#Everyone will wonder how they actually achieved their goals while being so goddamn stupid

[that-green-haired-swordsman]

Nami: Geez what's that noise on deck

Usopp: Just Luffy and Zoro having a fight

Nami: What about

Usopp: Whose turn it is to use that one brain cell they share

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 252: Suplex of Feels

Previously on BnHA: Deku, Kacchan, and Shouto visited Todobrook Heights one time, just the one!!, so of course it just so happened to also be the one time that Natsuo got straight up kidnapped by a villain for no reason because THAT’S JUST HOW LIFE GOES. Thankfully for Natsuo, the Terror Trio had kind of a Cinderella thing going on where if they didn’t beat a villain before Endeavor by midnight, their character development would turn back into a pumpkin, and I’m not really sure I stuck the landing on that metaphor but anyway! So Shouto used Flashfire to roast the villain alive, Deku used Blackwhip to save some hapless civilians who got caught in the crossfire of everything, and Kacchan used his cool fast explosions which don’t have a new name yet because he’s focused on more important things to rocket over and save Natsuo from becoming roadkill. And then Endeavor gave him and Natsuo a BIG OL’ HUG and my heart went, oh.

Today on BnHA: Horikoshi grabs a handful of raw, squishy feels out of a bucket and just full on slaps me across the face with them. Endeavor has a moment of agonizing, excruciating vulnerability and apologizes to Natsuo for everything -- like, everything -- and says Natsuo doesn’t have to forgive him, and that in fact he doesn’t want him to forgive him, and that he just wants to atone for everything he’s done. And just, I can’t even describe the scene, but it’s just perfect down to the last detail, and exactly what I wanted. And meanwhile Deku, Shouto, and Kacchan stand there watching, and then Kacchan has a fucking epiphany and FINALLY DECIDES ON A HERO NAME!!, and I completely lose my goddamn mind, only to then be brought down to the lowest of lows when he immediately says that he’s not going to reveal it yet because THERE’S SOMEONE ELSE HE HAS TO TELL FIRST. So once I’m done sighing, we cut to later and Endeavor is all “Fuyumi I’m gonna buy a house for you guys so you can all live a happy life with your mom and never see me again,” and yeah. You guys I am in shambles.

hey everyone, whoever is doing Mangastream’s thumbnails every week deserves a raise though

especially since they’re not actually getting paid for it at all lol. their resolve to find the most ridiculous Kacchan expression every week and slap it on their home page is 100% a labor of love. AND IT SHOWS

lol and here I was half-worried the chapter would pick up after all the dust had settled, and we’d miss out on this glorious scene of Kacchan acting like he’s the goddamn wicked witch of the west and the sprinklers just turned on. anyways, I know what I’m thankful for this holiday

HAHAHAHAHA

I’D LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE AND THANK ALL OF OUR SPONSORS AND OUR GREAT CREW WHO MADE THIS ALL POSSIBLE. SHOUT OUT TO ENDING, YOU’RE THE REAL MVP. BIG “HEY WHAT’S UP” TO TOUYA, WHO STRAIGHT UP DIED JUST SO ENDEAVOR COULD HAVE ANGST AT A CRITICAL MOMENT AND FORCE KACCHAN TO BE THE ONE TO SAVE NATSUO INSTEAD. AND A HUGE FUCKING “YOU THE MAN, BRO” TO THAT MORON SPEEDING BLINDLY IN THE TAXI CAB WHILE ON HIS PHONE AND NOT PAYING THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF ATTENTION TO THE ROAD IN FRONT OF HIM! WITHOUT YOUR RECKLESS DISREGARD FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AND THAT OF OTHERS, THIS NEVER COULD HAVE HAPPENED. OH GOD, THEY’RE PLAYING THE MUSIC NOW, I GOTTA HURRY UP... AH... I’M SO GRATEFUL TO ALL MIGHT, GIVER OF SO MANY LEGENDARY HERO HUGS, AND TO SLIDIN’ GO, YES REALLY SLIDIN’ GO, WHO ESTABLISHED THIS GAG BACK IN CHAPTER 219. YOU BOTH WALKED SO ENDEAVOR COULD RUN. AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, TO HORIKOSHI KOUHEI, WHO IS ABSOLUTELY FUCKING DETERMINED TO HAVE EVERY PRO HERO IN THE COUNTRY HUG KACCHAN BEFORE THE SERIES IS OVER. YOUR TIRELESS EFFORTS ARE THE REASON I GET OUT OF BED EVERY MORNING. GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND GOOD NIGHT

anyway

sorry Kacchan this is just your life now. you’re just stuck here. by the way, Endeavor really is just an absolute MOUNTAIN of a man, though?? like, a whole, absolute unit. like remember a few chapters ago when I was joking about how he was eight feet tall? well Natsuo is 5’11” according to the wiki, and you can tell by looking at him that he is a solidly built guy. like, he eats his fucking Wheaties. and Endeavor is still able to FULLY WRAP HIS ARMS AROUND both him and Katsuki together WITH ROOM TO SPARE and just. ?????? WHAT EVEN IS THIS MAN good grief

anyway poor Natsu looks close to passing out though so maybe you fucking should let them go Endeav

SDLFKJSDLFKH

1) seriously though look at how big his hands are jesus christ is he even a human!?!?

and 2)!! the amount of sheer detail which was put into this panel, with the facial expressions and the shading and all, only for Katsuki to open his big fucking mouth with ABSOLUTELY NO REGARD! like, this could have been one of the most heartrending panels in the entire series. but instead it’s forever immortalized with Bakugou fucking Katsuki and his brutal fucking speech bubble interjecting with the most vicious insult his angry toddler brain could think of. this panel has the same energy as Deku receiving a heartfelt thank you letter from a child whose life he saved only to unfold it and read that iconic opening line, “SORRY FOR PUNCHING YOU IN THE BALLS LOL”

oh my

boy took matters into his own hands. after Enji just STRAIGHT UP IGNORED HIS PLEAS lmao. this entire chapter is a gift, and we’re only on the second page. also that katakana there is all “SUPON”, which I don’t know what that means, but I have to tell you that to me this felt more like a “ZWOOP.” but that’s just how I personally read it

eyyyyy and there’s our half-naked lukewarm boi

and look, I’m not advocating for Shouto to actually be walking around half naked, because this is a children’s manga and Shouto is just a baby, and that kind of thing is obviously inappropriate unless you’re [checks notes] one of his female classmates, who just like Shouto are also only teenagers, but it’s okay for them because they have boobs. hey wait

but anyway, I will say that I appreciate that his uniform really did burn off just as you would expect, and that he used his ice quirk to preserve his modesty lol. quick thinking on his part

meanwhile all the people Deku rescued are stumbling out of their cars nauseously and thanking him. I like how all of the other traffic on this highway has apparently just come to a halt now. I wonder if the Endeavormobile also came equipped with some traffic cones and road flares that launched out of the trunk along with the costumes

oh hey a BakuDeku interaction, don’t mind me, I’m just... [folds hands on desk and leans forward]

someone please tell me what he actually called Deku here because I’m dying to know. anyways whatever it was, “dumb-ku” is a great translation. it’s just the right amount of stupid and immature, and I love how Deku just fucking answers to it anyway like shrug, whatever

also love how the first thing Katsuki asks is whether anyone is hurt. swear to god this kid makes me love him more with each passing week

fond sigh

okay guys, I’m getting more and more excited here now, and let me explain why. it’s because Katsuki, despite having achieved (as Deku points out) a complete and perfect victory here, is very obviously agitated and angry still. and I think the reason for that is because even though he’s achieved the goal Endeavor set out for them, he still hasn’t achieved what he wanted from this internship. the other two have! Deku accomplished his goal of gaining more control over Blackwhip, and Shouto is now well on his way to mastering Flashfire. but Katsuki specifically came here with the intent of discovering something intangible that he couldn’t put a name to. and even though he’s gotten stronger just like the others, he still hasn’t achieved what he set out to do yet, and I think he’s getting frustrated by it. and the reason I’m so excited is because I think we’re inching closer and closer to seeing that finally get resolved. ahhhhhhh

(ETA: THIS CHAPTER IS THE MONKEY’S PAW WISH OF CHAPTERS.)

anyway I’ll shut up now and read. here’s Katsuki bragging to Endeavor, and Endeavor doing his best All Might impression what the fuck

that line could have come straight out of All Might’s mouth and it would have sounded 100% natural. well everyone, we did it. we fucking broke Endeavor. I hope you’re happy. lol what the fuck is happening what is this

DFKLSLDGHK

I fucking see those wobbly speech bubbles Endeavor, are you crying, because -- !! holy shit this chapter is taking my emotions all over the place

lol Kacchan’s pissed off that Endeavor isn’t more pissed off about being shown up by some punk kids

Deku’s eyes. this chapter. I just

ohhhhhhhhhhhh shit here we go

for everyone out there who was worried that Natsu would just forgive Endeavor outright after the events of this chapter, I think we’ve arrived at the part where your fears are assuaged. I pretty much expected this was how it would go down, because for all the criticism he’s been getting week after week, Horikoshi has been writing the Todorokis realistically and consistently throughout this entire arc, and this was the natural conclusion based on what we’ve seen up till now. Natsuo won’t just forgive Endeavor just like that, because why would he? and Endeavor just has to deal with it. and it’s all very sad and painfully real

SON OF A BITCH

the fucking words “I’m sorry” really just came out of his mouth at last, holy shit. this is the first time, right? as far as I can recall, anyway. oh shit

oh shit

my fucking jaw. just dropped. just. fuck me, I wasn’t ready for this. sure Enji, just go ahead and pour your heart out. lord

imagine if his voice actor goes all out in this scene like Katsuki’s did in episode 61. holy shit, I never thought the thing that destroyed me would be a sad confession in a fucking shounen manga by the character I used to despise. life is funny

ohhhhhhhhhh

[awkward glance around the fandom] soooo. how’s everybody doing? aheh. [coughs]

oh shiiiiiiIIIIItttt

oh look at that, Endeavor didn’t actually murder his child, who could have predicted that. but maybe I’ll just shut up now though since I’m not here to start any shit

and the pain train to feels junction just keeps on chugging. fuck

YOU SEE!! BRUTAL!! RUTHLESS!! SO REALISTIC IT HURTS. Endeavor is genuinely sorry, but it’s all coming way too late to be of any use! and Natsuo is so pained because he honestly probably would like nothing more than to be able to forgive his dad, and for them to all just be a happy, normal, loving family again, but he can’t. because they’re not. and apologies can’t erase the past, or make up for it. there is no way to change what happened. Touya’s still dead, and the scars from all those years of neglect and abuse are still fucking there, and they’re not just going to go away, even if Enji is remorseful. Enji becoming a good man now doesn’t make up for all the years that he wasn’t! he can’t just undo it! and that’s the tragedy of it!! you feel so bad for the man -- or at least, I do -- but at the same time, part of the atonement process is to accept the consequences of everything he did!

and also, for everyone saying he hasn’t faced any actual consequences yet -- one person in particular sent me a very detailed and thoughtful ask, which I apologize for not responding to yet -- I say this with all due respect: there. look. there are your consequences, right there. everything he will never have. everything he can’t salvage. the pain of knowing he was the cause of all this. the pain of seeing the misery in his son’s eyes and knowing he can’t fix it, and knowing the hurt he’s caused to the ones he loved most. that is karma. that’s a fucking punishment. that’s an agony beyond any physical torture that anyone could ever possibly dream up. his punishment is that after all these years, he finally gets to feel all of the suffering he’s inflicted on them, and he’d do anything to take it back now, but he can’t. that’s it! and we all fucking hate it, and no one is happy! and it’s not fucking fair! haha! but that’s how it fucking is, though. and I swear to god, I keep saying it, but it’s some of the most brutally realistic shit I’ve ever seen in a fucking manga. fuck

anyways, I need to stop monologuing or else I’m never going to finish this fucking chapter, but rest assured my soul is being ripped the fuck apart. hmm

:’)

(ETA: note the conspicuous lack of a Kacchan reaction panel directly after the “I’m never gonna forgive you” panel. everyone else gets one. but not him. in fact, there are no more reaction panels of him until this speech ends, and then we get one zoomed far away where we can’t really see his face. but I’m sure that’s all just a coincidence and means absolutely nothing! oh baby. what a chapter.)

:’)))))))

by the way, quick shoutout to that person in the taxi giving them the Rock Lee Eyes and having just no idea what the fuck is going on sob. thanks to you for keeping me from breaking into full on sobs here. I’m holding it together for you, random deer-in-headlights citizen

[INHALES!!!]

that’s it. I don’t. fuck. anyways. I ranted about all my feelings already, so just. ... you all get it by this point, right?

oh Kacchan. penny for your thoughts. I’m almost done with that essay I keep rewriting. you have a lot to think about right now huh

and Shouto. oh Shouto. safe to say this is a side of his father he’s never seen nor imagined he would see before

YOU GUYS THIS IS SO FUCKING IMPORTANT THOUGH, SHIT

[GRABS THIS PANEL AND FRANTICALLY WAVES IT ALL OVER THE BNHA TAG] I’M!!! JUST!!! SAYING!!! THOUGH!!!!!!!

oh, we’re still going? SURE WHY THE FUCK NOT

WHATEVER HORIKOSHI!!! JUST KEEP COMING AT ME, THEN!! GO AHEAD AND FINISH ME OFF WITH A FUCKING SUPLEX OF FEELS!! YOU SON OF A BITCH

and now Ending’s freaking the fuck out and screaming for Endeavor to stop. lol it’s like the villain version of Can’t Ya See-Kun. Endeavor you jackhole, this isn’t on brand! CUT IT OUT

forget it, Jake. it’s Character Development

now the police are arriving and Deku’s like THANK GOODNESS because the awkwardness was about to go critical here. meanwhile, pay no attention to how Katsuki is staring at him despite having no real reason to be in this panel!

[sidles up next to Kacchan] so hey fella. did any of that hit a nerve, perchance. did it open any metaphorical eyes. dust off any momentous revelations that you’ve been valiantly trying to keep shelved in your mental basement. have the SEEDS of your PERSONAL GROWTH been CULTIVATED. are the JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES of NOT BEING A DICK knocking at your inner door!?

anyway so now we’re cutting to Endeavor talking with the authorities while Chauffeur Armstrong tells him he needs to watch his back

friendly reminder that a bearded hermit flew around town on a glass hoverchair singing a song about Endeavor bringing darkness to the world or some shit not too long ago. that’s still a thing! better watch it Enji

HOLY FUCKARONI

(ETA: shoutout to that “neither does the light” line because that’s some straight up Harry Potter quotable bullshit and I love it and Endeavor’s character development continues to slay me that is all.)

FUCKING!!! CHRIST!!! OH GOD!!! OH JESUS!!!!

HMGGHHHHAAAA SOMEONE HELP ME OH MY GOD I’M SHAKING, AHHHHHHH

(ETA: listen you guys, in all of my “!!!!” I didn’t stop to appreciate all of the other things about this scene. but Shouto has changed into his hero costume which is a great little detail that I love because he obviously didn’t feel like standing around freezing his butt off and being oggled by the crowd. and then we have Natsu coming over to thank them all for saving his life, which is great, and he’s such a sweetheart. and then Deku actually saying “Bakugou” for probably the first and only time in his life lmao. and then, finally, his fucking face when he realizes Kacchan has finally chosen a hero name. he’s fucking ecstatic. he can’t wait!! anyway so Deku is me.)

NO BUT I’M FULLY SERIOUS YOU GUYS, I’M TREMBLING LIKE A FUCKING LEAF, IT’S PROBABLY THE CAFFEINE IN ME BUT STILL, OH MY GOD, I’M PARALYZED, I CAN’T SCROLL DOWN, MY HEART IS POUNDING, MY LIFE IS ABOUT TO BE FOREVER CHANGED, OH FUCKSTICKS, OH SHIT

NOOOOOOOOOOO

FUCK MY FUCKING -- WHERE IS HAWKS!!?!? WHERE IS HE!?!? I SWEAR TO GOD IF THAT FUCKING MAGPIE DOESN’T SWOOP DOWN RIGHT THE FUCK NOW WITH JEANIST IN TOW ALL “HAHA IT WAS ALL A MISUNDERSTANDING” I’M GOING TO --

(ETA: but lmao at the fact that Shouto was all “okay, so you’re not going to tell him, but what about me, your Best Friend?” like he really heard “DROP DEAD ASSHOLE” and thought “well, that was Midoriya though, LET ME TAKE A STAB AT IT.” this is the most earnest child in the universe and this OT3 continues to bring me boundless joy.)

FUCK

LISTEN YOU KNOW I LOVE THAT TODODRAMA, BUT YOU CAN’T JUST DO THAT TO ME!! I’M A HUMAN BEING!! IF YOU CUT ME I BLEED!! WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS. I’M GOING TO STRAIGHT UP CRY ALL OVER AGAIN YOU HEARTLESS PIECE OF SHIT

looool

“and his friends.” you hear that, Kacchan. now COME BACK OUT HERE AND TELL US YOUR HERO NAME RIGHT NOW YOUNG MAN!!!

Endeavor you better save this chapter. I’m counting on you dog

oh. oh shit

hahaha. well fuck

first of all, look at Mr. “la dee dah I’m just going to build my family a new house on a whim because I’m so fucking rich” over here, like, damn, Endeavor. and second of all my heart is just a bludgeoned hemorrhaging mass of feels at this point and I’m not even going to try to salvage it. and third of all, this is exactly the type of resolution I wanted, pain and all, and I’m so goddamn satisfied with it it’s almost ridiculous. because the man fucking gets it. for everyone who continues to doubt Endeavor’s intentions, look no fucking further than this. this isn’t a narcissist trying to gaslight his victims and get back in his family’s good graces and make it all about him yet again. this is a man who understands that the best thing for his family right now is for them to be allowed to piece their lives back together without him. and so he’s enabling them to do that, and voluntarily stepping out of the picture while still providing for them. and damn but I respect that so much. fuck yeah, Enji. this was the right thing to do. it doesn’t make up for all the mistakes you’ve made, because nothing can do that. but you’re a better man now, and this right here is exactly the type of thing people mean when they say actions speak louder than words. so, respect

and that’s it! we’ve officially experienced all of the human emotions in this chapter! oh and also that’s it, as in the chapter is done. so yeah. well that sure was a whirlwind now wasn’t it

[laureviewer]

God of War (2018): A Review

Warning: HEAVY story spoilers

I’m not trying to sell you a game. I want to give you an in-depth review and analysis of the story, characters, gameplay and all other aspects of this brilliant game, spoilers and all. I want a discussion. So, dive in and see what I really thought, no holds barred.

 King of the Norse

‘I don’t want it’, says the Jon Snow of the God of War franchise, Kratos. He doesn’t want to be a god, he doesn’t want to interfere or help in others’ lives, he doesn’t want his son to know his past—or to remember it himself, for that matter. But this fish-out-of-water story of a Greek god living in a Norse world forces him to accept his past, present and future.

The story is blissfully and tragically simple. A man sets out to spread the ashes of his recently deceased wife and mother of his son, Atreus, and to honour her by doing so on the tallest peak in all the realms, as was her request. This aim seems completely achievable: you can even see the peak of the mountain in the distance as you set off. But if I know anything about journeys, it’s that they are never that simple. A mysterious man who can’t be hurt attacks Kratos, for reasons unknown. The mountain may not be their final destination after all. And a man and his son set out on a journey that is as much about their relationship as much as it is about fulfilling their loved one’s final wishes.

 A (Reluctant) Man of the People

If you’ve read enough of my reviews by now, you’ll know that open world is one of my favourite video game tropes. GOW isn’t quite open world but still enough to sink your teeth into. In fact, the open world elements adopted by the game makes finishing it a lot more doable than traditional giant open world games, like Skyrim or The Witcher 3 with their hundreds of side quests all over the map. There are side quests in GOW, sure, but they are called ‘Favors’ (which melds well with the overarching theme of gods and sacrifice in the narrative) and fall into five sub-categories for a total of only sixteen favors: dwarfs, wayward spirits, dragons, realms, and Valkyries.

However, even though they aren’t technically counted as favors, there’s a multitude of other tasks to complete, such as closing Realm Tears by fighting elite monsters, collecting artifacts and lore about the world, and killing Odin’s spiritual raven spies. I’m not going to 100% the game or anything, but I love searching every corner of the map to complete that satisfying checklist of things to find.

However, I did find my anxiety spiking a few times with the fact that you don’t have all your powers at once. Sure, it’s useful when the lack of powers blocks you out of places the story doesn’t want you to get to yet, and it’s quite nice to go to old familiar places and uncover new areas and collectibles, but I was always wondering whether I was missing something, and whether I should just wait to go back to exploration areas when I actually have all the powers I need. Obviously there needs to be room for progression, but some puzzles couldn’t be solved without specific powers. Sometimes I wondered whether I was simply not doing the puzzle properly. It all became clear as the game progressed, but even so, I’m sure I spent more time than I should have done in some areas attempting to complete an area that couldn’t be completed. It often made me less willing to comb the area as I could never be sure if I had more to find than first apparent. This also made finding high level enemies another trigger to my must-complete-everything-while-I’m-here mentality. Thankfully, the map always logged where Realm Tears were if I couldn’t quite beat them yet. I only wish the map would do the same for Winds of Hel or other power puzzles that I would pass mournfully on my way to defeat a dark elf or two.

The actual favors encapsulate the very best of what GOW 4 has to offer: fetch-quests for your friends in the form of wisecracking dwarfs; helping the innocent such as allowing lost souls to find peace and freeing giant dragons (though you’d have thought they’d stop trying to attack you long enough to realise you are trying to HELP them); and incredibly challenging battles that help the realms and prove your worthiness simultaneously.

Sure, half the time Atreus instigates helping the innocent: Kratos, true to form, insists that helping others is experience for his son, or useful in gathering resources for their journey. Though, perhaps sometimes he doth protests too much, particularly when pushing back against helping the mysterious Witch of the Woods and the dwarfs. He claims that they are useful, and thus performing tasks for and not making enemies of them is helpful in achieving their goal, but we see his heart thawing the more time he spends with Atreus. We see you, Kratos, learning to love again even as it scares you. And it’s endearing, if not often very frustrating. Which leads us on to…

 Atreus and the Struggles of Parenthood

Atreus’ empathy is also often his fatal flaw. He wants to help everyone, while Kratos wants to stay out of many conflicts, stating that one rarely knows the full story and thus cannot take sides—a definitive sum of the lessons he learned in his regretful past. As an ancient being—hey, James, how old is Kratos? You don’t know? Two thousand or something? Fine I’ll Google it. It’s uncertain but probably around 1050. Damn—he obviously has much more wisdom than a young boy. He is right when he advises Atreus to keep out of the war between the light and dark elves in Alfheim, though he’s not opposed strongly enough to not kill them as they get in his way. It’s less of a moral dilemma for Kratos, and more of a ‘we don’t know enough to make a judgement’. Atreus, we can tell at the beginning of the game, is going to eventually make Kratos more sympathetic, more caring towards other beings. Perhaps even more benevolent than any of the Aesir Norse gods, save Tyr. Though, that isn’t exactly hard.

And, then, you get further in the game. At first, you understand: Kratos is a dick to Atreus. He didn’t care to spend time with him while his mother was alive, and it shows. He refuses to tell Atreus he is a god, and that he is a god in turn, and the conflict of his body and mind being conflicted in what he truly is ends up being the reason for Atreus’ ongoing illness. It’s Kratos’ fault, and sure, he doesn’t know this until it’s nearly too late and he fixes it, but even so. All Atreus wants is to be loved and to make his father proud.

Until later, when he finds out he is a god and goes full diva. The game made me feel about Atreus the same way as I’m sure many parents feel about their children—though, full disclaimer, I’m not a parent, so don’t @ me. My friend says you always love them, and you want what’s best for them and make allowances for them, but oh my god sometimes you really don’t like them. This definitely happened with Atreus. From telling Sindri, one of our dwarf friends, that he is sick of dealing with ‘little people problems’ and making him sad, to saying to Kratos that they are gods and so can do whatever they like, dash the consequences to anyone, to killing a son of Thor against Kratos’ wishes for pure vengeance, made me question my role as a father. Even the little mutterings of ‘whatever’ whenever Kratos wants him to shoot an arrow at a target and one point in the game had me breathing out some mutterings of my own: ‘little shit’ and ‘goddamn I hate you’ were frequent curses.

And yet, by the end of the game I liked him again. Why? It wasn’t his fault. It was his conflicting body and mind; perhaps even the ‘trickery’ side of Loki was finally coming out. Maybe he was going a little mad with all the voices in his head. Plus, he saved my arse so many times in battle with his crazy shock arrows that I needed him. What? I didn’t say I was a perfect parent.

You know what’s really impressive? How this game makes Kratos a likeable character. In previous games (which, full disclosure, I never played) he seemed to be a vengeful man with no thought to anything but his own rage. Now, he has something more to live for—his son, and to honour the memory of his beloved wife. You really understand why he does the things he does. You believe he is trying to be a better person. You know the one thing he really wants to do is scatter his wife’s ashes, and will stop at nothing to fulfil her wishes. You may say he’s stupid for not wanting to tell Atreus the truth, but not only is he ashamed, but he also knows that Atreus may mirror his actions. This brings a duality to the secret that is so interesting that at times I wondered whether Kratos should tell Atreus, considering they don’t have the best relationship in the first place. The dichotomy between Kratos and Atreus is brilliant, and serves not just to humanise Kratos, but also fully makes me believe in their rocky bond as father and son. They are real, and honest, and the perfect grounding to such a profound adventure.

The rollercoaster of a narrative journey GOW took me through was nothing short of outstanding. And that’s even before we get into the Norse lore.

 A Norse’s Life for Me

The conflict between Atreus and Kratos mirrors a theme that runs throughout the entire game throughout the franchise: that of a son killing his father, god against god. And this extends to the version of the Norse lore GOW has created. Favors and story quests alike see the struggle between children and their parents, and it is incredibly satisfying to see Kratos and Atreus overcome that and start to become ‘better’.

As lore that I wasn’t very familiar with, save the depictions of Thor, Odin and Loki from the Marvel universe, it was fascinating to hear the stories from Mimir, the hilarious disembodied head, and to glean them from the lore markers dotted around the realms. It was a great idea to do this from the point of view of Kratos, who does not know the lore and cannot read the language, and Atreus, who has an affinity of language and has been told many stories by his native mother. It’s a natural means of storytelling without it turning into a boring exposition dump. And who doesn’t love story time while rowing around the Lakes of Nine? Apart from Atreus at the beginning, I guess, when his only storyteller was straight-talking Kratos. Spoiler alert: his stories aren’t great.

 Monster Visuals

Rowing across the Lake of Nine is when the story really opens up, bad stories or no. It’s here where you see the true beauty of the story through the stunning appearance of the World Serpent, who is as colossal as the name suggests, though not as scary. From there, using Tyr’s Temple (probably the best Aesir god out there), Kratos and Atreus slowly unlock the various realms, from the fiery homeland of the fire giants, Muspelheim, to the green-tinged Norse underworld, Helheim. Each realm has their own aesthetic, their own monsters, and their own story. While Midgard is bound to be most players’ favourite, due to how much bigger it is and its role as the central point of all the realms, my second favourite is Alfheim, land of the light and dark elves. As the first one to visit after Midgard, its purple hues, sparkling waters and chirping critters make it seem like a mystical world of potential. The fact that the elves are in constant war, doomed to continue for as long as both races live, is both desolate and a fact of life. Even an apparent paradise is rife with issues, and yet beauty can still be found in the worst of situations. 

The realms are very cool, though if I were still in massive open world/RPG mindset, as I so often were, I’d wish that Niflheim and Muspelheim were more than just extra challenges. It would be cool if there were story-led reasons to go there, rather than leaving it to chance if the player gets there in the first place by finding their language cyphers.

The way the camera works doesn’t just give the incredible graphics the time they deserve, but also artfully serves the emotional highs and lows the story wants to hit. It gently guides you to some of the most awe-inspiring events, such as when a giant shows up or when you are fighting a being twice your size, to reflect the intensity as well as making sure you don’t miss them. But the best use of it is at some of the most tense and poignant moments of the game, such as when Kratos is reflecting on his mistakes and travelling to save his son. The camera doesn’t leave his face for lengthy periods, and this, along with the haunting crescendo of siren-like voices singing in accompaniment, really makes you understand what he is feeling, even though no words are said. You are forced to sit with him in silence and in relief. In pain and in quiet. It’s profound. I love it.

The visuals also shine in true GOW fashion: in battle. The place in which this really stands out is in the battle with Baldur at the end, when Freya is trying her utmost to intervene by animating the colossal corpse of a dead giant. While I thought this battle wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, it didn’t actually matter to me in the end as much as it did in other games such as Final Fantasy XV. The battleground kept changing, Baldur’s powers shifting between ice and fire was really interesting as it meant Kratos having to change his own weapons as needed, Baldur’s increasing insanity and glee at the fight, and—best of all—the giant was always in the background, being impressive and foreboding. Awesome.

 The Art of War

The combat in GOW is some of the best I’ve ever experienced. I’m quite used to the hack and slash of RPGs, where the name of the game is simply to hold down R1 and wait for the cool combo moves to bloom out of the angsty protagonist. Okay, fine, it’s never that simple. But in God of War, almost every move counts, especially in the boss battles. Learning to trip monsters, discovering which ones will fall and which ones will not, where their weak points are, and navigating flying or digging enemies means that a lot of the battles mix it up every time. The skill trees that branch off as you upgrade your Leviathan Axe and Atreus’ Talon Bow makes that combat even more visually impressive with chained combos and other ways to fight. This system doesn’t give you as much freedom as many other games, though. Eventually, you’ll get enough experience to unlock every skill, and you’ll want to. Each one will help you in a fight. This is great in a way as I truly felt powerful by the end, and wasn’t worried about neglecting a skill for another, but means the combat is more linear than it could be. Maybe this is necessary as you have to think about combat in other, potentially smarter ways anyway.

Later in the game, you don’t just have to think of the attacks, but you also have to think of the elements of the monsters you are fighting. Do I want to use the ice-imbued axe that spins perfectly in the air and comes back like Mjolnir comes back to Thor? Not in Helheim I don’t, where the monsters are hardcore Ice Queen Elsa stans. Damn, I’m used to using that thing. Alright, time to break out the fiery Blades of Chaos, which you only get halfway through the game but old players will definitely get excited over like a member-berry in heat. Unless you are fighting volcanic draugrs, that is.

The fighting is made even more exciting with the brutality of pressing R3 once an enemy is stunned enough to be grabbed. The animations have Mortal Kombat-esque levels of gore, and as Kratos is an absolute beast, it’s believable as well as disgustingly fun. Want some extra stunnage? Then remember to use Atreus’ arrows, which can interrupt and stun even the biggest of beasts. He saved me more times than I can count. It’s one of the best uses of a sidekick character I’ve ever seen. Why? It’s not just the very useful skills he has, but crucially, HE CAN’T DIE. With memories of a well-intentioned but suicidal Lydia running in front of my sword and taking a fatal wound in the middle of an overpopulated dungeon, this is brilliant. Thanks, Skyrim. Plus, can you imagine having to be Kratos mourning over his dead son every time they lose in battle? Bit morbid, even for a game with this much gore and emotional impact.

Brok and Sindri aren’t just there to crack jokes and bring life into the world. They are also master blacksmiths who work on your Axe, Blades, and armour. The levelling up system is quite different from other traditional games—EXP doesn’t level you up as soon as you get it, but you can use the EXP to buy or upgrade armour, enchantments and talisman that, when worn altogether, give you an overall level. The simple act of replacing a level 7 chest plate with one that’s level 3 can lower your overall level from a 6 to a 5, making you less able to deal with those pesky high-level enemies. As such, it’s a massive variable, and one that players need to consider seriously not just as the game progresses, but also from battle to battle. Runes that you can slot in your armour can increase your frost or burn damage, increase your resistance to ailments, improve your runic attacks, give you extra burst of skills on hits or kills, or even more specific advantages. Some that I found most helpful were 5% less damage from Valkyries which, if you’ve fought one, you know how much of a game changer it can be!

This necessitation for learning the combat and doing it well means that the satisfaction level of defeating a big old boss who you’ve been dying to for the last hour is at well over 9000 (I’m looking at you, Valkyries screaming Valhalla! at me every three seconds). And, now I’m confident enough with it, that means I’ll be continuing with the post-game combat challenges for just a little while longer. This, combined with the beautiful graphics, gripping story, anti-hero and loveable side characters, the revolution of Kratos to multi-dimensional character, and a world brimming with lore and knowledge, makes this game one to remember. 

What can I say, I’m obsessed.

[sarahw-writing]

“Let It Snow” - 02 Mistletoe

Well guys, here's the second prompt!

I'm sorry it took a bit longer than I was hoping for, but I've had a really bad flu, and I've literally written this one in bed. I had a little story planned for this fic, but now I wonder if I'll be able to finish all the prompts in time for Christmas. I'll just try to do my best, so please bear with me.

I'd also like to give special thanks to those of you who left feedback in the first chapter, since I wasn't entirely sure if you'd be interested in this story.

Anyway, I really hope you like this one!

Summary:

Vegeta decides to accept Bulma's invitation, joining her and her loved ones for her mysterious Christmas Eve celebrations, and encountering a few unanticipated events along the way.

You can find it on AO3 or on FF.

Or you can keep reading under the break:

02. Mistletoe.

A gust of frosty wind blew him in the face when he stepped outside the Gravity Room, a thick layer of snow creaking under his feet as he walked like a ghost in the dark, struggling to swallow down a familiar flood of murderous emotions that he hadn’t truly battled ever since his Master’s disgraceful downfall.

Vegeta crossed the luxurious gardens of the lavish house which he now called home, bruised hands buried in his pockets, nothing but a slouched, defeated figure, furiously lost in thought, a frenzied string of angry feelings that he couldn’t even begin to understand, much less try to make some rational sense of.

His pace was sluggish, deliberately slow, desperately striving to stretch out his arrival to the mansion’s entrance for as long as he could, all of it while praying with all his might for the scarred-faced idiot, who’d completely ruined those so-called ‘Christmas Eve’ celebrations, to have left the place by now. He didn’t know, he really didn’t know if he’d find the strength not to murder the dumb bastard in cold blood, right there and then, or if he’d even want to restrain himself, not after the grotesque spectacle that he’d witnessed firsthand tonight.

The Saiyan warrior may have been well aware, at all times, of his alien condition, and there surely was an innumerable amount of ridiculous Earth customs that he wasn’t yet familiarized with but, by the Gods, whatever it was that this ‘Christmas’ celebration was supposed to be, it sure as Hell could not have been about seeing the only goddamned creature who’d ever shown him any real kindness ending the evening on the verge of tears.

His feet stopped automatically a mere few steps from the dwelling’s majestic door, and he took his hands out of his pockets, blowing roughly on his stiff fingers while getting one last eyeful of the cascade of picturesque lights shamelessly hanging from the building’s smooth façade, mocking him, mocking them all, announcing a deceiving happiness that never materialized, after all.

The dreadful celebrations had begun for him a few hours before the actual dinner party, with an unnervingly cheerful Panchy Briefs inviting herself into the privacy of his room, with an audacity that no sane human being would have ever dared to display. She’d proudly announced that her ‘beautiful daughter’ was getting dressed already and, after getting a lecherous glimpse of his fully naked body, dripping wet from the shower, and only covered by a modest towel from the waist down, she’d strongly recommended that he thought about getting ready too, encouraging him to choose a formal attire for such a special occasion.

With a wardrobe mostly consisting of sportswear and loose pajama pants, the Prince had finally settled for a pair of dark blue jeans, a tight-fitting grey sweater, and the only pair of dress shoes he owned, pacing nervously from one side to the other of his bedroom for a few hesitant minutes, before making the bold choice to get out and face the music.

The Briefs home had been as bright as it could be, filled to the brim with even more colored lights, exotic plants and flashy decorations, all of it enveloped by the most mouthwatering aroma he’d ever smelled in his entire life, an intriguing combination of warm, savory dishes, and exotically sweet treats.

Vegeta walked the long corridors of the splendid first floor with cautious steps, keenly following the appetizing trail of inviting foods, while his hypersensitive Saiyan senses sharply perceived the recognizable voices of the numerous guests already gathered downstairs. He easily identified most of them as those belonging to the woman’s peculiar gang of warrior friends, together with a handful of foreign murmurs and, most disturbing of all, the absence of the one and only sound which had been captivating his typically limited interest for longer than he was willing to confess.

 Bulma’s voice.

 When the Prince had roused from sleep in the suffocating solitude of that cold infirmary, the morning after she’d first introduced him to that lovely, comforting beverage, he’d done so utterly alone, the only evidence of the earthling’s dreamlike company being a cold, empty flask laying forgotten on the wooden nightstand, and traces of her unbelievably delicious scent spread all over his soft bedsheets.

He’d buried his nose into the still warm pillow, showing no qualms in making the most of the only thing she’d left behind, and groaning tiredly as he wondered if the strangely intimate moment they’d both shared the previous night would have meant something to her, and whether he’d actually want it to mean anything at all.

Much to Vegeta’s disappointment, things had carried on with more or less normalcy around the Briefs household from that moment on, with Bulma spending most of her time in her hectic laboratory, while he slowly eased his way into the punitive training regime that his new existence had become.

Every now and then, Bulma would make one of those routine check ups on his precious training room. And though, on the surface, her behavior towards him didn’t seem to have changed much at all, and the mysterious little female hadn’t brought up the subject ever again, the Prince had most definitely caught clear hints of that old, heartbreaking sadness in her, the very same sadness that had once pushed her to ask to share the bed of a former homicidal maniac, in the middle of the night.

The woman undoubtedly possessed a special gift for keeping herself together at all times, and yet, some of her natural spunk had gotten lost along the way, that irresistible grit always making her treat him like an equal, challenging and bumping heads with him in ways no other creature, not even those infinitely stronger than she was, would have ever risked to.

Vegeta could count with the fingers of one hand the number of times they’d lately engaged in those harmless, heated quarrels that he’d grown to enjoy so damn much, thoroughly amused by the woman’s bright spirit and brilliant sarcasm, that promising spark of blue light constantly reminding him that there was life beyond everything he’d always known, a happier way of life which he may perhaps get to savor one day, once he’d achieved his promised Ascension, recovering his long-lost honor, once and for all.

But tonight, as he’d walked down the flight of stairs of his temporary home, joining the rest of the woman’s visitors at the ground floor, he’d seriously started to consider the disappointing possibility that, all this time, he’d been stupidly deluding himself into believing that he held some sort of special significance in the earthling’s life when, in reality, he was just as unimportant to her as every other chump assembled around the luxurious house.

The warrior’s irate memory could barely recall what happened in those early moments, right after he joined the idiotic celebrations, only his agitated turmoil, furious with everyone, especially with himself, for being stupid enough to care about what the silly woman, or any of her insignificant friends, really thought of him to begin with.

After all, she was just an instrument, a genius brain whose incredible inventions would allow him to reach his goals, defeat the third-class idiot that she called her ‘best friend’, and get out of the worthless mudball keeping him prisoner, in search of his righteous place as Universal Ruler, perhaps even burning this blasted planet to ashes on his way out, once it served no further purpose to him anymore.

Vegeta leaned cross-armed on the door frame of the main living-room, with the detached indifference of the outsider he truly knew himself to be, having the time of his life as he enjoyed his inner pity party, chewing irritably on whatever yummy appetizer was served in front of him while wondering just where the Devil was the diabolical creature who’d put him in such a humiliating position, when he could have just as well been employing his valuable time into far more useful activities tonight, such as pounding his already abused body even closer to the brink of death.

He should have been careful, he should have known by now that a man should treat his wishes with great care for, just as he was about to throw in the towel, ready to make a surreptitious exit from the deplorable charade that the night was quickly turning into, Mrs. Briefs’ perky voice brought him straight back to reality, making his most forbidden wishes come true with only a few, well-chosen words of admiration.

“Oh my!” She exclaimed vivaciously, holding a half-full tray of canapés in one hand as she stared at the small figure already standing at the top of the stairs, ready to make her triumphant entrance into the night’s festivities. “Doesn’t she look lovely tonight?” Panchy asked to everyone and no one in particular, the unmistakable naughtiness in her tone making the Saiyan’s hair stand on end, terrified of the irresistible temptation that he knew he’d encounter when he turned his sights on the alluring woman.

 She’d been wrong.

Dead wrong.

 ‘Lovely’ didn’t even begin to describe just how ridiculously beautiful Bulma had looked tonight, with that demure smile glowing regally on her lips as she proceeded to cautiously walk down the stairs, her mesmerizing skill not to slip with those impossibly high heels adorning her feet hypnotizing even the coldest of men.

With each step, her spellbinding beauty got just a little closer, offering him the honor to luxuriate in every bit and every detail, in every single one of the unforgettable curves of that flawless body, hips swinging seductively, undulating like fluid water under the shimmery fabric of her electric blue dress.

Her hair, that glossy waterfall of turquoise curls that she usually enjoyed wearing down, had been tied up this time, coiffed into a stylish French twist that emphasized the elegance of her long neck, and of those long, sparkly earrings, hanging graciously from her small ears.

And, when she finally joined him on the main floor, her light hand brushing one of his tense biceps with the litheness of a breeze of fresh air, the Prince almost chocked on his shrimp cocktail when he discovered the erotically low cut of the back of that misleadingly modest gown.

He tried, he desperately tried not to gawk like a fool at the way she moved, leaving his side as she worked the crowded room like a Queen, playing the part of the welcoming hostess to perfection, and greeting every one of her varied friends and distant relatives with that warmth that belonged to her alone, awakening inside of him the most bizarre sense of jealousy whenever she smiled at anyone other than him.

At the beginning, Vegeta had feared for his early worries to be true, and for Bulma to end up spending the rest of the night snubbing him, or treating him purely with the same courtesy as all the others. But relief washed over him when, just as soon as she was done with her first round of introductions, she instinctively sought his presence through the crowd, shooting him the most dazzling grin as she approached him determinedly.

“You made it!” She beamed at him, a bold hand finding his wrist and squeezing it with gentle reassurance, a subtle, unexpected gesture of intimacy that made his heart rabbit furiously in his chest.

Vegeta wasn’t entirely sure about what it was that she initially talked about, all he knew was how honestly happy, dare he say grateful, Bulma seemed to be, infinitely happier than she’d been in the gloomy darkness of their last night together in that infernal infirmary.

She chose to spend most of her time with him, constantly making the effort to get the servers’ attention, in the hopes that her guest of honor would get to sample as many different kinds of traditional foods as possible, enlightening him about an eclectic selection of curious tales and human folklore that his poor alien mind had found wholly impossible to understand.

Even now, as the lonely Prince stood all by himself in the midst of a sad garden fully covered in snow, Vegeta had to admit that, although he’d been so overwhelmed that he could remember not even one of such exotic stories, there was an infinity of details that, try as he might, would never leave his giddy memory.

He could still vividly evoke her refreshing giggles, and those dainty hands touching him in ways no one ever had. Whether she’d be casually picking off a lint on his sweater, saucily complimenting him for his choice of clothing, or resting a hand on his shoulder as she leaned over, trying to reach for one of the many drinks circulating across the room, offering him another glass of that sparkling ‘champagne’, fizzy bubbles tickling his nose as she talked, and talked, and talked about all sorts of old family anecdotes, involving her mischievous, carefree childhood and, more often than not, some unknown cousin that she hadn’t seen in ages.

It’d been overwhelming, utterly intoxicating, drowning his senses in heaps of nectarous foods and heady alcohol, in golden lights and surreal festive songs and, above all, in her, and in how awfully comfortable she appeared to be by his side, unashamed of spending most of the occasion with him, and clearly oblivious to the sporadic glances of mistrust and disbelief that the rest of the warriors would occasionally throw their way.

Still, the most surprising emotion of them all had been the rare pride engulfing him at the obvious realization that, within a house full of people, she’d much favored his company to any other, a foreign, yet pleasant sentiment, tricking him into believing that, perhaps, this exotic celebration would end up being far more tolerable than he’d first anticipated.

And then, just as he’d gradually started to feel himself relax, quietly surrendering to the calm assurance that Bulma’s company inspired in him, he had to come along, completely destroying the woman’s happiness along the way.

Vegeta could still see her turning her eyes curiously to the side, that charmingly familiar gesture that she did whenever the luxurious doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of yet another one of her increasingly larger group of noisy guests, only, this time, her reaction to her mysterious visitor hadn’t been a polite smile and some cheeky gossip whispered in his ear, but a horrified expression of sheer dismay.

Her candid smile froze on her lips, the corners of her lively mouth falling with the rest of her gorgeous face, staring in disbelief at the only man who held the destructive power to dim the light of her striking blue eyes.

The sudden shift in her attitude had been such, that it’d forced the Saiyan to instinctively leave behind his well-practiced aura of disinterest, promptly following her glance and discovering, straight away, where the little female’s incredulity stemmed from.

Right there, by the large mahogany door, stood the cowardly human who used to be her ‘boyfriend’ and, though his shocking visit should have been enough to spoil anyone’s party, it soon became self-evident that it wasn’t the idiot’s presence what had ruined Bulma’s coquettish mood, but the unpredicted attendance of his even stupider companion, none other than some random, blue-haired bimbo, already taking off her cheap coat with the useless fighter’s help.

Vegeta’s own mouth twisted in disgust, repulsed by the scene unfolding before his very eyes, both by that drooling grin spreading across the man’s dumb face, and by the way he ogled the indecently young-looking woman, as if she were nothing but a worthless piece of flesh.

Romantic relationships of any kind were out, way out of the Prince’s area of expertise, but it surely didn’t take a genius to intuitively guess that it was in incredibly poor taste to bring his side-piece of the month to the home of a woman who’d shared more than ten years of her life with him, an exceptional creature who, by all accounts, had given the moronic loser far more than he deserved.

When Vegeta’s gaze rushed back to Bulma, all color had left her rosy face, and she was but a glum shadow of the bubbly woman she’d been just seconds ago, with those disenchanted eyes staring absentmindedly at the polished floors, losing themselves into the miserable wave of depressing thoughts sweeping her away, allowing herself a selfish instant of self-pity before choosing to bravely compose herself, one last time.

“Will you excuse me for a second?” She shyly asked, a cold, clammy hand enfolding his wrist in silent apology while the most heartbreaking smile drew itself on her tense lips, one of those smiles that wouldn’t reach her eyes, and that would remain sadly trapped in her features through the rest of the night.

He saw her walking discreetly towards the door, welcoming her undesirable guests with a graciousness that the insensitive bastard clearly hadn’t earnt, and making the admirable effort to engage in some minor chitchat with the absurd couple, before excusing herself and disappearing into the kitchens, offering to assist her mother with the final details before dinner was served.

 That was all.

 The Prince barely had the chance to see much of her ever since, only once during the copious Christmas dinner, when she’d sat at the table, right beside him, hardly tasting her food, and making the most delectable meal he’d ever tasted feel like dusty gravel sanding down his throat with the way those jittery hands kept fidgeting miserably with her fork, choosing to focus on the red wine instead, and almost embarrassingly dropping her drink on the table more than once.

His last vision of her had taken place sometime after the extravagant banquet, when all the guests had left the table, at last, spreading out throughout the comfortable salons while the Briefs matriarch made her rounds yet again, giving away even more sweets and candied treats to the already bursting guests.

He saw Bulma standing in front of one of the large windows, swirling her last glass of champagne distractedly while her eyes wandered longingly all over the dark gardens, a poignant air of nostalgia saddening her exquisite face when the first signs of white started to fall from the frozen skies. Her head fell back languidly when the last sip of alcohol touched her sullen lips, eyes closing as tired fingers idly rubbed her neck, only to open them back again, contemplating the jam-packed room with dreamy eyes, as if a great part of her had already drifted away from it all.

It was then that it happened, it was then that they found each other, their eyes meeting across the distance, two strangers sharing a secret that no one else in that cussed room would ever light upon.

Vegeta held her stare with a confidence that still staggered him to this moment, a frightening intensity that contradicted the apparent nonchalance of the coldhearted warrior leaning cross-armed with his back against the wall, letting her know, with not even one word, that he understood, that he could feel her unbearable pain in his own mortal flesh, and that, if only he were a noble man, instead of the emotionally stunted wimp that he knew himself to be, he’d wrap his arms around her and he’d get her out of there, taking her to a hidden corner of the world where no harm would ever touch her.

And in her eyes he saw that she knew, he didn’t even know how or why but, in those bottomless pools of blue, blinking dreamily at him, like a hypnotized nymph awakening from an illusive dream, the Prince found a woman who’d just discovered, not only that her most intimate secret had been laid bare, but that the man in possession of such a skill was the least expected, an enigmatic equal who’d never betray her shattered trust.

Bulma watched him for an absorbed instant, gifting him with the most devastating smile, a watery smile of disillusionment and heartfelt gratitude, before the spell was broken, and she turned around, walking defeatedly towards her mother, whispering a few furtive words in her ear and vanishing from the crowded room, taking all that was bright with her.

 And now here he was, standing alone in the dark, spying through the still illuminated windows like some lowlife thief looking for some magical signal, anything that would help him decide on whether he should take a chance and get back into that cursed house, or follow his first instinct and subject himself to a good old-fashioned session of self-abuse.

Vegeta’s most stubborn self was growing increasingly inclined towards the latter, but the night’s surreal events had zapped every bit of energy left in him and, after an exhaustive scan of the Briefs home, and its spacious surroundings, concluded that the entirety of the irritating guests had already left the party, the Prince made up his tired mind, choosing to go to bed and call it a day.

That is, of course, until a whiff of the most delicious aroma suddenly pervaded his senses, a sweetly creamy scent only savored once before, during that oneiric night spent with the little earthling, a treasured night whose memory, try as he might, he’d found himself incapable of forgetting.

“Hey…” Bulma greeted him in a pleased whisper, not at all surprised by the snoopy stranger floating smoothly before her, the intrigued warrior who’d just discovered her not-so-secret hiding spot, sitting on one of the few stairs located right at the top of her home’s colossal rooftop. “Do you want some?” She generously offered, holding the cup of that flask he knew so well by now, and pouring him some of that mouthwatering hot chocolate, long before he even had the opportunity to accept her invitation.

His feet touched the slippery ground with great care, secretly marveled at how foolishly brave the woman was, wholly unafraid of such great heights, especially for someone who couldn’t fly if her life depended on it.      

Her audacity should have offended him, that strange overconfidence that always made her assume, and rightly so, that he’d follow her instructions like a docile Saiyan puppy. But Vegeta soon realized that, tonight, after everything the softhearted woman had been put through, he’d much rather sit obediently by her side, taking up her offer for one last enjoyable treat before going back to his room.

“This one smells… Different…” He noted, sharp nostrils flaring like those of a hound as he held the drink in his cold hands, eyeing it with suspicion before venturing to take his first sip.

“Ah, yeah…” She giggled timidly, the first honest laughter he’d heard from her in a while. “I may have spiked it just a little bit…” She admitted, with the cheekiness of a silly teenage girl who’d just gotten caught in her first mischief.

The Prince said nothing, merely grunting softly as he tasted the soothing drink, easily picking up on the subtle touch of liquor, blended to perfection with the natural sweetness of the rich chocolate flavor.

‘Not bad…’

“Sorry about tonight, by the way…” Bulma murmured warily, hiding her small hands in the tight space between her small body and the knees protectively pressed to her chest.

Vegeta remained silent for a second, absolutely dumbfounded as to why it was the woman, of all people, the one apologizing for the monumental fiasco of the night’s celebrations.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” his sincere reply came at last, loathing himself for getting emotionally involved in a situation that shouldn’t have been his business to begin with, but powerless to just sit down and watch her take responsibility for something that had been everyone’s fault but hers.

“Yeah, I know…” She agreed in a slightly more confident tone, honestly surprised by the Prince’s open support. “It’s just that… I don’t know…” She shrugged weakly, the Moon’s majestic glow reflected in those sad eyes of hers as they lost themselves into the clear sky. “I guess I just wanted everything to be perfect tonight, since this was your first time celebrating Christmas and all…”

Her words of disappointment almost made him choke on his second mouthful of hot chocolate, openly gaping both at her defeated stance, and at the captivating blush spreading across her cheeks as she kept timidly avoiding his stare.

 For him.

She’d gone out of her way just so she could please him.    

 “I knew it was a bad idea to invite him,” Bulma carried on, forcing herself to keep talking when she intuitively sensed the Prince’s quiet discomfort with such an intimate conversation. “But my Mom insisted, you know? She said that… That it’d be good for us to be friends after… After all those years together…” A long, melancholic sigh fled her lips, shivering vulnerably when a rush of cold air suddenly hit them both. “I guess she didn’t think that he’d bring some girl along. Mom was pretty disappointed in him too. It was just… I don’t know…”

“Disrespectful,” Vegeta pointed out, the coolness in his voice poorly concealing the vicious rage boiling beneath the surface as his fingers tightened angrily around his drink.

This time, it was Bulma’s chance to turn her sights on him, her touching aura of amazement and gratitude reawakening some of those yearning emotions inside of him, the ones making it impossible for him to catch a wink of sleep when she’d spent the night lying beside him in that lousy infirmary.

The warrior’s calloused hands gingerly offered her the half-full mug, just in the same way he had on such a fateful night, a night that was the catalyst for the greatest change of their lives, even if neither one of them suspected it yet.

“Yeah, I guess you could call it that…” The earthling murmured bashfully, a flock of butterflies fluttering nervously in his stomach with the way she smiled at him in understanding, eagerly accepting his invitation as she took the cup from his jittery hands.

It was hopeless, it was ludicrously hopeless to try to stop himself anymore from mooning over her, so he just sat there like a besotted fool, pursing his mouth in frustration when those full lips, still lightly swollen from crying, kept blowing at the steaming cup, tasting her first sip from exactly the same spot his own mouth had just touched seconds earlier.

“It’s funny because… I don’t… I don’t even love him anymore…” She admitted with surprising calmness, her sureness in her lack of feelings towards her ex-lover confusing the Prince even more. “I guess what hurt me the most is that… It’s not just that he brought her to my house but… I don’t know…” She mumbled huskily, almost as if talking to herself, trying to make some coherent sense out of her own restless feelings. “I guess it’s the fact that he found someone else so soon. It makes me feel like… Like I’m just forgettable, you know?”

 Forgettable.

She could not be serious.

The woman may have been the most vulgar, exasperating creature he’d ever chanced upon, with her sassy banter and brazen meddling, always screeching, scolding and overprotecting him, to the point of treating him, at times, like nothing but a reckless little brat. Vegeta might not have the faintest clue as to what dangerous adventures would await him once he attained his obsessive goals, reaching his prized Super Saiyan form and annihilating that useless pair of artificial tin cans but, the Gods help him, whatever it was that Destiny threw his way, when the time finally came for them to part ways, putting an end to the surreal experience that their coexistence had become, he was damn sure that he’d never, ever, forget the unshakable Force of Nature that was Bulma Briefs.    

 “Perhaps, it’s the other way around,” he reflected out loud, chiming into her emotional troubles before he could even stop himself, absolutely loathing to see her belittling herself like this.

“Uh?” She gasped feebly, still in mild disbelief at his clear attempt to comfort her in his own reserved way. “What do you mean?”

His fists clenched on their own, eyebrows knitting as he scowled in chagrin, not even knowing what was even more perplexing anymore, the woman, who was supposedly some kind of genius, not seeing the obvious, or that new, irrepressible need overriding his spirit, urging him to take away the pain eating her alive.

“I meant that, maybe,” Vegeta clarified. “The weakling found that idiotic woman because he can’t forget on his own…”

He kept his mousy eyes cowardly hooked on the ground, letting his smart words sink in as he took the empty cup from her small hands with a gentleness he didn’t even know he possessed, pouring himself a second glassful of the heartening beverage and guzzling most of it in one single gulp, gathering some liquid courage before he ventured to give her a second glance, discovering the most extraordinary metamorphosis blossoming all over that beautiful face.

Smiling, the woman was smiling at him, not one of her usual dazzling smiles, but a smile nonetheless, shy but resplendent, wide blue eyes sparkling with the playful twinkle of a woman who’d just found a loyal ally where she least expected it.

“You really think so?” Bulma asked daintily, her spirits rising, but still hoping for that final little push to give her the morale she so desperately needed.

“I do,” Vegeta quietly reassured her, lips curling into the ghost of a lopsided smirk at the sound of her tiny, triumphant chuckle.

“I guess you’re right,” she agreed, her newfound confidence instilling the rarest sense of pride in him, pride at being the one to rekindle some of that zesty fire back.

“So…” She ventured once more, invading his most sacred space, as only she knew how, when she stuck one of her bold little fingers into the leftovers of his creamy chocolate, sliding it across the empty cup and carelessly sticking it right into her mouth. “I figure I’m not the only one who thought that the girl was… You know…” Bulma prodded him, her innate feistiness pushing aside some of the sorrow haunting her still. “Not the brightest bulb in the tree, uh?”

By now, most of Vegeta’s blood had abandoned his body, fascinated by that wicked tongue licking off the chocolate from his mug with such naivete, by all means oblivious to the flood of impure thoughts coursing his veins, and to the fact that she could so easily arouse him like this with such a harmless gesture, both terrifying and exhilarating.

“Hn…” He groaned in frustration, choosing to play her game and go along with her, after all, there was nothing like a common enemy to make the woman feel better. Besides, it wasn’t as if he’d have to lie in order to agree with her, anyway. “She was the stupidest creature I’ve ever encountered,” he snarled, visibly repelled by the mere memory of the female’s moronic topics of conversation that, together with that grating nasal voice, were enough to test his endurance in ways not even Frieza himself ever had, making him spend the rest of the evening struggling not to break her exasperating neck just to make it stop.

And he must have said the right thing, if only for once, for Bulma chuckled even louder than before, the sound pure and luminous, getting a whole lot closer to her real vivacious self.

“Yeah, I know…” She admitted, making him wish he’d never followed her goddamned scent to the rooftop the moment she stuck her blasted finger into his chocolate, yet again, running her tongue all over it, like the most natural act in the world. “I guess no one cares about some topless model using her brain anyway…”    

“A what?” Vegeta promptly asked back, genuinely intrigued by a concept he’d never heard of before.

“A topless model.”

 “…”

The blank look on his face, together with that hilarious tic that always made his cheek twitch uncontrollably whenever he felt uncomfortable, or faced by a situation he knew nothing about, made Bulma unconsciously press her lips together, bottling up a string of laughter at how ridiculously adorable he looked right now.

Out of all the countless, tongue-in-cheek arguments that they’d enjoyed throughout those past few months, she’d never once brought up anything related to nudity or human sexuality of any kind, after having noticed, right from the moment she’d teasingly called him ‘cute’, back when she’d first invited him into her home, that the warrior seemed to be surprisingly prudish about such matters.

Whether it was because he was one of those men who considered sex something strictly private between a man and a woman, or if he was perhaps simply not interested in it, she wouldn’t know. For all she knew, he might even be a virgin and, though she’d mostly kept such a tricky subject off grounds all this time, something about the unreal intimacy of this moment was awakening her most impish side, wondering what would happen if she dared to discuss naughty body parts with the Prince of All Saiyans himself.      

“Yeah, topless”, she described, casually waving one of her hands while inwardly roaring with laughter. “She’s a model who poses with her boobs out…”

“Boobs?” He frowned, blinking uncertainly as he tried to figure out where exactly he’d heard of that particular term before.

“Yeah, boobs. You know? Breasts…” Bulma explained in her best serious face. “She poses with her breasts out…”

Vegeta’s mouth gaped wide open in sheer shock, his upper lip twisting in the most comical manner, looking at her like a twelve-year-old boy who’d just been given ‘the talk’ for the first time in his life.

“She poses with her breasts out…” He murmured numbly to himself, quickly realizing that he was missing just one last piece of crucial information. “She poses where with her breasts out?”    

“In magazines, silly!” She replied, smacking him playfully in the arm. “You know my Mom’s magazines, right? Well… It’s the same, but for men. And the girls have no clothes on…”

“A-Are you…?” He stuttered in disbelief, his ingenuous, wide-eyed expression making her want to hug him silly. “Are you telling me that…? That the woman appears naked in magazines?”

“Yup!”

“What…? What for?!”

A devilishly amused smirk finally cracked up on her lips, lowering her chin and flashing him the cheekiest look in her repertoire. “What do you think?”

“Tch!” He huffed, face flushing crimson as his eyes returned to the ground, shaking his head to himself in mortified incredulity. “You humans are vile…” He mumbled irritably.

“Tell me about it…” Bulma openly giggled, wrapping her arms around one of his and leaning shamelessly against him while resting her chin on his shoulder, ready for some extra teasing of her own. “You’re really funny, did you know that?”

“Hn…” He hmphed, side-eyeing the woman, and those brazen hands of hers, with wary skepticism.

 Funny.

Him.

She thought he was funny.    

 There was a really strong possibility that she was mocking him, as usual, and while this should have been the perfect moment to give her the slip, removing himself from a situation that was getting more out of hand by the second, he simply couldn’t, finding it harder and harder to stay mad at her when she kept leaning and holding onto him, quite literally, for a support that he wasn’t quite convinced yet if he could provide.

“Look…” Bulma whispered in wonderment, turning her delicate face to the sky as her head still rested on his strong shoulder. “It’s snowing…”

The Prince impulsively followed her movements, raising his gaze to the dark skies, and to the light dusting of snow slowly beginning to fall over them both, a tight lump knotting in his throat at the sound of her childish laughter.

“When I was a little girl, I used to get out of the house whenever it snowed,” she gladly recalled, with the contented nostalgia of those privileged enough to have enjoyed, and carefully stored, quite a few happy memories of their own. “I used to run through the gardens, sticking my tongue out. It used to drive my poor Mom insane, because she could never catch me…” She confessed proudly, chuckling at her own silly stories, willing to give him a glimpse of her idyllic childhood. “Like this…”

Bulma closed her eyes and tilted her head back, sticking her pink tongue out, ready to catch a handful of those white, fluffy flakes while Vegeta watched her with infatuated attention.

Her splendid blue dress was nowhere to be seen anymore, the only evidence of her earlier dolled-up appearance being the elegant upsweep still restraining the wilderness of her hair, and failing miserably, judging by the few loose curls already trying to escape, framing her lovely face in the most charming way as she smiled softly into the night. There were no more expensive jewels or glittery high heels, only a thick sweater and some old pants, topped by her favorite worn-out jacket, and a pair of cozy pink boots.            

And yet, although she’d completely taken his breath away when he’d seen her making her grand entrance before, dressed to the nines as she walked down the stairs, Vegeta had to admit that he much preferred her this way.

He liked this Bulma, the one with her messy hair and shabby winter clothes, reenacting her favorite memoirs of youth just for him, with a couple of puny little arms firmly wrapped around him, and a gorgeous face covered in snow.

“I’d say…” She spoke in a hoarse whisper, the shadow of an enigmatic smile curling her mouth as she looked at him intriguingly. “This is a real mistletoe moment…”

One of her hands let go of him, wiping a minuscule white pebble off the tip of his nose with her index finger, allowing herself the luxury to brush his cheek with those soft fingertips, before grabbing onto his trembling arm once again, bringing herself even closer to him.

“Do you…?” She murmured inaudibly, languorously, nipping at her bottom lip as her hazed eyes skimmed through his anxious mouth. “Do you know what that is?”

Vegeta slowly shook his head no, barely able to assimilate, or to even listen to her cryptic words anymore, mesmerized by the luring effects of her dangerous proximity, and by her earnest heartbeat, pounding in his ears as if it were his own. He couldn’t deny to having indulged in a woman or two, back in his heyday, but it’d always been cold, quick and impersonal, never like this, never like her, never this terrifying emotion making him fall apart, the frightening certainty that, if he ever let his guard down and let this woman in, he’d never be the same again.

Time stood still for an eternal moment when her lips found his, her mouth soft, light as a feather, the world disappearing around them as she stole a first kiss from the man whose mysterious presence had seduced and fascinated her from the day she’d welcomed him into her vibrant life.

He was inexperienced, clumsy, just as she’d always expected him to be, too unused to love, or even kindness, to truly know what he was doing. But, Kami, something in that innocent kiss told her that there was more to this obscure man than met the eye, and that whoever would one day succeed in deciphering that inscrutable heart, might strike gold.    

“Mhmm…” Bulma moaned, with the faintness of a woman living in a dream, idly dropping her dizzy head on the curve of his shoulder, without even trying to open her eyes. “You’re so warm…” She slurred sleepily, rubbing her small, reddened nose, back and forth, into the surprisingly smooth skin of his neck, while gently grasping his captive arm, lifting it carefully and inviting him to shield her shivering shoulders with it.

The couple sat silently in the dark, with the heavy-eyed earthling drifting off with no trouble at all, and a very bewildered Saiyan, staring at her sleeping figure while wondering just what all of this had even meant, yet powerless to neglect her wishes, feeling himself steadily relaxing in her presence as he softened his tense arm, pulling her even closer to him.

He knew that he’d soon have to carry the fragile woman back to her bed, or she’d end up freezing to death but, for a moment, just for one selfish little moment, he greedily luxuriated in all that was Bulma, in that balmy, calm breath embracing his needy skin, in those tousled blue curls carelessly tickling his jaw and, most of all, in the miraculous way in which she was inexplicably dissipating the gloomy emotions crushing his spirit under that heavy veil of white snow.  

Aw! Christmas smooches!

Fun fact: we have no mistletoe tradition in my country, but I just couldn't help myself...

Anyway, the next prompt will take place on Christmas Day, so stay tuned!

And, in case I don't update the story before Christmas Day, I just want to wish you all an AMAZING Christmas with your families and all the people you care for, with lots of presents, yummy things and delicious food comas included, of course.  

Thank you so much for all the support in the past year, it means a lot!

MUCH LOVE!!!

[schtroumpf-a-lunettes]

The Smurfs That Canon Forgot, Chapter fourteen.

This is the final chapter, everyone!

Read this chapter on: ff.net | AO3 | As always - this post!

Previous Chapters: Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 | Ch10 | Ch11 | Ch12 | Ch13

“Just what are those things?” the doctor asked Scruple, eyeing the smurfs atop that bird of theirs which led the way. “Uhh… Those are my pets?” The physician’s voice sounded rather bored. “Pets aren’t allowed in the room you’re staying in.” “Oh, god damn it. A-actually, they don’t live with me, doc. And they’re very well-trained. To get help. Like they’re doing right now.” “They’re wearing… clothes? And riding on top of a bird.” “Yes.” Scruple nodded, “They tend to do that.” Somehow, the doctor left it at that and didn't press him any further. “Oh yeah” Scruple added in a louder voice, “And they can’t talk either. I mean obviously. They’re all very stupid creatures.” He held back a laugh at the looks the smurfs gave him as the physician stared fixedly ahead, Scruple’s goal decidedly achieved. What’s wrong, smurfs? Why not speak up and defend yourselves? Ha! Their stubborn unwillingness to interact with unknown humans… He was damned if he wasn’t going to take advantage of that. Gargamel began to come into view, and so Scruple hastened his pace forward. He was just lying there in a stream that hardly reached Scruple’s ankles. Next to Gargamel, there was also some kind of red speck, which grew clearer as Scruple approached. Was that -- ?! “Holy –“ he rushed over, leaving the doctor trailing a fair bit behind. “Papa Smurf?!” Papa Smurf looked up. “Ah, you’re here! My, you really have grown!” “Nah, can’t be you. Come on. Same stupid disguise again, right?” Scruple insisted as Feathers touched down to the ground and the other smurfs came over. “Not falling for that again. I mean, you died, right?” “Ahem, not at all. The rumours of my death are greatly exaggera- wait, again?!” Papa Smurf shot both Dreamy and Dabbler a suspicious glance. “You didn’t mention that Papa Smurf is back?” Dabbler asked the others, failing to notice the look. “Oh. Yeah. I don’t think we did, huh…” Dreamy realised. “Well, what do you know…” Another voice pierced the air. “Will… will you all stop your infernal…!” “Gargy!” Scruple exclaimed, noticing the extent of the bad shape the emaciated wizard was in, and said the first thing that came to mind. “…You look awful.” “Oh, speak for yourself!” Gargamel spat through the pain. “You smurfs had better scram. The doc’s coming. But uhh…” Scruple trailed off uncomfortably, unwilling to go on. Papa Smurf smiled knowingly. “You’re welcome, Scruple.” By the time the doctor was close enough to attend to Gargamel, the smurfs had slipped off into the trees. “Took you long enough!” both Gargamel and Scruple unwittingly found themselves saying at once. “Well I’m not as young as I used to be. Hmm” he started directing all his focus to assisting the currently helpless wizard, apart from casting a single aside comment to Scruple. “Your pets ran off.” Scruple shrugged. “They’re outdoor pets.” *** “…The nerve of him to call us – but especially me – stupid! And that’s not even to mention what he said about me earlier…!” They were now back at the village. Papa Smurf, Dabbler and Hefty watched passively from a distance as Brainy ranted in earnest to the nearest smurf, who just so happened to be Dreamy. Dreamy was rather animated in his responses, irritated, throwing back remarks, trying to cut through and put a stop to Brainy’s nonstop speech. It looked like it would only be a matter of time before Brainy would get kicked out of the village once again. “Don’t you think Dreamy’s rather… lively right now?” Papa Smurf observed. Understanding dawned on Dabbler. “Gosh, I think you’re right, Papa Smurf. I don’t think I remember the last time Dreamy didn’t seem… detached and withdrawn.” He always seems so miserable, just beneath the surface, but he keeps himself so closed off that it’s always so hard to tell. I worry about him sometimes. “Now that you mention it, Dreamy was pretty talkative when we went to get Scruple. But other than that he hasn’t been very talkative lately” added Hefty. Papa Smurf pondered in silence before speaking again. “What I think Dreamy needs… is distraction. He needs to spend some time away from his own thoughts, to be drawn out of them for a while. I think that would be good for him, and we can try to help him where we can. And… It seems that any distraction large enough, be it negative or positive, can draw him out…” But it’s so hard to get any kind of reaction or response out of Dreamy these days, Dabbler thought to himself. “So what are you saying? “Negative distraction”, so Brainy…” “You don’t suppose that…” Hefty trailed off, an amused grin flickering on his face. …That Brainy is so profoundly annoying, he has the power to distract Dreamy enough to get him to actually come out of his shell, if only in a desperate attempt to get Brainy to stop? It sounded like Papa Smurf had just implied as much. But he wasn’t about to say it out loud. Brainy still had yet to be tossed out of the village by Dreamy. Maybe he wouldn’t be. Dreamy probably didn’t fully realise it, but perhaps he had refrained so far because he could sense on some level that his chatter could be useful for him. *** In the “past”… “Did you try talking to him?” “Yeah. I did.” “And?” Poet shook his head, and Tracker sighed. “Well. What are we going to do?” “This isn’t the time to hide away. We need you, Scaredy.” “No, you don’t.” “How… how are we going to… The village can’t go on indefinitely without guidance.” There was no uncertainty in the way that Scaredy spoke. No room for argument, even though his tone was devoid of any harshness. “Well, you’re going to have to figure that out. We’re going to have to manage.” “But why, Scaredy, why? We’ve barely been managing as it is. We can’t…” Scaredy spoke with a strange calm. “You don’t have a choice.” “Without Scaredy to be the village leader… The whole reason we asked him, chose him is because he can really unite us…” “Wait” Dabbler approached them from behind, “You… you were going to make Scaredy the village leader? This is the first I’m hearing of this.” Poet and Tracker looked up. “You mean… Replacing Papa Smurf with… with someone else? With Scaredy?” Dabbler continued on. “No one is being replaced by anyone, but Papa and the others… they’ve been gone a really long time. This village has been without a proper leader for so long.” “So… you’d think we’d be used to it by now, right? We can continue to manage ourselves, instead of needing to elevate a fellow smurf to a position of leadership.” “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. Because Scaredy… I don’t know what’s smurfed into him but he’s completely refusing. So I guess we will be “continuing to manage ourselves”, as you say.” “Maybe that’s for the best... And what are you saying, anyway? We’re smurfs! We stick together, look out for each other.” “But, we still need-“ Dabbler shook his head, not letting him go on. “And what were you saying just now, about him uniting us? Because to me, it seemed that all Scaredy was doing was dividing us.” “A few outliers-“ “If it wasn’t discussed with everyone… it’s not any kind of uniting, is it? So instead of relying on some kind of other outside force for help, why don’t we all start trying harder ourselves?” *** In the “present”… There was a knock on the door. Scruple went over, opened it. Nothing there. “Down here!” It was a smurf. “Uhh… Hello? What are you after?” “Me? Uh, well, you know… Sassette is really worried and… We were wondering how Gargamel is doing!” “Oh” Scruple said. “Uh, well, he got pneumonia. Lying in the water that long and all, can’t have been good.” The smurf’s face fell. “He what?” “But” Scruple said hastily, “the doc says he should make a full recovery.” “I-I see… Well that’s good…” Another smurf walked up now. Scruple hadn’t noticed them. “I could have a quick look over Gargamel. Smurfmonia isn’t very smurfy at all…” “And how would you be able to help?” “That’s what I do. I’m Doctor Smurf.” Scruple couldn’t help it; a laugh slipped out from him at that. “Oh? Completed your qualifications at smurf medical school? At the little smurf university?” The smurf claiming to be a doctor frowned. “Ahh… Well you have to admit. The thought is pretty goddamned funny.” “I’m trying to make an offer to help. And besides, did the doctor that saw to Gargamel even go to medical school?” “I sure hope so… I mean, he always was one of the more reliable doctors in the village at least. He saw to me when I was… hurt.” Scruple hadn’t meant to intentionally invoke that, make the smurfs uncomfortable. But he didn’t really care either way. Let them feel uncomfortable. “So, can I come and have a quick look?” Doctor Smurf asked. Scruple toyed around with a possible biting response in his mind. You guys just feel bad, don’t you? You’re just trying to somehow make up for the stuff you’ve pulled over the years. But instead, he just shrugged, and said, “I don’t know. I mean, it’s not my house… right?” It’s really strange, isn’t it? I mean he was actively trying to kill you, eat you or turn you into gold or whatever it is. And here you are, checking if the guy’s okay. What gives? “Scruple!” Gargamel’s sickly voice called from inside the hovel. “Who are you talking to?! Hurry it up already!” “I’m talking to the smurfs, you old man!” Scruple called back irritably. “They wanna come inside your humble abode!” he added with heavy sarcasm. “What?! Send them away! Why are you-“ Gargamel’s voice broke off, replaced by coughing. Scruple turned back to face the smurfs. “Sure, whatever, you can come on in. But with Papa Smurf. He’s around here somewhere, isn’t he?” Papa Smurf emerged from nearby. “Of course. Sorry to be a bother, Scruple, but Sassette insisted we stop by.” “Right. But she didn’t come herself?” The smurf that was neither Papa nor the doctor one spoke. “A little dangerous for a smurfling, we still think. Speaking of which: don’t bother trying anything.” “As if I would.” *** “He’s going to be fine.” “Ya sure?” Sassette asked hopefully. “Yep! Gargamel’s sure had it rough lately but he’s still going to come out of it okay. So there’s no need to worry anymore.” It was Architect relating the news to the smurfling. Dreamy was standing with Papa Smurf nearby. “It’s getting colder… Which means that the anniversary is fast approaching. Strange to think about” said Dreamy. Papa Smurf looked questioningly at him. “Anniversary?” “Yeah. Of when you and the others all… left. We made a point of observing the day every year. But now this year… You’re here with us, so we don’t need to anymore.” Dreamy paused. “It was kind of one of the things that brought us all together.” He was going to say more, but got rather distracted because something – no, someone – was flying nearby. “Hello!” a voice called cheerfully. “Oh, hi Cupid. Come to shoot me with one of your stupid arrows again?” Architect asked darkly. Cupid chuckled good-naturedly. “Not for a few years yet, I’m afraid. I’m just passing through, actually.” Surprise lit up Architect’s face. “Wait, wh-“ “Papa Smurf?!” Cupid exclaimed in complete shock, catching sight of the red-clothed smurf. “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” “Not at all” “Are you sure?” “Quite.” “Oh, he was never dead, just missing” Smurfette added helpfully. “Oh, apologies. It’s so good to see you, Papa Smurf. I’m glad you’re still alive. I really thought you were gone…” “I get that a lot” Papa sighed. “We were missing in time actually. Jumping continuously from one point in time to another” Smurfette informed him, and a thoughtful expression crossed her face for a few moments as Cupid processed this information before she continued. “…Actually, you should probably know about our time travelling. Didn’t anyone tell you?” “I remember hearing something about how Papa Smurf, among several other smurfs including you Smurfette, were gone… But I don’t know how I could have possibly known you were time travelling.” “Because” Smurfette said seriously, “You were there. We met you, when you were younger.” “You…?” Cupid scratched his head in bewilderment. “You what now?” Dreamy asked, now concentrating intensely on the conversation at hand. “Van Garg? Turning the arrows of love into arrows of hate?” Smurfette prompted. “The arrows of…?” Cupid smacked at his balding head in sudden recognition. “Now there’s something I haven’t thought about for centuries! But my, that was…” He tried counting on his fingers and gave up. “And you’re telling me that…?” Smurfette nodded. “Oh. Oh, wow… Some of it’s coming back to me. It was you. All of you were there…” “You. You met up with them?!” Dreamy abruptly burst out. Cupid took little notice of the outburst and continued to address Papa Smurf and Smurfette. “I thought you were… Well, you know, as I said, no longer of this world. I knew- I heard that you were – gone, missing, what have you! But if I had known at all that time travel factored into it… well, perhaps I could have pieced it together-“ “You’re telling me- okay, no. No.” Dreamy took a deep breath before continuing. “You’re telling me that the entire time, you maybecould have told us that they were still alive, and travelling through time, and that there was still some hope left to be had?!” Papa Smurf put a hand on Dreamy’s shoulder. “Cupid wouldn’t have been able to lead you to us.” “He would have been able to give us some information. We had nothing. We didn’t know what had happened or what was going on! It would have made a huge difference! Argh!” Dreamy kicked at the ground in frustration, started storming off. Cupid hovered there in the air awkwardly, looking rather guilty. “It was uh, good to see you again Cupid” Papa told him briefly, and hurried after Dreamy. *** “It didn’t have to be over six years. We could have found you first. Or, we would have had a much better chance at it. So much could have easily been avoided.” Papa Smurf patted Dreamy on the back. “It is what it is, I’m afraid…” The two smurfs sat in silence for a little bit before Papa continued. “But we’re here now, my little smurf, and that’s what matters. No time crystals can split up this village permanently. We’re all together once more and we’ll move forward together. That’s what really matters.” Dreamy nodded slowly. “Yeah... Yeah. I know. I just- You’re right. It’s no use dwelling on it, as you say.” He sighed. Papa nodded in turn. “It can be difficult sometimes, trying to put it all into perspective. And that’s okay. But as long as we’re all trying our best to be as smurfy as we can be, we’ll have many good times to look forward to.” “I hope so.” “We will, don’t you worry.” “Alright. I believe it, and everything you said… I just want to be alone for a little bit.” “Okay.” Papa Smurf gave Dreamy a hug. “I’ll come back to get you after a little bit. I think I should be getting back to the others too.” Papa left him, respecting Dreamy’s wishes, and Dreamy sat quietly, not thinking of much at all, simply enjoying the nature around him for a while. *** It was evening, and dinner was about to be served. Papa Smurf held Baby close and walked carefully through the snow, over to the mushroom-shaped house. Gave a knock at the door. “It’s dinnertime, and we won’t start without you” he said amiably. “Can’t have a nice meal without everysmurf there.” There was a rustling inside, and the door opened to reveal Scaredy. “I saved you a seat at the dinnertable, next to me” Papa told him. “Thank you, Papa.” Over six years had inevitably impacted each of the smurfs left behind, each of them in different ways. There was a huge amount that Papa Smurf still didn’t know about. But even though he didn’t know exactly why Scaredy tended to be rather reclusive these days, that was hardly going to stop him from doing his best to acknowledge him and make him feel included just as much as the other smurfs. “Din!” Baby announced. “Yes!” Papa Smurf said happily, cradling the youngest smurf of all in his arms. “Dinner, dinner!” “Deeeeee” Baby cooed. “DeeeeeeNUH!” His hand wrapped tightly around Scaredy’s outstretched finger. Scaredy’s face was enveloped with a smile. In that moment, looking upon Baby, he couldn’t help feeling like everything was right in the world, and that everything was going to be okay.

End.

Author’s Notes:

That’s a wrap! But it’s not over yet – this fic might be over but there WILL be more. Please tune in to the next smurfs fic that I’ll be uploading soon – keep your eyes peeled everyone, and watch this space.

Writing this has really been an experience, what with it being my first real fic and all.

The final thing I want to mention is I need to acknowledge and credit someone I still consider to be a good internet friend; a fellow smurfologist. My discussions with them from years ago really got me thinking and were a source of inspiration that fuelled this story. If you’re reading this, I hope you know who you are, and PLEASE shoot me a message so we can catch up. I miss you :P

Also, links to posts I’ve made responding to some reader questions:

https://schtroumpf-a-lunettes.tumblr.com/post/177646693330/a-reviewer-of-my-fic-mentioned-that-given-whats

https://schtroumpf-a-lunettes.tumblr.com/post/179961351025/response-to-questions-about-my-fic-by-guest

[jimlingss]

The Leather Loafers

Words: 11.2k Genre: Fluff & Humour, Cinderella!Au Summary: Yes. You went to the ball. Yes. You ran into the prince. Yes. The shoe fits. BUT-! You aren't that Cinderella bitch. THEY'VE GOT THE WRONG PERSON! Warnings: Swearing...that’s really it. lol

Midnight strikes the clock.

A child is curled up at the fireplace to stay warm. The cinders crackle, dusting along her cheeks but the girl pays no mind, staring straight into the flickering flames. A few of the orphans behind her snicker beneath their hands. “Look at the new kid! She’s so dirty! We should call her Cin-”

A chunk of coal smacks the boy right in the forehead and he falls back on his butt, outright stunned. The mischievous smiles of all the other orphans fall as she holds a steaming fire iron like a sword.

“You want to fight?! Fight me like a real person instead of laughing behind my back! Huzzah!”

The children scream in terror, arms in the air as they scatter and run. A bunch of them end up toppling over each other in a heap and you laugh, swinging the device that’s used to poke the fire. The mother of the orphanage comes over in hysterics, dragging you away. “Let go of me!”

“Y/N!” She screeches, “This is unacceptable!”

The small, meager dwelling is in absolute chaos.

They say that midnight is the time when the events of the day have been sealed into fate.

Even the most powerful magicians, witches and warlocks cannot reverse the day again when midnight hits. It’s the glue that seals all envelopes, the second where the ink of the history books have been dried. Time cannot be changed. And it happens all at the magical time of when the clock hits twelve.

[Present Day]

The sea is sparkling in a rich cerulean shade that matches the sky. You look at the sailors in slight envy, thinking about what it would be like to sail across the ocean and if you could possibly sneak on their boats…

“Come get the best silk fabrics!”, “Get your spices, get your spices!”, “The brightest jewels of all the land! Buy them today!”

The town is a lot livelier than the other places you’ve been, a certain bustle at the marketplace and at the stalls. Merely wandering around has improved your own mood. “Young girl!” A swollen lady motions you over. “Would you like a pair of shoes?”

You approach, looking at all the fancy slippers and boots. “You’re not from here, are you?” She looks at you with a smile and you blink at her.

“How did you know?” You glance down at your attire, having purposely changed it to blend in. It was a red dress that went to your ankles, brown buttons at your torso and a cute white flower pattern where the skirt flared out.

“My dear, it was only a guess.” She laughs at how befuddled you are. “I just didn’t recognize you, that’s all. But where did you come from?”

“Oh, I don’t really come from anywhere. I’m a merchant traveller, so I never stay in one place for too long.” Your fingers run along the shoes until you stop at a simple pair of brown loafers. It’s cute and simple with tassels. They’re far from luxurious or any glass slipper.

That’s why you like them.

It’s you. “I’ll take these ones.”

“Good choice.” She grins and wraps them up nicely in parchment. There are only a few coins left in your pockets to spare once you hand her the money. “Is there any reason you came here though?”

“Actually…” You lean in, “I’m looking for a ship.”

“A ship?” The lady’s brow raises. “What for?”

“To sail across the sea. Do you know where I could find one?”

“I’m afraid I don’t.” She chuckles at how crestfallen you look, “And it’s quite expensive, don’t you think? I don’t think I’d be able to afford it even if I sold everything I had! Best of luck, child. I hope all goes well to you and come again if you need shoes!”

You slip on your loafers immediately after leaving the stand. It matches quite well with the ensemble you have on and you’re wholeheartedly satisfied with your purchase. You’re so happy, staring down at the soft leather that you nearly ram into someone and them in turn, almost steps on your new assets. “Hey! Watch where you’re going!”

Your scowl and ironic shout goes ignored. No one pays any attention as the squire in front tacks something on the board of the town hall. Everyone’s gathered, murmurs and squeals emitting from young women’s mouths. You sigh, walking off until a messenger boy interrupts.

“The Royal Ball! Mandatory for all citizens! Everyone is welcome into the castle! The prince will be looking for his future queen! Make sure to come!” He’s waving a curled up piece of paper, the flyers sandwiched in his armpit. The boy stops you right as you’re stomping off and he shoves one of the flyers into your hands. “Make sure to come too, pretty miss! Prince Seokjin is looking for a wife!”

The Royal Ball.

What was this? A stupid matchmaking dance party?

With a scoff, you crumple up the paper and chuck it behind you. Every other girl your age would be fainting at the opportunity, running to seamstresses to collect the most beautiful gowns and pampering themselves with powders. But you could care less. You didn’t want to be royalty or queen for that matter. All you wanted was a ship. And all you needed to achieve your goal was…

“Money or gold.” You murmur, backtracking in your mind as your steps reverse. Your fingertips swipe the crumpled ball and you open it up again. “The castle…”

A light sparks in your head.

If everyone was to be in attendance this evening then it definitely would be chaotic.

You smirk, mumbling to yourself as you tuck the paper away. “A perfect time for a heist.”

//

The night arrives quickly.

There are hordes of people in ballgowns, colours of mustard yellow and vomit green. They appear in horse carriages to flaunt off their nonexistence wealth, each carrying a red sealed envelope invitation. The women’s faces are thickly powdered, colours on their eyelids dynamic to the point that it resembles peacocks. They look like they painted their faces on so thickly that you could probably peel it off like a sticker and you wonder if they played a game of ‘how tight can we make our corsets’. The men are no different, clothes extremely tight that it’s disturbing and their white wigs crammed on their skull. All of the people and peasants are boisterously laughing, attempting to draw attention from the prince who’s nowhere in sight.

It’s not like you care. You’re here for one reason and one reason only.

The moon is illuminating your shadow in the trees. No one notices when you jump the branches and sneak in further. For a millisecond, you’re pleased with how hungry you used to be in the orphanage since it taught you how to climb apple trees and swipe fruit from the farmers.

Somehow you make it past the royal guards, landing inside the botanical gardens and swinging off an orchard branch. A crunch in the leaves puts you immediately on alert and you dive for the wall but then you realize it’s the wind.

You’re in.

There’s no time for celebrations when you haven’t actually completed your mission yet.

You slip inside, amazed at the magnificent hallways and how gold adorns the trimming of the white walls. A moment later, you’re contemplating swiping a vase or painting but they’re far too heavy and large to bring away…….perhaps a decoration trinket might be enough…..

“Hmm. He is kind of handsome.” Each of the portraits are of a different royal member but you find yourself staring up at the infamous Prince Kim Seokjin. A mop of brown hair with eyes to match but his orbs are rounded in a way that looks far too innocent. He does indeed live up to his attractive name and you can at least understand a little more why so many fawn over him.

He probably won’t have any problem finding a wife tonight.

Just as you turn to keep walking, you don’t realize that someone’s right there. And that someone is strikingly familiar to the portrait.

Jin strides by, lost in his thoughts and he too does not notice the girl who’s lowering her head down. It’s too late when it occurs to him. His shoulder accidentally collides with the other person and it shatters him from his trance. He spins on his heel. “Excuse me, you’re not suppose to- huh.”

There’s no one there.

He must’ve imagined it.

Kim Seokjin continues on his way, having no time to waste as he is late to his own party.

You breathe a sigh of relief as the footsteps fade. When the coast is clear, you slither out from your hidden spot, graciously thankful that there was a hidden gap between two walls that you slid into. You were nearly caught by the prince himself. What a disaster that would’ve been.

Unfortunately, you aren’t completely lucky.

You have no idea how to get around the castle and you find yourself utterly lost for god knows how long. You turn left and right, walk up and down several stairs, forward and backwards. It’s a literal maze. The halls are replicas of each other, twisting paths and you swear you’ve been in circles. At some point you contemplate jumping from the second level window, only to envision yourself breaking your own goddamn neck.

“Hey! Who are you?!” A roar booms through the empty corridor. “You’re not suppose to be here!”

You crane your neck at a snail’s pace, met with two royal guards. At the sight of you, their eyes grow wide and your grip on a golden goblet slips through your fingers. “THIEF!”

“Oh shit.” Your legs propel you forward and you rush down a hall, knocking over plants when you can. Out of nowhere, three other royal guards come out screeching, whipping out their swords. “You don’t play any games, do you?!”

You leap down a flight of stairs, darting past the gardens that you came from. With your quick reflexes and the years of experiences from being in similar situations, you step on the wooden bench and fling yourself over the fence. The guards scream at you and five more come running from the left. You should be scared. You should be terrified. Instead you’re laughing your head off while sprinting off.

What a sight it must be for a hoard of twenty royal soldiers to be chasing after one girl.

It’s a miracle when you find the exit and right as you’re about to book it to freedom, you find another figure like you running. Except she’s in a lovely, blue ball gown that looks like the stars were sewn into the silk and you see the familiar prince- “Wait! Wait! Where are you going?!”

“Fuck.” You sharply turn right, making a bunch of the guards smash their faces onto the ground when they try to tackle you down. The Heavens are blessing you when Prince Seokjin is too busy chasing after some chick and the guards are caught off guard by your turn.

“Wait, I don’t even know your name!”

You plunge into the bushes.

Midnight strikes the clock.

//

There’s a saying that criminals always return to the scene of the crime. You’re not exactly sure who came up with this line but one thing’s for sure - they don’t know shit. Why the hell would you ever go back?

Rule number one in thievery, if something doesn’t work out, you get the fuck out.

You’re not going to linger around to wait for them to catch you. That’s why the minute dawn hits, you’re booking it to the borders, ready to run to the next town...but your plan is slightly flawed.

“W-what do you mean I can’t leave?” You fail to hide your face under the hood when you look straight at the soldier with your eyes nearly falling out of its sockets. “What?!”

“I am deeply apologetic but it is a royal declaration that has been put out this morning by the King himself. All the borders and entrances are closed off. It applies to everyone. No one can leave or enter. Please understand.”

This Kingdom does not play any games. But did they really need to go this far for one measly thief? You didn’t even end up stealing anything! On the brighter side of things, it didn’t seem like the guard in front of you recognized you at all.

“You see...my grandmother is very ill...she’s on her deathbed. I must go immediately.” You fib without thinking, easy lies that roll off your tongue. To add to the dramatics, you even begin to sniffle, pretend that you’re a poor maiden in grief.

“I-uh…” The guard is muddled, not knowing how to comfort you. “I am so sorry but I cannot go against orders. I am sure that the borders will open up very shortly. As soon as the Prince finds the girl.”

“The girl…?”

The soldier doesn’t say any more and you don’t need him to. The entire town is full of rumours and whispers. There’s a handful who are crying on the streets, frowning and mourning their loss of grabbing the precious prince’s attention. The rest seem to be mystified, word having that this ‘so called’ girl was an absolute beauty and a perfect match for the prince.

He had become incredibly infatuated and was now searching the entire land.

Now you can only hope that he finds this chick quickly so you can get the fuck out.

“It’s a shoe. They’re trying on some glass slipper or something…” A vendor giggles, “If only my foot wasn’t so big, I would’ve fit in it.”

That’s odd.

Did they really think a shoe would be enough to determine-

“Excuse me.” Someone taps you on your shoulder. As you turn, you detect the colours of the kingdom and the imperial seal. You freeze. “Excuse me, miss?”

The royal palace soldier is bewildered at how you lower your head. “I-I…” You fake a large cough. “-am very sick. Very contagious.” You force yourself to hack your lungs out. “-death…...Goodbye.”

“Wait a second!” The short squire in a powdered white wig stops you and three other soldiers block your path. “It will only take one short second! Can you please try on this slipper? It is required by the royal family!”

The squire doesn’t care that you are dressed like a peasant. He is simply exhausted from running around since four in the morning, gone through at least a hundred homes and a thousand feet. “Do you have any paperwork? What family are you from?”

“Uhhhh…..” You’re a fish out of waters, mouth opening and closing multiple times. “I…”

If they knew you were without paperwork...that you had snuck into the kingdom or worse...that you broke into their precious king’s castle last night….you’d surely be arrested and hung.

“There’s no time!” The squire screeches out, hysterical without proper sleep.

The short man shoves you back - “HEY!” - ignoring your cry of protest as the guard catches your fall. The squire takes your foot, and throws your brand new loafer into the dirt. “Are you serious right now?!” You’re unable to struggle when he forces a glass slipper on your toes. “WHAT THE F-”

It fits.

The shoe fits.

The shoe fucking fits. It slides in like a glove, like it was perfectly made for you.

“Oh no.” “Oh yes.” “We’ve found her.”

Everyone exchanges looks, the squire ready to burst into tears from happiness and the guards in shock. You are appalled, ready to run over the mountains and never return to the godforsaken place but then they’re hauling you off.

“No! No wait! You’ve got the wrong person! I’m not her! I wasn’t even there that night! NO!”

It must be karma.

//

They’re right. Criminals do always return to the scene of the crime after all.

‘The prince must see for himself!’ and ‘there’s no other choice’ is what they told you while they bathed you from head to toe. They scrubbed your skin clean, trimming your hair and polishing your nails. It’s not much of a makeover but a whirlwind of makeup and mirrors.

When you can finally catch a breath, you’re seated at a vanity. A maid is powdering your face with an intense vigor, causing you to cough at the puffs appearing in the air. She goes as far as tying up you in a tight corset dress and plastering a white wig on your head. “Are you excited to meet the prince?”

“Hardly.”

“What?” The maid frowns, confused as if you had said you hated puppies and cake frosting. “Why?”

“I know this is hard to believe.” You grab her hands, looking in her eyes desperately. “But I’m not the girl. They have the wrong person.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” She squeals out, “the shoe fits!”

You have no response to that ridiculousness and the maid ends up brushing you off, too far gone in her excitement. “Well you look absolutely beautiful, miss! And I’m sure you’re just not remembering things! If the shoe fits then it fits!” She exhales a breathy sigh. “I’m so excited for the royal wedding! It’ll be beautiful! I can hear the bells chiming already!”

“Wedding?!”

You might faint.

Meanwhile, Kim Seokjin is marching down the hallway, his white cape flowing behind him. His attendees are just as ecstatic, large grins on their faces that swell their cheeks. The prince’s mind is racing a mile, ready to confess the thousand things he’s thought of to the person who’s stolen his heart.

“We’re here, your majesty.” The servant bows his head and some of the maids jump for joy.

The maid who was helping you earlier is outside the room. “She is ready.”

If Jin was being frank, he’s not quite sure if he’s ready himself.

Nonetheless, the doors open for him and he inhales, stepping inside. They close a second later and the woman of his dreams is standing in the middle of the room, back towards the prince.

He fumbles with his pockets, scrambling for the box and ring. The prince is unaware of your rage and animosity. “My beautiful princess….you have stolen my heart and now I think of no one but you, my fair maiden. Please, will you do me the honour of marrying-”

You turn around.

Jin’s face falls.

There’s two minutes of complete silence. You’re staring back at him with an unimpressed expression. He’s gaping at you, the exact same state you were in earlier.

“You’re not her.”

“Damn straight I’m not!” You throw off your wig, hitching the ugly, massive ball gown in your hands to stride up to him. Prince or not, how dumb could he be?!

“Did you really think a shoe would work?!” You lecture the baffled man, not caring if you’ll be executed in a blink of an eye. Your finger pokes him directly in his chest. “It’s a shoe. One shoe size. I bet one hundred other girls could fit in that damn thing!”

It’s almost comedic, the way Kim Seokjin’s eyes are big and rounded, staring back at you. Up close he is indeed handsome but he has more boyish qualities than what you expected. He’s a lot bigger than you are too, especially in height and his much broader shoulders. Contrastingly enough however, he seems like a child and you have an urge to protect him. With his soft ruffled black locks and his head tipping to one side at your indignation, he looks completely innocent. He looks naive.

“Huh.” -is all that comes from his mouth.

In your hands are the leather loafers. You dust them off, kicking off your pinching shoes and sliding your pair on. By then, Jin’s already dragged his feet out the room, pale as a ghost.

//

The king is frozen like ice. Some might say that he was cursed by an evil witch, turned to stone. But no. Simply, he is wholeheartedly shocked by his son and what utters from the boy’s mouth.

The courtyard silence is broken when the queen’s palm meets her forehead in a slap.

“What do you mean she’s not the girl?!” The king cries out in dismay, “How irresponsible can you be, Seokjin? We’ve wasted so many resources...so much time to search for this girl and now you tell me the one we found is not it?!”

His parents threw a huge ball for him, inviting anyone that was breathing into the castle and when that wasn’t enough, they sent out every single royal guard to look for one girl that their son was continuously gushing about. “It’s humiliating!” All the citizens in the town were now expecting a wedding and if there wasn’t any news soon…

“I’m sure we can find her!” Jin protests, “She has to be somewhere under the sun! And when I find her, I promise that I won’t-”

“Marry the girl that fits the shoe.” His mother slams down her fist, booming an ultimatum throughout the entire castle. “Or marry that princess from the faraway land.”

The prince parts his lips but he knows that once his mother has made her command, no one can change it. He stands there for a long time, contemplating and weighing each option. Then he decides-

“I’ll marry the girl.”

He’s going to marry you.

//

Not really.

He said it to ward off his parents. If Jin was anything, he was tenacious and once he set his heart on something, he swore to himself he would do it. And he’s going to find her.

No matter what it might take.

“Boo.” Your gentle voice visibly scares the man as he jumps and lets a yelp out of his mouth. “What are you doing?”

“I could ask you that!” He shouts but then cringes, quieting down before he draws attention. You run your eyes over his figure and he’s long abandoned his princely attire. The cape is draped on the chair and instead he’s sporting a brown tunic and belt, boots and gloves, much like what a hunter would wear.

“Going somewhere?”

“N-no.” Jin protests but then you look directly at the open window and how his leg is sticking out halfway. “Maybe I am. But that’s none of your business. In fact, what are you even doing in my bedroom quarters?”

“You’re the one who brought me here.” You cross your arms. “We both know I’m not who you’re looking for. But they won’t let me leave. So, I came here for answers. Though it seems like you already have plans.” You gesture to him wildly, how there’s a sack over his shoulders and how he looks like a burglar, except this is own home.

He’s running away.

“Don’t try to stop me.”

“Don’t worry.” You flop down onto his plush mattress. For a second, you’re in absolute awe of how you sink in like it’s made from feathers. “I won’t.”

“You...won’t?”

Jin looks at you in all his confusion, not used to being able to do exactly what he desires. As he tilts his head to one side and blinks at you with his rounded eyes, you wonder why the guy is so innocent and naive.

You sigh, “You have no real plan, do you?” He blinks again. “Do you even know your own kingdom? How will you get around? And how will you go about without being recognized or caught?”

“You’re right….”

“Of course I’m right.” You scoff. “Do you know how long I’ve been doing this sort of thing for?”

Seokjin reaches his hand out. “Then come with me.”

“What?” Your jaw drops and you shake your head. “No. I don’t think so. I’ll just stay here until you come back with your girl, alright?”

“No.” He smirks. “You’re completely right. How could I ever possibly find her without your help?”

“I-”

“And do you know what will happen if I can’t find her?” Prince Seokjin takes a step closer to you, another step...another step. Your back hits against the mattress and you stare up at him-

“You’ll have to marry me.”

You cock your eyebrow upwards. “Is that a threat?”

He considers it for a while and nods. “Yes it is. So what will you decide, fair maiden?”

The leather loafers on your feet don’t move an inch. Your eyes connect to his while your mind scrambles, weighing all the options. Jin beckons you forward. You exhale in exasperation, grabbing the black cloak that hangs off of his golden rack and you heave yourself upwards.

“Do you even know my name?” You drop the black cloak on his head.

Jin grabs it, revealing his grin. “I don’t.”

You look out of the window, thankful that the distance isn’t too much. “It’s Y/N.” And you jump.

Midnight strikes the clock.

The maid is doing her daily rounds. Last night while finishing her job, she had caught you sneaking into the Prince’s quarters. She couldn’t help but giggle and blush. “Oh how active the youth are…” But now dawn has long risen and the king was asking for his presence.

As much as she hated to interrupt whatever the two of you are up to, she has no other choice.

“Excuse me…” Her hand knocks several times on the surface of the door. “Prince Seokjin, your father is requesting for you.”

Upon hearing silence, she decides to crack the door open.

If she sees you lying in bed with him, then she’ll just have to shut it softly and make up some excuse in front of the royal parents. After all, she didn’t want to stop any heirs from being made…

“Prince Seokjin…?” The door swings open when the knob slips from her fingers. “......”

The maid’s scream ricochets throughout the entire castle. A swarm of guards come running, other servants hot on their heels. They all gasp at the sight and someone faints.

Prince Kim Seokjin is gone. There’s a single note on his bed. It reads: ‘I’ll be back’

//

Daybreak has arrived hours ago and so far you’ve been to three stores.

All of the cordwainers and shoemakers have been bewildered by the glass slipper, asking about the origin since it was just yesterday that the squire had been running around with a similar shoe. You don’t blame them for their curiosity. The glass slipper looks like it’s made from ten different mirrors, sparkling and glimmer with each turn. The light hits in it such a way that’s as if it’s made from magic.

You manage to brush it off their questions by mumbling that you found it somewhere. But when you’re the one who bombards them with questions, if they know who could’ve possibly made it or if someone’s ever bought something like this, they absolutely have no idea.

“I’m hungry.” Jin complains, immaturely whining and putting his head on your shoulder. “I’m hungry. Buy something for me.”

In addition to Seokjin being innocent and naive, you learn he’s quite childish. It feels like you’re babysitting a toddler.

“Go buy something then!”

“I don’t know what tastes good.” He pouts and then speeds up to walk alongside you. “Why isn’t anything working out? How come no one knows anything?”

“Beats me.” You shrug, slowing down and looking at the market stands. “Did you really think it would be easy though? Quite honestly, of all the places I’ve been, I’ve never seen a glass slipper in my life before...how does someone even walk in that without the glass shattering and causing your feet to bleed?”

You tap his shoulder to stop. “Wait here.” Seokjin nods and obeys your word like the puppy that he is.

When you leave him, he takes the opportunity to look around. The market is bustling with his citizens, the sky bright blue and the ocean whips waves every so often. It’s refreshing. His entire life has been comprised of being trapped in castle walls, studying and reading. Whenever he could have fun, it was either wandering around the royal gardens or boring games of chess, all under close supervision.

This is the first time that he’s been out. The first time when he can breathe the fresh air, see the people that he’ll be governing….

“Here.” You return shortly after, putting some bread into his hands. “Eat up.”

Jin stares at it and his eyes flicker up to you. Somehow without needing to say anything, he’s already caught on- “Did you pay for this?”

“Of course I did…” You laugh nervously. “Stop asking questions and just eat it.”

“You didn’t pay for it, did you?” The Prince eyes you and you make no reply. “Y/N.”

“I didn’t okay?” You whisper out harshly. “But hurry up before we get caught!”

Jin scoffs at you and pushes you aside. He disregards your ‘what the hell are you doing?!’ and marches right up to the stand. He pulls several golden coins out of his pocket and hands it to the lady. “Thank you for this.” She’s bewildered but takes the money anyhow. The older woman is charmed by his good looks, not interrogating him and luckily she doesn’t realize who it really is.

“Was that so difficult?” He walks back to you, taking a big ol’ bite. “Are you a criminal or what?” As it comes out of his mouth, you watch his eyes widen. “Oh my- you’re that girl! The one I ran into! I knew I saw someone!”

“You’re mistaken, your majesty.” You grit out, emphasizing his title. Grabbing onto his sleeve, you drag him along. “I’m a travelling merchant. Just...sometimes things happen to appear in my pockets.”

“So you’re a kleptomaniac?” He laughs out loud. “You’re a criminal then.”

“And at this rate, I’m a kidnapper too.” You spit out, hurling him towards the alley. Jin almost yells out but you cover his lips with your hand. He looks down in his fist and is thankful that the bread didn’t fling out. “Shush.”

Two royal guards are looking around and fortunately enough, they stop right by the alleyway without seeing you.

“Have you seen him at all?” One says to the other, murmuring to his companion. “I can’t believe the prince is lost.”

“Maybe he was kidnapped by that girl.” He shudders. “She was quite feisty when we took her in.”

“Shh…” The other looks around. “Not too loudly. Remember what the king said? We have to bring him back without drawing any attention. It would be bad if people knew.”

“Right. Well then, I’ll probably head left. You should lead right. If you run into anyone or anything, just shout it out and a bunch of us will come running.”

The man nods in agreeance, “Let’s find his royal highness before we get into trouble.”

A sigh of relief blows from your parted lips when the guards walk away. Though when you turn back to the prince who’s, quite literally, in your hands….you realize he’s been gazing at you the entire time. The pair of you are pressed up right next to each other and you don’t miss the way his pupils are focused on your lashes and flickers down to your cupid’s bow. He smirks against your palm and then…

“Did you just kiss my hand?!” You draw away from him with a disgusted expression.

Seokjin laughs menacingly and takes a chomp of his bread. He goes on ahead without waiting for you. “Where are we off to next, fair maiden?”

You’re starting to realize that the prince is indeed a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

//

“I haven’t seen something so delicate and beautiful before. In all my years…” The spectacles of the old man glassmaker sits on the tip of his nose. “This is absolutely phenomenal.”

He nurses the glass slipper in his hands. You look at him carefully. “So...do you know where this might’ve come from?”

“I-...” The man sighs and sets down his glasses. “I really can’t say. I’ve never seen something like this.”

You and Jin trade looks, disappointment washing over his features and you let out a heavy breath. “I can say however…” The glassmaker wraps the shoe back into its parchment. “...there might be a place….”

“A place?!” Jin leans over the table, his orbs sparkling. You try to tug him down but to no avail. Thankfully, the old man is without his glasses and cannot discover that it’s the royal prince inside his modest shop. “What place is it?”

“On the outskirts of the next town over, slightly into the countryside.” The glassmaker chuckles at his enthusiasm. “My old friend there has a shop much like this one but he has a shoemaker for a wife, so I bet they’d know a thing or two. It looks like something they’d make together anyways.”

“Thank you.” Seokjin grabs the man’s hands, bowing his head slightly with a huge grin on his face. You shuffle him over, mumbling ‘alright, alright’ while you scribble down the directions.

As you finish, you find Jin closely gazing at all the trinkets in the cases. The sunlight refracts against the ornaments and radiates a light onto his face, reflecting in shades of the rainbow. “Your husband is very lovely, madam.” The old man chortles and you stare at the prince with a hum.

There’s no point in correcting him. “I suppose so.” And for some reason, you don’t want to either.

“Are you okay?” Kim Seokjin lowers his head to meet your glued eyes and his lips are pouted together cutely. “Fair maiden, what are you thinking about so deeply that you can’t even hear me right now?”

“N-nothing.” You finally get a grip on yourself, peeling your irises away from his. A heat creeps up on your cheeks but you ignore it, clearing your throat loudly. “I’m just thinking.”

“About?”

“The royal guards are inspecting everyone who’s leaving. How will we-”

Jin frowns when you don’t finish your sentence. His eyes follow your line of sight, straight onto the- “Oh no.”

“Oh yes.”

“That’s….”

“It’s the only way.”

You capture his hand, pulling him towards it and the man in your grasps whimpers.

//

The sun soon falls and the moon takes its place, the sky shifts into a black shade like a flickering candle has been blown out. It would be otherwise freezing cold but you’re pulled up right against him. The royal highness whose mint breath ghosts across your skin, so close that you can hear his heartbeat and every inhale he takes. It’s been hours since you’ve been like this.

The two of you snuck onto a hay cart that was being transported to the next town over. It was being pulled by a horse and a farmer that was partially blind and a little bit dumb. He didn’t realize that there were two humans under the itchy blanket covering his hay. And the soldier that let him pass also failed to realize this.

You both have managed to escape successfully but at what cost?

You’re extremely uncomfortable, your side sore and you haven’t been able to move an inch; too scared that the man who’s whistling and leading the horse would notice. Thus, the pair of you are still facing each other like lovers in bed, except each of you are diverting your eyes, refusing to look at the other. 

It’s been hours. And by the farmer talking to himself, you figured out that there was three more to go.

“Fair maiden…” Jin murmurs quietly and the velvet of his soft voice immediately grabs your attention. You wonder why he keeps calling you that. “You told me you’re a merchant traveller. But where is your travelling group?”

He supposed that talking to you would pass the time more quickly and be far less awkward. Plus, he was incredibly curious about you. There were so many things that he hungered to know.

“I’ve been playing it solo for awhile...just travelling on my own.”

A bit more truthfully, it was because you never felt included with them. They were all business-oriented, calculating and strict with the schedule. You preferred to play it by ear and see where unknown paths lead you. At some point, you felt too held back and decided to take a short break from the other merchants.

“How did you become one?”

A direct question like that would usually feel intrusive. But rather, you could feel the sincerity within his sparkling eyes. Jin was genuinely curious about you. He wanted to know more about the outside world after being stuck within the palace his entire life.

“I’m actually an orphan.” You reminisce with a smile. “And was not a very obedient child.”

Prince Jin muffles some laughter as he sinks his teeth into his bottom plush lip. “I can see that.”

“Someone eventually took me to sell me as a slave.” Jin frowns and is disgusted by the idea of human trafficking - especially since it involves you. “But then I proved myself useful with my...naturally…..talented hands…” You laugh nervously about revealing your stealing tendencies to a law-abiding prince. “So I was instead traded off and the merchants decided to keep me until I was old enough to help with their business.”

You don’t know why you’re telling him so much but Jin is a listening ear that you’ve never had before. He’s sincerely interested and not just asking to create small talk. “I’m actually looking for a ship.”

He smiles brightly. “Why?” Even in the darkness, he can tell your eyes are glittering at the topic.

“For adventure. My entire life I’ve been going on foot and I’ve only heard about the merchants who go to sea. It looks so wonderful and beautiful out there...freeing. Not only that but a ship is a great way to escape easily.”

Jin laughs even louder. The farmer doesn’t notice as he’s halfway to dozing off and still whistling to himself. “So, you want to be a pirate? Raid and steal and then flee?”

“No….” You pout and he represses the urge to squish your cheeks together.

“You know….if you work for the King, you’d have to go on a lot of trips overseas. You could see the world and do all of the things you’ve wanted to do.”

“What are you implying?” You look at him with a serious expression. “That I become your royal subject? Or your royal advisor?”

Suddenly, there’s a bump in the road. The wheel of the cart strikes directly at a rock and the cart jostles violently. You feel yourself hitting the side and you shut your eyes tight to not make a sound. Instinctively, your hands jolt out to grab onto his shirt but before you’ve even realized, Jin’s already secured an arm over your waist to keep you still.

If you were close to him before, now you were pressed right up against him.

“That you stay with me.”

Your heart stutters and your tongue refuses to roll off words. You blink at him harshly, barely able to see his features when it’s this dark out and your only source of light is the moonwash pouring through the holes of the blanket. “I’m a free woman.”

“Then what would it take for me to keep you?”

You swallow hard and he smirks. “Would I have to steal your heart?”

At the greasy line, your mesmerization is shattered. You scoff and roll your eyes. “Not if I steal yours first, Seokjin.” It’s rude to address him without his royal title and he’s been wired to punish anyone who doesn’t but with you, he likes it too much.

He’s definitely not as innocent as you thought he was.

//

It’s an hour away from midnight by the time you arrive. You’re snickering in giggles as the both of you help each other climb out of the cart. “HEY!” The farmer shouts but by then, you and Jin are already holding hands and booking it into the trees.

You make it onto the street of the small town and remarkably, it’s flitting with people.

The doors of all the shops are open. The lights of the interior are glowing out to the cobblestone path. The scent of baked bread lingers in the crisp air and there are children running around with each other. Street performances are playing and families huddled together, reminding you of a festival. It’s a warm ambience.

“So, you just...fell in love with her?”

It was your turn to ask questions. And you couldn’t stop yourself from prying about this mysterious girl that he was this desperate to seek out.

“Yes.” He exhales breathlessly, nose bitten red from the chills. “It was simply love at first sight. It’s a feeling. I knew she was my true love.”

You’re silent for a long time. “....uh huh..well then.” When Jin looks over, he realizes that you’re holding in your laughter.

He halts in his tracks and crosses his arms like a child throwing a tantrum. “Why are you laughing?”

You allow your giggles to break free and you apologize as you wipe your eyes. “It seems ridiculous, don’t you think? How did you know it was true love? All from just one dance?”

Seokjin is visibly frustrated when he throws his head backwards and spins to face you. “You just don’t understand. It’s this feeling...ugh!” He can’t explain it in words and at that moment you’re about to laugh again, a yelp falls from your mouth.

Kim Seokjin grabs you and begins dancing to the man playing the fiddle.

“What are you doing?” You whisper out harshly, looking around in embarrassment. There are a few children dancing too but no adult and certainly not in the way you two are.

His palm is clasped against yours, other hand on the small of your back while your hand is placed on his shoulder. It’s a less fancy version of the waltz, incorporated with some dramatic twirls in the middle of the slow pace. Jin laughs but you manage to step in time with him.

“You dance?”

“Not really.”

“Lies.” He grins, watching as each time his foot moves back, yours moves forward. You’re dancing impeccably and though not as gracefully as a duchess or an aristocrat, he enjoys being kept on his toes. “Where did you learn?”

You shrug, not noticing how several people have stopped to observe you both in astonishment and how more children are joining in. The fiddler is smiling wide, picking up with his playful tune. “I travelled a lot so I picked up a few things along the way.”

Jin dips you backwards deeper than necessary but his arm is secured around your waist, pulling you right back up to him. You laugh at the movement and the pair of you continue to move fluidly. His hood is down, face revealed in the lights but no one for a second would even suspect that he’s the prince. Who could even imagine that he would be on the street of the town next over, dancing with a merchant girl.

But he is. He’s right here with you in his arms. Jin is leading and you’re swaying to the rhythm, pressed against his body. He’s holding you close to him, millimeters away and an inch from your noses touching. You’re holding your breath without meaning to. It’s strangely intimate. To the point where your heart races and you feel like you’re melting into sweet cream.

“This is the feeling.” He says in a mellow murmur. “This is it.”

Prince Kim Seokjin with a mop of brown hair and rounded eyes is most definitely not innocent.

You’ve made a huge mistake believing that he was a naive boy. No. He’s a snake in tall grass. A mischievous trickster, a wolf in sheep’s clothing and he knows exactly what he’s doing. With his little, sly smirk and his irises flickering down to your lips…..he knows you’re heated clay in his fingertips.

And you’re falling for it.

The two of you are leaning in for a kiss, his forehead grazing against yours and the strands of his locks tickling your skin. You’re focused on his soft lips, waiting for them to touch yours. The moment has been long awaited……

You falter.

Jin opens up his eyes again and gazes into yours with worry, wondering why you stopped.

“What are you going to do when you find her? That girl that you’ve been looking for.”

He swallows hard, knowing that he’s come this far and has no other choice now.

“I have to marry her.”

Midnight strikes the clock.

//

In the morning, you easily find the little store on the corner of the street.

There’s an awkward tension dawdling but neither you nor Jin addresses it. The adventure you have with him is ending soon and that’s all you can focus on. He wants to find the girl. And you’ve agreed to help him. Any minute now, you’ll be parting ways.

“Do you know who might’ve made this or who bought it?” You whisper, side glaring at the milkmaid who’s obviously eavesdropping. “It’s very important.”

The man calls over his wife and the two inspect the glass slipper together. They’re both concentrated and in awe at the magical shoe that glimmers with every turn. Jin is hitching his breath as your hands are clenched in anticipation. This could be it.

The woman opens her mouth- “I’m sorry. We don’t know.”

It’s a dead end. Again.

Seokjin doesn’t speak a word when you’re exiting through the door. He thanks them and catches up with you fairly quickly. “Y/N-” You’re on the verge of crying and he realizes it in a heartbeat. “Hey...it’s okay.”

“Aren’t you a bit worried?! We’ve been running in circles! There are no answers no matter where we go!” You take the glass slipper that’s wrapped in parchment from his hands. “Why?!” And in the instant of your frustrated recklessness, the fragile object slips from your fingers….

Smashing onto the ground in a million fragments.

Jin doesn’t flinch. You stare at the particles sparkling in the light…..and you burst out crying. “What the fuck?!” The passersby are all glance at you and the prince has no choice but to drag you away from the scene before you draw too much attention.

Yes. He feels like choking you to death but at the same time he doesn’t. Instead, he hooks his arm over your shoulder and buries your crying face into his velvet cloak as he walks off. “Stop crying.” The royal heir commands you in an authoritative, low tone. “Y/N. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

“I’m sorry.” You wipe your face with your sleeves, still upset to no end. Why are you such an idiot? And why were you getting so emotional? “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Seokjin finally lets you go in an isolated area and he pats your head reassuringly. He never expected you to have a clumsy side and with you in hysterics...he finds it a little bit adorable.

You hiccup once, taking a deep breath to calm yourself down. The shoe is long gone and he didn’t even bother to pick up a shard to keep. Everything he’s worked for has been ruined. “How will we search for her now?”

“Well, she should have the other shoe. And I’ll know.” Jin taps his head, indicating his memories and he smiles at you. “You were right after all. It’s kind of stupid to use a shoe.”

He trails away and mutters something under his breath. “MaybeIdon’tneedtofindher.”

“What?” You frown, catching up with him. Unfortunately, you can’t ask for any clarification when the milkmaid from earlier comes running from behind.

“Excuse me! Excuse me!” She’s waving her arm frantically, heaving out her lungs as she grabs her knees to take back her breath. “I-”

Jin’s immediately on guard. “Is there something we can help you with?”

“The...the shoe.” She wheezes out and places her braids back into place when she realizes how handsome he is. “I..my name is Mag. I’m Mag the Milkmaid and I couldn’t help but overhear earlier. It looked familiar like I’ve seen it from somewhere before.”

You and Jin exchange looks.

“I only remembered after you left!” Mag tries to explain herself. “The night of the royal ball...the one where the prince was looking for his maiden…I couldn’t go since my son was ill but I remember seeing this beautiful girl who was wearing the exact same shoe. A very peculiar thing. That’s why I remember it.”

“Oh.” -is all Jin manages to let out.

“Do you know where she is?” You take a step forward, a huge grin forming on your lips.

“Yes! From the house over there!” She points down the long street. “It’s at the end of the road. The family there received an invitation for the ball.”

The both of you thank her graciously and she’s happy to help, skipping on her merry way.

“Aren’t you excited?!” You grab onto Jin’s arm. The guilt that had caused you to melt down has vanished. “This is great news.”

“Yeah.” His lips are tight and he nods firmly. “This is great.”

Seokjin isn’t as visibly happy as you expected him to be. Maybe he’s internalizing it or perhaps like you, he can’t believe it. It’s done. She’s really here. He’ll find the girl of his dreams and they’ll be whisked away into marriage. You don’t dwell on any of those thoughts, rushing to the place that the milkmaid had described.

Your fist knocks on the wooden door thrice. You wonder if there’s anyone home when a full minute passes. “Maybe we’ll just come back another day-” Jin’s cut off short when you pound the door with all your might.

“Who is it?!” An angry shout sounds from within and the door is pulled open. An older woman in a puke coloured dress is on the other side, wearing a disgusted expression and her hand on her hip. “And who are you?!”

You clear your throat, sneaking a peak at the prince behind you. He’s keeping his face downcasted behind his hood and when his eyes catch a glimpse, he shakes his head. That’s not her.

“Does anyone else live in this household?” You clear your throat to sound dominant when she doesn’t budge an inch. “I am a messenger from the Kim Royal Family. I was sent by Prince Seokjin himself.”

The lady’s mouth drops open. She stutters, eyes bulging and she scrambles. “O-..of course! Come in, come in! My apologies! I just didn’t know who you were. I’m so sorry things might be a mess. My goodness! My goodness!”

The two of you step into her abode. “This is my associate.” You motion to Jin when she glances at him doubtingly.

“Sit down, sit down.” She forces you to the sofa. “Have some tea.” And she pours something lumpy into the tea cups. “I’ll be back in just a moment. Make yourselves at home.”

The way she twirls is quite elegant but the facade is immediately broken when she sticks her head by the staircase. “Girls!” Her voice is terribly shrill and it rings in your ear. Jin, sitting beside you, also visibly cringes. “Girls! Get down here this instant!”

“What is it now, mom?!” “Don’t you see that we’re busy?!” Heaving footsteps shake the ceiling and they come rumbling downstairs like bulls.

“Get yourself in order!” The older woman pinches her daughters and whispers too loudly. “Someone from the royal palace is here.”

The two girls gasp, straightening out their hair and dresses. They bump each other to use the mirror in the hall, cursing underneath their breaths and picking out the boogers hanging from their noses. You sigh, waiting for them patiently and soon enough, they come sauntering into the living room.

“Good afternoon.” They murmur in unison, dipping themselves. “How can we be of service?”

“Yes. Just..uh...lift your heads.”

The girls look at you in confusion but obey. You hitch your breath, focusing your eyes onto Jin’s. He gawks at them and….shakes his head. “They’re not her.” He leans in to whisper and you sigh.

“Is there anyone else in this household?”

The older woman laughs nervously. “Of course there isn’t. There’s no one else. I can guarantee you that.”

If there was one thing you know after working in the burglary business all your life - you know when someone’s acting suspicious.

“Y/N?” Jin stands up after you when you march past the women.

“Excuse me!” They trail after you in sharp exhales, dramatic gasps following. “Excuse me!”

You break into every single room, kicking down every single door. “This is highly inappropriate!” The middle aged woman screams after you, sounding like a predoctoral as everyone parades up the stairs behind you. “Excuse me! NO!”

There’s a locked door leading up to where the attic is. “NO!” You ignore the distraught woman’s scream, not hesitating to bring up your leg. The door goes flying off the hinges as you boot out your foot. The ladies mouths drop open and even Jin is mesmerized at your brute strength.

“You…” There’s a girl that you come face to face with, a peasant whose beautiful enough to become queen. She looks gentle and kind, staring up at you from her seated place on the floor. Her eyes are rounded and wide, seemingly innocent. And her blue gown drapes around her.

“How dare you lie to the prince and the royal family?!” You turn to shout at the women who are scowling at the girl. “You will be rightfully punished for your deceit!” It appals you how dirty and dusty the attic is. You can only shudder when you consider how long the girl’s been locked in here for.

“You’re her, aren’t you?”

The girl stands up, not answering your question and her eyes are connected to the man who pushes himself into the room. Seokjin is without a smile. His gaze is on you. “It’s her.”

Those simple words spoken are enough to overwhelm you. The unknown girl beams and runs into the prince’s arms. “You found me.” She buries her dirtied, pink cheeks into his shoulder. The edges of your lips manage to raise.

He’s found her. “Congratulations.”

Kim Seokjin never stops staring at you.

Cinderella is a nice girl, albeit her name is quite strange. She’s pleasant and compassionate, making it difficult for you to come up with reasons to hate her. All this time, you imagine their love to be shallow but they match well together…..

“I promise your stepmother and stepsisters won’t bring you any harm for the rest of your days.” You reassure her, holding her hands with your own. “They will be punished for what they have done to you.”

“They are still my family...” She murmurs and then smiles gleefully. “Thank you. For everything that you’ve done. I haven’t had a chance to speak much to the prince but he’s spoken very kindly about you. You’ve helped him a lot...and you’ve helped me.”

“Please.” You roll your eyes. “The guy doesn’t compliment anyone but himself.”

She frowns and tips her head to one side. “No. I don’t believe that’s true. He showered you with praise in our conversation.”

“Oh.”

“Ladies. Are you ready? It’ll take a few hours before we arrive at the castle and it’s best if we move before sundown.” The squire is smiling widely, thankful to Heaven and Earth that the prince is in healthy condition and very well alive. It’s been weeks since his grand escape. Upon hearing where he was and how he found the girl of his dreams, a royal carriage was sent urgently to get him.

“Yes.” Cinderella steps inside the carriage. “Are you not coming in with us?”

Jin’s looking out the window and the feeling of sourness somehow appears back on your tongue. “I’m fine. I’ll just sit up front with the coachman.”

The man inside who you’ve been spending day and night with doesn’t spare you a single glimpse. It makes you even more infuriated. “Move.” You misdirect your irritation to the squire.

“Oh, you’re joining us?”

He yelps when you take a huge chunk of the seat, squishing the squire and the coachman right next to each other until the smaller man is practically on the lap of the other. “Alright then. Shall we? Hiyah.” The coachman lightly whips the reins of the horses and it moves forward.

The entire trip back to the castle, you’re mumbling to yourself. The two men at your side frown and exchange glances with each other, wondering if you’ve gone mad. The sound of the girl’s chirpy laughter drifts out. It takes everything in your willpower not to turn around.

Jin can marry and love any girl he wants.

Yet...why are you so upset?

“Are you alright, miss?” The squire inquires for the sake of your sanity.

“I’m quite fine, thank you.” You cut him off short, refusing to speak. With a deep breath, you focus on your surroundings instead.

The sceneries change, town into forest, the bright blue sky into a tangerine hue. It’s quite lovely to be outdoors and refreshing when you take large inhales of the fresh air. Four hours pass by until you’ve arrived back into the borders that you desperately tried to escape so long ago.

The castle comes into view and soon enough, the royal guards are swarming.

“Hey!” One rapidly points as you hop down. “It’s that girl! The thief!”

You’re surprised that the guard still remembers and you nod in amusement. Almost instantly, Seokjin is at your side and he raises his hand in front of you like a shield. “There is no such thing.”

“But-” Another soldier taps the boy’s shoulder and after a swap of expressions, he stands down. “My apologies, your majesty.”

“Isn’t it great to be home...your majesty?” You tease Jin, having not heard the title in a while.

He giggles with you. “Oh, what a home this place is.”

“Is there something humourous?” Cinderella interrupts without bad intentions, genuinely curious as her eyes flicker between the both of you.

“Oh no. It’s just that...I don’t really address him with that title which I know sounds bad since he is prince but uh-” You don’t know exactly how to explain yourself but you don’t need to when the squire comes running back.

“Prince Seokjin!” He’s breathless and dying with his tiny legs. “The King and Queen are calling for your presence immediately!”

Cinderella grabs onto his hand and you stare at it for a second too long. “That doesn’t sound good.”

You smile meekly at his panicked expression. “Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll understand.”

“Yeah.” Jin returns the smile but in a more sheepish fashion, discreetly letting go of the other girl’s hand. “Let’s hope so.”

The King and Queen are indeed furious with their son. But their anger thaws into relief and happiness when they realize the girl he was looking for has been found. If he’s truly in love with her like how he described, how can you be bitter?

You’re happy for him…..

……. ….. …

Who are you kidding? You’re a thief. Not a liar.

//

“Knock knock.”

His mischievous grin is seen through the crack of the door and you wonder how such a silly and childish man will someday rule the country. “You know there’s no point in you opening the door and then saying ‘knock knock’ as you knock, right?” You set your belongings aside, plopping down on the bed as he enters.

“How are things?” You ask him. “I haven’t seen you around. You’re so busy these days. Guess the prince is useful after all.”

“Psh. Of course I’m useful. Do you know who I am?” He smiles and sits next to you, finally feeling comfortable after sitting in a long meeting with other dukes and attendants. Jin even kicks off his shoes and relaxes himself. “Things have been fine.” His voice softens and he hesitates. “When are you planning to go?”

“Oh ho ho. Are you planning to kick me out already? After all this time that I’ve helped you? You won’t let me stay here to bask in the luxury for awhile?”

Seokjin pouts and he mumbles, “I never said you couldn’t stay.”

“I don’t know.” You answer truthfully before you decide to tease him some more. “You’re going to give me a ship, right? Well I mean...you don’t have to but since I’ve helped you so much…” You expect a snide comment or maybe for him to actually gift you your biggest desire. But when he makes no comment, you decide to be more serious.

“I might leave soon.”

“You should stay.”

“Yeah...maybe I will.” You nod and let your voice linger off. Then you clear your throat when the air becomes too intimate and you become hyper aware of his close proximity. “Maybe I’ll stay a little while longer. Until the royal wedding.”

He makes a sound, half between a scoff and a laugh. “The wedding....right.”

“When is it? Haven’t you proposed yet?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean ‘I don’t know’?” You’re utterly confused at his behaviour, even moreso when he stands and begins to pace in front of you. “You said you’d marry her. It’s what the King and Queen and everyone in this kingdom wants. It’s what you want...right?’

“I don’t know.” He halts and exhales a huge breath. “I just don’t know, Y/N.”

Jin is frantic. You already know what’s bothering him...he just doesn’t know how to propose.

“Look. It really isn’t that difficult. You don’t have to be worried. Any way that you do it will be perfect. Girls eat up anything that’s romantic. She’ll say yes. You and I both know that. Don’t be nervous.”

“That’s not it-”

“Watch.” It’s too painful for you to see him lost. Yes, he’s not as innocent as you thought he was but sometimes you just have to show him how it’s suppose to be done.

“What are you doing?” He watches as you get down on one knee and his breathing hitches when you gaze back into his eyes. “Y/N.”

“Kim Seokjin.” You call his name softly and a creep of a blush sweeps up your cheeks, past your bashful smile. “When I first met you...I was going to raid this entire castle from top to bottom.” He laughs quietly and you giggle. “We haven’t known each other for too long. Probably not long enough to jump into this sort of thing. And I’m sure the both of us who are adult children are nowhere near ready for marriage.”

What started off as a joke has turned into something incredibly sincere. Each word that whispers from your parted lips is dripping with genuinity. “But being on this adventure with you has made me realize something. I don’t want to be alone anymore. I want to be with you.”

“If we can spend the rest of our lives having silly adventures together then I want nothing more.” You inhale a staggering breath, “Will you marry me, Jin?”

“Yes.” He blurts it out without thinking twice. “I’ll marry you.”

The pretend proposal closes up nicely and you hop onto your toes. “See? That wasn’t so difficult. Now you just have to do the real-”

“No.” He strides up to you and engulfs you in his arms. “I want to marry you. For real.”

“What?”

Jin pulls away and he gazes at you in absolute adoration and devotion, gliding his eyes on each of your features. He represses the urge to kiss you right then and there when you’re staring back at him in such confusion. “I want to marry you. Everything that you said...I want to say back at you. You’re ridiculous, Y/N. But I love you.”

“I love the way you can break into someone’s house need be. The way you know what you want. The way that you’re fearless and I didn’t fall in love with you just from one dance. I fell in love with you for who you are and everything that you are….and I am sounding like such a sap, aren’t I?”

“You are.” You grin back at him. “But….I-...what...what are we going to do? We just went searching for this girl and now she thinks you’re going to marry her!”

Seokjin grabs you into another embrace, digging his nose into your shoulder. “We’ll figure something out. We always do. And I’m sure she’s understanding.”

“Are you sure about this, Jin?”

“I’ve never been more sure in my life.”

//

Turns out that Cinderella isn’t as understanding as you wished her to be. When the two of you broke the news out to her (granted not very well as you kept on delaying the message), she bursted out the room in tears.

The King and Queen are also shocked at their son’s indecisiveness - though they’re not completely surprised with his behaviour. But once they find Jin’s eyes pinned on you, they’re relieved. It’s not like the first time around.

They can tell that this time - it’s true.

“Announcing...the royal engagement of the Prince and the Princess!”

The squire declares it in the courtyard and all the townspeople cheer, throwing up confetti. Jin looks absolutely amazing in his suit, despite him complaining that it’s uncomfortable. Your own attire is a golden dress that falls from your hips like raindrops to the sky. The corset is much too tight for your liking but you suppose you can bear with it when your fiancé can’t stop himself from staring.

At the very least, your toes aren’t being pinched to death. You fought with your life against the maids and in the end, you won. You’re not wearing any fancy shoe or even glass slippers. Just the plain old leather loafers that you’ve grown to love.

The sea is sparkling in a rich cerulean shade that matches the sky. You have never felt happier to be in the place that you are. And the celebrations have just begun.

The children giggle and murmurs of how beautiful the pair are murmured from ear to ear. Cinderella is caught within your line of vision and you find the tears on her face long dried. The coachman is keeping her company and even causing her to laugh with mirth. The King and Queen from their seats, themselves, are exchanging chuckles.

“You know we’re going to have a really long engagement, right?” You lean over to whisper in his ear. “You still haven’t convinced me enough.”

The mischievous prince smirks. “Have I not stolen your heart, love?”

“Hm...I wouldn’t say that.”

“You’ll still be a free woman.” He tells you as he holds your hands. “And I’ve already promised to see the world with you. What else do you need?”

Your hand tightens in his and you plant a gentle kiss on his lips. “I just want to make sure you won’t go running off with a different girl when you have a great dance with her.”

He laughs and kisses you back. “I won’t fall in love with anyone else but you.”

The day bleeds into night. Jin is by your side until the end. Midnight strikes the clock.

[curriebelle]

Episode Ignis Feels Like Fanfiction and That’s a Good Thing

Ok so I’m having a Thought.

You know when people say something reads “like fanfiction”, and it’s meant to be a criticism? The phrase is one of those intangibles, one of those agreed-upons, where no one can define it quite accurately but everyone thinks they know what it means. Usually it’s a combination of deviation from the original tone, bleaching out character flaws and complexities, a lack of understanding of nuance, and a reverent or worshipful attitude towards old characters, moments, settings, and iconography (and iconography is just the Stuff. Star Wars iconography is lightsabers, wookies and Jedi robes).

That’s a pretty reductive description of fanfiction of course, because a lot of fanfic - whether it’s well or poorly written - doesn’t necessarily follow those patterns. Weirdly enough, saying a sequel or reboot reads “like fanfiction” often implies that the writer doesn’t understand something about the source material - that they’re oversimplifying, or they’re fanning about while failing to understand what a “good” sequel would actually require. And that’s pretty ironic, because fans - obsessive detail-hoarding, secondary-character-worshipping pastiche-crafters that they are - often know the source material better than anyone, sometimes better than the creators themselves, and they are very aware of what they are erasing or changing when they move Marvel into a fluffy coffee shop AU. 

But I’m kind of digressing, because my point is that “this feels like fanfiction” shouldn’t be seen as a criticism, but rather as a gut feeling that we need to unpack. Sometimes it leads to legitimate criticism that, while worth addressing, actually has very little to do with fanfiction. And sometimes it leads to this weird 4:30 am conclusion: Episode Ignis is when “this feels like fanfiction” should be deployed as a compliment. Spoilers onward, for both Episode Ignis and FFXV.

I’m talking specifically about the alternate ending, here, which is tantamount to an FFXV fix-it fic. In this version Ignis averts the tragic ending of FFXV, and though he prepares to sacrifice his own life to do so, it ends up costing nothing. Ignis survives with even prettier hero-scarring than he gets in the regular plot. The episode fills in a sizable story gap after Leviathan knocks Noct out, and closes a few additional plotholes (I wondered what happened to that one obnoxiously overdesigned Imperial guy: turns out Ravus stabbed him). It spends some time with likable characters (Ardyn, yeeee) and underdeveloped characters (again, Ravus). Ignis gets roughed up and drenched, loses the glasses, and I’m 90% sure the animators made his eyes bigger in the cutscenes for extra pretty. He gains maximum plotline power, and Adam Croasdell voice acts the shit out of some sassy comebacks and anguished screaming (ok, this is unrelated, but when he’s doing the regular stormbind combo, it sounds like he screams FUCK in one of his battle grunts and it makes me laugh every time). He can liberate Altissia more or less by himself, and that’s before he drives a goddamn speedboat away from pursuant megarobots. So for anyone calling Mary Sue, yes, Ignis dives headfirst into that. He basically becomes Magic James Bond.

The whole episode is also pretty blatantly queer-coded. We get a very cuddly flashback to kid Noctis, and Ignis’s vow to stand at his side. Ignis is monomaniacal when it comes to finding Noctis. Noctis eiher drops the l-word, referring directly to Ignis and the freshly fridged Lunafreya (I’m still salty about that one, sorry), or says Ignis will always be in his heart depending on the ending. There’s a fantastic gifset going around of the official couples in previous Final Fantasies (Squall and Rinoa, Tidus and Yuna) declaring the exact same thing Ignis does in the alternate ending. “Rinoa, even if the world turns on you, I’ll be your knight”. “There’s no way I’ll let Yuna go”, even if I have to break all the rules of your stupid religion. Even if it costs my own life, I won’t let you take Noctis away. The queer subtext here is one of those things where it’s purposefully vague - just enough emotional evidence and physical contact that you can read romantic feelings there if you want, but just short of an actual romance to leave interpretations open. If you’re convinced Noctis and Luna were in love, Episode Ignis probably won’t debunk that.

So Ignis and his Episode are both powerful, emotional, pretty, potentially kinda gay, and ridiculously awesome.

And honestly, it is phenomenal.

Episode Ignis is a blast to play. His combat style is very fun and quick and fluid and flashy, and the grappling hook in the first portion makes you feel superheroic. Killing Ardyn, meanwhile, makes you feel godlike. It is an incredible surge of adrenaline to take on armies and deities by your lonesome. The gameplay and narrative reflect each other here, just like they do in the base game. FFXV seems happy at first, and the combat is pretty entertaining with all the goofy combo-attacks, but that game is a tragedy. It’s all the more tragic by how fun it is to begin with, and by the end it is painful to play. Characters get older, places fall apart, people die, and you have to escort Ignis around for a chapter while he grows used to being blind and Gladio constantly bitches at you for walking too fast. The photo mechanic is introduced to break your heart later, to show you how fleeting youth and pleasure can truly be under backbreaking destiny.

And in retaliation, Episode Ignis thrives on the power of Fuck You. Long commutes by car, mundane in the moment but peaceful upon reflection decades later? Fuck You, I have a grappling hook. Sections that force you to walk slowly through a dungeon and think about what you’ve done? Fuck You, I’ve got two daggers, lightning teleportation and button-mashing hands. Musings about the ravages of time, and aching nostalgia for youth? Fuck You, Ignis is prettier than ever. A tragic ending pre-ordained by prophecy? Fuck You, Ignis is going to re-write that fate by being clever, patient, and brave enough to sacrifice his life, but double Fuck You, he gets to live as well. Bullets flying, health bar low, multiple explosions and Atlas Ripped decking airships in the background? Fuck. You. It’s time to make some fucking soup.

With all that in mind, it makes sense that people might accuse Episode Ignis of being tone-deaf, of being fanfiction in all the “bad” ways - it neglects the nuance of the original, and papers over complex themes so everything can end up hunky-dory, but I still think that’s too easy.

Here’s the thing: Episode Ignis can only exist as fanfiction - or as alternate-ending DLC, I guess. FFXV is the story of Noctis and his story has an ending and it’s horribly, horribly sad, but it’s also what the story is built around. You might find it too depressing or too grim or you might find it just right, but it is well-structured. FFXV is careful with its themes and patterns and foreshadowing.

Because of that care, Ignis screwing Ardyn’s plans out of whack and saving Noctis from his fate couldn’t occur in the main game. FFXV is not about Ignis. It’s about Noctis. And the gameplay, built as it is around creating nostalgia - photographs, long car rides, camping, friendship - wouldn’t work if the ending wasn’t agonizing enough to make you long for the good old days. Maybe Noctis didn’t have to die or maybe he did, but the ending of FFXV was always going to hurt.

FFXV is an emotional project, and that project is to make the player painfully nostalgic. With that intriguing goal achieved, Episode Ignis exists as a response, and it can never really be more than that. It’s an ending I like better, but it is an alternate ending.

If you think about it, Episode Ignis didn’t need that alternate ending. It could have existed perfectly well as a companion to FFXV, filling in a much-needed blank (and without the alternate ending that’s exactly what it does). But in making a response to FFXV instead, they challenged a lot of assumptions FFXV needed to make in order to tell its story. FFXV assumes its prophecy is the only answer, as do its characters. FFXV yanks a great deal of agency away from Ignis, Prompto and Gladio when it asks them to sit still for a decade and wait for their friend to die without hunting for an alternative

Why can’t they try something else? Why can’t they defeat their nemesis on their own terms? I mean, who the heck does Bahamut think he is, anyway? Who says the ending can’t be happy, and the future can’t be bright?

Those are exactly the questions a fanfiction writer would ask. FFXV created those questions, and Episode Ignis addresses them, but in a way that acts as more of a breach than a closure. It’s one route to a happy ending - so maybe there are more. This is also the reason I brought up the queercoding in Episode Ignis. If there is any genre that needs a complete overhaul from grimdark tragedy into happy endings, it’s the scourge that is the modern queer romance story. There are so many of those bloody stories ending in anguish or separation or suicide or displeasure, and not nearly enough fairytales. Having a tragic ending overturned by the power of queer love is an insanely empowering experience, and that’s probably why you see so many posts about how Ignis’s gay love can pierce the veil of death and save the day. Episode Ignis didn’t need its queercoding any more than it needed its alternate ending, but the two make sense together: both of them are stories that people are absolutely aching for.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything quite like this - a company actively revising their story, overturning its mood, questioning its plot, granting a completely different ending, and then asking fans to pay 6.99 for it. It’s different from alternate film endings, because those are DVD extras and one always wins the theatrical release. It’s different from re-imaginings or adaptations because Episode Ignis is...just not quite that. It can’t exist on its own, unlike most remakes. Video games are always fluid texts to a certain extent, but now developers are even relinquishing the solidity of lore and cutscenes. It’s so odd.

At the decision point of Episode Ignis, you can use R1 and L1 to flip the camera back and forth, moving between a shot of Ardyn and a shot of Ignis. It’s a tiny, insignificant moment, one that almost feels like a mistake - like maybe the developers couldn’t figure out how to stage a normal shot-reverse-shot. But that moment became an oddly powerful synecdoche for what Episode Ignis was to me. If you want to look at this story from a different angle, well, go for it. Here’s another place you can point the camera. Maybe the sun will rise over there too.

[tumblunni]

Random list of still WIP npc charries I need to make for this game, yo

* Mayor Grandma The Ultimate

Not actually anyone’s grandma but like... Everyone’s Grandma. That whole ‘village elder as a goddamn force of nature’ kind of character. She’s the Big Good. She’s this tiny unassuming gran who had a history as a legendary hero and is now the super amazing mayor who can solve goddamn anything and defeat any threat against the village and just... HOLDS US ALL WITH HER GRUMPY LOVE I’m imagining her like the protagonist’s gran in The Wee Free Men, or Granny Weatherwax from other discworld books, or the grandma from Summer Wars, or the grandma from Jade Cocoon 1 who even turned out to be literally the deity of badass grandmas who came down into mortal form to slap the shit out of some fools. (The “grim midwife of life and death” is a really fucking badass title)

Anyway she isn’t actually technically the ‘mayor’, she’s just like.. village elder under old country rules, but Regis is the duke that was sent down to Officially be ruler of this province. Officially. It’s just that absolutely everyone knows that the duke is just a figurehead and Ancient Powerful Gran Of The Old Ways is the real power behind this well-oiled machine of a town. Even Regis knows, lol! The previous duke was a total asshole that got served a slice of humble pie by gran and they were fighting at every turn, but now Regis and Mortimer are the Comparatively Less Stuck Up Noblefolks and the town is better off for it. Still, even if Regis isn’t evil like his brother, he’s still a bit foppish and occasionally stupid about what it actually takes to run a town. So they do come into conflict sometimes, but mostly its like BFFs quarrelling instead of the old Shephard Grandma Brings The Wrath of The Heavens Upon Rich Man No Matter How Many Rich Man Guards He Has, Seriously We Found One Of Them Upside Down On Top Of The Roof How Did That Even Happen

And then also i think that she might have a larger role in Blair’s plot cos Blair is kinda like the new Village Hero In Training. But she’s INTENSELY reluctant about it! Not cos she doesn’t like being buff as fuck and punching through walls, but because she doesn’t think she could ever be better than supergran. Cos like.. “yeah I’ve got the muscles but I don’t have the brains, how could I ever cope without you?” She gets really fucking sad at the very idea that supergran might be retiring, and like.. might die someday. So it’s someone who’s clearly qualified for the role repeatedly rejecting it and bringing up more and more perfectionist excuses why she isn’t ready yet, just because she cares so much for her mentor figure and wishes she could fight the tide of time. And that’s how Blair became the Miss Perfect rival type character, and why she’s so humble and oblivious of her own strengths. Also I think this same plot would have links to mortimer and sorrel too, because there was An Event that happened 15 years ago that was what caused mayorgran to start feeling as if she’d hit her limits and the town needs a new Hero. Apparantly ~something~ happened that was like.. the one time mayorgran ever found a problem she couldn’t solve. And also at that time mortimer and sorrel used to be childhood friends, since they’re cousins, but suddenly sorrel’s mum fell in status amoung the noble family and there was a huge upheaval of the town’s status quo. What exactly is this mystery...?

ALSO! she must have a big hat i just want her to have a really big hat (mayorgran, not sorrel, she’s fine with her medium hat)

* Sorrel’s mum

(and Regis’s sister and Morty’s aunt. It IS cousins when someone’s the son of your mum’s sibling, right? I can’t remember all the rules for first removed and stuff...)

Generic Mom. She’s just so NICE! Isn’t she nice? Don’t you agree? For some reason she had a falling out with Duke Regis in the past, and now she lives in comparative poverty and like.. no press statement has ever been released on WHY this happened, and everyone’s become rather distrustful of Regis because of it. What exactly is going on?

I kinda wanted to leave it vague at just this, cos you can’t exactly talk about her at all without spoiers. So yeah the next paragraph is gonna not reveal exactly what happened in that backstory, but it’ll talk about this character’s personality and what it.. actually is, I guess..??

SO...

...

...

A kind of over the top cloyingly “nice” person who really isn’t. A bit of Umbridge and a bit of an overbearing soccer mom. Like.. at first you’ll be wondering ‘why is Sorrel so self hatey when her mom is so nice to her’ but then it becomes clear that’s not what’s really happening. Mom only supports when you act how she wants you to, its a classic ‘living through your children’ situation where she pushes her kid way too far to achieve some goals they never wanted in the first place. And she’s a bit of a moral crusader, like she’s just.. SO convinced that she is ‘nice’, and that if she just acts ‘polite’ and ‘mumsy’ and cute and harmless and follows all the feminine stereotypes it balances out any horribly not nice things she does. Because she’s ‘not that kind of person’. Anything she does is good because she’s good, yknow? And anything Sorrel does is bad if it shows any sort of personality outside of what her mum has so kindly picked out for her, I mean why would you be so selfish, seriously! She kinda always lives like that, seething with resentment and selfish desire and looking for excuses she can use to paint someone as Bad so she is Justified in feeling superior to them and/or ruining their life. And her Nice facade covers up a lot of rather bigoted attitudes she holds, in addition to all the abusiveness. Ones that can be far more insidious cos she delivers them in such a Nice way and appeals to Logic and Compromise and oh but You Know, Everyone Knows, Isn’t It Just Natural And Biological, look at them getting Emotional. She’s very much the archetypical horrid nobleman that we were all so grateful that Regis wasn’t. Except she’s also way more devious and able to hide it beneath a relateable facade, so she can get these stupid naive townsfolk to do stuff that only makes life harder for themselves for the sake of like.. mythical trickle-down benefits that don’t actually exist. And oh, Sorrel, you know you could pass so well for a good Narcian lady if you dyed your hair, you know? Not like Regis’s filthy child. (She says, even though she also married a foreigner, just one from a majority white country...)

Basically she’s just gonna be a detestable monster, and the only pure evil person in the plot. And even more evil because she does such a good job hiding it, and has been able to spread her toxic influence to so many victims undetected for so long. Cos seriously, the story starts off with her being treated as a martyr and people clamouring to replace Regis with her, and it’s just gonna be So Damn Uncomfortable in retrospect when you do a second playthrough and see even Sorrel’s friends completely oblivious to her mum’s evilness. (″Friends? Honey, you don’t HAVE friends. Well, who do you need except little old me?”)

Also I was thinking randomly as a subplot there could be a thing that her mum was in charge of the town library once, and her planned renovations fell through and now the town doesn’t have a library at all, just this big abandoned building and The Enduring Shame. It’d be a good example of how she handles things, cos this is an Enduring Shame for Sorrel and not her. from Sorrel’s perspective she thinks that her mother trusted her with a big responsibility and she fucked it up and thus deserves the scorn. But really her mum just threw a sinking ship at her so she could take the blame, and then was all like “OH THE POOR GIRL IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY, PLEASE DON’T BLAME HER”. Spreading all these negative rumours to encourage Sorrel to never try and be independant ever again, but in a sneaky reverse psychology way so she could still look like a loving mother. But anyway this is how Sorrel ended up running a Secret Underground Library, her one form of rebellion against her mother’s control. She rescued as many books as she could when the library went under, and now she keeps them all crammed in her room and tries to spread them around without leaving any threads back to her. Cos she knows that her mum is super trusted, and that even good people can’t be trusted to keep secrets from her, and nobody would believe her if she tried to explain why it needs to be secret. So instead she just plays it off as if she’s just another person receiving books from the ghost library, and she’s totally searching for an answer to this mystery too, honest! It’d be a sign that you reached high friendship level with her when she’s like.. able to believe that you’d believe her if she told you her mum abuses her. And the first step of that is ‘hey remember that library we were questing for? its literally under my bed.’ Welcomes you to the secret trapdoor book heaven and you have a strangely romantic evening going OOOOMG FIRST EDITION TOLKEINS (or whatever the equivelant is in this universe XD) But it probably still takes her a while after that to open up about exactly why the library has to be secret, and to come to terms with the fact that she really doesn’t deserve how her mother treats her. So I’d definately give you an opportunity here to Fuck Up Massively by telling the mum about the library, yup. Gotta torment the player every now and again! XD ...but I mean if you’re reading this you know all the spoilrs so you’ll be fine, lol

* Quincy’s grandma (or possibly grand aunt?)

A stern and super professional businesswoman who has a bit of a quarrel with him over how exactly to balance profit vs like.. morality. She’s not a BAD person, her business isn’t so profit-heavy that its like all the actual atrocities you see in mega corporations nowadays. But she’s very distant from her customer base and also from what it’s even like to be poor. And she doesn’t believe that such minor things to improve the shopping experience would like.. actually change anything. What is ‘brand loyalty’?! What is this principle that if people are able to live more comfortably they’ll be able to spend more money on luxuries?? She used to be less greedygrump once, but she gets more jaded every year and keeps bumping money higher and higher up her priority list, abandoning things that used to seem important. And similarly she’s become super ‘I don’t need anyone, I’m better off being alone’, and developed this strained relationship with her grand-nephew. I think maybe I could add another layer of sad to this, woo! I think she raised Quincy alone after his parents were Giant Assholes and ran off. Probably stole a bunch of the family money, probably left her with a failing business that they’d ruined with all their selfish decisions over the years, and an angry mob out for blood against the brand name. And Quincy was very sickly as a kid, so she had to work a lot, leading to the distant relationship and obsession with profit. But she’s become so obsessed and paranoid of losing her money even after it became less of a death sentence, and she just keeps working super hard even though now she has time to spend with her family. And she gets scared seeing Quincy grow up cos she remembers how his parents turned into absolute monsters when she used to trust them so much. Being distant is better than getting hurt again... and god damn why does he have his mother’s eyes...

So yeah, they’re a bit estranged, and you can potentially help with that, woo! But mostly during the main game you’ll just hear about her cos everyone is like ‘oh, are you from [grauntie’s brand name]? why don’t you have this thing, she always has it’ and Quincy is like ‘no, this is my own store.. we’re a small business.. but umm, we’re cheaper..’ He’s trying to step out from under her shadow and prove that her philosophy is wrong, so maybe he can bring back the loving grauntie that he remembers from his childhood. i think maybe the ending could be that she turns up to inspect his new shop and they have some sort of merchant showdown and like... even if Quincy loses he still ends up proving her wrong because she sees just how much everyone in this town cares about him and how he’s improved various parts of their life by bringing access to these imported goods and just generally being a supportive community member. Maybe there are some things more important than profit...

Oh and also I think she was the one responsible for helping out Blair and Dionne when they were running from their abusive parents, and that’s why the two of them are the most friendly with Quincy at the start of the game. They hadn’t seen each other since they were kids, and Blair is kinda like I Owe You A Blood Debt, Is There Anyone You Need Me To Stab Grauntie looks back on this as a moment of weakness tho, and that’s why she stopped keeping in touch with them, she’s embarassed she used to be so sentimental. Cos like.. she spent so much money helping set up these girls with their own house and she lost out on a business opportunity (it was a property she originally purchased to turn into a franchise store) She can’t stop thinking about how tight the funds were around that time and how if she messed up she could have lost her own kid for the sake of helping some other kids... But then she turns up in town and its like Oh No I Walked Down The Street By Accident *gets buried in blair hugs* And she can’t stop crying seeing how much they grew up, and then they’re all like “we’ve been trying to send you a cut of the cafe profits for the last seven years!” and she’s like “NOOOOO, KEEP IT” *even more embarassed at doing even more irrational sympathetic actions*

Also possibly she could get a crush on mayor grandma cos they are both grumpy badasses of opposite? Strength gran vs wisdom gran!

+++

so yeh i made a bunch of grans/demigrans of various kinds, and now I am thankfully satisfied with this story’s gremp quotient