Note
You have managed to come up with a fic where you get to play around with as many F1 duos as your heart desires. Which is your favorite? Is it also your favorite to write about?
Anon you've got me there because how am I supposed to choose? As Icarus now stands it has covered platonic Maxiel, Charlos, Brocedes, Slagclaren, Princess Cake, Dando, Carlando, Galex, Yukiel, Sebdan, Martian, Sewis, Valewis, Webbonso, and Buttonso, and that's not to mention dozens of other references to other driver duos.
I think my favourite to write is somewhere in between the top five there but in the end what makes F1 so fun to write about is this:
That is your teammate. That is supposed to be the first guy you beat; your closest enemy. But your closest enemy eats with you; you laugh with them and spend more time with them than your own family. You are one of twenty drivers who can drive the fastest cars in the world. Nobody understands what it is like to drive a current season Formula One car except those nineteen others. But the only one who understands what it is like to drive your car is your teammate. The only one who can understand you is your teammate. But they are supposed to be your enemy. In Icarus Maxiel says I would rather not be your teammate than to hate you. Charlos says I would rather be your teammate even when everyone else says I should hate you. Princess Cake says we might not have been teammates but we understand what it is to have been hurt and loved by Lewis Hamilton. Slagclaren says we were teammates, but I (Jenson) knew I could never be what he was to you. Brocedes is I missed you more than I hated you, and I realised this too late.
So how, Anon, am I supposed to choose?
#thank you for asking this anon it legitimately made me stop and think#I think looking back on Icarus as it's about 3-4 chapters from being completed#I started writing Maxiel then realised it was a love letter to the sport as a whole#all the duos and friendships#you don't get battle brothers (戰友) like this anywhere else#f1#icarus#f1 wingfic#f1 wing au#f1 fanfic#my post#anon#replies#writing
22 notes
·
View notes
Text
Sleepy Bois Inc and DSMP Fanfic Recs
Uhhh I realized I have a ton of stuff in my bookmarks list and might as well compile a list of favorites because I’m always looking for good fanfics, and this might help some people. Most of these are SBI, though a few focus on things other than their dynamic with each other. Nothing explicit here. Feel free to suggest more recs.
Fics set in DSMP universe/about DSMP (One-shots first, then longer fics):
One-shots and series of one-shots-
therein lies the madness by sapphicist - 2095 words. Currently says it’s one chapter out of three complete, but can be read as a standalone one-shot. Nice introspective fic on Tommy’s exile and his parallels with Theseus. In 2nd person, but it’s actually done nicely. Mostly angsty, can have hopeful interpretation depending on how you look at it.
crazy how life goes on without me (2090 words, one-shot) by itisjosh - What if Ghostbur did remember everything, and just pretended to be clueless and vapid? Made me cry. It’s so good. Tortured my heart.
the inner mechanism of a black box (13521 words, one-shot) by Bee_4 - only work of a series called “system theory”. “Technoblade lets himself get imprisoned for Philza’s sake. He doesn’t plan on being there long. Unfortunately, he’s underestimated Pandora’s Vault. There are things that will make even the Blade fall apart in due time, as it turns out.” Yeah so Techno’s mental health goes out the window in this one and its written brilliantly. There’s comfort at the end, if it helps?
A State For One Man Is No State At All (5247 words, two-shot) by angstfortheangstgod - “A different version of the festival, in which Dream shows up unarmed, the Community House is left intact, a traitor is executed, and Tommy doesn't betray Technoblade.” Ranboo centric. Angst and comfort.
All the Kings Men series by MollyPollyKinz - “After Ghostbur's suggestion to do Lads on Tour, Tommy finds himself reunited with his family. However, escaping from Dream is going to be harder than anyone previously thought.” A connected series of one-shots and short fics about Tommy, his exile, his family, and escaping Dream. Well written, good characterization, great studies into the characters themselves.
ad astra per aspera series by cacowhistle - Collection of one-shots that start with Tommy’s exile and expand to be about SBI and their dynamic with each other, including a resurrected Wilbur. Really, really well written and probably my favorite of the “Tommy exile fic groups”.
the fall of a hero series by cracklesnaple - “After being threatened with being exiled yet again, Tommy takes the decision into his own hands. If those around him can't see that he's given up everything to make this nation what it is, then he's not sure he can stay in L'Manburg any longer.” Series about SBI and mainly Tommy, eventually crossing over into Mianite territory in a way some might enjoy and some might now. Writing’s good, though, which is what I care about.
Longer fics-
Rewind (101002 words, 25 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 17 2021) by Anonymous - Best time travel fix-it fic I’ve ever read period. Tubbo and Tommy travel 10 years back from a very messed up future to the first L’Manberg election. Concept may seen a bit weird at first but trust me, holy fuck this is amazing.
second chances (hurt the most) (8841 words, 4 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 17 2021) by Anonymous - “Wilbur wakes up alone in a bloody room, and has to come to terms with living again. (How can he go on, knowing who's blood is on his hands?)”. Amazing fic where resurrection requires someone else’s life as sacrifice. Phil is dead. Wilbur struggles to come to terms with his father’s decision, and his second chance.
all scotch, no soda (47466 words, 43 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 14 2021) by fishstixx - “Vulnerability meant trust, though, and trust was a thing not so easily given. Post-exile and canon divergent, follows the consequences of Tommy’s isolation. Expect chases, heists, bloodshed, and the mending of a family.” Features raccon hybrid Tommy being badass, and I live for it. I really, really love this one.
DON’T FORGET THAT ICARUS FLEW. (16426 words, 6/10 chapters, last updated Jan 1. 2021) by orpheusaki - “The day before and the days that follow Tommy's exile; told through the eyes of The Blood God.” Techno (and Dream) is a god, and gods often forget how the intricacies of the minds of mortals. He’s trying to get better, however.
what do you fall for? (16374 words, complete) by tablrcloth - Ranboo centric fic with Techno, Phil and Tommy. Ranboo realizes that playing L’Manberg’s politics is less than ideal for him. What can I say, it’s just really good.
Breathing’s Just a Rhythm (12631 words, 6 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 17 2021) by MollyPollyKinz - “Tommy, Tubbo, Jschlatt, and Dream all end up in the past. (Oh, and the Chat comes too).” Great time travel fic.
What World Have We Inherited? (73635 words, 12 chapters, unfinished and last updated on Dec 22 2020) by Anonymous (this one has a series with all their works, and they’re all AMAZING). Holy fuck this one is probably one of my favorite fics in the fandom so far. “Wilbur blows everything to hell on the day of the Manburg festival, just like he wanted. When the ashes settle, it's just Tommy and Technoblade. It's not good, but it's better than nothing. It's just them, healing up in a world that never wanted them.” Amazing characterization, worldbuilding, everyone’s internal thoughts are portrayed and written so well. Even if it never updates again I would keep coming back to it. I rec this Anon’s works so much.
In June, I Changed My Tune (29489 words, 6 chapters, unfinished and last updated on Jan 6 2021) by KryOnBlock - Eret runs away and eventually becomes friends with Techno. Nice cottagecore aesthetic. I have mixed feelings about this one - the writing’s good, descriptions and characterizations are really good. Just that there’s consistent punctuation mistakes and it takes me out of the world a bit. Everything else is good enough for me to continue reading, however.
stay with him (24353 words, 12 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 9 2021) by junipersand - I especially rec the first chapter, which can be read (and originally was) a standalone fic with the summary “Every ghost had a purpose to fulfill. So what was Tommy’s?” Utterly heartwrenching, probably the most emotionally gut-punching bit of writing I’ve ever read in this fandom. It continues with other lore stuff afterwards that eventually branch off from just SBI and Tommy, but man. I don’t think I can ever forget that first chapter.
I’m not angry at you, well, sometimes I am (52801 words, 16 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 14 2021) by sircantus - After Tommy is exiled, he runs away to Techno’s house instead of going off with Dream. SBI decide some revenge and “world domination” is in order.
Fics set in AUs outside DSMP happenings:
One-shots and series of one-shots-
Empty Crowns AU by UnderUrsa - the SBI + Tubbo are gods, and a family. Series of one-shots. Nicely written, what can I say? Some angst, some fluff.
Secure, Contain, Protect AU by blue000jay - Amazingly written SCP AU. Knowledge of the SCP universe would help with understanding some more meta things, but is not needed to understand most of it. Some angst, disturbing themes around memories but nothing terribly gory.
CLASSIFIEDS. (13804 words, finished). SCP pages on SBI, short stories and audio transcriptions as well as files, lots of good lorebuilding here. Features an escape, + Tubbo!
CONFIDENTIALS. (13232 words, finished). Centers on Dream Team.
ARCHIVES. (1270 words, one-shot). What happened after SBI and Tubbo’s escape from the SCP foundation.
old gods (new gods) AU by WriterWinged - the relatively well known SBI gods AU. Amazingly written, great character interpretations.
the gods are cruel (none crueler then you) (1394 words, one-shot) - As much the grammatical mistake in the title hurts me it’s no doubt one of the best pieces of work in the fandom.
and yet they find kindness (and so do you) (2/4 chapters posted) - continuation of “the gods are cruel”.
there’s a risk to the world (but the kindest are strongest) (2/3 chapters posted) - continuation of “the gods are cruel”.
SBI Antarctic Princes AU by ScripWriter - One of several Antarctic Empire AUs, this one just has these two preliminary one-shots but they’re nice bits of fun and neatly written. All fluff and mild hurt with lots of comfort so far.
Younger Holding On Another (1781 words, one-shot). Techno is a good brother and reassures and newly adopted Tommy.
But Oh, Don’t You Know How It Goes (2511 words. one-shot). Tommy, Techno, and Wilbur have some “fun” at a boring gala. Phil is very exasperated.
Antarctic Princes ‘verse AU by BirchWrites - AU where Techno, Tommy, and Wilbur are princes of the Antarctic Empire (well, Techno’s technically the emperor now), but this time the events of DSMP still happen (at least up to the 1st season).
Homeward bound for the arctic ground (10562 words, one-shot). Wilbur and Tommy travel to the Antarctic Empire in person to ask Techno for help in fighting Schlatt. Good worldbuilding and acknowledges Wilbur’s beginnings of insanity while still being rather light.
Surprise Hugs (2542 words, one-shot). Dream doesn’t realize Tommy is Techno’s brother and thinks he’s going to get killed for tackling the infamous Blood God.
Family Reunions (1396 words, one-shot). Fundy never realized he’s loyalty and Techno informs him unexpectedly.
Longer fics-
leave me your starlight (14620 words, 4 chapters, unfinished and last updated Jan 11 2021) by findingkairos - “Once upon a time, Philza Minecraft is the only person who does not shy away from the bloody teen that regularly turns the tide of war. This cements a friendship that will last wars, empires, worlds, and lifetimes.“ Amazing backstory fic on Phil and Techno’s relationships, one of my absolute personal favorites. Very well written and really digs into the intricacies of Techno’s character (or an interpretation of it, but hey, that’s what all fanfiction is).
I was a kid in a village, doing alright, then I became a prince overnight (21736 words, 5 chapters, last updated Jan 13 2021) by sircantus - another Antarctic princes AU, this time centering on 16 year old Tommy catching the attention of Phil, Techno, and Wilbur after thwarting an assassination attempt. Really well written. Actually, I rec all of sircantus’ SBI stuff because they do amazing work.
antarctic adage (26591 words, 4/7 chapters posted, last updated Jan 13 2021) by blue000jay - Another very well written Antarctic princes AU with Emperor/ruler Phil. Are we seeing a pattern yet? blue000jay is another writer I’d rec, with really great SBI stuff.
a renewal of faith, and of family (56684 words, 31 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 13 2021) by SolivangantStories - One of the only fics here that doesn’t feature SBI, this one is Tubbo and Dream centered. Basically, the DSMP!Tubbo is executed by Schlatt and wakes up in a world where Manhunt!Dream is trying not to die and is also actually a nice person, to Tubbo’s surprise and confusion. Not SBI and technically not even DSMP, but it’s really good so I’ve decided to rec it anyway.
#dream smp#sleepy bois inc#sbi#fanfiction#fanfic recs#dsmp#technoblade#wilbur soot#philza#tommyinnit#tubbo#dream#ranboo#feel free to suggest more recs#sbi fanfic recs#sbi fanfic
99 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Woman who fell in Love with the Stars - Chapter 4 - Wish Upon a Falling Star
Chapters: [1] [2] [3] 4 [5]
Sneak Peek: Myths about shooting stars granting wishes were thoroughly untrue; shooting stars were as unreal as the wishes they were supposed to grant. A shooting star implies the star continues its trajectory. Yet those brilliant streaks of light in the sky are falling towards earth, burning up in the atmosphere before (often) disintegrating completely.
Wishes to stars were meaningless, you learned that a long time ago, but you supposed the ritual of it all still kept that slowly-dying hopeful fragment of your mind alive. If a star would grant your wishes, that would truly be a miracle. You paused, hands clasped, eyebrows furrowed and eyes screwed tightly shut.
You pondered, searching for something you could ask of the stars that they might grant you. If the stars felt kind—if they would give you just one thing…
Notes: Hi everyone, thank you so much for bearing with my wacky update schedule! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! (Did I really have the audacity to update this chapter on Valentine's day? You bet your pretty face I did.) ❤️
You sighed, contemplating the stars. You lay in a grassy field, a small hill not far from your flat. Whenever you wanted a few minutes of peace outside at night, that was your go-to spot. The grass was soft and the view pleasing. It was the place with the clearest vision of the night sky—your equivalent of a secret hideout.
As a light breeze passed, you pondered your love of the stars. It really was an odd choice. There were so many other things you could have fallen for, so many interesting things right there on Earth, yet what you were most fascinated by were the celestial beings in the sky.
Was this what Icarus felt when he fell in love with the Sun?
The Sun was the brightest star from your perspective, purely through close proximity, yet your fascination lay with the stars light-years away. It would have been less ridiculous to fall in love with the Sun. The Sun could be relied on, it would always appear. You should have fallen for the Sun.
Another sigh fell from your lips.
The pull of starlight was always too great for you to resist. Soft, distant, mysterious. The light of the stars always lured you into chasing more.
But the light from the stars was cold. The Sun was warm, it’s rays holding you, guiding you. The stars were distant. The light of the stars could guide only if the sky was clear. If there was anything to obscure the stars, you would be plunged into darkness. However, even on cloudy days, the Sun’s brilliant light managed to penetrate through the coverage. Even on gloomy days, the Sun would force its way through to let you see.
A bright burst of light shot across the black canvas, bringing your mind back to the stars before your eyes.
A falling star.
You brought your hands together to make a silent wish. Wishes to stars were meaningless, you learned that a long time ago, but you supposed the ritual of it all still kept that slowly-dying hopeful fragment of your mind alive. If a star would grant your wishes, that would truly be a miracle. You paused, hands clasped, eyebrows furrowed and eyes screwed tightly shut.
What were you to wish for?
There was only one streak of light, so you could only wish once.
What would you wish for?
Wishing for the Doctor was unreasonable. Wishes were unreasonable by definition, but to wish for that felt like an utter extreme—like you were tempting the universe to unleash something upon you that you could not yet even imagine. It would be tempting fate.
How were you to wish upon a star that the stars would return your love?
You pondered, searching for something you could ask of the stars that they might grant you. If the stars felt kind—if they would give you just one thing…
You breathed in deeply, your wish made on the exhale leaving your lips.
You wished for the hurt to stop. It almost didn’t matter how. You just wished desperately for the pain to stop.
————
Yaz’s mother held out a drink for you to take, a fresh cup of tea in the white mug. You accepted it gratefully from your chair at her dining table.
“Thank you, Mrs. Khan.” You smiled.
“I told you, Najia is fine. You’ve been Yaz’s friend since the both of you were below my waist!”
You laughed softly, “Sorry, I’m just so used to calling you that, I’m not sure I can call you anything different.”
Najia smiled warmly at you before turning to Yasmin, a slight crease in her brow. “And Yasmin, I told you to bring your friends around more often.”
Yaz rolled her eyes.
Najia sighed, sitting next to Yaz on the couch.
“Are you seeing anyone?“
“Mum, stop.”
“What? You never tell me anything. The only way I seem to get answers is by asking people you know or pressuring you in front of them.”
Your gaze is on Yaz, whose eyes look up to yours, connecting for a moment.
There’s a strange lightness in your chest that lasts for a fleeting second.
That was odd.
Najia casts a glance between you and Yaz. “Are you two together?”
Yaz choked on her drink, sputtering.
“Mum!”
While Yaz had her coughing fit, your hand waved the thought away, a light smile on your lips, “No we aren’t together, Mrs. Khan.”
Yaz’s mother deflated slightly in disappointment for a brief moment before smiling again. “Well, regardless, feel free to stop by anytime, we don’t see you come by as often as we’d like. I feel like you don’t pop on by as often anymore. Yaz never brings her friends around much.”
Yaz groaned, cheeks still red from her lack of air, “That’s because you embarrass me every time I do bring anyone.”
You chuckled into your cup.
Yasmin’s mother waved her off, “I just get worried about you. I want to make sure you’re making friends.”
A long-suffering sigh exited Yaz’s chest. “Mum, I’m not twelve.”
“I just want to see you happy, darling.”
Sonya snorted as she walked into the room, sitting down at the table with a mug in hand, “She’s married to her work, don’t expect her to come home with anybody anytime soon.”
Yaz shot her sister a glare.
Yaz’s mother hummed, “But I would be happy if you find somebody nice to settle down with, If you want that sort of thing. I just want the best for you.”
“Mum, stop it.”
“What? I want grandkids to spoil.”
Yaz moaned into her hands, face flushed.
You laughed cheerfully at Yaz’s expense, a warm smile splitting your face, eyes crescenting with your grin.
“And you never tell me anything, for all I know, you could have been dating her.” Yasmin’s mother nodded your way.
The odd lightness bubbles forth within your breast, quickly dying out again.
Yaz’s eyes flitted to you momentarily, a darker blush settling across her cheeks as she goes back to berating her mother for always being so invested in her love life. “Mum, I told you to stop sticking your nose in my life like that. And don’t bring her into it. She has to deal with enough.”
Your giggles slowly died out in your cup as you took another sip of tea. You look up from the rim of the ceramic, catching Sonya’s gaze.
Sonya studied you with squinted eyes.
Your brows furrowed in confusion, “What?”
Sonya leaned forward from across the table, “I don’t understand why she doesn't just tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
Sonya sighed exasperatedly, “You two are absolutely hopeless.”
“Hey!” You cried indignantly, ”What’s that supposed to mean?”
Yaz walked over, stopping a few paces away from your chair, arms loosely crossed. “What’s going on over here?” Her eyebrow raised, glancing between the two of you.
“Your sister is being cryptic and I can’t tell if I’ve just been insulted or not.” You groaned.
Yaz sighed, exasperation laid into her tone, “Sonya...”
“It’s all right,” you chuckled, “can’t imagine it was that important. Just something about some secret you are apparently keeping from me.”
Yaz’s eyes widened in alarm, glaring at Sonya, “Don’t you dare.”
Sonya rolled her eyes, “I didn’t tell her anything. But you probably should. If for no other reason, it’s almost painful to watch you drool over—”
Yaz’s hand slapped over her sister’s mouth.
“I don’t drool over—” Yaz turned her head slightly, biting her tongue. Her eyes closed as she exhaled heavily through her nose.
“Gaze longingly after? Stare after like a lovesick puppy?” Sonya all but batted her eyelids mockingly.
“Stop.” Yaz’s tone was sharp, her eyes furious.
Sonya shut her mouth.
“Hey,” you interjected warily, “I’m sure it’s all good, yeah? Nobody told anybody anything. Not even sure what this is even about, but we can all be civil here.”
Yaz looked back, her chocolate irises connecting with yours, a kind of urgency and desperation in her eyes you didn’t remember seeing before.
“She really didn’t?”
You shook your head.
“Whatever it is, I can tell it’s important to you, so I won’t push. But do tell me if I can help. You’re my best friend, Yaz.”
Sonya glanced between the two of you.
Yaz let out a resigned sigh.
“Thanks.” She says your name with a strange tint in her tone. You don’t quite know how to place it, so you tuck it away in the back of your head, something to think about later.
You smiled brightly. “Always.”
————
You were running. Your heart pounded in your ears as you lept over a branch that obstructed your path, the forest dark, moonlight casting random splotches of much-needed light through the leaves. You continued to run, not turning your back. Every second you didn’t spend running…
You gasped as something ice-cold wrapped around your wrist, short spikes digging into your arm. You struggled against the firm grasp, the freezing appendage refusing to let go. You turned in the creature’s hold, face pailing.
The face of the creature was bug-like, hexagonal compartments glinting disturbingly in the faint light of the moon. Its long greyish-blue body towered a good two feet over you, head bobbing up and down slightly. The pincers of the creature’s mouth clicked together rapidly in a menacing fashion. You gulped, looking down, the praying mantis-esque arm biting down into your forearm.
The creature raised its other arm, moonlight flashing across the tough exoskeleton. Your eyes snapped shut as it sliced downwards, a cry for help leaving your lips.
You bolt up from your pillow, heart thundering in your chest. Your pulse roared beneath your skin as your eyes rapidly scanned your surroundings. Without thinking, you unlocked your phone and clicked on Yaz’s number, bringing the phone to your ear, still breathing heavily.
As the phone rang, your heart rate slowly began to return to normal.
This was stupid.
Your mind began to process the situation.
What were you doing?
You kicked yourself mentally.
It was just a bad dream and you weren’t six.
You sighed, continuing to harshly berate yourself internally.
You were a grown woman, you didn’t need to call somebody. It was pathetic. It was just a bad dream. It was stupid to call Yaz. It’s not like she could do anything about it—not like you actually wanted her to—but—
Just as you were about to bring your phone down to end the call, Yaz picked up.
You stuttered into the speaker, struggling to come up with an excuse for waking her up at the ungodly hour. “Ahh, sorry. Sorry. I was about to hang up the phone.”
“‘S okay,” Yaz mumbled groggily, “‘S it ‘n emergency? Do ‘ou need an’thing?”
You could hear faint rustling on the other end of the line between Yaz’s sleepy words.
“No. I’m sorry for calling you in the middle of the night. It’s just that I had a nightmare and I woke up, and I don’t know why but I called you and I’m so sorry for waking you up for something as stupid as this and—”
Yaz cut your increasing ramble off, “Shhh-shhh-shhh. ‘S all right. I don’t mind.”
Yaz waited patiently on the other end of the line for you to calm your nerves.
“Do you want t’ talk ’bout it?”
You shook your head, then realizing she couldn’t see you, verbalized your response. “I don’t want to keep you up, but—”
Yaz’s voice was soft, “You’re not a bother. You can tell me.”
You felt tears well up in your eyes. A slight hiccup left your trembling lips.
Yaz called your name out softly. “Are you crying?”
“I’m sorry,” you immediately respond, “Sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
You couldn’t help the last few apologies that slipped past your lips between your shaky breaths.
“Thank you.” You replied faintly, a slight crack in your hoarse voice.
Yaz hummed tenderly into her phone. “Always.”
The nightmare had faded, but your heart was still rapid within your breast.
It was just a lack of sleep. That must be it.
————
The soft smell of grass brushed over you, your eyes roaming the night sky. It was nice out; the stars unobscured.
The slow pulses of light shone, your focus floating amongst the constellations.
Your gaze drifted across the sky, eventually dropping, finding the constellation of Scorpius. So obsessed with the nebula residing just south of the belt of Orion, you hardly paid attention to the main antagonist of the old myth. You followed the curl of the scorpion’s tail. It was fascinating how people came up with shapes from the placement of the stars to tell stories to better understand the world around them.
Your brief thoughts fell to the mythical man that was pasted in the stars. Zeus admired him so much that his image was immortalized in the glittering sky. You wondered if Zeus plastered the Doctor’s image in the stars as well, every thought of the stars becoming thoughts of the Doctor.
The Doctor’s constellation was the entirety of the endless drops of light in the night sky.
If Icarus was doomed to love the Sun, would you forever be doomed to love the stars only to crash back to Earth? The stars had lured you in. You had been drawn in by the stars’ tempting glow. The twinkling lights fanned dreams filled with wonder, dreams of fascination and of love. Your wings were forged from your affections and you flapped towards the heavens, eager to greet the iridescent lights.
With wings tipped in space filled dreams, you flew up towards the stars. But dreams were fragile, crafted from wax and string as the mold to pour your accomplishments into—wings made of feathers and wax do not last. You had flown too close to the sun. The brightest star in the sky burned your wings and let you fall. You were naïve to believe the stars would catch you.
The sun never caught Icarus, and the stars would never catch you.
————
You laughed with glee at the adventure Yaz was relaying to you. The Doctor had taken the gang to a planet that, to instill a sense of contentment amongst its citizens, had a kind of gaseous substance that tricked the brain. If inhaled or eaten, the substance caused people to hallucinate the things they desired the most (or at least in that moment).
The culture of the planet was to treat guests to a banquet, and their culture believed it was a kindness to show people what they desired to see. In theory, it sounded fantastic. In practice, however...
Ryan had apparently started to hallucinate about a large tub of fried chicken following him. You had found the image hilarious, the man swatting at an imaginary container and his outrage that every time he tried to pick up a piece his hand would pass straight through or he picked up some other food that tasted exactly nothing like what he saw. The Doctor had finally deduced that the acceleration of the effect was a chemical most likely contained in the food, so despite the starving fam, none of them were allowed to eat the banquet set before them.
“I was just sitting there, starving for nearly three hours.” Yaz groaned, head falling back, back against your dining room chair. Her eyes had flickered to yours, a small smile of contentment blooming on her features at your elated expression.
You giggled, “Was food the only thing you guys saw?”
Yaz shook her head, sighing. “No. I think for a world like that, those aliens didn’t process the chemical the same as us. They went on with their lives in a generally happy mood, but some of the things we saw after a lot of it got into our system…” Yaz trailed off, her expression dropping, eyes intent upon a spot on the table despite her forlorn features.
You sat forward, prompting Yaz to continue.
Yaz sat, looking intently at her hands, “It started getting really hard to just be there. Graham and Ryan kept on seeing people passing by as Grace. It started not just being objects that we saw or things that made us happy, but things we missed or lost as well. We started seeing people. I felt like I was about to go mad.”
Your brows furrowed.
“You would also see situations… they wouldn’t exactly be hallucinations, but they became so clear in your head that—” Yaz bit her lip. “You thought they would happen, it was so believable, you became almost certain that they would happen. Even if you knew they wouldn’t.”
You wavered, not sure if you wanted to sate your burning curiosity that bubbled at her words. “Did you see anybody?”
Yaz hesitantly nodded.
“Can I ask who?”
Yaz paused.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” you added quickly, “From what you were telling me, it’s probably a touchy topic.”
Yaz looked up before her eyes dropped back to her clasped hands. “It’s alright. It was just a silly wish.”
“Water, water everywhere?” You offered.
Yaz’s gaze fell on your face again, something unreadable in her eyes.
There was most definitely something that came more to mind than just some food she couldn’t eat on the alien planet. There was something she desired that she couldn’t have.
Whatever it was, Yaz deserved to have it.
The thought immediately passed through your head. Yaz had helped you through so much. She deserved any wish she could possibly have.
“Nevermind.” A blush rose to Yaz’s cheeks, her face turning away quickly.
You let it go, though your mind still resting on the rosy hue that adorned Yaz’s cheeks, wondering what—who—she saw.
————
Your eyes meandered across the sky, grass brushing the back of your neck softly. Silver dots across the bluish-black backdrop had you plunged into an internal debate. The past few months had been rough, the sense of abandonment probably the worst of everything you felt. The feeling of being cast aside by the woman you loved still fresh despite the start of the whole ordeal being nearing four months ago.
Had it been already?
It felt like so much longer.
Your eyelids slid closed. Time seemed to pass by so much more slowly when you weren’t always traveling in the blue box.
Yet, despite such thoughts, you were glad for the slow pace. You weren’t sure how well you would have handled it all if you were forced to move through your emotions and faster than you already were.
Gratitude towards Yasmin bubbled in your chest. If it weren’t for your best friend, who knew where you would be. Losing the Doctor was a lot more than just losing a woman you fancied: it was losing the night sky as a whole. It was having to lose the stars.
If you could think of some way to properly repay Yaz, you would do it in a heartbeat. Nothing seemed great enough to repay the woman who helped you through your love with the stars.
When you opened your eyes, a flash of light darted across the velvet sky.
There had been quite a lot of falling stars as of late. You must be passing through the residual line of rocks and ice left from another object orbiting the sun. Thoughts of falling stars filled your mind. Another wish nagged at the back of your head.
You begged the stars to listen to your request. Even if they could do nothing about your own plights, you hoped they would at least listen to this one.
Please grant Yaz’s wish. Please let Yaz be happy.
————
As you sat on the stairs leading up to your apartment next to Yaz, two steaming mugs of cocoa in hand. You offered one to your best friend, who thanked you softly. Your baggy sweater drooped over your body, doing a decent job of protecting your frame from the cool air nipping at your skin. Your cheeks were slightly rosy due to the night air.
“I’m not sure if it’s incredibly bad luck or if this is just some big cosmic joke that the universe is playing for laughs.” You nursed your cup close to your breast, a sigh leaving your chest.
Yaz raised an eyebrow, “What’d you mean?”
You shrugged, “The whole situation, really. Seven and a half billion people on the planet and I fall in love with an alien.”
Recognition lights in Yasmin’s eyes, her gaze quickly averting to her cup, fingers tightening around the handle. “Oh, that. Yeah. Odd how that works out.”
Your dry laugh was mirthless, self-pity in your eyes. “Maybe I’m just not cut out for love.”
You miss how Yaz’s eyes dart across your crestfallen form.
“I mean, there’s an entire world of people I went and fell in love with a star.”
Yaz barely managed to bite her tongue, words nearly tumbling out from between her lips that would be hard for her to take back.
What if you were looking at the wrong stars?
Yaz wasn’t sure if they were words she would want to take back.
“I’m sure there’s a star that would fall for you.”
Your mouth went dry as your eyes connected with Yaz’s, her irises intently on yours.
You quickly shook your head, praying your chuckle didn’t reflect the sudden skittishness you felt well up inside of you, “No, no. I—I’m not worthy of a star.”
A frown tugged at your best friend’s lips. “You’re worth all of the stars. Just because she doesn’t think you’re worth it, definitely doesn’t mean that you’re not.”
Your heart raced in your chest, your palms damp.
Why were you suddenly so nervous?
You quickly turned your head, resting your mouth in your palm to partially cover your face indiscreetly, hoping Yaz hadn’t noticed the heat rising in your cheeks.
“Thank you.” You mumbled into your hand.
Yasmin’s eyes were soft, her kind smile caused your stomach to become impossibly light when you turned back. “You deserve all the stars in the universe.”
You fought the fluttering in your chest.
Your eyes turned to the stars. There was no sadness when you looked at them. For the first time in nearly four months, no melancholy.
The lightness in your breast was just due to looking at the stars.
Your cheeks burned.
It was the same lightness you had when you looked at the stars.
————
You gazed longingly up at the night sky while laying on the grassy hill, dots of light twinkling back. A quick dash of light zoomed past, quickly being swallowed by the darkness as it fizzed out of existence.
A falling star.
You breathed in deeply, the crisp cool night air and the smell of damp grass filling your nostrils.
To you, Yaz was like a falling star. She was there to give you a blazing glimmer when your eyes were glued to the cold glow of the dewy drops in the sky.
Yaz was able to bring the light and gently place it into your hands.
In a world where the stars were trapped above like a spiderweb in the sky, Yaz managed to pluck their rays and set them in your palms.
Myths about shooting stars granting wishes were thoroughly untrue; shooting stars were as unreal as the wishes they were supposed to grant. A shooting star implies the star continues its trajectory. Yet those brilliant streaks of light in the sky are falling towards earth, burning up in the atmosphere before (often) disintegrating completely.
But despite the resolute answer of the myth, Yaz somehow managed to grant nearly everything you could have ever wished for. She cared for you when you were down, she provided company on lonely nights, and she was a shoulder to cry on when the pressure became too much. Yaz was always there, a falling star that landed in your arms. You held out your palms and she landed in an explosion of fireworks.
Your heart fluttered within your breast.
Yaz fell into your reach, she fell from the sky into the mud to bring you back up to look towards the stars. Yaz shone brilliantly, brightly, breathtakingly, beautifully.
Yaz shone like the stars.
————
As Yaz recalled her latest adventure enthusiastically, you could see all the stars of the sky shine in her eyes, all the planets untold, all of the excitement you wished you shared. Your gaze fell slightly, trailing down her face, ultimately landing on her lips. You forced your gaze upwards, berating yourself internally. Yaz was just a friend—your best friend—looking at her like that was inappropriate. Your mind briefly flickered to the Doctor. You had thought that about her, too. Suddenly your mouth tasted bitter.
You didn’t notice the frown that began to tug at your lips. Yasmin’s ramblings halted, noticing your expression.
“Is something wrong?”
You jumped. “What? Nothing, nothing. It’s just,” you weren’t quite sure of how to finish your sentence, “I was remembering something unpleasant.”
Yaz frowned. “Nothing to do with me, I hope?”
You shake your head quickly, “No! Not at all. Of course not. I was just reminded of—I was thinking about—“
“The Doctor?”
Your eyes widened in alarm.
“I’m not an idiot. I can tell.” Yaz smiled sadly at you. “If me talking about my adventures with her makes you uncomfortable I can stop.”
You shake your head vehemently. “God no, I don’t want you to stop. I love hearing about all the things you get to do—get to see. I just wish I could be there with you.” You fiddled with your fingers, eyes glued to your hands in your lap. “I love watching you tell me everything, you always look so excited and happy and—the stars you’ve seen seem to be reflected in your eyes. I feel like I’m there with you, but it makes me wish I could actually have been there too.”
You glanced up from your hands to Yasmin’s face, and you were startled at how intently she was looking at you. You couldn’t quite identify it, but the look of awe and wonder in her eyes made your body tingle. You felt like you were swimming in her dark eyes.
Yaz leaned forward slightly, her eyes still locked with yours. You felt your pulse quicken, breath becoming slightly more erratic. You hoped she didn’t notice. The woman’s eyes briefly fell lower on your face before flickering back up. Your breath caught in your throat.
“I’ve been waiting for so long,” Yaz’s eyes seemed to be searching yours. What she’s looking for you didn’t know—what you were denying to know—refusing to hope. “I thought that it would only be her.” Yaz let out a breath, “I thought that she would be the only one who could match up to the stars in your eyes. The one who you would look at like you looked at that nebula.”
The look of awe Yaz gave you was soft, the emotion in her eyes everything but spoken aloud.
“I never thought I’d ever see you look at me the way you look at the stars.”
You faced her fully, unable to tear your eyes away from her chocolate pools. Yasmin leaned closer, her eyes flickering down again briefly and you lick your lips, her breath lightly fanning against your mouth.
“You need to tell me if you want me to stop because I don’t think I can otherwise.”
You could only swallow thickly in response. Yaz’s chest brushed your shoulder, faces centimeters apart, lips a hair’s breadth away from one another. She slowed, waiting, giving you enough time to decide to pull away before your lips collided.
You didn’t.
Notes: Ah, Yes. Metaphors have a way of taking this story by the throat, don't they? I bet a lot of you are getting pretty sick of my stringing-you-along-at-the-pace-of-an-iceberg shit, aren't you? I try to act badass yet I'm all blushes and giggles and this soft crap is what I post. What a blow to my reputation.
Ahhhh, but if nothing else, the rest of you like the show for its commitment to the stars, the fascination to the heavens and all its endless splendor? Right? Right? Let me and my cheesiness live.
Aaaaaaanyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter! And I love hearing your guys' feedback! I want to know what you loved, what you didn't, what would you possibly shout at anybody in this story as your emotions are put on edge! Please tell me! Until next time, ciao!
Tag List: @oster-hagen , @creativefangirling123 , @wonders-of-the-multiverse , @skittle479 , @actuallyanita
#doctor who#Doctor Who fanfic#13th Doctor#13th doctor x reader#13 x reader#Yasmin Khan#yaz khan#yaz is an amazing character#far too many stars metaphors#I did update this story on valentines#pining#yaz x reader#yasmin khan x reader#haha I bet none of you expected that when you suckers started reading this story#I'm sorry I was joking please don't leave me#the woman who fell in love with the stars#wish upon a falling star
101 notes
·
View notes
Text
Tale 3: Rhodochrosite: Magician Emilia Locket 3/4
(chapter 3. The New Destination 3/4 ) part 1. Stories of Beginnings
None
Emilia spent a whole week in the child custody office while they tried to find her realm and parents. Emilia was not going to tell them anything. she aggressively ignored or teased them with wit and magic. Her case manager had a variety of objects sprayed at her face from seemingly nowhere, which was fine, except for the dice. Those literally kind of hurt. Emilia felt she was heading in the right direction of fame before being taken off the streets. She had just become confident she did not need an adult and was an independent young lady. Something a real responsible independent young lady would not actually assume. Each day Emilia was in that office she sat in a waiting room that smelled of socks and bleach. Across from her, a bruised disheveled boy about a year and a half younger than her, with an eagle on his shoulder, sat like a melting marshmallow. He had deep blonde hair, wore an argyle T-shirt and a worn navy felt trench. When he wasn’t on the brink of tears he stared at Emilia like she was a priceless work of art, which she pretended not to notice. A boy had never looked at her that way, and it was far less romantic then in the movies. “Hi. I’m Emilia, what are you in for?” she joked to break tension.
“oh, hi. I’m Morgan. I’m lost.” He murmured.
“He ran away from an abusive situation in the pursuit of magic. We feel a bit of regret, and crippling anxiety currently. I’m Icarus by the way, young master Morgan’s familiar.” The eagle commented regally.
“holy crap. That eagle talks... is he like a familiar? that’s so cool. So, you’re like a wizard then?” said Emilia. Morgan began to tear a little. “it’s ok! It’s ok! I’m in a similar situation. Just without the child abuse and lost part... I’m a magician! Want to see a trick or two? From the mystical miss Rhodochrosite? Might make you smile!” Emilia suggested In a panic. She felt a bit embarrassed making the fragile boy cry. Emilia wanted to cheer Morgan up. Morgan shrugged. Emilia pulled a hand mirror from the cuff of her pink sweater, and began to pull household objects from it and stowing all of them away in a hat she flicked from her hand, saying things like “oh, that’s where that went!” Emilia finished by pulling a card from Morgan’s lapel and flipping it into a flower bouquet to give to him. He was admittedly very awed. Morgan was thrilled, blushing and agape. Reality had left his bones for a heartbeat. A very cute, talented girl was being very nice to him. He had never seen such magic, nor such human kindness from a stranger. His woe left him for ten whole minutes.
Eventually a social worker came in and said Emilia and Morgan were to be temporally placed in a foster home together, until they could return safely to their home realms. The week they shared in that office had made Morgan develop an awkward crush, and Emilia slowly became endeared by him. They were both relieved to be placed somewhere they had someone magical that they knew. As the year flew by, the two of them spent a lot of time together. If Morgan ever spoke up, it was an impressive enthusiastic rant about the magic and history of his realm. Morgan courageously was trying new spells. Emilia got to watch him unravel from a shy nervous boy into a talented mage. Meanwhile Emilia still tried to get away from school and find a gig. But in her current foster situation, Emilia found herself once again, trapped by age restraints, school and a lack of publicity. In fact, she was so wound up in being with Morgan and building a fan base, that she had completely forgotten about her home. When Morgan’s uncle officially got custody, Emilia had to make a choice; she could go home and deal with her mom dictating her life, or stay abroad with the boy she was falling for. Emilia resisted the notion her and Morgan were starting to feel a bit like more than ‘just friends.’ But Emilia decided to follow Morgan. She charmed her way into Morgan’s home realm. A month after Morgan had left to go back to Ealdan Cynedom, Emilia arrived to give him a sweet embrace and a birthday present. He greeted her with a hug in return and a love confession he didn’t need to make. Emilia as completely on board.
While she was trying to reconnect with him, Morgan had managed to become a powerful mage. He collected a bunch of fey stones to become king mage, bonded to a magical forest, lived a magical tower, went to a magic academy, made mage friends, and had gone through two mentors. With his eyes full of wonder Morgan showed her around the small town. Morgan’s adoration of his worlds magic was contagious. Emilia was happy with her decision. But there was one problem. In a realm full of wizards, mythology, and a medieval history completely different from what she knew, magic was not as whimsical to the public as in Magi_09. Magic here was associated with danger, power and fey. The idea and oddness of her magician dreams, where magic was a game or show, seemed absurd. “Emilia, I know you want to be a magician, and our friends love your tricks, but this world is different. Here magic is serious, and I don’t think most folk will find what you do extraordinary or amusing…they’re not like us.” Morgan said one evening. Emilia felt a bit disappointed. She felt like she was starting all over again. Emilia still hated her mother, had fallen in love, gone back to school, and become happy in her new home. Glory, fame, smiles and applause were no longer her single motivation. Emilia realized she wanted more from life, and in her future. Though Morgan tried to cheer her up, like Emilia had done for him, Emilia cried. She had no idea how she was supposed to be a magician and build a life in a realm like Ealden Cynedom.
NEXT--->
<---PREVIOUS
1 note
·
View note
Text
Firebird | Chap.3
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7
Chapter 3: Trust is a Double Edged Sword
Hyrule’s Icarus is punished for his hubris.
*
He didn't have time for this.
"I don't understand what's gotten your feathers in a twist, so much as to resent my presence to this extent." Revali said, standing awkwardly by the doorway. He threw a quick glance behind him, wondering when Kamori was coming back.
The young Hylian glared at him from her seat in the middle of the room, one hand submerged in a dinged-up bucket of water. The heat from her palm was causing the liquid to simmer, steam rising from the surface. Her pointed ears were turning red.
"People generally don't respond kindly to the bird responsible for nearly murdering them."
Revali scowled.
He expected this to be over by now. Meet the enchanter, whatever that was, set a good impression, add “acquired blade of fire” to the sprawling list of accomplishments in his journal, and be home in time to prepare dinner.
Nothing is ever easy, is it?
He strolled past her, walking towards one of the bookshelves near the back wall and plucking a random tome from Kamori's collection. "Then perhaps now you'll think twice before you decide to carelessly trapsise through another forest."
Ah, if looks could kill. A loud pop and fizzle echoed in the room as the water in the bucket transitioned into a rolling boil. He rubbed a feather in the space between his eyes, exasperated.
Revali believed as one of the more well-travelled and seasoned warriors of the Rito tribe that he had seen his fair share of anomalies, many of which were unexplainable or untethered to the fundamental laws that the Goddess Nayru had blessed them with. Hyrule, with all its strange monsters, rotting treasures, and drab prophecies, was beginning to become rather predictable.
He didn’t even blink when Chief Kamori summoned him to his office a few days prior, informing him that a young enchanter from the mountains of Akkala was en route to the village. With her, a dagger forged from the knowledge of the Sheikah and imbued with the gift of flame.
It had the ability to cut through the toughest of enemies with ease, he remembered Kamori explaining, and critically injure the ice monsters that usually frequented their neighbouring Hebra Highlands with little as a single blow. It was extraordinary, extremely powerful, and almost impossible to break.
He stopped listening at the point the Chief began a speech as to how an alliance like this would be momentous for the village yes, yes, diplomacy and all that entails...It wasn't hard to grasp. Enchanters exist and one of the only two known alive today was on their way to give him a magic dagger. Done. Noted.
He had bigger fish to fry. His mind at the time sank, lifted, and flew, drifting to the various aerial techniques he had analyzed that morning, wondering despite all these new successes, if he was any closer to achieving a breakthrough.
Unfortunately, fickle as fate was, the same scuffed Hylian that he had met yesterday was none other than the enchanter herself. Albeit, with less dirt on her face and far angrier than he expected. She stood there, gaping like a beached trout.
Then, a minute after he stepped into the room, her hand decided to burst into flame.
Revali felt his composure careen into a wall. All manner of diction suddenly escaping him. His confusion manifesting as a simple, ill thought out statement.
Well, that is certainly something you don’t see everyday.
Farore must have been smiling down upon them as nothing else in the wooden hut caught flame, save for the sacred tapestry which hung over the back wall, its fringe set alight.
The guard, Talako, flew into the room after detecting the scent of burning cloth from outside, managing to stamp out the flame with his talons. He didn’t seem as surprised, muttering “Knew she was trying to set fire to something ,” under his breath as the last of the flames went out. The damage was minimal, merely singeing some of the fibres and blackening the tassels, but the enchanter sure knew how to clear a room.
Chief Kamori had immediately ordered Talako to scout the village for water to neutralize the woman’s flaming hand, before leaving the office himself with an excuse that he had to retrieve an item of importance.
Which brings us back to the present: the enchanter’s hand in a bucket and Revali left behind with a rather hostile conversation partner.
"See it this way." Revali called over his shoulder as he thumbed through a particularly dry recollection of Tabantha Wheat and Why We Knead Them . "Keep this up, and perhaps you'll need to find another warrior worthy to take on your enchanted bucket."
“That’s not how it works!”
He looked at her. “Right, I forget that setting harmless objects on fire was rather essential to the task.” He detected the exact moment when anger shifted into resentful bitterness on the Hylian’s face as the words left his beak, the small whisper of grief in her eyes almost making him take it back.
The enchanter gritted her teeth. "You’re an asshole,” she growled. The water in the bucket sloshed. “But that’s not the only reason why you aren’t worthy. I’m not sure if you and your Chief fully understand, but it is more than my opinion that matters. You just don’t feel,” she scratched the back of her neck in frustration, “you just don’t feel right !” Goddesses preserve him. “I know this dagger will reject you in an instant.”
With that she stood up, adjusting the yellow bandana on her head with a small sigh. The woman removed her hand from the bucket, using the edge of her grey tunic to dry it. She glanced up and seemed to flinch from the judgement in his eyes, tearing her gaze away and choosing to look upon the burnt tapestry instead.
They stood in silence for a few minutes, the only sound being the ambient noise of the village below, idle chatter and a child’s laugh carried upward by the wind. He flipped a page in his book. So forces beyond her own were at play here, yet she was able to discern his unworthiness based on her own subjective feeling. What does that even mean?
Revali briefly caught the thick line of scar tissue running across the top of her hand before it was hidden from him by the confines of charred leather. The enchanter fiddled with the button of her ruined glove, giving up and lifting her pack with a defeated grunt.
She shook her head. "I should go. I don't want to waste your village and Chief Kamori’s time any longer," she said, voice quiet.
He opened his mouth, mocking reply at the ready, when the bells chimed from outside, the sound of heavy talons clicking across the floorboards. The presence of another person in the room caused Revali and the Hylian to startle, turning their heads to the doorway.
Master Kamori had returned, downy grey feathers rustling as he ducked under a low hanging beam, gripping an object in one of his wings. "Hoo! Forgive me, that took longer than expected. Brazen Beak was uncharacteristically busy at this time of day.”
He tilted his head when he spotted the woman with her pack slung behind her, expression rather regretful.
“Do not worry yourself, young enchanter," the Chief said to the Hylian. "Your presence here inconveniences no one." Evidently, he had heard what she’d said earlier. One would suspect his Chief for eavesdropping, but Revali knew the bird had exemplary hearing ever since his injury.
The enchanter opened her mouth, no doubt ready to protest, but Kamori calmly stopped her by holding out a wing. A small object he couldn’t quite see rested in his palm.
"A gift," he smiled at her questioning look.
Chief Kamori unfurled his feathered appendages, revealing what was a tan, leather glove. “Tabantha moose leather, sturdy, but enough aeration to avoid your fiery hand from overheating.” The Rito sigil was stitched into its surface. Unscratched and unmarred, it was of Rito make but for Hylian hands. Inara’s doing, probably, Revali thought. The man always had a soft spot for tourists.
"Thank you," the enchanter’s voice was slow, cautious. "How much is it?"
"Free," Kamori laughed. "Hoo! As all gifts are. It is to replace your old one."
The woman froze in place. She stared at the glove as if it were a stone pebblit about to sprout arms and break her nose with a well-timed rock hurl. Revali's frown deepened from behind his book, noticing how the Hylian's hands lightly shook as her eyes flicked from the glove, to the tapestry behind them, then back up to the Chief . Several emotions crossed her face.
Valoo’s Crooked Teeth just accept it already!
As if in hearing his thoughts, in a flurry of sudden movement the enchanter whipped around to face him, so fast he wondered if she cracked her neck. He felt her glare rather than saw it, sharp as the row of throwing knives strapped to her chest. The temperature in the room began to shift.
Nonplussed, he continued to read, feeling not a single ounce of concern. Was it always this humid?
“One feather.” She said.
Revali didn’t let a second pass. “Kindly clarify that statement?” he started, still not looking at her. “Are you referring to my feathers? Chief Kamori’s? Or perhaps even the ones decorating the rafters outside. I’ll be sure to ask the hatchlings during the next molt-”
Shwing!
The unmistakable sound of a blade sliding from its sheath met his ears, grabbing his attention and making him look up with a raised brow.
There she stood, facing him completely, expression of intense determination. The enchanted dagger was held tight in her gloved hand, blade exposed to the free air, already emitting a low hum and heat which filled the room and dissipated the surrounding chill.
She was surprisingly deft in handling it- the dagger he meant, not her expression. Gloved fingers danced around the hilt as she spun the knife, turning the sharp end to face her while its handle pointed to his beak. She began to cross the room.
“I’ll permit the dagger to pass judgement onto you, Pride of the Rito." The way she enounced his title was no different to how one would sound after eating something particularly repulsive. It made his anger flare, but he was quick to taper it as he caught Kamori’s warning expression.
The enchanter stood before him now, close enough that he could smell the burnt leather again. "However! You may only touch it with a single feather. I may be its maker but," she hesitated, worry flashing across her eyes before it was quickly overtaken by her steely gaze once again. "I don’t know exactly what will happen should it reject you."
Revali snapped the book he was holding shut, placing it back into its place on the shelf. Without a second thought, he extended a wing out, filled to the brim with confidence.
The dagger was exquisite, blistering orange and as red as war. A low, humming energy surrounded it, encasing the blade like an invisible shield. A cloud moved to cover the sun as he reached, filling the room in momentary shadow. Like sunlight on fractured glass, the visible elemental energy from beneath the knife’s surface cast splintered warm lights on the wooden walls and floorboards. It illuminated the enchanter’s face, emphasising the lift of her cheekbones and the burnt umber of her eyes in a way he hadn’t seen earlier. Revali reined in his focus, quickly discarding the thought.
The buzzing in his ears increased as his wing edged closer. He could then actually feel the energy surrounding. It repelled his outstretched feathers away like a magnet would to its like pole. A warning.
It did little to deter him. If anything, it more so irritated and prompted his insistence. So he pushed further, the invisible barrier relenting and parting ironically like water, around the end of one of his blue feathers. He reached out and brushed the dagger’s pommel.
Nothing happened.
Revali smirked. “Are Hylians always of such little faith? Or is it just you- argh!”
The low hum once a benign annoyance in his ear increased in volume to become a grating, monstrous roar. As this happened, a burning sensation began from his outstretched feather, and raced up the length of his wing and shoulder, making him reel back in pain. He felt dizzy, the room blurring and spinning. Like his nerves were suddenly set alight. It was excruciating.
Immediately, the dagger was stashed away. Someone in front of him gasped and Revali felt gentle, shaking hands reach for his wing. It was the enchanter. He quickly backed away. “I’m fine,” he hissed.
Revali took two deep breaths, then straightened up. He willed himself to relax, noting with displeasure at how some of his feathers stood on end. Damn it all. He scanned his wing for any damage, flexing his primaries to assess for changes in his range of movement.
As expected, he was relatively unharmed. Everything looked to be where it should, all except for a single feather. The one that made contact with the blade, singed black and as fragile as ash.
Feeling another pair of eyes on him, other than that of the enchanter who had now resorted to bumbling apologies as she tried to glimpse at the damage on his wing, Revali nodded, signalling to the Chief that he was alright. Kamori was wise enough to know that it would take greater things to phase him, but having been taught by the old Rito for most of his life, it was easy for Revali to tell that he was worried. No matter how aggravatingly calm the old man appears to be.
Revali ignored the panicked woman in front of him, reaching for the dagger. “It’s nothing serious. Let me try again.”
“No!”
The Hylian shook her head, shouldering her pack and backing away. Her eyes were wide as a frightened mountain doe. "I'm sorry Chief Kamori. I can't stay. I know Teacher won’t be happy but I don’t deserve your kindness. After all the patience you've shown me even though I burned-"
"The winter solstice." The Chief said.
"What?"
Two pairs of eyes were upon him.
Revali noticed belatedly that he and the Hylian had spoken at the same time. "Go on," he grumbled, slightly embarrassed.
Kamori flashed him a warning glance, directing his attention back to the woman. "Stay until the winter solstice," he repeated, gesturing to the land outside the many windows and to the village below. "That is all I ask. You have travelled all this way, my conscience cannot rest if you were to leave now without taking time to recuperate and collect supplies for the journey ahead of you."
The winter solstice, Revali repeated in his head. That was in a month. Two weeks was generally enough time for someone to rest, restock and recuperate. A month was more, if not plenty. He leaned against the bookshelf, eyes trained to the Chief and enchanter. He narrowed his eyes. What are you playing at, Master Kamori?
“Here.” From the corner of his eye, Revali could see Kamori holding the new glove out once more to the Hylian woman. This time, the old Rito placed a comforting wing on her shoulder, making the enchanter jump as she peered up.
“I will send news to Nisandrey. And do not worry yourself, no mention of what occured with the tapestry will leave this hut.”
The Chief smiled down at her encouragingly, as a grandfather would to a fledgling before its first flight. "Perhaps you'll find another warrior to take on this dagger in that time," Kamori said, voice light in an attempt to ease the low mood of the room. "Hooo! Or maybe you'll even find a way to forgive Young Revali for his previous transgressions. Although I’m still unsure of what exactly occurred in your first meeting, perhaps another time..."
Revali lifted his head from the sound of his name, guessing from the Hylian's expression that "don't hold your breath" was a unanimous thought shared by the both of them.
At least we are in agreeance of one thing.
The enchanter was quiet for a moment.
"Alright," she said after a breath. The Hylian accepted the glove with unnecessary gentleness and placed it in one of her coat pockets. “I will."
"Hooo! Splendid." Kamori smiled.
“But if this,” she pointed to the rune, “and this,” she pointed to her dagger, “cause any more issues, I will understand if you want me gone from this village sooner than what was agreed upon.”
“I don’t believe it will come to that, but I will keep it in mind, child.”
"Thank you, Kamori. For the glove and for…," she stuttered. She looked at Revali, fumbling through an apology "Sorry about your…," she gestured awkwardly.
“It’s nothing,” he said, perhaps too acerbically as she took a small step back.
"All is forgiven,” the Chief replied. “However, I will be honest in that I am exercising more caution in handling this matter from here on out, enchanter. It is unfortunate but we are lucky it was but a single feather."
The Chief waved a wing at the tapestry as if to dispel the heavy mood weighing down the air. "Let us put this behind us. And if it’s the tapestry you are worried about, I’m sure that the Divine Valoo is pleased that his fire has managed to jump so well from the page. Hoo, it looks very realistic now doesn't it?"
"The scent very much so," Revali muttered.
His eyes strayed to the windows again, noting how high the sun still sat in the sky. It was past noon, but enough daylight left for him to complete most of his training regiment and errands. He still had some time left to muster some productivity and make up for this interruption.
He felt someone watching him. Revali looked down, noticing that the Hylian was looking at him, brown eyes dark as murky pools of water. Two can play at that game . He stared back at her with equal attention, cocking his head to the side.
She was first to speak. "We've met before but I don't think I've ever told you my name."
"No," he said, "I don't think you have."
"Maiya."
"Revali."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Revali." As she said this, she carefully removed the ruined glove from her left hand. She paused in her movements, remembering what had just transpired a few minutes ago, sighed and shook her head.
After a minute of deliberation, she surprised him by extending her left palm to him anyway, all five fingers flat and pointed to the sky. Inwardly, Revali smirked. How formal of you, Enchanter.
He stared at her outstretched hand for a second, the rune at its top glowing as if in challenge. Tentatively, he held out his wing, minding the burnt primary as his feathered appendages positioned themselves in a way to mirror hers.
As his wing met the flat of her palm, he was surprised to feel no sting, but only warmth. As if he held a heated stone once plunged into a fire, whose hot embers had now since burned away. Her bare fingers met the blue of his feathers, rough and calloused, joining them in what was the traditional Hyrulean greeting.
"Likewise, Maiya." He said despite himself.
It may have been a trick of the light, but a part of him couldn't help but notice how her hand seemed to glow a fraction brighter as he spoke her name.
Revali was not one to do things by halves. He was sure of his strength just as he was sure of the sun rising in the east every morning. He wasn't blessed by any cosmic being with powers beyond that of nature's laws. No divine goddess had bestowed upon him a task which required him to be the best of his kin. He simply was and will be. And if he had to prove himself to cement his title, even to a glorified knife of all things, then so be it.
He'll show her what a true, worthy warrior looks like.
#revali#botw#breath of the wild#revali x oc#loz botw#legend of zelda#botw fanfiction#revali botw#rito#rito botw#botw fic#fanfiction#writing#enemies to friends to lovers#paellaplease#firebird botw#maiya botw
25 notes
·
View notes
Text
Tagged: All about me and fanfic
Thank you for tagging me @dragonnan! My fan fic history is a long one... and in three fandoms. Which is why most of this will be under a cut for anyone who has a lot of time to waste. And is morbidly curious. But there’s some (okay, dozens) of fanfic recs for three fandoms under there too, sooooo.
Tagging at the top so you don’t have to read my verbose-ness if you don’t want to: @amethyst-noir @cairistiona7 @mdcbd @phierie if you’re interested in giving it a shot :)
1. At what age did you start writing fanfiction?
13. You can still find my earliest works online, too; I kept up anything that wasn't completely deplorable (though fanfiction.net deleted my stupidly popular, several hundred reviews of a story I did in 2004 because it was script format. The bastards xD Popular with all the little kids).
2. Who is your favorite author?
Lmaooooo what a question. Okay so for three fandoms. The big thing that’s common between all my favorite authors is that romance is not a primary genre with any of these writers. So if you like gen (of all genres) you’ve come to the right post.
If anyone here is a LOTR book fan (especially Aragorn), let me direct you to storiesofarda.com. It’s an old site, not even mobile friendly. Anyway, go read the works of Cairistiona and Meckinock. If you're more into hobbits and anything fluffy, go read Shirebound. That I remember their names since I was last active in fanfic in LOTR in 2011 speaks to their quality. I've had the honor of meeting Shirebound several times in real life as well, this last time in New York back in April after several years apart (though I'd like to meet Cair one day for sure, as well). I had a lot of favorites years ago but I’d need to reread the old stuff to see what still lives up to my expectations.
Scanning my favorites in Sherlock, Jolie Black , CaffeineKitty, and hollyesque on AO3. Stillwaters1, chappysmom, Radon65, and Morgan Stuart from fanfiction.net. But I have a couple favorite stories from authors who only wrote a couple fics (below).
Now the MCU (okay basically Doctor Strange, let’s be honest), on AO3: Grim Revolution and merrywil (the latter is pretty new and needs a hell lot more attention, she is a great writer). I love those long, introspective character one shots. There's not a lot of authors who don't focus on romance in the MCU with Stephen as a main character -- indeed, it’s partially nonexistent -- so shorter list. ElenaCee wrote some great stories just after the first film but has sadly moved onto other fandoms.
Dragonnan on AO3 is currently my favourite whump writer. Two of my fandoms and lots of my favorite tropes. I feel spoiled. My favorite romance-is-their-primary-genre writer is amethyst-noir for her characterization of Stephen combined with the oh-so-fun (for us) scenarios.
3. Favorite type of scene to write?
I can usually tickle myself quite a bit when I get some really great situational comedy into a story. I can never be fully an angst/whump writer because I adore comedy. So yeah, situational comedy for sure.
4. What is your favorite fanfic?
Stop asking me these questions ahhh. Okay so I'll be mentioning fanfics not by any of the authors listed above (which are in my most favorite stories too but, well, their works are all favorites anyway. Just look at all their works in said fandom for more favorites if you’re lacking reading material and have similar tastes. And once you’re done reading all the works by those authors, come back here for more. Seriously, read the authors above).
I listed these fics in alphabetical order because that seemed most fair.
LOTR (Most are book-verse. I need to reread a lot of these. Most of these authors have several works for the fandom, though I think each of these particular stories have Aragorn as a primary character):
A Proper Course of Action by GadFlyGirl (absolutely hilarious one-shot after Helm’s Deep about ‘the Denethor situation’)
Across the Years by MistyC (a very creative and well-written story that spins an old cliche in a much more interesting way)
Butterbur and the King by Eledhwen (fantastic character one-shot from one of my favorite minor characters)
Conversations with the King by athelas63 (great characterizations, good healing scenes)
Conversion by Pentangle-linnon (for everyone who says that first person can’t be done in fanfic - read this one-shot, then tell me what you think now. A work of pure brilliance)
Crossroads of Light and Shadow by Mirach (this one I recommend simply for the creativity alone; the art she was able to execute with the text in flipping fanfiction.net is really mind-boggling. Very creative!)
Doomed to Live by fliewatuet (it was never completed, but it’s so freaking good that I am putting it here anyway)
For Every Evil by Mirrordance (fantastic modern incarnation AU that spun out into a series)
Greet the Dawn by Neoinean (a great, very long long-shot with two characters meeting and it’s just a great combination of humor and angst. More great characterization)
Helping Strangers by Imaginigma (fantastic one-shot, really interesting OCs, a wonderful scenario)
In Shadow Realm by Legolass Q (original concept, well-developed characters, engaging plot, truly magnificent)
Light Fingers by Aearwen22 (I think this is the only fic here that doesn’t star Aragorn- he’s a pretty minor character. Brilliant brilliant characterizations of the OCs and a look of a part of society often ignored in LOTR fan fic)
Pale-Faced Tark by Carafinwe (everything by this author is brilliant, but the visceral imagery she managed to capture in two short chapters here still blows my mind)
The Patient by Scribe (another fantastic modern incarnation AU that spun out into a series)
Ransom by MP brennan (man I just continue to see how much the LOTR fandom completely spoiled me with all of these brilliant, plotty fics. Another original concept with brilliant OCs and fantastic execution)
Shattered Stones by MCat711 (a very creepy, original, well-executed one shot that keeps you guessing the whole way through)
The Weight of Power by Nefhiriel (does it follow canon as established by the Appendices? No. Do I care? No. The story’s absolutely fantastic and makes those small discrepancies mean nothing. This was also the first story I ever drew fan art for. I then made something for Shirebound a year later, then didn’t make anything again until that Ebony Maw piece I posted a bit back)
With Hope and Without Hope by docmon (AU scenario in that the Three Hunters are captured while trying to rescue the Hobbits. Very well-thought out and compelling plot, fantastic characterizations all around)
Sherlock:
Annie’s Song by Berouge (One of the only romantic-leaning fics listed here [Sherlolly], but that is due to its excellent characterization and execution. Creative one-shot.)
The Case of the Missing Bus Ticket by Unsentimentalf (I think I burst a rib laughing to this story. Long one-shot. Situational humor at its finest)
Constantly by thesignofserbia (great one shot concerning Serbia)
Drowning by Dayja (I like a lot of her stuff. Angsty.)
Firestorm by Dustbunny13 (This is... beyond words. So gorgeous. I adored it from beginning to end. Have read a few times. Sometimes accept it as season 3 alternate canon, it’s just fantastic)
Fortune and Bust by ThessalyMc (a wonderful gap-filler fic, very similar to a lot of my favorite authors listed above in quality and type of content)
The Green Blade by verityburns (excellent case fic)
The Holiday by Scriblit (both whumpy angst and humor and case fic? Yeeeessss. Another I’ve read several times.)
Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus by Caitlin Fairchild (another Serbia fic? Yes predictable of me)
London Orbital (another story, very long one-shot, where I burst a rib laughing)
Rigging screws, size 1 3/8 inch, galvanised by AJHall (another excellent case fic)
World Enough, and Time by StoneWingedAngel (an excellent and creative execution of a trope that you'll realize by the time you get to day three)
Doctor Strange (unless stated otherwise, they’re all one-shots. Need more multi-chapter fics... or just gen Stephen content in general):
The Architect by mudgems (a great what-if with Stephen, Loki, and the Time Stone)
Born of the Same Impulse by GwendolynStacy (WIP multi-chapter. Time stone shenanigans send Stephen and Tony back to just before Ultron and a few months after the car accident, but before Kamar-Taj [the accident happens in 2015 rather than 2016 for this to work. It’s brilliant])
Citizen Erased by Imagined (WIP multi-chapter. One of the only romance-is-a-major-genre story [ironstrange] on the list, but the plot concept is incredibly unique, the mystery is being unraveled so wonderfully well, and the collection of characters is really fantastic and in-character.)
The End of Infinity by FriendlyNeighborhoodFangirls (WIP multi-chapter. It’s canon compliant, only Stephen does a fantastic trick after canon and snatches Loki from the claws of death to go back to 2016 and fix everything. Peter, Tony also co-star. I am very much looking forward to where this goes)
Extracurricular Activities by EmptyHead (I am cheating here and linking a series. But it’s so damn creative, and while Stephen plays a big role, he’s definitely not the starring character. Synopsis is that MJ learns the mystic arts. It’s really brilliant!)
Geniuses by decotex (Stephen Strange's and Tony Stark's backstories, published before IW came out)
Hearth Sorcery by keshwyn (Another cheat here with a series of 5 one-shots, but this is too excellent and undervalued not to link. Excellent OC and world-building, highly recommend)
Holiday Magic by KarToon12 (Stephen plays Santa Claus for sick kids. It's adorable)
i hope you hold the mirror up (to show me what i chose) by CallicoKitten (Stephen and Tony being assholes to one another, published way before IW. I love it)
Like an Old Coat by ValmureEld (Could definitely see this as a follow up scene to the events in the Doctor Strange film. Great character interaction sequence)
Magic In Our Veins by Luna_Heart (the lack of Loki and Stephen interaction stories is criminal. Absolutely criminal. I want more!)
The Night’s First Watch by fathomfive (omg this is so good. So so so good. Excellent character study, I can’t recommend it enough)
of coffee and (questionable) first impressions by Phierie (Ooohh I love this alternate first meeting lots. Beat up on monsters and a coffee break after the work. Great stuff)
Project Code 131793 by StrangeMischief (Absolutely haunting and incredibly well-executed AU. I would adore to see more in this universe, it is so interesting)
Replay by INMH (the horror of Dormammu and coping with it)
You’ve Got Mail by Jadesfire (it’s about the mail situation with the Sanctum. What is not to love about that concept)
5. What tags do you avoid like the plague?
A/B/O, mpreg, not Mary friendly (for Sherlock), not Team Cap friendly, anti-Steve, anti-Wanda (or similar). Any of that anti-character bullshit, but in the MCU those are the two I see the most (and so probably make me rage the most. I once saw anti-T’Challa for instance and that just confused me more than anything). A bit of a rant in the next two paragraphs (I have Strong Feelings on this topic).
I don't tolerate the anti-character crowd. I really don't. Disliking a character is one thing and completely normal (I have my own list), but expanding time and energy to write just how much this character sucks is mind-boggling (and tends to make for really shitty fanfic. So you create a strawman villain of the character you hate for your favorite character to go against? Good job, you’ve made your favorite character appear entirely too stupid to deal with a well-developed character in conflict, and have made your favorite character 2D. Have a gold star). Your energy can be used elsewhere that isn't focused on hate. If you hate the character but aren’t creative enough to present them as anything but a strawman in your writing, don’t bother. Create an OC for your antagonist instead. Stop making canon characters so ridiculously OOC.
The real world is too filled with negativity to have it as part of a major focus in my fandom experience. It actually really, really bothers me that I cannot save a filter that automatically excludes all those anti tags as they haven’t been canonicalized on AO3. What perhaps bothers me even more is the number of kudos those hate-filled fics with incredibly OOC characters receive. The hypocrisy in this crowd is just astounding when you start pointing out the flaws in their favorite characters, too (FYI: All well-developed characters have flaws. I love Stephen Strange for his flaws. Before Stephen made his debut, Tony Stark was my favorite for similar reasons. It makes them INTERESTING).
Anyway, rant over.
6. What AU do you wish to write but feel like you won’t manage?
If I really really really want to write something, I'll write it. That said, there are things that I don't plan to write that I would adore reading (like that unfinished Stephen travels to the HP universe in Harry's fifth year fic ahhhhh I want that it would have made the 5th year so much better. Maybe if I bribe the original writer with fan art... wardmason you’re killing me).
7. Do you outline, or write as you go?
Depends. The outlines only tend to come into play for long stories with several scenes, and writing tends to happen first before outlining.
8. What has been your favorite story to write so far? Why?
Such hard questions! Uhhh I had great fun writing in my youth but I can barely remember it. Within this last year, uh... can I just say all of them? I've written about 100k in 6 months, I'm clearly enjoying myself here. I’ve had vibrant moments of delight in writing or planning several of them.
9. Do you prefer to write one-shots or multi-chapters? Why?
Both. Just depends on the story I want to tell and how long that story is saying it should be. I like posting a variety too; have one-shots coming out while I am working on the longer stories in the background.
10. What is your favorite kind of comment?
Oh those deep analytical ones that clearly took time to write. They're so lovely and really make my day. Every fanfic writer knows exactly what type of comment I am talking about.
11. Why did you start writing fanfiction? Why are you still writing?
I started because I had just seen the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie and I really liked the characters (before the sequels ruined them in various capacities) and I thought, "I should put them in Middle-earth!" 45 chapters and 7 years later that damn fic got completed (after dozens and dozens of rewrites as my writing abilities improved over the years).
Now, it's because I really enjoy writing and I like playing in copyrighted playgrounds with characters and worlds I love. Yeah, I could write an original novel, but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun.
20 notes
·
View notes
Text
The God of Bath Review
This review, by current standards at least, could be considered a “Quality Drop”, but i still wanted to post it anyway.
With that said, I hope you like the review!:
.
.
.
.
Intro Sequence
It’s official description reads:
“Heo Sae, wants to be the best person in spa massage and scrub, has battles with others.”
And if you want to suck out all the nuance, then that is the simple premise on which all 30 episodes of this manhwa are built on but let’s spruce this up a bit
“God of Bath” follows Heo Sae, a narcissistic jobless college grad that’s found himself indebted to a loan shark because he keeps trying to chase the chic city life of Seoul, South Korea. After being bailed out of his debt by the Chairman of ‘Geumja Public Bath’ because he has the hands of Taemirus also known as the God of Bath. Heo must work off his debt by participating in the ‘Bath Star M’ contest, the winner will be crowned the best “Ttaemiri”, given 300 million won in prize money and a luxury Sedan
Side note: Ttaemiri - a professional scrubber who scrubs down in bathers in a public bathhouse
Setting:
The primary location of ‘God of Bath’ is the ‘Geumja Public Bath’. A giant Pyramid in the middle of a town, also I know I’m colourblind but is it just me or does the colour look oddly like...hmmm(*sound of running water*).
The comic skews heavily in using 3D renders coupled with some drawn over assets and while these shots aren’t my favourite they’re hardly the point. Most of the art in God of Bath seems to serve the purpose of giving you an appreciation of the world Heo Sae envies and wishes deeply to be a part of. It sets the stakes for what he stands to lose if he loses the Bath Star M contest. Thus = This could be due the fact that regardless of which type of comedy I categorized this webtoon as, it’s still a comedy, and I didn’t start reading so I could find exceptional art, but the poor 3d models somehow compliments the art that is actually drawn. Maybe its the simplistic art and lack of drawn detail. Whatever it is, it works.
Characters:
God of bath is home to a cavalcade of characters.
First there’s Heo Sae - The Humbled Narcissist:
( ^ Chapter 1)
He is a narcissistic college grad, who in the 8th grade decided to move to Seoul Korea to put distance between himself and inheriting his late father's bath business. He is a trend chaser and deeply cares about keeping up appearances. Despite giving off an egotistical demeanor, he is still a respectful person.
Then we have Kang Hae - A Traditional Professional:
( ^ Chapter 3 )
Kang Hae is a traditional Ttaemiri, who is diligent and is strict about safety. Kang Hae is introduced as Hae’s ideal endpoint if he devotes himself to “Tae” the art of scrubbing. He is an earnest individual with no sympathy for those that look down on Ttaemiri, or the dreams of others. It’s revealed during the second round of the ‘Bath Star M’ contest that the chairman had to retire after hurting his right arm protecting Kang. An example of this would be when he responds to Hae downplaying the skills of Ttaemiri in an attempt to not look as shameful about his loss in the Bath Combat (Chapter 4)
And then theirs his Kanh hae’s Rival, Kim Seonggong - The Icarus of Ttaemiri
( ^ Chapter 16′s Beginning Art )
Is an Elite Ttaemiri, whom unlike Kang Hae, seemed to have grown up under normal circumstances, but chose to become a Ttaemiri regardless. During a bath seminar, he debuts a “bath paddle”, which is a curvy white knife, to scrub off the dead skin of a homeless man. After the demonstration, Kang asks Seong why he is so eager to succeed. Kim responds in kind, “People tend to reach higher places… Should there be a reason for that?” Because of his desire to succeed, he can be seen as an opportunist. As he will tend to as many VIP’s as possible, postponing the regulars he would usually scrub.
Immersion:
Now, right off the bat, It may seem weird to be discussing Immersion in relation to the comedy genre on webtoon, but hear me out:
Generally there are two ways comedy is portrayed in webcomics,
Stories where consequences are never/very occasionally carried over into the following episodes, think Garfield
Stories where consequences are carried over and the character roster is unchanging, think
‘God of Bath’ falls under the latter, meaning that although its jokes are a major selling point of the webcomic itself, it still has an ongoing plot that you can attach yourself to and enjoy. Although I have read webtoons like ‘God of Bath’, I found myself forgetting that it was mainly categorized as a comedy. This isn’t to say that it isn’t funny, but the webtoon treats the plot as important as the humour it presents.
2. Execution (Is it funny?):
When thinking about the execution of ‘God of Bath’, we’d naturally have to think about 3 things. The jokes considering that it's under “Comedy”, the “Arc” that Heo Sae goes through, and the logistics of anything “bath” related that this webcomic is asking you to accept (which I will explain why it is important to any degree in a bit).
But first, the funny ha ha moments. Naturally, no matter how objective I want to be about this section. Whether or not this webtoon is funny is completely up to YOU, the reader. That being said, throughout the time I was reading these 30 episodes, I found myself often smiling. Referring back to the art, the way Creator Ilkwon draws Heo Sea is unique enough to the point where I can’t help my face just lock into a grin.
Moving on to Heo’s unintentional journey towards bettering himself, “God of Bath” is surprisingly realistic with the way certain situations unfold in the story, despite it being a comedy. In the span of 30 episodes, Heo is somehow completely unrecognizable when compared to his chapter 1 counterpart. Honestly, there is way more nuance in this webcomic than it really should have. I say it like it's a negative, but it's honestly just unexpected. Especially since the webcomic doesn’t wear a message on it’s sleeve.
Finally, the logistics of anything bath related. If I’m going to be honest, if God of Bath’s “logic”, wherever there is, when it comes to scrubbing was 100% false, I wouldn’t really bat an eye to it. Because scrubbing is more of a device used to progress the plot rather than as a selling point for the story. Which is weird considering that all bath related activities is what makes God of Bath, ‘God of Bath’. The fact that Geumja public bath is able to disguise itself as the centerpiece of the webcomic instead of Heo’s arc in the comic, all the while both being enjoyable to read regardless, makes the Webtoon succeed, and properly deserve being among the list of Originals on the site.
3. Style:
I already touched upon the quality of the webtoons setting, so the main focus will go towards the art of the cast themselves and how it translates towards telling the story.
‘God of Bath’’s art can be summarized through this one panel of Heo Sea (Chapter 3):
Although Ilkwon Ha has a decent grasp on how to draw his characters, it never stops him from drawing absurd versions of the cast. But more importantly than that, he doesn’t always stay consistent with the way he draws gags. There are multiple combinations or versions of some gags that it never really feels repetitive.
An example of this would be of when Heo Sae takes a selfie.
Chapter 1
Vs.
Chapter 8
There are countless amounts of this specific panel sprinkled throughout the 30 episodes, but I can’t help but crack a smile seeing it regardless.
Here are some more examples of Ilkwon Ha blurring the line between a gag drawing and a normal panel.
( Both of these panels come from Chapter 6 )
Gag panels aside, I have come to like Ilkwon Ha’s intro panels. Seeing them somehow feels refreshing every time I read a new chapter. I think it’s because the art is usually ‘peaceful’ or ‘calm’, which you could even say matches how customers feel after being scrubbed down by the Ttaemiri in Geumja. I don’t know, that's just me spitballing.
(All 3 of these images come from Chapter 1)
Originial Opinion: (If you want to elaborate on how 3D models are used throughout the webcomic, go for it. I don’t really have much opinion on it besides the fact that- it exists).
In Retrospect: I was going to leave tis review untouched for when I posted it since I did this a while back and it shows a good sense of progress for me personally, but I just wanted to say that the 3D models kinda grew on me, and somehow contribute to the Webcomics style despite being so clearly out of place.
Conclusion:
Overall, after reading ‘God of Bath’, it could have truly succeeded as an episodic series. The story concept alone gives it enough creative freedom in expanding the “Bath World”.
But most important of all fleshing out the characters more.
At the very least, seeing how Seonggongs’s path towards greatness would have unfolded. Because no matter how much I dwell on his character, it feels like his arc as a character was incomplete. Or rather, it feels like there was missed potential.
THAT BEING SAID, the webcomic itself was very complete, seeing as how it was about Heo Sae’s values and how those values change throughout the comic.
I should also note that APPARENTLY, there was going to be a movie adaptation released in 2015, but due to the main lead (Kim Young-Kwang) finding a successful role in “Pinocchio”, it got shafted. Which sucks because while I was writing this I was thinking about how this should get an animated adaptation like ‘Tower of God’.
All in all, I definitely suggest you give ‘God of Bath’ a chance, because it just may surprise you how, before you know it, the webcomic is already pulling you into its odd, yet realistic world.
#Naver#Naver Webtoon#Webtoon#Webtoons#Webcomic#Webcomics#God of Bath#GodofBath#Webcomic Review#Webtoon Review#Naver Webtoon Review
0 notes
Note
Top 5 video games 🖒🖒🖒
This is gonna be a long one so HOLD ON.
NOW With that outta the way we going from the Bottom up.#5: Kid Icarus: Uprising
The most recent game on this whole list is my favorite 3DS game. This game is an absolute blast from start to finish each chapter filled with beautiful music, interesting enemy patterns and attacks, gorgeous visuals, well placed secrets, top notch writing and voice acting with a difficulty that you can adjust to suit your needs.
This game is so fun, charming and addictive folks hurt their wrists because they wanna play more of it. Your wrist eventually gets used to it but it does sting when you want to try the next chapter but your wrist is just on fire so you need a break.
Like I said earlier the writing and voice acting are just wonderful too, It’s VERY rare I look at a game and say “I loved EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER” Sure I wish some showed up more but what can ya do. And if you’re a weirdo who wants cute girls this game’s got ya covered, sadly you can only waifu two of them which is a shame.
I gots more to say but I should move on to 4.
#4 Super Smash Bros. Melee
Out of all the game my friends know I’m “””Bad””” at I think the smash bros series is probably my favorite of the bunch, and of that bunch Melee is my favorite.
Ok, so like, I know saying Melee is my favorite smash makes me look a certain way but it’s honestly the version I’ve spent THE MOST TIME WITH, literally going over to my friend Chris’ home and playing this for 14 hours at a time fighting until we passed out from the soda crash we’d have. I absolutely cherish those memories.
But rose tinted glasses aside HOLY FUCK, is this game good, Adventure mode is a nice short fun detour with loads of neat secrets you can only learn about by talking to THAT GUY on the playground who said you can unlock Sonic and Tails by getting 50 kills in cruel melee. The music all flows together very well with probably no duds in the soundtrack. The game is fast paced and wild where one little trip up would cost you the match. It’s got loads of content and dumb side stuff.
Are the new games better? I guess in some aspects yeah, honestly I wanted to say Smash 4, but sadly I know Melee will always have more hours in it then that game did. So I’m going with that, now for three…the good stuff.
#3 Kirby Super Star Ultra
Ok, so I know what you’re thinking “Anthony you fat turd of a man, why ULTRA and not the original? Melee got chosen cuz of your stupid nostaglic memories of sitting in a dark cricket filled garage eating stuffed crust pizza and drinking Mountain Dew. Surely Super Star has some similar weight.” Yeah Super Star has nostaglic weight to it BUT HOLY FUCKING SHIT ULTRA JUST IS BETTER IN EVERY WAY.
Let me break it down for ya nerds to understand:
-More Modes-More Mini Games-More Bosses-Better Cutscenes-All packaged with some Quality of life stuff to make the game THAT MUCH BETTER.
KIRBY SUPER STAR ULTRA TOOK THE IMPOSSIBLE TASK OF MAKING A PERFECT GAME BETTER AND SOME HOW FUCKING DID IT.
Like the ONLY thing I might say the original has over Ultra is the music quality is better BUT HOLY SHIT IF THAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK FROM EMBRACING ULTRA INTO YOUR LIFE I CAN’T HELP YA MAN I JUST CAN’T.
If you want to get into Kirby START HERE, literally this game will shape what kirby games you will want to play. NO SERIOUSLY I GOT A CHART N EVERYTHING.
IT’S LIKE FUCKING SCIENCE OK? Ok, ok but does this mean you should never play OG Super Star? If that’s all ya got then sure play that. They’re both wonderful great games but Ultra takes everything great and just improves it.
#2 Viewtiful Joe
YOU EVER PLAY A VIDEOGAME AND DO SOMETHING KINDA COOL AND GET A SHIVER DOWN YOUR SPINE CUZ IT WAS COOL AND SHIT? THIS GAME DOES THAT ALL THE DING DANG TIME!
HOLY FUCK WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN?! I LOVE THIS GAME, SO SO MUCH, LIKE I LOVE IT’S VISUALS I LOVE IT’S MEMORABLE CHARACTERS, I LOVE HOW HARD IT KICKS MY ASS, I LOVE HOW BOSS IT FEELS JUST TO SLOW MOTION PUNCH SOMETHING.
It’s a wild crazy roller coaster ride with a neat little twist at the end. Like I’ve heard the PS2 Port is the better port but maaaaaaan the gamecube’s L n R Buttons just feel sooooo nice as you slide them down to slow down or speed up, it feels so natural and fluid.
Puzzles are clever and make you think outside the box and a wonderful break from combat.
I’m honestly really bummed when folks talk about Hideki Kamiya games Joe is forgotten or left out of the conversation, yeah the game looks a little odd, but it’s such an amazing treat for the eyes just a beautiful view from start to finish.
PLEASE PLEASE, I know this isn’t number 1, but play this game, it’s a bit tough some times, but It’s worth it.
1. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island.
Ok, if you know me, you knew this was the answer and still is, but if you’re shocked well…
Have you ever wanted pure unfiltered happiness injected into your body and have it be pumped through your body for hours on end? Then play this game.
I’m being completely honest when I say if I feel really down there is a chance I’ll pick this up and play a world or two just to relax. The colors, visuals, art, music, sounds, are just spectacular it’s an absolute joy to play. Every inch of this game is filled with love and passion. I MEAN THE GAME FUCKING TELLS YOU THIS.
It’s a god damn masterpiece and I’m honestly glad in the past few years it’s being recognized as one. LIKE BEFORE IT WAS JUST “That weird Mario game where baby Mario cries a lot and is annoying so it’s bad.” Like if ya feel that way, whatever I guess, I mean I’m not here to tell you to ‘Shut your god damn mouth’.
Like with Melee I do have a really soft spot in my heart for this game, because as a kid I was REALLY bad at games, I LOVED GAMES, but I suuuuuucked. (I mean not so different now but still) Yoshi’s Island was the first game where I beat the final boss, I had never done that before and it felt amazing taking down this absolute titan of a boss.
I probably will always love this game till the day I die, I hope you experience it one day as well.
oh, I guess I should address this as well, The GBA has a remake of this game and while I think it’s suitable I think the Snes version is better even if the GBA version has more levels and a better gift for 100%ing the game. I feel the new levels in the GBA game don’t have the same charm and magic the Snes levels do, and honestly 100%ing them is a pain in a half. Well 100%ing this game in general can be a bit annoying honestly I say just play to have fun. If you want the challenge it’s there but I think it’s best handled at your leisure.
This post was very long, and I’m sorry for going on a bit. Thank you for the question and thank you for reading this.
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Stella Glow Review
(spoiler-free)
Stella Glow is a tactical turn based RPG with visual novel/dating sim elements for the Nintendo 3DS. It was originally released in Japan on June 4th 2015 and arrived in the US on November 17 of the same year. It was the final game made by developer Imageepoch. I picked up the game shortly after it released in the US, I even got the special edition. But despite that, I never really played for more than a couple of hours until a few weeks ago. As of this writing I have beaten the game once and am pretty far into new game plus, so I think I have seen enough of the game to give an accurate review.
Before I go any further I need to mention that I will be comparing this game quite a bit to Fire Emblem. Ordinarily I get a little bit grumpy when people get too comparison happy between Fire Emblem and isometric TRPGS like Stella Glow (or FF Tactics, Disgaea, Tactics Ogre) or say things like “if you like FE you will like FF Tactics!” because even though they are both technically in the same genre, the huge emphasis on height, directional combat, magic and skills using mana, turn order calculated by unit, and battles being between smaller numbers of stronger units, isometric TRPGs usually have a completely different game feel from Fire Emblem. While this is still mostly true for the actual combat, the gameplay in Stella Glow is split between mission segments where you have the main story and tactical combat and free time segments where you have an affinity building conversation/relationship system. So while Fire Emblem (specifically Awakening and Fates) and Stella Glow both have their genre listed as “turn based rpg” on Wikipedia, I wouldnt be surprised to learn that most players of both are playing more for the romance. Add on to this the fact that virtually every playable character (and all but one of the prominent NPCs) in the English version is voiced by someone who also voices a Fire Emblem character (including Matthew Mercer as one of the principle characters) and its hard to not to think about Fire Emblem when you play it. Plus most if not all of my followers are Fire Emblem enthusiasts, so hopefully this will help you decide if Stella Glow is the game for you.
Story, Characters, and Affinity System:
Stella Glow follows a young man named Alto as he joins the knights of the kingdom of Regnant to find the witches of water, wind, fire, and earth so they can save the world from Hilda, the witch of destruction. In the world of Stella Glow witches are the only people who have the ability to sing, and within both the narrative and gameplay the witches songs have special effects (this also cant help but make me think of Tokyo Mirage Sessions, but theres not much to say except that I like TMS songs on the whole more than the ones from Stella Glow, but theres some good ones in Stella Glow.) I cant say that anything about the main narrative is particularly new or shocking or memorable, but it serves its purpose. You’ll probably want to keep doing the main story to meet more characters more than to see what happens, but near the end I got pretty invested in the narrative. The biggest thing the story has going for it is the characters. There are 16 playable characters, and with the exception of the final (and only optional one) they are all involved in main story scenes. Alto and the witches and a few others do drive the plot more and thus get more dialogue than some others, but the whole cast still speaks up pretty regularly. This is quite refreshing compared to FE where outside of supports, only a handful of characters get to participate in the story. I wouldnt say that FE should switch to doing a cast size this small because I like the replayability that comes from using hugely different unit composition between playthroughs, but its still nice to see in a non-FE game and with 16 characters and maps that let you field 6 units you still get a bit of the feeling that you are choosing your army based on the characters you like.
And you will probably like a lot of these characters. The character designs are bright and fun and they are written and acted fairly well and there is an affinity system that lets you get to know them all even better. When you compare Stella Glow’s affinity system with Awakening and Fates’ support system there are upsides and downsides to each. The biggest downside to Stella Glow’s system is that, in a very visual novel sort of way, affinity building is only between Alto and the other characters, whereas in FE the whole cast can talk to each other. The trade-off is that there are a lot more of these conversations and they will last for most of the game unlike in FE where its not uncommon to meet a character and be married with children in under an hour. So I apreciate the added depth longer lasting relationships gives, but I do wish I could have seen the more colorful characters talk to each other as opposed to just Alto who, like the Avatars of FE, is written with a pretty minimal, deliberately inoffensive personality.
From a romantic perspective the longer lasting relationships are mostly a good thing but with one big downside. FE struggles to make the romance organic, since characters can get up to A support with anyone, relationships are usually platonic right up until marriage. In Stella Glow the romance grows much more organically, but as the game goes on and Alto gets into increasingly romantic situations with the female characters it feels more and more like a harem anime. I know thats an instant turn-off to a lot of people and its one of the reasons I kept dropping the game for so long, but I personally am glad I stuck with it because the characters and their struggles are interesting and memorable. I sighed at a few parts for sure but it was worth it for the rest of the experience. Building affinity also gives gameplay bonuses: either passive abilities, new skills, or new songs (for the witches.) For me these are more exciting than the raw stat pair-up bonuses in Awakening and Fates because the effects are more varied and personalized.
Combat:
I have less FE comparisons here, as I said before isometric tprgs like this feel very different from FE. If you have played something like FF Tactics then you should be very familiar with how this game plays. Turn order doesnt alternate from all allies to all enemies, but rather one at a time where faster units will go sooner and more often than slower ones. You do more damage if you hit enemies from behind and they do the same to you. Theres no permadeath, you only fail a chapter if you fail the main objective, which is usually just to not let Alto die. On the whole I’d say this game is pretty easy; I had to replay one chapter 4 times before I beat it but aside from that I had maybe 3 chapters I had to reset. There are optional objectives for each fight and going for them can make the game harder but it is mostly for your own satisfaction as the rewards are rarely noteworthy. The main thing that sets it apart from other similar trpgs is the song meter and song system. As you fight with any character a song meter fills up (up to 5 times) and you can expend the meters to do a special attack (usually costs 1-2 meters) or have them sing (usually costs 4-5) which will have an effect on the whole battlefield, depending on the song its a buff or heal to all allies, a debuff to all enemies, or an attack on all enemies, or some combination. Songs last for a few turns and during that time the witch cant do anything else. The whole system is pretty fun. Of all the isometric trpgs I have played, I liked the combat in Stella Glow the second most; only Jeanne d’Arc I find more fun to play.
Presentation and Final Thoughts:
Overall the game has pretty good presentation. Its got that typical jrpg look and sound to it, but its got enough of its own style that it doesnt feel generic. In battle it switches to a chibi style, which isnt my favorite thing in the world but it still looks good. The animations remind me a lot of the GBA FE games, they are super over the top but they are also the same everytime, which for me means they get turned off pretty quickly even though they are pretty nice. Thats about the only quality of life setting the game has, by the way. Skipping enemy actions isnt a thing so youll unfortuntely spend a lot of time waiting for the enemies to do something, or even more frustrating, waiting for them to do nothing, as you will oftentimes see enemies who dont move until you aggro them, yet you still must wait for them to wait before another unit can go. The music is nice, a quick look at the composers wikipedia page shows that he did a couple of songs for a few beloved games like Chrono Trigger, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Kid Icarus Uprising. The game also has a new game plus. In the new game plus only your money carries over but the big draw is the free time sections are longer which lets you do the affinity conversations for every single character and the exp formula is modified to let you level up more easily. I dont normally play new game pluses, so to me the fact that I was so eager to jump right back in to learn more about the rest of the characters is proof that this was a good game.
If you decide to purchase this game for yourself, the physical launch edition comes with a CD containing 5 songs, the first song of each witch, as well as a cloth poster of Hilda and a particularly large keychain of Bubu, a little pig who I guess is something of a mascot but honestly its barely in the game which is why I havent mentioned it until now. If you get the digital version I think it comes with a 3DS theme. Its currently ~$30 online or $40 on the eshop, and if any of this has made you interested there is a demo on the eShop. I hope you do decide to check it out because I found Stella Glow to be a very fun and enjoyable game. As I type this I am downloading the demo for Disgaea 5 on Switch to give that game a try next, so not only was Stella Glow a ton of fun but it got me interested in isometric trpgs again.
#stella glow#i guess i ought to tag this as#fire emblem#since i talk about it so much#review#long post
25 notes
·
View notes
Text
Tale 10: Cadence Bucflowen & Laserline (4/4)
Tale 10: Cadence Bucflowen & Laserline (chapter 3 - The Great Elk ¾) part 2. Stories of Fey
none
Cadence would come to Laserline, each day after school. She wanted to tell him about her day, while she groomed him. Sometimes, they would play tag in the pastures; or he would let Cadence ride him. As promised, Cadence came back to comfort Laser, like the Stag King suggested. She would tell Laserline he was missed, and would always be safe and welcome at Pepperidge Magic Academy. Yet, Laser still wouldn’t leave Tiberius gate. Morgan, Emilia, Cadence’s siblings, and Estella, would try to convince Lasreline to live happily with his favourite humans. They reminded Laser of the kindness he had known, yet he still remained terrified of humans. Basil and Levi nagged Cadence, in attempts to find out if Laser would come back to school. But the answer was always the same; Cadence would shake her head, and walk with them to class without any further conversation. She owed him so much, her first friend, and now he was slowly leaving her life. It made Cadence sad. If the Basil or Levi were lucky, Cadence would tell them how Laser was doing otherwise. By spring, Cadence had finished her first year with flying colours. Laserline was happy for her, but sad he couldn’t join. He was caught between desire and fear, frozen in indecision. He wished he had been there when everything happened, yet was traumatized by the stories about wizards.
When the next school year came, and the next, Cadence would still play with Laser; to reliably groom and comfort him. Her father, Morgan, had given up on swaying Laserline to join Cadence by her third year. As time went, sometimes Levi and Basil would visit, study, and play tag with him and Cadence. They could never beat Laser, or Cadence’s familiar Freya; yet they had fun trying. It was good just to see an old friend in person. Soon Cadence would come to see Laser with her siblings, who were soon going into magic school themselves. As another year passed, Cadence graduated in the spring, well on her way to becoming a heartmann mage. She had even gone dark from anxiety, at her first presentation, and was home sick for a week. Laser wished he could have been there to prevent it. Cadence’s eyes were paler, and she hand white marks on her forearms and heartman mark on her chest. Slowly recovering, she gladly woke to Laser by her side cheering her on. Deer or boy, he slept at her bed when Emilia allowed it. Everyone was glad to see Cadence was a Meader Mage, that could heal anything with love alone; just as she dreamed. After a few years of tender love, and magnificent fey healing, Cadence had finally made Laser consider trusting humanity again.
The next school year, Cadence came to Laserline in a swoon; singing and charming the other Stag Children. She would muse about how she rode Laser’s father, The Stag King, in the shadow veil, and would speak with his mother, Estella. Laser would not return to the shadow veil, because he didn’t want to miss any chance of being with Cadence; and his parents ordered him to be on Tiberius Gate. One day, Cadence confessed she had fallen in love with Levi, and he came over more often. Laser was happy for them, and was overjoyed to see a familiar face. As another school year passed, and many tales shared, Laser would be more and more drawn to leave the gate. Each time Cadence came, it was like she was healing his fears, healing his magic, and body.
Cadence loved Laser, and could not imagine never returning to his side. The Stag King didn’t have to make her promise to. They spent so much time together, even if he wasn’t at school. Cadence was better friends with Laser, Freya, Basil and Levi, then her own three siblings.Cadence was grateful Laser had helped her make friends; she wouldn’t have gotten far without him. One day, the Stag King visited the two of them. He admired how much Cadence had grown, and how well she cared for his children in the day veil. He was proud of the mage he had named. The Stag King would join in their play; which was unusual for him, because he was so conservative otherwise.
Then Cadence’s final school year passed, and in the spring, Cadence did not come back. Laserline decided he would leave the gate to look for his friend. However, Morgan stopped him. He came in the evening, with golden apples and his best brush. Morgan was dressed in his fairy robes, and Icarus was on his shoulder. Emilia wrangled Cadence’s siblings into bed; they were all attending the academy then. Morgan had made time specially to talk to Laserline. Morgan pulled up his stool, and used the brush he saved for Estella and the Stag King, and began to brush Laserline’s crisp white coat, and humming a calming charm gently. Grooming stag children reminded him of his childhood, at his father at the ranch.
“Cadence, didn’t come back today. School finished a week ago… I change my mind King Mage, I want to leave Tiberius Gate; I would leave you, my siblings and the safety of this forest to find Cadence. I miss her already. Even if my parents tell me to stay with you here. I want to follow; I regret not following.” Laserline said.
“It’s too late for that. Cadence left to go to Grand Snow, in the Westlands ,with Levi. I think they are a good match, and no doubt will be wed before I see her again. Cadence wants to apprentice Levi’s father, and my school friend, Ouroboros Blacneadre; The mage of the Dragon Gate. Magic professions require a two-year apprenticeship afterword’s. Modern wizard folk require licences, and fancy paperwork for some reason. Though I’m one to talk being a seer and all. Cadence is lucky; I didn’t get a proper apprenticeship, because I started a family too soon. Actually, my apprenticeship was with Hara Fyrstan. You remember Hara?” Morgan said softly. Then he returned to his tune while grooming. Stag children, the ungulate fey, love to be admired, groomed and worked. They are sturdy, kind, and gifted; just like Laser and Cadence.
“I remember him, he really loves fey. I don’t blame him for scarring me with those articles. I hope he knows that. Master Morgan, will Cadence ever be back? Will she keep her promise to my father, and comfort me if I wait long enough?” Laser asked quietly.
“Perhaps. I mean, I hope so anyway. Children grow fast, and I am proud, but sad to see her leave. Even though her leaving home was enviable, and only a matter of time. Emilia, Calliope, Artemis, and Patrick miss her too.” Morgan said. It was quite bittersweet. It caused Morgan to stop charming a magic tune, and brushing Laserline. Laser was always glowing white and gold; he never dirtied. Cadence would only brush him out of love, to make him happy. Morgan and Laser had been reduced to tears. They had the space to mourn her absence.
“I will wait then,” Laserline said. “I will hold her to her promise, and comfort you like she did for me. This is the magic forest my parents wished me to be in, and if they love me like you love Cadence, I trust their wisdom. It is not too terrible to stay a little longer.” Laser whispered. He turned into his human form, and embraced Morgan. I will wait he told himself. I will stay, not because I am scared, but because I am brave and trusting. He said under his breath. Laser had no hope, only the regret that he missed out on so many quests, memories and occasions with friends he had just met, and ones he will never forget. The Sun went down coldly that night, and Emilia invited Laser to sleep by their fireplace in the kitchen; heated by a Bandrel the fire wilding sleeping in the hearth. A special treat to keep him warm. How brave Cadence must be now, to be so far away from home surrounded by new people. Laserline remembered when that idea once scared Cadence too.
Two years passed, and Laser had forgotten his woe. Fey have little sense of time, and tend not to hold onto the past or future. Magic only knows now. Laser played with all the fey in the forest, on Tiberius Gate, and now went down to Pepperidge, and it’s magic academy down the road. It was only in the spring time that he would remember Cadence was gone. Yet, one dawn, while he ate oats in the spring fog, he saw a lady in while silk fairy robes, fair skin, green eyes and pale hair; Cadence had returned. She was not alone however. Cadence carried a small child, and Levi was behind her as they walked past him and into the tower. Warm hellos were exchanged among the family. Second eldest Calliope had just graduated and it was a happy family reunion. The whole day, Laser waited in the pasture for Cadence. Exhilarated she had returned. But as the day went, he wondered if she had forgotten. Laser wondered if he had missed out again because he stayed in the forest. As worry poured into his heart at dusk, he walked to the creek on the stag slice of the gate, to drink the enchanted waters. Then, he felt a warm and healing embrace around his neck. Cadence smiled, nuzzling her face into his soft fur of his neck. Such a grand white elk he was, with a golden crown of flowered antlers; such a good old friend Cadence had missed so dearly.
“Grand Snow was not as magical of a magic forest without you. So many ice fey in the cold winters. Not mild and lush like Father’s gate. It didn’t have you,” Cadence smiled. “You waited for me, even though I was to busy to visit sooner.” she whispered.
“I did. By the time I wanted to leave the forest, and trust my human friends, you had vanished. But I was given hope you might return… I may have snuck back to campus a few times.” Laser replied. He turned into his human form to embrace Cadence back. A warm welcoming reunion. Cadence brushed him and sang to him like old times. She had a lot of stories from her apprenticeship abroad. It made Laser feel like he hadn’t missed a thing.
“Me and Levi will probably return to the Westlands; but now I can come back and visit, as my apprenticeship is complete. Whether I come through the shadow veil, or visit by train with my new family, I can’t leave my first family behind; I would miss you all again.” Cadence said. “When I go, I cannot promise how soon I will return. You were my first friend, helped me meet Levi, got me to leave this gate, and led me to this wonderful life. You made me kind, brave, and trusting. I don’t want to abandon you.” Cadence smiled.
“I will be here waiting as long as you need; because you have also made me kind, brave and trusting.” Laser said, as he whipped his tears with his furred cuffs. Just then, Levi pushed his way through the thicket, as he went to see where Cadence had gone. He arrived just in time to see Cadence get up and gesture into the brush of Tibberius Gate’s inner forest; for a game of tag.
“Want to play tag again?” She asked.
“Levi and Freya need to join” Laser chimed.
“You bet.” Levi laughed. Then They ran through the forest together, her summoning light and pixies to guide them in the thick of the inner woods, as night fell. Laser came inside to sleep by the hearth once more. This time he was next to Cadence. At dawn Levi ate apples with him, and thanked him. If Laser had never been in that class, Levi would have never of known Cadence. He may have only been a commoner trapped living a traditional life in a different magic forest. But now, he had a special place in his heart for the children of the stag kingdom; For all living children of fey. In more detail then his village and father’s lessons would instil. The world is scary outside home, however, sometimes when someone finally dives in, maybe with a friend by your side, you find it is loving as well.
TABLE OF CONTENTS--->
<---PREVIOUS
#tales of ealdan cynedom#short stories#story 10#fantasy#laser#stag king#estella#emilia#morgan#cadence#basil levi#bandrel
0 notes