#but with how important emotional memory is to Acheron

[followerofmercy]

HSR spoilers under the cut regarding Firefly, Sam and Stelle

I'll start by saying I found Sam and Firefly incredibly boring as individuals. Like, they were fine. You've got the Obvious Tearjerker Love Interest cute girl and broody soulless killer robot. They both felt very flat, in part because they had very little screentime, but I especially though the whole date/emotional bonding/death with Firefly thing was super forced.

Like, why is Stelle so attached to this Literal Stranger? She's cute but you literally met her To-day. I mean I'd cry too if I ended up with ectoplasm splattered on my face after said cute girl explodes, but the narrative revolved around an emotional connection that was much deeper than the horror of "oh my God I'm wearing a person's organs." And I didn't think that connection was particularly earned...

Until we see that Firefly IS Sam! Sam, the Stellaron Hunter, who probably watched Stelle before she got dumped on the space station. Sam, who was very possibly Stelle's bestie. Sam, the armor that Firefly pilots when she can't interact with the world herself. They knew each other!

Acheron has a bad memory. She relies on emotions to fill in the gaps where her mind cannot.

In the same vein, while Stelle has forgotten Sam and Firefly, her emotions remember. That's why things moved so quickly. That's why they were acting like they had an entire arc together after a single day, because they already have

[finisnihil]

So. I think. I may have figured out the significance of the red text in Penacony’s quest line and it’s relation to Acheron. Spoilers ahead for Penacony

First, let’s establish the connections and contexts in which red text is used in Penacony. The first time we experience it is when we meet Acheron.

During this initial conversation, Acheron tells us something extremely important.

Acheron easily forgets things UNLESS they are tied to emotional response.

When we see the red text used going forward it’s typically through emotional recollection.

Acheron asks if we have met before because it feels like we have. When she talks about her interactions Black Swan and her old friend she never recalls details like their facial features, their names, nothing like that, she only remembers the atmosphere of the interaction and how it made her feel.

When we see the red text pop up again it’s during exploration of the Dreamscape Reverie

In both these instances the red text is denoting emotion, experience.

This tape we find, it's extremely important.

When you turn it in to a member of the Bloodhound Family he informs you that the tapes are associated withe the assault of Sweet Dreams Troupe and a corruption of their "consciousness". He then gives an interesting description of their effect

.

The use of the term "tapes" is not a coincidence and I think I have the anwser.

It's the Stone Tapes Theory.

For those unaware, the Stone Tapes Theory is the belief that "ghosts" as we know them are actually recorded memories. During traumatic or emotional events, the mental impression seeps into objects like the stones of a house and the memories of the events get "recorded" in the object like a tape, and it's believed it can be "replayed" if interacted with in a certain way (it's the premise of a movie called Last Night in Soho which is an excellent watch if you want to look into the concept more).

The objects attacked were ones typically in a state of being inanimate and the attacks disrupted the impressions they already carried. They disrupt the mental state and emotions of the living because the living get sucked into the "replay" of the event. The term "phantasmagoria" in relation to the Dreamscape is used in the letter with the tape, which is a term for dream-like visions or illusions, typically seen in a half-concious or sleeping state.

How does Acheron connect to all of this?

In a previous analysis of mine, I talk about Acheron's connections to death and her possible role as a psychopomp. Death and Sleep are connected in many folklores across many cultures as Sleep is seen as a temporary stae of Death.

The Dreamscape has many allusions to being an afterlife or place of death beyond having the "Death" nightmare creature.

Souls are gathered in the Dreamscape and when you talk to many NPCs it's a shock to realize they're actually dead and their memory is being stored in the Dreamscape like the Stone Tape Theory. Chadwick, Lesley Dean, etc. And these are the quests that are shown in the Fate's Atlas. They're important. We access their memories connected to their fate using an inanimate object that holds significance to their specific situation.

Sparkle is used to reiterate that death isn't permanent in the Dreamscape but I don't think it's just because you can wake up, it's also because the "tape" can be rewound and replayed from the start.

Acheron was picked out from the start by Black Swan as interesting. She was her first dance. Acheron also shows to be able to navigate the Dreamscape very well on her own. The mingling of memory and death is significant because I think Acheron is serving as a psychopomp leading souls out of their Stone Tapes. Stopping them from being rewound. Her sword has a red eye and she sees the world in black, white, and red. The living, the dead, and Stone Tapes. This comes into conflict with Black Swan, who as a Memokeeper, would be striving to preserve those Stone Tapes. Sam burning entities in the Stone Tapes could be bad because he's destroying the tapes with those still inside them while Acheron is trying to guide the souls out.

Penacony has a big clock theme with an area of the Reverie even commenting that the clock doesn't work because time stands still in a dream. The different areas of the Dreamscape are called Moments. These "Moments" are just Stone Tapes.

Do you know what witness marks are? They've been symbolic in horror media like Mike Flanagan's adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House. They're scratches or dents in antique clocks left behind where pieces may have moved or been stationed and are used by clockmakers to help restore or wind antique clocks. The founder of Penacony as it is now is the Watchmaker. Acheron is a witness mark. All the special guests are. The Watchmaker's legacy is whoever can use the witness marks to fix the big clock of the Reverie and smooth out the disruptions in the harmony of life and death, these Stone Tapes.

Feel free to add your thoughts, mwah!

[revserrayyu]

2.1 Penacony thoughts [part1]

**Mild spoiler warning** until the first moment we switch to Aventurine’s POV in the story and I don’t think much has happened yet, but if you haven’t reached that point yet, then turn away anyway if you wish I’m just gonna ramble a bit here and toss my thoughts into the void for my own reference.

Firstly, the return of the odd yellow text and Aventurine calling us ~fuh-riends~ in that hilarious and exaggerated tone of his.

Makes me wonder whom else has perished during their time in Penacony, and if it’s true, then the Family certainly has experience with covering such things up which raises many other concerns. Also gives me another reason to not fully trust Sunday.

Oh teehee~ We got Aventurine’s number. And some extra credits due to my responses, HA. sugardaddy

As we learned from a beautifully animated dance animation, Black Swan certainly knows how dangerous Acheron can be.

he whole flashback with Duke & Acheron was pretty good. It at least gives us more context rather than us being told he was killed offscreen, but still confirms the dude is dead, though he mentions the kids are alive, somehow. Duke also guessed that Acheron’s an Emanator (though he’s wrong about which path), then there was some important music box that gets brought up later on, and Acheron speaks of her sword that has indeed been sheathed this entire time, even during the 2.0 story.

At the very end of the scene it fades to black and Acheron full says: “May death be the end of your boundless dream, guiding you back to the waking world,” which I remember is the exact thing she said after witnessing Firefly’s death.

Sweetie, you’re a big mystery but it does not surprise me in the slightest to learn that you’re wanted by the IPC after witnessing your power in your many trailers. Hearing her speak about the Stellaron Hunters though made me think back to her character trailer, since I wondered if she even knew who was attacking her in the first place, but perhaps she did, even if the trio was nothing but Sparkle’s tricky illusions.

It was kinda funny seeing her get lost occasionally in the hotel during the previous story update, but now I feel bad knowing that she has horrible memory. Having to rely on your emotions seems quite challenging if you don’t have a good control of them, but she seems to be fairing well enough.

Tell us your suspicions Acheron! I mean, I have my guesses as well, but I’d take your word over anyone else’s.

It was at this moment where I had a real random idea and thought, “huh, could this be Boothill?” I found it strange how they revealed him to us when we haven’t even met the dude in game yet, like he really came in outta nowhere for me. But seeing Sam again and realizing how both of them have robotic bodies.. I dunno. I thought it could’ve been an extra set of armor or something.

Of course it makes no sense, since Sam & Boothill have different voice actors anyways, but still, the way Acheron speaks so familiar to him, as if they were both truly galaxy rangers, gave me second thoughts for just a brief moment. Nothing more. Just a small silly idea.

The return of the worrisome red text, capable of causing anxiety even through such a small word. With her horrible memory, I assume she’s not even sure what she’s supposed to be doing in life, so asking about Elio’s script and if she’s included made me think she’s trying to learn about her purpose and her own goals.

Say it loud, mom! We shall NOT. TRUST. ANYONE! And at this moment I seriously don’t. If they ain’t from the Express then you’re sus. Case closed.

Glad to see Danny boy lending us a helping hand from the train, but red text begone! First learning about how Acheron has terrible memory and now we can’t even remember her well? That can’t be good.

I firmly believed that if you die in the dream, you would just wake up in real life, so thank whatever Aeon you fancy that we’re finally getting the idea to head back into reality to confirm if Firefly and Robin are still alive. Maybe we should check up on those couple npcs that passed away during side quests too.

The way I held my breath.. I don’t even know much about HI3 but I’m aware our grandpa is more or less the same guy, so seeing him interact with some like Acheron, oh dear. The way Acheron still didn’t reveal her true name to him made me more wary too. I get she might not even remember, because poor memory, but hmmm.

I can understand her having some Stellaron Hunter knowledge because she’s wanted just like them, but ma’am why do you know this?? especially since the Family doesn’t even know the truth about Welt’s cane apparently.

Can’t lie, a fight between him and Acheron would be a spectacle. Who do you think would win?

Again, how does she know this? Has she been chatting with Aventurine? because he figured out our stellaron last patch too.

First thought: yay, she’s worried about us. Second thought: why would she be concerned about Black Swan? Shouldn’t it be the other way around after their dance? Third thought: What exactly is Black Swan capable of and how frightened should I be right now? Fourth thought: Acheron, why do you know so much about others??

So this music box.. why exactly does Black Swan have it now? Didn’t Acheron snatch it from Duke Inferno? Was she planning to give it to BS, or did memokeeper steal it off her? I dunno.

Is it me or does it feel like she’s talking to someone else? Another memokeeper? Or just to herself for dramatic effect? Either way, who exactly are we expecting to show up?

I honestly was getting a bit creeped out during this scene, from the weird camera angles the game was giving is to seeing Black Swan not understand what was going on or who was speaking to her. I actually started fearing for her life and I made a stunning realization that if they killed off BS I would actually freak out. Surprisingly, I wasn’t too upset over Firefly (we didn’t spend much time with her), but it feels like we’ve know BS for longer you know? Ever since that trailer about all the Aeons.

I can hear Luocha somewhere in the distance going “the dead return!” I tease, but actually hearing one of those from Ever-Flame Mansion call out to BS was a bit confusing? Duke said his kids were alive, sure, but BS is looking at past memories attached to the music box, right? So I’m still a bit on the fence regarding who out of the kids are actually alive. Maybe some, maybe all. Maybe I’m being played for a fool and thinking about it too much.

How many of y’all got excited to see Ratio interact with Aventurine again? I know you people are out there. Anyways, hearing about how Robin had a stand-in leads me to believe her death was planned, which would upset me greatly because what did that precious lady ever do to anyone??

It’s crazy this man has actually tried several times to end himself inside the dreams, like bro what if you actually succeeded?? At least this shod bring us some relief that Firefly and Robin are okay? Hopefully? I’ll believe when I see them.

I freakin' knew there was something wrong with her voice!! The first couple times we meet her you can tell her voice sounded off, like it was glitching out or something. It’s not very easy to hear, but the difference between the real Robin and Sparkle impersonating Robin towards the end of the last patch sounded different. No wonder Sunday picked up on Sparkle’s trick so easily.

Soooo, that’s pretty much everything I went through after the update hit. Unfortunately it isn’t much but adulting is a drag. Of course I’m looking forward to continuing the story later on. Starting with these men again will be a treat too.

(originally written on 3/27)

[krawlernyannyan]

Unorganized Hypotheses and Notes about Penacony post-v2.0

Attempts to pick apart and unravel some of the strings we've got to untangle during this intermission. Most of these questions are unanswered, for the simple fact there's not information to go off of yet. This is thorough, and tackles pretty much every question I've got about the story at this point in time.

Posting this for my own sake, and putting it under a readmore for your sake. Anything in purple is information I want to verify for myself later or need to do more research on.

[ THIS USER WOULD LIKE TO SPECIFY THEY ARE AVOIDING LEAKS AND SPOILERS, AND WOULD LIKE READERS TO AVOID MENTIONING THEM IN INTERACTIONS. THANK YOU. ]

1. Who is Acheron?

Acheron's intermittent memory and lack of any identifying information make her one of the most important wild cards still in the game on Penacony. There is implicit evidence to suggest that she isn't just an alternate-universe counterpart of Raiden Mei from Honkai Impact 3rd, but the same person. In her first scene she makes one reference to the HI3 plot and makes another later on after Firefly's death. The former is in red text, leaving room for suspicion, but the later is in normal text. These could just be references to draw parallels between the two, but they are things Acheron explicitly is remembering. The only other hint to her past life is that, somehow, she knows the Trailblazer already in the opening sequence.

2. What Aeon is Acheron the Emanator of?

A late development in the story is that Aventurine tells us Acheron is actually an Emanator. He can't give an exact description, only describing her as one that "brings death and finality". There's a few options; Finality is the obvious answer but there's others that have some meat behind them: - If she's an Emanator of Destruction, it might provide more reason why she opted to attack Duke Inferno to swipe his invitation - she was getting a thorn in Nanook's side out of the way to kill two birds with one stone. - Galaxy Rangers are already associated with The Hunt, so if she actually is a Galaxy Ranger her being an Emanator of The Hunt tracks. - I personally think there's some meat to Nihility? It's her in-game playable Path, her memory loss could be the effects of Nihility on her mind, plus if her Aeon is one that Aventurine didn't mention this is probably the best pick.

3. How did Acheron even check into the hotel?

When the Astral Express crew arrive, they end up causing a minutes-long backup because security is so tight around the Charmony Festival that they can't even reassign a room to a verified party without Sunday's direct involvement. How is it possible then, that Acheron was able to swipe an invitation from another party and check in with it, with no problems whatsoever? The idea of her using a stolen invitation is brought up by Aventurine, which is actually even stranger when he's the one who initially brings up how ironclad security is at the Reverie when we're checking in!

4. What does the red text mean?

The red text appears repeatedly across Penacony and thus far has no tangible explanation. Acheron is the most obvious example and uses it the most, but there's environmental objects that use it as well - a phone in the Reverie's lobby and a Ticker in the Dreamscape Reverie. When Acheron uses red text, it's either when asking questions or explaining past events - and those sequences are actually randomized, meaning almost any time she describes her past, there is no way to verify it. The only example given any elaboration is the Ticker, where it's said to come from a record that influences people's emotions. The best theory as what it does in practice is alter people's cognition - affecting their emotional state or making them believe things that aren't true.

5. What happened to the three Trailblazers?

One of the first things we're asked to do on Penacony is figure out what happened to three Trailblazers that left the Astral Express for Penacony millennia ago (before the emergence of Stellarons, even). We get no information about any of them in the v2.0 story, sans what few details we get when we're given the task. There's Tiernan, former guard for the Express; Legwork, the former mechanic; and Razalina, the former surveyor.

6. What is the importance of the Nameless Dream Bubble?

When we first meet Dr. Edward at the Dreamscape Sales Store, it's an odd scene. We're given a bubble, supposedly from an anonymous donor, of Pom-Pom yelling at someone who we're told is Akivili. The game leaves room for suspicion on that count, by labeling the speaker as "Akivili?" and having that person's audio track completely excised (meaning we can't even confirm their gender). We're also told the bubble has something to do wit the fall of Akivili, though it's extremely unclear how. It's not clear when the bubble's memory takes place either, only that it's after Aha blows up half the Express.

7. What are Clockie and his friends, and why can only the Trailblazer see them?

The fact that Clockie, a literal cartoon character, can exist in the world of Penacony is already odd but the fact that only the Trailblazer can see them is likely extremely important. Whatever kind of cognitive entity Clockie is, their existence establishes a basic fact: there are elements of the dream world that can only be perceived by specific kinds of people. This is almost certainly going to be a pivotal element in finding the Watchmaker's Legacy, because it means even experts in manipulating the dreamscape like Black Swan might not be able to find it unless they were the right kind of person to be cognizant of it in the first place. This is a pretty reasonable line of defense when you consider whoever hid the Legacy would know the capabilities of the Memokeepers, since the Garden of Recollection was one of the original creators of Penacony in the first place.

8. Who (and what) is Misha?

There is some very strong evidence to suggest that Misha isn't a real person, and is instead the same kind of cognitive entity that Clockie and his pals are. I need to comb through all the scenes they're in and especially the scene with the mafia boss but nobody actually interacts with him. If I'm remembering the scene correctly, that mafia boss doesn't even say anything to Misha - just Acheron. There's also the fact that when Acheron says they can feel a presence next to them in that scene, they're not looking down at Clockie, she's looking at where Misha is. An important detail of this idea is that Misha isn't just visible in the Dreamscape, you can see him in the Reverie too (and possibly the Express as well if his interactions on the train are canon). If he is a cognitive entity, he has to be a much stronger kind than any of them. That the voice in A Child's Dream is Misha's implies that, at minimum, he has more to do with the goings-on in Penacony than it's been let on.

9. Who (and what) is Mikhail?

We only have a name to go off of, and the snippets of conversation we get in A Child's Dream. A late-breaking update on that front is the animated Clockie shorts that Hoyo put out. The director for the first short is listed as Mikhail (the other two are directed by "Ruthie" and "Hanunu"). The name alone is actually enough to make one connection - the shortened version of the name Mikhail? It's Misha.

10. What is "spiritual death"?

It's started at multiple points that death shouldn't exist in Penacony - you just wake up back in your hotel room even if you still feel the pain. What Something Unto Death does is treated as dying for real, and isn't described as "spiritual death" until the end scene with Sunday. We have no idea what's happened to the victims' bodies in reality, and that condition might become an important part of solving the mystery in future patches. If the SUD's battle mechanics translate to in-universe functions, then it's possible that Firefly and Robin's souls are just lying somewhere in the Dreamscape, waiting to be found.

11. Why are the two deaths different?

There are two deaths that happen in v2.0: Firefly is killed on-screen and explodes into paste before she even hits the ground, then we see Robin died offscreen with a corpse and visible wound that stuck around long enough for Aventurine to show it to two people before it evaporated. If we assume SUD was responsible for both deaths (as Sunday seems to), why are the two bodies in such different conditions?

12. Why was Robin in the Dreamscape?

Aside from the aforementioned questions about the condition of her body, why was Robin in the primal Dreamscape in the first place? She's an interastral pop star and an instrumental figure in the upcoming Charmony Festival - how did she manage to get away from The Family and wind up in the Reverie's dreamscape to get killed in the first place? Is there anything to gain from those repeated mentions of her hoarse voice in the beginning of the story?

13. Who hired Sparkle, and what do they want?

In her companion mission, it's mentioned that someone hired Sparkle to come to Penacony, and implied that this person wouldn't appreciate Sparkle going out of her way to make alliances with the other factions. Who are they and why did they bring her here? It's not likely to be someone like Giovanni, who definitely has the money for it but he's mentioned by name elsewhere so I doubt it's him.

14. What was the Stellaron disaster Penacony went through?

There has been in-game mentions that Penacony dealt with a Stellaron disaster, and that Xipe was the one who ultimately dealt with it. We have not, however, received any information about what the disaster was. Implicitly, it's something bad enough that three different Aeons got involved. Is it possible whatever happened is why the penal colony was able to be turned into the Penacony of today, or why so many objects inside the primal dreamscape seem to embody the memories of the original prisoners?

15. What is the ultimate goal of the Stellaron Hunters on Penacony?

In the first scene in the Dreamscape, there's the echoes of Sam and Silver Wolf discussing their plans. Specifically, they mention "pulling [someone] off the stage" and "presenting the truth". It's not clear when this conversation actually takes place, but what "truth" are they planning to reveal? What do they plan to do at, presumably, the stage of the Grand Theater?

16. What was the goal of the invitations inviting so many different factions to Penacony?

Even before we got to Penacony, The Family choosing to let other factions into the Charmony Festival is brought up as a weird unique occurrence. Over the course of the plot it becomes clear at least some of the factions were invited outside of The Family's control, though some number have to have been invited naturally (otherwise it would be trivial to simply acknowledge all of them as fake). The intention seems to be to get as many parties as possible working to undermine The Family's control and get people looking for the Watchmaker's Legacy, but some of the choices are bizarre and indicate a high degree of desperation. Why the Knights of Beauty? Why the Annihilation Gang, of all people?

17. What is the relationship between the Watchmaker and The Family?

The Watchmaker is a legendary figure on Penacony and the alledged Father of Penacony, yet Sunday's line early on about "actual administrators" paints a very certain picture about how The Family view themselves. It's implied The Watchmaker themselves might be the reason the primal dreamscape is starting to subsume Penacony, but how did the dreamscape's founder and its current controllers come to blows like this?

Speculation & Other Notes

The clocks are a recurring motif to the point they infiltrate the OST itself. This goes just beyond the obvious - the entire dreamscape is modeled like a clock. The Grand Theater sits at the center of the dreamscape as a central pivot; the twelve Moments are the numbers representing each of the hours; you could say the long thing shape of The Reverie puts it into the position of the clock's hands, moving guests around the dial to each of the Moments; and the deeper dreamscape is where the internal clockworks would be kept.

Suicide and self-annihilation are constant and repeated themes across Penacony. To list a few examples: Lew Archer throwing herself off buildings to cope with her grief; IV threatening to throw themselves off a building to cope with criticism; Lesley Dean allowing his imaginary existence to end for the betterment of his creators; Sparkle casting herself as a murder victim in murder mysteries (something even Sampo comments on); Tizocic II destroying herself by erasing her own memories, then returning to her homeworld for an assured execution. People destroying themselves, or parts of themselves, because they believe there's something better on the other side. This hasn't been part of the main story yet, but I expect it to play a major part of the events going on in Penacony.

The map screen on Penacony straight-up shows us some of the future areas we're going to get, and we've got at least 4-5 areas left to explore on Penacony, above or below the glitz and glamour.

As a point of speculation: I think the Trailblazer is going to earn their Harmony path by managing to get all of the disparate factions playing against each other to finally work together towards the same goal. Similar to how Belobog's plot ultimately focused on how Preservation was worth pursuing even in the face of uncertain struggles and potentially endless struggle, I believe the Penacony plot will end in the Trailblazer pursuing cooperation and unity between the factions, even in spite of the dangers of trusting people. It's mentioned in a few places that "the Harmony's incarnation" will descend to the Charmony Festival - I wonder if the Trailblazer will ultimately filling that prestigious role.

I have no clue what Type the Harmony Trailblazer is going to be but I like Ice/Harmony considering the water themes going on with the Dreamscape. Imaginary or Quantum would be nice, too.

I expect this list to balloon further as I dig more into this update, and more so with future updates.

[real-galaxy-ranger]

thoughts on kiana kaslana? :3

-:3 nonnie!!!

Acheron froze in place, whatever she was doing swiftly abandoned as her mind raced. When had she spoken of her? When had she gotten so vulnerable as to tell someone such things? When had her lips became so loose she let one know of her? Well, she suppose she owed it to her to let one know of her. To keep her in someone's mind so she wouldn't be lost forever.

"She....." Acheron started, but stopped, eyes stuck to the ground as she tried to think. How could she truly convey her importance? She was Izumo's light, the soldier with the perpetually sunny demeanour which the world seemed all to determined to snuff out. When she was lost to the Kami, it was not long before their home became submerged in THEIR empty seas.

"The moment we touched, she changed my destiny. She was.....the most important person in my life. I mourn her everyday."

Acheron didn't think she could ever forget her. Even when she failed to remember her own name, she could always recall that damned smile and how safe it made her feel. So many emotions were tied to Acheron's memory of her that she grew convinced that when the time came, and her body dissolved into crimson nothingness, she would still remember that girl who had changed her life in says Acheron could never fully express.

For she had always fought, not for glory or revenge, but to defend the world's beauty. It had always been her dream to explore the galaxy talking in hushed whispers during the eclipse about how she wanted to become a Nameless and see the Kami-less cosmos.

Acheron owed it to her to see what she never got the chance to.

[corinthbayrpg]

NAME. Vincent Corvin AGE & BIRTH DATE. 32 & October 24th, 1989 GENDER & PRONOUNS. Male & He/Him SPECIES. Spirit Genasi OCCUPATION. Owner of Acheron FACE CLAIM. Oliver Jackson-Cohen

BIOGRAPHY

( tw: death, sacrifice, murder ) Under the waning crescent, a boy was born. Above the healer’s quarters the moon streamed dimly through the windows— the waxy glow was nearly swallowed by the dark and those who stood around called it an omen. He was something beautiful, with wisdom in his viridescent gaze and features rounded in fat that match those that sit sharply on his mother’s face. He’ll become just like her, they whisper around him and the words fill the room with a buzz like the swarming of flies. It is from her grip that they wrestled the child from, (it is possessiveness and not anything maternal that brought him close to her chest) and they allow her to place one mark upon the infant, the last tie between mother and son before she was once again banished. She gave him the name Vincent, and he bears the mark like Cain’s— for the child of a genasi being raised within the confines of a coven will never be given free reign, not when the ground where her ties to Hecate were severed stayed pitted and glassy with obsidian.

He’ll become just like her, the phrase is pressed to his skin as he grows older, as steady as a heartbeat and it lingers as an echo. They never tell him her name, but just that as a witch she had bared the same gifts: a touch that brought forth flame and the ability to draw and manipulate emotions of those around him. Vincent, who was smaller than the rest, but whose elbows mercilessly brought blood from noses that got too close and who scrabbled against the earth like a wild animal until he was pulled apart by the witches who had adopted him. It was with a wide berth from the others that he grew, treated as though he was something dangerous: a molotov instead of a boy, and with a loose-tooth smile, he became as volatile as they feared him to be.

Flame came with ease, he could manipulate even the wettest of tinder to spit out smoke and then catch. Buildings and trees licked up with the element, fire is something hungry and ferocious, but Vincent was a child whose appetite would never be sated, he was always starving. Destruction was enjoyable but he found that he revelled further in aftermath. Walking through the shell of a building, around timbers that stood shakily holding up what remained of a roof, his fingers were always stained black with soot. He carried charcoal in his pockets and admired the shadowy parts that others were so afraid of. Consequence came, but an empath never bears the true weight of his crimes, not when he could manipulate hard spirits and soften wicked tempers with the twist of emotion. It made him slyer, and far more cunning than any child should be. They called him Saint and they meant it as an insult, but his grin was too wide and too bright to be tarnished— the irony amused him and he adopted it for himself.

They thought that he would become like his mother, a woman whose name had been struck from every record and who had been banished completely— and he grew obsessed with her story. She had been a prodigious witch, Saint knew that much, a star pupil with a special interest in lore and ancient history. It had been her research that had filled the coven library with so many books of species that had long died out, or were so rare that they were believed to be gone. He spent hours there, pouring over texts on pages that were yellowed and musty with age, feeling a tie to her as he drew his fingers along the handwritten notes in the margin and committed ancient texts to memory.

It was obsessive, his desire to learn and be the best, he practiced spells and enchantments, he strengthened his tie to his element as he grew older, settling into the belly of a fire while those around him in the coven watched him warily. Saint learned how to manipulate smoke, to carry ill will out into the air with flakes of ash and to  make lye out of what remained from his casual destruction. It was his fascination with inflicting harm that worried the witches around him the most, but perhaps not so much as how he delighted at revelling in the heart of his destruction. He grew from a wicked boy to a wicked teenager, a bad seed— but as he began to read more of the writings in the coven library and more of the spells, those who had known his mother declared him a spitting image of her: and all efforts to have rehabilitated the witch were considered a failure.

How strange it was then, to be ousted from a coven for a crime that he had yet to commit. A fire witch still, albeit quite a powerful one, he had yet to learn all that he wished before beginning the ritual. His mother had to be found, and despite the fact that he was certain she had no love for a child abandoned he thought of himself as deserving of answers— if there was anyone to know how to cleanly sever the tie between Hecate and himself, it would be the one woman he knew had done so before. The witch began to wander, careless and cruel, toying with fire that licked down fields of dried grass and devastated livelihoods. A whole town fell to ruin at the flick of an errant spark and they blamed it upon devils and gods with power over lightning and he laughed at the idea that it was someone more angelic, someone wielding the name Saint.

Along the way he learned more, picking up spells and artifacts, toying with dark magic and seeking out answers to find the fire genasi. He didn’t know her name, just that they shared a matching steely gaze and penchant for flame. There were hints along the way, books in places with notes in her handwriting, suggestions for how to perform the ritual and how to appease and appeal to Thanatos. Hecate had done little for him in his life, being a witch had felt like an unjust punishment; a cruel experiment in nature versus nature that had yielded the same, unsatisfactory result. They had treated him as though he was something to be feared, and he had become it.

It was too late when he had found his mother. All leads had taken him to Spain, where he sat in sunny patches with grimoires and spell books, reading about a place in Greece that his mother had noted several times— a place of power that housed the magic veil, it was called Corinth and she had found it important, but it seemed, as he walked into the home that he had finally discovered to be hers, she had never made it there. It was a vampire that greeted him with a face just like his, stalled in time and visually as old as he was— his mother had had her life and her magic stolen, and in turn become something parasitic.

And yet, a boy who had always sought out his mother felt relieved that she still existed, and she was relieved that he had his name still. Her own was Victoire, and to lose magic after all the sacrifices that she had endured to get it would kill her, this she admitted by her son’s ear and he realized then that it wasn’t their appearances that was the binding element between them, but their hungry desire for power. Still, she offered him everything she knew about the ritual that he wished to partake in. An oblation had to be made, Hecate gave her gifts out freely and that was why they were watered down, but Thanatos required blood— true magic required sacrifice. With her words ringing in his ear, she banished him from her home: genasi were not creatures that craved kinship from their own kind and vampires cared little for the survival of their children, and Victoire was both.

The ritual would be done in spring, in the place that he had been born. A cruel heart held the dark desire for symbolism, to be remembered in the coven that he had begun his life in ways that would be seared into their history. Saint Corvin would be a devil’s name, and it would be spat in the dark and it would be used to scare those who grew too bold in shadows. Vengeance existed in the form of three witches stolen from their beds, manipulated and tricked to follow projected cries into the woods— they had thought themselves about to be heroes, to save a child that needed them, and instead they walked into a trap. Saint chose the crater that his mother had performed her own ritual in, finding strength in the stone that was black and shiny like glass, summoning forth the god as blood beaded on pale throats like rubies, before spilling down the fronts of white night gowns.

Thanatos answered the call, then from Corinth bay, magic disappeared from the world. Devastated and utterly human, Saint spent the duration of the few weeks of the veil’s sundering in rage. He deserved more, he had nearly closed his hands around the throat of what he believed to be the ultimate of gifts and in turn life had throttled out what strength he had left in him. There was no spell in the world, no incantation that would repair what had been done, blood stained his hands and he cared little about it, baring his teeth and pressing forth to spill more. The coven lay in ruins and it was then that Daphnis reached into time and pulled the hands back, putting him in front of Thanatos, a god pleased with the sacrifice, with the witch before him— and he was gifted with an element that was entirely his own.

Saint, a man who was more attuned to smoke, drawn to ash and smoulder over the brightness of fire, who longed to toy with shadow, was given not only the dark strength of a genasi but that of a spirit genasi. It would be shadows and spirits that he held claim over, and he greedily thanked the god that had awarded him such an ability, stumbling from the destruction and death that he had left behind to sift into shadow. Promptly razing the coven of his birth followed, and death has followed him in a trail as he has made his way through Europe, finding footing now in Corinth Bay, home of the veil and the epicentre of power. As a genasi he seeks several thing above all: more power, infamy, and life immortal. He is still toying with his new abilities, testing the boundaries and stretching to new limits, but every day with teeth bared in a wicked, hungry smile, he lives to his infallible motto. Carpe omnia; seize everything.

PERSONALITY

+ focused, daring, intelligent – calculating, deceitful, venomous

PLAYED BY SAM. EST. She/Her.

[singledarkshade]

Pieces Of A Puzzle

Part Four Gideon waited while Miranda took a deep breath readying herself to continue. Once she was focussed Miranda followed Gideon back into the lab finding Rip had been joined by three very familiar faces.

“Mr Allen, Dr Snow and Mr Ramon,” Miranda nodded to them in greeting, “I did not expect to see you.”

“Well Star Labs is their base,” Rip noted as Gideon moved to his side, he slid his hand into hers making Gideon smile softly, “We can’t use it without their agreement and, considering your announcement this may destroy our Universe, then they have a stake in this as well.”

Miranda nodded, “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Although I’m surprised your wife isn’t here, Mr Ramon.”

“My what?” Cisco asked confused.

Miranda glanced at Rip who shook his head, “Sorry, that must only be on my Earth.”

The younger man looked at the others before asking, “Who am I married to on your Earth? Just to make sure I know when I meet her, I’m charming and don’t accidentally chase her away.”

“That might not be a good idea,” Miranda said before she shrugged, “Then again, it’s not really future knowledge since this is a different world to mine.”

“So?” Cisco asked.

“Is this really important right now?” Barry demanded.

Cisco sighed before telling Miranda, “We’ll talk later.”

She gave him a smile and a quick conspiratorial wink.

“Miranda, can you tell us why you’re here,” Rip steered them back to the topic, “Because every moment Gideon and I have our memories restored puts our son in danger.”

Gideon tightened her grip on his hand surprised but delighted that he’d referred to Jonas as their son now he was Rip and not Michael.

Miranda nodded, “Several years ago there was an accident during a training exercise. One of the cadets decided to cheat and reprogrammed the AI for the training ship not realising what the simulation was going to be.” She paused for a moment before continuing, “The simulation included the ship ‘crash-landing’ on an unstable planet and then the time drive overloading. The AI had specific safety protocols for the simulation, but the reprogramming disabled these.”

Gideon glanced at Rip seeing his face blank before she said softly, “I assume the core overloaded.”

Miranda nodded, “There was one training officer with them.”

“Who?” Rip asked.

“Captain Warren Dobson,” she replied, “He sent the cadets to escape and then tried to stop the overload but…”

“He wasn’t able to,” Gideon said softly.

Sadly, Miranda shook her head.

“Wait,” Rip said thoughtfully, “Which planet was this?”

“Kilare,” Miranda stated, nodding in agreement hearing Rip swear. At the questioning looks from the three meta-humans, she explained, “The planet itself is not stable within the timestream or the universe itself. It slips in and out of phase. The Time Masters kept it fixed using artificial means. It was used for training because they could control it’s unique qualities.”

“The overload of the time core would have set off a chain reaction within the stabilisers,” Gideon noted thoughtfully, “Which in turn would have released the planet into it’s natural cycle. This along with the time core energy…

 “I can guess what that did to Dobson,” Rip took over when Gideon trailed off, “What happened?”

“The Acheron was able to rescue the cadets, but a huge anomaly was created that threatened to destroy everything,” Miranda took in a shaky breath, “The only other ship closest to it was the Waverider.”

Rip frowned in thought, “The Waverider’s time core, if altered properly, would have been able to counteract the energy released. Although doing so would overload every system it had with fatal consequences.”

Gideon could see Miranda was barely holding herself together when she nodded confirming Rip’s theory.

“What does that mean exactly?” Caitlin asked softly.

Gideon squeezed Rip’s hand before answering, “Using the Waverider’s own time drive, the Rip Hunter of that universe neutralised the anomaly, but it destroyed his ship and I assume he was killed at the same time.”

Silence filled the room for several minutes as they all took this in.

Rip broke the silence, “If this was a few years ago and the anomaly was neutralised, why are you here now?”

“Until two days ago we thought it had been,” Miranda told them, her voice shaking only slightly, “And then we began receiving signals from that section of space. The ships sent to investigate were drained of all energy. One of them managed to get a message out to us, it was Dobson.”

Gideon mused, “That is incredible he survived.”

“We know that he feels he was abandoned,” Miranda continued, “And the energy he’s draining is making him stronger but it’s a drug to him. He’s on a rampage and won’t listen to any of us. We tried to reason with him, but he destroyed one of the ships with basically a flick of his hand. If we don’t stop him, he will destroy everything. Then he’ll follow Kilare’s path to the next universe. This one.”

Rip frowned, crossing his arms over chest, “This doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“Because we’re sure that the Waverider, since it did it once before, is the key to stopping him. The Time Core energy signature was found amongst the energy readings,” Miranda explained, “Although I did expect Gideon to still be an AI.”

Gideon turned to Rip who sighed, “Unfortunately, we don’t have the Waverider anymore.”

Silence fell once more, broken when Cisco suggested, “We could always steal it?”

                                  *********************************************

  Miranda sat in the small lounge in Star Labs, her head in her hands. It had been a tiring few days and she knew coming to find another version of her love would be emotional, but she didn’t expect to feel like this.

“Here,” Gideon’s soft voice came making Miranda look up to see a mug of tea placed on the table before her, “I’m hoping you take a drop of milk and half a teaspoon of sugar.”

A small smile touched Miranda’s lips, “I do. Thank you.”

“I can only imagine how hard this is for you,” Gideon took the seat at her side, “To have lost the one you love and then come to a place with someone who looks like him but isn’t.”

Taking a sip of her tea Miranda turned to the other woman, “To be honest, the strangest thing about this is you.”

Gideon gave a soft laugh, “I can understand that. Now I remember my former life, I am still amazed to be human.”

Miranda studied her, “You seem familiar, like I already knew you. Can I ask where this appearance comes from?”

“It is how I decided to look,” Gideon shrugged, “It gave me a way to interact with my Captain easier within his dreams. I could not say for certain if the other version of me would have shown this façade to you but the Miranda I knew saw me like this frequently. Plus, I look hot.”

Laughing Miranda nodded, “Yes, you do.” Sobering she let out a soft sigh, “He loves you, and I remember when he looked at me that way.”

“He still looks at you that way,” Gideon took the other woman’s hand, “But the Miranda he knew died. His wife, who he loved with every part of him, was taken by people he trusted and seeing you hurts him more than even he understands. Why do you think he was so antagonistic when you first arrived? You know how well Rip deals with this sort of thing.”

“I lost my Rip,” Miranda reminded her.

“But he died a hero doing what he always did, protecting people,” Gideon replied, “Our Miranda was killed on the orders of the Time Masters, the people who raised you both and gave him a purpose. Rip tried so many times to save her, but there was no way for him to do so. It took him a lot of time to come to terms with the fact he couldn’t.”

“Now I feel bad for being jealous,” Miranda sighed.

“Jealous?”

“Because he still has you,” she explained to the former AI, “And I lost you both.”

Gideon’s arms were suddenly around her and Miranda smiled, leaning into the hug. It didn’t surprise her that a woman who once had no physical form would be so tactile.

“Thank you, Gideon,” Miranda breathed as they parted, “You’re still looking after me as well as Rip.”

Gideon smiled at her, “My Captain loves you, taking care of you ensures his happiness. That was my purpose.”

“What’s your purpose now?” Miranda asked.

“To love him,” Gideon replied with a shrug, “And raise the boy who calls me Mummy with him.”

Miranda sighed, “I’m sorry I interrupted that but…”

“You need our help,” Gideon finished for her, “And we will help you. Rip and team Flash are discussing how to acquire the Waverider with the one person who knows we are here.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

Rip sighed, “Unfortunately not, Mr Rory. Can you tell me where the Waverider currently is?”

“We’re in 1658,” Mick told him.

“In the middle of a mission?” Rip asked.

“We’re finishing up,” he replied, “Getting the idiots back on board.”

Musing for a moment, Rip said, “Can you knock the crew out once you’re in the temporal zone?”

“Gideon left me instructions just in case,” Mick told him, “I’ll signal you once it’s done.”

“Thank you, Mr Rory.”

Cutting communication Rip turned to the three people watching him.

“Question,” Barry spoke up, “I know Mick is technically a good guy these days, but do you actually trust him for this?”

Rip nodded, “Mick understands that anything to do with the Time Masters technology has to be kept away from everyone. It’s the same reason he’s helping me hide Jonas.”

“Okay,” Barry nodded, “What’s your plan?”

“Currently, once Mick knocks out the Legends we take over the Waverider,” Rip told them, “Once Miranda gives me the co-ordinates we can do some reconnaissance then we can pull together a plan to stop Dobson.”

Cisco nodded, “Okay, Barry will give Wally a call to take over here at Star Labs while we’re away.”

“Wait,” Rip said before asking, “We?”

“You’re going after an interdimensional juiced up Time Master who’s out to destroy the universe,” Cisco said with a grin, “Of course we’re coming.”

A slight smile touched Rip’s lips, “Your help will be appreciated.”

“Their help?” Gideon asked as she walked back in with Miranda.

Rip turned to them, “It appears we will have a crew for this mission.”

A flash of excitement covered Miranda’s face quickly before it became impassive again, making Rip smile slightly. He knew how much Miranda adored the stories of the Central City heroes and the fact she would be getting to work with them on a mission was something she once told him she had dreamed about.

“Okay, while we wait for Mick to get back to us,” Barry said, “Let’s get our stuff together.”

“Captain Coburn,” Cisco moved to her side as they started out, “We should talk.

  Gideon smiled watching the three heroes of Central City left the room with Miranda. Moving to Rip’s side she rested her hand on his arm.

“Are you alright?” she asked worriedly.

Rip shrugged, “You know we should be having dinner after our wedding right now?”

“I know,” Gideon said softly, smiling when he wrapped his arms around her, “But we’ll get this sorted and we can finish the ceremony, if that’s what you want?”

“Hey,” he said softly, tilting her face up so he could look into her eyes, “We’re going to fix this, and when we get back we’ll finish our wedding. Then have the honeymoon we were talking about.”

Gideon let out a soft sigh as he kissed her.

“But before we reset our memories,” Rip said giving her a pointed look, “You’re telling me how you became human.”

“It is not an interesting story,” Gideon shrugged, her arms wrapping around his waist, “It was a small magical accident. I was suddenly human, I no longer had a connection to my ship, so I asked Mr Rory to bring me here. To be with you.”

Rip smiled at her before whispering, “I’m sorry you lost your connection to the Waverider, I know that must have been hard for you.”

Cuddling close to him, Gideon sighed softly, “It was but I got you back, Captain. And it was all I wanted.”

Rip pressed a soft kiss to her lips, taking the few moments of time alone together.

[thetrueghostqueen]

Jimin Thought Destiny was an Emotional Suck

Masterlist cover characters prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

  By the time Hades returned to announce Thoth and Bastet would be arriving shortly the Gods had changed into day clothes. V was on the couch curled up in Jimin's arms an awake Yen on the floor in front of them.

    "Are you okay?" Yen asked V in a whisper. 

   He shook his head no in answer and curled himself tighter in Jimin's arms. Yen glanced up at Jimin. "I'm sorry." She apologized. 

  "What are you sorry for? Was it your fault? I heard it's been messing with you too."  Jimin spoke.

  Yen let a tear slip down her face. "I'm sorry because this nightmare  I've lived with my whole life has found another victim. I wouldn't wish that on anyone especially on someone wonderful."

  "H-how do you live with this?" V stuttered.

  Yen gave V a weak smile. "It's a burden I've always had. When it affects Tae I use some of my abilities to lesson it for her. I can't erase the memory, but if you want I can take away the fear." 

  V and Jimin both nodded their heads yes. Yen took V's hands and closed her eyes. Jimin felt V tense before suddenly going limp. 

  Terrified that Yen did something that seriously hut V he yanked V's hands away and pushed her backwards.

  Yen fell back on her elbows and gave Jimin a surprised look. What she saw in his eyes sent chills up and down her spine. " I-I w-was hel-helping." She stuttered.

Jimin made to move forward to get up V stopped him. "Min, no. She didn't hurt me  I feel." He swallowed. "I feel great. I feel strong."  He turned from Jimin to Yen. "What did you do?"

    She gave V a soft smile. "I siphoned all of your negative energy. I drained you of the fear and replaced it with positive energy. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

  "You did more than enough. Thank you!" V moved out of Jimin's arms and off the couch to hug her. 

  Yugyeom started  making his way over to Yen when Thoth and Baste showed up.

  "I guess we should get started." Hades announced.

  For the next hour or two Thoth and Bastet made V explain his nightmare and what he saw after he woke over and over again so they could analyze every detail. After what had to be the 60th repeat, Namjoon finally yelled enough. 

  The other Gods kids and Hades sighed contently when they stopped.

  Bastet and Thoth huddled together speaking back and forth in angry whispers before re-directing their attention back to the room.

  Thoth called Tae and Yen forward. He placed his hands on either side of Tae's head and closed his eyes. He opened his eyes and gave her a slight smile before moving on to Yen.

  Everyone jumped as Yen filled the silence of their home with an ear piercing scream. Instead of letting go Thoth dug his fingers deeper into her scalp.

  They watched as her screams died and her body went limp. Bastet forcibly holding Yugyeom back as he tried to get to Yen.

   Thoth opened his eyes and released her causing Yen's limp body to crumple in a heap at his feet. 

  Whatever magic that held back Hades, Jackson, Jimin, V, and Hoseok dissipated causing them to fall in a heap around Yen.

   Hades jerked up and glared at Thoth. "What in Tartarus was that?" He spat.

   "My sincerest apologies. It was not my intention to harm the girl. I needed to see what she has seen, what she has experienced to understand if what has happened to her or the boy correlate to what the Gods children were created for."

   "What is your conclusion, brother?" Bastet queried.

  Thoth put his finger on his lip and contemplated for a moment. "I have concluded that whatever it is that is tormenting these children  is most definitely either Sumerian or Mesopotamian. This being so means that the moment of truth has come and their destiny has begun." 

  Thoth finished speaking and looked to Bastet and Hades. The Gods kids sat waiting for them to continue. The Gods kids watched in silence as it seemed the three were in a silent conversation  of their own.

   Bastet was the first to break eye contact and with a soft sad smile turned to the kids. "TO start we have to go back to the beginning. The story begins long before the Gods that are in power now were.  Only a handful of the old and ancient Gods are still awake. At the beginning the Mesopotamian Gods ruled. After a time a sect of them broke off and fought to take over. The Mesopotamian Gods lost and the Sumerians took over. Tempest the God of Time and Khalida the destroyer of worlds were imprisoned. They were the two most ruthless and vile of the Gods. With the old Gods out of the way the Sumerians set out to create utopian societies where Gods and mortals could live in harmony, peace, and prosperity. Ryujin moved to what is now Asia and became the Progenitor of Dragons. He also created some of the mythical and legendary cities. Another group of Sumerians left for the Celtic Isles and became known as the Tuathe De. They also created mythical and legendary cities. Others stayed and crated Atlantis. For a time it seemed as if they achieved their goal of a utopian society. Sadly that of course didn't last. Even with Tempest and Khalida imprisoned they were able to crate chaos. With help from the outside they crated different breeds of super naturals. For example the first set of vampires were borderline indestructible with the help of Khalida's silver blood. The peaceful Gods were at a loss as to how to save the world. Eventually a prophecy came to the first Oracle Acheron also known as the ultimate fate. The prophecy he saw: There will come a time. Those that are lost will be found. When those forgotten will rise. The power to save us all will be unbound. To save the world seen in prophecy 14 children must come to be. Born of pantheons that are not the same. These full God children will be the salvation for the forgotten to be unchained. Shortly after Acheron spoke the prophecy minus Ryujin, the Sumerian Gods fell into slumber. As time went on their names and histories fell by the wayside. Other Gods became prominent. Humans and super naturals learned how to exist. Which leads us to now." Bastet finished. 

  She looked at the kids while they digested all the information. Namjoon was the first to speak. "You said the prophecy spoke of 14 children. There are 15 of us."

   "I have a theory on that." Thoth chimed in. "When it came time to produce said children, many were in agreement. We conclude that there was just an extra pairing. Better to have more than less."

  "So what are we supposed to do?" Jaebum questioned.

  "Find Khalida's soul stone and destroy it. It is the only thing in existence that can finish her for good. Many of us tried, but we aren't the children of prophecy." Hades answered. 

  "Umm...." Jackson started.

  "For this, we are officially at a loss. No god has a clue as to where it could be, what it looks like, or even how to look for a clue to lead to it." Hades stated.

  "How do we know it's a soul stone then?" Namjoon posited.

  "Every God has one. You could say it's our life force if you will. It is the surest way to snuff out a Gods existence. For the most part our stones are tied to our tapestries that only two beings have access to." Bastet answered directing her gaze to Tae and Yen.  

  "The earliest dated tapestry we watch over is Donii. We've never seen a Sumerian tapestry." Tae explained.

   Thoth's ears perked up at the name Donii.  "Donii, are you positive that, that name is on a tapestry? Not a different name?"

  Tae turned to Thoth and opened her mouth to speak, but Yen beat her to it. "Yes it's Donii's. Well one.  She has many tapestries woven together. More than most Gods."

   "Who is Donii? The way you guys are speaking makes it seem really important." Jaebum spoke.

  "Thoth looked to Hades and Bastet to pose a quick private conversation.

  As the three of them huddled in a corner, Yen explained to the Gods kids who Donii was. "Over the eons Gods came and went. Some, a very notable few have always remained. Their names changed according to culture and society, but they are the same. Donii is one of those few. She is the Great Mother. A lot of societies and cultures refer to her as Gaea."

  Yen finished her explanation as Hades, Thoth, and Bastet returned from their huddle. Thoth directed his question to Tae and Yen. "Can you take us to Donii's tapestry?" He asked excitedly. 

  "NO" Both girls said in unison.

   He tried again. "It's important. It could be a clue. 

  Once again in unison. "NO"

   Bastet tried and also received a NO.

  "There could be a map." Thoth tried a third time. 

   The Gods were no longer speaking to Tae and Yen, but to the Fates. Once again they spoke in unison. "The tapestries of life are the responsibility of PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE, and ABOSOLUTION. NO BEING BUT THOSE CHARGED SHALL EVER ACCESS THE HALLS."

   The Gods kids looked at the girls as they spoke. Watching as their eyes turn gold before fading back to normal. The focus solely on the girls no one caught the third set of eyes flashed gold as well. Nor the lip movement following along in sync.  

  Thoth sighed in defeat. "Could we at least see a recreated image?"

   Tae and Yen locked gazes having a silent conversation. Yen eventually broke contact and nodded at Thoth as Tae shot her arm out creating an astral visual of Donii's tapestry. 

  Thoth studied the visual joyfully. Every so often letting out excited little yips. When he felt the tapestry was successfully burned into his memory he turned away and thanked the girls. "I believe we finally have a starting point." He informed the room. "The tapestry is indeed a map of sorts. Not a complete one, but it does lead us to one of the libraries of knowledge. It leads to Fukurokuju. He's a Japanese God of wisdom. There is a book in his library that once belonged to an ancient sect of demons.  It is the most important book in his library and therefore what I believe you need to begin your destined quest." Thoth finished.

  Everyone sat waiting for him to continue. How do they find the library? Do they just ask him for the book? Once they have it, if they can even get it what do they look for?

    When it was evident no further explanations were going to be given Jinyoung spoke up. "So the idea is that we are supposed to travel to Japan, find some mythical library, bang on a door, demand a book and then...?"

   "That's not it exactly. His library can only be located and accessed at the shadow time. Once inside you'd only have 30 or so minutes to get in, find the book, and get out. The old libraries are all rigged so people can't just wander in. His library can only be accessed once a year." Thoth answered. 

   "And that is when?" Namjoon pressed.

   "December 21st and only for 30 minutes or so like I said. If you are in there past that you will be stuck for a year or dead." 

   Everyone in the room just stared at Thoth. December 21st was in 4 days. How in the Underworld were they supposed to get to Japan in 4 days, locate the library, get in and out in 30 minutes, and carry on? Some of them hadn't even shown abilities yet.

  It seemed the destined were destined to fail before they could even begin.

   All Jimin could think was that Destiny was an Emotional Suck

[getalittlecountry]

Coke Can (nessian version)

It was going to snow. There was no doubt about it, it was too cold to do anything but snow. I blew out a breath as the gas pumped into my jeep. I tried to keep my hands in my pockets so they don't fall off as I let it go itself. I feel my phone vibrate, but I don't pull it out. I still haven't gotten to where I'm going. Then again I wasn't even sure where I was going. The dark clouds seemed to be following me though. Ever since I left I couldn't shake them. But I couldn't stay there, I needed space. There were too many ghosts; too much pain. My phone buzzed once, telling me I had a message. I knew who it was, one of my brothers checking up on me. They were probably worried sick. I never left for this long without a note or a reason. I'm sure they knew why, they had to know why I needed time. I fought back the tears as I stood there letting the cold bite my face. Life was unfair, I have always known that. I watched my mom die before she was even forty years old. I never even met my father. Life would never be easy, but I never thought it would be this hard. The pump clicked off, snapping me back into reality. I closed the cap and then head inside to pay for my gas. It feels good to get inside and out of the cold. But when I step behind the guy paying my heart stops. There's a Coke bottle in his hand, one of the glass ones. He stuck a straw in the hole, shattering my attempt at shutting down that part of my brain. My mind starts to race, the memories I tried so hard to forget come back all at once. She was beautiful, I knew it before she even turned around. Her blonde curls were swinging in the wind as she threw her head back laughing. The lights of the fair illuminated her green jacket. She looked like she loved life and from what I could tell everyone in her life loved her just as much. Rhysand pushed me towards her, my feet were frozen as she smiled at me. Her bright steel blue eyes drew me in. They were beautiful and yet she had an air of mystery around her. She giggled again as the brown haired girl beside her whispered something in her ear. I offered her my hand, "Cassian Moten. Ferris wheel solo rider looking for a partner.” She laughed again, then shook her head, "oh no. I don't do the Ferris wheel Mr. Moten.” I raised an eyebrow, feeling more confident as her friends watched, "and why not? I thought a pretty girl like you wouldn't be afraid of anything.” "I'm not afraid," she defended herself, my hand falling back down beside me, "I just don't like it, that's all.” I nodded, biting my lip as I stood there, "okay well let me get you a drink. A funnel cake? Let me win you a stuffed animal with my ability to knock down glass milk bottles.” She shook her head slowly, still giving me that half smirk half smile that was driving me insane. I had never been so taken by a girl let alone a stranger before. I was the guy who played the field, but I knew the moment she laughed she was it for me. Sometimes you just know these things. It was the spark that changed your life. "Come on Nesta," the girl beside her nudged her shoulder, "he clearly wants to get to know you. Stop being a big scaredy cat.” She glared at her friend and then sighed as she looked back in my direction, “fine. Let’s get something to drink.” We walked to a stand together and I ordered two cokes. She giggled, shaking her head as I handed her the soda, "so does Nesta have a last name?” "Acheron. Why do you want to know me so badly?" She put a straw in the hole and took a sip. Her friends were watching, Rhysand was chatting with one off to the side. I smiled at our situation. I shrugged, "you seem like a mystery. I like a good mystery.” We sat down on a bench and she sighed, "I'm not a mystery you want to figure out, Cassian.” "I don't think that's true," I finished my drink and then smiled, "I bet I can get this can into that trash can. If I don't I'll leave you alone.” She raised an eyebrow, "and if you do?” "You go on the Ferris wheel with me.” I didn't wait for her answer. I put my hands up and looked at the can waiting for the crowd to thin out. Once the coast was clear I flicked my wrist and let the can fly through the air. It hit the rim of the trash can and then slid around like it was going to fall in. But before it did it hit the wall and fell onto the ground. "Damn," Nesta clicked her tongue as I blushed at my failure, "I changed my mind. I'll go on with you.” She threw her empty can into the trash can without trying and laughed when it landed in without a challenge. I shook my head, grabbing her hand before she could change her mind. I felt her grip tighten as we got closer to the ride and I smiled as she leaned into me. Once we were sitting at the top, the lights were beautiful. Everyone was small and the town looked even more beautiful in the fall weather. My heart was beating faster than it ever had before as Nesta slid in close to my side. She let out a slow breath, her grip on the bar loosened as she relaxed, "you don't want to get to know me," she whispered as the stars sparkled above us. "Sir? Are you going to pay?" I shook my head, the attendant at the gas station called my attention as the memory faded away. I stepped up to the counter, "sorry," I whispered as I paid for my gas and then took my receipt. I was still reeling from the memory that I walked away from the door and through an aisle. My hands were shaking. I should be mad at her. I should be mad at the memory, but I wasn't. I kept walking, unsure of where I was going in this small store. My heart hurt as I tried to collect my thoughts and my emotions. This trip was supposed to bring me peace, help me heal. But in this gas station only a few hours from home it was doing the total opposite. I sighed, turning the corner of the last aisle. I thought I'd go to the bathroom and pull myself together, but I stopped short once more. There beside the beer cooler was a set of those big camping lanterns. This time I smiled as the memory came flashing back. The cabin had been huge, it was their vacation house and it was bigger than the home I grew up in. She promised it didn't matter, she wanted me to meet her parents. They were so excited to have me come along they went all out. The first night they cooked a big fancy dinner. Nesta barely ate a thing, but it was delicious. Better than anything I had ever tried to cook for the boys and me. Her mom seemed distant, she would glare at me and I could tell she was judging me. She didn't think I was good enough to be with her daughter. That didn't stop me, I picked up Nesta's hand while we ate and held it tightly in mine. The entire time we ate mother and daughter would glare at each other. I knew they both had a secret they weren't sharing. Something that they knew and didn't want anyone else to know. I could only hope it didn't have to do with me. Her dad was the opposite. He was so warm and welcoming I felt like I had known him forever once dinner was done. We talked about everything, he didn't look at me like I was a scholarship kid. He asked my opinion and listened to what I was studying. I could see where Nesta got her personality from as I sat there with him. Once dinner was over the storm started. It was late and her parents turned in for bed early. Her parents had set up the guest room for me. Nesta yawned and seemed tired, so I told her to go on up I'd follow. She shook her head and sat down beside me. She settled into my arms as we watched the dying fire. "So do you think they like me?" I whispered as she leaned her head back against my shoulder. I wanted them to like me, after all their daughter was very important to me. "Yeah they like you. I just wish they realized I'm not five and you don't need to stay in the guest room," she huffed as she sat up straighter, "we're adults.” I tickled her sides and she giggled, "you're barely an adult, Nesta. And I will sleep wherever you or they want me to. Although your mom didn't seem to like me much.” She sighed, choosing her words carefully, "she's protective.” Nesta hesitated when she explained her moms behavior. I didn't think too hard about it, I just held her closer and kissed her neck. It didn't matter, her mother could flat out tell me she didn't like me and I wouldn't care. Because I was here for her daughter and no one else. That's the thing about Nesta, she never looked at me like I was trash. She never cared about my small house or my sister tagging along on our movie dates. She loved the way we included her in our little family with ease. She seemed to understand that we needed her as much as she wanted to need us. "So did you ever think a ride on the Ferris wheel would turn into this?" I whispered as the thunder boomed outside and Nesta shivered in my arms. She laughed, "no. But I sure am glad I got on it with you.” She turned to face me, kissing my lips softly. I loved kissing her. I loved everything about her. We hadn't known each other long but hell I knew it was fate. There was nothing that could drag me away from her. Nothing. Halfway through our evening of joking and laughing Nesta yawned again. I told her to go on up I would make sure the fire died completely. She didn't fight me this time, she stood up and stretched. Her shirt pulled up as she stood on her toes and smiled at my eyes wandering to her stomach. She giggled making me smile, "I love your laugh.” Her blue eyes lit up as she stood there staring at me. She looked like she wanted to tell me something, but instead she just smiled, "your laugh is better. You and your deep voice. That's the only reason I'm still around.” Nesta leaned down and kissed my cheek and thanked me for being so kind to her parents, before heading off to bed. I watched the empty fireplace for a little while longer, wondering how a guy like me had found someone like her. I settled into my bed a few hours later. I was about to turn my lamp off when the power cut out. I sighed, sitting up and letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. I didn't want to sleep alone anyways and I remembered Nesta telling me about her nightmares. I got up and found the camping lamp her dad told me was in the closet. Apparently they lost power a lot when the storms rolled through here. I wandered down the hallway slowly, hoping her parents room was in the opposite direction. There were more rooms than people on this floor and I hesitate between the last two doors at the end of the hallway. I couldn't remember which one was hers. The door opened before I could figure out which room belonged to Nesta. Her face was lit up by the lamp and she laughed softly as she pulled me into her room. "I was hoping you'd come," she whispered setting the lamp down on her nightstand and kissing me. I wrapped my arms around her small body and held her close. She relaxed in my embrace, her skin cold against mine. Thinking back now her hands were always cold. She pulled at my shirt, her eyes hungry. Ever since we met we could barely get enough of each other. I kissed her that first night after the Ferris wheel and that was it. There was no going back. She never hesitated to tell me to slow down, so this was new. Before she told me she wasn't ready. Now she seemed more experienced than I was. I pulled at her lip gently, "are you sure Nesta?” She nodded as she ran her cold hands up my stomach, "I want it to be you Cassian.” I didn't need anything more to convince me. I laid her down on the mattress and pulled her shirt up over her head. I laid a trail of kisses down her stomach as her fingers ran through my hair. I couldn't get enough of her. I would never get tired of feeling her body against mine. I pressed a kiss to her temple as she curled up in my arms. I knew it was wrong to be so happy after finally sleeping with her in her parents house. But I was more than happy as she sighed contently in my arms. She drew a heart on my chest and then she looked up at me. "You don't want to fall in love with me," she whispered, her voice breaking as her blue eyes held mine. I pushed open the door and walked out of the gas station, my heart still shattered in pieces. She had been right both times, but that didn't stop me. I got to know her and I fell in love with the blonde haired girl with the beautiful smile. I sighed as I climbed into the jeep and slammed my door shut. My breathing was heavy as I tried to stop the panic attack that was coming on. I closed my eyes, squeezing my hands on the wheel as I saw her face. Her laughter played on loop in my head and it hurt to breathe whenever that happened. That stupid Coke bottle. That stupid memory. I had been doing so well. My breath still came out in puffs, I didn’t bother turning on the heat. It wouldn’t help with the pain inside my chest. I hit the radio dial hoping it would help ease the pain. But it only made it worse as I pulled back onto the dirt road. The song that started to play was the old country song she loved to sing along to. She used to sit right there in the passenger seat and sing loudly off key with Faith Hill. I looked over at the empty seat, that ache in my chest getting tighter. I didn't get far from the gas station, not even a mile away when I had to pull over. The tears made it too hard to see, the knot in my chest even tighter than before. Another tear fell as I leaned my head against the wheel. "Come on, it'll be fun!" She laughed as she tugged my arm and pulled me into the field. Her hair was covered by her red hat, her cheeks pink from the cold. I smiled as she led me out where the other couples were. I wasn't big on school spirit, but for some reason Nesta wanted to go to this football game. She was mesmerized by the homecoming court, her eyes glue to the girls wearing prom dresses in the freezing cold. She leaned in close when they waved and walked the track with their dates. I wrapped my arms around her tightly, my jacket swallowing her tiny frame. I loved her wearing my jacket, that's the only reason I agreed to come to this game. She knew it too, that's why she always wore it when I was around. I was a sucker for that smile and her wearing my clothes. I shook my head, I didn't want to dance in front of people. That didn't stop her from dragging me into the middle of the football field with everyone else. Nesta didn't care, she was already dancing on her own. I smiled as her favorite song played and everyone grabbed a person to dance with. She pressed her fingers against my lips, "is that a smile Mr. Moten? Are you actually having fun?” I laughed and pulled her in close as the snow started to fall, "not at all. But you, you look like you’re having the time of your life.” She shivered as a flake landed on her nose and leaned in to kiss me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me in close. She held me tightly, as if she could keep this moment and hold onto it forever. Her eyes were closed when she pulled away. She leaned her forehead against mine and sighed. Looking back now I realize we were so young. I thought we could take on the world together. We were high on big dreams and caffeine. We were the lucky ones, we had found each other before our lives truly started. I knew there wasn't anyone else for me. Not since I stepped into that fair and heard her laugh. I would've given her my life and spent all the years I had spread out in front of me with her. I opened my eyes and looked at the girl I never knew actually existed. I smiled at her, not realizing how little time we had left. I would've appreciated every second, I would've memorized her face. I would've held her tighter, tried to freeze the moment and never let it go. But I was young. I didn't think I'd have to let go so fast. "I love you," I whispered as the song ended and we stood there for a moment more. There were tears in her eyes as she pushed my chest hard letting her hands fall away from me, "I told you not to fall in love with me.” She was actually angry, she wasn't kidding. She walked off the field as the game got ready to go into the second half. I followed behind her, grabbing her hand before she could get far. "What the hell Nesta? You aren't serious?" My voice was hard as she shook her head. She blew out a breath as the snow fell, her lips were almost blue, "you can't love me. I'm a grenade.” She looked pale, I assumed it was the cold. Her cheeks weren't red from the wind anymore and before I could ask her what that meant she closed her eyes. I was still holding her wrist as it happened. Time seemed to slow down as she fell, my arms wrapping around her before she landed on the ground. "Someone call nine one one," I yelled as I forgot all about the game happening around us. I wasn't sure how I made it back home in one piece. One minute I was sitting on the side of the highway and the next my jeep pulled back into the town I never thought I wanted to see again. The song opened the damn and all my tears were pouring out now as I pulled into a parking spot outside the black iron gates. I hadn't stepped inside since it all happened. Saying goodbye once had been hard, I wasn’t sure I could do it again. The sky was gray as I stood there at her grave. It was white marble, her mom had taken care of every detail. Nesta Acheron; daughter, friend. Two words summed up the life of the girl I barely got to know. She was more than that, she was the one I thought I'd never lose. The dash between her birth and her death was too short. There was so much more she was supposed to do. There was so much love we were supposed to share. My heart was still beating inside my chest, but the truth was it was buried there with her. I would never love anyone the way I loved her. I placed the flowers on top of her grave. The stone was cold against my fingers. I sighed, not even trying to stop the tears as they gathered in my eyes. Then I leaned down and placed the Coke bottle in front of the marker, in the corner where it couldn't hurt the precious stone that cost more than my car. "I miss you every damn day, Nesta Acheron. But I'd do it all over again, just to hold you one more time.” She warned me, time and time again she told me not to fall for her. Her kisses weren't a promise she could keep, she knew it the night we met. She was already dying the day we met, the day I felt alive for the first time in my life. It was cancer, stage five. It had gotten to her bones. There was nothing she could do, she had accepted that long before she ever met me. The chemo had stopped working so she stopped letting it destroy her body. She didn't look sick, but then again I didn't know what sick looked like. She embraced life and never once felt sorry for herself. She thought she was scared, but she was the bravest person I knew. Nesta held on when the ambulance showed up. I held her hand as they drove to the hospital. She would squeeze my fingers every once and a while to let me know she was still there. Her blue eyes weren't as bright, I could see the life fading from her. She was fighting so hard to stay with me. Her hand tightened in mine as I sat there watching them attach lines and try to save her. She pulled the breathing mask off and smiled at me. It wasn’t her usual smile, there was less spark behind it. Tears were in her eyes, but she was more than calm as she looked at me. "I didn't want to let myself fall in love with you," she whispered as I leaned in closer to hear her soft voice, "I didn't want to hurt you. I don't want to leave you.” A tear slipped down my cheek as I kissed her cold skin. My heart was breaking into a million pieces as I realized the truth, "I know, it's okay. I love you Nesta.” She smiled slightly, before wincing at the pain she was in, "promise me you won't hold onto me. Let me go and find someone else to share your smile with. Let another girl fall in love with your attitude and your laugh.” I nodded, "I promise I'll try," I whispered as the paramedics pushed the oxygen mask back on her face. She pulled it off once more, "I love you too Cassian Moten. Thank you for giving me the best gift I never thought I would get to have.” They forced the mask back over her mouth. That moment I knew I was lucky to have found her at all. I smiled, I put on a brave face for her. I didn’t want her to know I was about ready to fall apart. I wasn’t ready to lose her, but I knew that I didn’t have a say in how this ended. I brought our hands up to my chin and kissed her fingers as the machines beeped and all hell broke loose. "I will always love you," I whispered as the wind picked up. I closed my eyes and for a moment I thought I could hear her laughter. Before I turned to leave the snow started to fall. I shivered as I looked back at the Coke bottle one last time. I would never forget that day, when I felt my life begin. I knew I couldn't out run her ghost. She would always be with me, I'd carry her in my heart and never let her go. She taught me to love and what it's like to be loved. She gave me the greatest gift in the world. I only realized it after it was too late. I never got to truly thank her for finding her way into my life. Life is unfair, there's no denying that. But knowing what I know now, I'd still buy her that Coke. I would still find a way to make her laugh. Even if I knew the way it would all end, I'd do it all over again. If that was the only way I ever got to know her, I'd hold her in my arms and never ever let her go. Nesta Acheron was my first love and even though I promised her I would love again, I lied. I would never love another person the way I loved her. She took my heart with her in the short time we had together. And even though I knew I'd never get it back, I wouldn't change a thing.

[labellerose-acheron]

Belle Rose Beauton -- Character Sheet

and the heart is hard to translate / it has a language of it's own / it talks in tongues and quiet sighs / and prayers and proclamations in the grand days / of great men and the smallest of gestures / in short shallow gasps

but with all my education / i can't seem to commend it / and the words are all escaping me / and coming back all damaged / and I would put them back in poetry if i only knew how, i can't seem to understand it

Archetype — The Caregiver Birthday — May 6, 1993 Zodiac Sign — Taurus MBTI — ISFJ Enneagram — 5, the Investigator Temperament — Phlegmatic Hogwarts House — Ravenpuff Moral Alignment — Neutral Good Primary Vice — Envy Primary Virtue — Kindness Element — Earth

Overview:

Mother — Charisse Beauton (nee Dubois) Father — Maurice Beauton Mother’s Occupation — famous ballet dancer Father’s Occupation — inventor/clock worker Family Finances — lower middle class, verging on poor Birth Order — only child Brothers —  none Sisters — none Other Close Family — none Best Friend — Persephone Acheron (deceased), Hades Acheron Other Friends — Haku (deceased), Howl Pendragon Enemies — Yubaba Ono (deceased), Gaston La Beau Pets — Philippe, palomino percheron, 16 birthday present. He is 10 (b-day 2007). Vincent, black kitten, almost two. Baskerville, Black Shuck, and Bearer of Death, hellhounds. Home Life During Childhood — Happy, until her mother died. Her father fell heavily into depression, so Belle pretty much raised herself.   Town or City Name(s) — Swynlake, England What Did His or Her Bedroom Look Like — The same as it does now, for the most part. Floral wallpaper (white with light blue flowers), blue bedsheets, lots and lots of books. She has a window seat that looks out over her back garden and the forest beyond. Any Sports or Clubs — Nope. Favorite Toy or Game — Books, always. Though, she loves puzzles and taught herself to play chess (she used to play against herself to learn, isn’t that sad?) Schooling — Secondary education only. Favorite Subject — ??? All of them?? Maybe literature or history. Popular or Loner —  Loner. She was popular with the boys, but it made her uncomfortable. Important Experiences or Events —  Her mother’s death, her father leaving her. Health Problems — None. Culture — Smalltown English, Magick-friendly upbringing, French (but not much.) Nationality — French (mother) and English (father); born in France but raised in England. Religion and beliefs — She didn’t grow up religious, but she does believe things happen for a reason, that there is some Greater Purpose.

Physical Appearance:

Face Claim —  Emilia Clarke Complexion — perfect porcelain. She’s that bitch in high school who never had breakouts, but also wouldn’t care if she HAD basically she does not deserve her perfect skin. Hair Colour — Brown Eye Colour — Blue (with a golden ring around the pupils) Height — 5’2 Build — Belle is smol, kind of plump--definitely not skinny by any means, curvy. Tattoos — none but not particularly opposed Piercings — ear piercings Common Hairstyle — ponytail, belle almost always has her hair up, it is much more rare to see it down, though she usually has a couple strands that hang around her face because she wears the same ponytail for like two days straight sometimes and it just is a mess. Clothing Style — conservative, belle always wears her blouses buttoned up and doesn’t wear sheer clothing often. She usually wears skirts/dresses unless she’s riding or just having finished riding. Mannerisms — she plays with her hair a lot, tucks pieces behind her ears. She also folds her hands in front of her and fiddles with them if she is feeling especially nervous, but when she’s focused she can become super duper still to almost an uncanny level. Also, she bites her lips a lot. Usual Expression —

Health:

Overall (do they get sick easily)? — Nope! She’ll get the occasional sniffly cold, but that’s about it. And she absolutely loathes being sick. Physical Ailments — None. Neurological Conditions — Anxiety, but it’s pretty manageable since she’s generally a rational person. She can logic her way out of a lot of her triggers. Allergies —  none Grooming Habits — Belle doesn’t necessarily have bad grooming habits, but she definitely isn’t particularly concerned with being clean all the time. After she goes riding she’ll hang around in her dirty clothes and it doesn’t bother her. Sometimes she skips a day showering, eh whatever. She’ll wear the same sweater like two weeks straight and not even notice. Sleeping Habits — Belle is a light sleeper but it is easy for her to fall asleep, as long as she’s comfortable. In strange places it could take her a while because she’s not used to it. She sleeps curled up in a little ball on her side usually. Eating Habits — Belle loves fruit, especially apples. She’ll normally have an apple for breakfast that she eats as she walks to work, makes herself salad or a sandwich for lunch (sometimes spoils herself with Hatter’s). And always cooks dinner. She’s a by-proxy vegetarian. She’ll eat meat but since Hades is a vegetarian she’s kind of phased it out of her diet. Exercise Habits —  Goes horse riding almost every afternoon without fail (fight me this is 100% exercise) and she walks to and from work 6 days a week. Emotional Stability — 7 out of 10. Belle has her moments and she’s not entirely secure, but on the day to day she’s very good at taking things as they come and going with the flow, even if it upsets her later. There are very few things that trigger an extreme emotional response from her. Sociability — Belle can be quite friendly! The only times she really withdraws are if people are awkward/mean/standoffish. Then she has to analyze everything she says. It’s less shyness than a worry of saying something wrong, which is why when she’s comfortable with someone she will definitely chat their ear off. Body Temperature — Always cold. It’s a good thing she’s got a furnace for a boyfriend. Addictions — none Drug Use — never has, probably never will Alcohol Use — very occasionally; she’s only been truly drunk like 2 or 3 times in her life

Your Character’s Character:

Bad Habits — not thinking she’s good enough, also bites at her nails sometimes, also is kind of absent-minded, she leaves dirty dishes in the sink. Good Habits — very caring, always looking after everyone. Best Characteristic — compassion Worst Characteristic — letting people walk all over her in order to be nice Worst Memory — oh gosh there are so many lmao uhh probably when Persephone died (the first time) Best Memory — the beach with Hades Proud of — her shoppe, her riding skills, her intelligence Embarrassed by — oh gosh lots of things but nothing like super concrete? Everything depends on the situation Driving Style — doesn’t drive, would like to learn though Strong Points — her compassion, her tenderness, her somewhat uncompromising nature Temperament — generally mild tempered, unless you rile her up and then watch out Attitude — she can be a little snobbish, but not on purpose Weakness — easily taken advantage of due to her trusting nature Fears — people leaving her, being useless; otherwise she’s pretty brave in the face of things Phobias — doesn’t have any, really. Secrets — uhhh her boyfriend is lord of the dead? Uhhh Belle doesn’t really have concrete secrets, but she doesn’t share her life with many people. Regrets — Letting Persephone die, not going with Hades when he exorcised Cassandra, not getting to say goodbye to her father. Feels Vulnerable When — she is alone Pet Peeves — people telling her what to do Motivation — to prove to people that she’s not useless Short Term Goals and Hopes — to be fuckin’ happy Long Term Goals and Hopes — she does want to travel eventually, and go back to school Sexuality — Belle is probably on the grey-ace scale, she’s not entirely interested in sex, though she does enjoy it when she has it. She’s definitely demisexual, and straight like 95% Day or Night Person — Day, but she’s become more of a night person Introvert or Extrovert — Introverted, unless you know her well, and then she’ll talk your ear off Optimist or Pessimist — Oh, definitely an optimist, it’s very hard to get her to feel defeated

Likes and Styles:

Music — Belle likes classical stuff, she doesn’t listen to a lot of music, but she’d probably like acoustic stuff more than anything else Books — lol im not even gonna start Magazines — pfft magazines, you mean fake books? Kidding, she likes things like the Times and National Geographic. Things that keep her plugged into the world. She has no use of tabloids Foods — Apples! Those are her favorites, but she loves fruits in general, and vegetables--she eats a good deal of salads. Drinks — Belle likes hot water with a little bit of lemon and honey, or tea, or water with a bit of lemon, she’s not a fan of sugary drinks, though she takes her tea with a bit of cream and one spoonful of sugar Animals — her favorite are horses, but Belle likes all animals Sports — Horse riding! Honestly, I think she’d have fun kicking a football around or going swimming Social Issues — Belle is extremely liberal, her motto is “as long as you’re not hurting anyone you can do whatever the hell you bloody feel like and no one should be able to tell you no.” Favorite Saying — “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, cliche, but so true for Belle Color — Blue! Jewelry — She has her mother’s costume jewelry that she wears to parties, otherwise she wears simple pearl earrings on the day to day and maybe a necklace (she has a lovely cameo necklace that she wears with relative frequency). Games — Loves chess and crosswords and things like that Websites — Pfft, she’s not a big internet person TV Shows — Doesn’t watch TV Movies — Doesn’t watch movies either Greatest Want — to be needed Greatest Need — to become confident

Where and How Does Your Character Live Now:

Home — the house that her father left her; it’s a three bedroom cottage in the southwest side of Swynlake. She’s got a few acres of land too on which she has a little stable and a field for Phillipe. There is a lovely, overgrown garden in the backyard Household furnishings — Old, but not entirely outdated, she’s just never updated them. The floor is warped and the chairs in the dining room are rickety, but it’s cozy, even if everything is mismatched. There are clocks everywhere--clocks that tell time forwards and backwards and only move every hour and move way too fast. (Only one works properly, it’s in the kitchen, above the sink.) Favorite Possession — Her books. Most Cherished Possession — Pictures of her mother Neighborhood — She doesn’t have any neighbors near enough to see from her house because everyone has plenty of land. Town or City Name — Swynlake, Wiltshire County Details of Town or City — around 6,000 in population; university town; farmlands; magic friendly Married Before — nope! Significant Other Before — nope! Children — Opal Acheron, daughter (FC: Gravity Blue Smith/Mackenzie Foy), born: February 15, 2019 Relationship with Family — estranged from her father, who is her only family Car — none, does philippe count? jk Career — bookshoppe owner Dream Career — something that involves excitement and travel Dream Life — traveling the world and doing good in some capacity Love Life — dating Hades, though she hates the term “dating”; they’re very in love, even if it isn’t always happy or easy Talents or Skills — excellent horse rider, extremely fast reader, super smart, super analytical, a pretty good nurse, tbh Intelligence Level — very intelligent, almost to the point of accidental snobbishness Finances — she’s got like 5,000 to her name, make of that what you will.

Your Character’s Life Before Your Story:

Past Careers — none Past Lovers — none, though many people tried Biggest Mistakes — not speaking out more Biggest Achievements — she says none lol

[alex-guerin]

1, 3, 13, 25, 41, 42, 47 (sorry it's a lot I just liked these ones ahaha)

Ah, multiple questions. Yeeeesssss....

1. What is your name and does it mean anything?

Alyssa is my full first name. Honestly, I’ve seen so many different things that claim to be the meaning of my name, I have no idea. I just know it’s a variant of Alicia, and has something to do with the alyssum flower. Now, what I’m most commonly called, on the other hand, Lyssa...*wicked laughter* That’s Greek for “madness”...which is so pathetically accurate and appropriate for me.

3. What position do you normally sleep in?

If I’ve gone to bed, I can only sleep on my stomach. If I’m just trying to catch a nap, I’m kinda propped up/reclined kinda thing. Some reason I can usually fall asleep for a nap like that.

13. Name one movie that made you cry.

Just one?!?!? E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Simon Birch are two that spring to mind right off the top of my head. But really, there’s so many movies that make me cry (Land Before Time, also just popped into my head. I sob during that movie anymore)...oh and the mid-credit memorial for Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin during Star Trek Beyond. Yeah...there’s a lot...let’s leave it at that.

25. Do you wear glasses? If so, how long have you been wearing glasses? 

Yes, and I hate them. I hate them so hard. I’m constantly knocking them off my face when dealing with my freezer gear at work, or they fog up so bad I can’t see when I get out of the freezer. I’ve smashed them on things. God, how I hate them! I’ve been wearing them since I was....eight? Seven? I can’t remember. I was little. I didn’t start REALLY needing to wear them constantly every day until I was like 10. Soooooooooo...*mumblestwentyyearsmumbles*

41. When was the last time you got really happy and why?

That, my dear, is a very good question. I’ll let you know when I think of something/remember... =/ 

42. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

....my own cooking? I don’t know. I’m not very adventurous when it comes to food. And I tend to avoid accidentally eating bugs or anything like that. I use to gnaw on the Styrofoam of my bike helmet when I was little. Does that count?

47. What is your favorite series of books?

Oh! OH! Sit down, sweet summer child! Let me tell you the tale of the Dark-Hunters, their friends the Were-Hunters, and those pesky Dream-Hunters! The Dark-Hunters series (which basically encompasses the Were-Hunters and Dream-Hunters, too) is an AMAZING series written by Sherrilyn Kenyon. So, okay, so. All the Greek Gods still exist, right? Some have died off cuz people stopped worshiping them, but most of the Biggies are still around. Including Artemis. Who is the redhead heifer bitch, but that’s besides the point. ANYWAY! Once upon a time, Apollo took a human bride. This pissed his demi-god children (the Apollites) off, and when said bride became pregnant, the angry children killed her and the baby and started this whole big MESS! Apollo cursed them so that they would only live to the age of twenty-seven (the age his bride was when she died), and could never step foot in the sunlight ever again. BUT! They found a way to beat that curse (or at least, the whole dying by age 27 bit), by sucking the souls out of the living (there was more to it, but I’m trying to keep this short as possible...which won’t be short at all). Those who chose to take this route became known as Daimons (Urian is a Daimon, look at him. He’s so pretty. Good thing he eventually stops being an evil S.O.B). 

Now...keep in mind I’m trying to give the watered down story behind them all, so, I’m leaving a bunch of shit out, BUT! Artemis eventually realizes what her stupid twin brother has done, and when HER human lover is eventually murdered, she went to him when his soul screamed for revenge and told him, “Ash, listen, I know I turned my back on you, but I can give you a chance for revenge...uh...if you kill my brother’s bastard children.” Acheron at first was like, “Pft! Bitch! I died for you! I died because of you! Screw off! Leave me alone!” But eventually, he caved and agreed and thus, the first Dark Hunter he became. Hunting down the Daimons and killing them off before they could kill humans. Eventually, there were a lot of Dark-Hunters everywhere, Ash was their leader, and there was no way any of them could get out of their service to Artemis. Until there was. They’d fall in love and decide to give up being Dark Hunters, and Acheron would have to go to Artemis personally to ask for their souls back. At a very steep price that we’re not gonna discuss, but it’s why Artemis is often referred to as the redhead heifer goddess that Simi don’t like (read the series, you’ll find out who Simi is. She’s pretty much amazing). 

The Were-Hunters are cool, because they’re weres. There’s werewolves (Fang is my baby, my boy, my love, and I will protect him at all costs! Of course, his brother’s Fury and Vane are pretty fucking amazing also), there’s dragons (Max is also amazing, but you don’t really meet him until much, much later in the series. Like, the Dragon’s series is only just started coming out in the last couple of years and she’s been writing this whole world for yeeeeeeeeeeeeeears!), there’s the were-bears (...the Peltier family is too extensive for me to pick from, but Aimee will definitely fuck a bitch up.), there’s even a snow leopard/white tiger were (Wren. Oh Wren. You deserve all the love in the world, my darling kitty). They tend to stay away from the Dark-Hunters, for reasons. But, when push comes to shove, DH will come help them, and they in turn, will go help the DH. 

Now...the Dream-Hunters are a breed of their own. They don’t really fall in with the Dark-Hunters much...even though a few books do kind of overlap and share characters and it’s actually in a Dream Hunters book that you meet the person who will one day become very very important to Acheron. But basically, Dream-Hunters travel through dreams. Either to lead the dreamer away from something no one is supposed to find...or to lead them to something. Or to simply feel emotions again. Like I said, they’re a whole breed of their own that I don’t fully understand cuz while I absolutely love the first book in their series (aptly named The Dream Hunter), I didn’t much get into the other books. They’re good, but, I honestly couldn’t tell you what they were about. 

tl;dr: THE ENTIRE WORLD OF THE DARK-HUNTERS IS AMAZING AND EVERYONE SHOULD READ THEM! THEY’RE CLASSIFIED AS PARANORMAL-ROMANCE, BUT FRANKLY 9/10 BOOKS ARE MORE ACTION/ADVENTURE THAN THEY ARE ROMANCE (okay, so, I think there’s a couple of books where the characters are banging like rabbits, but that’s besides the point)!! SERIOUSLY! READ MY PRECIOUS BABIES!