#because it's got a lot of formatting

[sun-marie]

Post-canon, somewhere in a Rivaini inn, Lucanis sees more of "Rook" than he thought possible <3

Background/headcanons under the cut for context:

Background:

- Lydia Laidir, born into slavery in the Imperium, was inadvertently freed when the ship she was serving on was attacked by the Felicisma Armada, and eventually taken in by Isabela and the Lords of Fortune. Isabela gave her the affectionate nickname "Rook(ie)", and in a effort to cope with her upbringing she sought to reinvent herself under this new name. Overtime, the name Lydia became an extremely personal aspect to her, and by the time of Veilguard the only people who know her real name are Isabela and Anders (her magical mentor), and she goes by Rook exclusively to everyone else, even her partner Lucanis.

Headcanons:

- After the events of Veilguard, Spite stops reflecting Lucanis and instead takes the form of a cat (credit for this galaxy brained hc goes to @/ravioliage)

- As a mage growing up in Rivain and mentored by Anders and Justice, Lydia has learned to hear Spite in a similar way to Emmrich 💜 This makes many situations both more and less awkward.

- Shortly after the events of Veilguard, Lydia was able to pair Lucanis with a baby wyvern of his own, who he named Dolce (credit for the name goes to @/iisadiya), and when there isn't a pen outside or there's bad weather, she curls up on whatever furniture the inn provides in their room and absolutely destroys it with her claws and venom <3 Lydia and Lucanis have, on multiple occasions, had to soothe a very distressed innkeeper and pay a small fortune in damages 😔

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Cite your sources.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[technically-human]

Stay near me now...

So have you guys read My love for you is true, I swear it is, it just will kill you in the end ? Because it killed me. It killed me, I am now dead like the boys.

This was a commission for @regretsofaghost and I loved every second of working on it, ESPECIALLY reading this beautiful fic. And this scene!!!

[licorishh]

no way she's alive ?? yea those mental health breaks because social media makes people suck are wild huh

[peace-hunter]

Hey! How’s it going?

I was just wondering what are the dynamics between Optimus and his thirteen ghostie siblings individually?

haunted au

oh boi.

i'm gonna warn you, there's some dynamics i've given more thought to than others and it shows. sorry about that.

also this got very, very long so i'm gonna put it under a read more.

okay here we go:

1- zeta is the strict older brother trying to keep OP alive at almost any cost. he still feels guilty for leading his siblings to their deaths and is maybe trying to atone for it by doing everything he can to get OP through a war. this mostly means pushing him harder than the rest of their siblings, because he wants OP to handle anything that comes his way.

and OP really wants to make zeta proud. he's low-key still in shock at receiving the Matrix and terrified of messing up in a way he can't fix, so he's really glad he has zeta to guide him through his stumbling even if more often than not he ends up self-conscious with the corrections he gets. he can't help comparing himself to zeta and feel like he's failing to measure up to him.

they have the hardest time out of everyone to reach a balance on how much zeta can influence optimus' decisions without it just being him dictating what should be done.

2- prima is a bit of a mother-hen and OP doesn't mind nearly as much as he probably should. seeing as zeta took the more strict role, prima found himself taking on a more supportive, almost care-taking one. he's the one that nags OP the most about taking care of himself and whether or not he's pushing himself too hard trying to be the Prime everyone expects him to be.

and OP feels like he should mind more than he actually does but it's just. it's nice. to be taken care of. he feels like he has to be strong for everyone else around him but prima makes him feel like it's okay if he's not sometimes. carrying the Matrix makes him feel so much older than he actually is most of the time, but sometimes prima treats him like a sparkling and it's. it's kinda nice.

prima is almost definitely the one optimus is closest to. partially because receiving prima's cog made them develop a bond that makes it easier for them to feel what the other is feeling which in turn makes their communication pretty open. but also because while with the others OP had to slowly lose his hero worship and learn to love them as just people, it's really hard to be star-struck by someone who is constantly nagging you about whether you're sleeping enough or not (/▽＼)

3- vector is pretty strict and a bit of rule stickler which does mean he and OP don't always agree on what's the best thing to do. they get along fine enough, they just... have a hard time vibing with each other.

OP spent his whole life chaffing against an unfair system and unjust rules, before finding out the horrible reason of why they existed, which makes him inherently suspicious of any kind of protocol he doesn't understand or doesn't see the point of.

vector loves protocol and rules and thinks they're there for a reason even if you don't always see it at first.

they struggle to find a balance until vector understands that OP doesn't just hate rules for the sake of hating them, he needs to understand why they're there and what purpose they serve before he acquiesces to follow them. once he gets where OP is coming from, it's a lot less frustrating to have to explain why certain protocols and rules exist.

and OP starts liking vector a lot more once he stops feeling like vector is trying to force him to follow useless directives that serve no purpose. once he sees vector is willing to sit down and explain to him why certain things are done the way they are, it's easier for him to not instinctively reject rules or protocols he doesn't immediately understand. he learns to trust that there's probably a reason behind everything and it's not always malicious. even if he ends up deciding he still doesn't agree with it, at least he's willing to learn more about it first.

4- alpha trion and orion have a mutual soft spot for the other and they enjoy spending time with one another very much!

AT was the only one that got to see Orion as a cogless miner trying so hard to make things right even when he had almost no power in his hands to do it. he was the one that saw a spark in him that could light up their world again. he saw the little bot that refused to stand down in the face of a giant injustice. and he will always love orion for that. for the hope he gave him in a time where everything seemed hopeless.

but he was also the one that set him and his friends in a path that led them to so much pain. he cannot regret it, revealing sentinel's lies was far too important and there was too little time to hesitate, but he does feel guilty for the part he played in what happened after. and it's that guilt that leads to him being more patient, more sympathetic to OP's weakness when it comes to megatron.

and to OP alpha trion will always feel a little larger to life, even after their size difference isn't as big as it was before. to him alpha trion will forever be the person who took the blindfold off his eyes. the one that confirmed that orion wasn't crazy for thinking things weren't right. that not only told him he, and everyone else, deserved the right to choose what they wanted to be, but also enabled them to make that choice.

he lowkey imprinted on alpha trion back in that cave lol

and on a more lighthearted note they both really enjoy spending time in the archives! they bond over a shared love for history and the importance of accurate records. and orion spent a lot of time listening to alpha trion's voice back when he used to sneak into the archives. he can barely believe he now gets to listen to the real thing and not just a recording!

he can't help but think that maybe in another world, in a better life, if he was very lucky, he could've worked in the archives under alpha trion's tutelage. he knows it's only a fantasy. but it's a nice one.

5- solus and optimus get along pretty well! she doesn't give him as much grief about megatron as the others do, not because she doesn't think it's a bad idea, but because she's kinda curious about it. she's very much a "let's see where this goes" kinda gal, even if she's relatively sure the results will go badly. so while she will let optimus know exactly what she thinks of megatron, she also lowkey doesn't discourage him from his attempts at reconnecting with him. she can respect the hustle of trying to fix something everyone else has deemed irreparable.

and optimus appreciates this! not quite enough to let solus take control of him so she can mess around in wheeljack's lab, but enough that he will hang around and act as translator so those two can bounce ideas off each other for far longer than he would otherwise lol

6- micronus shares OP's distaste for rules he doesn't understand or agree with so the two of them (and amalgamous) will team up against vector when they feel he's being particularly overbearing. the bond that rebelling against authority (an older sibling) creates between two people cannot be understated. their relationship is a simple one but very close nonetheless. micronus is one of the most affectionate of the group and he made OP feel very welcome into the family very quickly. he's also one of the most lighthearted about their situation. he thinks that as long as they're all together, not even the pits could be such a bad place to be in. his good attitude is contagious and OP gravitates towards him whenever he starts feeling a little too down.

7- alchemist is a more gentle, even tempered and lowkey presence. so while he and optimus don't spent a lot of time one-on-one, the time they do spend together is pretty nice for both of them. sometimes OP needs just a nice, simple conversation that won't touch of heavier topis and alchemist offers that. he tells optimus stories that weave science and mysticism so tightly it makes OP wonder how anyone can think they're irreconcilable with one another. he does give optimus high grade recipes he's pretty sure could kill someone if not prepared carefully enough tho lol

8- nexus on the other hand is loud, wildly creative and unpredictable. there is a reason he's the first one that discovered how to levitate in ghost form. the fact he couldn't turn if off afterwards is irrelevant. he's full of good humor, loves pranks and always has a joke on the tip of his tongue. OP loves him very much but he does find him a bit... grating at times. he understands why nexus tries to make all of them smile and laugh as much as he can but... he can't help but wish he wouldn't try so hard all the time. he's certain that as orion he would've not only taken it in stride, but even joined in. but as optimus he just... he no longer finds smiling as easy as he used to. nexus attempts at making him smile only emphasize how much more effort it takes nowadays.

9- onyx was a little bit intimidating to optimus at first, but once he got over his awe at the slightly mystic prime, he found himself enjoying his company pretty easily. onyx has a different perspective on many things, much more spiritual than the rest of his siblings, and while optimus doesn't always get what he means, he enjoys listening to him anyway. and the way he describes flying almost makes OP wish he had wings too.

10- amalgamous and optimus get along pretty well thanks to amalgamous' gentle but free-spirited temper and their relationship only strengthens upon the discovery that both of them have a natural irreverence for authority figures. the bond that being rebellious together creates is a strong one. the fact they're also authority figures does not escape their notice, but they're firm believers of the "i am not excluded from 'fuck'em' when relevant" mentality so it's fine.

amalgamous is also one of the firsts that starts pushing back the moment he feels zeta and vector are putting too much pressure on OP or imposing their opinions on him too much. while prima will speak up on behalf of optimus' well-being more often, it is amalgamous that defends optimus' independence most fiercely.

11- quintus is another quiet presence that doesn't make a lot of waves except when he feels compelled to speak up against the more ruthless approaches their siblings suggest. but otherwise he doesn't stand out as much as the others do. optimus' gets the feeling it wasn't always like that, the stories the others tell him of better times before the war hinting at a wild creativity and idealism he can't quite see in the quintus he knows. but the way even those hints vanish entirely once they start speaking of the war makes him wonder if they're related.

12-liege maximo is maybe the closest any of the primes get to being optimus' brother in every sense of the word. they're all family, they're all siblings, they all love each other but it is liege that makes optimus understand what the cain instinct means.

liege teases OP constantly and is delighted at the fact optimus is not afraid to give back as good as he gets. everyone else is a bit too over-protective of the kid in his opinion and it is his duty as fellow younger sibling to keep the baby of the family humble.

and OP is glad he gets one person he can be a little glitch with. as Prime there's an unspoken... decorum or property everyone around expects from him and he's... not like that. he misses being able to joke and mess around with his friends, he misses being able to be a little immature and even rude and not worry about whether it'll cause a political or social scandal.

and it's not like he's not close to or relaxed around the other primes, but there's still a little part of him that can't forget he used to hero-worship all of them and that part of him still screeches any time he's kinda rude to them. he's working on it.

but liege manages to get under his plates like no one else, he gets to the irreverent little glitch remnants of orion that optimus buries deep down inside himself most of the time and it's fantastic. the fact he can see liege visibly enjoys their little spats also helps.

on a gentler note, sometimes when OP is struggling to fall asleep, liege will tell him stories to pass the time. after all, storytelling is lying adjacent and liege is a very good liar. they both enjoy it more than they'd like to admit.

13-megatronus' relationship with optimus is... complicated. but maybe not exactly the way people expect it to be.

yes, at first the mere sight of him made him want to violently sob but like. what didn't make him want to cry those first few days. yes megatronus was a reminder of Dee, a painful one even, but so was literally everything else. dee was so ingrained into every single aspect of orion's life, it would've been easier to name the ones he wasn't.

when he couldn't even do vital tasks, like eating or sleeping, without it being a struggle to not crumble under the devastating guilt and heartbreak festering inside his chest, seeing megatronus is like. not even in the top ten of his list of issues tbh.

and afterwards, by the time when every day is a little easier to get through, he already got to know megatronus enough to see him more as person and less as dee's idol. of course it's not right away, not completely painless, you don't erase years of memories of someone you used to hold dearest to your heart just like that, but it's. it's a start.

he gets to make his own relationship with megatronus, his own memories with him, untainted by the pain of losing dee.

and their relationship in itself it's pretty nice. megatronus is a little overprotective of optimus (why the fuck is he so tiny???) but he doesn't really get the chance to be overbearing with it because. well. what can he really do. so instead it manifests into teaching optimus how to defend himself the best he can. the kid has pretty good instincts already but megatronus wasn't the greatest warrior who ever lived for nothing. he still has a lot he can teach OP.

and OP loves learning from him. he doesn't enjoy fighting, but he loves learning new things and the rush of getting a new move right is addicting. he also knows that if he gets through his training fast enough they're ahead of schedule he can get megatronus to tell him first hand stories of events he has read about hundreds of times.

no one is as good as alpha trion in telling stories, but megatronus is a close second.

their main point of contention is, of course, megatron.

megatronus is very bitter over what megatron has done with his name, his t-cog and his legacy. there is no hiding that, not even if he wanted to. and he doesn't. he's the most outspoken in his disdain for his actions and, after a while, the mech himself. at first he tried to be comprehensive and not push optimus too much, because he knows how much dee meant to him, but there's a point when he's just. done. with the topic. he believes there's only one solution to the war is and he wants optimus to understand it before he has to pay too high a price for his hesitation.

and optimus... cannot accept that.

logically, he knows megatronus is probably right. he knows that there'll be a line megatron will cross and won't be able to come back from.

he knows it will be then his duty to stop megatron no matter what it takes.

but... not yet. please. not yet.

and megatronus won't say it doesn't disappoint him. he just knows that optimus' reluctance to kill megatron will blow up on his face one day. but it's fine. what's family for if not to say "i told you so" while helping to get you out of trouble.

[yaekiss]

its monsterfucking hours again. maybe ive just been watching too many minecraft horror mods but i need an eldritch being of mass destruction obsessed with me right now sigh. -🪻

𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝟑𝑳𝑫

꩜ Room Content: GN! Researcher! Reader x Yandere! Ivory Wraith, no gendered terms for reader, mild horror(?), lmk if I missed out anything! ꩜ A/N: omg minecraft horror mod videos... is it by any chance The Obsessed? Hmmm honestly any character could have eldritch potential if you try hard enough. Tried out a new way of writing for this one, lmk if it's effective for this fic! ꩜ Spin this wheel and submit a prompt + character for a quick blurb!

Experiment 3LD, helmed by the renowned Dr. ▇▇▇▇▇. The experiment will be conducted over a period of 44 days. See below for the assistant researcher's compiled voice notes:

1VRY.

Day 4, 10.03am - Otherwise known as the Ivory Wraith, we have managed to contain it within a temporary holding cell for the time being. A more advanced enclosure facility is currently being built for it. Although we are still unsure of exactly its abilities work, a strict rule of no mirrors within a set radius has been implemented.

Day 13, 12.45pm - Monitoring the experiment subject proves to be challenging. Its behavior seems to vary wildly from staying abnormally still, akin to a statue carved from pure ivory, to clawing at its neck and stalking to and fro frantically in its cell. The sight is wildly unsettling resulting in all of the other researchers vacating the observation room.

Day 21, 4.38pm - It seems that we have managed to procure a relic related to the experiment subject. It is an ivory necklace, inset with deep blue jewels. The Ivory Wraith seems to have the ability to sense whenever someone is in contact with the relic, where as soon as one of the other researchers touches a part of the necklace, it immediately appears in front of the observation glass, its expression terrible and haunting. Due to this, most of the other researchers have requested to leave the research team, leaving myself as the sole and resulting, assistant researcher.

Day 32, 6.20pm - 1VRY has appeared to have realised that the sole researcher left on behind the observation glass is myself. Strangely enough, its aggressive behavior has lessened, as long as no contact is made with the ivory necklace relic. Now, it usually spends its days hovering around the front of its cell where the glass is, its gaze never parting from my position. Occasionally, trills and whispers are heard from the otherwise quiet surroundings. Its larger, more fully equipped enclosure facility is finally done and attempts to transfer 1VRY will be made in the coming days when the team is fully prepared.

Day 40, 10.13pm - Preparations by the researcher team, consisting solely of myself, and the moving team are almost complete. 1VRY's behavior has reverted back to before, where it is erratic and volatile, prone to lashing out at the observational glass whenever my presence is requested elsewhere, resulting in scratches engraved into the glass. The whispers have also grown in frequency, although no one else has reported hearing anything. Additionally, the same behavior is observed when someone else other than myself is also in the observation room. This has made it difficult to efficiently prepare for its transfer but with consistent effort, we estimate that it could be done in about 4 days' time.

Day 42, 11.04pm - The moving team has just packed up and moved the ivory necklace relic to the new enclosure facility. This however, contradicts the earlier observations of how 1VRY reacts aggressively to the relic being touched by people other than myself. As of right now, it is still continuing its previous docile behavior of simply staring through the glass. Stranger yet, it seems to shift into something more unnatural between bleary blinks. Something smiling too wide with too many teeth, its usual blue eyes a vivid red, along with a swath of tentacles behind its form. However, unnatural does not necessary equate to threatening, perhaps this could be a sort of tempting and alluring another individual. Or it could just be a mirage ability it has? Note to self: Stop staying too late in the observational room...

Day 43, 11.49pm - Terrible miscommunication has occurred between myself and the moving team. It turns out that the ivory necklace was not moved by them. And yet, no one else has come into contact with the relic. 1VRY's transfer must be done immediately with how the certain preparations only allow us a limited timeframe of working with it. There is no choice but for me to search for the relic so that the transfer can go through in the next few hours. Despite the ongoing panic beyond the glass, 1VRY has taken on a sort of behavior that suggests attraction towards something in the observational room. There is no available time for myself to properly document its new state as of the current situation, and it does not help that the lights overhead have been flickering. [Faint static can be heard before the voice note ends.]

Day 44, 12.11am - [The voice note is interspersed with bouts of static, making it hard to decipher at some parts.] I... I don't understand. Why is the ivory necklace in my ▇ab coat pocket? I haven't touched the relic since the contact tests c▇nduct▇d on it on Day 22. This makes no s▇nse. [Sounds of shuffling, presumably the researcher moving.] 1VRY...?

Day 44, 12.29am - [Alarms blare overhead. The static grows worse.] Thi▇ is terrible. The lights in th▇ holdin▇ cell have g▇ne out, altho▇gh it remains o▇ in here. There shou▇ be a flashl▇ght here somewhere. [Sounds of shuffling, then a click, presumably the flashlight turning on.] F▇ck f▇ck f▇ck f▇ck. Where is it? [A chilling laugh is heard, followed by a low trill before the voice note cuts out abruptly.]

Day 44, 12.44am - [The voice note is eerily quiet, no alarms or commotion in the background. The voice speaking is new.] Presented as gift, there is no thief. Drown with me. Forever.

Additional information:

Dr. ▇▇▇▇▇ has put out an order for this experimental failure to be kept under wraps. Not a single soul outside of the organisation can learn of this. Although, there have been rumors swirling of a mysterious file on their desk. [3LD - "Assistant Researcher"]

Thanks for reading! Consider supporting me on kofi if you enjoyed this or check out my other works hehe ♡

If you'd like to request a full fic of your own, do consider checking out my event post!

[renatapatata]

I really enjoyed Cinderella’s Castle but I keep thinking that there was something missing? The scenography and acting was top tier - I don’t think anyone is going to dispute that, and I realized that what feels lacking is the songs that progress the story or rather, give us backstory on our characters. By that I mean characters like Tadius and the Prince, who get singing roles but I don’t really learn much about them through said songs. I’m thinking of how in Twisted, which is also a fairytale musical that took a well known story and changed it up - we still got solo songs for most of the characters, Jasmine, Aladdin and Achmed that helped us understand their character motivations more and made the story feel more rounded as a result. I think CC’s song repertoire is on the small side in comparison to other Starkid shows (CC has 9 if you count Watch + it’s reprise i think/other recent shows have like 14 songs for example) and it feels like the show left me with a lot of unanswered questions that could have been elaborated upon more if not through song… like yess give me troll stepsisters lament or Tadius singing about his fate and yearning for Ella or his feelings about the crown, and maybe a song wherein we learn more about the Prince so he gets more characteristics other than Horny and Gross - cuz whilst i liked his depiction i also felt like his characterization was a bit too one note and if Tadius was supposed to make up for what the Prince was lacking, then it felt kinda weird that we didn’t know much more bout him either. And what if we had gotten a song by the Faerie queen where we learned if she felt anything deeper regarding Ella’s mother’s attempts at making offerings and in turn learned more about Ella’s mother and the Faerie queen through that? I’m just saying CC left me wanting to know more about this world that we’d gotten a glimpse into!

[hamsterrodent]

One of the most awkward double dates ever to take place

(Featuring the animal version of my sister's persona)

[anonprotagging]

no one ever, probably: oh boy, I love watching this mystery/monster-of-the-week style show that was advertised as such!

no one ever, probably: I sure hope that they make the monster/mystery of the week part into a tiny sliver of the runtime and start revolving the entire thing around long, complicated, extremely emotionally draining plot arcs that ultimately end up with none of the characters evolving or growing at all because they still have to have the status quo be maintained at the end of each story beat!!!!!

[alynnl]

I'm only in the beginning of Ace Attorney case 6-5, and I've already imagined a possible way for the last chapter/case to go. I will go ahead and call this an AU because canon never tends to go exactly as I picture it in my head but, here goes.

The notes for my Spirit of Justice AU: Turnabout Absolution!

It all starts when Dhurke kicks off his revolution after somehow obtaining the Founder's Orb.

(To add to that, Maya is safe and there's no hard feelings from Phoenix, he lost to Apollo fair and square.)

Part of the revolution is exposing the rampant corruption of the Ga'ran regime, and just how many innocent people were put to death under the Defense Culpability Act. After Dhurke's agents bring him court records, he and Apollo do extensive fact checking on each case.

Dhurke decides he'll let Apollo hold on to the evidence to keep it safe. Apollo is hopeful that they'll build a case and present it together.

Another part (both personal and important) to Dhurke's revolution is saving Nahyuta from the Queen's influence before it's too late.

Dhurke is able to convince Nahyuta to meet with him because he's finally learned what happened to his late wife - Nahyuta's mother.

The truth is simple: Nahyuta's mother, like many of the other victims, was actually murdered by one of Justice Minister Inga's agents in order to silence those who dared go against the Crown.

Before Dhurke can tell the whole truth (He only gets as far as "Your mother wasn't killed by who you think-") - history repeats itself.

Dhurke and Nahyuta are attacked by one of Inga’s agents. The gunman is unmistakably aiming at Nahyuta.

Dhurke takes a shot to his right shoulder defending his son. He wastes no time and grabs Nahyuta’s arm, trying to flee the scene. Pushing through his injury, Dhurke leads them down the back roads and hidden alleys. He hopes they can reach the safe house where Apollo and Datz are staying.

They don’t quite make it to their destination. Their pursuer catches up to them with backup. There’s a final confrontation. One of the agents shoots Dhurke in a vital spot. He fights back, but he’s unable to stop them from shoving a rifle in the terrified, frozen Nahyuta’s hands and fleeing the scene.

Shortly after, the local, public police arrive at the scene just in time to see Dhurke fall, and Nahyuta with what appears to be a murder weapon in hand. They quickly arrest him.

The next morning, Apollo and Datz learn the bad news. There is little time for mourning, since Nahyuta will need a lawyer.

Apollo refuses to believe Nahyuta is guilty and wants to hear his side of the story. On the way he encounters Phoenix, who offers to help him navigate the Khura'inese courtroom.

Together they go to the detention center. Nahyuta’s demeanor is completely changed, he is despondent and has deep regrets about his father’s death, and how he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

No one will represent him in court, and won't even hear what he has to say. Nahyuta sees this as his divine punishment for all the people he got declared guilty. "Perhaps at least some of them were innocent..."

Apollo gets right to the point, and says he'll defend Nahyuta if no one else will.

Nahyuta outright refuses. He tries to put up his walls, saying he never asked for Apollo's help and this is his business, so both he and Phoenix should just stay out of it.

Apollo doesn't back down.

"Before he was killed, Dhur- ... Dad and I talked, about a lot of things. He told me all his work to change Khura'in wouldn't be complete unless he was able to save you."

Nahyuta is on the verge of tears, but holds them in. "That fool. He wanted to save me so much he died trying..."

Phoenix asks Nahyuta to be honest about what he means by that.

Nahyuta tells the two lawyers everything he remembers from that night.

"I know when Her Benevolence Rayfa performs the Divination seance, I will look as guilty as I appear."

Phoenix thinks the Divination Seance may have a way of proving Nahyuta's innocence, since he's used them as evidence before. With his knowledge, and Apollo's perception, they won't lose.

Nahyuta is actually touched by Apollo and Phoenix's willingness to help him. He warns them that the trial will not be easy, since he has no idea who the prosecution will be. But he agrees to let the two lawyers be his counsel.

Although Apollo has some feelings of grief and sadness, he has to focus on the case. He and Phoenix return to the safe house. There they meet Datz - who is both tearful, but determined to carry out Dhurke's will.

They work through the night putting evidence together and investigating the town for clues. They get little sleep, as the day of the trial looms over them.

The trial starts. Queen Ga'ran herself and Minister of Justice Inga lead the prosecution. Princess Rayfa has to do the Divination Seance, but her steps are reluctant.

As expected the vision incriminates Nahyuta, but Apollo breaks it down gradually.

Apollo's perception works on some witnesses. Phoenix handles those who are in control of their tells by using the Magatama and breaking their psyche locks.

The evidence and testimony start to paint a clear picture for the gallery and the judge. Her Majesty Ga'ran and Minister Inga have been lying, not just about Nahyuta's guilt, but almost every defendant prosecuted under the DC Act.

Even the verdict against the now late Dhurke Sadhmadi was false, since he did not assassinate Queen Amara. Ga'ran convinced Inga to do the deed, so she could be the next to succeed the throne.

There's an outrage that threatens to become a riot. Ga'ran orders her royal guard to subdue the gallery, but they don't move. It turns out, most of them know someone who has been falsely accused under the DC Act. This wasn't justice, but tyranny.

Rayfa is in tears after hearing what both her parents are responsible for. Not just all the innocent people, but even her own aunt, who she adored when she was younger. Although he breaks courtroom etiquette to do so, Nahyuta steps off the defendant's stand to comfort her.

"Your Benevolence, it's true that what we witnessed is evil. But you can be different. Step by step we can change things, together. ... Someone important taught me that. Look around. The people are looking to you now. They want to hear what you have to say."

Rayfa steels herself. She first looks to Apollo and Phoenix, then to Nahyuta, and then the gallery at large.

She begins by formally apologizing for everything her parents have done. That it was their duty as the royal family to uphold the peace granted to them by the Holy Mother, and in many ways, both her mother and father have failed. She promises to do better, to truly earn her name as Benevolent, and that it will start here with Gar'an and Inga serving their penance, and for amnesty to be granted to both the rebels and the guards to begin a path towards true peace.

She humbly asks for Nahyuta to guide her as her regent until she comes of age, and will be crowned as the next Queen of Khura'in. He is equally humbled, but accepts, in the name of The Holy Mother and his new liege.

Before anyone can depart, the judge declares a Not Guilty verdict for Nahyuta Sadhmadhi. There is confetti, cheers and much revelry. Nahyuta can still spot Phoenix and Apollo in the crowd, and smiles briefly at them, before accompanying Rayfa back to the palace.

In the days that followed, there were equal amounts shock at the former Queen's crimes, but hope for what the future will bring. Rayfa's first act is to repeal the DC Act, and with Nahyuta's help, begin reforming the legal system. The Defiant Dragons and the royal soldiers both laid down their arms, instead picking up the tools they'd need to build Khura'in a better future.

Phoenix goes to a phone booth. He gets in touch with Trucy, and tells her he'll be home soon.

On a quiet night, Apollo and Datz take turns visiting Dhurke's shrine, which is right next to the one for his late wife. They tell him how well the trial went, and how Nahyuta has a future now, and they wished he could see it. They leave white lilies, and discover that someone else has already been there to leave flowers before.

It's nearly time for Phoenix and Apollo to go back to their agency, each with a story to tell Trucy and Athena when they get back.

Nahyuta and Rayfa meet them at the airport. They say some brief goodbyes. Apollo promises he will return someday, when he becomes an even better lawyer working in the agency.

Nahyuta looks forward to that, even playfully teasing that they might just meet again in court.

Apollo would be ready and willing to face him when that day comes. And this time, it will not be their lives at stake. Instead they will work together to uncover the truth. In this way they carry on their father's legacy and start building one of their own.

The End

[dreamsy990]

one thing i looooove about wof and warriors is what im lovingly dubbing their oc culture. like i can think of no fandom that has NEARLY as much emphasis put on your own little guys! like canons cool and all but look at MY silly guy !!!! and like having your own ocs based on canon is sososo normal there i literally see nobody thinking its cringe who wouldnt ALSO think the source material is cringe and idk i just like it its fun

[deservetoknow]

running errands, then I'll be working on Milla, comic MM (I haven't transfered any threads over & it's K I L L I N G M E) & Karen replies tonight ! ♡ & catching up on USM comics for @watsonjackpot so we can scream about it xD

[nishibai]

🍰 🌷⚽ and 🤡 for nishibai! :)

(n = nishi, s = syobai)

🍰 do you and your companion(s) have a sweet tooth? how well can you all handle the sweetest of the sweet?

n: um, i do! i like eating sweets when we have them. cake is my favorite food. although.. i dont like things that are too sweet.. honey by itself grosses me out. s: i dont care. any food is good food as long as its cheap. n: but, you buy me expensive sweets..? s: ..yeah.

🌷 do you or your companion(s) like flowers? have they gotten you any bouquets before, and have you gotten any bouquets for them before? what's the go-to flower selection for them?

n: i like flowers! we dont usually spend money on things like that.. but around valentines day ill buy a small bouquet. usually simple red roses are nice. s: i told you to stop getting those.. n: hmpf.

⚽ do you and your companion(s) like sports? do you play them together or watch them? what's your favorite sport, if any?

s: i was good at sports in school. i liked track and field. n: maybe.. maybe thats why.. maybe thats why youre so good at running from the cops. s: ... n: a-aha.. anyway. i dont really like sports. i like combat more. but, i used to like tennis..

🤡 do you and your companion(s) have a similar sense of humor? or do completely different things make you laugh?

n: we usually arent so light to be joking around.. but i think we have similar humor! s: do we? n: probably. s: you remind me of that blonde actress girl. n: ..our old classmate emma? s: yeah, her. youre both unfunny. n: i see you smirk at my jokes sometimes..

[dataframe]

drawing up younger vers of the characters is always so fun. mu huifeng as one of the youngest ones introduced to the sect is very funny also. who let this eight year old run around badgering people into taking their meds (the peak lord. the peak lord did)

[starbuck]

“i like this thing…” cool, that’s great! me too!

“… in the later parts when it got better!” FUCK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[dravidious]

You're more amazing than rules

Working on Modified Set 2.0! I've made some commons today and the ally-color archetypes are:

Auras

Modified

Equipment

Supplies

And Enchantments

A lot of these probably really need the context of the enemy-color archetypes to make sense, but this post is already long. One little hint: Red also gets Resonance creatures, but Differently.