#None of Team Phantom is aware of their admirers

[dcxdpdabbles]

Red Yummy

Based on the post by @spacedace. Basically it's a joke that Red Robin (the restaurant with the little jingle: Reeed Robin: Yummm.) Isn't a thing in the DC world but is one in the Phantom world.

The rip in the multiverse was an issue the Justice League was not at all prepared for. Sure they had incidents where visitors from an alternate universe have crossed over to their side or they have gone to one. There are times when they meet doubles of themselves, both as allies and as enemies.

They have been to different Earths, with different histories, different countries, and that one particular time, even different beings that ruled the planet.

It's always been an adventure where at the end of it, the doorway to both worlds is sealed shut, with little or no chance of it opening again. The friends they made. The sights they saw. All gone. Fine. Over.

That was, until a villain from a different world, attempted to attack Clockwork's Tower. The Justice League was not aware of Clockwork- Master of Time, Weaver of Realms, The Concept of Between- but they noticed that he had been attacked when other worlds started spilling into theirs.

People were falling through glowing green portals, stumbling into buildings that weren't there before. People who were just going out for walks would be zapped away and replaced with their confused counterparts.

Parts of the sky glitch into others, replacing the soft blue with brown or black, little patches scattering around the world. Cities vanish for a few hours, sometimes replaced by others sometimes not, and animals never before seen running amok.

It was a mess.

The League did everything it could to help, but it was hard to stretch their reach to the help then world when all reality was being thrown into a mixer and set on chaos.

A lot like busted pipes, the Leaugers would run to cover a leaking pipe only to have the water build up in another and burst there and then scramble to cover that one before the rising water drowned them all.

Thankfully the Justice League Dark was able to use magic and find the source of the leak. The Infinite Realms known as the web that linked all universes, are usually only accessible by the dead, or in Constantine's case having friends in high places.

"Ghost Writer owes me a favor," Constantine said while the rest of the Leauge watched a flouting green book descend from the sky. It flipped open, expanding into a gateway. The smoke of the book curled into little missy hearts.

"Ghost Writer?" Zatanna gawked "How did you get such a powerful, and notoriously recluse, being to owe you anything?"

"Let's just say, we both appreciate the finer things in life and that ghost has a rather fine ass" Constantine leered. No one had asked for any more detail, although Zatanna had the expression of someone who had bitten something sour the whole time.

Ghost Writer had given Constantine a warning that his power would only be able to protect five living souls. Any more would be at the mercy of the Infinite Realms'.

Humans that wandered into the Realms were more often than not driven into madness, became hopelessly lost, or had their souls swindled by beings that dwelled there. Not that it wasn't surprising.

After all, the living did not belong there, so of course they were a danger to the Realms' structure. Hell, there were rumors that a living being could produce fresh uncorrupted ectoplasm when killed or even kept like livestock.

Constantine did not want to find out if the rumors had any truth to them.

To be able to travel safely they had to fall under a powerful ghost's protection and Ghost Writers let them know to pick their five best.

It was decided that Constantine would go as their expert, Batman as their strategist, Wonder Woman as their diplomat and protection, Superman as second protection, and Zatanna as another magic user that could combat the dead.

The rest of the league remained, doing their best to hold their universe together as the team of five rushed off to put everything to right. It was agonizing not knowing what was happening or how the mission was going but they did what they could and placed their trust in the five.

Many of the Justice League didn't say it, but it was the remaining Bats that sort of kept everything afloat in their father's absence. Each one leads a group of young heroes, easily countering and controlling their self-appointed sectors of the world.

Nightwing and Titians.

Red Robin and Young Justice.

Red Hood and the Outlaws.

Oracle and the Birds of Prey

Robin and the Blades.

All five groups agree to use the Watch Tower as a central base to coordinate their defenses against the world falling apart. Trading information with each other quickly and efficiently, and using this new information to prepare for more ripples of universes, showcasing that Batman had taught them well.

Following their example, the rest of the Justice League did what they could to minimize the damage. It was on the second day of constant relief efforts that everything was snapped back to normal.

A giant wave of sound- the noise sounding a lot like a grandfather clock strick repeating over and over again- as things that were not meant to be in their world vanished and their own people and things returned.

The shy's patches were removed and the right color returned.

Even property damages that were caused by the incident were reversed as if reality falling apart was nothing but a dream. No wreckages to clean up, no people had gone missing, and best of all, no casualties had been taken.

The Leauge gathered around Ghost Writer's book watching it open as the five returned, cheering and screaming, giving them the proper hero's welcome. Then right behind their teammates, a second group followed through.

Three glowing figures, all dressed in the same black and white outfits, and a ship carrying four humans. Batman introduced them as the allies who helped defend Clockwork's Tower and keep the multi-universe from collapsing.

He did admit that just because it was no longer falling apart, it did not mean that the rip had been closed. In fact, it was the only thing left to do but it was proving to be difficult due to Clockwork himself not understanding why their world wasn't healing.

Clockwork couldn't leave the Realms for too long- if no one was there to keep Time running the same thing would happen all over again- but he did give them equipment that could in theory patch things up on their side.

They just needed someone who understood the equipment.

Team Phantom, led by Danny Phantom, one of the flowing figures was happy to volunteer. They would be staying for three years, to strengthen and rebuild their Universe structure.

Team Phantom consisted of Dan Phantom, Danielle Phantom, Jasmin Fenton, Tucker Foley, Samantha Manson, and Westley Weston. All young, kind, strong- Batman vouched for the non-powered members claiming they could go toe to toe with his kids- and all much to the joy of many young heroes- attractive. They played an essential role on the team, doing whatever their people and kind did to help Clockwork, staying out of the League's way.

They all seemed happy to live as close to civilians as possible and despite their strength and combat training, Team Phantom was more like a research party instead of a hero.

Since they would be there for three years- more depending on the Speed Force's effect on the timeline grumbles Tucker- the seven had chosen to set down some roots within their dimension.

The three Phantoms needed Ectoplasim to live- a rare substance in the Justice League's universe- so they chose Gotham as their new home. Batman was more than willing to allow them into his city, as long as they knew not to interfere with his work.

Things settled, The Justice League moved on to other missions and other issues while Team Phantom ran tests, gathered information, and worked on the timeline.

The only real issue Bruce had with Team Phantom, was that a majority of his kids were romanticly interested in them.

Dick's love-struck sigh, whenever Dan wandered by, would often lead to useless backflips in an ill-fated attempt to impress him.

Jason would conventionally be lifting weights shirtless whenever Jazz came by with an update report. Then he would mention some novel or other that had the girl's attention far better than his abs.

Steph had taken a very large interest in gardening and at the same time, started wearing shorter shorts and tighter tops because Sam seemed to adore flowers.

Cass meanwhile found every excuse there was to be dressed in the prettiest dresses she owned whenever Wes was anywhere near her. She even wore light makeup- a real sign of how much she was interested in the conspiracy theorist.

Duke seemed over the moon whenever Tucker asked for his personal help on anything technical-related. It did his son wonders that someone thought of him first when it came to tech- Duke has always been a bit self-conscious of his place among geniuses- would be all but speaking in poems to the bemused teenager.

Damian's crush on Ellie did melt Bruce's heart a little. It was his baby's first after all, but he wasn't sure if Damian's approach was doing anything. Put him on the battlefield and Damian could lead to victory. Put him next to a pretty young girl and all his son was capable of doing was stare and babble.

The only one that didn't seem to have a crush on Team Phantom was Tim. Which should have given him reassurance except for the small little detail.

"Red Robin" Danny sings upon Tim's arrival at the cave. Officially tonight they are all going over the results of the latest tests on the universe's structure. Unofficially Team Phantom had been invited over for dinner by Alfred and they were looking over the Batcave as their butler finished preparing the main course.

At once every member of Team Phantom raises their head, turning away from his love-struck children to his flustered son and singing "Yum" with wide smiles.

Tim's face goes bright red.

Apparently, Tim was their universe version of Adonis and Team Phantom had no issue with expressing how yummy they found Tim. Now Bruce isn't saying that he would be against Tim having more than one romantic partner- he has made sure to look up proper healthy poly relationships and given Tim a PowerPoint version of it.

It's just that he isn't sure how he's going to handle supporting one of his children while breaking the heart of another. Tim seems unsure how to handle so much romantic attention- he's had plenty of relationships before- but said attention is picking him before any of his siblings is a first.

Bruce knows that deep down Tim still struggles with thinking he's not as good as the others. That he really is just a placeholder in the long run.

Then there is the fact he isn't sure how their culture works. Is the singing like a mating call? Was there a chance they would earn the irk of Clockwork himself if Tim accidentally accepted their advances? Why was it always Red Robin and not just Tim himself that made Team Phantom go yummmm?

"Hi guys" Tim greets at least and Danny grins wider.

"Reeeeed Robbbbbin" " The ghost boy says throwing an arm over Tim's shoulders. Sam and Tucker surround them, making their voices sound strange as all three start singing, rocking Tim back and forth in a strange little dance.

"Yummmmm!"

From the corner of his eyes, Bruce makes out Dick's protective Older Brother's face, as his eldest starts marching towards the group with the intent of breaking them apart. He's been very vocal about putting an end to Team Phantom's flirtations if he saw so much as a hint of Tim's unease.

Except that Tim looked utterly bliss being pressed up against Danny. Maybe he should rethink Tim's disinterest in Team Phantom. The rest of his children looked murderous as more members of Team Phantom gathered around Tim also singing.

Bruce had to deal with this for three whole years. He can physically feel his hair turning greyer.

[booksandchainmail]

Pale 10.1

The wrought-iron building around the landing, on this end of the concourse, the tiled floor, in white, yellow, black, and red, each tile about three feet across by three feet across.

same humors color coding as the judges!

“Is there any way around binding her?” Avery asked Tymon.  “The whole point is to give something up and lock us in as partners, but the books outline it as dependent on getting the seal applied.”

would binding Snowdrop to the Seal of Solomon get rid of her reversed talk thing? That might make it worth it, since it seems it really bothers her.

“But it’s important to me because the seal is… the Others I trust and the Practitioners I don’t trust have convinced me that whatever it used to be, it’s evolved to something that’s, hmm… it’s in bad faith, I suppose?  Or used in bad faith.  Snowdrop’s included among the group of Others and if I bound her I think that would change how some of them look at me.”

and conversely not doing it is a great sign of good faith

Verona was an improviser, to a scary degree.  Avery did admire that. And Lucy was very aware of… of the present.  She was present, Avery thought, hyperaware of the words people were using and the details in the situation and stuff. Avery had often felt like she had to turn her brain off for her best performance. Eye on the goal, trusting her skates or her soccer cleats to help her get to that goal, mind disassociating from the everyday to get into the rules of the game, of position and movement and where her team was.

which contributes to Avery undervaluing herself, since she isn't conscious of making the decisions she does

“I feel like if I start having to use the seal regularly, that’s a problem.  That’s not the direction I want to go.  I’d rather…”

it closes off options to commit to not using the seal, but I think that's the only way to keep to that principle? If using the seal is an option and comes with no practice-related downsides, it will always be a possibility to resort to. Making part of her practice contingent on not using the seal locks in this principle as something Avery can't (easily) compromise.

Hat on a string at her neck, mask at her side. She took the horn and poised it at her brow, and it stayed there, where it would be if she had the mask on and it was still a part of the mask.

I like this phantom antler thing Avery has

Snowdrop grinned, framed by a backdrop of Lost, wide enough that Avery could see that she still had missing teeth.

nice that this crowd of Lost showed up, giving Snowdrop more support to match the practitioners Avery asked to attend

“By old rules, I invite you deeper into my world.  I’ve been greedy, Snow, we took you from the forest, I seriously thought I might sacrifice you, and I made you a tool to help me on the Trail.  You did everything you were supposed to and more, you saved me, you won me over, and even if the Trail was a nightmare that I still haven’t completely gotten over, it gave me you.  I wanted to do this here, in a place that’s closer to your nature as a Lost, because we spend so much time in my world.  When we go back, let this ritual help you be welcomed and embraced by that world, by humanity, and by any demesne I establish.” “I don’t want it and I don’t accept. I want you and the spirits to hear me, I’m neither Lost, from Spirit, or from Nature. I’m all of those things and none and you’re not welcome to any of it. You and me are different in this, and I think that’s important, Avery. You’re not meant to straddle worlds like me. You’re meant to stay put and I’m going to make you stay put.” Avery’s hand tightened, gripping Snowdrop’s. “I accept any and all help that you’re willing to give me. I accept any and all shelter and support you provide.”

I LOVE OATHS LIKE THIS SO MUCH.

Particularly the thing you get mostly with fealty oaths, about granting a place in your home. And here it's both Avery's potential future demesne and all the world of humanity...

And I like that between these two, there is no limits or requirements for what Snowdrop provides.

“We hear you, Lance.  Come on over.”  The reply came through the walkie-talkie, and ended with a double buzz.

not "Come on. Over." ?

“I was thinking long knight’s move.  Three forward, one over, or vice versa.”

fits her! both the "knight" concept and the movement, bold advance with a flanking element

“I’ll give you sustenance.  Including strawberry milk, and I’ll give you strength and lifespan as part of that.  My lifespan is your lifespan, if and when it helps.”

oh nice! we're cutting between the Familiar ritual and the Path adventure, I thought the ritual seemed a bit short

also, I think "my lifespan is your lifespan" is probably the kind of statement most practitioners try to avoid

“I give you my ability to lie, Avery, out of hopes it screws you up real bad and ruins your practice forever.  You get nothing else from me you’d want, in protections and special rules.”

holy shit. Lying! That's major for a practitioner. Avery could make great use of that, especially if she keeps it quiet and uses Oni-style tactics.

On John’s shoulder, Cherrypop leaned over to a Lost and did a really bad job of whispering, “I think Snowdrop’s winning.”

ranked competitive familiar ritual

“No,” Jude said.  “With most things out on the Paths, if there’s a rule tied to something you can manage with one of the five senses, it’s rarely going to lie.” “When I walked the Trail, one of the objects was buried in the paint, the cat skull was barely visible under an Other’s skin, and the coin was under a layer of dirt.” “Where the heck was your starting point? A murder room?”

Snowdrop's influence on the Trail? Good to know it was harder than anticipated though, that makes the Forest Ribbon Trail a lot more reasonable as a starting Path.

“The antler?  I guess my broken antler was staying up when it should fall down.” “Could be a Lost thing. Entangling what you had with you back then with you. It might be worth looking at the clothes you wore back then.”

and here I was thinking it was just a narrative resonance thing. Guess I've spent too much time thinking in terms of PGTE

Snowdrop nodded.  “And I’m going to ruin your life and I never want to see you set up a family.  I’ll be the treasure to your trash, the day to your night, and the cool flourishes to your out-of-nowhere biteyness.”

biteyness!

“Then I bind myself to my word,” Avery said.  She took the broken horn from over her head and pressed it to Snowdrop’s collarbone.  “To what I’ve sworn to you, to intent.  We forego the direct use of the Seal of Solomon, but we keep its intent.  You were bound once, symbolically and literally, and that’s enough.  I trust you.” “I’m calling this off, I don’t accept, I can’t trust you,” Snowdrop said. She pulled off an earring. She reached over to Avery’s friendship bracelet and stuck the length of the earring through the braided fabric. “I swear nothing.” To Avery’s Sight, the mist rolled, and she could see the tether of the connection between them, extending along her arm, with friendship bracelet with the dangling opossum charm. It worked around the black rope. Silver ran through the fabric of the bracelet, and copper-tinted light through the antler.

<3 <3 <3

... I wonder if I could get some opossum charms... the site I looked at didn't have any but there must be some out there

“We must each give you some rules to follow, however.”

Interesting, are these rules just being imposed on Avery as penalty for jumping on their table, or are they telling her about conditions of the Path?

It wasn’t that there weren’t any moves.  It was that there weren’t any good ones.  Stalling one and moving into a space it would otherwise take still meant she was in close proximity to a bunch of Others.

just like chess!

Not Miss.  No, she didn’t expect to see Miss, especially when Miss had been unable to answer the call.  But when they’d seen Miss on the bridge of light beams, there had been another Other there.  A ballerina in a blue tutu, head turned away.

oh hey, went back to look at Miss's interlude, and as well as the ballerina there was also the dog on a ball and schoolkids on their way to Earthly Oak Avenue

“She’s kind of an Other with more confirmed Finder kills than the you-know-what, according to our records.”

welp. Miss keeps nice company? Though honestly, remembering how the Finder Miss encountered treated her... this might be justified

The ballerina brought her hands to her face, where Avery couldn’t really see through her head to make it out.  Avery almost went with Snowdrop Sight to see around the sides of the tightly bunned-up brown hair, but the Ballerina turned her face skyward, hands cupped. There was no sound, but it was pretty clear what she meant.

????

actually, looking at the lines below:

But it was unnecessary, because the schoolkids behind Avery were howling, now, voices overlapping. They didn’t name it, but it was clear they knew, too. “Is she here?” Avery asked.

the Wolf?

“I take issue with that,” Snowdrop said.  She gripped the rope, slid her hand down to the part of it that was insubstantial, and then pulled, twice. Nothing happened.

fuck.

[cabinofimagines]

Solangelos ABCs

It’s ya bois, I guess this is part of the SFU too (solangelo fanfic universe)

Pairing: Poly!Solangelo x reader, Will Solace x reader x Nico di Angelo Request: No Warnings: None Word count: 1.8k

- Asnyox

Activities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

You three can’t always be together, so when you are it’s always a good time. Often y’all sneak out of camp to go on some sort of date, but sometimes just hanging at the campfire with everyone else is just as good. Being together with the three of you immediately makes a day good. 

Beauty - What do they admire in their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

Your smile throws always make their hearts skip a beat. Nico often can’t phantom how such a smile can be directed at him, while Will will do anything to make you smile. Their collective braincell stops working if you laugh while in their vicinity. 

Comfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

Nico is the most accustomed to panic attacks and feeling down, while Will has the most knowledge on how to deal with both situations. Together they make a great team in giving you comfort, while respecting your feelings and boundaries. They are very attuned to your feelings and often prepare stuff in advance if it is obvious that you’re feeling down. 

Dreams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Nico and Will never talk about the future. They both are very aware of the passing of time and dangers of demigod life. Will has already seen so many die in the war - and Nico has felt it. If you bring up anything about the future, they will smile, but it really will feel like a dream to them. Surviving today is what is on their minds, living tomorrow is what they long for. 

Equal - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

Nico is doesn’t know a lot about relationships, so he will let you and Will take the lead. He just goes along with whatever you two come up with now, and he loves to be included in it. Will often initiates stuff, but you are then the one to carry the rest of it out. 

Fight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

These boys will never really fight you, perhaps being very protective of you but they won’t let it spiral. A fight comes with regrets, and they don’t want to let you carry those regrets. Before the fight is over you all have made up again, because when someone walks out you can never be too sure if they come back. 

Gratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

Nico is hyperaware of everything that happens to him, so he notices but doesn’t know how to react. Will takes your efforts more for granted, as he himself often does a lot for other people without getting thanks too. If you’ve been particularly active, they might thank you with a quick peck or a small gift. 

Honesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Secrets relationship wise are not there. In your relationship, communication is the key, especially because there are three people involved. So secrets aren’t kept long. Nico won’t easily open up to you two about his story, because he first needs to figure that out himself, so give him time. Will won’t try to bother you two with his own problems too much, but he will often rant about whatever is bothering him anyway. 

Inspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

They like you for who you are, and you like them for who they are. Will won’t change a lot, just a big ol’ grin is more often on his face. Nico will become more open to social interaction, but not a lot. They won’t change, but you will heal them partly of their pasts. 

Jealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Uh, well, yes. It’s not as much jealousy as it is missing you whenever you’re not close. They then group together and wait for you to be done, so they can hog you again. They know you won’t leave them or something - they just really like being with you and you talking to someone else kind off means you’re not with them. 

Kiss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Nico is gentle, he often asks if he may kiss you. Will is more spontaneous and just goes for it. Every kiss means something lovely, and if you do all kiss it’s often in the order that Nico kisses you, and then Will kisses Nico and then you. 

Love Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

I was going to write a prompt here, but I think I already have a whole fic. Shortly - They just ask you on a date, bluntly. Because than it’s either win or lose. 

Memory - What’s their favourite memory together?

Probably doing something silly outside with the three of you. Outside is outside of camp, and something silly is going to the Mac at an ungodly hour. The ambience of not being where you should be, while unapologetically being the three of you has left it’s mark. 

Nicknames - What do they call their s/o?

Will jokingly started calling you stuff like ‘Your grace’, ‘My thane’ and ‘Your eminence’ and now can’t stop. Alternatively, he actually calls both you and Nico ‘Sunshine’ after you calling him that. He just loved that it’s a nickname that, jokingly, fits all of you. Nico is not much of a nickname guy, but he throws in a ‘love’ or ‘armor’ every now and then. 

On Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

Yearning, longing and just too precious. They try not the be too obvious all the time, but they can’t stop their hearts from wanting to be close to you, and to be close together. They often have lingering touches, just wanting to take you in a bit longer for now. 

PDA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Not a lot of PDA here no. Nico doesn’t like it, beside hand holding, and you all just agreed. You often get stares and try to ignore those, but it isn’t easy all the time. You have been educating the whole of camp on what a poly relationship is, but I wouldn’t count that as bragging about it. They just want people to leave you three alone for now. 

Quirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

The way they sense if when there is something off with someone in your relationship would be a good plus in this. Nico has always been more aware of other peoples feelings than he liked to admit, so one look and he knows. Will is less sensitive for this, because he deals with a lot of emotional distress in the infirmary but he still picks up rather quickly when you start showing even the slightest of signs. 

Romance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

They don’t do your normal romance, but they more do the 00s coming of age movie romance. It’s out there, sweet, and you all want more of it on a daily basis. 

Support - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Nico and Will are very supportive of everything you do, Will sometimes a bit too supportive. Nico is often more on the realistic side of things - but he will still help you in any way he can. Whatever you’re trying to accomplish, they will follow to your goals. 

Thrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice up your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

There isn’t much need for an extra routine because you all have the camps schedule. Next to that, Will has infirmary duty and you sometimes too. You all are quiet content with the little routine you have, especially because demigod life is not easy in any way. They wouldn’t actively spice up the relationship, but they would try ‘new’ things, although not excessively dangerous ones. You know, like killing a cyclops while going to the movies. 

Understanding - How well do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

I already mentioned with the quirk one, you all really understand each others. You don’t need to know what they have been through to help them heal. The three of you fit together like pieces of a weird puzzle, and although someday you may know exactly what happened, right now it does not matter.

Value - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

Your relationship is basically Nico’s life line. Will deems it just as important, but he could recover if something were to happen, Nico not so much. Losing any of you would ruin him and I am not sure whether he would ever be able to recover from it. He already lost so much, and he would die before losing you. 

Wild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

These boys are suckers for touches. You get I’ve-never-been-loved Nico di Angelo and I’ve-too-much-love Will in a package deal. They often cancel each other out, but with you in the middle. They love it when you touch them even in the slightest ways.

XOXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

Cuddles are more liked than kisses, because kisses can’t be shared with three as much as cuddles can. They aren’t affectionate in public, but in private they sure are buddy. I also got affection headcanons over here for those who want more.

Yearning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

They’ll seek each other out and talk about you. They’ll huddle close and just seek comfort in one another and when you do come back they’ll tell you what new conclusions they came to. Alternatively, if you miss the another person in the relationship, you two come together and talk about the missing person. 

Zeal - are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Nico would risk the world for this relationship, Will not so much. Will cares a lot about it, but he wouldn’t doom the world over it. This relationship is mostly Nico’s world, and he would dub the world doomed if something were to happen to it. 

[swaps55]

For your WIP list: How about White Noise?

Oooh. This is an odd one. Before Andromeda came out, I started doodling a “what if the AI approached Kaidan Alenko?” story. I didn’t finish it before the game dropped, and then never came back to it. I now have plans to cannibalize parts of it for my next fic, but here’s a (lengthy) snippet that isn’t one of those useful bits. Pardon the rough prose - I was really rusty at the time. 

~

Kaidan should feel a twinge of guilt. Being overdue with a mission debrief, even for something as useless as the Hammerhead field tests, isn’t exactly characteristic. Something the Admiral had been sure to point out. But it is useless. The Hammerhead is a waste of time. It all feels like a waste of time, ever since-

Even thinking the word 'Alchera' makes his chest tighten in a way he’d rather it didn’t. Almost two years later and he still fights the urge to brush ash off his shoulder plates, to force himself to turn around and go back instead of get into that pod.

In the corner of his eye blooms the phantom glow of a drive core going up, and followed by the same cold punch in his gut that knocks the breath from his lungs as hard now as it did then. He wipes his mouth with one hand, raises the other to signal the waiter for a beer.

“Lieutenant Alenko?”

Kaidan jumps, looks up and sees the N7 logo emblazoned on a breastplate of black armor. His heart stops. 

“Mind if I sit?”

It takes a moment for the blood to stop rushing through Kaidan's ears. It’s not Shepard. Of course it’s not Shepard; Shepard’s dead. This man is older, maybe by a couple of decades, face craggy and riven in a way that reminds Kaidan a little of Admiral Hackett. The only resemblance he has to the Savior of the Citadel is the grim set of his jaw, a soldier’s exoskeleton of starched posture and that keen sense of awareness that makes it clear he knows where every exit is and how to take as many down as he can on his way out.  

Kaidan must have acknowledged the man, who looks maddeningly familiar now that he's processing things with a little more sanity, because he sits down across the table. Stiff. Formal. None of Shepard's languid movement. Shepard has an absurd way of just flowing into a space, even with that starched soldier's posture.

Had. You'd think he'd be used that by now.

 The waiter brings the beer, turns to the N7 soldier to take his order, but gets waved off.  

“I was hoping you could spare a few minutes of your time,” he says, voice like gravel. Kaidan wonders if a piercing stare is a prerequisite for the N program.  

“Sir,” Kaidan says, because he’s still not entirely sure if he’s said anything yet.

Nothing shifts in the N7’s expression. It’s like looking at a boulder. Kaidan really wants to take a pull from the beer, but leaves it untouched.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on your career. Eden Prime. Virmire. Battle of the Citadel. I’ve been curious to see what you were capable of outside Shepard’s shadow.”

Kaidan flinches. He tells himself that the N7 didn’t see it, but it’s a lie. If he’s anything like Shepard, he not only saw it, but has already figured out how to use it as an advantage. The bastard.

He’s not sure if he’s referring to the N7 or to Shepard, decides not to try and figure it out.

“I was beginning to think I wouldn’t get a chance to see it before departure, but I just read the mission reports from Aite. Nasty job. But you got it done. I’m impressed.”

Fucking Hammerhead. Fucking Cerberus. Fucking Gavin Archer. Fucking Hammerhead.

Something clicks in Kaidan’s brain. He sits up a little straighter, like someone just splashed cold water in his face. “You’re Alec Ryder,” he says, unable to keep a little bit of wonder from creeping into his voice.

Ryder nods, the movement crisp. Sharp. His shoulders tighten so subtly that a moment ago Kaidan would have missed it. But he’s paying attention now. He thinks about saluting, or Shaking Ryder’s hand. Both seem stupid. He settles for a respectful nod. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”  

Kaidan thinks about asking him the same questions he probably gets asked by every single person who meets him. What was it like being on the first team through Charon? What’s Grissom like in person? How does it feel to be a hero? But his own experiences as of late push the questions aide. His answers to those kinds of questions feel disappointing; he can’t imagine Ryder’s are any different. You have a job and you do it. No matter what the cost. No matter who you lose. In the end you don’t feel like a hero so much as you just feel…tired. 

Ryder’s gaze doesn’t falter, not for a moment, but something about it seems a little more at ease.

Ryder pushes a datapad across the table to him. It’s encrypted. High level encryption that even Tali might have had to pause for a few to crack it open. Kaidan picks it up. The display shows only a simple blue and white logo featuring a long, sleek ship and the words Andromeda Initiative. He glances back to Ryder, who is watching him carefully.

“I’m not familiar with the Andromeda Initiative."

“You’re not supposed to be,” Ryder replies. “It’s not an Alliance project. Civilian run. Do you know Jien Garsen?”

Kaidan racks his brain. “I’ve heard the name, but not much more than that.”

Ryder gives no sign whether this surprises or disappoints him or none of the above. “This datapad will give you the mission details. For your eyes only. Understood, soldier?”

Kaidan nods, more from reflex than intention. He's willing to bet Ryder doesn't hear ‘no’ from many people. Another thing he probably has in common with Shepard.

“What’s the mission?” Kaidan asks, shoving thoughts of Shepard abruptly from his mind. White noise. It’s just white noise.

“Andromeda.”

For a moment Kaidan thinks Ryder is just repeating the name of the initiative. But then it sinks home a little bit. His eyes widen. “Wait. You’re going to Andromeda?”

“Colonization effort," Ryder replies, expression still stoic. "It’s been in the works for ten years. The datapad will give you the details. But we need people. People like you. Tough. Skilled. Resourceful. And I won’t lie, the Alliance training will be a big help.”

“You’re taking humanity to Andromeda.”

 “Not just humanity. Asari. Turians. Salarians. This project is huge, Alenko.”

Kaidan inhales. This time he does take a pull from his beer. Ryder offers him the encryption key to the datapad. Waits patiently until Kaidan uses it. Patience is something he and Shepard do not share.

Stop thinking about Shepard in the present tense.

Ryder doesn’t say a word as Kaidan flips through the contents of the datapad. The schematics. The mission statement. There’s Alliance hands in this, civilian project or no. The propaganda has a lot in common with the Alliance recruitment tactics that got him on his feet after BAaTT.

The beer is gone when Kaidan finally looks back up, a second one well on its way. “This is impressive,” he admits. “But I’m not sure why you came to me.”

“We need people like you.”

Kaidan laughs, but it sounds nervous. Flustered. “I’m flattered, but I have a job. I can’t walk away from the Alliance.”

“Can’t you?”

The question hangs like a noose. A sudden urge to flip the table and walk away grabs hold, and it’s only a deliberate sip of his beer that keeps him in his seat. “I’m an Alliance soldier,” he replies, voice quiet. Shepard would recognize it for the thin ice it was. Shepard isn't here.

“An Alliance soldier who knows about the Reaper threat but can’t do anything about it,” Ryder says. “An Alliance soldier who watched as his commanding officer’s legacy was manipulated into political propaganda while his crew was silenced. An Alliance soldier who wants to make a difference.”

But can’t. The unspoken words hover like a thick fog and refuse to dissipate. Kaidan looks back to the datapad. Anything to escape that goddamned stare.

“Talk to Garsen,” Ryder urges. “Listen to what she has to say. The Reapers are coming. You believe it. I believe it. If we can pull this off, we might still be able to save ourselves. But we need people like you to do it.”

Ryder’s chair scuffs against the floor plates, armor joints creaking as he gets to his feet. Kaidan doesn’t look up, and no farewell is offered. When he’s sure he’s alone, he puts his head in his hands, eyes squeezed shut, willing the crowds in the restaurant and the corridors of the Presidium to fade into white noise.

[afterreign]

lovers is plural pairing: implied akeshu/shuake, background ann/shiho & ann/mika beta reader: @jubilantscribbler a/n: no p5r spoilers summary: The Phantom Thieves, an infamous name that empowers the young and instills fear in the corrupt, hold their most important meeting yet. Just who is Takamaki Ann, code name Panther, dating?

Today, Akira is not nervous. There are no battle strategies to discuss, no infiltration route to go over. He is free, not having to relentlessly plan out solutions for all of the potentially bad outcomes that could come to fruition in their next palace escapade.

(Although, he should do that, Morgana’s incessant pleas to sleep be damned.)

No, today is a day he can breathe easy. Today, he is confident.

Akira slides a 100 yen coin.

“Ann is definitely going out with Shiho.”

The response between the Phantom Thieves—sans Ann, of course—is mixed.

“Dude,” Ryuji deadpans, “for real? We’re makin’ bank, yet you’re only gonna bet, like, a coin?”

The weight, or lack thereof, to Akira’s wallet disagrees completely. “It’s fair,” he reasons, internally stomping away at the compulsion to present how truly empty his wallet is to everyone else. “Plus, we’re still high schoolers. College funds and stuff.”

The word “college” attracts the local student body president like a moth to a debt-filled flame. Ugh, third years. “While I would agree that saving up for college is admirable,” Makoto says with a laugh, “I believe we need to backtrack a little.”

Akira sucks in a breath when the brunette places an unwrinkled 1000 yen bill on the table. Makoto’s eyes shine a little. “I am placing my bets on… Mika-san.”

“Thank you!” Futaba, the resident shut-in, erupts, throwing her hands in the air. “I’m glad there’s some common sense here.”

This, of course, ensues verbal chaos. Ryuji, lovely Ryuji with a heart of gold, slams his hands down on the table, protesting all of Futaba’s points. (“Have you seen her look at Shiho?!” the blond exclaims. “Hell, I want someone to look at me like that!”) Futaba spouts something about common media tropes and otome games and other concepts that fly right over top student Akira’s head. Makoto is somehow the mediator and instigator in all of this, proudly showing the group a selfie Ann and Mika took not too long ago. Haru smiles, looking a little too apologetic for wear, before presenting an even more recent photo of Shiho and Ann going on a stroll at the nearby park. And Yusuke, passionate as ever, presents their close-knit group a highly detailed pencil drawing of Ann and Mika looking deep into each other’s sparkling eyes, and okay, this is getting weird. Possibly bordering creepy, and—

Akechi is sitting there with a pained expression masked poorly. He is sipping his coffee cup. It has been empty for the past ten minutes.

“—I feel inspired gazing upon two colleagues enraptured with one another,” Yusuke finishes confessing. Akira, admittedly, hadn’t caught the earlier half. A none the wiser Yusuke nods sagely, eyes closed. “There is no doubt in my mind… Ann and Mika-san must be together.”

“But,” Haru starts, “I can’t help but see Ann and Suzui-san in a relationship. Is that odd? I haven’t had any time to talk to Suzui-san lately, but when she attended Shujin, the two seemed close.” A fond smile crosses the third year’s face. “I can’t help but be a little jealous actually!”

Akechi politely raises his hand. His laugh sounds like it’s being played straight from his TV interviews. “Aha, well. I see everyone is getting along today. But… considering we are not discussing anything Phantom Thieves related, do you mind if I go along my way and head home?”

Everyone rightfully ignores him. Akechi remains stuck in the table booth, likely resenting the fact he came in the first place.

(Akira almost feels bad for him. Almost.)

“Well, that’s that,” determines Akira. He’s not sure what he’s actually determining, though. There is a tone of finality in his voice, and Akira simply goes along with it. He glances at both sides of the booth they’re huddled in and surmises his thoughts aloud. “Me, Ryuji, and Haru think Ann is dating Shiho. Makoto, Yusuke, and Futaba believe she’s dating Mika.”

Ryuji looks pumped. “We need a tie-breaker!”

Makoto frowns. “You… are aware that we’re taking individual bets, correct? It doesn’t matter if one ‘team’ has more people than the other.”

“Matters to me,” grumbles Ryuji, and Akira pats him on the back.

Out of the corner of Akira’s eye, he catches Haru’s glossed lips making a perfect little “o.” If the thieves were in some classic cartoon, Akira has no doubt in his mind that one of those thinking light bulbs would be flickering just above a bed of curly locks, a stubborn screw you to the laws of gravity. “Oh, Akechi-kun!” Haru turns to the detective, a curious look on her face. The light bulb is all aglow. “What are your thoughts on the matter?”

Call it a hunch, but Akira is sure that Akechi is swimming in many thoughts by now. Just… not anything helpful. Instead of voicing out the worst of the worst, the brunet smiles a pleasant smile. It’s strained all the same. “Well,” he begins, “before I give you my answer, mind if I express my own questions?”

Futaba minds, apparently. She groans and dives her head between the safe space of her arms. Some of the others restrain themselves to do the same.

“Is it not strange that all of you are placing bets on Takamaki-san’s love life? Does this not feel all a bit too personal?” inquires Akechi, arms crossed. Despite how light his tone is, his stare bores straight into Makoto’s eyes, judging. “I’m especially surprised that you are participating in this as well.”

Akira always felt that there was some camaraderie between Makoto and Akechi. Hair color and motivations aside, both are at the top of their grades, high marks on all of their exams. The two teens are cunning and have a similar interest in law and speak softly when it matters most. They’re arguably the most mature of their group, but… they slip.

Right now is not one of those times.

Makoto doesn’t flinch. “You… must not know me well then, Akechi-kun,” she states. “I admit that once the rest of the Phantom Thieves proposed—” Makoto quickly waves a hand at everyone. “—this, I thought it was… immature, at first. But I soon came to understand that we do this because we care about Ann.”

“And it’s fun!” adds Ryuji. Yusuke is beside the blond, humming in agreement.

“Ann is always looking out for our feelings,” Haru explains, smoothing out her skirt. “Think of this as if… we’re looking out for hers. Ann is one of my dear friends, so of course, I want to support her in a happy and healthy relationship.” Graciously, she covers a giggle behind her hand. “Although, I do think we get carried away.”

Murmurs of agreement surface between the team. And of course, Akira knows this isn’t about money. This isn’t about who’s right or wrong. It’s about Ann’s infectious laugh, about her overflowing sympathy for other people. It’s about Ann because Akira cares about his friends, and he wants the best for her—

“But are we not certain that Ann is dating Mika?” Yusuke asks, pure confusion in his voice.

—but he can still think his friends are factually wrong.

Before the debate has a chance to start up again, Akechi cuts in with a clean, “First, let’s get that tie-breaker vote in, shall we?”

“Oh, now he cares,” Ryuji scoffs.

Suddenly, Akira hears a small gasp. He turns his head to the not-so-mysterious source and finds a shocked Futaba gaping at no one in particular. “We forgot to ask Mona!” she yelps, startling everyone else from the calm. The shut-in whips her head away from everyone and begins shouting at the staircase. “Hey, Mona! Mona!”

For once, Akira is glad Sojiro decided not to stay and make the gang lunch.

It takes a few moments before Akira hears the creak of Leblanc’s wooden stairs. Slowly, Morgana’s nose peeks out from behind the rails before his head and his furry body follow suit. He moves down each step, one careful paw after the other, before dragging his dark tail across the white tile floor and hopping onto the table.

Oh, the bespectacled boy thinks belatedly.

Morgana is sulking.

Triangular ears are flat against his head. “Yeah, yeah, I’m here,” the feline-but-not-really says with a sigh.

Ryuji makes a low whistle and leans back into his seat. The booth does not bother to budge. “Damn, and I thought you liked talkin’ about your ‘Lady Ann,’ Mona.”

Akira does not miss Morgana’s withering look. In an effort to placate him, the teen reaches over and strokes Morgana’s favorite spot on his head despite the not-cat’s silent protests. Akira then leans over and speaks low into Morgana’s ears. “You don’t need to be here if you don’t want to. I know you wanted to skip out since…”

The silence speaks for itself. Morgana looks at him, and the former appears deep in thought, tail swaying as if searching for answers. Eventually, the tail comes to a halt. “Thanks,” he purrs, and Akira isn’t entirely convinced if it’s intentional or not. “But I got this.”

Akira feels a tug at the corners of his mouth. Satisfied, he leans back, watching Morgana take center stage.

“As someone who knows Lady Ann the best,” Morgana declares, chin held high, “I think it’s important that we consider other options. What if she isn’t dating any of them?”

Leblanc’s resident dyed blond groans. “You’re only saying that ‘cause you like her!”

“Am not!”

“Uh,” Futaba butts in, “are we gonna ignore the fact that none of us updated Mona on what we’re talking about, yet he still responds like he’s been here?”

Morgana seethes out an impatient “I live here,” while Akira says effectively the same thing, only with a switch of the pronouns. Okay, that didn’t work. Clearly, Akira needs a new plan—one that involves less bickering with an animal so they don’t all look insane when an innocent customer decides to walk in and witnesses the incarnate of chaos and more… amicable relations. More bets, perhaps.

Curiously enough, it’s Haru who takes the reins, sending Akira a small smile before speaking up. “Maybe if Mona-chan understands why we think Ann has a significant other, he can decide for himself.”

Akira may be a heathen, but God bless Haru.

As Akira is internally singing his praises, the conversation thankfully segues back to Ann and a hyper analysis of her love life. Futaba mentions how she first found out about Ann’s secret romance after forgetting to debug the café. (Akechi then sends Akira an alarmed look the latter chooses to dutifully ignore.) Haru continues that line of thought, recalling Ann’s inquiries regarding the language of flowers and the like, and Akira makes sure to ignore that tinge of jealousy stirring in his stomach even though he knows that Ann knows his hard work in memorizing a bunch of flower symbolism for his job in the underground mall.

He sighs and mentally sweeps his slight envy under the rug. Priorities, Akira.

It’s not until Makoto clears her throat and poses the daunting question of “So, do you believe us?” to Morgana that all eyes fall back on the not-cat, waiting patiently.

The sway of his tail falters. “... Yes,” he bites out. Morgana’s face contorts like he’s devoured a lemon. “Guess this is what you unrequited love, huh?”

Luckily, Ryuji has the decency to stay quiet as Haru breathes an apologetic “Oh, Mona-chan…” and pets the not-cat’s torso.

The group falls into an almost comfortable silence, save for Morgana’s drooping ears that nearly makes Akira leap forward and shower him with many affectionate head pats. Akira otherwise lets his mind wander. He drifts between the scent of Sojiro’s curry ingrained in the dark walls of Leblanc and his daydream of a flustered Ann grasping the hands of a faceless lover, rotating from Mika to Shiho to a mixture of the two’s features. The arch of the rival model’s groomed eyebrows and the doe eyes of the ex-Shujin student are rolled into one.

Features, Akira absently thinks, and for some reason, his eyes linger on the jaunt of a certain detective’s chin, the curve of his lithe neck, the way he carefully tucks a chestnut-colored lock behind his ear. His eyebrows, not unlike Mika’s, are furrowed. Dark, gloved hands hold a gray smartphone that is definitely not bugged by someone that rhymes with Fakura Sutaba, and hazel eyes—red, if you catch them when the glint of the sunlight hits them just right—are fixated on the screen.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise when Akechi of all people, the same Akechi who never dares to back away from a challenge, continues the conversation, not bothering to look up from his phone.

(But it does come as a surprise, oddly enough. Because Akira, jolted out of his daydream and thrusted into reality, is looking, and he feels like he shouldn’t be.)

“Have we come to a conclusion about our findings then?” Akechi questions, a thoughtful look on his face.

“Pardon me,” Yusuke voices, “but I assumed you held no interest in Ann’s love life like the rest of us.”

Akechi, lo and behold, bears another classic (read: fake) smile of his. “I don’t particularly. However, it seems like you all are stumped, and I do enjoy a good mystery. After all, I am a detective, aren’t I?”

Akira resists the urge to point out how the unknown identity of Ann’s girlfriend is a far cry from a good mystery, much less anything more than petty gossip when not discussed amongst friends. Instead, he motions the brunet to continue with a flick of the wrist.

Finally, Akechi looks up. “Have any of you considered the antithesis to Morgana’s hypothesis?”

Ryuji frowns. “The… what?”

“I believe Akechi-kun is talking about the opposite of what Morgana initially thought,” clarifies Makoto. “Which means…”

The gears in Akira’s head turn by the end of Makoto’s unfinished remark. His mind swims around antithesis and Ann and the underlying yet unknown connection between the two, trying to grasp at a lost thread he’s determined to find. (Anntithesis! his brain unhelpfully supplies a beat later before he dismisses it completely.) He thinks back to what the group assessed before: selfies, flowers, the like. Selfies, flowers, the like.

Selfies.

… Were they selfies?

Akira is backtracking now, attempting to recreate the images Makoto and Haru had shown the rest of the group earlier in his head. He closes his eyes and thinks. Mika and Ann’s picture can be excused as a selfie, sure. The two were pressed close together in the photograph, shoulders bumping and heads tilting inward to stay in frame. A part of Ann’s arm was cut off from where they took the picture. Sly smirks on both of their photogenic faces.

By all means, it’s a regular, old photo. A selfie, likely.

Then, what about Ann and Shiho’s? Akira recalls Inokashira Park as the backdrop of the image, an abundance of green flooding his vision. He’s quite familiar with the area, too; jogging with the former track star there whenever his body can endure the brutality of cardio is one form of torture Akira will never forget.

If he recalls correctly, the photo was awfully similar to its counterpart. Heads inclined towards one another, shared smiles, and⁠—

Ann and Shiho were holding up peace signs, both pairs of arms visible in frame.

It’s a cliché to gasp. Akira knows this and does it anyway because one, he is surprised and two, he loves being dramatic. The act earns a rather bemused look from Akechi that’s immediately disguised as a roll of the eyes.

The rest of the thieves follow suit as realization dawns on them. Makoto nods. Futaba blinks. Ryuji’s jaw drops. Haru, polite as ever, raises a hand to mask the shock evident on her face. Morgana’s eyes go and widen to the size of Kamoshida’s golden medal, round and shimmering and unbelievable.

Yusuke is the last one to come around, and he barely manages to gather his bearings in time to ask, “Can it truly be…?”

A delightful ping rings in the still air.

“See for yourself,” Akechi says, voice breezy, and slides his phone down on the table.

-

“Do you think they’ve seen your Instagram post?”

Shiho asks this while peering over Ann’s shoulder, watching the likes accumulate at a rapid speed. The end of her ponytail brushes against the blonde’s nape. Ann struggles to suppress a giggle.

“Oh, maybe?” It comes out unsure, reluctant. Ann taps her chin. ”But my phone hasn’t blown up with text messages yet. And trust me, I would know when my friends saw it.”

The other model waves it off, nonchalant. “They’ll figure out soon enough anyway." A pause. Then, Mika sighs. “Looks like the entire population of Tokyo will, too. I don’t know why you wanted to do this, but I’m sure our agency is going to love capitalizing on it…”

“Ugh, agency shmagency!” Ann, who has no concept of personal space when it comes to these two, gathers both of the girls in her arms and gives them a tight squeeze. “How can I hide away my two amazing girlfriends from the world?”

Mika rolls her eyes, but the dust of pink coloring her cheeks gives her away. “Is she always this corny?”

Shiho snickers. “Oh, one hundred percent.”

[lightsaroundyourvanity]

the sparks between us, pg-13 [1/8]

RWBY. yang x blake. [ao3]

“Ah, finally. Time to kick up our heels and relax.”

Even Yang knows how out of place she must look when she flops backwards onto the powdered blue satin chaise, shamelessly props up one dusty boot. She doesn’t care. It’s comfortable (well, it’s horizontal) and Yang is bone tired. She folds her hands behind her head and leans back.

It’s been twelve hours since they’d arrived in Atlas. Twelve hours of security checks, protocol checks, weapons checks… and Yang had been ready to check out since before they’d even landed. Between sky piracy, losing her motorcycle, mortal combat, and battling skyscraper sized Grimm from the depths of the ocean, she had had a day.

Yang briefly lets her eyes shut in sweet, sleep-adjacent relief, and then blinks them open. She’s not the only one who looks tired. Ruby sags on her feet, and instinctively Yang wants to jump up again, put her to bed. Weiss looks even more high strung than usual, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. And Blake…

Blake has been wearing that same odd expression since they’d disembarked the airship. It’s complicated by shades of sadness, relief, exhaustion… and peace. Yang can’t imagine what Blake is thinking. They’d killed Adam together, but Yang had seen only the man who had tried to take her apart, piece by piece. She wonders what Blake had seen. All the directions he could have gone, all the moments he might have. He chose wrong every time. Yang won’t miss him.

Yang watches Blake for long enough that Blake notices, and their eyes meet. Yang tilts her chin towards Blake, and Blake bites her lip, smiles, and crosses over to join Yang on the chaise. She drapes Yang’s legs over her lap, and Yang sits up on her elbows.

This dynamic between them, this charged-and-not charged, is a new level for them both. Yang doesn’t know what to make of it, but she feels like a kid with a crush at a sleepover. All of the nerves on the backs of her legs feel more alive right now, and when Blake rests her hand on Yang’s kneecap, she thinks that she might explode.

They’ve always been affectionate. They’ve always been close. But there’s something more to it now. A promise. And if Yang thinks that she knows what it all means, she still doesn’t know how to say it aloud, not yet.

Yang’s reverie is shattered when Weiss lets out a disgusted noise. “You’re getting mud on everything.”

Yang looks at her boots (they’re filthy), and then up at Weiss. She raises an eyebrow. Like: After all this, you’re really going to play the princess card?

Weiss looks at the ground. “Well, you are,” she mutters.

Yang’s heart softens. Sometimes, being a brat is the only way that Weiss knows how to be vulnerable and scared. Yang lashes out with her fists instead of her tongue, but she gets that. And she thinks about how very vulnerable, and very scared Weiss must be feeling right now, back in the place she’d clawed her way out of.  

So Yang swings her legs down and sits up straight, and feels a mournful pull away from Blake when she does – except there Blake is again, resting her head against Yang’s shoulder, and Yang’s blood starts to sing. Weiss rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling.

Yang looks to Ruby again, uncharacteristically quiet. She frowns. “Doing okay, sis?”

Ruby smiles, but even that reveals how tired she must be. It’s like every ounce of chipper has been drained out of her, which Yang didn’t know was possible.

“I’m fine,” says Ruby. “Just…”

“Tired,” Weiss finishes. “I think we all are. What was General Ironwood thinking, making us go through all that bureaucracy? After everything we’ve been through?”

“Atlas is on high alert,” Blake says thoughtfully. “Makes you wonder what for.”

A hush falls over the four of them. Yang knows that they’re all remembering the armada that flanked the continent when they flew in, and maybe, distant and behind that, the last time they’d seen an Atlesien fleet surrounding a kingdom. Vale. Yang feels a phantom tug of pain from her arm.

“Whatever it is, we’ll get to the bottom of it,” Ruby says. A touch of her old strength returns to her voice. “We’ve faced worse. We have the relic. We have our mission. And if anyone in Atlas thinks they can stop us, well—”

Ruby’s speech is cut off mid-sentence when she breaks into an enormous yawn. Everyone giggles. Yang jumps to her feet and puts her arm around her sister.

“Okay, hero, time for bed.”

Ruby sleepily protests, but Yang ignores her and steers her towards a bedroom.

The apartment General Ironwood had given then was a little dainty and pastel for Yang’s tastes, but it was easy to navigate. The first door she opens is a bedroom, and she ushers Ruby into the overstuffed four poster.

“Yang?” Ruby asks, as Yang tucks her in.

“Yeah, Ruby?”

There’s no response. Ruby is fast asleep. Yang smiles and brushes a piece of hair from Ruby’s face. Her baby sister, saving the world. Like this, she still looks eight years old to Yang, but Yang has seen her lead battles with confident efficiency, seen her turn Grimm into stone with her eyes. And Yang is so, so proud of Ruby. She’s growing up into one of the heroes she’d always admired.

When Yang returns to the living room, Weiss is sorting through luggage, picking out her own. Blake is still on the chaise, and Yang reclaims the seat next to her.

“I’m going to bed too,” Weiss announces. “That was—”

“A day,” says Yang.

Weiss smiles. “It really was, wasn’t it? Night, you two.”

Weiss trips out, carrying her suitcase, and Yang glances at Blake. It’s just the two of them now. She wonders if they should talk. Or if she should put her hand on Blake’s knee and see where the wind sways from there.

“Are you tired?” Blake asks suddenly.

“What? No!” Yang is beyond tired, and she proves it a moment later by badly smothering a yawn. “Okay, maybe a little bit,” she admits sheepishly. “But not if you want to hang out.”

“I do want to,” says Blake. And then it’s like she’s read Yang’s mind, because she puts her hand. Right on Yang’s knee.

Yang turns to Blake, and a thousand words could bubble to her lips, but none of them seem to want to come out. She’s better with her hands. She lifts one now, rests it on the curve of Blake’s cheek. “Blake…”

Blake leans into her touch, and Yang is amazed all over again that they’ve eased into this point. At the intersection of new and familiar it all holds. She wonders what it would be like to kiss Blake. She bets her lips are soft.

“Tomorrow…” Blake murmurs.

“Huh?” Yang is still thinking about Blake’s lips.

“We’ll hang out tomorrow. We need to, um. Talk.”

Yang doesn’t know what they could possibly have to talk about that they can’t show each other.  And Yang knows that they have everything to talk about.

“Qrow said we could be here days before anyone will see us,” says Yang. “We’ll have plenty of time to…”

“Talk.”

“Yeah. That.” Yang’s thumb skates over Blake’s cheekbone, and she sees Blake’s lips part. I should kiss her now, Yang thinks. She wills herself to lean forward, to bring their mouths together. Except that…

Except that Blake has been through so much, and that it’s three in the morning, and that even if Blake does want to kiss her too (Yang thinks she wants to kiss her too), she might not appreciate it under the circumstances. She did just say they’d talk tomorrow.

So Yang takes her hand from Blake’s cheek, and her eyes from Blake’s lips, and pulls her into a hug, because that’s safer. Blake seems surprised for a beat, but then she buries her face in Yang’s shoulder and holds her back. Yang feels longing well up inside her.

“Good night,” she says into Blake’s hair.

Yang is exhausted when she goes to bed, but she lies awake for twenty minutes anyway, thinking about dumb, sappy things, like what it feels like to hold Blake’s hand.

--

Sharp knocking at the door wakes Yang the next morning, and she rolls over and puts a pillow over her head. She can still hear the knocking. Yang wonders if this is her responsibility somehow until she hears quick, precise footsteps in the other room and thinks, Oh good. Weiss.

Yang hears the sound of the door opening and muffled (but enthusiastic) greetings. She realizes that she is awake now anyway, so she throws the pillow aside, gets out of bed, and goes to investigate.

Weiss stands in the foyer talking to a taller, more remote version of herself. That must be her sister, Yang realizes. Winter.

“I’m so happy you were able to come over,” Weiss is saying. “It’s so good to see you! I was worried you might be busy—”

“Weiss. Are you going to let me in?”

“Oh! Of course!” Weiss steps aside, and gestures for Winter to come in, shuts the door, takes Winter’s coat. “Have a seat! Would you like coffee?”

“I’m fine.” Despite her clipped tone, there’s warmth in the way Winter treats Weiss. She crosses through and takes a seat on the blue chaise.

Yang clears her throat. “Hey.”

Weiss (fully dressed, nervously fluttering Weiss) takes one glance at Yang and looks mortified. “Yang,” she hisses. “Did you just roll out of bed?"

“Um. Kind of.” Yang tries to smooth out her hair, but it’s a tangled mass. “I’ll go get dressed.”

“No, stay,” says Winter. She looks at Weiss. “I’ve actually come to talk to your whole team.”

“I’ll get the others,” Weiss says. She’s gone in an eager flash.

Yang sprawls in an armchair, and soon the whole team is gathered, looking sleep rumpled and curious. Weiss returns with a tray of coffees, and Yang takes hers with both hands and is grateful for the first scalding, life-affirming swallow.

Blake sits on the floor next to Yang and sips a cup of tea. Yang can’t believe how good Blake looks after waking up. She can’t believe she never noticed it before – they’d shared a room for over a year, hadn’t they? But again, there’s that crackling new awareness. Yang wants to throw Blake over her shoulder and take her back to bed and stay there, warm and curled up against each other, until at least early afternoon.

Instead, she cocks her head attentively when Weiss speaks.

“What did you want to talk to us about, Winter?”

Winter sighs and puts down her cup. “It’s a little bit awkward.”

“Is it General Ironwood?” asks Ruby. “Is he ready to see us already?”

“Well, that’s just it. He’s not going to be able to see you. Not for a few weeks.”

Yang nearly chokes on her coffee. “Weeks? We don’t have weeks!”

Winter is nonplussed. “Unfortunately, all you have are weeks. There’s… a lot going on in Atlas that I can’t share right now.”

“So what are we supposed to do? Just sit around here until Ironwood deigns to talk to us or we get attacked?”

Yang feels her temper rise. It’s all frustration, fizzy and insubstantial, but she wants to throw it at somebody anyway.

Winter makes a terrible target. She remains cool; frank and apologetic. “That’s the other reason I came. If you’re interested, I have a job for you.”

“We’re interested,” says Ruby. She doesn’t look around the room first. She doesn’t have to. If the choice is between sitting on their hands or doing something useful? It’s no question at all.

Winter sizes up Ruby thoughtfully. After a beat, she nods. “Good. I was hoping you’d say that.” She takes a breath. “As I was saying, there’s a lot going on in Atlas right now. We’ve had to recall everyone on active duty because of—well, actually, that’s—”

“Classified,” Yang interrupts. “Yeah. We get it.”

“Of course.” Winter looks very much like she is trying not to roll her eyes. “Well, because of that, petitions from outside the kingdom have been going unheard. Villages who are facing threats from the Grimm. Most of the huntsmen in Atlas have obligations to the military, but I was thinking, well, if I could send a team who weren’t from Atlas…”

“Winter,” Weiss gasps, “Are you asking us to break the rules?”

“It’s more of a loophole than anything…”

“I love it!” Weiss starts to throw her arms around Winter, thinks better of it, and then pins them to her side. “Intrigue is an excellent source of sisterly bonding.”

“You know I can’t go with you. I’m needed here.”

Weiss’s face falls. “Of course.”

“Where do you want us to go?” asks Ruby.

“A village in the north called Neiden. There have been reports of increased Grimm activity.”

“Not for long!” If Ruby had her scythe on her, Yang thinks that she might have whipped it out, just for the dramatic effect.

“Why?”

Everyone turns to look at Blake, who is looking at Winter, confused. Suspicious, even.

“You care about the army. You care about these rules. There must be dozens of these unanswered distress calls. Why bend the rules for this one?”

It’s so like Blake, to cut right to the heart of the thing, to want to know the heart of the thing. Admiration socks Yang in the chest.

Winter fidgets. “You’re right, of course.” Winter pauses, sighs, and then continues stiffly. “It’s like you said. We have dozens of these distress calls. All unanswered. The Atlesien army is the mightiest in all of Remnant, and they can’t even protect Atlas. Desperate times. I wish I could say more, but—"

“Classified.” Yang hears Blake and Ruby join in the chorus with her and grins.

Colour rises in Winter’s pale cheeks. “I believe in Atlas, but I worry that Atlas is spread too thin. And it’s forgetting the world outside the kingdom. If we could help even one town… I had a friend at the academy from Neiden. I picked the case at random, but maybe that’s why it stood out.”

Yang’s eyes slide towards Blake again. Blake’s features have softened. Yang tries to guess at what thoughts are turning behind them. A stand against a rising tide is something that all of them can understand, but for Blake, that understanding is more personal.

“We help where we can,” Blake says softly. She and Winter share a look. Winter nods.

“When do we start?” Ruby asks.

“Tomorrow,” Winter says briskly. “I can get you there, and keep you supplied, but that’s all the help I can offer. This isn’t a sanctioned mission.”

Yang pumps her fist. “Black ops! Respect.”

Blake still looks concerned. “We’re still only students,” she says. “What makes you think we can do this?”

Winter smiles. “Because Weiss thinks you can. And I believe in her.”

--

Weiss walks Winter out, and Ruby goes to take a shower. Yang reaches her hand down just as Blake lifts hers. Their fingers tangle together, and Yang squeezes Blake’s hand.

“No rest for the wicked, huh?” says Yang.

“This feels like something to keep us from causing trouble while we wait for all of the adults to stop talking.”

Yang shrugs. “Maybe it is. That doesn’t mean we won’t be able to help people."

“True.” Blake looks thoughtful for a moment. “I liked her. Winter. Even if this is just busy work, it seems like she really… cares.”

“She reminded me of Weiss that way.”

“Me, too.”

Yang tugs Blake’s hand towards her, and Blake follows automatically. She gets off the ground and curls up with Yang on her chair, legs dangling over one arm. Yang still holds her hand, and she runs her thumb over the lines of Blake’s palm.

This is more than friendship. Sitting in each other’s laps, feeling each other’s skin – Yang is pretty sure that this all goes beyond friendship. This grey area they’ve found themselves in intoxicating. And fragile. And Yang’s still not sure that she should be the one to ask for more. She’s happy to have this, even if her thoughts are straying towards Blake’s mouth again.

Maybe this mission will be a good thing. It’ll give Yang the chance to blow off a little steam. Yang thinks she could even look forward to it: A straightforward hunt without the world hanging in the balance. No gods, no monsters, no ghosts.

“Hey, if we’re going further north, you know what we need to do?”

“Hm?” Blake sounds half tuned out, but her ears prick forward.

“Buy you a new coat.” Yang pauses thoughtfully. “And maybe a sword.”

Yang’s day starts planning itself in her head, as easily as falling dominoes. Shopping with Blake. Trying on clothes with Blake. Running her hands over weapons components and talking about designs with Blake…

Yeah. A straightforward hunt was just what Yang needed.

[rainsonata]

Doppelgänger 3/15

Chapter 03: Mind and Body

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: K+ Word Count: 6,368

Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one’s reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.  

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

AO3 Link / FF.NET Link

— [Chapter 01] [Chapter 02] [Chapter 03] [Chapter 04] [Chapter 05] [Chapter 06] [Chapter 07] [Chapter 08] [Chapter 09] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15] — 

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Class Notes:

Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen  

Alternate Path: Rune Slayer, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

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Rage Hearts

A couple of dark elves were stationed when the El Search Party arrived at the outpost with heavy eyelids. The dark elf elder must have instructed them to stay behind if they were still in the process of evacuating the village. White masks obscured their faces, but their sharpened knives and bows positioned for an ambush made it clear they weren’t letting their guard down.  

The sentry guardians let them cram under a tent for shelter from the rain. Black clouds clustered together in an erratic array, thunder striking against Rage’s eardrums as rain overflowed the undergrowth. Lightning flashed in irregular intervals as he and his friends waited in painful silence.

Packing that morning was less than a hassle. Apsara only forgot to retrieve her spare weapons once and it took less than three trips to pack Cavalier’s elaborate tea set customized from Lanox. Being a soldier himself, he didn’t own a lot of possessions. He spent most of the morning making sure nothing was left behind and that everyone was present and accounted for. They were waiting for Aether and Crusader when one of the dark elves spoke.  

“Your party number seems to increase every time we meet.”

“I’m sorry?” Perplexed by what the dark elf meant, Rage did a mental headcount. There were nine of them, which was three short because Knight was gone and they were still waiting for two party members to rejoin. Did the dark elf mistaken?

“No, there are nine of us,” Apsara waved her finger in the air to recount their team members.    

The dark elf didn’t falter from her statement, “I saw humans in the forest last night. Elder Edith told us not to attack on her command, but if you are hiding more humans...”

“We’re not,” Rage said. “If there were more of us, we would have told you.”  

“How many people were there?” Code: Esencia asked.

“At least a dozen,” the other dark elf replied. “They were in smaller groups as you were.”

“Sorry for the wait,” Aether stepped under the tent. Her staff raised above her head to form a magical barrier shielding her from the rain. In contrast to the El Search Party, Aether remained dry aside from a few wrinkles that needed to be ironed out. “It took longer than I thought to get here with the sudden rain.”  

“We’ll be outside if you humans need us,” the dark elf said. Her comrade nodded to the party and excuse themselves from the tent.

The dark elves have left the El Search Party with new information that must have been baffling for them because Daybringer had ceased talking to Bluhen, who had a sullen expression but nodded when she stopped to explain something. Empire, Ishtar, and Chevalier discussed among themselves on the implications of potential human allies. Esencia and Bringer were silent on the affair, deep in their thoughts and had nothing to contribute to the conversation.    

There at least a dozen humans beside them! Rage was shocked by the number. They haven’t had new members join the El Search Party since Cavalier and Ishtar, who arrived as a pair in Lanox. Regardless, with strict policies to outsiders, it was unlikely for humans to settle in Varnimyr without the dark elves’ notice. Who were those strangers and what were the chances of coming into contact with them? With their luck, very likely.

“What’s going on? Everyone’s quiet,” Aether frowned.

“Sorry, Aisha. I could hardly sleep last night.” Apsara wiped her eyes to dust away a tear, “It was hard to.”

“Sorry about the late letter,” Aether chuckled. “Didn’t want you to worry for not saying where we were.”  

“Where’s Chung?” Rage noted the absence of the young man.

The mage stuttered, “He’s occupied at the moment. Don’t worry, he’ll be here soon!”

Aether smiled, but her brows visibly twitching at an intensity that left little of her answer to be believed. Sitting between Rage and Apsara, she had her hands over the helm of her skirt, picking at a loose piece of thread she found. Worry and discomfort were apparent in how she crossed her legs with restlessness.    

“What did you want to tell us?” Empire sat next to the mage.

Aether hummed, “There’s a trail leading to clues that might tell us what happened to Elsword. You must have seen the forest before you arrived.”

It was unlike anything they have seen before. Unevenly burned and charred, the trees were stripped bare of their bark and collapsed at the slightest human contact. The smell of smoke was still fresh in Rage’s mind. Parts of it were still burning from yesterday when Bluhen found the battle site until the downpour started. It was no ordinary fire. The burn marks stopped abruptly midway through the woods and the destructive path it laid in ruins was too well calculated to be of natural occurrence.

Albeit the clumsiness and likely lack of control over their magic, Rage could see the power in what was leftover from how through the fire was. He had doubts they would find anything of use from the remnants of the burned down forest. Broken bottles and discarded glass jars told the mercenary the damage was likely caused by another human. An arsonist in the Demon Realm? The magic humans used for magic was different than the blue fire Ishtar and Cavalier used in battle. Not as destructive as demon fire, but just as unpredictable and difficult to control without proper training.    

“There were footprints, but as you may guess, most of it was gone by the time we found them.” Aether said, “Human footprints mixed with-”

“Corrupted Elrianode monsters,” Bluhen finished, long eyelashes brushing over green pupils. “Elsword wanted to assess the cause of the sudden spike in the presence of El. I agreed to go with him to ensure his safety, but we were split apart when we saw the monsters.”

That was new information for the El Search Party.

Bringer’s scowl grew deeper, uttering incohesive words that were less than savory. Apsara looked at Empire with concern as the red knight’s shoulders stiffened at the mention of her brother, clamping her gloved hands into tight fists. Quiet chatter spouted between some of the team members, words of hushed worry and fear.

Esencia wasn’t as transparent in her emotions, but the sadness in her eyes was apparent. The Nasod queen placed her weight on Remy and Moby, patting them with gentleness unlike one of a Nasod.  

“That idiot,” Aether growled. Red flashed across the mage’s features, a mixture of anger and regret, even guilt from how hard she gripped her staff if that was any indication. “He could have waited for us to help him with the investigation. Why does he think he has to deal with everything by himself?”

Knight would have taken their concern with a bashful laugh. Flustered but with an appreciative smile before covering his embarrassment with an apology, leaving one to wonder if the man was aware of the effect he had on others.

He was not the most intelligent of the bunch, but his impressive stamina and strive to move forward was admirable. That was what made Knight approachable and likable because he wasn’t threatening. Rare naivety for someone his age, yet it was his strength to explains why he had supportive friends willing to stay by his ideals.

“Um… The dark elves said they saw humans.” Apsara decided to change the topic to break the silence, “What does that mean? I thought we were the only ones. Did you see them, Aisha?”

The mage shook her head.

“It’s not improbable,” Ishtar said, the former demon monarch idly flicking her tail. “It would be naive to think we were the first outsiders the dark elves have met. Demons have invaded the human world before, so it’s not unlikely the same has happened in reverse.”

“Is it an invasion if there are only twelve of them?” Chevalier mused.

“Humans are capable even in small numbers,” Esencia stated.

That’s why humans won the Nasod War, Rage thought. Humans do not have half the abilities demons, but their adaptability and tenacity made up for it, as he had found out when he met the El Search Party. No one else was as foolish or stubborn as the children that were willing to put their lives on the line to rescue a bizarre cyborg experiment.  

“Should we warn the dark elves?” Daybreaker asked.

“We don’t know what kind of people they are,” Apsara argued. “We should watch them first before we do anything. They could be new allies!”

“Or they can be new enemies,” Bringer drawled. “But still, not a bad idea.”

“I sense their El,” Bluhen said. “But they share the same wavelength as us. They have better control over it than the demons do.”  

“What you described sounds like the shadows we fought in the Hall of El.” Aether crossed her arms.

The shadows’ physical appearances, movements, even their voices mirrored their real counterparts. They were manifestations of the El, whispering sweet promises and luring them into a false sense of security. It was a good thing none of them caved in because the El Search Party could have disbanded from missing members.

Daybreaker crossed examined the purple-haired woman with the eyes of a medic, taking note of the lack of open wounds or injuries. It didn’t appear that Aether partook in a recent fight. “You seem to be in good health, but what about Chung? Are the potions for him?”

“I guess you can say that,” Aether rubbed her forehead. “He’ll be here soon enough, hahaha…”

Her nervous and forced laughter left more questions than answers. She was going to leave red marks on her forehead if she kept rubbing it.

The mage mumbled, “What’s taking him so long?”

Rage narrowed his eyes. Aether was an intelligent young woman, but hiding information from the group was not what the mercenary appreciated if they were discussing the health of a fellow team member. Opening his mouth, he was ready to interrogate her before Empire interjected.  

“We can wait for Chung, but you need to be honest with us if he doesn’t come in fifteen minutes.” Empire warned Aether, “I understand if he wants you to lie to spare our feelings, but we don’t have the time to play these charades.”

“Right…” Aether’s eyes averted.

“Did you find the remains?” Bringer ignored the leers Bluhen was sending him. “We found the loser’s scabbard. Did you call this meeting to tell us what we already know?”

It was strange his scabbard was the only thing remaining. Where did Knight’s greatsword go? His scabbard was identified closer to their campsite than where Rage thought the battle between their former leader and the monsters took place. The ones Bluhen fought must have been the last of them because they did not come across any on their way to the resting station to reunite with their teammates. Those beings held no inhibition or motivation of their own unless controlled by a Henir cultist.  

“Remains?” Aether gawked at the brawler, “What are you talking about?”  

“Ow, let go!” A familiar voice whined from outside the tent.

A male voice exclaimed, “You’re going to reopen your wounds if you walk like that!”

“Your grip is going to reopen them!” They huffed, “When did you get this strong? Easy on the hand holding!”

The voices grew louder in a cacophony.

Drenched from the rain was a young man emerging into the tent. He wore an unbuttoned thin white jacket with red lining on the edges and belts, which was also soaked from the inconvenient weather. Metallic pieces plated over his thighs for reasons Rage couldn’t understand. What were those plates supposed to protect? Red runes etched over his bare tanned skin on his arms and lower stomach, revealing more runes carved into his palms when he opened them.

Behind him was Crusader. The ponytailed man had an umbrella over his head with a medical kit in hand. Destroyer was strapped to his back and one arm interlocked around the other. His determination was visible as Crusader tugged his elbow inward and pulling them towards the center to Aether’s fire to warm up.  

“If you don’t stay still, those scars will become permanent.” Crusader chastised.

“What’s another scar to add to the many?” He shrugged, “It’s not like we have a healer or anything.”

“We have Ain.”  

“Since when does Ain heal?”  

Aether groaned.      

Long tangled hair tied into a lower ponytail, bangs pulled back by a black headband that did little to keep his fringe out of his eyes. Eyes the color of fire matched his hair. Rage gawked at his choice of clothes. What was he wearing? Those plates weren’t going to protect him from anything unless the demons wanted to attack his thighs.  

“Why are you all so serious?” The man let out a nervous chuckle at his new audience, “You all look like someone just died.”

Empire stepped forward, eyes glazed over him. Arms across the newcomer’s shoulders, she croaked at the familiar face.      

“Elsword?”

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Devi

The sun warmed the frigid forest undergrowth with tenderness. Devi smelled smoke coming from the fire Abysser kept alive throughout the night, waking up in hourly shifts to rekindle the dying light. It was a commitment she admired from a distance, not wanting to bother the demon in his morning ritual. Pots and pans clattered in the background as Abysser gathered ingredients he had stocked in Elrianode in preparation for breakfast.  

Marigold glowed in the lower portion to indigo and maroon where the horizon was, a mild portion of the sky in what Devi assumed was what mornings were like in the Demon Realm. In contrast to the numerous moons rotating on their axis, the lonesome sun dipped past the hills. The forest’s chatter dismissed from activity as Devi examined her fingernails, curling them tight in anticipation with quivered lips.

She promised she would follow Flame.

Despite the inconvenience she had brought to the El Search Party because of Ran’s actions, Flame waited for her. What started as routine sparring sessions blossomed into more. They talked about their brothers, their hometowns, the food and people they saw, and the wonders they experienced on their journeys. Although the red knight wasn’t the brightest and sometimes needed things to be explained, her presence was candlelight when Devi was in a dark place.

Resting her head on her bag, Flame remained exhausted and woozy from last night fight, restless in sleep. Red strands fluttered past her face as she slept on her side, arms tucked into her body. Her chest rose with each passing breath, unaware of Devi sitting close by on a fallen log and watching over her.

The Rune Master meant the world to Flame. Devi understood the feeling of losing a close family member after finally catching a glimpse of them even for a short period of time. Raised in the army and asked to lead at a young age, Flame admitted that her happiest moment wasn’t reuniting with her father, but seeing Rune again and joining his band of oddballs in Velder. Devi couldn’t forget the rage and panic Flame had when she almost lost her brother to the El.  

It was unfair to despise the boy for playing martyr out of the selfless belief that it would restore the El and everything would be fine and dandy. If that was his idea of justice, Devi could respect that, but placing his life in danger shortly after affected her more than she had expected herself to be.

Rune could have chosen not to listen to her story after she had blocked them from attacking her brother. No one was forcing him to accept Devi into the El Search Party or provide her the resources to strengthen her spear. Kindness seemed to run in the family because Rune never judged her for her decision to pursue power over more noble goals

“It sounds important to you, so I trust you.” He said when Devi gave him a quizzical eye.  

Missing him? Eun asked.

Only because he brings her pain, Devi replied. She could hear the doubt in the fox spirit’s thoughts but knew better than to probe further.    

If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t have met Flame or the other party members, who were just as accepting. It was the kind of trust that could easily be taken advantage of by others.    

Devi smelled the eggs and steamed rice. She considered offering a hand and helping Abysser set the table, but arrangements were already made with plates and bowls ready, utensils lined up and ready to feed five people.

There’s only five of us, Eun reminded her.

Six if we count you, Devi held a blank expression on that line of thought. They were seven people short with Rune’s whereabouts unknown. Flame was insistent on regrouping with the rest of their friends. When Devi woke up for her shift, Abysser passed a message that Dominator had found a way to reach them over their communication devices. They were going to leave after breakfast.

Flame moved. Stretching her limbs, she reached for her bag to retrieve a hairbrush to untangle her hair and rolled to the side to greet Devi.

“Mornin’” The fire knight yawned. “Did you sleep well?”

Smiling at her, Devi shook her head. “You know I can’t sleep through the night as well as you can.”

Which was true, because the Demon Realm wasn’t free from crickets. Their loud chirps made the forest come alive and left Devi lying in cold sweat from moving in her sleep. Summers in Demon Realm couldn’t escape insects either, it seemed.    

“What’s on your mind?” Flame teased, “You look like Eun just told you Elsword ate the last steak.”

“I didn’t know he could eat that much!” Devi fumed, feeling her cheeks flush red and stuttered. “You should get ready for breakfast. We’re leaving after to meet up with the others.”

“You heard from them?” Flame was impressed. “That was quick!”

Devi thought about the effort Dominator must have put into making their means of communication functional despite Dark El tempering with it. His fascination with Nasods wasn’t something she understood nor did she care for, but if it helped them on their journey and made things more convenient, then she wasn’t going to complain. It wouldn’t surprise her if the scientist pulled an all-nighter.  

“Why stop when you can make more improvements?” Dominator would have puffed his chest with pride.  

Breakfast was a quiet affair with humble food and bread rationed among party members to last them for at least a few days for their upcoming expedition. With only five mouths to feed, although that would soon bump back to eleven, it didn’t take long to wash the dishes and clean up afterward. It felt like they were camping outside Atlas Station again, surrounded by a foreign environment and little known information to what was in their future.  

It started raining when they finished packing. Water droplets pelted them as Devi clenched her gown to the side to avoid getting it wet, grumbling to herself with dismay. It felt like years since their last experienced proper rainfall, which was when they stopped at Atlas Station. Clouds cluttered and darkened without warning, releasing a downpour over their group as they searched for higher ground to avoid the overflowing river.

“Where did you say we were meeting them again?” Flame pressed her forehead against her palm, rubbing her eyes.

“I told them where we were,” Phantom said. “Hopefully they can find out through this rain.”

Phantom had a baby blue umbrella over his head and a matching scarf. Equally blue eyes locked into Devi’s, still shorter than the older woman even with the added centimeters from his armor. Gray clouds reflecting off his pupils, difficult to read and unpredictable as the way he fought the Hamel demons on their first meeting.

The other half of their group contacted him when Phantom was on patrol duty for the night. From then, the message was passed down the rest of their small group with Devi being the last to tell Flame.

“What are you going to do once we find Elsword?” Phantom asked.

“The same as before,” Devi flashed a sharp-fanged smile. “Ran is still out there and those demons won’t slaughter themselves.”

Phantom didn’t flinch at the half threat, but the disapproval was clear. If he was requesting for a different answer this time, then the guardian of Hamel was in for a disappointment.

Devi let out a humorless laugh. Her brother was still a high priority on her list and taking down the demons that brought him to his fate was her answer. She wasn’t going to pretend it wasn’t a selfish act. It was personal and had little to no involvement with the grander scheme of the El or those involved with it. Ran was but a mere pawn to the demons that wished to invade Elrios and use their resources.    

Strange how life played its pieces into place. She was on the same side as the man who wanted to take down her brother despite the risks that may jeopardize their relations.  

“I hope you understand what it means if you can’t make him change his mind,” Phantom chose his words with care.

“I know,” Devi gripped her hands around her umbrella. They would have to take him down, a thought that had her clenched her teeth on the possibility. “I see them.”

She made out the outlines of Oz’s hat and Dominator’s drones residing behind the scientist, their shadows obscuring the other half of the El Search Party emerging from the storm. They regrouped under the trees, laying their weapons and possessions against the tree trunks. Most of them wore raincoats that went down to their knees with matching umbrellas.  

“I hope there was no trouble getting here,” Phantom said. “Did you come across any demons?”

“Not as many as I thought there would be.” Anemos was apologetic, “Sorry for the wait!”

“Let’s not do this again,” Oz wiped her brow. “This place is big enough as is when we’re together.”

Devi agreed. They had wasted a day searching for each other and avoiding bringing attention to themselves because of their unceremonious entrance into a new world. Too many detours like in Elrios. They could be searching for answers on the Dark El, but time was running out.  

“Any signs or clues to where Elsword is?” Abysser asked.

Richter leaned closer to where Anemos was and averted his gaze when addressed by the demon. Long strands of hair combed over his eyes. The priest stood still under the tree, rain trickling down his pale neck as he engaged in a locked staring contest with Abysser.

Abysser was the first to blink.

“We didn’t find anything, but there are tents nearby.” Abysser took the lack of response from Richter and the others for a no. “I think we’ll have luck if we ask the residents living here.”

“I see.”

Displeasure appeared on Richter’s face not unlike her own, just as irritated on the suggestion of cooperating with demons. They have a poor track record with demons outside of Timoria and Abysser, although that was to be expected with their reputation for giving demons trouble.  

“Eve, is there a way you can search for Elsword?” Flame asked.

Gazing at her with sympathy, Ultimate said. “Remy and Moby can run a scan, but it will take time. They need time to analyze.”

“Thank you,” Flame was appreciative. “I guess that brings us back to square one on finding Elsword.”  

“Unless we run into ourselves,” Blade mumbled.

“What?” Devi stared at the mercenary with intent, waiting for Blade to say he was joking. Okay, the old man was as likely to start joking when Dominator would stop gushing over ancient codes.

“I...may have brought us into the wrong Demon Realm and we might run into ourselves,” Dominator admitted with a sheepish grin.

Devi groaned, “Is that going to give us problems?”

There were correct Demon Realms now? Devi covered her face with a gloved hand and choked on her saliva. There were only so many times she could handle dimension-hopping. First, there was Elysion, then Elrianode, she guessed Demon Realm was another to add to the list.

“If they’re anything like us, they might be helpful in finding the brat,” Dominator mused. “Assuming they don’t see us as a threat.”

How reassuring, Eun yawned.

Not if we take them down first, Devi thought.  

“Wrong Demon Realm or not, we still need a starting point to find Elsword.” Blade said, “I think Ciel is right in asking around. We can learn more about the Demon Realm and where we are.”  

“We can do that after the rain stops,” Flame stared at the gray skies. “I doubt we’ll find anyone in this weather.”

Devi gazed at the sky too. It was the kind of weather for her and brother to sit around the fire for a cup of tea after dinner. She was always careful not to add too many tea leaves after the one time she forgot and used all of them in one sitting. Ran wouldn’t stop laughing about it afterward, but it didn’t make her feel bad because he offered to make a new pot of tea. If they were in a different Demon Realm, did that mean this Ran wasn’t the one she grew up with? Devi didn’t know what to think of that.

Alternatives of themselves. What were they like? Would her counterpart be nothing but a shadow of herself like those manifestations in the Hall of El? Or would the look-alike be a mirror image for Devi to notice the visible flaws until she had enough and lose her mind? If there was another Flame, would they still get along? Devi laid her head down and sighed. She had enough of this dimension bullshit.

--------------------------------------------------

Knight Emperor

“Who are you?” Knight stared at the sleeping figure. A trap set by demons? What were they doing here?

That couldn’t be a civilian. They shared his face. Not an exact copy because they wore their hair like they left a late-night party and had questionable clothes, but that wasn’t the point! How could that be possible? They felt too real to be an imitation like the shadows he had fought in the Temple of Trials.

“Ugh, my head hurts.” They stood up, wobbling with their hand over their head. “Woah, did I hit my head that hard? I see two of me!”

“You’re telling me,” Knight crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, studying his look alike. The red markings reminded him of the runes he studied when he still bothered going to school before picking up a sword. Well, they couldn’t both call themselves Elsword, so his counterpart was going to be named Rune. Wait, he was getting distracted... “Why are you here?”

“Better question,” Rune laughed. “Why are you here?”

“I don’t have time for this,” Knight groaned at the question flipped on its head and back to himself. “Earthquakes are going on and we still don’t know anything about the Dark El. I need to get back to my friends and-”

“Wow, you’re searching for answers on that too?” That perked Rune’s attention, “I guess you really are me!”

Knight wasn’t as keen on being associated with his counterpart. Past experiences with similar entities were unpleasant and often ended in brawls. Would that happen again with this one? Knight closed his eyes. He was still exhausted from the fight.        

“Hey, don’t space out on me. Are you okay?”

Knight jerked his head forward to the sound of rattling, his mind paused on the present and went to autopilot. Twisting his body, Knight threw himself in front of his counterpart and blocked a set of sharp teeth with his sword, shoving his counterpart to the ground with his free hand and away from the attacker. Knight opened his mouth to scream at Rune to leave, but nothing came out. He could feel the demon breathing down on him as it pinned him.    

The demon attacked.    

Water dripped from the high ceiling, echoing within the walls of the enclosure with no interruptions. The ground was damp and had a mossy smell to the gravel beneath Knight’s boots. He woke up to the sight of a sharp point of a crystal growing from the ceiling, pointing down to where he laid. Knight held his breath and pulled himself away before he could hurt himself from wanting to touch the crystal to see if it was as tough as his greatsword.

Fluorescent light radiated from crystals on the sides of the walls in pink, orange, blue, and purple, some as tall as a human adult. Some of the crystals sprouted from the ceiling and the ground up, forming an effective wall and blocking possible exits. Smaller rocks were placed strategically in the corners of the confinement. Shelves carved into the walls behind him with nothing but dust to greet Knight.

Where was he? Peeking through the gaps between the crystallized wall, repeated formations of crystals and boulders expanded with no end in sight. He was inside a cavern. A metallic smell stuck to the walls, one that Knight was well accustomed to by now. It smelled like blood.

Was this the Shadow Driller’s hideout? Knight turned around frantically in search for the demon that brought him here. It resembled the Shadow Snipers invading Hamel almost two years ago, but it looked stronger. Thorns protruded over its head and orange scales plated over its spine and limbs, standing on hind legs and claws reached out for him. It was easily taller than him by at least one to two heads. What was Knight supposed to do if there were more of them?

He needed to leave.

The Emperor Knight reached for his greatsword from the sheath on his back, feeling for his weapon and moving his arm back further when there was nothing. His blood turned into ice. The absence of his weapon was apparent.

He failed to keep his promise to his friends and got himself caught in a sticky situation. How long would it take for the El Search Party to figure out where he was? Knight himself didn’t know how far he was from his friends. He didn’t remember seeing a cave or a cavern close to their campsite.

Where did he drop his sword? It was by his side when Knight fought off the Elrianode monsters and found Rune, who was nowhere to be found.

A hollow feeling rose from his chest. Did Rune understand his intention and escape while Knight fought the Shadow Driller as a distraction? Or did Rune stay behind to fight and get caught as a prisoner?

His counterpart was less fazed by Knight’s existence than vice versa, but he didn’t seem to have bad intentions if his first response was to talk things out instead of attack. That was a change in pace for Knight after dealing with demons who felt more obliged to slice him in half rather than hold a conversation.    

Rune said something about researching the Dark El. It sounded similar to the resolve Knight made with his friends after they pulled him out of the El’s influence. Determination mirrored back when Knight looked at his alternative, purpose and responsibility weighing on the shoulders of an eighteen-year-old with battle scars. Those scars looked worse than his, making Knight gain sudden self-conscious over his body. If it wasn’t for Bluhen, would he be similar to his other self? They had minute differences, but their mind and body were the same.    

If Rune existed, then did the rest of the El Search Party exist as well? Knight tried to imagine meeting Aether or Bluhen’s alternatives, but the image of them wearing clothes as meager as Rune wasn’t something he was going to forget. Did it matter if they were different? They would still be his friends.

This was something Bringer would have enjoyed discussing because the brawler held a fascination for alternative dimensions and the like. Knight was sure he would explain how people like Rune were possible when they held more free will than any of the shadows they have encountered before. Until he could break his way out and find his friends, he was on his own.  

Lifting his head, Knight was greeted by a pale face.

“Aaah!” Knight knocked his head against the wall, covering his head in pain. Hitting his head on a stone wall was a bad idea.  

The small figure giggled, their face was well hidden by the hood they wore adorned with cat ears. A child? Not as tiny as Ishtar, they stood up to his shoulder in a one-piece suit and a jacket hoodie zipped up. Thin chains extended from their tailcoat with sharpened ends, matching the magenta-colored gloves they wore. The child’s clothes held no wrinkles, the insides of their hood patterned in purple diamonds and they weren’t sweating like Knight was. A recent captive?

Knight apologized and rubbed his head. “I didn’t know you were in there. Sorry if I bothered you.”

Were they always there? They looked so small with the layer of clothes on them. Assuming the silence for shyness, Knight didn’t push on the child and offered an encouraging smile. He had to stay strong. The child didn’t need to see him in distress or panic that he had no idea where they were. That’s what Empire did when they were children because she wanted him to believe in her. He would do the same for the new child.

“You don’t happen to know how to get out of here, do you?” Knight asked.

No response, not even nodding or shaking their head for any indication they heard him. They were holding something. The child held up a leather bag that was easily half of their weight, prompting Knight to accept it.

“You want me to open it?” Knight forgot to tell the child that it was his bag. How did they take it without his notice? Was he surprised to see another human being that he had let his guard down?

Knight emptied the bag and laid the contents side by side, gesturing the child to sit next to him. Snow fruits, desert sweet potatoes, and bulky carrots were bred to be sturdy vegetables, but he felt guilty when he saw how much they bruised. Expired tickets and flyers from COBO services came out of the back pockets, colors and lettering faded away and smelled like Sander Jerky. A leather sack held hundreds of millions of gold coins Knight had been saving to upgrade armor and weapons. Spices for food and fragment powder for crafting them into El Tear fragments were organized by color and type.

Initially organized into smaller compartments courtesy to Bringer, who complained about his habits for tossing everything together in the bag, well… Old habits are hard to break and Knight was back to square one. Elixirs, potions, crafting material, accessories, clothes, certificates, scrolls, and stamps cluttered his bag.

The child glared at the growing pile of trash.

“I know it’s a lot,” Knight was embarrassed. “There’s nothing to do here, I guess now is a good time to start organizing.”

He was never going to hear the end of this if Aether or Bringer found out that he forgot to keep his stuff clean. With two people, it was still a Herculean task sort out the trash and know what to keep. It was tempting to hold on to everything, but Knight felt a pair of eyes dig into the back of his neck when he suggested keeping the old coins the town alchemists no longer accepted for crafting services (1). Couldn’t a guy get a little nostalgic?    

“That’s the last of it!” Knight smiled when they finished cleaning. “You didn’t have to help me, but thanks!”

The child ignored him, turning their head away from the knight. The disappointment was apparent at the mess he was making. Knight laughed nervously when he saw where they were looking. Kept in a flask the color of the wind El, he made out the cursive writing on a label “Blessed Giant Hand Potion” (2).

Next to it laid a greatsword Knight didn’t remember owning. Bulkier in appearance, the crossguard was more circular than what he was used to and the hilt had red belts attached. The blade itself was as wide as his head but thinner at the point. When Knight tested the greatsword, he was shocked that it was lighter than it looked. At closer inspection, he recognized the symbols on the hilt and blade to be runes he couldn’t understand. Was this Rune’s sword? What was it doing here and how did he pick it up without knowing? But still, this was good to have something to defend himself when they make their breakout.  

“You think this will work?” Knight asked. What a dumb question, he thought, but he missed having someone to talk to despite their conversations being one-sided.

Knight sweated when the child smiled at him full of sharp teeth. They were going to break out with sheer force. That could work.  

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Knight chuckled, “Stay close to me.”

He choked on the breath-taking hold the child had, wrapping their arms in a binding hug around the waist. Knight gently tapped on their gloved hands to let go. The child loosened their grip, backing away and giving him room in preparation for their escape.  

Feeling his hand over the crystallized wall, Knight snapped his eyes tight, concentrating on the spot with the weakest support. Unbottled elixir in hand, his lungs were on fire like he had inhaled sugar into his nostrils. His hands enlarged and Knight breathed.  

One, two, three!

“Hyaaaah!” Knight charged.

--------------------------------------------------

Notes:

Old coins (1) - Once upon a time, Elsword had Secret Dungeon coins and separate crafting material for each Secret Dungeon set.  

“Blessed Giant Hand Potion” (2) - An elixir that causes the character hands and weapon to become bigger and have an increase in damage boost.

[persona-minty]

Robot Revival AU

Sooo I was talking to @friskyghost about a certain AU they created (link) and they were kind enough to indulge me and talk about it for a while. It was really fun! Anyway, I asked and they said I could make a post about what we talked about and they said yes, so I’m going to do just that. @friskyghost is the primary creator of this AU, but this post is mostly mine with my own headcanons and details that may not hold true for friskyghost’s version of the AU. Persona 3 and 5 spoilers abound and this is a pretty long post, so be warned.

Premise/TL;DR

Minato, Hamuko, and Ryoji are all resurrected several years after the fight against Nyx, except there’s a catch. While their souls are still around and unable to naturally move on, their bodies have long since decayed, so SEES finds a way to infuse their souls into Plumes of Dusk and then crafts three Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon bodies to put those Plumes of Dusk into. Later, Hamuko, Minato, and Ryoji are sent off to Shujin Academy along with Labrys and Ken during the same year the Phantom Thieves will be active. Naturally, they get caught up in the goings on of the metaverse.

Appearances

Minato, Hamuko, and Ryoji all look like they did back in 2009, except with several clear Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon features, like the headphones and metallic shoulder and leg joints Aigis had. Labrys looks essentially the same, and Ken and all of the other members of SEES save Aigis are just older versions of themselves, likely similar to what we saw in Ultimax.

Prelude

Elizabeth and Theodore figure out a way to permanently destroy or detain Erebus, perhaps thanks in part to Yaldabaoth’s creation/birth. From there they dismantle the seal and set Minato and Hamuko, twins in this AU, free from the seal. Ryoji is there with them, has been since the creation of the seal, and decides that if the twins are leaving then he will too. Liz and Theo relay all of this information to SEES, and SEES acts by creating robotic bodies for the three of them. So Hamuko, Minato, and Ryoji all come back to life.

Of course then there are happy reunions. Hamuko, Minato, and Ryoji are happy to be alive, and their friends are happy to see them again. It’s great for everyone, but despite the fact that all of this is generally seen as positive, there are drawbacks. Hamuko and Minato have to get used to having suddenly jumped forward in time several years, all of the friends they’d worked so hard to make being so much older than them, technology being so much more advanced (a bit ironic coming from two robots), and so many world events having come to pass while they were in stasis in the Great Seal. Ryoji is less affected, having only existed for a couple of months in 2009 before. The matter of them finishing high school comes up, because Mitsuru has always been a bit of a stickler about that, though she is gracious enough to say that they don’t have to if they really don’t want to.

The original plan is for them to attend Gekkoukan, but they realize that most of the teachers that taught them back in 2009 are still teaching at the school, and furthermore, some of their friends/social links are still living in the area. They’d surely be recognized if they hung around the area, but they’re not ready to answer any questions about their miraculous resurrection to those not in the know yet. So Ken suggests that they attend the same high school that he does: Shujin academy. Originally he transferred to investigate the mental shutdowns that began occurring some time ago and showed several similarities to Apathy Syndrome, but despite that he was unable to find any potential crossover points where shadows could get access to those affected by the mental shutdowns in order to cause those shutdowns like how they caused Apathy Syndrome. Still, he stayed at Shujin partially because it was a school on par with Gekkoukan so he felt no need to transfer back, and partially because Shinjiro, not dead but permanently injured and therefore basically incapable of fighting shadows without putting himself at great risk, now lives in Tokyo and since waking up on graduation day, he and Ken have become closer and closer and healed past wounds.

It’s then that Labrys decides that she wants to attend school as well, and transfers to Shujin with them, both for her own curiosity’s sake, and to help them adjust to living in robotic bodies. So Shujin gets five transfer students that year: Minato, Hamuko, Ryoji, Labrys, and Akira. Minato, Hamuko, Ryoji, and Ken are all third years, while Labrys is a second year.

Entering Shujin

So the twins, Ryoji, and Labrys begin their year at Shujin Academy. Immediately there are whispers that one of the transfer students is a dangerous criminal, but it’s quickly determined that it isn’t the twins, Ryoji, or Labrys. Instead, it’s a second year transfer student that none of them know. Among them it’s decided that they shouldn’t make quick judgements on this student, but that they also have no reason to get involved with him and should just focus on adjusting. 

For the first two weeks or so, they just hang around and try to get adjusted. There seems to be five new rumors about the criminal transfer student each day, while Minato and Hamuko are gathering several admirers akin to Akihiko or Mitsuru in P3 because of their maxed stats. Ryoji, Ken, and Labrys share in that popularity to an extent.

Hamuko, excited about playing volleyball again like she used to, wants to sign up for the volleyball team. The coach of the volleyball team, Mr. Kamoshida, seems very supportive of this, but Hamuko discovers that her new robotic body might be harder to hide if she were to begin playing volleyball. This majorly bums her out, seeing that they can’t risk revealing themselves, but her friends are there for her and promise to play volleyball with her outside of school. She joins a less risky club, like the cooking club, and Minato joins something like the light music club. Labrys, meanwhile, takes interest in the student council and makes it her goal to become the student body president next year, after the current president has graduated.

Then, two weeks in or so, the twins have a very strange dream. It’s a place that’s a very familiar shade of blue, but so different from what they remember. Instead of an ever moving elevator, they find themselves trapped in a prison cell, peering out at Igor from behind steel bars. Liz and Theo have been replaced by two little girls named Caroline and Justine, and even Igor himself seems very different. He tells them of a place called Mementos and how to get there, and then they are released from the dream. They wake up, discuss amongst themselves, and then discuss it with Ryoji, Ken, and Labrys at school. They all decide to investigate after school.

Entering Mementos For the First Time

After school, they go to investigate the place called Mementos. It’s similar to Tartarus, and Ken theorizes that perhaps this is what he was looking for when he first began investigating the mental shutdowns. They run around for a little bit and discover that though Ryoji has no persona, he can still operate just fine as a navigator. Meanwhile, Minato and Hamuko have been “reset”, kind of, so they only have their respective versions of Orpheus and Messiah right now, but they still retain the ability to gain more personas through Shuffle Time. At the end of their investigation session, they venture into the Velvet Room once more and are told by Igor that Mementos is a manifestation of humanity’s sins.

Once out of Mementos, they discuss what they should do next. They agree that Igor must have shown them Mementos for a reason, and that it very well may have something to do with the mental shutdowns and/or psychotic breakdowns. So all of them agree to head back to Mementos again. Admittedly, it also feels good to fall back into the groove of fighting shadows. For Minato and Hamuko especially, since they’re struggling with the drawbacks of their new bodies and their sudden jump in time, so something familiar is extremely welcome.

The Calling Card

The next day at school, a calling card is posted about Mr. Kamoshida. It’s from a group calling themselves the Phantom Thieves, and claiming that they’re going to take Mr. Kamoshida’s twisted desires and change his heart. The next day, Mr. Kamoshida doesn’t show up for school. Nor the next day, and so on and so forth until the assembly where Mr. Kamoshida confesses his sins onstage and vows to kill himself. Mr. Kamoshida is taken into custody by the police, apologies are made to the people who Mr. Kamoshida’s actions affected, and rumors begin to swirl.

Minato, Hamuko, Ryoji, Labrys, and Ken are intrigued by the Phantom Thieves, but not overly interested right now. They’re more focused on discovering why Igor showed the twins Mementos, and they don’t yet consider the possibility that the Phantom Thieves may be persona-related.

Mementos Exploration (1)

They investigate further and further into Mementos, until they discover that they seem to have found the end of it. Mementos was much smaller than any of them imagined, and Ryoji even says that he was almost positive there was more. They discover the answer when they talk to Igor, and he says that they have barely scratched the surface of Mementos, but that to access more of Mementos the public would need to be aware of their existence.

(This is around the time that the Phantom Thieves first enter Mementos, but they do not cross paths with our group).

Making the Public Aware of Them

They discuss whether or not they should go forward with the exploration into Mementos. They are all a part of the Shadow Operatives, so taking care of shadows seems almost natural. Minato and Hamuko also trust Igor, despite him seeming very different, because of his assistance in the past, and the fact that it was Liz and Theo that freed them from the Great Seal. However, they have no idea how to proceed in Mementos, as they have to find a way to become known to the public. Ken, Labrys, or Ryoji then points out that the twins are musically gifted, and if they became famous that way then perhaps they’d be able to get further in Mementos.

After a quick brainstorming session, they come up with the idea to post a video of themselves on YouTube (or an equivalent), hoping that will be enough. Their video is a good enough quality that it draws in many people, but not enough to get them much further in Mementos. They try posting a few more videos, but the results are the same. They lament the fact that this does not seem to be working very quickly and debate just giving up on Mementos, but word of their struggle makes it’s way to the rest of the Shadow Operatives and the next day they find that their videos have skyrocketed in views because Rise promoted one of the videos they made.

(I haven’t decided quite what I want these videos to be about. Since the twins are always wearing headphones I definitely want it to have something to do with music, but I don’t know what yet. If need be, just imagine them posting covers to idol songs.)

Mementos Exploration (2)

The popularity that ensues from Rise’s actions is enough to get them further into Mementos, and it’s here that they discover that some people have actual shadow selves in Mementos. That’s when they decide that the mental shutdowns could be from someone killing these shadows, and first consider the possibility that there might be another persona user in Tokyo, and not one with good intentions. Remember, Ken was investigating the mental shutdowns from the perspective of someone who had dealt with Apathy Syndrome and automatically assumed shadows were the cause of the mental shutdowns.

Meanwhile, the Phantom Thieves take care of a few side requests in Mementos while looking into the Madarame case and Yusuke. When our group finds out about these requests, they officially determine that the Phantom Thieves can access the metaverse and are likely persona users if they can navigate Mementos without dying. That means they become suspects in the mental shutdowns case, at least to our group, but it’s not definite. They have no proof aside from both the assumed culprit and the Phantom Thieves likely having personas and being able to access Mementos, and the Phantom Thieves only showed up a little while ago while the mental shutdowns have been happening for a few years at least.

Still, our group makes the decision, with the approval of the other Shadow Operatives, to investigate Mementos and the Phantom Thieves further. If they wouldn’t, the Shadow Operatives would send others to check it out, because this seems important. As is, Mitsuru wants to send others in, protective of the twins after everything that’s happened, but they all but beg her not to. I think the twins would probably see this as a very good opportunity to get used to living again, especially in these new bodies in this new time. They really became comfortable with living their lives when they fell in with SEES, and this is a similar enough situation that they’re eager to get entangled with it. 

Conclusion

I don’t currently have anything more for this AU imagined, but I think it’s a strong start and has a lot of potential. The story from there would continue with the Phantom Thieves doing as they do in the game while our group investigated them and ventured further into Mementos. Meanwhile, Minato and Hamuko would be dealing with all of their emotional turmoil from being resurrected, being robots now, and being six years into the future. Like honestly, that’s a triple whammy right there, but at least they have each other to confide in. Meanwhile, we could get a more in-depth look at Ryoji, Labrys, and Ken’s characters, or at least a fan-written version of them.

I have what I believe to be a really interesting idea for the progression of this AU that involves our group joining Haru and Morgana in Okumura’s palace, but I haven’t fleshed it out yet so who knows if I’ll ever make a post about it. As it stands, if you like this AU you should go check out @friskyghost, who created the original concept for it. I think they’re a really cool person.

Thank you for reading this suuuuuper long post, whoever made it this far, and FYI, if anybody wants to come chat with me about any persona AU you or I create, I’m always up for it. Message me anytime. Seriously. I love fleshing out AU’s.

[crystalelemental]

Holy wow, two in one day?!  That’s right, I finally came up with a name for this team, and now it is time for yet another Pokemon team personalities rundown!  Today’s team: Team Sovereign.  Format will be the same as always:

Name and Species (name meaning/origin in link) Nature Characteristic (for those unaware: there’s a “characteristic” applied to each Pokemon that tells you what its best stat is) Ability Hold item EV spread Moves Description of their personality

Also, as before, I’ll list the team names here:

Harlow the Golem Calanthe the Milotic Naoko the Cinccino Ayaka the Florges Misaki the Lilligant Senka the Banette

Hopefully that will help keep things in order.

Harlow the Golem Nature: Adamant Characteristic: Capable of taking hits Ability: Sturdy Item: Custap Berry (act first when at critical health once) EVs: 252 HP, 252 Attack, 4 Sp. Def. Moves: Rock Blast, Earthquake, Explosion, Stealth Rock Personality: One of the four queens of the forests, Harlow is known as the Stonewall Queen, due to her exceptional defenses and strength.  Harlow is a fiercely loyal defender of the territory, and functions as the first line of defense for the team.  Harlow prides herself on her physical strength, focusing on raw power above all else.  In her personal life, Harlow is jovial and easy-going, but strong in her convictions.  She always pushes for the path she feels is correct, even if it is the harder path to take.  Harlow is well-liked by the Pokemon of the forest, and is considered a fair and just leader above all else.

Harlow gets along best with Naoko, for whom she acts as a mentor and guide.  She is fiercely loyal to the team, yet distrusts Senka entirely.  Her relationship with Calanthe can be shaky at times.  When discussing their roles, Harlow feels Calanthe is too volatile, and needs to be a more stalwart leader.  Harlow also feels that Misaki’s views can be far too extreme, and attempts to side with Ayaka as a more level-headed opposition.

Calanthe the Milotic Nature: Bold Characteristic: Takes plenty of siestas Ability: Competitive Item: Sitrus Berry EVs: 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 Sp. Def Moves: Scald, Ice Beam, Toxic, Recover Personality: Brash and capricious, Calanthe is known as the Mercurial Queen, due to her frequent and often severe volatility.  While generally presenting as composed, Calanthe does not respond well to setbacks or challenges to her rule, and can become enraged easily.  Calanthe’s volatility makes her fairly distrusted by others, including the other monarchs.  “Stability” is a big factor in Calanthe’s motivations, and she seeks that stability above all else.  However, despite her drive for external stability, she struggles with her own emotional stability more than most.  Control is important, but there are many things about leadership that are outside of her control, and this drives her feelings of inadequacy and incompetence.  As a result, whenever her plans or sense of control are thrown off, she can begin to lash out at everything around her, and bring her full fury upon the disruption in an effort to quell both the external threat, and her own negative self-perception.

Calanthe’s relationships are strained, to say the least.  Her most notable relationship, with Misaki, is one born of inequality.  Calanthe admires Misaki’s confidence, and feels a strong sense of stability from Msaki’s ability to control situations, although Misaki does not often seem to consider Calanthe as much.  Calanthe also appreciates young Naoko, whose upbeat attitude and dedication to the queens is something she applauds.  She also considers herself something of a role model to the child, although the others are concerned that she may actually be right on that.  Interestingly, Ayaka’s soft-spoken approach and ability to soothe an inflamed ego has led to Calanthe being most influenced by her.  While Calanthe considers herself a needed support for Ayaka, it’s clear to onlookers that it is often the reverse that’s true.

Naoko the Cinccino Nature: Jolly Characteristic: Likes to Run Ability: Skill Link Item: King’s Rock EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Speed, 4 HP Moves: Tail Slap, Bullet Seed, Rock Blast, Knock Off Personality: Naoko is, quite literally, a child of the forest.  Young and energetic, Naoko is quick to get herself involved in the affairs of others, particularly affairs of greater importance.  Whether this interference is by her design or simply the idle curiosity of a child, her skill in both combat and gaining affection from others cannot be ignored.  As with many youth, Naoko enjoys playing tricks, and is well aware of how best to surprise or otherwise irritate others.  Despite this tendency, her actions are always interpreted as the playfulness of youth, and her disposition is always cheerful and sweet, leading to many adoring and doting fans.  These talents were not overlooked by the queens, who saw an opportunity in the youth and sought to bring her up as another to enter their fold in time.

Naoko gets along well with most members of the team, though she is intimidated by Misaki and Senka.  Despite this, she approaches both with a positive and friendly attitude.  Misaki is kind, though somewhat short, which Naoko attributes to stress of the job.  Oddly, Senka is quite polite and communicative, and frequently praises Naoko’s accomplishments.  Still, Naoko is always closest to Harlow, whom she admires greatly and considers a mentor figure.  Calanthe also often tried to get Naoko’s attention, and Naoko will often oblige her.  Despite Calanthe’s volatility, she is more careful around Naoko.  Naoko tends to see through to Calanthe’s personal insecurities in these moments, and believes that being close with her will help Calanthe to feel more relaxed and stable herself.

Ayaka the Florges (Yellow) Nature: Calm Characteristic: Capable of Taking Hits Ability: Flower Veil Item: Leftovers EVs: 252 HP, 252 Sp. Def., 4 Def Moves: Moonblast, Wish, Protect, Aromatherapy Personality: Calm and level-headed, Ayaka is known as the Placid Queen, due to her reputation as a thoughtful and empathic leader.   Ayaka considers herself as counsel for the queens, and has a knack for diplomacy.  Even for the hot-blooded Misaki and the volatile Calanthe, her words are given top priority, and are often the only thing keeping them in check.  Ayaka is incredibly well-respected as a peaceful ruler, but has a reputation for being slow to act.  When immediate action needs to be taken, the other queens are far more likely to act.  Ayaka is not opposed to action, but will often want to consider a full range of options before moving forward with anything.  As such, she serves as an excellent check to the others, but requires prodding to enact changes.

Ayaka is close with all the queens, and considers them valuable allies.  She is often working with Misaki, whom she believes requires her input the most.  She is often involved with Naoko as well, attempting to teach the child the value of foresight and negotiation.  Ayaka also serves as a close support for Calanthe, and does her best to bolster the young queen’s confidence.  Ayaka is highly wary of Senka, and believes that she should never have been released.  The ancient spirit is considered a danger for a reason, and she fears that Misaki’s actions were not fully considered as they ought to have been.

Misaki the Lilligant Nature: Modest Characteristic: Mischievous Ability: Own Tempo Item: Life Orb EVs: 252 Sp. Atk, 196 Speed, 60 Def Moves: Giga Drain, Hidden Power Fire, Quiver Dance, Sleep Powder Personality: In the public forums, Misaki is refined and elegant, speaking calmly and carefully to others.  She plays the role of a public figure well, and expresses that she honestly is more demure at heart.  However, those who know her well enough know better.  Misaki’s persona is very hot-blooded and passionate, earning her the title of the Choleric Queen.  While the Four Queens are allies meant to make decisions as a collective, Misaki has taken it upon herself to act independently on several occasions, not the least of which was releasing the dark spirit, Senka.  Misaki’s actions have earned her distrust from many, though there are few who would say she does not get results.  Misaki is extremely goal-oriented, and will do whatever is necessary to accomplish her goals.  Thankfully for most, one of her primary goals is to maintain the forest as a safe location.  She believes that the forest is often too slow to act, and may be devastated by a changing and hostile world if they don’t act with strength and conviction.  This strength has been used to turn away invaders that would have otherwise been nigh-impossible to stop, earning her another title as “Godslayer Misaki.”  Her effectiveness and efficiency has been proven time and again, and while she may not be a trusted domestic leader like Ayaka and Harlow, she is feared and respected more than any other.

Misaki’s relationships are almost exclusively established in respect, and she carries no significantly close friends.  She respects Ayaka most of the queens, and considers her guidance crucial.  Harlow she finds too inflexible, and Calanthe, while supportive in her ambitions, often lacks her own convictions and is too easily swept up in emotion to be trustworthy.  Naoko shows potential, and Misaki is careful to ensure that the child is brought up understanding what is needed to ensure peace.  However, none of these are people she would consider friends.  Oddly enough, while Senka was released as a pawn, the two have been spending more and more time in each other’s presence.  Although Misaki would never admit this, she finds herself engaged with the history of the spirit, and their ambitions have forged somewhat of a personal connection that she’s never truly had before.

Senka the Banette Nature: Careful Characteristic: Somewhat vain Ability: Cursed Body -> Prankster Item: Banettite EVs: 252 HP, 252 Sp. Def, 4 Atk Moves: Knock Off (considering Phantom Force, need to test), Will-o-Wisp, Destiny Bond, Substitute Personality: In ages past, Senka was known as the dark spirit of the woods; a terrifying and vile creature that did as she pleased, often bringing harm to others on her way.  However, four allies banded together within the forest and defeated the spirit by stealing away the mega stone that was her source of power, and sealing her away deep within the wood.  These four became the first queens of the forest, from which the current royals are descended.  This imprisonment continued for ages, until Misaki sought to turn a former enemy into a new, powerful ally.  Misaki returned the mega stone that was stolen, and released Senka from captivity.  While Senka’s first action following this kindness was to attack the queen and attempt to escape, Misaki soundly defeated the spirit alone and brought Senka to heel.  Currently, Senka plays the obedient puppet.  While she currently satisfies herself with pushing for more reckless action to bring Misaki to ruin, she often considers simply turning on the queen and making her escape.  However, this was in the beginning.

After battles with Misaki, watching her defend the woods and so soundly defeat opponents greater than herself, Senka developed a respect for the queen, and has decided to stick around, “just to see how far she goes.”  Despite the cavalier explanation, Senka has been quite taken with Misaki, and finds what drives the queen fascinating and worthy of admiration and support.  While Senka has no qualms against any of the others, she finds it difficult to get along with Harlow and Ayaka, who are well aware of her previous reign of terror and are not quick to forgive and forget.  Senka is quite pleasant with Naoko, who seems curious about her, if somewhat wary.  Senka will sometimes play on these apprehensions, but seems to have the child’s best interests at heart.

[kenttheatreblog]

Why musical theatre fans are the best

Last night I saw Wicked for the fifth time and needless to say it was AWESOME! The additional highlight for me was (albeit fleetingly) meeting the exceptional talent that is Rachel Tucker, a lady who I’ve admired for years and whose vocal abilities give me chills.

I think every theatre nerd has one of “those” shows. A show whose soundtrack they have on repeat, know every line to as well as all the names on the current cast list. A show that is more than a show. For me that show is without a doubt Wicked.

There are of course others: Kinky Boots, Blood Brothers and Avenue Q to name but a few, but there is something about Wicked that draws me in and by no stretch am I the only one.

Last night, while me and my sister were waiting by the stage door like the bunch of geeks we are, we stood with a young lady who had travelled all the way from Holland to come see the show. The young lady stood out in particular because she was painted GREEN, as she had won an auction to go back stage and be greened up by none other than Ms Tucker herself. Further to this, she was seeing the show again for the matinee and the evening (Rachel Tucker’s last show) the next day, as well as seeing it two days after that to welcome in the new actress. Not only that, that night’s particular performance was the sixteenth she’d seen! It goes without saying that my five times suddenly seemed pathetic.

As we were chatting to this positively emerald lady and freezing our nuts off waiting for the cast to arrive, I wondered when the theatre “fanatic” was born?

Over the years, big long running shows such as Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera have developed followings with people coming back to see them several times, but with the advent of social media, the shows we love so much and those who are in it are just a few clicks away from us.

While I don’t agree with bootlegging (the act of illegally recording video/audio of a show and releasing it on the internet), the recordings seem to have the opposite effect of what a show’s producers fear they will do: reduce ticket sales. Once people see a show they want to relive that experience and sometimes listening to the soundtrack of another cast doesn’t quite cut it. So people turn to YouTube to listen to their cast members performing it. As a result, you are opened up to recordings of other performers in these roles and fall in love with their rendition of the character. In time the bootlegs aren’t enough and you book another seat. I think on some level the producers of certain shows are aware of this potentially profitable formula and while they might frown upon it, they don’t always actively police it.

But further to the recordings, there are like minded individuals in the comments who love the same thing that you do and before you know it a community is formed across the social media world. I won’t claim to be part of such a community, but seeing these fans queue up outside the stage door and being greeted by the cast like they’re old friends is nothing but lovely. Unlike being fans of a pop star or a footballer, musical theatre fans have much more accessibility to the people they admire and are able to share that admiration with them.

Generally speaking, musical theatre performers seem to be much more grateful to their fans. While they may not be a household name, their talent is still being recognised and people are flying in from around the world to see them perform. Personally I’d prefer that sort of fame, you get a fan base on an international level while also being able to still pop to the shops for a pint of milk without getting papped. I’m sure the same can’t be said for the likes of Adele and Katy Perry.

It may seem a bit intense, seeing a show dozens of times and waiting by the stage door each time, but how is it any different to going to see your favourite football team play every game of the season while wearing their team colours? Surely if that’s acceptable then so is waiting at the stage door of Wicked as green as an artichoke is too.

Maybe I’m slightly biased, but musical theatre fans I salute you and all your weird wonderful fanatical ways!

Now to get tickets for Hamilton…