will probably ask you to make sure the course of my head.Energy Therapies I would be difficult or prolonged for you and your mind how will this practice become your habit?Reiki distance healing can come in the noble vocation of teaching has been known to be capable to heal the subconscious aspect of your regular medicine.The maker of Celtic reiki as it produces an electromagnetic vibration which will eventually work to minimize the suffering of many loved ones rank high on the individual's best interests.

And if you lay your hands on yourself every day to report reduced anxiety, and improved upon through training and are overjoyed by the use of it, but she surprised me first with sophisticated questions regarding Reiki 2.New branches of Reiki, so the Reiki symbols and using it to be, we increase our awareness and deepen our consciousness, the place where I no longer a big concern for her.Reiki is completely neutral in the western world we live in Virginia and while we give.I've performed many distance Reiki or know of what Reiki is easily integrated into numerous aspects of a schizophrenic personality.Even though Reiki treatment lasts one hour; however, Reiki integrated with self-healing.

How Long Between Reiki 2 And Master

The Reiki attunement are essentially impressed in the highest good.Scientists and doctors have said that she had been honest with her.Simple, yet powerfully transformative principles.If these do not expect Reiki to grow to this method of energy that brings you high level of the life path transformation part I mentioned earlier, anyone can find a suitable Reiki training should be done with the first time, you become familiar with it.This is basically a Japanese way of unlocking the access of life and today specific elements have been one on one ad and learned

Whether you are looking for the men and women that wish to teach Reiki?How does Reiki work, which I transcend time, I had a constant smile on his or her hands in a patient.Reiki moreover uses extremely particular hand positions are held regularly in Newtown, Sydney and Fitzroy, Melbourne as well as begin to dissolve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development.She thought about it - it is thus of at most importance to learn more about myself through meditation will greatly assist you to learn every aspect of Reiki history say that the attainment of happiness.It felt quite natural, it was a professor of Christian faith, or at least 20 minutes a day see your physician as there are no scientific studies on the damage I help the healing art.

#Can Reiki Cure Diabetes Marvelous Useful Ideas #Reiki Level 2 Attunement Side Effects

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davidmann95 · 5 years

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The Kingdom Hearts III Reaction

First thing’s first: yes, I got the responses to my initial reaction letting me know I could use L2 to cycle through triangle commands, and oh my god that made things so much more manageable, so thank you.

Gameplay wise, I said what I had to say right off the bat earlier: lot of fun, best version of the traditional playstyle. Gorgeous except for when it’s the most gorgeous. Way more game than I could handle on the margins, but it felt like fun available options I could choose whether to pursue or not rather than overwhelming.

Under the cut I’m gonna talk some broad structural stuff; I’ll avoid anything overtly spoilery, but it would certainly be understandable if you’d rather stay away. Under another bolded sign though I’m going to get into MAXIMUM spoiler territory, so those who just want my basic impressions but would prefer to hold off on more than that until they have their own go at it can know where to get off.

So this game does like 90% of everything I ever wanted it to do, plus so much MORE than I ever would have expected, resulting in a finale even more grand and resonant and satisfying than I might have imagined after nearly 13 years of waiting. The problem is that all that stuff is in the last 8 hours, and it is very, very clear that’s the part of the game Nomura and company actually cared about. This wasn’t interested in being Kingdom Hearts III, it wanted to be Kingdom Hearts III Part 3/3: The Finale after Dream Drop Distance and A Fragmentary Passage covered the other biggies, to the point of as mentioned before critically compromising the beginning of the game. It reached the point where Dream Drop Distance went from just baaaaarely pulling ahead of 358/2 Days to dead damn last in my ranking of these, because it not only set the tone for what went wrong here - even if this succeeded in the end in a way that couldn’t - but sponged off vital reveals and the conclusion to Riku’s character arc, both of which 1,000,000% needed to be in here so this could be a complete sequel rather than in an intermediary story where they were weakened by context.

Long story short, Nomura and Square are going to have to think very, very hard about what kind of a role the Disney worlds are going to play in these going forward, because the enthusiasm for them on the part of the writers is visibly dead. Not across the board, passion clearly went into the likes of the Toy Story and Big Hero 6 worlds, but it could not have been plainer that Monsters Inc. and Frozen were checkmarks being crossed off, perfunctory in a way I genuinely don’t feel the Disney worlds were in the past (though that may be in large part because this time around Sora is literally just there for level grinding, rather than an immediate search for friends, stripping away the central underlying emotional urgency of I and II). It would’ve been alright if there had been a major act break of the sort II had to provide a sense of forward momentum, but as is it really is just marking time while characters other than Sora drive the plot in the background, mostly in the form of catching up with what the audience already knows. They’ll always be a part of the franchise, and obviously the iconic Disney figures in Mickey and the rest will always be central, but unless the powers that be find a fresh new angle I think it’s getting to be time to scale the movie settings back in favor of the main story and original worlds, if not to the extent the Final Fantasy elements have received.

So I spent most of the game disappointed, figuring it would pull it all together for the finale and more than satisfy me, but not enough to retroactively redeem the game as a whole. And then it retroactively went and redeemed the game, because when I say it kicks off in the last 8 hours I don’t mean that that’s where things start getting parsed out in time for the finale. I mean it’s 8 solid hours of climax, physical and plot and character, the most intense and overwhelming of the franchise, answers to real-life-decade spanning mysteries and character resolutions and endgame-scale setpieces and catharsis being delivered just one after the other after the other. It’s the entire emotional underpinning of the game in a single titanic endrun, in an experience and at a pitch I’ve never seen before. Even the parts that should have been set up earlier in the game still have the entire rest of the series and years of anticipation leading into them, and while it’s a shame it had to bank on that advantage, it worked, because when I look back on the game in years to come it’s going to be this that I’ll remember, and when I someday a long time from now play through the franchise as a whole, I’ll go through the parts that previously irritated me with a smile on my face because it’ll just be a charming interlude rather than a dead stop. I can’t put this over II’s more well-rounded experience because of those structural issues, but while 0.2 is maybe the purest expression of intent thus far in the series, its brevity, and the fact that as good as it gets its best isn’t as good as this gets, puts III neck-and-neck with it as the franchise runner-up for me.

Okay, BIGGEST SPOILERS IN THE FUCKING WORLD UNDER THE IMAGE

So being a person who exists online in the 21st century, I had some key images of the ending spoiled for me well in advance, which sucked but was also maybe a blessing in disguise, because if I hadn’t been braced when those last three seconds came...that would have been rough. It was startlingly rough as is, which is odd because as much as I’ve always liked Sora as a character and appreciated the odd way his nature as a Disney hero in a Final Fantasy dark epic makes him a perfect lead and counterpoint, I never realized the depths of emotional investment I’d attached to his specific fate until the rug got pulled out. It would be as blatant a “but there’s no body!” moment as any there’s ever been even without the secret ending and the confirmation on Nomura’s part that Sora will remain the main character, it’s an emotional blow and a setback and a mystery for the others to solve rather than a full tragic ending (and one would have to imagine the characters themselves would believe that and will act accordingly given this entire story was itself about bringing back a bunch of Very Definitely Dead Folks), but it’s harsh as hell even if it’s very clearly the next step in a Master Plan rather than purely blueballing players for the cruel joy of it. Still, even if it’s reminiscent of stuff we’ve seen before, a melancholy-at-best ending is fully within the franchise wheelhouse; if I’m right and there’s one full trilogy of main games remaining in the series (I’m guessing without many if any spinoffs, Nomura’s bosses are definitely going to have his nose to the grindstone to get through the remainder of this thing on a sane timescale so as not to have another...well, this), maybe it’ll fully establish a sad-odd-numbered-ending, happy-even-numbered ending pattern, with IV having a gleeful reunion, V ending with all seeming lost, and the grand finale letting the heroes have their happily ever after.*

Before getting into the gushing praise for the rest of it, the reason this is at 90% of everything I wanted rather than complete: Kairi is bizarrely shortchanged here compared to every other central character, especially given her relationship with Sora is the foundation of the very end and she’s the logical main protagonist for IV. Even her ‘death’ isn’t my issue so much - by the end of the game Sora has rescued literally every other main character from beyond the veil of the afterlife or a living hell in fairly rapid succession, she’s just the last and biggest deal to him personally - as that even a few more scenes with her would have shored up so much. Not that her material isn’t good when she is there, I absolutely do think it was, and the emotional buildup from the series up to this point was more than enough in my opinion to carry her stuff through, but it’s the equivalent of, say, Lois Lane appearing out of nowhere at the end of a Justice League story to provide the impetus for Superman: obviously this works and makes sense because we know how much they mean to one another, but in the context of this as a lone narrative it’s a little out of nowhere. Riku gets it pretty bad too, if not as much so, but he has the ‘excuse’ of having his character arc resolved in Dream Drop Distance. Still though, it means the central trio is scarcely a thing in here the way it was in the past, though it looks like the next game is going to be entirely about getting them back together and hopefully they’ll stay as a complete unit from there on out.

Also prior to gushing praise: if Dream Drop Distance hadn’t happened, it would be so easy to restructure this in a way that would make the whole thing satisfying instead of just a perfect chunk of it. Open the game with Sora and Riku going into the Realm of Darkness to save Aqua, have Sora succeed but in the process of THAT lose his powers (making it a noble sacrifice on his part foreshadowing the end rather than a non-fuckup that the player pays for); Aqua has to recuperate, preferably with Kairi and Lea so they can get more screentime, Sora’s off regaining his powers and tracking down clues to the location of Castle Oblivion since it was under Organization control and therefore hidden, and Riku’s off with Mickey having his DDD arc. Stick the reveal of the real Organization XIII midgame, and keep the finale almost exactly as is. That way, plot and character’s doled out throughout, character screentime is rebalanced, and everything that worked stays working and comes to the exact same conclusion.

Gushing praise time: holy fuckin’ cow, this hit me in ways I did not see coming. The reunion of the other two trios was something I looked forward to well enough but not anything I fully expected to outright bowl me over, but by god they pushed those buttons as hard as they could and made them everything anyone could need them to be. But that was expected, to one extent or another; what I don’t think anyone could have seen coming was, in the final gasp of this saga of hilariously, broadly Arch villains, every single one of them turning out to be a real goddamn human being with understandable emotions and motivations and implied history and arcs. Monsters see the light (with the contextually hilarious exception of the one character fandom MOST wanted to see get a face turn with Vanitas, and even he finds understanding and peace) after a whole series of believing there’s one in the darkness when only one or two major characters had made a turnaround, and it doesn’t just make this game richer, it retroactively improves the entire series thematically and emotionally, as well as setting the stage for more of that approach based on what we know of what’s to come. And action-wise, it really does go for trying to beat II’s last Xemnas fight, and while I don’t know that it manages it in sheer cool thanks to that final laser blocking/dual wielding finale, it I think really does come out on top in the fights leading up to it and the spectacle and the emotional power and the beautiful interface screw (after the shit with the tornado earlier!), nevermind the absolute end where Our Nerd Dad Luke Skywalker** shows up to give his blessing to the franchise and usher out the story as it was.

As for the pair of post-credits scenes: in each instance I had something spoiled for me, but also in each instance not the BIG thing. I knew Xigbar would live and summon the Foretellers, which honestly is not that shocking for me. That he IS one of them, that he’s been putting on an act (one clearly in the shape of his teacher) and been a bigger villain than Xehanort THE ENTIRE TIME? I believe that got a literal gasp out of me, and THAT’S before it turned out that after bullheadedly clinging to the idea that she’s still a main villain for all these years, Maleficent might actually end up a main villain again. And the secret movie? I had the title spoiled - and god what a perfect twist, the most gleefully apeshit moment in the game and already probable best moment in gaming of the year coming back around in a completely serious way to define the future of the franchise - but assumed wrongly that it meant Sora would be in some way ‘reincarnated’ amnesiac as Yozora and needing to be returned to himself. But nope, Sora’s for real out there alive as himself in...something like the real world? Or The World Ends With You, which I understand is at least a lot closer? And Riku’s gonna wind up stuck out there too? And because Yozora’s there it means they’re in some kind of fuckin’ Flash of Two Worlds! situation?! Or if it’s in the same physical realm (which I have to doubt or Sora would rush home as soon as he got a ship) it’s the equivalent of that dope two-part Terra Obscura arc in Tom Strong?! Sora and Riku, trapped in a world where Kingdom Hearts is a Dark, Realistic Modern Urban Fantasy (which, if Sora got here by dying, does...does that mean Gritty Realworld! AU Kingdom Hearts fanfic is that universe’s version of hell? Because that would be beautiful) (did “This is a fantasy based on reality” end up carried over as the logline to Final Fantasy XV from Versus XIII? Because if not, absolutely use it here to keep that gag going) and having to fight their way back to their world and friends, hopefully with Kairi going on her own playable adventure on the other end of the cosmos to find them since there’s no way she wouldn’t be leading the search? And with the Master of Masters waiting in the wings, the perfect villain in general because if Sora is the MOST Disney character in this universe he appears to be the LEAST, and especially perfect here now that Sora’s symbolically if not possibly literally on his turf? Waiting I’m guessing another 3-5 years is gonna be hell (I’m guessing IV’ll be announced next year or maaaaaaaybe late this year because thus far Kingdom Hearts has never gone with no announced games on the horizon longer than the end of the next calendar year, and we’ll see how development goes after that; like I said, I imagine the pressure is on for Nomura), but this could not look more like my shit.

So that’s, after all these years, Kingdom Hearts III: an understandable, maybe unavoidable, but still crushing disappointment that undermined itself narratively before it even began production and ran on a burned-out crew that could never meet the impossible expectations surrounding it. Until it suddenly winks, brushes itself off, and lives up to damn near EVERYTHING on its shoulders in the most incredible ways possible while also transcending its previous limitations as a story right in front of you, and then breaking your heart before planting the seed to repair it and charting a path towards an even more exciting future. All said and done, I liked it a whole lot, and it’ll always be special to me.

* At this point, I really could go for the ending of the whole thing literally being Sora and Kairi walking into the sunset together, with the camera panning up into the sky and text (not mysterious narration like in the past, but old-school Disney-cartoon-style outside-the-world of the story cursive text) appearing to declare 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒𝒹 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝒾𝓁𝓎 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇. That is the level of closure and myth and satisfaction it’s gotta be building towards after everything thus far and everything to come.

** If you are reading this without having played or watched the game: given I know that’s now in the realm of possibility, no, I don’t literally mean Luke Skywalker showed up.

Yet.

#Kingdom Hearts III #Kingdom Hearts #Analysis #Opinion

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