#after this i went to do the journey of reflection side quest and GOD A HAURCHEFANT EMOTE

[yellowcrumpet]

So guess what i did yesterday :)

[thalwhore]

I am ✨fucking tired✨ and have an absolutely dogshit sleep schedule BUT when I wake up later I'm gna do my dailies and then start on at least one character on the na server! The ones I have so far are:

Wusheeza: An Argonian sorcerer, asassin, thief. They believe that everything in life is a phase and that nothing truly belongs to any one person, hence she goes around yoinking goods. Wusheeza doesn't have any attachment to anything after their family home was destroyed when Imperials attempted to take control of the area. She went on a self-reflective journey and the best way I can describe the conclusion is becoming a monk of Sithis. All things come to an end, nothing is permanent, we all meet Sithis in the void eventually. They see themselves as a guardian of the natural order, sending souls to the void when sithis asks of it.

Sorvathis(remade): I'm going to make him a necromancer this time but I won't have him do OBVIOUSLY necromancy things at the start. I want him to start the Psyjic questline early, with the backstory that while he had innate magic talent- he struggled to read due to near-blindness and so he couldn't study tomes, making him feel like a burden upon his house (thinking of making him a Redoran, maybe Tanivelas brother?). He'll then see the discussion between Mannimarco and Vanus in the Traitors Vault side quest and be like huh, there ARE no rules to magic,,,I can do whatever the fuck I want. Who will stop me? And so the bastardization arc begins.

Unnamed High Elf: A woman who from birth, has suffered from stunted magicka, never being able to meet the expectations of the Altmer society and their heavily magic-focused ways. No matter how hard she studied, it would never give her more magic- only knowledge she could never apply. So the began learning the more physical side of combat at an early age, eager to help the dominion. She learned archery, sword and shield, alchemy and enchanting- anything that would give her the edge that was lost due to magic. One day, she was left for dead during a Maomer raid, near death she whispered a prayer to Auri-El, and was given life anew. She is now a devotee, and considers herself an avatar of the god, channeling his restoring light and the wrath of him against the abominations of Nirn. Her magicka is still nonexistent, but she has physical strength, and that's what she uses.

I also have some ideas for a follower of Vaermina but not quite enough to put down so yanno.

[teacup-set]

time will wash every tower to the sea

"Sakura." he says, with the sacredness of a prayer. 'That's not my name', she thinks, but there is such an aching familiarity in his voice that she swears it could have been.

FFN.

-x-

Time will wash every tower to the sea, but never you and me.

-x-

Fated

When Sakiko wakes up that morning, she feels electricity in the air. Static at her fingertips, the taste of metal in her mouth, the weight of lead in her stomach. 

Life at the hospital is too fast paced though, and there is no free moment to consider the anticipation that has been building in her chest till the end of her sixteen-hour shift. Standing over the metal sink, clawing to get out the blood that has dried in the crevices around her fingernails, she finally pauses long enough to feel the zing in the atmosphere. ‘What is it?’, she wonders, ‘Am I forgetting something?’ 

Staring in the mirror over the sink, she regards her tired green eyes and limp pink hair falling out of her ponytail. She frowns as she tries to remember if something was supposed to happen today. It feels like a half forgotten memory trying to reach the tip of her tongue but getting lost somewhere in her throat. She goes over every patient she is assigned one by one, trying to remember if there is something she has forgotten, but comes up empty. 

Frustrated, she gathers her things and leaves the locker room. Walking down the hospital hallway, she ticks off things in her mind. ‘Groceries? I don’t need to shop for another week, I think. Electricity bill? Wait no, I paid that already. What could it be?’ She feels the tingling on her skin grow stronger as she nears the hospital doors. Waving a cheery goodbye to the people at the reception, she turns the handle of the staff exit door and steps out into the dying sunlight. Breathing in the cool evening air, she immediately feels relief in her muscles and wonders if the rumbling apprehension was just a consequence of being cooped up inside all day.

She has barely finished the thought when her gaze meets mismatched onyx and purple eyes that mirror the alarm and surprise in her own, and suddenly every muscle in her body is more coiled than ever before. She feels her throat closing, her body running out of air, and the sudden clarity of her mind.

She has never seen this man before, she knows, but a voice inside her head whispers ‘This is it.’

-x-

Salvation

In every lifetime, Sasuke wonders what it will be like when he finds her again (because he will, this much he knows), but he never imagined it would be quite like this. 

Stumbling upon her in a small satellite town, where he only stopped by to post a letter. 

He was on his way out of the town when he was suddenly trapped by gravity, rooted in place by a feeling he couldn’t name growing in his chest. 

And just like that, she walked out through the most unremarkable doors, extraordinary forest green eyes finding his. 

He thinks this is what it must be like to find the face of God at the end of a pilgrimage.

-x-

Pinnacle

Sakiko isn’t religious, not particularly spiritual either, but staring at his dark hair against alabaster skin with eyes she could never forget but somehow can’t remember, she thinks she has found enlightenment. 

She feels like an eternity has passed her by as they stare at each other across the street. Suddenly he is moving, unmindful of the traffic passing by, looking every bit as bewildered as her. 

In a blink he is in front of her, eyes drinking her in like she is the pinnacle of some journey, an artist’s magnum opus, a scientist’s greatest discovery, a ghost. 

“Sakura.” he says, with the sacredness of a prayer. 

‘That’s not my name’, she thinks, but there is such an aching familiarity in his voice that she swears it could have been.

-x-

Remembrances 

It doesn’t take long for him to realize she doesn’t know who he is, not in the way he knows her, but there is still a shard of remembrance buried within her mortal soul that has transcended the same lifetimes he has. 

Why else would she bring a man she never met into her home without either of them uttering a word of explanation. 

He sits on her deep navy couch and takes in the small apartment. It feels like an out-of-body experience to see her new life reflected all over the space. Pictures with people he has never known, shelves lined with books he has never heard of, little trinkets with histories that are foreign to him. He feels a pang in his chest. 

But his eyes find her again, leaning against the kitchen counter twiddling her thumb like she did when she was nervous, dressed in blue hospital scrubs (of course she would be a healer, of course), the same vision of pink and green he has yearned for across ages, and he knows with utmost clarity that the entirety of time couldn’t chip away at their familiarity.

“My name is Sakiko.” she says, frowning.

Sakiko, he mulls. He supposes he should have expected her name would be different, but he rejoices that even now her name is the personification of spring. Even after all this time spent searching for her, he has no idea where to start telling her about him and their history.

“I’m Sasuke.” he says, deciding that’s as good a place to start as any. 

Her doe eyes widen as she swallows a small gasp, like the name had been inside her all along, asleep beneath her consciousness, and he wonders perhaps there isn’t as much to explain as he had thought.

-x-

Transcendental 

‘We were lovers,’ he had told her, choking slightly on the were.

Sakiko wonders when all her scientific aptitude her teachers gushed about went down the drain because she believes him with the utmost confidence.

He told her that many lifetimes ago they had been shinobi from the village hidden in the Leaves, that they had been on the same team, had fought in a war together, had fallen in love, gotten married, and had a child together. 

Her mind is reeling as she struggles to catch up. She knew about shinobi, but she never imagined she could be one. She had no idea where the Hidden Leaf was. She certainly hadn’t ever fought in a war. 

But staring into his clashing eyes, feeling the reverb of his voice in her bones, ‘I could have loved him’ she thinks.

-x-

Dread 

He cradles the mug of hot tea she had made for him, watching the steam rise and dissipate into the air. Sakur-Sakiko is sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the coffee table, quietly listening as he recounted their past lives. 

Through his journey recounting his first birth as Indra, to the incarnation of the Sasuke she had known, and the many lifetimes that had passed by since then till now, she hung onto every word in rapture. Frowning in confusion, smiling in amusement, even crying some tears at the many tragedies that had punctuated his and her life, but she never once looked surprised or disbelieving. 

Many quiet moments pass as he drinks his tea and she lets the information sink in. 

“How do you remember everything?” she asks him, looking helpless at her own lack of memory. 

He sets his cup down. “In every life since the one I knew you, when I turn seventeen, my rinnegan awakens and I remember every past life. Naruto awakens the Six Paths Sage Mode and he remembers too. In most lifetimes we both find each other. Sometimes we don’t.”

“Did you find him this time?” 

“Aa.” 

“Where is he now?”

“He is looking for Hinata, his partner.” 

“Oh. Has he found her before?” 

“Yeah, he mostly does. She is a descendant of the Otsusuki too, and most of the time she remembers and they find each other. Even if she doesn’t, she always remembers when he finds her.” 

Something in her expression shifts. 

“I loved you, didn’t I? Why don’t I remember?” she says, her voice sounding small. 

He feels a tectonic shift in his chest, like his entire heart has been displaced by the fears he had been trying to run from all these years. He doesn’t know how to tell her how absolutely terrified he had been that he would never find her, that her mortal ancestry meant that she was never reborn. How he and Naruto, and even Hinata, had searched for her like savages to the ends of the earth, starting over from scratch every new cycle. How on every deathbed he had longed for her, and prayed for his life to end once and for all if she was no longer on the earth. He wants to tell her what a miracle it is that she is here and he has found her, that her memory is a small price to pay because he will tell her a thousand times if he has to, but he knows the words will crush him on their way out. 

He doesn’t even realize she has moved till he feels the dip in the couch where she rests her knee, and then the embrace of her arms around him. Neither of them has said anything but he knows she understands.

-x-

Kindered

One look at him and she knows what he is thinking. She can read the terror in his eyes as clear as day: I thought I'd never find you. 

She feels the landslide in her own chest, tumbling down to her stomach and weighing her down. 

"Why did you keep looking?" She asks, burrowing her head in his shoulders, crying for a man she has loved without ever knowing. 

He is quiet for a long time and she thinks he isn't going to answer. Then he says- 

"You told me once that you knew we were soulmates when you and Naruto were looking for me after I left, and when you were combing through Kaguya's worlds to find me. You said you could find me through every age, solar system, and dimension. That there was a current that pulled you to where I was-” 

He feels her still. 

“-When I was reborn that first time without you, I understood what you had meant.”

-x-

Luminsecent

She can’t breathe. 

It's all too much. The buzz in the air all morning, the weight of ancient history, the indescribable pull towards the man sitting on her couch. He looked so completely wrecked at the hands of time, like a man who had no choice but to endure in his quest, only to pause at the finish line long enough to take in just how tired he is. He had suffered the ruthlessnesss of so many lives, looking for her. 

‘I’ve been looking for you, too’ something inside her whispers, ‘I just never knew till I found you.’

She knows she is crying, and though she can’t see his face from her position in their embrace, she thinks he is too. 

She looks over behind her shoulder to watch the spring sunrise pour in through her window and slowly inch towards them across the living room floor. She never realized when the entire night passed them by. 

Detangling her arms from around him, she settles on the couch, angling herself towards him. He lifts his head from his arms and looks at her. 

She breathes in deeply...and then begins-

“I was born in a smaller village on the outskirts of this town. I went to the Land of Earth to study medicine, and then returned here to work at the hospital. I never knew my parents, I was raised by my aunt. I like reading philosophy and history, and...I guess I still like sweets.”

He stares at her with wide eyes as he slowly realizes what she is trying to do. She carries on telling him about the life she has lived, the one he missed, and watches as he clings on to every word, like every little insignificant fact she told him gave him a second chance, another rebirth. 

By the time she is finished they are drenched in sunlight, from the same sun they sat under together in their past lives, and she feels like her skin is on fire. 

It’s a new morning, another beginning, another chance. 

“Do you want to grab some lunch?” she asks, struck by the mundaneness of the question in the aftermath of such a transcendental disclosure. 

He clears his throats and nods. 

She flashes him a smile and wonders how it pairs with her tear streaked cheeks, and parts with him briefly to wash her face and grab her keys. 

She pauses at the apartment door and waits for him to join her, only to find him staring at her with an intensity that takes her breath away. 

“I…” he begins, “Thank you, Sakiko”

Something in his words ignites something within her, and she feels like a trapeze sailing through the air but falling just short of waiting hands. 

“Sakura.” she says abruptly, “You.. can call me Sakura.” she announces. 

For a moment he looks surprised, and then smiles like he has been set free. 

“Thank you, Sakura.” 

There is magic in those words that she can feel in her soul, a certainty that surpasses the transience of life, the finality of physics.

‘In the next life, I will look for you.’ she vows, ‘but first, this one.’

They step out into the daylight.

Fin.

-x-

A very indulgent piece I wrote inspired from Samsara by @kuriquinn and Queitus by SeraphinaScribes, both of which I recommend you read. Hope you enjoy!

[celticcrossanon]

BRF Reading - 28th of July 2021

This is speculation only

Cards drawn 28th of July 2021

I am putting this reading under a cut so you can skip over it if you want. I can not emphasise enough that this is speculation only.

Question: Was Prince Charles sexually involved with Meghan Markle in any way?

I did a private draw on this this reading around November last year, and the answer I got then was that Meghan definitely offered, but I couldn't tell whether Charles had taken her up on the offer or not. Yesterday, the question and prior reading came to my mind after I read a comment on one of my other recent readings, and the question tugged at me until I drew cards on it. I was looking for further clarification on the 'did he or didn't he' aspect. I was expecting a No, he did not, but what I got was very different.

Interpretation: At the very least, there was some heavily sexually charged flirting going on. There are several indications that this went further.

Card One: The King of Swords. This is a person who is very good at strategy and cold, rational thinking uninfluenced by any emotions or even morality. The person on the card is Odysseus (Greek) or Ulysses (Roman), the King of Ithaca who spent ten years getting home after the Trojan wars because he had angered the gods. His voyage took him to many perilous situations, and he had to use all his wits and guile to get out of them, with some methods being not exactly honest. He was seen by the Greeks as a master of strategy but called 'cruel' and 'deceitful' by the Romans.

This energy from this card is that of Meghan's attitude to flirting/being sexually available to Charles. Like the two faces of Odysseus, she pursued what she saw as good strategy even though it involved being deceitful and even cruel to others. She thought that this behaviour was the best strategy to get get her what she wanted, and she went for it. The fact that Charles was married to Camilla and she was engaged/married to Harry did not bother her one bit.

Card Two: The Devil. The figure on this card is of Pan, the god of nature and of your most basic instincts. The Devil itself is a card of being bound to addictions - sex, drugs, alcohol, gambling - and/or of following your most base level desires. it can mean being in an toxic relationship, being codependent, having toxic behaviours, habits and/or thought patterns. It can represent an inordinate love of luxury.

The Devil is the card for the sign of Capricorn, and it can mean the negative Capricorn traits of social climbing, obtaining higher social status at whatever cost, flaunting brands to show wealth and prestige, and so on.

I am getting two energies from this card. The first is Meghan. She was definitely sexually available to Charles if he so wished, and I think she was hoping to get Charles dependent on her or in her control using sex. She did this for the benefits Charles could give her - money, including her in royal events she would not have otherwise attended, money, possibly access to State jewellery, money, overseas tours, and money.

The second energy is of a base level sexual desire - I see, I want, I f*ck - nothing more complicated than that. This seems to be the level at which Charles would be operating if he took Meghan up on her offers, i.e. nothing more than the desires of the moment, like a drunken fling. I think he would be ashamed of himself afterwards, but it wouldn't stop him coming back for more if he wanted to. I feel that Charles has poor control over his desire for other women, so it is hard for him to turn down offers that he finds attractive. It is coming through very strongly that this is low-level sex, the gratification of the desires of the moment that does not last beyond the act itself.

When I was shuffling the cards, I said that if Meghan and Charles were sexually involved, to give me the devil card, and it appeared in the spread. I will leave you to draw your own conclusions from that.

Card Three: The Five of Wands. This is a card of conflict. It shows Jason and Medea fighting the dragon who guarded the golden fleece. Jason was only able to complete his quest with the help of Medea. He ended up abandoning her so he could marry another King's daughter, which would help him financially and politically.

The energy from this card is one of conflict, and the conflict is between a couple who have passed through troubled times together, as Jason and Medea did. The conflict was definitely caused by Meghan's flirting (and anything else that was offered). One half of the couple was worried that the other half would neglect them and their interest in favour of Meghan - that they would end up abandoned as Medea was.

In this conflict, Meghan is the dragon, who is trying to destroy the couple. I don't think Meghan set out to destroy the relationship, but she definitely knew about the conflict she was causing (as the dragon knew who was fighting it), and I am getting that it gave her joy that she was the source of the conflict.

Card Four: The Two of Cups. This is a card about relationships, of choosing to be in a relationship, of long term, enduring romantic relationships, and of starting a new relationship, and of reconciliations in relationships. The card shows the god Eros rescuing Psyche from where she was left to be devoured by a monster, a 'knight in shining armour' act that was the start of a long journey of growing into a mature relationship.

The main energy I get from this card is that of a long term relationship, and of reconciliation - overcoming trials to be together, as happened with Eros and Psyche, with the relationship changing as a result of those trials. The clarifiers show that the relationship is Camilla's long term relationship with Charles.

As the Two of Cups comes after the Five of Wands, this tells me that the conflict of the Five of Wands has affected the relationship shown by the Two of Cups. The conflict hasn't broken up the relationship, but it has been something that called for some sort of reconciliation in this long term relationship. Camilla and Charles have had to work together to reaffirm their commitment to each other and to heal the damage caused to their relationship by the conflict shown in the Five of wands.

As a card of new relationships, this card suggests that the conflict of the Five of Wands is based on the fact that Charles did have a relationship, however fleeting, with Meghan.

I drew two clarifiers for this card:

Clarifier One: The Five of Swords. The card shows Orestes being confronted with his duty by Apollo, a duty that is an impossible choice - he must kill his mother to avenge his father, but that will mean invoking the wrath of the Furies, as matricide is a sin against the gods. The card is about a situation that means that even when you win, there is a sense of loss.

The energy I am getting from this card is one of duty. Camilla will stay with Charles, as she sees that as her duty (and she does love him), but she stays knowing that he is susceptible to advances from other women, even after all these years together. Her 'winning' by keeping her relationship with Charles is accompanied by a sense of loss, as the trust between the two of them has been damaged. They can reconcile, but the relationship will never be what it was before Meghan's flirting and whatever else happened between her and Charles.

Clarifier Two: The Queen of Cups. This is a water sign person, particularly a Cancer, and in this spread it represents Camilla, who is a sun sign Cancer and in a long term romantic relationship with Charles. The Cups suit represents feelings in the tarot, and I think Camilla definitely has Feelings about this situation.

Card Five: The Ace of Wands. This card is about an upsurge of new creative energy, and in this reading it is sexual energy. The figure on the cards is Zeus, the chief god of Olympus who was well known for not being able to keep it in his pants, and he is holding a thick wooden staff that is spurting fire/creative energy everywhere. It does not get much more sexual than that.

Zeus represents Prince Charles, as in this deck the gods usually represent members of the BRF, and Zeus is the chief god just as Prince Charles is now the top ranking male in the BRF. There was definitely sexual energy between Charles and Meghan. Whether Charles acted upon that energy - the card says yes rather than no (as per the imagery in the above paragraph), but I am having trouble believing that, so if you are as well, I do not blame you.

This card, and especially Zeus on the card, reminds me of Charles's sexual past, and the stories about him having Camilla as his girlfriend and anyone who took his fancy on the side, and later on having Diana as his wife and Camilla as his mistress. The theme of Camilla having to share him with another woman/women is what stands out to me.

Underlying Energy One: The Tower. This is the card of s sudden, shocking event that destroys part of your life and leaves you to rebuild it from rubble. The card shows the god Poseidon, the lord of the sea, destroying a tower. The sea imagery is standing out to me, and this tells me that this tower moment is all about feelings (as water represents feelings), tumultuous feelings that echo the rough sea. Poseidon was also a god known for his fertility and his rampant sexuality.

I think that Charles's actions towards Meghan have stirred up some very strong feelings in Camilla, and as a result his relationship with Camilla was badly damaged. He may also have damaged his relationship with other family members by favouring Meghan, especially in the area of money. Both he and Camilla would have to work to rebuild their relationship after the damage caused by Meghan.

Underlying Energy Two: The World. This is a card about the end of a cycle. It is time to pause, reflect on the past, celebrate the success, and then to go forward from here. The energy I am getting from this card is very much 'the end of cycle' and not 'celebrate the success (of the end of a long term project)'. With the tower moment, something in the relationship between Charles and Camilla has come to an end. The relationship will continue, but something within it is over and has moved into a new way of being. It can not go back to how it was pre-Meghan.

Confirmation Spread: After I finished this spread, I asked again if Charles was sexually involved with Meghan, and I said if he was to give me the Devil or the Lovers card. I shuffled and drew the three cards shown under the spread:

1. The King of Cups, which is a water sign card, especially a Scorpio, and here represents Prince Charles, a sun sign Scorpio

2. The Lovers - The Lovers is a card about values and choices, especially choices in love. Do we choose relationships from a mature perspective, based on our long term values and beliefs, or do we choose them from an immature perspective, according to our base desires of the moment?

3. The King of Wands, which is a fire sign person, particularly a Leo, and here stand for Meghan, a sun sign Leo.

So we have Prince Charles, The Lovers, and Meghan.

I think the conclusion is obvious.

Conclusion: From the above cards, as much as I do not want to believe it, I have to conclude that Prince Charles and Meghan most likely had one or more sexual encounters - or at the very least, that the offer was there, it was blatant, and Charles was considering taking her up on it.

Meghan was willing to make herself available to Prince Charles sexually as a matter of strategy, to get more money and benefits from him. Prince Charles considered the offer and/or took her up on the offer from a base-level sexual impulse - the satisfaction of the desire of the moment. This act caused tension and conflict between Charles and Camilla, as Camilla thought that she and her interests would be neglected in favour of Meghan. It caused a rift and a coldness in their relationship. Even if what was between Charles and Meghan was just heavy flirting with the offer of sex, it still caused a rift between Charles and Camilla. Once again, Camilla was sharing Charles with another woman.

This event/offer/situation was a Tower moment for Charles, something that damaged his marriage and while the damage could be repaired, something in the relationship has changed and/or ended. It will not be the same as it was before Meghan's advances (whether Charles succumbed to them or not).

Note: I will be revisiting this question in a few weeks, if only privately, to see if I get the same answer or not.

[i800anime]

— seijoh four + yahaba and kyotani + demigod AU

pairing: iwaoi with slight matsuhana and implied kyouhaba 

description: oikawa meets the goddess of love, and can’t seem to figure out who she reminds him of.

____

genre: alternate universe , au

wordcount: 2.0K

warnings: none

tags: aobajohsai au , seijoh four , haikyuu au

𝘼𝙐𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙍𝙎 𝙉𝙊𝙏𝙀: just a drabble of an AU me and my friends came up with. more content possibly coming soon if this does well!

— lowecase intended

. . . . . .

“i swear, do you have to be so DRAMATIC?” the group of five boys we’re currently walking up mount st. helens, and oikawa had just done something incredibly stupid.

“but it was annoying me,” the son of zeus waved his hand nonchalantly at iwaizumi.

“that doesn’t mean you SEND IT FLYING!” oikawa decided that since a nymph was nagging them about forest safety and he didn’t want to listen, he would use his powers to blast it to the other side of the mountain.

“i swear you guys bicker like an old couple..” matsukawa, their satyr friend; piped up from behind the two demigods. their other satyr friend, hanamaki walked beside him, trying to hide his laugh. he was doing this highly unsuccessfully. iwaizumi scrunched his nose up in disgust while oikawa cooed at the idea, throwing an arm around his best friend.

“imagine us iwa-chan, as an old married couple. though naturally, you’ll have wrinkles cause of all that frowning you do.” oikawa poked the boys forehead wrinkles and pulled away, marching ahead of the group. “now let’s go, people! we have a mirror to obtain.”

iwaizumi couldn’t help but roll his eyes, but nonetheless followed his unspoken “fearless” leader. although he may look untouchable to everyone else, iwaizumi always noticed the falter in his face when he was challenged with a hard choice, before plastering on a fake smile. he noticed that too. oikawa had only smiled genuinely three times in their life.

one, when he was awarded best setter in elementary school, before they got drug off to camp by matsukawa and hanamaki. two, when oikawa had gotten claimed. it was very ironic that the boy was the son of the most powerful god. and three, when iwaizumi had given him an alien plushie he’d bought at a store during a camp field trip.

iwaizumi couldn’t help but notice these things, as he’d grown up with the boy.

they we’re currently on a quest to retrieve aphrodite’s mirror that had been stolen by a group of cyclopes. a prophecy had been relayed by their oracle, and iwaizumi, oikawa, matsukawa, hanamaki and yahaba were on their way;

“three half bloods shall go west,

their friendly satyrs put to the test,

a love shall be revealed

the storm and wise used as a shield.”

it was obvious who was meant to take it, as everyone at camp had known about the groups story.

oikawa and iwaizumi we’re on the volleyball team with hanamaki and matsukawa when yahaba and kyoutani joined. their satyr friends seemed stressed by this, but the boys couldn’t figure out why. until one day after practice a shrilling shriek was heard behind them.

“i knew i smelled demigod! you’re gonna be a great full course meal!” the group turned to see the form of an old lady shift and churn before it launched into the air. oikawa immediately dove behind the bleachers and yahaba passed out. kyoutani ran over to the boy to catch him, setting him down in between the seats of the bleachers.

“what IS that thing?” oikawa yelled, peeking between his fingers.

“shit.” matsukawa and hanamaki said in unsion. the pair began to pull off their joggers, causing oikawa to scream again, and iwaizumi to close his eyes. when he opened, his two friends were sporting furry legs on their bottom half, pulling out silvers swords from their pockets. they charged at the monster as it dove and dodged, getting a few hits in.

“what the hell..” iwaizumi muttered to himself, staring at the scene in front of him. he glanced at oikawa shaking behind the bleachers, then kyoutani vigorously waving a folder over yahaba’s face.

the ace looked around for any type of weapon, before feeling a sharp pain on his side. iwaizumi cried out as he gripped the wound, feeling dizzy as he pulled his hand away and saw red. the flying lady gasped with delight, training her black eyes at him.

he stumbled back, glancing behind him to see his two friends with newfound legs scurrying over to him.

“iwaizumi! are you-“

a crack in the atmosphere cut his friend off, as the hairs on the back of their necks began to stand.

“you HAG! how dare you hurt my iwa-chan!” the three boys turned to see oikawa glaring at the monster, static forming in his hands. iwaizumi could feel the anger radiating off of the boy, as he watched in awe.

she looked almost worried as he approached, static growing more powerful with his every move.

oikawa almost seemed to glow as light produced off of him, eyes powerful as a hundred suns.

“you’re gonna pay for that!” he moved his hands in a downward motion and a lightning bolt broke through the ceiling of the gymnasium, slamming the monster into the ground. it immediately disintegrated, just as oikawa began to wobble in place. the static started to dissipate, and iwaizumi found himself running over to the him, just like his friend had.

“oikawa?” he put a hand on his friends back, leading him to sit down next to kyoutani.

“what just happen-“ kyoutani cut the boy off with a growl.

“the fuck was all that!” he stood and got into matsukawa’s face. “you mind telling me what’s going on?”

“maddog calm down-“ hanamaki started.

“don’t fuckin call me that!”

“GUYS!” oikawa shouted, immediately regretting it as he grabbed his head. iwaizumi immediately placed a hand over his in their laps. “let them explain, maddog. sit down.”

kyoutani grumbled but took his place back next to a sleeping yahaba.

. . . .

iwaizumi smiled at the memory, proud of how far him and his friends had come. they went from fighting that fury to fighting minotaurs. though the journey to camp was hard at just 14, they’d made it. it was crazy to think three years had passed.

he was drawn back to reality when oikawa was slowing down, beckoning the group forward with his hand.

the four boys crouched behind him to see what he saw. there were three cyclopes surrounding an object that reflected right into iwaizuni’s eyes. aphrodite’s mirror.

he glanced at yahaba, who had seemed slightly distracted during their quest. kyoutani couldn’t come with them, as he’d sprained his ankle during capture the flag. the son of apollo was oddly upset about his absence. during their years at camp, the duo had grown fairly close. they went on all their quests together, and this was the first one where they were apart. they were an odd pair, a son of the sun god and the son of the war god, but they made it work.

oikawa crouch walked around the clearing, diving behind rocks to stay hidden. the rest of them spread out, trying to create a proper ambush. the monsters climbed down the mountain, settling on a peak a few down from the mirror.

they all grabbed their weapons, oikawa with a dagger, iwaizumi with a spear, hanamaki and matsukawa with swords, and yahaba with a bow and arrow.

“hey onion breath!” oikawa called, stepping out from behind his rock. “mind giving me that mirror back?”

iwaizumi inwardly cursed at the boy, his bold tactics always taking him by surprise. the three cyclopes turned around, taking in the human beneath them.

“oh look, a snack!” one of them cheered. he had specs of brown hair on his head and a wide blue eye.

oikawa shook his head. “no, not a snack. but now that i think about it, i’d probably taste delectable.” iwaizumi could hear hanamaki snicker at this, and he couldn’t help his smile.

they watched the boy as he tried to reason with the cyclopes, trying to hide his nervousness.

oikawa was a pro at hiding his emotions, being a son of zues and all. as he stood in front of the one eyed family, he tried his best to put on a calm face.

“are you sure you can’t? i mean honestly what good is it doing you? you guys aren’t specifically known for your looks.” as soon as he said it, he knew he’d said the wrong thing. the one on the left roared and swiped a hand out at him, causing him to have to roll away to dodge.

he landed and hopped back on his feet, smirking as yahaba shot an arrow directly into the one in the middle’s eye. iwaizumi ran out, sliding between the right cyclopes legs, and swiping at its calf with his dagger. the monster roared, trying to stomp on him, but matsukawa ran by and pulled him out the way, stabbing its pelvic bone.

oikawa turned to face his own cyclops as iwaizumi and matsukawa’s disappeared into dust. he sidestepped as it tried to slash him, but he was a second to slow as it got a scratch on his shoulder. oikawa winced, internally grateful it wasn’t his fighting shoulder.

the 6’1 boy continued his assault, jabbing and slicing. as they fought, they climbed the peaks, getting closer to the prize. oikawa could feel his power rising as the altitude increased.

‘just my area of expertise,’ he thought. ‘the sky.’

once he was able to manipulate the wind enough to get eye level with the one eyed figure in front of him, stabbing it in the chest. it became a pile of dust and oikawa had to wave away the particles as he coughed.

he realized he’d fought his way up the mountain, his friends nowhere to be found.

a young lady appeared in front of him, making her way over. oikawa was taken a back by her beauty; spiky black hair with olive green eyes and thick eyebrows that were raised on her forehead as she took in his appearance.

“with looks like that i’m surprised you aren’t my child.” the lady proclaimed with a frown. the expression looked vaguely familiar, but oikawa could not place it.

“aphrodite..?” he uttered cautiously, backing up to guard the mirror.

“yes son of zeus. no need to panic.” she hummed and the boy exhaled in relief. “i see you and your friends have defeated the cyclopes.”

oikawa fought the urge to roll his eyes at the goddess stating the obvious. he himself had initially thought he was a son of aphrodite upon arrival to camp. but after being around her kids for a few years, he couldn’t believe he’d even thought that.

“yes we have.” he responded, placing his dagger back in its strap on his thigh. “this is your mirror, yes?”

the goddess smiles and oikawa swears his heart stops. she gives him a knowing look and goes to collect her belongings, just as his friends race up the mountainside.

“oikawa!” iwaizumi calls, looking around frantically, until he spots him and the goddess. the four boys bow as they watch her take them all in.

“son of athena.” iwaizumi looks up and his eyes grow wide. he then changes to a look of confusion before deciding his spear was more entertaining to look at.

“thank you demigods, for retrieving my mirror. your work will not be forgotten.”

she gave a wave of her hand, and a gold chariot with beautiful white horses attached appeared in front of her.

“here is how you will get back to camp. i grant you safe travels.” a cloud of pink smoke engulfed her, giving off scents of roses, then cedar, before it and the goddess disappeared.

“i HATE the smell off whiskey.” yahaba exasperated, cleaning his arrows off on his shirt. oikawa raised an eyebrow, as that wasn’t what he’d smelled.

“whiskey? smelled like rain to me.” iwaizumi said, his spear forming back into a bracelet.

“hm..” oikawa started, sitting on a nearby rock. “she looked.. oddly familiar? i couldn’t place it.” he played with his dagger, scrunching his nose up at the monster blood splattered on it. the brown haired boy looked up at his friends for any type of explanation.

iwaizumi hummed at his declaration, then frowned. oikawa froze. suddenly, he knew why the goddess had looked so familiar.

he’d heard stories about how looking at the goddess would have you gazing upon the one you love most. her magic could transform her face to look different for everyone who saw it. but oikawa had never thought that would mean he’d see his best friend.

[kentuckywrites]

Imperium 2: Chapter 5

Scio via. (I know the way.)

Another roar echoed across the sky, and the Telethia dove towards the caravan at an alarming speed. Elma took aim and fired as soon as the creature drew close enough, which unfortunately happened to be when it landed on top of a tent. To her relief, it seemed like no Nopon were hurt in the landing, but many more seemed to emerge from hiding, taking up various weapons of various sizes. It would’ve been awe-inspiring, were the Telethia not targeting them with razor-sharp claw attacks. That was when Lin began unloading her gatling gun rounds onto the beast, aiming for the head in an effort to distract it.

“Hey, over here you overgrown furry lava lamp!!” Lin shouted, which drew the Telethia’s ire in mere seconds. Elma wasn’t initially concerned, since Lin knew how to handle herself when it came to taunting enemies, but then again, this was a Telethia. A smaller one, much smaller than the one that guarded the Divine Roost in Noctilum, but a Telethia nonetheless. They didn’t know what it could do, and caution would be needed until they could discern more.

Nessa clutched her dual swords tightly as she ran around Starr’s backside. She struck at the beast’s hind legs, and suddenly all of Lin’s work was for naught, for Starr turned faster than Elma thought possible. It tried to bite at her, but thank the gods, she lept backwards and out of the way. However, she tripped over a Nopon in the process, too small for her to see behind her. Elma sprinted towards her, activating Sliding Slinger as she slid down onto her back and positioned her guns in front of her.

“Sliding Slinger!!” Elma cried as she unleashed a volley of shots to Starr’s underbelly, hearing it roar in pain - no, no, that wasn’t pain. That was annoyance. Pain was more raw and guttural, but this was fueled with an anger she couldn’t understand. She quickly found her footing as she jumped up from the ground, running towards Nessa to help her up.

However, Solstice reached her first. They lifted Nessa off the ground like she was a sack of potatoes, and their hands quickly joined with hers, begging, pleading. “Please don’t hurt him, he’s just confused and scared. If I could get up close and speak with him I can -”

“There’s no time, Sol!” Nessa interrupted, forcing her hands out of Solstice’s grip, “The caravan’s in danger! The Nopons’ safety comes first!!”

Although she didn’t vocalize it, Elma completely agreed with that sentiment. As Nessa picked up her dual swords once more, Elma spun around back towards Starr. More of the Nopon were firing at it, many shouting war cries and commands to others. Froyoyo even appeared moments after she turned, launching himself from behind another tent with his large broadsword drawn. He growled before landing on the Telethia’s back, stabbing directly downwards into the space between the shoulderblades. The blade went deep, and Starr’s screams reflected pain now, but the second the blade was freed from its burial, the wound seemed to close on its own. The blood still pooled out of the former wound, and the scar that would’ve likely remained was now lodged firmly in Starr’s mind. It started to reach behind in a desperate attempt to claw Froyoyo, to knock the little Nopon off of its back. Then, to Elma’s surprise, it threw itself onto its back, hoping to squish Froyoyo beneath its body. Froyoyo rolled out of the way, through what Elma assumed was either pure luck or pure skill. And he even struck a little pose with his sword at the end, as if some distant figure was trying to photograph his glorious moment.

“Froyoyo!! Tell your caravan to stand down!!” Solstice implored, desperation lining their voice like the snow on the mountains.

At this, Froyoyo faced her, his expression somewhere between confusion, anger and pity. “Froyoyo know Sollypon is here to speak to dragon, but caravan is more important right now. Can’t have conversation when home is in danger!”

He didn’t give Solstice time to respond, heading back into the fight just as Starr began to pulsate. Ether lines trailed up and down its body, purple and glowing and ominous, and when they collided on its face, a blast of energy erupted from its gaping maw. The fire struck Lin, but thankfully, she took the hit with ease. Starr then swiveled around to face Elma, intending on giving her the same present, and in the same moment Elma activated yet another Art. She walked slowly to the side, her shadow trailing behind her in a fluid but staticy form. Ghostwalker. As the flames spiraled towards her, they ended up hitting one of her newly formed clones, though the embers caught on Elma’s armor and singed the sleeves.

Elma raised her guns, poised to start shooting once more, but as she was about to pull the triggers, Starr suddenly flapped its wings, roaring ferociously as a final warning before taking to the sky, prompting many of the Nopon to yell and scream and raise their weapons. Elma watched it fly off towards the mountains, panting despite not having done much in the fight, though she quickly looked between Lin and Nessa to make sure they were alright. Lin had taken the hit before, but she didn’t look too much worse for wear. However, to her surprise, Solstice started to run after Starr, pushing past and jumping over the scattered Nopon.

“Starr! Wait!!” They cried out, stopping at the camp’s perimeter once they realized their words were meaningless, tossed into the wind with no hopes of ever reaching its intended target. It was strange, seeing them look so defeated in the midst of the Nopons’ celebration. Elma took note of this and approached Solstice with a slow and understanding hand, shadows still flickering around her figure, clinging to her like melting snow.

“I have to go after it,” Solstice said, seemingly speaking to themselves, “I can’t...Starr needs my help. I can feel it, something is terribly wrong with him. Seeing him so close provided a new insight, and...and I can’t…”

Nessa and Lin soon joined them, with Nessa keeping a gentle hand on Lin’s back. Nessa squinted, trying to look out and watch the Telethia fly further, further. “You could see that something was wrong with it? How?”

Solstice sighed, a small but desperate thing. “Through my ether, I can sense Starr’s emotional state. His mind is...it’s not his own. I think something has interfered with it, something that is not in his control.”

“Starr isn’t in control?...Elma, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Nessa’s eyes went wide with the realization, “Do you think this has something to do with the Ganglion? If Mira’s last memory of Pongo was being around the Ganglion, and there’s a fortress in Cocytios...then maybe Starr’s connected to them too.”

“The Ganglion controlling a Telethia?” Lin pursed her lips, deep in thought, “But...isn’t the Telethia in Noctilum connected to Mira? At least, that’s what I remember Pongo telling us back when he...well.”

“Threw himself into a volcano? Mira’s still upset about that, by the way.”

Elma realized a moment after Nessa spoke that she had blatantly revealed what she was in front of a near-stranger. Solstice gave her a weird look, some mixture between curiosity and shock, and Lin was the saving grace that stopped them from questioning things.

“I’m not too positive that theory is correct, but either way, we’re heading to that base. Maybe once we’re investigating there, we can try to dig up some information about Starr.”

“And maybe you could tag along,” Nessa nudged Solstice’s shoulder - or rather, their forearm, considering how much taller they were in comparison. “Gods know we could use the help, especially if you’ve navigated Cocytios before.”

“I’m familiar with the terrain, yes,” Solstice said, “This Ganglion base you speak of...I believe I know where it is. It’s past a few of the mountains that Starr flew past as he fled.”

“So either way, you’d be coming with us!” She replied, “Aww, I knew you couldn’t get enough of me!” “I never stated I would be joining you.”

Silence.

“I suppose I’ll say it now, then. I’ll happily accompany you and assist where need be. And though my primary reason for doing so is to find Starr…” They gave Nessa a small wink, a teasing smirk, “I’ll admit the company makes for a valuable second reason.”

Elma didn’t miss how Nessa’s cheeks took on a soft shade of baby pink, nor did she miss how Lin rolled her eyes. “Alright then, it’s settled. Let’s inform Froyoyo of our plans, and we’ll head out tomorrow at dawn.”

“Tomorrow?” Solstice said, disheartened, “I...I suppose we could rest for the night, considering what we all encountered just now. But at the crack of dawn, I’ll be ready to depart, with or without you.”

“Ouch,” Nessa acted hurt, “Well, I’ll be ready by then, too. Maybe Vanala can heal us all up some more, and Froyoyo can give us a couple goodie baskets for the road.”

“His hospitality is more than enough,” They replied, “Besides, I know the terrain and many of the resources we can utilize on our journey. There won’t be any need for us to take supplies from the caravan, unless Froyoyo insists.”

“Who say Froyoyo’s name?”

It wasn’t exactly fitting to call the moment “on cue”, since Froyoyo had heard his name in conversation, so Elma preferred to say he’d been “summoned”. The white Nopon bounced right up to the group with Tatsu in tow, his sword still drawn and hanging loosely in one of his wings. Blood coated the blade, though it was a deep blue. Normal for mimeosomes, but unusual for an indigen. 

“If this is about Sollypon’s quest to speak with furry dragon,” Froyoyo continued, “Then Froyoyo grants friends a Heropon’s blessing. Froyoyo will not be able to join adventure since Desserta Caravan needs Froyoyo’s protection!”

“That’s very understandable, and there’s no pressure for you to join us,” Elma nodded, “But yes, we’re electing to go after Starr. We’ll be departing tomorrow, at the break of dawn. Would you mind extending your hospitality until then?”

“Meh meh! Froyoyo not mind at all!” Froyoyo exclaimed, “It’s least Froyoyo can do for friends who defend caravan against weird furry dragon!”

Tatsu started to look around nervously, somewhat hidden behind the much older Nopon. Lin gave him a peculiar look, interested but confused at his change in mannerisms. “Tatsu? Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“N-No, Tatsu is fine!” Tatsu told her, “But, um...Tatsu has question for Elma and friends.”

“Sure thing! What’s up, Tots?” Nessa used a new nickname, though everyone seemed unfazed by it - or rather, there were more pressing concerns at hand.

“W-Well...would it be okay if Tatsu stayed with Desserta Caravan?” 

Elma paused for a moment, the question seeming to fall on her. “Do you mean permanently?”

“No! Just for short while,” Tatsu explained, “Tatsu want to stay and learn how to fight! Tatsu is afraid that Tatsu isn’t helpful during missions, and Tatsu doesn’t want to be a burden!”

“Wait, you’re not...you’ve never been a burden, Tatsu,” Lin said softly, “I-I know I haven’t been the kindest to you, but...but we love having you around.”

“Tatsu have to disagree. Not angry with Linly, not at all! But Tatsu thinks he should get stronger to protect Linly and friends, like Linly and friends have done for Tatsu. And who better to learn from than Legendary Heropon Froyoyo?”

Froyoyo puffed up at that, and he gave them all a reassuring smile. “Not to worry, Froyoyo and Tatsu have discussed plans already. Froyoyo is more than happy to train Tatsu to defend himself while friends take down weird furry dragon! Tatsu is in good company in Desserta Caravan.”

“If that’s really what you want, Tots, then I want you to promise me one thing,” Nessa bent down on one knee to address Tatsu, giving him a small head pat, “When we find Pongo, don’t tell him you know how to fight, but surprise him by kicking his butt.”

“Meh meh! That not very nice!”

“It’ll be funny as hell though. Plus, he deserves a little punishment for making us worry.”

“Nessa may be right...Tatsu is very worried for Pon.”

“Pon?” Froyoyo’s face scrunched up, “What kind of fuck name is that?”

“Full name Pongo! But yes, very weird name,” Tatsu admitted, “Tatsu never said anything out of politeness.”

“His full name is weirder,” Nessa said, “It’s Pong’netai-opta. It’s Miran for -”

“‘With eyes full of stars’,” Solstice finished her sentence, her tone fond and wistful, “What a beautiful name...though, I didn’t know humans were capable of understanding our language, much less understand the naming conventions.”

“Well, um...it’s a long story,” Nessa stood up, dusting her knees off as snow melted off of her armor, “But we’ve got a lot of time before we leave tomorrow, so I’ll tell you everything, if you want!”

“You’ve piqued my curiosity, I’ll admit,” Solstice said, “And in more ways than one.”

“More ways than one? Well, what else are you curious about?”

“If I may be blunt for a moment...why are you wearing such revealing armor? Aren’t you cold?”

“Wh- Well, hey, you’re not wearing much either!!”

“The F'lenla A'slegn can adapt to most climates in the span of twenty four hours. Therefore, my attire doesn’t factor into the environmental concerns. But humans, however, I’d imagine there is some considerable planning that goes into armor selection…”

They began to walk back towards the tents, leaving Lin and Elma to their own devices. She watched them walk farther, farther, their voices growing quieter, quieter. Lin was close by, and when she spoke, her proximity startled Elma. 

“Elma? Are you okay?”

Elma nodded once and only once. “Of course. Now, let’s prepare for tomorrow. We have a Telethia to track down.”

~

The night came far too quickly for Elma’s comfort. It was filled with a comfortable fire, conversations and stories traded between allies and friends alike. The Nopon of Desserta Caravan, though unique in their own right, were nothing less than friendly and open, and Froyoyo’s littlepon took great joy in listening to Elma’s heroic tales. They shone with a starlight curiosity as she told them of their escape from Earth, their landing on Mira, all they’d accomplished in their time on the sentient planet. And when Froyoyo called them all to bed for the night, Elma was left with a warmth she hadn’t felt in quite some time. Vanala gave them two tents to share between the four humanoids, and at Nessa’s insistence, Elma ended up in a tent with Lin. The Outfitter fell asleep in seconds, and with anticipation for the journey ahead, Elma soon followed in her descent into the unconscious.

As promised, they were all ready to travel at the crack of dawn. Froyoyo and a groggy Tatsu saw them off, and though she protested, she ended up carrying a bag full of what appeared to be bananas, a gift from the Legendary Heropon.

“Fruits are called thermonanas!” Froyoyo explained, “Raises body temperature. Good for long travels.”

“You didn’t need to go through all that trouble,” Solstice thanked the Nopon with a small bow, “But your hospitality has been greatly appreciated. Thank you again, Froyoyo.”

“Is least Froyoyo can do for friends!” He stated, “Now go! Track down weird furry dragon! Find weirdly named brother! Be Heropon!”

With the bag of thermonanas strapped to Elma’s back, they bid Froyoyo a fond farewell, and Solstice took the lead into the Cocytios wilderness. The day was bright and promising, the clouds dispersed and allowing the sun a moment to breathe, to rain light unto the snowy plains. Though the wind was bitter with unspoken remorse, it was far more bearable than it had been before. Lin and Nessa managed to pass the time with lively chit-chat, their giggles at whispered jokes continuing to warm Elma’s heart. She overheard a joke or two, but they were never meant for her ears, and so she kept close to Solstice in the hopes that, perhaps, they’d enjoy the same bliss, albeit in their own way.

“So as I recall, you’re aware of the F’lenla A’slegn,” Solstice started as Elma matched their pace, “Could you tell me more about what you know? And if there are other of my kind that are alive and well?”

“Of course,” Elma said, “His full name is L’Cirufe, though we call him L for short. He’s...an eccentric character, though incredibly knowledgeable and has a knack for creating quality-of-life inventions.”

Solstice didn’t stop walking at that, but it was clear from their expression that this caught them off guard. “He’s...he’s alive?”

“Do you know him?”

“I do, though distantly,” They admitted, “We would be called acquaintances at best. However, I do know what he became.”

Elma scowled, clearly confused. “I’ve only heard bits and pieces of his connection to Mira, but as far as I’m aware, he didn’t become anything.”

“L’Cirufe was Mira’s weapon,” Solstice began to explain, choosing their words carefully, keeping them close and quiet and still, “There was a great war amongst my kind. It threatened the planet’s safety, and as such, it chose L’Cirufe to fight in its name. He...he wasn’t the L’Cirufe you know, back then. He was…” A shudder ran down her spine. “I’ve seen many creatures in my time on Mira, but his transformation was by far the hardest to witness.”

“You may be happy to hear that his connection to Mira is severed, then,” Elma tried to lift their spirits, looking on the bright side, “Instead, Mira created a vessel to control on its own. That vessel is -”

“Me!” Nessa interrupted, far closer behind the two than Elma initially believed. Lin had also come up on Solstice’s right side, peering over at Nessa with a smile leftover from their inside jokes. Solstice’s eyes widened at the confession, but the initial surprise was soon replaced by a pensive and thoughtful head tilt.

“You’re...Mira?” Solstice questioned, “But...your name is Nessa.”

Nessa blinked, and suddenly, her eyes were white, whiter than the snow. “Her full name’s Nessa-vara’is. I know, I’m so good at the whole naming thing.”

“Hi, Mira!” Lin quickly added in, prompting Mira to pat Lin’s head much like an older sibling.

“Hey, Lin,” Mira chuckled. Then, turning back to Solstice, she gave them a smile softer than the falling snow, more familiar and familial. “Hello, Sol’stica-veaya.”

“Hello, Mira,” Solstice returned the greeting, “I didn’t know you were capable of creating your own form.”

“It’s a recent development,” She shrugged, “But a welcome one. I’ve been meaning to speak with you, actually. Maybe after this whole adventure is over…”

“There’s nothing you need to say that I don’t already feel,” They told Mira, words with the slightest twist of hostility, “Let us focus on the mission at hand. Then we can -”

Suddenly a loud roar echoed across the plains, familiar, too familiar. Elma spun around, all of the warmth vanishing from her heart, as she spotted a draconic silhouette descending from the skies. 

“Shit,” Lin cursed, and Elma had half a mind to tell her to watch her language. But instead, her gut instinct prevailed as she took a look at their surroundings. Plains behind them, their footsteps in the snow growing old. In front of them, a mountain’s base. She squinted - was that a cavern entrance? Cavern termites be damned. She’d rather take her chances with them than Starr.

“Run!!” Elma ordered everyone, emerging past Solstice and taking the lead as she beelined towards the cavern entrance. She couldn’t afford to look behind her until she’d reached the mouth, and only then did she hear three footsteps echoing behind her. Everyone had followed her, no one had stayed to fight. Elma paused for a moment to look behind her, confirming that Lin, Nessa and Solstice were all there, safe and sound. 

Then the walls shook as Starr flung himself at the mountain, rocks and stalactites crumbling and falling at their feet. An angry roar, and the entrance went dark, covered by a large black and red eye. The ether lines ran down its eyelids, pulsating with energy and fueling the rage on full display. Elma took one step back, two steps, three - then Starr attempted to reach inside. Lin cried out as he first rammed his face unsuccessfully into the hole, and then tried to reach inside with one of his massive claws. Elma took the initiative and started to run once more, further into the cave system, where the light was fleeting and soon nonexistent. 

“ELMA!!”

Elma stopped, and when she turned to see what had happened, Lin was behind her, gasping for breath, pointing back towards the way they came. Elma’s jaw dropped when she realized that the way they’d come through had caved in, blocked off completely by rocks and broken stalactites. And she and Lin were the only ones she could see.

“Nessa?? Solstice?!” Elma called out, unable to stop the panic lacing her voice. She wished she could’ve controlled it better, because she immediately sensed how tense Lin became at her facade, cracking and crumbling under the pressure just as the stones of the cavern did. 

But thankfully, relief soon flooded over her as Nessa’s voice pushed through the rubble, “Sol and I are okay!”

“Thank God,” Lin breathed a heavy sigh, “We’re okay too!”

“I doubt that we’ll be able to breach this,” Solstice said, “But there are other passageways behind us that we can take. Rest assured, we will meet up with both of you soon. Continue on without us, and we’ll catch up.”

“Are you sure?” Elma asked, approaching the newly formed wall between them, “With a little ingenuity we could -”

“We shouldn’t risk the possibility of creating another collapse,” They interrupted her with a valid concern, “We’re lucky that we didn’t get crushed. I promise you, I will take good care of Nessa until our reunion.”

“Hey! I can take care of myself, you know!” Nessa complained, “If anything, I’ll protect you!”

Elma couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Watch each others’ backs, then. We’ll see you on the other side.”

Then, two footsteps growing distant, followed by silence. Elma stepped back towards Lin, rolling her shoulders in their sockets. The straps of the bag Froyoyo had given her suddenly felt heavy with guilt, but there was no time to ponder what she could’ve done differently. She knew in the end that she’d made the right call. So, she pulled out a flashlight, flicked it on, shone it straight towards their one and only route forward.

“Come on, Lin,” Elma began to forge the path ahead, “Let’s get moving.”

She couldn’t ignore the roars and howls of the Telethia outside, but she could think about how much worse things could’ve been. And now, she could only hope that Nessa and Solstice found their way out safely, and kept each other safe in the process.

[etlunainmorte]

***

A few moments later, Dante arrived at the other side. But, his path was blocked by V, himself, who was standing still, his back turned away from him.

"You alright there, V?" Dante asked as he scratched his temple in confusion. "Aren't we - ?"

"Yes, we are." V cut him off, raising his metal cane and using it to point at something before the two of them. "We have finally arrived."

The younger brother followed V's line of sight, and what he saw before him simply took his breath away.

"Holy mama - !" Dante breathed in awe at the marvelous sight.

***

🌙 To You Who Rejected Me 🌙

***

III

***

"Holy mama - !" Dante breathed in awe at the marvelous sight.

And who could blame him?

What V and Dante saw was a small group of herders, men, women, and children, walking towards the edge of the forest not far from where they were.

However, the brothers were aware that this group of people weren't just mere herders. Aside from the fact that they were dressed entirely different from the tourists and locals of Delphi, the animals that were with them were the kind that the brothers haven't seen before. In fact, it was safe to say that they would never see those kinds of creatures roaming around where they came from.

They were horses and stags. But, not just any kind of horses or stags.

The horses have two pairs of wings, a pair of twisted horns, like a goat's, and the smallest of them stood at least seven feet tall. The stags were of the same height as the horses but, they have long and twisted horns that seemingly gleamed when exposed to direct sunlight.

And they looked absolutely breath taking.

"Those horses don't look like Geryons to me." Griffon, who let go of Dante's back and landed on V's waiting arm, whispered.

"They don't look demonic to me, at all." Dante added.

"Look." V whispered, pointing at the group of herders, and Dante and Griffon did as they were told. The children, aside from the fact that they looked unearthly beautiful for their ages, seemed to float with every step they make. Like they were hovering when they skipped. And the adults? Aside from the fact that they were the most graceful group of people the brothers have ever seen, their ears,... were pointed.

"Do you think those are," Dante whispered. " ... Elves?"

"The peace - loving kind, yes." V answered as quietly as he could.

It took them quite a while before they could even make a single move. Seeing all these were foreign to the brothers, and they simply couldn't take their eyes off the otherworldly sight. And when they finally vanished through that forest, they realized that none of them has made a single move to go on with their quest.

"What now?" Griffon asked a few moments later.

"What?" Dante answered absent - mindedly, his eyes still fixed on the spot where the Elves and the strange creatures walked.

"We can't just stand here all day! Ugh!" Griffon screeched, his shrill voice piercing through the quiet and peaceful atmosphere. "V, what do we do?"

"We go through that forest and follow those Elves." The poet answered, not sure what to do next after that. Which proved how unprepared they really were in going through with this wild plan.

Dante and Griffon didn't say anything else as they finally made the first step towards the Elven realm. And as they ventured, they saw more and more wondrous sights before them. The wild and exotic birds that made unique and curious little noises. The soft, sentient glow in the grass where they walked. The pastel colored sky where other, unknown creatures of all shapes and sizes freely flew. Even the sweet scent of the cool air. Everything looked and felt amazing. Breath taking.

And as they were about to enter the forest, V turned, took one last look at where they came from and saw, with wide awed eyes, the temple of the God Apollo.

Except that it was no longer in ruins. It stood tall and proud and majestic. As if the gears of time turned to restore it to its former glory and honor.

As if it was never destroyed by war, or time, or people who turned their backs on Apollo and neglected it.

*

Their short and peaceful walk through the forest proved to be their only reprieve from the things that were about to come their way.

As much as they wanted to stay longer in the forest, to see more strange creatures, to look at the weird and wonderful plants, flowers, and trees, and most of all, to rest their tired bones, even for just a little while, they still, unfortunately, have a score to settle. A problem to solve. Not to mention a group of murderous Elves still hot on their trails. So, they couldn't afford to stop now. Not now when they've come so far. They must go on with their journey.

And as their eyes wandered through the city they just entered, they felt more and more unsure of what to do next. For one thing, some folks were beginning to notice how strange they looked. Plus, they haven't eaten breakfast.

V, on the other hand, would not be deterred by hunger. Never.

"I think we should start looking for her." V stated, ignoring his rumbling stomach, as he cautiously looked all over the place.

"Where should we begin? I mean, look at this place!" Dante said as he waved a hand on what's before them: a bustling crowd amidst a busy town with small white buildings and stalls owned by merchants offering all sorts of food and items. "At least this thick crowd is good for some cover. Those killer Elves won't even realize we're here."

"I got some disguises!" Griffon, who just flew down carrying some stuff on his talons, happily and proudly announced.

"How and where did you get these?" V asked as he received some clean white linens from the demonic bird.

"From an old man with funny ears. And oh, I asked nicely." Griffon answered, and V knew it was a lie.

"Hey, this would totally help!" Dante agreed as he took one hot pink linen from the familiar's talons and covered his head and face with it. "How do I look?"

V didn't utter a word in fear that he might offend his brother because of how hideous he looked, and instead focused his attention back to the busy crowd. "I wonder if they're celebrating something?"

"Who knows?" Dante answered in a higher pitch in an effort to disguise his voice, as well.

"Put on yer disguise, V! We have a lot to do and we must hurry! Chop, chop!" Griffon commanded as he put on a polka - dot patterned linen over his head to cover his horns. Which, unsurprisingly, didn't do really well for a disguise.

"How do we do this? Do we just ask around?" Dante asked, once again in his high - pitched voice, as he pulled the linen lower to his face.

V narrowed his eyes at his younger brother for his shenanigans, and pointed, with his cane, at the tallest and most imposing building he could see from a distance. "The Elf who rescued us said she's the future Queen. Assuming she's a Princess," He brought down his cane, wore the white linen like a scarf around his neck, and gestured with his head towards that building he was pointing at. " ... it would make perfect sense if we go look for her there first."

Dante, with his mouth wide open, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right." He said in his normal voice. "Let's do this."

The three did not waste any more time. Squeezing in through the crowd of Elves dressed in all manner of weird and wonderful clothing, they made their way towards the castle but, the closer they got to it, the harder it was to walk through. And as they got closer and closer towards the huge iron gates of the castle, they found out what's causing all of this.

Apparently, a bard and a jester were performing on a platform right in front of the gates of the castle. And what's more, a group of heavily armored guards were on stand by next to the platform.

Which spells trouble for V, Dante, and Griffon.

"How do we get past that?!" Griffon, whose talons held onto V's back, said, craning his neck to see past the sea of heads to witness what's going on.

"I guess we just wait for this clown show to finish." Dante answered as he crossed his arms and started to casually watch the said clown show.

"Then, we make our move." V added as he watched the jester perform magic tricks as the bard sang in time.

As the crowd went ooh and aah with every trick the jester performed, V noticed some kind of pattern in his movements. He saw how the jester manifested some rings of energy of different sizes and colors with his fingertips, scattering them around him and invading the entire stage. He also noticed how the bard, despite him not knowing a single word of what she's singing, pronounced the lyrics, like she was actually reciting some form of poetry, and not just any kind of song. V saw how the jester made those rings of energy with each phrase she sang, and when the tone of her song got higher and somewhat more ominous sounding, the jester suddenly spread his arms wide open. And when he brought them together with a loud clap of his hands, the rings moved, ascending into the sky with such speed. 

The crowd got even more excited as the jester started performing some kind of a ritualistic - looking dance, and the rings of light started moving towards the middle, slowly aligning, as the bard went on singing. With one last snappy movement of the jester and with the highest note of the bard's song, the rings finally aligned, then merged into one huge ring which reflected so many colors. And when the performance ended, the ring exploded, its many colorful shards filling the air and falling down on the audience. 

V noticed everyone around him catching a shard of their own as a souvenir, so he did the same. And what happened next made his eyes wide with both surprise and amusement. The shard transformed into a piece of paper the moment it made contact with his skin. And on the piece of paper were words written in a language he, of course, couldn't understand.

And with that final magic trick, the crowd finally started to dissipate.

"I can't wait to see the Convergence!" A young girl dreamily told her friend as they made their way back to the market area of the city. "I want to see it with my own eyes."

Convergence?

"I agree with that." Her friend answered. "Fifty years is just too long for such a spectacle."

"I don't care! As long as I get to witness the Millennial Coronation, I'm satisfied."

Millennial Coronation?

"V, look!" The poet heard his brother's voice, and when he turned his attention back to their mission, he saw the guards leaving the platform to open the gates of the castle.

"Now's our chance!" Griffon whispered as he moved closer to V.

V hid the piece of paper in his pocket and followed Dante on his way to the gate.

This is it! It's all or nothing,...

"Where," All of a sudden, they heard a voice behind them, startling them and making them turn around in caution. " ... do you think you're going?"

When V saw the man who spoke those words, he felt a chill run up and down his spine in a very awful manner. Dressed and poised in a very intimidating way, with his weapon, a long sword, drawn and in clear view, V couldn't help but feel both nervous and slightly frightened before him.

V knew his limits. He can, more or less, analyze how strong his enemy is. V knew when or when not to attack.

And this,...

This was definitely one of those times they should avoid having a fight,...

The man before them smiled, his green eyes shimmering with threat, and his hard, yet ethereal, facial features seemingly mocking their very existence. "Well?" He pressed on, authority emanating from that single word alone.

"Oh!" Dante stammered, again in his high pitched tone. "We're here to,... ahh,... visit someone! Yeah."

Fuck! V savagely thought. Not now, Dante. NOT NOW!

But, V knew warnings were useless now.

"And who, might I ask, is the person you wanted to grace with a visit?" The man pried even further.

Dante's eyes grew wide as he held up a single finger. "The Princess! Yes!"

"Gahhh!" Griffon whispered as he hid his face with his wing in shame of what Dante just did.

"THEM!" They heard another voice, and when they turned to see who it was, they saw a short old man with long and twisted ears pointing an accusing and shriveled finger at them. And to make matters even worse, he was accompanied with a group of armored guards.

The old man with the funny ears!

"THEY STOLE MY TOILET LINENS!" The old man howled in agony.

"I'm surprised!" The man boomed, grinning as he pointed his weapon at them, making the other guards do the same. "I didn't know the Princess is expecting a couple of thieves as guests!" And with a sudden frown, he added. "Mortals who associate and procreate with Demons!"

Fuck,... - !

Despite V's warning, Dante unsheathed his Rebellion, clearly looking like he was awfully itching for a good fight. And when he snatched the pink linen from his face, threw it on the ground, and gave a challenging look, he spoke, "Took you long enough to figure that out." He drew his weapon and gestured with his finger, taunting the Elven male. "Let's rock, Legolas!"

"Oh, sweetheart, you don't know what you've gotten yourself into,..."

None of them, even Dante himself, was able to attack the moment they heard that silken, female voice and felt a powerful presence just behind them. And even when they turned around to see who, or what it was, they only felt wind pass through them like they were nothing.

"Pulling magic tricks, eh, Legolas?" Dante said and was about to raise the Rebellion when he suddenly stopped moving.

Like something was controlling him.

It was too late. The moment Dante howled with pain and dropped his weapon to the ground, a woman with long, platinum colored hair emerged from behind Legolas and winked at him.

It was her. That powerful presence V felt,...

It came from her.

Legolas nodded with approval at the woman. "Wonderful as always, Gladiola." The man said and pointed at Dante with his sword, who was still struggling where he stood. "Do your work, my sister." He commanded with such spite.

The poet tried to react in time. He raised his left hand, ready to snap his fingers to summon his strongest familiar when the woman named Gladiola made a gesture with her fingers. And when she did, V instantly felt numb all over his body. The action she made also forced Griffon back to his body as tattoos, and the moment she made another graceful and fluid gesture with her fingers, both he and Dante fell on the ground, defeated without even a single fight.

So, this,... is the power of the Elves,... V thought as he helplessly watched the man sheath his sword, satisfied with the victory his sister has brought him.

"D - don't,... you dare - !" Dante growled through gritted teeth as he watched the guards take the Rebellion and V's cane away. He looked up and saw Gladiola smiling down at him, her gaze both alluring and deadly. She walked closer towards him, knelt down, and touched Dante's hair, the action instantly knocking him out unconscious. She, then, stood, and went straight to where V was.

The last things the poet saw before he closed his eyes were her melancholic green ones, and her stoic facial expression as she laid a hand down his head.

***

🌙 Tagging @la-vita , @dreaming-gamer , @thottyonmainsquid , and @birdgirl69 .🌙

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🌙

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[sonofsallyjackson]

Heroes of Olympus should have been in first-person.

@jo-march-is-a-lesbian​ wrote a really wonderful post about how “Percy Jackson and the Olympians is better than Heroes of Olympus…because it understood simplicity and character development.”  It highlights some reasons I also found HoO less rewarding namely that it was an overcomplicated story with limited character growth, lacked a common thesis, and was super jarring when it switched perspectives.  

And with that my little brain went: I can fix this.  Which frankly is ridiculous.  I can’t come up with a compelling thesis like “The idea that we should place our hope in our loved ones, our friends and our family, and if we do that, we won’t be tempted to give up hope again.”   But I can imagine a simple change that would have solved some of the issues and also played to Rick’s strengths as a writer:  Each book should have been written in first person and narrated by a different character.

With so many people on the quest, I often felt like I was watching a bunch of one-dimensional characters fight for their right to be the main character.  I didn’t know who to focus on but I was also dissatisfied.  There were all these new wonderful characters in front of me who I wanted to love, but I didn’t feel like I actually knew them.  I mean I don’t feel like I know the Stoll Brothers either, but I’m not concerned about that fact because they are side characters.  When everyone is painted as the main character,  I have certain expectations for growth, personality, and voice.  The story would have been better served if the characters took turns narrating the action, allowing us to settle into their perspective, see their growth, and better understand their personality.

Plus Rick kills first-person.  While I’m not particularly a fan of Trials of Apollo, it’s not because I don’t know the characters.  Apollo is so very different than Percy. Their voices, even though they can both be jokesters at times, reflect their different life-experiences, thought processes and provide massive insight into their characters.   If the Seven (and Nico and Reyna) got the same treatment, I would be absolutely giddy.  

I recognize that rewriting the HoO series in first-person is something a talented fanfiction writer with a lot of time on their hands could actually do.  But I am not talented like that and I certainly don’t have the discipline to actually write that much fic, especially if I was trying to keep the events vaguely the same just with different narration and pacing.  So instead I’ve included who I think should have narrated each book below the cut.  I’d love to hear any opinions people have regarding this idea, especially who they would have wanted to see to narrate each book.

In addition to picking the narrator, I’ve highlighted what should be the “quest” so to speak of each story.  Personally, MoA, HoH and BoO are kind of a blur to me despite reading them all recently.  It’s hard to distinguish what happens in each book because it’s all one massive quest with a whole bunch of mini-quests.    While the different narrators would obviously make the books more distinctive, splitting the series into seven books would also help simplify each book’s individual goal.  Eight books would have allowed for better integration of the plot to find the physician’s cure, but with the prophecy of seven, it seemed like seven books was the best option, if I was going to be doing something as blasphemous as splitting books.   

As a note, I ran out of steam as I went so not all opinions are fully fleshed out. 

Book 1:  The Lost Hero The Quest: Rescue Hera/Juno Narrator:  Jason 

Why this would be cool: 

He is literally Juno’s chosen sent on a quest to rescue her.  It’s poetic enough to give him the book.

Jason’s journey is just as much about rediscovering himself as it is about saving Juno.   Of the new characters, I feel like I understand Jason the least. Mainly because I felt like I was missing the entire first half of his story.  Jason, like Percy and Annabeth, is a hero of the Titan War. I know some of his accomplishments, but I don’t have any bearing on what his life was like or how he felt about it.   He doesn’t seem like the type to relish Praetor-ship since he doesn’t have the same intense need to get back to his camp as Percy.  Was he just hoisted on his comrades’ shields after killing the Titan without any real choice in the matter? Give me Jason’s memories coming back slowly over the course of the quest (with potentially a fractured memory of a mistake he made in the Roman’s final Titan battle that makes him doubt their ability to both rescue Piper’s dad and save Hero but he makes the decision to anyway because he can’t just hurt his friend like that.   Let me understand how Jason is the person he is today.  Give me glances of the Roman Camp with emphasis on the heavy expectations that have always followed him as the son of Jupiter and foreshadow why he eventually chooses to design all the shrines for the minor gods so he can have his own place in the world as a figure between the two camps.

Let’s dive into those feelings of anger/guilt/resentment when people at camp are disappointed with him for not being Percy or in Chiron’s case are nervous about what his presence means. 

I want to dig deeper regarding Jason’s feelings about reconnecting with Thalia.  He knows that if the gods hadn’t been determined to keep the two camps completely separate, he could have grown up with his sister. 

What does telling the narrative like this sacrifice:  

We miss some of the internal turmoil regarding the fact that Piper’s Dad has been captured and she must betray her friends. 

We also don’t feel the tensions of Piper’s relationship with Aphrodite. I don’t see Piper bringing up the conversation with her mom saying that her mist memories were so strong because she automatically sensed the potential of a romantic relationship with Jason.  

We don’t have any of Leo’s conflicted feelings regarding rescuing Hera or his fear of being made an outcast for his fire abilities.  Jason has to go with Leo to discover Bunker 9 and Festus.  

Leo doesn’t actively save the day with the Cyclops. 

We don’t know how Piper feels about her charm-speak or see her defeat Madea (as the boys are in their weird trance thing). 

Knowledge about Gaea’s involvement in wrecking Leo’s life will come later.  

Book 2: The Son of Neptune The Quest: Free Thantos Narrator:  Hazel

Why this would be cool: 

The stakes are so incredibly high. Hazel is literally risking her second chance at life by agreeing to go on this chance.  She’s going to the place she died to fight the monster she created. She also has to deal with the trauma of knowing she may have bought the world time with her first sacrifice but it now means nothing if she can’t succeed again.  

We get to see Camp Jupiter from the view of someone who loves it but doesn’t really fit in.  Hazel joined Camp Jupiter just after the final battle.  She enters a community that has learned to fight as a well-oiled machine but that has lost people.  Dakota or the others may remark to her about how things were before or the people who are missing.  Hazel sees a community that she’s not quite a part of both because she didn’t fight in the war and because she’s in the fifth cohort with a feared godly parent.

It would explore her relationship with Nico more (because I love their dynamic and I want more).   She knows she can’t replace his real sister, but she feels comfortable and happy at the opportunity to have a brother, especially one who is out of time like she is.   

What does telling the narrative like this sacrifice:  

Frankly, the largest pushback would be from the fans who expected this to be Percy’s book since we just watched Jason rediscover who he is.

Percy’s phone call to his mom doesn’t have the same intensity.  

Frank’s relationship with Mars and how desperate he was to be claimed but now he doesn’t think he can live up to his father’s expectations.  

Frank and his grandmother.  We aren’t in Frank’s head as he changes shape till later.  

Book 3: Mark of Athena The Quest: Close the Divide Between The Two Camps by finding Athena’s statue and Rescue Nico Narrator(s):  Annabeth and Leo

Why Annabeth: 

So I can have all the emotions at the reunion with Percy.  

Annabeth’s relationship with her Mom has never been great, but imagine beginning the book with Annabeth being given the Mark of Athena. They haven’t left for New Rome yet and her nerves are already all over the place.  Then Athena/Minerva comes, gives her an impossible quest, and breaks her hat.   Annabeth wants to prove to her mother that she’s worthy because despite everything she still values her mother’s opinions.  Also her fatal flaw of hubris makes her believe she will succeed where everyone else failed.

Much of the book already follows her in third person limited so we just get things with a little extra emotion.  

Why Leo:  

Leo has to grapple with the fact he started this war by being the one to fire the cannon even if he didn’t have any control.  He is motivated to fix it

If we’re going to include the Sammy plot, we need to do it now.   Leo doesn’t like being the odd one out on the ship but he certainly doesn’t like the feeling of being notable because of his grandfather.  

We still need to get into those feelings of abandonment and anger at Gaea for killing his mom.  

Nemesis 

Leo comes into his own with the discovery of the Archimedes sphere and the decision to value people over objects.  

What does telling the narrative like this sacrifice:

The aquarium shenanigans 

The fight between Jason and Percy in Kansas needs to happen differently so that the others are present and try to stop it.  

Neither of them went ashore to meet Hercules.  

I think we might need to move up the Calypso meeting to this book, but that also kills some of the suspense since Frank will have the fireproof coating prior to his adventures in Venice when he gains faith in his abilities.  It also might mean Leo opens the fortune cookie from Nemesis unless for some odd reason he doesn’t have it.  There’s a lot more narrative weight for it coming later, but in order to get in as many book events as we can in, it might need to come earlier. 

Book 4:  House of Hades Pt. 1

The Quest: Survive Tartarus Narrator(s): Annabeth and Percy

The first time I read House of Hades, I read it out of order (reading all the Percy and Annabeth chapters until they were on the elevator out of Tartarus before going back and reading the others), because I couldn’t handle the back and forth.  I felt like the tension would build, I’d be invested in this plot and then we’d switch to the other plot. Plus I was very concerned for my children.  So I feel fully justified in saying that there is more than enough material to give the two of them their own book.

I just feel like all the feelings would be magnified.  

Percy’s commentary slowly losing its humor because he can’t anymore.

Annabeth’s guilt at having pulled him in being extra loud.  

Downsides beyond adding an entire book: Just imagine all the outrage at two cliffhangers in a row, because you know the book would end with them in the elevator remembering Bob’s words about the stars.   

Book 5:  House of Hades Pt. 2

The Quest:  Close the Doors of Death Narrator(s): Frank and Hazel

Frank and Hazel experience the most growth on the quest to close the doors so this book is all theirs.  Hazel learns to control the mist.  Frank experiments with his transformations.  I want nothing but them growing into themselves and their abilities.  

The good thing about turning the two warring storylines from House of Hades into separate books is that we lose very little plot.  

Book 6:  House of Hades Pt. 3/Blood of Olympus Pt 1 (Personally I would call this one Ambassador of Pluto)

The Quest:  Unite the Gods’ Personalities. Narrator: Nico

To clarify what I mean by HoH 3, I just mean anything done with the intention of trying to cross paths with Reyna, including the adventure with Cupid, in addition to the existing Nico&Reyna plotline in BoO.  

Nico dealing with all the emotions and his most recent near-death experience.

He kept the secret of the camps so the world wouldn’t end in chaos, but now that the world is in chaos he will be the one to fix it.  

In the short time he’s on the Argo 2, Nico realizes that even though this wasn’t his quest; this is his family and he needs to protect them.  

The reader has a pretty good idea Nico is gay, even if the word isn’t explicitly said from the descriptions (his guilty Percy thoughts - he let down the man he loves even if he won’t admit it.) This means that Cupid’s forceful outing is potentially less surprising so the reader can be properly outraged at Cupid.  

Downside: Reyna definitely has adventures when Nico is passed out, especially the whole waking up with the Hunters, but I think it’s excusable for a whole book from Nico’s perspective.  

Also, the battle between the camps and gifting of the statue needs to happen in this book, but we shouldn’t find out if the gods have regained control of their forms yet.  We alleviate some tensions because Camp Half-blood is likely to be overrun with Octavian’s monsters instead of the Roman armies and Gaea could awaken any second, but there’s an odd moment of calm and an uneasy truce.  (Octavian is potentially taken under custody to be held for trial only to escape in the next book.) 

Book 7:  Blood of Olympus Pt 2 (and the aftermath)

The Quest:  Like The Last Olympian, the final book’s focus is entirely on defeating the series’ big bad, in this case, Gaea.  Leo’s quest for the Physician’s cure parallels Percy’s River Styx visit.  

Narrator(s):  Leo and Piper

Leo has his death hanging over his head.  He has decided that he will be the one to die not any of his friends.  He got the cloth from Calypso so the “fire” portion of the prophecy applies to him and not Frank.  (Yes I know you can’t control prophecies, but do you think that’s going to stop Leo.)  

It’s the ultimate revenge for killing his mom.  We can have memories of both the happy times with Esperanza and the fear he felt for thinking he caused the fire. 

Piper’s perspective is necessary as we need to be with her during the fight with the giants.   

This series began with Piper, Leo, and Jason.  It ends that way too with the three of them killing Gaea and the two of them narrating.  

Downsides: 

The Percabeth I love you-the feud is over scene remains in Piper’s perspective.  

Since we’re not following Reyna’s delivery of the statue concurrently we don’t know when to anticipate the healed gods appearing in the battle with the giants.  

The book can still get away with not showing us Percy’s reunion with Sally or forcing Leo to tell the others he’s alive so they’re all grieving. 

[lihikainanea]

Vibe of the Week 09/08

First of all, step aside Bill, because you’re not the most important Leo in my life.

A big, huge, resounding happy birthday to the King of my family--my old man. He’s the greatest dude I know. He can fix seriously anything, he has guided me my whole life, he’s a phenomenal story teller and he’s just....he’s the best guy I know. I have high standards in men because my dad has loved my mom so intensely for their entire marriage (44 years and counting), and he still does. He buys her flowers. He writes her songs. They have date nights every week.

August, and particularly the first 10 days in August, are so weird for me. I have so much history and it’s all in sequence--a past love, his birthday was August 7. Bill’s is the 9th. Pop’s is the 10th. There’s more but it’s just...man, that Leo energy. It exhausts me.

Last week we talked a bit about embracing the change that’s coming, starting to reap the harvest for our efforts. The universe gave us a bit of a break.

This week’s Oracle deck is the Shaman Wisdom Cards, and the Tarot is the Llewellyn Wizards Tarot deck (which like, look, I love these cards--but I cannot even express how much I HATE the design on the back. It is so fucking obnoxious. Why would you design something that bright for these cards? Ugh I hate it.)

The Oracle card this week is Agate:

The affirmation: Adapt to the situation and communicate your intentions

Words to meditate on: Courage, brave, recognition, abundance, growth, balance

This is quite a lovely card. It’s the striking of the match--something is being lit up here, and you’re about to be stimulated in a million different ways--love, relationships, creativity. Something here is lighting your interest, and there’s a lovely sense of rejuvenation. The cards are not kicking our ass anymore this week (thank you, cards). This card speaks of collaboration, of group work, of fulfillment, a sense of community. Deeper than that, a loss of individual self (the good kind), where the “I” becomes the “we” and we’re all stronger for it. Fortifying your group, man. WHERE MY BITCHES AT.

For the Tarot this week, I did a Celtic cross spread just for something different. Also, I am so determined to master a riffle shuffle which I cannot do to save my life. I’m awful at it.

Anyway:

1)  Page of Wands

2)  Seven of Pentacles

3) Ten of Wands

4) King of Pentacles

5) King of Swords

6) King of Cups

7) Six of Cups

8) Queen of Cups

9) Eight of Cups

10) Eight of Wands

Overarching theme: The Empress (Major Arcana)

Okay so look, a few things here. First of all, as far as spreads go, you can’t get more meh than this.

Second of all, I get bummed when I don’t see a Major in a spread but I had forgotten to pull the overarching theme card and when I did, MY GIRL THE EMPRESS answering my call.

Interesting that last week, we also had a Major Arcana as the overarching theme (The Hanged Man). You know what other Major appeared last week?

My girl’s boo, the Emperor.

Now, third and final point before we dive in: Christ on a cracker, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS OVERABUNDANCE OF MASCULINE ENERGY? My god, Leo season is just...it’s just so...Leo. My dudes, tuck it back in. Stop trying to pee on everything and stake your claim to it. It’s gonna be okay, guys. No need to be all alpha male about everything.

Alright here we go, buckle the fuck up because....ugh, Leo.

First impressions: All of the Suits represented in near perfect balance, which could mean harmony or like...a fucking battle. We’ll see.

The Empress - overarching theme

My badass bish. Abundance. Nourishment, but of the soul kind. A burst of creativity and passion, a rejuvenation in life.

1)  Page of Wands - the situation right now

A willingness to learn. Something is exciting you here, some new prospect that has you wanting to absorb everything you can and act on it, but a bit of ego and lack of confidence might be holding you back. You’re stuck on yourself, not letting yourself move forward.

2)  Seven of Pentacles-- the conflict

Getting in your own way is alright sometimes, because you’re evaluating. You’re laying out all your options, reflecting on it. What strikes me here is you’re weighing value in some capacity--like, is it worth it to pursue this? Because whatever it is, it seems to come at a high enough cost (actual, or figurative) to have you taking a step back. And this is actually quite remarkable, because in Leo season we’re all just fucking roaring and ready to jump head first into anything--but not this. Not here and not now. There’s such careful deliberation, and that’s okay.

3)  Ten of Wands - the atmosphere around the situation

Burdens, obligations, responsibilities. Just because we want something very badly doesn’t mean it’s going to work out for us--previous obligations and responsibilities, our role in our lives and the lives of others--these are very real things which make our wants and dreams not a possibility in our immediate future. Sometimes the timing is just bad.

It also...it also looks a bit like you’ve been burned here before. You know this tale. It ended differently for you last time. You wanted something, were passionate about something, went after it with everything you had (like you’re supposed to) and man did you fall on your face. Hard enough that it stayed with you, that feeling stayed with you.

4)  King of Pentacles - the base of the matter, what is really behind the drive

balanced, practical, cautious, generous. My boo, you want stability. You are chasing something so hard because it will bring you stability, reassurance, in a way that you need and in a way that you haven’t felt in a long time.

5) King of Swords - past influences

Oh bubs, somebody done you wrong. You thought you had what you needed before--and god again I’m a little taken aback at how masculine this reading is, boys are so dumb--somebody tricked you. Somebody knew what you needed, what you craved--authority, stability, communication, logic. A manipulator roped you in knowing that you needed all those things, and they provided them to you--for a short while, and on a superficial level. But you were so desperate for what you needed, that you took it.

And it burned you. So now, you’re focusing this fight internally--you are out here like a Queen, trying to be this force for you. YAAAAAAS.

6) King of Cups - forthcoming influences

You’re getting there, boo. Whether or not this is someone who Is going to enter your life, or if this is just you coming into your own....I’m not sure. The cards ain’t telling me. But it is showing me that the forthcoming influence is BALANCE, and channeling that masculine energy. The energy of being assertive but not rude, the energy of balancing emotional needs with rational thought, just...balance balance balance. Evenness. Kindness.

Finding ways to give your heart what it needs, while also leaving space for responsibility, rational thought, and growth boo. GROWTH.

And like, I am most definitely not one of those people like “love is coming to you” but like....babe it kinda looks like it is?

It doesn’t have to be a dude if you don’t bat for that team. It could be somebody who embodies all of the best characteristics and traits that we deem masculine.

7) Six of Cups-- in the “bitch where the fuck am I” position

You’re back refocused on the little things that matter. If we’re talking romantically, think of how like....a huge weekend getaway to a private vineyard somewhere in the countryside that took a lot of planning and is just this wild gesture of passionate love--that’s sweet, right? That feels nice.

But a small note on the coffee machine when you wake up, that says “You’re going to do great today, I love you” referencing a meeting that you mentioned to your significant like a week ago and said you were nervous for it. That...man, it’s the little things.

Right now, you’re coming back to centre. You’re reeling your scope back in, and you’re determining what really matters to you.

But there’s also a bit of caution here, in those small gestures--small gestures can alter our future in literally every single way. Be mindful of your actions, and their impact. Don’t be haunted by your past, but also...kid, don’t be nostalgic for it. This is so not the time.

8) Queen of Cups - the view of others

Ohhhh isn’t this a trick. Ha, lookit that Queen. This is how others view you, bubs. As this powerhouse badass woman who is in complete control at all times, reserved yet cut throat, elegant yet deadly. People view you as a person of envy, someone who always seems to have it all together.

9) Eight of Cups - hopes and fears

You’re worried that this quest or this search you’re on, this need to feel something in your past but in a much better, more fulfilling way....you’re worried it doesn’t exist. You’re worried that what you seek isn’t actually out there. You hope it is--but there’s enough doubt in you (hello! Get the fuck back there, past experiences and stay the fuck there!) that you’re terrified.

Your journey can’t be explained logically. And this is that fucking Leo sun shit, you know? If it ain’t logical or practical, then it either 1) doesn’t exist, and/or 2) you shouldn’t go anywhere near it.

Fuck that Leo side of everything.

What you seek is out there. It is not rational, but it doesn’t have to be rational to be real. The heart has reasons that even REASON doesn’t understand.

What you seek is out there, and it’s yours to find. Go.

10) Eight of Wands - Potential outcome

Listen, I love this idea of serendipity. Of self fulfilling prophecies. Because this card...mmm, what a phenomenal card to end on.

The very fact that you are out there and that you had the courage to seek this out, means that 1) it exists, and 2) that you will find it.

You taking the action of following your heart is going to set into motion a whole series of karmic reactions that you will also need on your journey. This card is travel, it’s communication, it’s a satisfying journey, it’s the jackpot. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, you keep following that heart of yours, and result will be what you expect it to be.

tl;dr: fuck this Leo energy. You do you boo, stay gentle.

[targetsports]

Knights in White Lycra

Words by Susan Burton

Why a group of foreigners bicycle to Fukushima every year – and what this says about charitable giving in Japan

The Knights ride out from Tokyo on the Friday evening bullet train, their bicycles dismantled and stowed in the obligatory rinko carry-on bags. They overnight in Takasaki city in Gunma Prefecture and the following morning they rise early to begin their quest – to ride 500 kilometres in four days to the Aiikuen Children’s Home in Fukushima prefecture and to raise money for the 72 children who live there.

In the peloton this year there are 42 riders from 14 different countries, ranging in age from 23 to 63. Twenty-six are attempting the ride for the first time. They are grouped together in seven teams of six, by experience, ability and willingness to stop for lunch. Each group is led by an able, veteran Knight.

Rob Williams (53, works in finance) is the Knights’ spiritual leader. In 2012, he and a group of fellow British expatriates were slumped disconsolately in the Hobgoblin pub in Tokyo staring at their beer guts. They concluded that they either needed to stop drinking or take up some form of exercise. They chose cycling because, “Brits are good at sport that involves sitting down.” There was also a more serious side to their quest. Following the Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear disaster in March 2011, several of them had made repeated trips into the disaster area delivering emergency aid and public donations. But a year on, many places still lacked even basic necessities. One of these was Minamisoma, a city 25 kilometres north of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Minamisoma was partially destroyed by the tsunami and most of the surviving residents were forced to relocate outside the 30-kilometre mandated radiation evacuation zone. In April 2012, when the zone was reduced to 20 kilometres, some residents had been allowed to return but many still had no electricity, running water or medical facilities.  

That evening in the Hobgoblin pub, Rob and his friends decided they would cycle to Minamisoma to raise money to supply the residents of the city’s temporary accommodation with food and drinking water. Later in a karaoke bar someone stood up and sang the Moody Blues song, and the Knights in White Lycra (KIWL) were born. Their motto: get fit and give back.

Rob is also one of the ride’s team leaders this year. His team are strictly A to B cyclists, speeding to their destination in the shortest possible time. For lunch he allows them eight minutes to grab rice balls and Pocari Sweat drinks from the local convenience store.

Andy Abbey’s group prefer to stop for a sit-down lunch at a café or roadside noodle bar. Andy (British, 47, works in management consultancy) joined the Knights in its second year. Hours after the earthquake, a Facebook page called Foreigner Volunteers (now Foreign Volunteers Japan) appeared calling for contributions and helpers. Their first donation was a case of baked beans. When they had filled six two-tonne trucks, Andy and several other foreigners drove north. Recalls Andy, “Everything was just flat. It was terrifying.” The tsunami had swept away houses, cars and people up to 5 kilometres inland and 200 kilometres all the way up the east coast of Japan. Compounding the catastrophe was the nuclear radiation which was spewing from three exploded reactors and spreading unchecked on the spring winds and coastal currents. “It was very obvious that this was an unmanageable situation,” says Andy. Some foreigners went north only once, too traumatised by what they had seen to go back. Andy made repeated trips to the disaster areas. But he wanted to do more. He’s now a member of the KIWL committee.

Miho Inosaki (Malaysian-Japanese, works in public relations) is in Andy’s group. At 23, she is the youngest and least experienced rider and one of only five women in the peloton. She first encountered the Knights when she was tasked by her company Custom Media, one of the Knights’ sponsors, with filming their annual promotional video. Before becoming a ‘Knightess’, she had never cycled before and she averages one crash every third time she gets in the saddle. Within five minutes of picking up her new bicycle for this year’s ride she collided with a motorcycle. (During the ride, she somersaults over her handlebars and hits her head on a fence post.)

Egon Boettcher (New Zealander, 48, works in banking) leads another group and plans the Knight’s route, a difficult task due to Japan’s mountainous terrain and the fact that the ride takes place during the rainy season. Japan also has the world’s highest incidence of earthquakes, but the Knights have been fortunate. Earthquakes tend to strike in areas Egon has just left. This year, a magnitude 6 rattles Niigata two days after the Knights’ departure.

In previous years, the Knights had started their quest in Nihonbashi in central Tokyo but with heavily congested streets and numerous traffic lights it took more than three hours to clear the metropolis. Now they take the train and begin in another prefecture. This also enables them to vary the journey every year and to make it a challenge worth sponsoring. Tokyo is only 300 kilometres from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, a distance that has been imprinted on every Tokyo resident’s mind since the plant’s meltdown. (By comparison, Chernobyl is over 2,000 kilometres from London.)

On the first day, the Knights cycle from Takasaki to Yuzawa in Niigata prefecture, a distance of 55 kilometres in 27-degree Celsius heat under a sun unobstructed by a single cloud. The journey takes them through the Japanese countryside in early summer, past flooded rice fields sprouting green shoots and to a height of 1,200 metres, in sight of mountains from which the snow has yet to melt.

They spend the first night in the town of Yuzawa, in a mountainous region of Niigata prefecture known as ‘snow country’. Their lodgings, a resort called Twin Towers, is a complex of privately-owned apartments developed during the economic boom in the 1980s. More than two decades into an economic recession, many of the owners are unable to sell and now rent out the rooms to cover exorbitant maintenance charges. There are few guests in green season. Andy appears to have the 11th floor to himself. Egon rattles round a duplex penthouse that he learns was refurbished for the Emperor and Empress during the 1998 winter Olympics in nearby Nagano (but they never stayed there). “We never saw a soul who wasn’t with us,” says Egon. “It was like the Shining.”

On the second day, they pedal further north to Niigata city on the Sea of Japan along routes lined with lush spring greenery and across wide bridges spanning streams that will swell into torrents in a matter of hours. With the rainy season approaching, a searing heat reflects off the tarmacked roads and a thick, stifling humidity envelops the riders.

Rainy season arrives on the morning of the third day, bringing 50-kmh head and cross winds. Three riders are blown off their bikes on the 150-kilometre journey to Aizu Wakamatsu, where the riders ease their aching limbs in the steaming onsen (volcanic hot spring). In case of accidents, injuries and punctures, the riders are followed by two support cars. Padded cycle shorts and ‘bum butter’ are essential on the road. But a soak in a hot spring eases the muscles at the end of the day. And that’s one good thing about having so few women on the ride, notes Miho. There’s always plenty of room in the women’s onsen.

On the fourth and final day, the winds have blown themselves out but the rain continues to trickle down the backs of windcheaters and seep into microfibre shoes. The morning begins with a long climb to a plateau on which sits Lake Inawashiro, the fourth-largest lake in Japan, also known as the Heavenly Mirror Lake because of the glass-like clearness of the water. The sun reappears just as the riders reach the Aiikuen Children’s Home which is situated south of Fukushima city and, gallingly for the exhausted riders, at the summit of one of the ride’s steepest hills. As they round the final bend, the excited children are waiting to greet them, waving flags of the Knights’ home countries and stretching out their hands for high fives. “It was just a wonderful moment,” says Miho later. “Just this overwhelming feeling of emotion where you went, ‘Oh my god, that’s why we do it.’” The riders dismount and the children, aged from 2 to 18, rush up. They want to know all about the Knights’ road bicycles. One little boy tries on Andy’s cycling helmet. “He decided I was his best friend and would show me the children’s home,” Andy recalls. The riders are led by the children into the gymnasium where they sit cross-legged on the floor to listen to a speech of thanks.

Aiikuen was founded in 1893 by Uryū Iwako (1829-1897), an orphaned daughter from a merchant family who dedicated her life to the improvement of living conditions for ordinary people. Situated 49 kilometres away from Daiichi, the orphanage is outside the evacuation zone. But because it stands on a hill facing the plant, when the reactors blew, its seven hectares of thickly-forested grounds – sports field, campsite and lawn – were coated in caesium-137. The prefectural government paid to have Aiikuen cleaned, hosing down the modern concrete buildings, removing grass and chopping down trees. But hotspots remained and for several years after the disaster Aiikuen staff (like many parents in the Tohoku region) limited the children’s outdoor playtime. They also tested food for contamination and regularly checked the children’s health. The immediate danger may have passed but Aiikuen still needs more support, which the government is slow to provide.

Nationwide, only ten per cent of approximately 30,000 children in care are orphans. The rest have been removed from neglected or abusive homes or given up by families who are unable to care for them financially. Fostering and adoption remain rare in Japan because parents must give legal permission for their child to be cared for by someone else and for cultural reasons – predominantly loss of face – they are unlikely to agree to this. Adoption is registered on the koseki (the family register) which is a publicly available document, and the stigma of having an adoption in the family bloodline (suggesting an unplanned pregnancy or a lack of financial stability) can affect job and marriage prospects. Less than ten per cent of children in welfare are fostered or adopted. Most remain within the welfare system long-term (just under half live in children’s homes for more than five years), sometimes with little or no parental contact. They are termed ‘throwaway children’, trapped in a legal limbo until they must leave at 17 or 18.

The attitude of some Japanese towards marginalised and disadvantaged groups is not always sympathetic, and the needs of children in care homes is not an issue that many Japanese wish to look at too closely. Says Andy, “I think there’s a blanket assumption here that the government takes care of everything. That’s good in some respects because generally the government kind of does but when something goes wrong – and the Tohoku earthquake was a perfect example – the government literally couldn’t take care of everything. No government could take care of that. It was impossible.” This is why KIWL has focused its money-raising efforts on children’s charities, in particular grassroots organisations for whom even a small amount of money can make a big difference.

In the gymnasium, the children present the Knights with certificates of appreciation printed by Aiikuen’s Digital Citizenship Club on its laser printer. With little or no parental support, a university education is impossible for young people coming out of the care system and they risk falling into low level work in factories or the sex industry. One goal of Aiikuen is to educate the children in skills that may enable them to find fulfilling jobs when they leave, particularly in the technology industry. During the ceremony, word arrives that the Knights’ cycle ride has raised just over ten million Yen (£75,000) for YouMeWe, the charity which supports the home. It will help to pay for more computing equipment and training in digital skills such as coding and video editing.

Most of the ten million Yen comes from corporate sponsorship. The Knights’ major sponsors are the international companies for which many of the riders work. This year, alongside the Knights’ logo (a plumed helmet and a shield depicting linked hands) there are 26 sponsor names on the riders’ jackets including Netflix, World Family, Land Rover, Boyd & Moore Executive Search and Allied Pickfords, companies which reflect the transient nature of expatriate life in Japan. In western countries, sponsoring someone to do a sporting challenge is a recognised way of raising money for charity. Egon’s first sponsored event at age 8 was cycling round and round a school track on a Raleigh bicycle. But in Japan there is no concept of the sponsored event. When Miho asked friends to sponsor her they were confused. “I got questions like, ‘Why would I pay you to do sports?’” In Japan, charitable giving more commonly takes the form of volunteering in the local community and doing chores – such as managing rubbish collections, street cleaning and watching over elderly residents – for your neighbourhood association. “It’s not that there’s no charitable spirit,” says Andy. “It’s just expressed in a different way.” 3/11 was a disaster on an unprecedented scale and many Japanese reacted immediately, collecting donations from friends and neighbours and forming residents’ groups to travel to the disaster area to provide volunteer labour. But paying foreigners to bicycle there was perplexing. Toru Akiyama, one of the five Japanese riders and at 63 the group’s oldest Knight, had to work hard for the money he raised from friends and colleagues. “He had to explain individually, this is what a sponsored event is,” says Miho. One result of the Fukushima disaster is that the number of charities seems to be increasing along with a shift in understanding about the many ways that donations can be raised. The 500-kilometre sponsored ride is not the only sporting challenge the Knights take on. There are marathons, pub quizzes, golf, futsal and even motorcycling. Once a year Andy organises a walk around the Imperial Palace and gives participants a KIWL t-shirt in return for a donation. “And for Japanese people that’s much more manageable psychologically than sponsoring Egon to ride 500 kilometres,” admits Rob.

In the days after the disaster, it was noticed by the Japanese media that some foreigners (known as ‘gaijin’ in Japanese) were attempting to leave, heading straight to Narita airport which was – ironically – marginally closer to the nuclear power plant. They were termed ‘flyjin’ and accused of ditching Japan in its time of need. In fact, just as many Japanese fled to southern parts of Japan where they had relatives. Most foreigners didn’t have that option. And many, like Andy and other future Knights, were driving in the opposite direction, right into the disaster area and risking their health, if not their lives, in the process. Andy says he never breached the 30-kilometre evacuation zone around the power plant. He drove around it. Nevertheless, he and the others were aware of the implications of a sudden rainfall or a change in the direction of the wind. Andy also took the iodine tablets the British embassy were offering. “He snorted them recreationally,” jokes Egon. The Knights are a good-humoured bunch but there is no denying the dangers present during those first weeks. While tourism (particularly foreign tourism) to the Tohoku region has since recovered, it should not be forgotten that the half-life of caesium-137 is 35 years. Wandering in the Aiikuen grounds after the ceremony the Knights come across a large radiation monitoring station. A nearby golf course appears deserted.

The Knights’ first sponsored ride, from Tokyo to Minamisoma in 2013, was abandoned when for the first time in ten years the region was hit by a blizzard. The highway was closed and several of the riders suffered hypothermic symptoms. Six of the original ten Knights returned two months later to finish the ride. That year they raised 2.7 million Yen (£20,000). Year on year they have doubled the number of riders and consequently the amount raised. In subsequent years, they have cycled to and on behalf of several different children’s charities in the Tohoku area. By riding to the charitable organisation the Knights can see first-hand where their money is going, which Rob observes has a greater impact on the riders. There are tears and, when the Knights move on to a new charity, some riders continue their support for a place they have visited. For two years, the Knights rode for Place to Grow (a charity supporting children and their families in Minamisanriku, a town that was 95 per cent destroyed by the tsunami). Andy and Egon continue to act as cycling Santas for them, delivering gifts to the children at Christmas. The Knights’ support for Mirai no Mori (a charity which offers American summer camps to disadvantaged children) has been maintained by BNP Paribas, a KIWL sponsor.

KIWL is a small group with a big impact. They have raised 62.3 million Yen (£469,000) since they first came together to “get fit and give back.” Says Miho, “The beautiful scenery, the challenge, the camaraderie, the drinking are all very nice bonuses but nothing really compares. Even the sensation of knowing that you’ve cycled 500 kilometres doesn’t come close to what you feel when you see all those kids look so excited to see you.” And Rob Williams has achieved another goal. ‘Fat Rob’ (as the others jokingly call him) has lost 10 kilogrammes since that drunken evening in the Hobgoblin.

[musical-icarus]

I’ve started writing a fun little story where our favorite angel Pit gets to go on a Pokémon journey, though not exactly in the typical fashion. I’d like to share part 1 with people, so may I introduce:

Need a Vacation?

By the gods, why has everything been so boring lately? No that’s a bad question, I know why. I’m probably not going to have a new game if at all for another twenty five years or so, meaning that I don’t think there’s any new adventures for me in the near future, and I’m just not a good fighter compared to the other characters in Smash Bros so I don’t get much attention.

By no means am I offended, it’s an honor to take part in such an event and even have a game within the past twenty years, I just wish there was something to do.

At least Min Min has opened up a noodle shop, and that’s where I’m heading later. Her ramen is some of the best I’ve ever tasted! But that’s after I’ve finished cleaning up all the items that were used today. An angel has to keep busy somehow.

While carrying the pokéballs back to the storage bin, one of master balls slips loose of my grip and begins to roll away. However it must have landed on the button or something because it was open when I picked it up and there was a tiny star shaped Pokémon floating above it. If I remember correctly that one is called Jirachi and is the wish granting Pokémon.

In an instant temptation strikes me, I could ask Jirachi if it can make it so my wings work properly so I could fly on my own. Then again wish granters are often the trickster type so I would need to think about this one more carefully. Perhaps I can come back another time after I’ve talked to Lady Palutena about it.

“I think what you need is a vacation.” A cheery voice resounds in my head, reminding me of whenever the gods would speak to my during my quests. After taking a quick look around to confirm no one else was around, I gaze back at Jirachi who was smiling me as I remember it’s one of those psychic types like Mewtwo.

“What do you mean by that?” I ask, nearly forgetting about the rest of the pokéballs in my arms as I pick up the purple one belonging to the star Pokémon.

“I mean, you need to take a break, take your mind off of things however that may be. Whether it’s relaxing or getting to go on a fun adventure and I can help with that!” Jirachi floats up to my eye level after pushing down the master ball in my hand. It would be rude to return it during our conversation.

“Well, I could probably do that anyways...” I mumble, tapping my foot rapidly, extremely tempted to ask about my wings, but I’m too curious about what this mythical creature is trying to offer.

“But you’re waiting on someone to need you again?” Jirachi predicts what I was going to say in a softer tone, and they’re right. An angel’s work is never done. “And to make it more appealing, I can make it so you can fly on your own, though only temporarily.”

Now it has my interest. “What were you planning on doing?”

“Turn you into a Pokémon-“

“WHAT?!” I shout, not letting it finish. “B-but Lady Palutena! And Pittoo! I can’t just leaving them forever because I’m selfish and wanted a break!”

“Now hold on, you didn’t let me finish. I can only change you for about a year so that’s how I would have your vacation be. Anyways, I turn you into a Pokémon, teleport you to my world, you can stay there, do whatever you want, request to come back if you don’t like it, and you’ll come back as normal if something important happens.” Jirachi calmly explains, and I’m actually starting to like the idea. I’ve seen how Pikachu and Pichu are always running around so carefree, maybe being a Pokémon wouldn’t be so bad. As long as I have wings and can fly.

“Which Pokémon were you thinking you’d turn me into? Or should I pick?” I asked, not wanting to get stuck as a land Pokémon.

“I have the perfect one in mind, but I’m going to leave it as a surprise. What I will tell you is that it has fluffy wings like yours and you’ll be able to evolve since I’ve heard it’s a very satisfying experience.” The wishing Pokémon grins pulling one of the blue tags from its star shaped head and hands it to me. “Here, I think you know what to do.”

Turning and twisting the tiny strip of fabric nervously in my hand, I take one last look at Jirachi before making a wish that would hopefully be a good decision in the end.

“I wish to take to take a break on Jirachi’s terms.” I whisper with my eyes closed, though shortly after I can sense a light on the other side of darkness.

“Trust me, you’re going to enjoy this.” Jirachi whispers back in my head as suddenly my entire body goes numb, causing the tag to slip from fingers, and for me to remember-

“I need to tell Lady Palu... Lady... Palu...” Before I can finish my thought, I lose my balance and tumble down into a sitting position. My head just feels so fuzzy and the rest of my body is uncomfortable. I thought Jirachi said this was supposed to relaxing!

“I promise, your goddess will get word of where you went and that her angel is safe.” Jirachi reassures me, lifting up my chin up to greet me with their smile as the inside of my mouth grows on increasingly more tight. I make an attempt to feel my cheeks, but my arms feel too heavy so I can’t even lift them. My panic only grows as whatever was swelling up inside of my mouth begins to push out past my lips. I can’t see much but it looks white and round, and... and... oh gods I think it’s a beak! I can’t figure out where my teeth are and my nose, it’s disappearing! None of this feels right at all. Alright Pit, you need to look on the bright side, you did agree to this after all. A beak means you’re becoming a bird... right? And that means you’ll be able to fly, just like Jirachi said.

Once my mouth and nose had fully merged with the large, round yet squished mass stuck on my face, the entirety of my skin begins to tingle, causing goosebumps to shoot up on my limbs, and the remaining normal parts of my face became too itchy to bare. The only problem was that my arms still had no feeling in them, preventing me from scratching at my head. However when I glanced down to see what was wrong, I wanted to scream but all that left my beak were high pitched whistles. What I had noticed first was that the cuffs on my wrist were a lot further up than they should have been, but a terrifying truth clicked as I watched them come even closer to my head. My arms were shrinking into my body! My hands had already disappeared while I was distracted by my face, leaving nothing but a bit of my palms for now.

“Swa! Swa!” I try to call out to Lady Palutena, but my voice had already been replaced, and that fact really scares me. I should have seen this coming, though for some reason I still didn’t expect not being able to talk to anyone, which only made my desire to be with my goddess burn even brighter. I need her right now, but not to help me, I just need her to hold me, and care for me like I’m her own child. That’s it! I feel like I’m a little kid again, I’m surprised I even remember what it felt like given how it’s been nearly three thousand years.

I barely notice Jirachi leaving me while my bronze cuffs fall and clatter on the ground beside me. Before I get the chance to look around for the star Pokémon the itchiness in my face becomes far to overwhelming that I’m tempted to throw myself on the ground just to scratch it, though without arms getting back up might be an issue so I decide against it. While rubbing my cheek against what’s remaining of my shoulders, I catch a glimpse of red and yellow near my temple.

‘Perfect!’ I think to myself, deciding to put my new beak to good use and using it to move my scarf out of the way so I might be able to get some relief with my ruby and gold broach. I’m able to get some relief using the pin until I realize that my reflection in the polished jewel is becoming even more off with patches of purple spotting up everywhere I managed to scratch and it was slowly spreading. While I’m trying to figure out what bird has a purple face with a strange white and round beak with my limited knowledge of Pokémon, I hear the gold band that’s normally on my upper are clang to the ground, and what’s left of my shoulders are uncomfortably tight.

Thankfully as my broach falls away with the complete loss of my arms, my face doesn’t itch nearly as much, and especially where the stuff is forming. Actually, even when thinking properly becomes increasingly harder, the stuff feels like feathers, and that makes a lot of sense, given the situation.

For a brief moment my scalp began to itch like my face, which probably meant feathers were going to grow there, but instead I can feel most of my hair receding with few bits of remaining bare skin. However, I never feel new feathers taking its place. But before I can use one of my wings to investigate, a sharp snap by my shoulder blades shoots through the numbness of my body.

“BLUUUUU!!!” I cry out as I fall onto my back shortly after wings migrate their base to where my shoulders were, all while my neck begins to feel really bloated. Through the pain I hadn’t even noticed how my tunic and tank top weren’t moved much by my maneuvered limbs. As I try to and unsuccessfully get up by flailing my useless wings and legs, I find I can’t move my head independently and my whole body moves when I try to look around to watch the rest of the changes.

“Oh Pit, are you alright?” A sweet and gentle voice, that I would recognize from anywhere, asks alongside the sound of graceful footsteps. Through the discomfort, my heart warms, and if I could still smile I would.

“I saw how stressed you were, and decided bring Palutena here so she could help you through the last phase and you’d get to say goodbye.” Jirachi, who as also returned, informs me, though I don’t really pay any attention to them.

“Swa Swablu!” Mama Palutena! I chirp cheerfully as I’m lifted away from the ground, leaving my sandals and the gold band from my thigh behind. I had been so distracted I never realized how small the rest of me had become. Overall, I am able to fit perfectly into an arm of my beautiful green haired goddess, I can’t bend my legs anymore, and though it’s hard to see with how far down my head has been compressed into my upper body, my wings are just behind where my ears would have been on this compact form, and the feathers on them, they seem puffier. My toga is more like a large blanket wrapped around me, and my tank top and shorts are barely hanging onto me. And-hold on. I said “Mama” Palutena? Or at least meant to say it? I mean... I guess she is my only mother figure, but I’ve only ever addressed her formally...

Before I can dwell on the thought any longer mama Palutena removes my tops and gives me a light scratch on back/back of head, I can’t really tell anymore... I called her “mama” again! Wait, but she is my mom, she made me, it only feels right, and- ooh just a little more up- right there! That’s the spot!

Now content in mama’s arm with a very nice petting, I watch as my already small feet continue to shrink while just remaining within view of my sight. A distressed coo escapes me as my toes click and merge into each other, leaving two tiny claws on each foot while the rest of the foot thins into a point that are coated in pale blue scales before disappearing from my vision. Just as my ankles were about to sink into my tiny body, my tummy began to feel real ticklish as it bulged out a bit, moving my face to face forward and my little feet to sit underneath me. I’m overcome with a burning desire to hug mama, but without arms I needed to use the next best thing.

I keep my eyes closed and do my best to wrap my wings around mama while I can feel my eyes shrink in size, shift a bit closer to my beak, and little pinches like my feathers that have fully engulfed all of my skin, allowing me to comfortably kick off my shorts. For a moment I think I’m done, but to put the icing on one very delicious cake my wings tingled as the feathers puffed up, and they only got fluffier and fluffier, just like clouds. Underneath the pure fluff that was my new wings, my muscles and almost all other mass under my cloud feathers seemed to fade.

“Feeling better?” Mama asks, giving me a light scratch under my beak.

“Swa~a~a....” I whistle blissfully, curling up my wings against the sides of my body. Why was I so scared before? Mama is here and she’s giving me all the love I need.

“I have to say, you make an adorable little bird. I hope you enjoy yourself on your vacation.” Mama smiles down on me as she sets me on ground, where I struggle to get my balance at first with my new body. Wait... vacation? Oh yeah, that’s why I... why I... what did I do again? My head feels just as fuzzy from when I started changing, and if I changed, that means I was something else before. But... what was I? I suppose it doesn’t matter since mama isn’t worried.

Speaking of mama, she knelt down in front of me and is now holding a mirror towards me. She’s right, I am adorable! Though I was wrong about the color of my feathers, they’re not purple and instead are a sky blue. Small tail feathers ruffle behind me as I admire the three cute little thin feathers on the of my head, and giggle chirps at my oversized laurel crown that’s only managed to stay on because of my wings.

Mama untangles the crown from my cotton feathers and spins it around a little in her hands then holds out her arms above me, just high enough so I couldn’t jump into them with my lack of legs. Did she want me to fly? But I can’t.... then again, why? All I have to do it flap my wings, right? Suddenly, a feeling of weightlessness takes over me as, I can no longer feel the ground beneath me and I can see my wings moving just by thinking about it in the corner of my eye.

“Swa Swablu! Blu Swablu!” I’m doing it! I’m flying by myself! I cheer loud and proud as I land in mama’s cupped hands, though why exactly I’m so excited, I can’t quite remember. Whatever the reason, I’m happy and mama is happy so that’s all that counts. While bouncing around, mama settles my leafy laurel back on head, but she must have used her magic because now it fits just right.

“There you go, it might help you remember yourself while we’re apart.” Mama hums while petting my back, and Jirachi floats over to me. Why would I need to remember myself? I know who I am, my name is... is...

“Pit!” Jirachi grins, quickly running their fingers through my feathers. That’s right, my name is Pit, and I’m.... “You ready to go now?”

“Go where?” I ask, trying to remember why Jirachi is even here. Ooo! Maybe I can wish for a bunch of ice cream while they’re here!

“On that adventure you wanted to go on, silly!” The star Pokémon giggles, holding their hands up to their mouth.

“Adventure? But what about mama?” I solemnly question lowering my wings, but my mood perks up when mama scratches right under my wings.

“Mama will always be with you, and I’ll be looking over you even when you can’t see me.” Mama smiles, putting my worries to rest while Jirachi places a hand above and between my eyes. “Have fun on your journey-“ And for a brief moment the world around me turns white. When my sight returns there’s soft grass beneath my feet, trees and bushes are all around, and mama and the wish granting Pokémon are no where to be seem.

Just ahead of me is a small circle shaped pond which I easily fly over to the edge of. I feel all giddy inside for some reason while doing so, I’ve always been able to do that, right? Or at least for as long as I can remember. Pushing the thoughts of my memories aside, I admire my beautiful reflection in the water as inside think about what mama told me.

A journey, huh? Yeah. That sounds like fun!

[prairiedust]

Purgatory Revisited Part One

We’re going to Wally World!!!! I’m laughing so hard like going after a leviathan blossom lolololkhfhfdshfkh;aharihfndwhat the ever lovin hell with this show does it come with a ramekin of Blossom Sauce TM?

So back to Purgatory. This is fine.

no it’s not fine asdfh;jkhgifgrhhg so the reason I’m keysmashing is this: I have wanted another “descent into the underworld” plotline (plot, not incidence) since Cas made his deal with the Empty, because that is just a truckload of unfinished business. And I thought that we’d gotten “all” of the underworld allusion in The Rupture and Golden Time, and that the next textual underworld journey we could expect would have something to do with the Empty! (Although it really is starting to feel like that has been dropped completely, esp in light of the Shadow and Billie both waking up Jack and appearing to be allies. Unless that is another “gotcha” waiting to hatch unexpectedly...) So circling back around to Purgatory when there’s other loose ends to tie up is a surprise.

When I think about it, Sam’s underworld journey was allegorically bringing back Eileen, Cas’ would (supposedly) be settling his score with the Shadow, and so Purgatory 2: Return to Purgatory would be Dean’s. But Cas is allegedly coming with Dean… this is interesting. Hey look, kids, there’s Big Ben, and there’s Parliament, and there’s Big Ben, and there’s Parliament!

Why am I excited about a “descent into the underworld”? Why, when our heroes jump back and forth between different realms like they’re walking in a park? Why was I not yelling about this when Castiel and Jack jumped into the Hellmouth? (psst it was partly because he was going with someone else, yet here we are.) And how many times have our heroes been dead? I mean, Dean was dead just as recently as Advanced Thanatology! And all three of them just now held onto a magic bowl and were Bedknobs and Broomsticked into Hell in the midseason finale, it wasn’t even that hard??? What’s the big deal and why is Purgatory 2: Return to Purgatory any different than any other trip to one of Spn’s many otherworlds?

This is the first of at least two, and possibly three, and four is not entirely out of the question, hot-mess posts over the course of the hiatus and is just over 4k. I’ve rewritten this so many times and I still don’t know what the point of posting it would be, but here, try to enjoy some rambling about mythology and heroes’ descents into the underworld.

Many mythologies and works of literature have stories about descents into the underworld. The descent of a hero into the underworld is called “katabasis.” Actually almost any descent into the underground in myth and literature is called a katabasis/catabasis, but I’m talking about a typical “hero goes to hell” kind of story. In Greek mythology, Hercules goes to the underworld to complete one of his twelve labors-- as his final task he has to capture Cerberus, the guardian of the gates to the underworld, so down he goes, has some adventures in the netherworld-- and as half-divine, he gets back out-- and then goes back down to give Cerberus back to Hades, and gets back from his second journey okay too. Odin journeys to Hel in order to find out what happened to his son Baldur, who it turns out was in Hel. The Japanese god Izanagi journeys to Yomi, the underworld, to try to get his wife Izanami back (but similar to other legends about otherworlds and underworlds, Izanami has consumed food and can never leave.) In literature, Dante Alighieri wrote one of the alleged masterworks of Western literature about an imaginary descent into Christian Hell in The Inferno, where Dante and Virgil descend into the famous nine circles and he basically spills the tea on most of his contemporaries and passive-aggressively doles out everyone’s just desserts and then witnesses the morningstar’s icy torment, and climbs back out through the center of the Earth and out Mount Purgatory. In Michael Chricton’s Jurassic Park-- just kidding. Ha ha no, I’m not. There’s a powerful catabasis at the end of that book that leads to a revelation about the dinosaurs. Think about how many movies and books there are that feature a descent underground, a descent into a netherworld, or even just a trip to an otherworld. Tom Sawyer. Hellboy. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Empire Strikes Back. The Last Jedi. It’s a powerful tale type. 

So @drsilverfish and I have talked a bit about one of the most famous “descent into the underworld” stories, Orpheus and Eurydice, as it features in season 15. Orpheus and Eurydice were deeply in love-- however, on their wedding day, Eurydice was bitten by a viper and died. Orpheus, the most skilled poet and musician in the world, was unable to go on without her, and played a song so sad that every creature in the cosmos wept with him and eventually he journeyed to Hades’ kingdom in order to plead to Hades for Eurydice’s return. Orpheus sang so compellingly that Persephone, Hades’ part-time wife (herself able to move between these two worlds on a technicality,) was moved to tears and convinced Hades to let Eurydice and Orpheus go. However, Hades has one requirement: Orpheus is NOT to turn around to see Eurydice’s shade until the sunlight touches her. We all know, however, that as soon as the sun touched him he turned around. It was too soon, Eurydice had not crossed into the upper world, and she disappeared back into the underworld forever.

Stories about descents or attempted descents into the underworld often ask us to reflect on the cyclical nature of time, as in the story of Persephone, loss as in the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, the finality and inevitability of death, as in the Epic of Gilgamesh, or themes of vulnerability, justice, and cosmic/karmic balance as feature in both the story of Inanna and the sister-stories of Odysseus and Aeneid. Supernatural has dealt with those themes, as well.

What makes descents into the underworld different from other journey-into-otherworld stories is that usually there is no way out of the land of the dead, and the ability of our hero or heroine to cross that boundary both ways sets them apart as truly exceptional. So there is also an element of liminality to descent stories-- while not necessarily liminal places in and of themselves, there is usually a border, gate, doorway, wall, or membrane of some sort that has to be navigated, and these gates are supposed to only work one way-- into the netherworld. Yet our heroes cross and sometimes re-cross. But we already know that about Sam and Dean and Cas, they’ve died multiple times, came right back, visited Hell, came right back, went to Purgatory, made it back, so what’s my deal?...

Well, getting into this allusion, tne thing that makes the story of Orpheus so unsatisfying is because the contract of the story is not fulfilled, the thing we’re rooting for does not happen-- in many descent into the underworld stories, the hero takes on the journey voluntarily, has an objective, and ascends successfully with that objective or having fulfilled it (this is a tentative thesis afaik, because other stories are considered to be katabasis stories that don’t necessarily fit these requirements. But for Spn, this seems to be what is coming up based on the template from The Rupture, Last Call, and especially Golden Time. And I really wanted to find something to back this up but goddamn is the internet (and even databases like JSTOR) a freaking mess nowadays.) 

Golden Hour was a clear allusion-- almost a retelling-- of the Orpheus and Eurydice story. There was the “descent” into the land of the dead-- Rowena’s hexed apartment-- and then the only living person who could enter it without dying was Sam, marking him as exceptional. Therein he found a spell, authored by someone who has become the queen of the dead, to bring Eileen back to life. While doing the spell, he kept his back to her during her journey back to life-- on the surface level reading, it was (maybe!) because he knew her ghost-clothes wouldn’t come back with her, but on the allegorical level it was because Sam, as Orpheus, passed the test and didn’t look back until he knew that the sun shone on her. When an underworld quest fails, it is often because there is some lesson that the hero has to learn about death and life and grief; the lesson for Orpheus is that of the peril of thresholds, the permanence of loss, and patience-- those are not lessons that Sam necessarily needs to learn.

In the allusion we got to the Orpheus and Eurydice story, we also got a terrible wrong righted-- as it was unjust that Eurydice died on her wedding day and it wasn’t fair that Orpheus didn’t follow the rules, Eileen had been dragged off to Hell when the Hellhound killed her, and by Chuck’s rules could not get into Heaven, and so bringing her back into the “sunlit lands” was a rectification of that injustice. In the myth, when Orpheus loses Eurydice at the end, it’s just so goddamn sad, and is an unfulfilled expectation. Glynn fixed that. 

Golden Time was a beautiful subversion of a famously tragic ending. There are some ways in which subversion of stories are fulfilling-- when Glynn altered and subverted the Orpheus and Eurydice trope, it satisfied a lot of viewers and gave the myth a happier ending. But sometimes, subversion of a story just leaves us wanting…

I thought fleetingly that the Orpheus trope might apply to Cas in the Empty in season 13, but again it didn’t fit well, and ultimately he wasn’t rescued from the Empty like Eurydice from the underworld. Man did I want that, though, I really wanted someone to fight for Cas to get back. What we got was terrific, for a variety of reasons. Cas’ “perma-death” and The Empty plotline was a partial Gilgamesh and Enkidu reference from The Epic of Gilgamesh for Dean’s side of the story, if you squint-- Gilgamesh’s best most perfect companion Enkidu (a wild man who was literally made by the gods specifically to be his partner in adventure, which has interesting connotations for deancas subtext in light of how heavy a hand Chuck has had in the Winchesters’ lives) dies, and Gilgamesh prays to the gods to allow him to join Enkidu in the afterlife. In season 13 we get Dean praying for Castiel’s return, as opposed to an underworld reunion, but God does not grant his prayer; Dean then actually kills himself in Advanced Thanatology but is sent back by Billie. This is a bit like the Gilgamesh and Enkidu story, but ultimately the allusion was subverted in that Castiel gets to fight his own way back to the sunlit world-- he becomes a partial underworld hero in his own right, which was a fantastic arc for him (this trip to the Empty doesn’t completely “fit the bill” because Castiel was killed, he didn’t mean to go there, and he did not necessarily have an objective, although he discovered his will to return to the sunlit lands.) There was further obfuscation because Mary was missing in the AU at the same time, so it wasn’t “pure.”

Another reason why Gilgamesh and Enkidu only worked to a certain extent was because on Castiel’s side, his “journey to the underworld” can be likened more to that of Inanna, the widely worshipped Mesopotamian goddess. Inanna desired to visit her sister Erishkegal, who was queen of the dead, but her sister was not happy to see her, and made Inanna remove an article of clothing at each of the seven gates of the underworld until she was naked (and symbolically humbled,) but nonetheless Inanna dared to sit on her sister’s throne; the seven judges of the afterlife saw this and killed her for it. Her devoted servant Ninshubur in the upper realm prayed to Enki, Inanna’s father, who created two beings who could rescue her from the underworld and bring her back to life-- however, Inanna is hounded after this by the demons of the underworld because the cosmos is unbalanced by her rescue, and someone must take her place in the underworld. Themes from this, if not a well-fitting allusion, at least crop up in both Cas’ meeting with the Empty Shadow, who humbles him over the course of their interlocution and then bizarrely gives him new clothes, hello subverted motif, while they are in a necropolis of sorts where Castiel’s brothers and sisters lay sleeping, and in the way in which Inanna can be conceptualized as a “sleeping beauty” while a corpse in the underworld, much like Cas had to be awakened from an eternal slumber, and then later on we see the theme of cosmic imbalance needing to be restored in the deal he makes with the Shadow to trade his life for Jack’s in Byzantium, which is still a swinging pendulum of doom.

I side-eyed Cas’ and Belphegor’s free-fall into Hell, but they were journeying together, and there are not a lot of mythological katabases (that I could find) that feature two or more journeyers. When you get into the realm of literature-- and we are dealing with the concept of the “written word” there are too many to deal with-- it’s almost everyone’s favorite trope, you can even argue that there is an underworld episode in Sean of the Dead-- so I’m keeping the focus narrow.

I’m also basing all of this on the pattern we’ve seen in-universe. We can see that Sam and Eileen have been heavily paralleled to Dean and Castiel in Our Father-- where Sam and Eileen have long and soulful conversations with just their eyes, Dean and Cas can hardly look at each other, and where Sam and Eileen have held hands, there was a big glowy gap between Dean’s hand and Cas’ when Cas healed Dean. So taking Sam’s underworld adventure (that he made with Eileen) as a template for Dean’s (who is going with Castiel) is fair. But, then again, the next episode is called The Trap....

Going back to what I’ve said about each “hero” in TFW getting a katabasis, setting Purgatory 2 aside as “Dean’s” descent story satisfies most of the criteria for a full-blown Descent into the Underworld: 

On Dean’s part, finding out that Chuck has been yanking them around their whole lives has robbed him of his worldview as an epic hero-- if nothing he’s ever done is real, the only thing that set him apart as exceptional was Chuck’s obsession with him, which has been called “pervy.” Pervy has a sexual connotation, true, but in the purest sense means turned away from the natural course. Dean’s descents into the underworld have not been “natural,” they have not always followed the outline of “voluntary descent, attainment of objective, and ascent out of the underworld.”  They’ve been engineered. His first encounter with the underworld almost-but-not-quite fits the catabasis requirements-- it was done only reluctantly (yes, he made the crossroads deal but in the end he very much did not want to go;) he digs his way out of the grave, which is a very powerful “ascent” image, but he also had no goal in the underworld; he was not going to receive enlightenment, visit an old pal, or retrieve an item or person or whatever. In fact, he experienced possibly his most catastrophic failure there by breaking, torturing damned souls, and starting the first Apocalypse. His second descent, into Purgatory, was also involuntary, as he was yanked into it by the vacuum created when he and Castiel ganked Dick, recognized an objective only once he was in Purgatory; in contrast to his rescue from Hell he does fight his way out of this underworld and achieves “anabasis,” or heroic ascent into the upper world, but the other two criteria were not met. After Metatron killed him, he became a demon, an underworld being, and so was not a “hero” if and when he visited Hell (and all signs indicate he spent his demon days topside iirc.) In Advanced Thanatology, he undertakes a voluntary journey into death order to stop the evil ghost in the haunted house, but ends up in Death’s Library, which is an otherworld or at least only underworld-adjacent, and he is sent back up by Billie possibly against his wishes, hence no heroic ascent, even though this does deal with the themes of cosmic balance and righting injustices (sending the trapped souls to their true afterlife, for instance, and stopping the implosion of the universe, for another.)

Finding out that some or all of the “big” events of his life were actually orchestrated by Chuck has stolen Dean’s identity. Last Call went a good way to restoring his faith in himself, but he definitely has reconceptualized Dean Winchester as someone who “looks after the little guys,” not a hero involved in epic stories of good and evil and right and wrong where the fate of the world is on the line. Which is fine, but we need our epic hero back in order to defeat Chuck. Purgatory 2, should it prove to not be another one of Chuck’s plots, will go far as an underworld descent that Dean undertakes more-or-less voluntarily, which has an objective (retrieve the Leviathan Blossom,) and it is presumed he will return under his own steam back through Michael’s Gate. (We know it will not be that easy, but that’s the template.)

We assume he’s not going alone. Catabasis usually involves a separation/individuation of some sort. In the story of Inanna, she leaves behind her companion Ninshubur, who waits in the upper realm for three days before mounting a rescue. In the stories of Odysseus and Aeneas, they leave their crew and their new city respectively, and after going to the underworld they each meet different shades who also have differing values to bring to the theme of separation. Gilgamesh and Enkidu are separated by death and deliberately kept apart by the gods. Izanagi seeks a reunion with his wife. In Orpheus and Eurydice, well, separation is the overarching theme of the story. So, other underworld stories that we might see referenced this time are the twin journeys of Odysseus and Aeneas, since we have two characters going to Purgatory. Odysseus goes to Hades’ realm, and encounters three shades, (one of whom is a fallen comrade, echoes of Benny LaFitte) and receives prophecy about what he would be in for during the rest of his travels. In the Roman sister-story (fanfic rewrite) to the Odyssey, the Aeneid, Aeneas also visits the underworld with the sybil, meets some ghosts, and receives prophecy about the future of Rome. (And BY THE WAY who in this show just appeared in an underworld and believes in prophecy and just told Dean and Cas to fix their “tiff” right before they were sent to Purgatory...) 

In Purgatory 1, separation was also a big deal, as Cas wanders off to have adventures in the woods while Dean and his underworld companion search for him, and then Cas ultimately decides to stay, making his separation from Dean almost permanent. In each of the Winchester’s deaths, we have separation of brothers. In a tiny little in-universe reference, the Winchesters found the Seal of Solomon, or the key to the AU, in an episode that featured lovers/mates separated by a rift, that had a tiny little “descent into the underworld” shot of Dean going into the RI Chapterhouse.

But interestingly, we *just* got a subverted Orpheus and Eurydice story, where all three bells were rung, and wherein in the “lovers” were allowed to remain together. Additionally, in Our Father Who Aren’t in Heaven we see two entities-- Adam and Michael-- remain together after ascending from the underworld, although both are now free to go about their separate ways, which is very different from what we were expecting. BUT in the main arc, Dean and Sam have just been separated by Chuck’s trap. It’s all very... interesting.

So now I have to decide. Do I see Dean and Cas’ journey to Purgatory as a descent into the underworld, or as the retelling of an in-universe myth? Or as both? Or will it be something completely novel? That partly depends on how Purgatory works in the upcoming half of the season, and I’ll be talking about Purgatory as a possible liminal setting in another post. Right now it’s not necessarily shaping up to be one, but there are hints...

Since there is a strong possibility that this will be a retelling of old Supernatural story, much like Last Call can be seen as a retelling of Nihilism, the idea of retelling and revising stories is an even larger theme this season than last-- an “anabasis,” or rising emphasis, so much so that it has in part become text. We can say, maybe, that Purgatory 1 and all of it’s baggage is now myth, and hope that what we’re getting is “new story.” If we get Purgatory 2 as a retelling of that myth, though, we might hope for new character development or a different outcome, the way Last Call retold the story of Nihilism with different themes and devices.

My last thought about descent stories is that, well, there are more than a few that feature romantic partners. These stories almost always involve those three criteria and the theme of separation that I set up as expectations: the lovers are separated by death or abduction, the mission is undertaken voluntarily-- the hero is going to find their lover in the afterlife-- there is an objective-- find the dead person!-- and there is a successful ascent-- at least by the hero-- to the upper world. I already mentioned the stories of Izanagi and Orpheus, both of which feature lovers separated by death, a journey to the underworld in hopes of reuniting with them, and a “successful” return to the sunlit lands (in that our heroes themselves return, at least.) The Shasta people of the Pacific Northwest have a story of a pair of woodpeckers; the wife falls into their fire and dies, so her husband chases her spirit into the afterlife (where she is incarnated as a human being) and to join her he has to go back to his abode and die himself in order to be reborn also as a human. Ninshubur may have been described at times as one of Inanna’s lovers, and to a modern reader the subtext is definitely there, as it is between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. That’s not to say there are a majority of underworld stories that are romantic, because I can’t possibly read them all, but it is a notable trend, and one almost explicitly evoked in-show. I’ve tried to stay away from deancas subtext lately because I personally am not an endgame-positive viewer, but is there something romantic about Dean and Castiel going to the underworld together? There certainly seemed to be in Purgatory 1: Journey Through Purgatory. P2 following so quickly after what Sam and Eileen undertook together, it’s almost like it was foreshadowed. The deancas subtext at this point in the season isn’t “oh there was a beer sign in the background” (although that’s some of my favorite kind of subtext ngl) it’s now “Sam and Eileen have been giving each other soulful looks and holding hands while Dean and Cas won’t even look at each other and see how they almost held hands but didn’t” and so it isn’t hard to reach. It has been accessible for a while now. But are we still in a place where textually Sam is getting the “romantic” plotline and Dean is getting the “platonic” one, a la season 8? The mirroring is too perfect, and the writing room was even playing on the word “mirror” by adding the connotation of “opposite.”. I will say that If subtext is all that can be written about a deancas narrative in season 15, well, to paraphrase Dean Winchester they sure are putting as much sub into that text as they can.

So going through the midseason hiatus, I will be thinking a lot about “old” Purgatory, underworlds, borderlands, and otherlands, liminal settings and liminal experiences, the peril of the threshold (besides the infamous “letting go” scene from Purgatory 1, the gateway will only exist for twelve hours!) and who knows what else. This has gotten long enough. On to liminality! I think. No, maybe I’ll do old Purgatory first. Anyway I’m cutting this off here.

Hallelujah, holy shit, where’s the tylenol?

(I’m linking to the Shasta myth because it’s a little hard to find and I want to be able to come back to it, as it has given me some ideas about resurrection/reincarnation and becoming human….

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shasta_traditional_narratives got me to:

Voegelin, E. (1947). Three Shasta Myths, including "Orpheus". The Journal of American Folklore, 60(235), 52-58.)

[maychildwriter333]

New but not so new here....

I am not exactly new here. I used to have Tumblr in the past but deleted it due to being heartbroken by an ex (so mellow dramatic :D). i disconnected staying mainly on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. 

As life happened or should I say, 2020 happened....The noise and the chaos of social media was too much to see. At the time, I felt like the government or the media was just building this virus up for propaganda. My friend and I were on the way to hot yoga when we got the announcement that all schools were closed for the rest of the year. I remember telling her in frustration: “This is just fear! We shouldn’t feed into it....”  but the look on her face and the sudden urgency in her voice that she wanted to go home to her kids. I felt it on me too. I wanted to go home to my kiddo and force my girlfriend (my ever loving girlfriend) to go fight in the local stores to shop for whatever she can get her hands on. Fear had invaded my head even with myself knowing it was just a hype..... I still felt scared. 

Fear is funny like that. Almost like a little kid, screaming and hitting you to go backwards. 

You see, fear has always been apart of me as I’m sure it has been apart of everyone else’ life. We are fed it in heads when we get the concept of words or simply the emotion off our parents. 

This 2020 has been a whirlwind of emotions for everyone around me, my state, the nation and the whole WORLD. It’s been interesting sitting back and watch my friends or family experience these transformations. All these ideas people are coming up with, realizations with themselves. It makes me admire the human race, when in the past it was quite opposite.... 

With myself: I found myself on front lines. I was (and still am) in the healthcare industry. I was considered essential as I watched my friends, family and even my own girlfriend lose their jobs due to “not being essential”. Suddenly everyone was sitting at home, while I had to drag my booty to work. Instead of being sympathetic for everyone, I found myself envious yet prideful. Even rubbed it in my girlfriend’s face that she was the lucky one to have no job in that moment. 

Well, karma bit me in the butt. For the first time in my life, I was fired from a job. Not going into too much details but I was at the wrong place, wrong time. I was set up on accusations that had them terminate me. I LOVED this job. I felt safe and secure at this job. I gave a lot of my time and dedication to them. Even before this incident, I had never been a problem for the company. I was in shock when I had to hand over my badge and keys. I had to face the guilt of calling my unemployed girlfriend. I didn’t even really cry. I kept it calm. I let her know what happened and she told me: “Oh it’s okay baby, there are worse things....we will figure this out. It is their loss....”. 

But that didn’t stop me from coming home, tuning out and calling the women who were fired with me (plus another co worker) to come party away our sorrows. From there, my grieve of losing the job turned to alcohol and partying with my co workers. There was lots of tears, anger and laughter. It ended with me getting black out drunk, doing summersaults around the living room and then getting thrown by my girlfriend and friend into my room. I had even fell off the bed and hit the wall, falling asleep that way. I was a hot mess....

The next morning, my body was sore and my head was pounding. I woke up with the realization: I don’t have a job. Suddenly all the insecurities and worries came to me flooded my brain.  I had to do something....but where to start?

Meditation with spirituality has been connected to me for a few years now. I started meditating after a mental break down that left me forced to face myself and my demons. One of my close friends introduced me to meditation and what sold me on the practice was this friend was normally anxious. If I saw my friend in the past, she was always holding tension in her forehead and it left her with migraines often. Once she told me about meditation, I saw the change in her face and the power in her words. She was very certain about this practice and how it made her feel, convincing me to look into it. 

From there I went on the quest. Trying out different types of meditation. I made a commitment to meditate upon waking up each day. If I feel like I need to do another, there is always time for more as long as i made the time. It became second nature to me. 

After being fired, I had to go back to the drawing board. I needed to look at my reflection. I needed to face the perfectionist that was screaming at me inside my head: “You’re not good enough! You’re a failure! Everyone will see it!!”. 

That day, I had meditated in the house and then found myself traveling to the other side to meditate more. I came out of the last meditation refreshed and with this voice speaking in the back of my head: “It’s okay to surrender. Just trust God and let go of the wheel.....”.  From there, I went to journaling away about what was holding me back. What was truly bothering me about this situation. 

What it came down to: Fear of failing.

There is that word again: Fear. I had to come to face this disease. It was that same fear I get when driving downhill on a freeway. That same fear I got as a kid when the lights were completely off. That same fear I got the moment my mother was taking her last breath....

What I found? It was a story I was telling myself. A story I engrained in my brain to never fail. It was that story that I was going to be perfect in everyones’ eyes, I can go no wrong. When reality I was struggling. I was still grieving the losses of 2018-2019, I was struggling with drinking and I was shoving it all down into a box; hiding it from myself and the world. I covered up that box with the blanket of: I-am-spirituality-aligned-and-nothing-can-affect-me persona-I’m-OK. 

No....it doesn’t matter how much you know. It doesn’t matter about the person you are or all the money and material things you have. At the end of the day: life doesn’t exclude anyone from going through something. 2020 is living proof of that. That brick called life hits everyone in the head; we all have the bruises and scars to prove it. 

Once I came to those conclusions about myself. I cried, I cried very hard. That kind of cry that hits in your chest and you must let it all out. After the cry session, I let myself fall into another meditation. I felt at peace, secure and okay. No matter the situation, everything was going to be okay. I just had to have faith.  

From there I went inside my house and I went to work. I fixed my resume and applied for as many jobs as I could. I kept saying: “I REFUSE to be jobless during COVID. I want to be on the frontlines helping....” But after a while of applying, I put down the computer and took in my scenery: 

My home. The sun shining in, hitting the wooden floor as my child played with his toys on the floor; being in his own world. My girlfriend was on the couch, staying near by me during this uncertainty.  Gratitude came into my heart in that moment. I didn't have a job but was I certainly not alone. I still had a roof over my head, my kid was still eating and my girl was near me. What more could I ask for? No job could take that moment away. 

I want to share this story with who ever falls upon it and needs it. With every door that closes, there is another one that opens. Within less than a month, I ended up getting another job. A job that easier going, appreciative of their staff and at the same time challenging. I’ve been at that job for about seven months and they already offered me to stay on their team full time (I started out PRN). God, The Source, The Universe or whatever anyone believes is good. <3

I start this out as my first post. Have faith, surrender and by gosh, face you shadows. It is going to be painful but I promise it will feel better once you do. 

 What you should expect from this blog is a personal journey about myself. A journey where I will explore myself in my writing, meditation, reading, and even yoga and exercise. I am still a student in this thing we call life.  I hope to meet like minded, inspiring individuals who teach me some lessons. In the past, I had fear in tumblr that there were only bullies, never wanting to show myself fully on the “dark” web. 2020 is bringing a lot out of everyone. Life is too short to limit yourself. <3

[vinylhazza]

JERSEY BOY (E.D)

Fou Amoreux

jersey boy masterlist

part 1. here

… … … 

her mouth hasn’t shut up about him since he kissed it. the idea that he may kiss it again is constantly stuck in her brain, which hasn’t stopped thinking about him even before any kiss they shared. Adélaïde seems to feel the same about her “Gray” as she likes to call him, the brightest smile coming to her face with the very sound of his name leaving her lips. She fell for the younger twin just as hard as Chloé fell for Ethan. 

and if one day you wake up and find that you’re missin’ me 

three months ago is when he hopped on that plain back to LA, back to his busy life with his busy schedule. three months of facetime calls and mushy text messages. three months of missing him to no end. three months of silent prayers sent at night, up to the heavens hoping they’ll answer her prayer and bring her jersey boy back.

she still goes to the ferris wheel. she never rides it, simply sits on the bench and watches the wheel spin around and around, remembering the first time his hazel eyes landed on her and the fire that it sent blazing through nerve in her body. she watches lovers hop onto the ride, hand in hand, starting their journey like she once had. 

and your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I could be 

she comes to the ferris wheel near every other day, just to see if maybe he had been the sneaky boy she fell in love with and came back to her without warning. maybe another Louis Vuitton event? maybe another event?...maybe just because he missed her? 

she asks Adélaïde to join her each time, but she declines, instead opting to travel back to that very same bench where Grayson’s lips met hers for the very first time and sent her spiraling into a puddle of longing for his touch every moment. the way his eyes looked at hers that night, the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower reflecting off of his dilated pupils had been something she’d only seen in movies.

when they left three months ago...they had cried for days, wrapped up in blankets in Chloé’s living room, gushing about their adventures and trying to forget their heartbreak for a small fraction of time by watching the Notebook - which only made it worse naturally. 

she almost expected him to not call or text her and treat her as a spontaneous love affair he’d had in Paris, never to be spoken of again. she expected him to throw away her number she scribbled down on the white hotel napkin after she whispered her words of devotion to him. the smile that blessed the world when he looked down and saw her number was breathtaking. he hadn’t needed it while they were frolicking and getting themselves into an abundance of trouble, because he always knew where to find her. right where he first saw her. 

it was hard at first with different time zones, but he would always make sure to text her what he was doing, how is day was, anything he could come up with, just to ensure she didn't forget about him. but she could never. and he could never forget about her. they were both far too deep for that. what she didn't know...was that he and his brother had every intention of coming back and sweeping them right back off of their feet.

thinkin’ maybe you’d come back here to the place that we’d meet 

the twins had already bought their tickets, already booked the hotel reservations. they had decided before hand in a deep brotherly talk that they weren’t going to tell the girls. they were going to hand it to the universe, and if it’s meant to be: Ethan will see his sweet Chloé at the ferris wheel and Grayson will see Adélaïde on that little bench by the bushes. fate had never done them wrong before. 

she was far too embarrassed to ever tell him she often goes back to the place they met, she was far too embarrassed to admit that she just wanted to feel that fire again, just wanted him back again...just wanted him. and that was the closest she could get, it was the very beginning of their little love story, one they couldn’t have known would be lifelong. 

they had told Lisa about Chloé and Adélaïde one day on a trip back to Jersey after a stressful weak of relentless press and internet snoopiness. but of course that was after she’d called them out on hiding something. mother knows best.

she knew the way they smiled was a little brighter. she knew the walk in their step was happier. she knew their texts were more thought out, like they were typing a novel instead of a one word answer. she knew they stayed up later than they ever had talking rushed and quite on their phones. she knew they booked “random” tickets to Paris right in her living room. she knew. she knew her boys fell in love.

so she wished them extra good luck before they went home, knowing they would be leaving in two days on a quest to return to their girls - and hugged them a little big tighter, whispering that they’ll be there. she promises the girls will be there. she’d never seen her boys talk about girls they way that they had on the couch, drinking shyly from their mugs. not even Grayson who was dead convinced he’d fallen in love every time he got into a relationship. she had a way of bringing it out in them.

it was never like this. 

there was a hole in their world, an emptiness in the twins life since they stepped foot in front of that damn ferris wheel. something changed. that change is what makes them sit down in a mess of nerves on a flight from LA to Paris. 

and you’ll see me waiting for you, on the corner of the street 

so here Ethan sits, here he waits, hoping that when the sun sinks below the horizon, Chloé will be back in his arms once again. he hopes she still comes here. he hopes that maybe even if she never does, something in her will tell her just to come here because he’s waiting for her. and he needs her. and he never wants to let her go again. 

Grayson and Ethan parted ways almost an hour and a half ago. they were hopeful, but told one another not to be too upset if they don’t show, that it’s just them taking a risk and if this city gives them that drop in the ocean luck one more time - they know it's a sign that they are the real deal. 

so Grayson sits on the bench by the bushes and watches the comin and going of tourists staring dreamily up at the Eiffel Tower, just basking in the pure art and essence of the city that breathes devotion and love. they wait for Adélaïde and Chloé to get that feeling deep down in their stomachs: intuition. 

so i’m not movin, i’m not movin 

and that they had. on this day, for some reason while the pair drink their herbal tea and talk about nonsense while applying way too much of their facemasks...they get their feeling in their gut that they need to be somewhere. once this feeling comes it stays, and it weighs on their mind until they can’t stand it anymore, coming to the agreement that they needed to go to their “spots”. 

the short car ride to the city is silent, air completely flooded with nerves and anxiety. they feel that same magic in their bones that they felt the day they met those charming twins that stole their hearts and never gave them back. but they didn’t want them back. 

when the car is parked on a side street and they gleam at each other with watery eyes and fleeting hearts, they step out to give one another a long sentimental hug - hoping and praying they aren’t wrong. they hope their wishes on the shooting stars came true. 

both Chloé and Adélaïde send a text to their respective twin, a short breezy message that they hope gets an answer within a few moments.

what’s up?

maybe then their assumptions can be confirmed. they wait for a minute to get an answer - and of course Ethan and Grayson get the message, but choose not to answer, not wanting to ruin the universes plan. the girls heave a sigh of defeat, but don’t give up hope. not until they know for sure. 

Chloé heads for the ferris wheel, sending a wave to Adélaïde who rushes off to the Eiffel Tower with a giddy grin. 

goin’ back to the corner where I first saw you 

all four hum a tune as they wait, as they walk, as they pray. a habit for them all. it’s a song they haven’t heard in so long, but for some reason it seems very accurate in this moment. mysterious ways of the world. 

the sun is sinking, and sinking, and sinking, casting a purple and pink glow over every part of the beautiful city - cool breeze brushing over Ethan’s face as he decides to stand, knowing he’s far too anxious to sit because who sits when they wait for- 

teary eyes, those beautiful teary eyes. the purple making his Chloé’s skin appear golden but plum all the same, wind fluttering the end of her blush colored flowy tank top as they stare at one another, frozen. she’s only a few steps away, too afraid she’s hallucinating to walk any closer. 

while the ferris wheel keeps on spinning, they keep on staring. her hands are at her side. one hand is in his pocket, the other holding a bouquet. he got flowers for her?

she’s taking in the sight she’s loved since that sunny day...dark wisps of hair, styled just right, silver chain around his neck, white Louis Vuitton t-shirt, black pants. stunning. just as breathtaking as the last time she’d seen him three months ago.

Grayson and Adélaïde share the same stare down just a few blocks away from them.

he waits on the bench still as a statue for his beautiful girl to rush over and caress his face with disbelieving eyes. lovers reunited again. he intends to ask her the same question, one he knows in his heart she won’t refuse.

Ethan takes his time walking over to a frozen Chloé, gaining the courage to say the sentence he’s been rehearsing in his head, to Grayson, to the random lady in the flower shop, and to his mother, to the flight attendant, anyone he could find. he hopes to God he doesn’t screw it up. he’s not messing up fates second chance. 

“you’re here,” is the only thing she can say through her hysterical crying, not believing he is actually standing here, actually running a hand through her hair, actually holding her favorite kind of flowers (peach roses)...she can’t believe he actually came back for her. she’d wished and hoped and prayed - never seeing it work before so why would it now?

“shh...I’m here baby,” he grins widely at her, hugging her to his chest, hearts thumping loudly in both of their ears. high off of the feeling of each others skin against their own once again. sun sinking lower on this beautiful July evening, he finally continues speaking, “I gotta tell you something.” 

she nods against his shirt, eyes closed, breathing him in, sinking in his arms like putty. safe place. that’s what this is, her safe place.

fuck he really couldn’t be more nervous than he was when Chloé leans back, taking his flowers and setting them on the bench. he takes her soft fragile face in both of his hands, looking into her eyes deeply, knowing how ridiculous they must look to all of the bustling busy people of the city...but he couldn’t care less. 

“tu es la femme de mes reves,” it’s a soft whispered confession, as soft as hers had been. perfect. meaningful. she gasps at how easy it was for him to say, just like he’d been destined to. like he’d been waiting his whole life to say it.

it’s just what she needed to hear before she’s locking their lips together in an earthshattering kiss. lips dancing, tongues teasing, passionately whispering both French and English love confessions. right in the middle of Paris they fall in love all over again.

he has his French girl once more, and Grayson has his. and now that they’ve got them, they are never losing them again. 

when they pull away they are laughing, not even believing their luck. 

“I actually uh...came here to tell you something else too,” he chuckles, wiping stray tears from under her eyes. he’s pretty choked up himself. he knows when a fan posts a picture it will blow up and spread like wildfire to every social media platform their is, and he knows his mom will see it, and he knows she would be cheering. so he goes on to finish what he started. 

“I was immersed in your life when we came here, and in turn fell in love with you...why don’ t you come and see what my world has to offer hmm?” it’s worth a shot. 

“come to LA you mean?” she’d only been to the states once when she was eleven. it was a family trip to New York - her mom had always been obsessed. 

“yeah I mean...I want you. and you want me. and I think if we actually give this a shot it will work, we could be really happy together. I mean I already am happy with you, but I want you in my arms more often than every couple of months,”  he plants a soft peck of a kiss on her pouted lips, eyelashes fluttering against her heated cheekbones. yeah their worlds would change with any decision they make, but they've already been changed since the day they met. and neither of them want to ever feel that empty again. if she agrees to go to LA and see what her life could be, she would thank herself later. she knows by that same fuzzy feeling she gets in her toes when something amazing is about to happen. 

it’s not like she’s moving there right now, simply testing the waters and making her own decision on where life could take her and if she wants to take the safe path, or follow the path less traveled. she’s just a small town French girl, how much happiness could she get? this doesn’t happen to girls like her.

“give it a try for me?” he just keeps on rubbing her cheeks, the light of the ferris wheel gleaming in her wide eyes staring back at him. he’s hers. she knows it in her bones and with her whole body that whether she’s here or there - he’s hers. everything else can follow later. why not take the leap? make the jump?

she only needs a moment more to think before she’s pulling at his neck for another kiss, making a mental note to thank herself years later for making another reckless decision to follow this jersey boy and his twin back to their home in LA. yeah it’s not great to make rash decisions...but when has it gone wrong for them yet? 

“yes, let’s do it. I want to know what made you who you are,” and she means it, she wants to know what makes him tick. she wants to know how he is so polite. how he handles all the bullshit that’s thrown at him. how he thrives. she wants to know how he’s so bright. so full of sunlight and hope at all times. she wants to know how her man came to be. she doesn't give a fuck if she has to go to Egypt to find out, she’ll follow him. 

“I was hoping you’d say that because Grayson is asking Adélaïde and it would be kind of weird if you said no and she said yes just saying,” he laughs, breathing out a sigh of relief when he sees Grayson and Adelaide walking towards them on the sidewalk with matching grins, Grayson throwing a thumbs up in his direction. she turns to see the gesture and Adélaïde mouth “oh my God” at her, dreamily smiling at Grayson’s side profile. 

Chloé doesn’t give herself the time to be nervous, she doesn’t give herself the chance to think about what she’s going to pack, or the excited screaming fest she’ll surely have with Adélaïde later, she doesn’t give herself a chance to be nervous about the plain, or telling her mother even if she’s moved out on her own, she doesn't think about what she’s going to tell her job, she doesn't think about anything but those beautiful brown eyes looking at her soft and delicate. she doesn't think about anything but her jersey boy that came back for her. so she rests a finger on his lips, hushing him from trying to convince her or make himself nervous. 

she plans to live in the moment like they had before, make the most of their time in Paris before he sweeps her off to start their lives and change her world for the better forever. she plans to take him back to that hotel room and finish what they started. she plans to rest her lips on every surface of his body simply because she can. she plans to keep his heart right here with her, where it belongs - whether it’s in LA or France. as long as they have each other who the fuck cares? she can hear her mother’s voice in her head, the saying she’s told her since she was just a little girl; tenter sa chance.

she looks up at him with a sly smirk, ghosting her lips against his, licking at his bottom lip lighting only to feel him grin.

“tu pourrais te taire et m’embrasser?” 

… … … 

part 3? 

[icharchivist]

Just realized. Lucifer and Lucio having the same taste in sandy and how they become more human? (Not sure how to put it) around him makes sense when you consider how Lucifer was supposed to complete lucillius, who is a copy of lucio. So yeah, sandy makes a less creepy lucio.

oooh omg good point

i do think in an ironic way the whole Lucio>Lucilius>Lucifer>Sandalphon line showcase very well the whole theme of evolution 

There’s still questions about why the Helels got clones to start with, but it is interesting to me considering Lucio has, for most of his life, lived as a Speaker, an unactive player, a Watcher for a Silent God. If i remember 000 correctly, Lucio event comments a lot on how impressed he is with the way his Clone evolved past some restrictions. 

By joining the crew Lucio already started to question his purpose and started to take steps in order to evolve as well, this whole theme of him going on about how humanity is weak (observation as an unactive player) but yet this weakness makes them stronger than the perfect being (leading him to become an active player to heelp into this endeavor). 

So yeah esp with the whole Helel Reverie quest Lucio has exposed a lot about how he lived for thousands years at least, if not millenials, which was a stagnant extention and tool for a god, to now deciding to act for himself.

And the whole decision to act for himself came from the Crew yes but i doubt it would have come this far had it not been for Lucilius and the plans he set in motions.

While it focuses more on Lucio and Lucifer, a slight detour on Lucilius, we have here a clone who had always felt himself incomplete. Both him and Bubs have some sort of Gods complex and Lucilius esp was an outcast, and it’s to be argued this is because of the fact they are clones. Lucilius mentions having had vague memories of the Tower Lucio is found in, so that by essence Lucilius is connected to a side of Lucio, but by being unable to reason this part of him for such a long time, it had just led him to feel more isolated among his peers, and led to his God complex.

We know from last quest also that Lucilius’s body at least was weaker than his mind could be and that it’s one of the reason he created Lucifer as an extension of himself, more than a perfected one. Like you said, Lucifer was meant to complete Lucilius.

But by trusting him with evolution, setting him with this purpose as well as to watch over it, letting Lucifer call him “my friend”, encouraging Lucifer to take his own decisions ect. Everything led to Lucifer to watch, to question the world. He didn’t have to worry about where he came from like Lucilius did, so he focused on his purpose.

And ultimately, this is this evolution that Lucifer watched over and kept questioning that led him to be more human. Lucifer was watching toward the present, toward the future, was, by design, looking over others people (i suspect that with the reason he was created it’s also not unlikely Lucilius counted on the “more powerful version of himself” to also watch over him in case Lucilius was in a bind).

The Loophole ended that by the fact Lucifer’s purpose was evolution and that he had no reason to question further than that, he evolved. Unlike Lucio that cut himself from the skyrealm for a long time, Lucifer let himself pay attention to it, learn from it.

And then we have Sandalphon which imo works as a mix of Lucilius and Lucifer in the sense that, the lack of purpose made Sandalphon constantly question why he was made. He snapped the moment he learnt he was meant as a remplacement - a clone - to the person he loved, but, on top of that, that he would not be needed anyway. 

It parallels pretty nicely with Lucilius in the sense that, Lucilius didnt know most of his life that he was a clone and it tormented him enough to be constantly questioning it and taking questionable decision as he questioned his existence. Sandalphon spent most of his life not knowing his purpose but it tormented him, and just like Lucilius, he started to take questionable decisions as he questioned the purpose of his exitence.

While Sandalphon did end up filling his original purpose to remplace Lucifer, he is much more influenced by this time he lacked purpose which is pretty big for a Primal. While chaotic, Sandalphon took his own first few steps into deviating from the path made for him out of pure spite, which is a sort of evolution by its own rights. And Lucifer’s death and passing his purpose on Sandalphon just led Sandalphon to question more in general. (also ironical since Sandalphon did inherit Lucifer’s memories, so like Lucilius, he had flashes of another life, but unlike Lucilius, he knew where it came from and could reason with them to put them in perspective as knowledge, rather than questions about his existence.)

And finally, while Lucio had joined the crew of the Singularity earlier (but idk the details as of why so i really base my interpretation more on 000), Lucilius last attempt to overthrow God, as well as Sandalphon arriving and living up to all this experience that Lucifer passed over, was probably the showdown Lucio needed: 

on one hand, Lucilius was stuck in the conflicted feelings about his own existence, stuck in trying to understand what he’s even evolving from since he doesn’t know, and that perhaps this is why he was meant for higher things. On the other, Sandalphon, while still struck with grief and unsure exactly how to fill his goal, has evolved and has been more certain about the way to exercise what he wants to do further than his own purpose.

That showdown that we know Lucio saw (even if Lucilius had left him in a poodle of blood at this point) was imo the one argument needed for Lucio in term of Getting Stuck In The Past VS Allowing Yourself To Change.

So, undeniably, while Lucio probably started to change already because of the Singularity, i think it’s Sandalphon, being the last in his clone’s line, and coming right after Lucilius that was the first one, that really struck a point about what it means to evolve past your purpose, and past the issues that had risen on your way.

And like Lucifer kept asking himself question as he watched over people (and arguably the whole thing with his last words that he applies to “people” can just as well be applied to how he understood Sandalphon in the end, “anger when denied” thing. Not to mention that Lucifer had been wondering about Sandalphon’s feelings since the Rebellion without coming up with an answer and seeing where that led, so reflection, thanks to Sandalphon, was essential for Lucifer), Lucio saw those actions, saw this evolution coming from his line, and decided just as much to observe, but also to become an active player in questioning, and in acting when time comes (ie destroying the Pandemonium).

So yeah dLFJDLF this was a whole word vomit but i do find it exteremely interesting because, yeah, Lucio being the first in the line really showcase how much each member of the line led to the next one evolving, up to the point that when all of this was reunited in the Tower (since, while Lucifer was dead, we also see Sandalphon constantly bringing up Lucifer’s way of thinking, plus ofc the Lucifer that appear behind Sandalphon when he uses Paradise Lost), when all four of them were together in one place, i think it served as a way to reflect on what was, what is and what could be for Lucio. He saw the different path taken by his own line, how slight different circumstances changed one self,

and, of course, Sandalphon, who was meant to stay quietly in his place as a spare, constantly taking his destiny in his own hands, and working through both his new found purpose and who he decide to be for himself, as well as his role for the rest of the world. 

Sandalphon’s existence was enough as of which for Lucifer to be more at peace and be more himself rather than the Supreme Primarch. By his relationship with Sandalphon, Lucifer was allowed to act outside of his purpose and imo, this is what gave him the insight he needed to question once he lost Sandalphon to Sandalphon’s free will in the Rebellion. 

I think Lucio is coming at it from the backward perspective of seeing where Sandalphon is now after taking conscious steps to justify his existance, despite seemingly having to fit Lucio’s steps. 

Hell i wonder how much of “Lucilius was close to God” and “Lucifer served as much as he could” was stuff Lucio could relate to for both of them. Then Lucifer rebelled against his own master when he went too far. I wonder if Lucio didn’t project a minute and wondered if he could do that, too, if needed. And probably that could be realization enough for Lucio that he has to change.

but this is whole set in motion because Sandalphon took his own path, and is the one in the Tower for making the point about Evolution as it is.

So in a purely thematic standpoint this is evolution in action leading to question, over and over and Lucio could take all of this into account when all this evoltion came barging at his door lmao.

But also yeah, the idea is also possible that Lucio would have been the OG attracted to Sandalphon idea and that this self spliting gave Lucilius his brain and Lucifer his heart enough to like Sandalphon tadaaaa o/

also technically me saying “that was a word vomit” was to bring to a conclusion but then i got into even more details i’m so sorry dKLJFDF i really find this fascinating and Lucio is especially set on a character journey i find interesting because he is doing so after having observed how people from his cloneline has decided to take actions. And from that Lucio can just learn to move on past being a Speaker, and act by himself. Inspired by Sandalphon. Which is in himself the current conclusion to line of questioning that spread throught the whole LuciLines.

anyway wmtsb good.

Thanks for coming in to mention it! and Thanks for reading through it all if you did DLKJFD

Take care!!

[run-writer-run]

Hollow Endings: Chapter 5

Story description:

After her mother dies in a mysterious murder, Freysa Dinun and her sister are left alone. Freysa's developing powers and need to protect her sister rule her childhood. Her journey is set in motion when her village is attacked, on the orders of the same man who got her mother killed, the king. She sets out to get revenge, and gets more than she bargained for when her past life is revealed. Destined to make or break the world, every choice she makes will lead her to the end.

Rating: teen and up

Warnings: hallucinations, not being able to tell what's real or not, implied mind control

Part: 6 of ?

Work:

Cool water surrounded me, up to the outer corners of my eyes. I could feel it softly wave back and forth. The pain in my body was gone. I opened my eyes and sat up, looking down. I was in a shallow pool set into a platform. The water glowed slightly. There were burn scars along my arms and some on my torso and legs. In the reflection of the water I could see a scar along the left side of my face. The room was empty. I slipped out of the pool, leaning against it as my legs shook slightly. Vica walked in. Her face brightened when she saw me, and she ran towards me and pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Uh, it's fine. You don't have to thank me." I mumbled.

She pulled back enough to look me in the eyes, and rose one hand to gently trail her fingers down the scar on my cheek. "You risked your life to save my kingdom. I'll never forget that."

I blushed, looking away. She stepped back. I heard the door open as Prucin and the king's mother walked in. Prucin gasped when she saw me and almost tackled me, arms tightening around me almost enough to hurt.

"I'm so glad you're okay! You scared me so much when you passed out!" She rambled.

"What happened while I was passed out?" I asked.

"All the fire elementals left, and the king had one of his soldiers take you here. The waters in that pool are healing, like the spring. You were passed out through the night." She replied, letting go of me but staying close.

"Oh." I stared at the ground, the night's dream still tugging on the edge of my conscience. "I had a weird dream... And it helped me figure something out."

"What?"

"King Zorin had our mom killed. The man who did it wore his insignia and there was something... Off about him like he was being controlled. Some of the soldiers who attacked the town were like that too."

"Why would he do all that?" She asked, brows furrowed.

"I don't know. But he got the dragon to help the fire elementals too. He's planning something, and I have to stop him. I have to go confront him."

"That's too dangerous!"

"I'm not asking permission."

"Well then I'm going too." She crossed her arms.

"I'll go with you too. It's the least I can do after what you did for my kingdom." Vica spoke up, a small smile on her face.

I could tell by the looks in their eyes that there was no changing their minds. I sighed. "Fine."

I heard the door open and saw the king's mother. "Well what are you three plotting?"

"Nothing, grandma Korsa." Vica replied.

"Your father may fall for your lies but I won't." Korsa replied with a smile.

"Fine... We're... Going to king Zorin. He had a hand in the fire kingdom attacking us." Vica said, glancing at the floor.

"Well that seems very risky. Come with me and I'll get you some supplies." Korsa turned for the door.

I raised an eyebrow and started to follow her along with Prucin and Vica. We went down a few hallways to enter a small room. It was filled with things, but neat. Books were packed onto shelves and trinkets and herbs were tucked into cabinets. Korsa opened a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. Closer inspection revealed it was a map.

"What's that for?" I asked.

"It shows where Zorin's castle is." She grabbed a quill from a tiny pot of ink and circled three spots. She pointed at one. "This is where we are." She pointed at the closest one to the first. "This is a village of witches. If you go here they'll help you in your quest." She pointed at the final one. "This is Zorin's castle. It's surrounded on all sides by water." She handed me the map, and a pack made of leather.

She rummaged through the drawer again, procuring a compass, and grabbed a blanket from a cupboard and a pouch of coins. She handed them to me and I put them in the pack along with the map. She walked over to an armoire, opening it. It was filled with weapons.

"What weapons are you comfortable with using?" She asked.

"I'm alright with a bow." Prucin said, tentatively.

"I've got my sword." I said.

"You know I'm best with a staff." Vica said.

Korsa pulled a bow, a quiver full of arrows, and a staff out of the armoire. She handed the bow and arrows to Prucin, and the staff to Vica. I slung the pack onto my back.

"If you go in the direction of his castle you'll get to a small town right before the forest of eternal winter. You'll want to get more supplies and some warm clothing there to prepare. It's a half day journey." Korsa said.

I nodded. "So, are you ready?" I asked, I turned to Prucin and Vica.

They both nodded.

We set out, Vica leading us through the castle. The twists and turns of the crystalline blue walls seemed to melt together in my mind. We finally got to the front doors, leaving and weaving our way through the outer kingdom to the gate. A soldier stopped in front of us.

"King Norvin has ordered that you stay in the palace, princess." He said to Vica.

"If my father wants me to stay here he can stop me himself." She pushed passed the soldier.

We followed, finding a path through the forest soon. With a quick check of the map and compass I knew we were going in the direction of the small town, our first stop. The smell of pine filled my nose, and the sounds of birds chirping and the wind moving through the branches calmed me. We came across a river with a wood bridge, shaky and held up by slightly rotted ropes. It wouldn't be able to hold all of us.

"I'll go first. I won't drown if it breaks." Vica said.

She cautiously walked across, and though it creaked and wobbled it didn't break. Prucin was next, and she made it across safe and sound as well. I'd lifted my foot up when I heard a twig snap behind me and turned. There was nothing there. When I turned back to the bridge Vica and Prucin were gone.

"Hey, where'd you go?" I called out.

My eyes caught movement as somebody stepped out from behind a tree. It was the man who'd killed my mother, with the same empty eyes. I stepped back, hands shaking. I pulled out my sword, trying to summon fire. Nothing. I tried to put fire between us. Nothing. He started to advance, drawing a knife.

I turned to run the other way, only to see a few more empty eyed soldiers. My legs moved into action and I ran along the river's edge, away from them. The fast snapping of twigs and beat of feet against the ground behind me matched the beat of my heart.

The river fed into a lake, and I turned to run along the edge only to run into more soldiers. I hesitated for a few seconds and jumped into the lake. I felt a brush against my leg and then something pulling me down. I struggled, and looked to see Prucin. She held onto me with a video grip, sinking us. I swam with all my strength to the surface, legs kicking to be met with an ice sheet. I looked around, all there was was ice. My heart pounded and my lungs burned and my head felt like it was about to explode as I kicked and beat against the ice with my fists.

My vision started to go dark when I felt something grab my hand and pull me up. I ended up on my hands and knees on the river bank, heaving in breaths. I looked around desperately, Prucin was nowhere to be seen, but Vica was beside me, her hand on my back.

"There were soldiers and ice and Prucin... Oh gods where did she go?" I rambled.

"None of it was real. You were under the influence of a fear demon. Everything's going to be okay.' she rubbed soft circles into my back.

"Where'd she go?"

I heard a scream from up the river, bolted to my feet, and ran for it. I stopped in my tracks when I found Prucin across the river, on the ground. In the river was a mountain lion with a shard of ice running through it. It's form seemed to shift as if a moving shadow were on it. She continued to scream, as the ice grew further. My little sister's face, which usually held serenity was filled with fear and something bitter and raw. The mountain lion's body seemed to ripple, and formed into Portra, impaled by the ice but smiling wickedly. With a flick of her hand some of the ice moved towards me, trapping me against a tree. I struggled against it but it wouldn't budge.

Prucin's gaze locked on mine, both looking at me and through me. "Please help me please! I can't stop him! She cried.

I fought desperately against the ice. "I can't move! I'm sorry!"

She didn't seem to register what I was saying. "I know I'm weak and you're always having to save me, you don't have to tell me that! But please, I'm scared!" She spoke as if responding to words I hadn't said.

I stopped struggling against the ice. "Whatever you're seeing or hearing isn't real! You have to snap out of it! I'm here for you!" I cried.

She blinked, the haze lifting from her eyes as she looked around. "There was... The man who killed our mom... And even though I put ice through him he kept going,, and then you were here and you..." She trailed off, putting her head in her hands.

The ice around me melted and the mountain lion regained it's original form. I trudged through the water, Vica following me. I sat down on the forest floor by Prucin and wrapped an arm around her as she leaned on me.

"It's okay. None of it was real. We were under the influence of a demon. You're safe." I whispered.

She shook against me, taking in deep breaths to calm herself. "It was so scary... I thought I was going to die." She mumbled.

"I've heard stories of demons in these woods but I've always thought they were just that, stories. Maybe I should've warned you." Vica said, staring at the ground.

"It's okay. You couldn't have known it was real." I replied.

"Can we just get to the town. I'll feel safer there." Prucin said, voice a bit steadier.

I stood up. "If we go up the river we should get back to the bridge, and we can go on from there."

She nodded and stood up, a bit wobbly on her feet. We made our way back to the bridge and followed the path to the town. A check of the bag revealed that the map had gotten a bit wet but was still readable. The forest seemed darker and silent now.

We finally walked into the town. The buildings were made of wood, and the few houses surrounded a small plaza with shops, some stalls, a church, and a town hall. It felt similar to our home. I stopped at a stand, buying food for me and Prucin. We ate as we walked around the town, checking things out. The sun was starting to travel down the horizon, and the sky was a brilliant orange.