#ch: sonia

[nikosasaki]

MARATINES '24 ⋆ day seven; (friend)ships

the important relationships of Sonia Parikh and Margot Kipps.

taglist: @kendelias @chlobenet @bravelittleflower @eddiemunscns  @purpleyearning @eddysocs @heavenlysurf @arrthurpendragon @villanele @nolanhollogay @stanshollaand @lovehermioneforever @raith-way @kiara-carrera @decennia @luucypevensie @waterloou @ginger-grimm @hiddenqveendom @foxesandmagic @jvstjewels @dragonsbone  @endless-oc-creations @ginevrastilinski @sunlitscribe @dyhlanobrien @partiallypearl @witchofinterest @fleetwoodmcs @daughter-of-melpomene

[cass1x1]

💋 (sonia/miles)

send  “💋”  for four times my muse thought about kissing yours, and the one time they actually did. 

i.

It's so late by the time they make it to Sonia's apartment. The night is cool and still and extremely private, as though they are the only two people left awake in the entire city. Despite the hour, and despite the fact that she'd worked an entire shift before Miles picked her up, she isn't even tired. No, she'd become energized spending time with him. She could've danced-danced-danced all night.

"So..." Miles says, not finishing the sentence.

Sonia rocks back on her heels. "So...thanks for walking me home."

"Yeah." The word hangs between them, waiting for one of them to do something.

For a moment, Sonia does. She thinks--she knows--that from the outside, this looks like the end of a date. It certainly feels like one. She rocks forward slightly, and then thinks better of it. "So..." It feels like they have gone in a circle, now. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

Miles answers slowly, like he didn't realize she was speaking. "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

She turns and puts the key in her door, and doesn't look to see if he watched her go.

ii.

It is, Sonia tells herself, a mistake she makes because she is tipsy. She is warm and the edges of her world have softened, making them something she can hold. Tonight, she does not feel too childish or pathetic for believing in love--how can she, when it is all around her? And so, with her defenses down, when she sees Miles walk in, she hops up, throwing herself around him.

"You came!" she cooed into his neck, where she has buried her face. His hands come up to hold her back. "I'm so glad you came."

Miles chuckles, and she can feel it against her whole torso. "Of course. I wouldn't have missed it."

There is something in his words, a tone that her off-kilter brain can't process, and so she leans back to read it on his face. The mistake; not only is Miles notoriously hard for her to read, but at this angle, she knows she could just--

Something brightens in his eyes, and she sees herself reflected in it. Catches herself. Pulls herself back down, the unnamed decision still swimming in her brain. "I'm so glad you're here," she reiterates, as though that might explain her behavior. "Come on back! We've got tequila and....hmmm rum, maybe? I forget."

Miles chuckles and allows himself to be pulled over to the makeshift bar. If he noticed her little almost slip-up there, he doesn't say anything.

iii.

Sonia wants to kiss Miles. Both in the general sense--she has for a long time, no matter how hard she tells herself not to--and in the specific sense. Right now, right here, in front of all the diners and her coworkers, Sonia wants to kiss Miles. It is an urge that has struck her so hard, so suddenly, that she finds herself leaning down toward him, despite every reason that she has held this desire back for months.

It's something about the way his face looks this morning. Kissable. He looks so kissable, that it has clearly knocked the sense out of Sonia. His mouth is relaxed, the shape of his lips not quite forming a smile. His soft, pillowy-looking lips. His jaw isn't set like it is on a bad date or straining like it is when work isn't going well. It's just relaxed. His forehead, his eyes, he seems so at peace, and Sonia wants desperately to kiss him.

She may well have, if he hadn't spoken up when he did. "Hey, you, uh..." He reaches up to brush something off her arm. Sonia didn't see what, but the moment shatters around her, and she feels heat rise in her cheeks. She hopes, perversely, that what he'd shooed off was a fly, so that she has something to be embarrassed about.

"Thanks," she says. "You need a refill?" She glances at his cup, only about half-drunk. "I can get that for you." She turns away, forcing herself to take measured steps back to the kitchen.

iv

She loves this feeling, being wrapped in Miles's arms. He's so warm, and she can feel the soft beat of his heart against her back. She can hide when the on-screen action gets too scary. She can be as close to him as she wants, and pretend for a moment that she doesn't want it to be something it's not. In a way, she doesn't. Being tucked into him like this is perfect, exactly as it is.

The only problem is that it has been a long week, for both of them, and she can feel him start to lull above her. It's not a problem for her comfort, per se, but it feels more intimate, if he is asleep. She doesn't know why; it just does. For a moment, she considers pretending not to notice. But guilt nags at her, and eventually, she realizes she must do something.

It's not clear to her exactly what she's going to do--just that she's going to do it--when she twists to face him. It is, apparently, enough on its own. Miles stirs. His eyes flutter open, so strikingly blue that it hits her in the gut again. He mutters something too soft for her to hear. Sonia tilts her head up to listen, and then realizes how close they are. There's barely any distance between them. If she arches her back up slightly, there would be none at all. Face to face. Skin to skin. Lip to lip.

She turns away almost as soon as the realization hits. Almost. She gives herself a moment to relish that feeling, to memorize what it's like to be in his arms and know that she can close that distance. And then she twists back to facing the TV before sliding herself out from his arms slightly. An immediate chill slides through where his body was, a moment ago. "I should probably be heading home," she says, voice barely above a whisper. "It's pretty late and I have class in the morning." It's a lie--she doesn't have class until late in the day--but it saves him from having to apologize for falling asleep on her, nearly literally. "Good night, Miles."

"Night," he whispers back, so bewildered that it fills her with confidence that he has no idea what happened.

v

Miles lights up a room when he is animated. Well, Sonia thinks he always lights up a room, but never more so than when he is animated. She can feel energy radiating off of him as he describes the new design technique, the way the solar panels can be inlaid to work seamlessly into the roofing. He is is own sun in these moments, absolutely glowing with energy.

She listens for a moment before she feels that same stir inside her, that dangerous feeling that she has fended off so many times before. She has told herself every lie in the book--that she is just lonely, that she's out of practice having friends like this, that everyone feels this way about their friends sometimes. That she doesn't want to kiss him.

Whatever lie she is about to conjure for herself begins to bubble up when a realization stops her. She doesn't need to do this. Instead, she cups a hand on his cheek, which does stop him talking for the moment, leans in, and catches his lips with hers.

It's a gentle kiss. Miles is not much for PDA, but he leans into her, kissing back. There's no tongue or hands, just a sweet press between them, and when she pulls back, she is almost laughing.

"What was that for?" he asks.

Sonia smiles, knowing full well that she is flushed despite how soft the kiss was and not even caring. "I don't know, I just wanted to."

[hopes-memorial]

@special-encounters moved here for editor 「❀」

Her eyes widen at Sonia's words, not because she was scared, though. The generous offer caught her off guard though.

"Oh my...of course! I cannot begin to thank you enough for such an offer alone!"

Even if it wasn't anything she hadn't seen before, observing decay, seeing what could speed it up or slow it down...it was something that would always keep her interest no matter how often she saw it.

[despairs-memorial]

@dead-or-lie continued from here for editor

"I thank you for welcoming me to your lair, overlord of ice, especially on the momentous anniversary of your birth!"

With her, there's a rather large box that's expertly wrapped. On closer inspection, he would notice holes on the sides.

"Hm, I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of importing something rather precious from my homeland for you."

[vi-enti]

how to be yourself (who is that, anyways?)

He didn’t deserve an ending just yet. There was too much to fix. / Nobody was healed and only more wounded were going to join them, but… they’d heal. They’d do it together. / Would peace be an option for all of them? / Nothing was right. / "We can make things right."

A story of survival after death, and how to forge something new after having destroyed the world. Where every awakening is a disaster waiting to happen, but not an irreparable one. Unlikely friendships, growing bonds, and some semblance of happiness; if they can bring themselves to believe they deserve it, anyways.

tldr; the remnants of despair becoming beacons of hope again, not for society, but for themselves.

how to be yourself (who is that, anyways?) - Chapter 1 - guravity - Dangan Ronpa Series [Archive of Our Own]

[levithestripper]

do you ever think that there's a possibility that the hyrule royal family consistently names their daughters zelda because rauru and sonia named their daughter after OUR zelda?

[aparticularbandit]

Okay, so I have to restart Chapter 5 to finish Kazuichi's FTEs.

Good to know that now before I started mashing through Chapter 4 stuff to check.

[scorpiolight-madd]

<- deranged

[whispersafterdusk]

Lost in Time - ch 24

"--dead."

That was quite possibly the worst thing Eli wanted to hear the moment she got back in signal range.

"Repeat that - who's dead?" she shouted at her Hi-Def.

"I said, Franklin's dead.  It's over," Remington repeated, sounding out of breath.

Eli felt an instant wave of relief wash over her. Granted, a dead man couldn't provide answers or be held accountable for those he'd killed tonight yet she couldn't help but consider this the best ending they could have hoped for.  "Where is everyone?  I'm on my way back to Portia.  Sam is -- somewhere behind me," she went on, letting herself slow to a brisk jog versus the full sprint she'd been moving at. ((Continued below cut))

"I'm here at the Corps building - Adam and I are overseeing two additional suspects," came Mali's answer.  "Remington hurried out of here but was uninjured."

Sam, Mali, Adam, and Remington accounted for.  "Arlo? Asher?" There was an uncomfortable stretch of silence. "...Arlo, Asher - where are you?"

"Everyone...  Meet at the Corps building," came Arlo's response, finally.  "We'll...we'll get everyone caught up as to what happened tonight."

Eli's heart sank at how defeated he sounded and the relief she'd felt only moments earlier was replaced with a sort of cold fear -- what had happened in town?  Asher wasn't- Asher hadn't answered, or had anyone confirm his whereabouts.

"Arlo - what's Asher's status?"

No answer.

"...Arlo?" Mali asked.

Eli pushed herself into a sprint again.

When she finally crested the hill and the Corps building came into view she spotted Mali and Adam at the Corps building's open door, standing to either side of a body face down and...Lily's mother?  Why would -- oh, of course...  The gunshots probably alerted her and she'd gone looking for Lily.

Whatever.  The girl was dead and not important right now.

Beyond them, further along the path, there was something laying on the ground - closer to the clinic than to the Corps building and glinting dully in the poor light, and beyond that she spotted a...a long, wet, dark trail coming up the hill from the opposite side and marking a path directly to the clinic's door.

Eli blew passed Mali and the others and collided shoulder-first with the clinic door, shoving it open with a bang, almost colliding with Remington just inside the doorway and sliding a bit in the thick blood smear that went from the doorway to-

Asher.  On a bed with a blood-soaked cover pulled partially up his torso.  And beside him sat Xu on a stool, with his hands stained red from fingertips to wrist and little rivulets tracing paths up his arms and smeared on the front of his white coat.  There was a small puddle of blood at his feet, formed from what was dripping off the sheet that was under Asher and slowly expanding outward toward the pile of shredded cloth Eli recognized as one of Asher's shirts that had been tossed to the floor.

Xu had had his elbows braced on his knees and his head hanging low, and had jerked upright with a start as Eli barged in.

"Eli-"

She finally registered Arlo standing near Xu's desk; he was soaked in red down his right side, from his waist down to his boots.

"What happened?  Is he...?"

 Is he all right?  Is he...he has to be, he-

Arlo looked away, lips pressed together; Remington was staring a hole through the floor at his feet.  She looked from them to Xu, who gave her a shake of his head.

"...he was gone before Arlo managed to get him through the door," Xu said softly.  "I... The aorta.  The bullet severed the aorta.  Even if he'd been shot here in the clinic I don't think I could have stopped the bleeding in time...not from something like this."

Eli timidly approached Asher's body on the bed, reaching out to gently take one of his hands in hers; it was cold, and heavy and limp, and he was a mess of blood.  Just...so, so much blood soaking into the sheet draped over him but didn't quite cover him fully - she could just see the tip of an open surgical cut sticking out from under the fabric...proof that Xu had attempted at least something, for all the good it would have done.

Such heavy blood loss had left Asher pale; someone had thankfully closed his eyes but there was no peaceful look to him...no way one could fool themselves into thinking he was merely asleep.

"I..." she whispered.  She tightened her fingers over his and pulled his hand up to beneath her chin.  "I'm sorry...  I'm so sorry.  I never should have...  I shouldn't have listened.  I should have just gone in.  I knew I needed to...  I knew I should have..."

She was faintly aware of Xu moving away, heard a splash of water and the sound of rustling cloth; not long after she heard footsteps and the clinic's door opening and closing.

The hot prickle of tears started at the corners of her eyes and her knees felt ready to give way.  Before she toppled she turned and scraped her back down the bed's edge, coming to sit partially in the blood puddle in the floor but not caring.  She kept hold of Asher's hand which brought his arm down with her to dangle off the bed, hanging beside her head and over her shoulder.

She rested her cheek against his forearm and cried.

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

The door to Selene's factory was unlocked and a sharp metallic smell hung in the air as he cracked the door open; one of Selene's main rules here was to always check before walking in and dutifully Django did just that, pausing with his face near but not beyond the threshold -- though he couldn't see the source he was aware of a flickering light reflecting off the floor and could hear a popping noise coming from within so he kept his gaze fixated on the polished stone at his feet as he pushed his way inside.

Mere seconds later the flickering stopped, as did the pops.  "Didn't hear you knock."

"Because I didn't," he replied with a short chuckle as he gently closed the door behind him.

In front of him Eli sat behind a workbench that had been moved away from the wall and into the empty space between the entryway and where a line of machines started; in one hand she held a torch and the other was sliding a pair of thick-lensed goggles off her face and onto her forehead. Splayed across the bench before her was the Access Suit in a state of partial disassembly with wires, various relic pieces Django couldn't identify, tubing, bottles of oil and lubricant, a roll of soldering material, (and, strangely, what looked like the device she'd been speaking into the other night but now missing its casing) all carefully arranged within easy reach around it.

"Trying to fix it?"

"Trying to...  It needs a new cooling system, the environmental simulation sensors are both shot and the brackets need to be re-aligned, it needs a new projector processor, some replacement wire and some fine-tuning... I may not be able to get it back to perfect working order, but it'll be enough...  It has to be enough," she added after a moment.  "Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to check on you - you left the funeral pretty quickly."

At the mention of the funeral she closed her eyes; he walked over to lean against the workbench opposite of her.

"...I know his parents couldn't possibly have known when they purchased the plot," Eli finally said, voice low,  "and I guess no one thought to explain or even ask me, but seeing his headstone so close to Darren's was...painful.  I didn't think I could keep it together enough to mingle."

He nodded but remained silent, and she too was silent for a long moment before opening her eyes and meeting his; the look of exhaustion, of both body and soul, was painfully obvious.  Django circled around the workbench, reaching out to take the welding torch out of her grasp and lay it on the bench before gently turning her to face him with his hands resting on her shoulders.

"It's all right to grieve, Eli," he said softly.

She let out a huffed, bitter laugh.  "Yeah?  Maybe I could if I wasn't so broken.  The list of people I've lost is too long.  It's too much.  I can't...I thought maybe with time I could come to terms with it -- even before now it felt like an impossible order, with my husband, my family, my entire world gone.  And now Asher is gone too.  I can't.  I can't. Not right now."

It was odd being in such familiar territory; his days as a knight, especially the early days, had been far bloodier than he'd ever shared with anyone.  There was always joy in recounting the heroic tales but the ones that had cut deep he always kept close to himself -- names and faces, places where they'd fallen or parted ways...  He'd been in this exact position (well...maybe "exact" was not quite the right word) time and again and Eli's expression was the same look he'd seen on his own face staring back at him from the reflection of too-polished armor.  After a moment he tugged her forward into a hug; she stiffened at his touch at first, then relaxed a bit though she did not raise her arms to return the embrace.

"You're not broken, and you can't run from the grief forever...it won't ever lessen if you refuse to treat with it."

"I know.  I know, but right now I don't want to think about it.  Not when I've still got a job to do." She leaned out from the hug and turned back to the suit on the table.  "If I can just get this damn thing working..."

"A job? What are you planning?" he asked, letting his hands drop to his sides.

"I'm going to get this suit functioning, then I'm going to head north and get Harrison's family out of Duvos's hands."

"I suppose I should have guessed that...  You can't do this on your own, Eli."  At that she shot him a withering glare and he held up his hands in a placating gesture.  "That's not me disparaging your skills -- this isn't the world or people you knew.  Perhaps a better way to word it is, you don't have to do this alone."

"I won't be alone," she grunted.  "Rose is coming with me."

"...Rose?" he repeated.

She wordlessly pointed across the bench toward the far wall.  He shifted to follow her finger with his gaze and was shocked to see the Ghost Knight leaning against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed, motionless and positioned so that, as he'd opened the door and come in, the door itself had blocked her from view.

He'd completely missed her presence in the room and a chill of uncertainty shot down his spine as he jerked his head back around to Eli.  "Absolutely not!  You can't be serious!"

Eli cocked an eyebrow at him.  "I get that she's stabbed you and has worked for Duvos in the past, but she gave you the Access Suit and just wanted to leave with her daughter."

"I do not, not for an instant, trust her to lead you down the right path," Django insisted, shooting Rose an uneasy look.  "I am not letting you leave with her."

"And just how did you plan to stop me?" Eli asked dryly.  "You know if I don't go then you're leaving a rescue mission up to the whims of bureaucracy."

Django paused, glancing between the two women; Rose still had not moved or spoken, or opened her eyes for that matter.  After a moment he squared himself to the workbench, balling his hands into fists and then bracing them against the benchtop.  "-I'm not.  I'm not going to stop you.  But I am going to go with you."

Eli let out a sigh that trailed off into a growl; she kicked her heel out and Django heard the scrape of wood on stone as the stool just behind her slid abruptly backwards several inches, giving her the needed space to plop onto it while crossing her arms atop the workbench before resting her forehead on them, all in one smooth motion.  "Are we really going to have this argument...?"

Rose chose that moment to interrupt, though she remained as still as a statue as she spoke. "We have not truly talked in decades, knight."

"No, we have not," he agreed.

"That you would imply I have not changed in all that time is insulting."

The woman stirred at last and gave him a dead-eyed, empty look -- where he'd seen unimaginable grief in Eli here he saw...nothing.  No emotion.

"I can believe that you could have changed," he replied.  "I just have no reason to believe it was wholly for the better."

"You think I would side with the empire that has killed my daughter?"

"No.  But I don't know what else you might do."  He turned his attention back to Eli who was still face-down on her arms.  "Have you told anyone what you intend to do?"

"No, and I want it to stay that way," came the muffled answer.  "I don't want anyone worrying, or trying to stop me, or trying to follow me."  After a pause she lifted her head and stared up at him.  "And I definitely do not want Duvos to see me coming.  If I'm going to have a shot at getting up there, finding them, and getting them home, NO ONE can know."

Django straightened, rubbing his fingers over the crease in the knuckles of the opposite hand and unflinchingly meeting her gaze.  "I am coming with you."

"What about the Round Table?"

"Sonia has managed it by herself before -- she knows every bit of my business though she insists she's content being just a waitress while she waits for the right man to come along," he paused, then smiled a bit.  "I've debated giving ownership of it to her, if she wants it, when I'm finally too old to do the work myself."

Though...Sonia wouldn't appreciate having this dumped into her lap without warning.  Was this the right choice?  It had to be; he couldn't stand by and not help -- Eli, Harrison and his family, (maybe even Rose as well) they were all in need and he was in a position to help them.  To NOT help at this moment seemed cruel.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Eli shoving herself up off the workbench, craning her neck to stare up into the ceiling as she took in several deep breaths.

"On my honor as a knight," he said quietly, waiting until she'd lowered her chin and was looking at him before he continued.  "On my honor, I swear I will not tell a soul, so long as you do not leave without me."

"And if I do?"

He smiled at her.  "I guess I would need to share what I know with the Civil Corps when they realize they have a missing person case."

She snorted - loudly and heavily - at that but stuck her hand out toward him.  "Oh shut up...  Fine, whatever.  We'll leave the morning after I've gotten this damn thing fixed.  Preferably well before dawn, so there's no chance we're spotted."

Django shook her hand.  "Agreed.  I will be ready."

She let go and pulled the stool closer to the bench, reaching up to pull the goggles back into place.  "I'll let you know - I'll let you BOTH know - but I need to concentrate on this so, respectfully, clear out."

With a nod Django stepped around the bench and stopped halfway between it and the door, eying Rose silently; he remained there until she finally stepped from the wall and came toward him, then continued on and disappeared outside. When he was certain she had left Django stepped out of the factory and took a few deep breaths of the fresh air.

He would need to get his armor ready -- the set on the stand in the Round Table was just a costume he'd commissioned for display.  His actual suit of armor was still carefully stored in a trunk under his bed; he'd dutifully tended to it over the years -- oiling the straps, buffing rust from the buckles, polishing the metal.  There had been many times where he'd debated getting rid of it...  His days as a knight were over, he'd told himself; he was retired and the memories would remain even if he never wore it again or even kept it.  But he'd held onto it -- and thank goodness he had!

It had been a few months since he'd last taken it out and as often as he'd tended to it over the years he wasn't expecting it to really need any repair; he could have it ready to go in an hour or so, then leave it laid out where he could don it quickly and leave.

He would also need to write a note of some kind for Sonia... An apologetic one, as he could not give her any details on where he was going or why.  Hopefully, when they all returned safely, he could explain and earn her forgiveness.

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

Almost...done...

After she'd taken it from Asher's belongings in the clinic his Hi-Def had been a constant presence in the factory as she'd worked to get the Access Suit back into working order; she'd debated just burying him with it and if it had been in her time she would have. She'd been unable to convince herself to let it go though, and then, after she'd had a chance to look the Access Suit over, to determine what it needed, she'd understood.

Among the list of parts the suit had needed was a new projector processor -- a part the Hi-Def's also utilized.  Balance had intervened to make sure she'd have what she needed.

With a steady and gentle hand (and a pair of slender tweezers) she removed the processor from the Hi-Def and carefully slotted it onto the control board of the suit.  It slipped into place smoothly and she closed the little metal clamp over it to press it fully into the connectors, then picked up the little current-testing tool and touched the prongs to the input and output points -- she didn't think anything inside the Hi-Def would've been damaged but she had to be certain...

It read green.  Working like a dream.

A bad, terrible, endless nightmare of a dream.

She set the tool aside and rubbed grimy fingers to her temples. "...I miss you.  And I always will, but you're going to see the end of this chapter.  I promise," she said into the empty air.

All that was left now was to bend the simulation brackets back into place and attach the last few bits of the cooling system, then a final test...

Her personal story may have stalled and she still didn't know where she was meant to go from here but Balance had acted to give her a chance to be Judgement's hand...  For Harrison's family, for Asher...for every tale Duvos had disrupted.  It was time to act.

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

With her plane Mali had helped them comb the surrounding territory, looking for any sign that the Sky Sharks were lurking about.  To the far northeast near the coast they had spotted what looked like tracks left from landing gear but aside from that one hint there was no other clue that anyone had been around -- certainly no sign of the Sharks themselves.  Mali had suspected they'd simply abandoned the mission when it seemed like it had failed (by Windsor's account the delay with the clinic expansion had set them back weeks when it was only supposed to be a quick in-and-out job), and with nothing to go on and no clear sign of danger, there wasn't much they could do.

Arlo hadn't been sleeping well these last few days; while finding no sign of the Sky Sharks had relieved some of the constant anxiety he was...was-

-buckling under the guilt, honestly.  How anyone could stand to be around him was beyond him -- his orders had gotten someone killed.  Asher's loss was his fault.  He especially couldn't bear being near Eli; her words in the clinic kept echoing in his head:

I shouldn't have listened, she'd said.

No...she shouldn't have.  She never should have accepted his command; she had years more experience on him -- formal training, a career based around leading others.  And what did he have?  A quick rise to #1 in a town that barely saw any crime -- how stupid, how arrogant, to think he was qualified compared to her.

It had been difficult to put on a brave face for everyone around him; Sam was struggling with the fact that she'd asked to trade places with Asher and he'd had to reassure her it wasn't her fault as there wasn't a guarantee anything would have played out differently if he'd not been there.  Remington had quietly stepped up and took on extra patrols, to give Arlo the time needed to search the countryside with Mali in pursuit of the Sharks, and then when those scholars had come up from Vega 5 he'd taken them off Arlo's hands without complaint.

...Remington also had more experience than he did.  He'd been in Lucien and seen combat at the border with Duvos before he'd settled back in Portia.  Even he would be a better choice than...

It had taken another day or two to think it through but...Arlo had made his mind up, and the very next morning he was up and pacing restlessly while he waited for time to tick over and Town Hall to open.

At 9am on the dot he'd left his room and hurried to Town Hall, pushing open the door in a rush and coming to a skidding halt in the foyer.

"Gale?  Gale, do you have a moment?  I need to speak to you - it's important."

Arlo could see Gale at his desk, some kind of paper or letter held in front of him, and as he watched the man's expression grow steadily more crestfallen he felt a surge of nervousness - what now?

"Gale?"

"Ah, ahem, yes - sorry Arlo, please, come in," the man responded, clearing his throat.

"If this is a bad time I can come back."

"No, no, I don't- there-" Gale paused and took a deep breath, then managed to reclaim that usual look of professional friendliness he always wore as he set the paper down on the desk in front of him.  "I have a free moment now and you're here anyway so may as well speak.  What can I help you with?"

"I-" Arlo opened and closed his mouth a few times -- just say it.  Just say it-  "I wanted to resign as leader of the Civil Corps."

Gale's expression immediately fell and Arlo was shocked to see him bury his head in his hands.  "Not you too..."

"What?  What do you mean?" Arlo prompted.  He came over to the desk, punching a fist into its top.  "Not 'me' too?  Who else...?"

Gale picked up the letter he'd been reading as Arlo had entered and held it up, clearly going over it once more before tossing it listlessly to the desk.   "This was in the floor when I came in just now - I guess she put it under the door.  It...would seem that Eli has resigned from the Civil Corps and left Portia."

Arlo felt like someone had hit him square in the gut -- she'd what?!  "She what?  When?"  He reached out to snatch the letter and Gale didn't stop him.

It was a simple and to the point note:

 Mayor Gale,

 Effective immediately I am resigning my position with the Civil Corps.

 I am also leaving Portia due to a personal matter.  I apologize for the abruptness of my departure.

 - Elizabeth Summers

No... no, this had to be a-  a joke, right?  She couldn't leave...not like this.

Arlo turned and bolted for the door, leaving the letter to flutter to the floor in his wake; outside he slapped his Hi-Def open and was dismayed to see her name in bright red -- out of range.

He opened a channel to everyone.  "Has anyone seen Eli?"

"Not since yesterday morning, why?" came Remington's response.

"I haven't, no," was Sam's.

"She's not been out this way in a few days," Mali replied.

Arlo silenced the Hi-Def before sprinting toward the Peach Plaza gate and heading for Selene's house beyond it, leaping the fence and falling against the front door before banging on it.  A few moments later Selene opened the door and was almost bowled over as Arlo barged in.

"Please tell me Eli's here," he asked in a rush.

Selene got her balance back and hesitated.  "I didn't hear her get up this morning, what's-"

"Is she here?" he repeated through gritted teeth.

"What's going on?  You're starting to scare me a little--"

She trailed off as Arlo darted around her and pounded his way up the stairs to Eli's bedroom.

The door wasn't fully closed and there was no answer when he knocked so he simply shoved it open and was hit by an encompassing sense of emptiness -- the bed was immaculately made, there wasn't a single speck of dust on the bedside table or dresser, and aside from a photograph pinned to the headboard there wasn't any sign that anyone had been living in this room.

He heard Selene come up behind him, huffing a little bit.  "Arlo, what's wrong?"

"Eli left," he mumbled.  He moved into the middle of the room and slowly spun in place -- the place was painfully neat and tidy.

"She what?  When?" Selene asked, coming in behind him.  "She didn't -- why would she leave without saying anything?" She stood there looking around in confusion before moving over to pull a drawer open -- empty.   Shoving it closed she tugged open the next and there, at least, was some clothing folded up; there was more clothing (pajamas, some socks, and what Arlo suspected had to be undergarments as Selene was quick to close that drawer without looking too closely at its contents) in the next drawer and he could see Selene's baffled expression reflected in the mirror.

"You're sure she's left?" Selene asked after a time.  "Maybe she just...  She's out for a walk?"

Arlo stepped over to the bed and tugged the photograph off the headboard; he remembered this picture -- it was from the solstice celebration, not long after they'd rescued Eli from the facility.  He held it gingerly between his thumb and pointer finger, numbly backing out  of the room and into the hall until his back bumped into the opposite wall.

"She sent Gale a letter," he said softly.  "She left.  She's gone."

Selene covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide; Arlo slid down the wall and sat in the floor, studying the picture a moment longer before slipping it carefully into an inner pocket of his jacket, then he drew his knees up and looped his arms around them, letting his head droop between them.

What could he do now?  How could he possibly make up for his mistakes if she wasn't here?  Could he somehow catch up to her if he figured out where she'd gone?  ...no, that would probably make things worse as it was pretty clear, based on how she'd left without a word, that she didn't want anyone coming with her or following.

Damn it...  More than anything now he regretted that he'd been avoiding her.  What if he never saw her again?

He was aware of a pair of feet appearing in his peripheral a moment before Selene settled into the floor beside him, shoulder to shoulder and with her left leg pressed in against his leg.

"You don't need to talk unless you want to...but I'll sit here as long as you need me to," she whispered.

They sat in silence and after some time - how long?  Who knew - Arlo let his head drop to the side, finding Selene's there to lean against.  She gently nudged him with her shoulder and wrapped her arms around his.

"For what it's worth..." she said into the silence then.  "I don't think she'd leave for good without saying goodbye."

He stopped bracing his heels against the floor and let his legs slide flat, his arms falling to his sides (or at least one of them did - Selene was still holding him on the one side).  "...I hope you're right.  I don't want this to be how it ends."

The hours passed; he finally stirred when he could hear Selene's stomach growling and realized that he was also hungry.  She got up with him, excused herself long enough to put on clean clothes (she'd mumbled something about grease-stained work clothing) then they walked together to the Round Table.  Being as it was somewhere between lunch and dinner it wasn't as crowded; they settled at a table together and weren't waiting long before Sonia bustled over.

"Hey you two -- just letting you know ahead of time it'll be a bit slower than you're used to," she said as she dropped off a pair of menus.

"Oh?  Everything all right?" Selene asked.

"I hope so -- Django left me a note that he needed to travel suddenly so I'm handling the place by myself again until he gets home," was Sonia's response before she held up a finger to them and hurried off to greet the small group of tourist types that had just entered.

Arlo stared after her.  Django...left?  And at the same time as Eli...  He turned back to the table and saw Selene giving him a knowing look.

"That can't be coincidence, and I doubt she'd run away with Django without any intention of coming home," Selene whispered.  "She'll come home...  I just know it."

Arlo took a deep breath and leaned back into the cushion behind him.

She'd come back...  She would.

[wolfie-wolfgang]

Going to Naples and Sorrento - on an Italian opera trail.

Watching Mount Vesuvius from Sorrento, across the Bay of Naples, I thought of Pliny the Younger (born 61 AD), as you do, who wrote a detailed description of the catastrophic eruption of the volcano (79 AD) that killed his uncle, the great Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder, who sailed into the disaster because he was interested in the science of volcanoes. Pliny the younger watched the destruction…

[nikosasaki]

mara’s oc list ⭑ Margot Kipps & Sonia Parikh

If you came here in search of answers, prepare to be sorely disappointed. While the associates at the Parikh & Kipps Agency would love to provide those answers you seek, they are, at present, unable to.

However, they do consider themselves relatively close, and are quite proud of themselves. Yet, because they have never been ones to hoard the spotlight, they do feel so inclined to inform you that the Lockwood & Co. Agency is in part to thank for these advances in research. This is truly all that can be said about the matter as it currently stands.

Now hopefully this satisfies your curiosities enough, and, in an interest to not expose you to the unpleasantness that a longer explanation would entail, it is recommended that you turn away now. Satisfy yourself with the idea that answers have not been found, and the detail of the associates' field research is of no greater value.

If, though, you are still in search of a greater truth, or you simply enjoy reading about troublesome events which offer no resolution, you might want to hear the whole story. Unpleasantness included. 

Like all great stories do, it started about three weeks ago during a modest house fire.

( insp. )

taglist; @kendelias  @chlobenet @bravelittleflower @eddiemunscns  @purpleyearning @valdrinors @edshopper @eddysocs @heavenlysurf @arrthurpendragon  @villanele @nolanhollogay @stanshollaand @lovehermioneforever @raith-way @kiara-carrera @decennia @luucypevensie @waterloou  @carmens-garden @hiddenqveendom @foxesandmagic @jvstjewels @samwilsonns @endless-oc-creations @ginevrastilinski @sunlitscribe @dyhlanobrien @chrissymunson @partiallypearl @witchofinterest @fleetwoodmcs

[cass1x1]

sonia/miles: [ 📲 sms: ] my day is more fun when you’re in it. / [ 📲 sms: ] surprise! i got you flowers: 💐

[ 📲 sms: ] my day is more fun when you’re in it.

[2:32pm] Awww [2:32pm] My day is more fun when you're in it too! [2:48pm] Do you want to like spend time today?

[ 📲 sms: ] surprise! i got you flowers: 💐

[7:03pm] OMG OMG OMG [7:03pm] You are too cute! [7:04pm] I'm literally squealing in the kitchen you have to stop

[hopes-memorial]

Sonia decided it was the best time to contact her old friend Haruka.

The princess would find the thanatologist humming softly as she looks over the diagrams of bodies and other morbid oddities and tidbits before looking up and seeing the princess.

"Ah, it seems we meet once more. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

[despairs-memorial]

@low-activity-side-characters Continued from here

"I see..." It was not uncommon for someone she did not know to know what her name was, but who exactly was this person. "I am unsure of who you are, though. Forgive me, but have we met before? Is there something that you needed?"

[catyo90]

Fighting Fate: Chapter 2

Ch.1,

(Wow you guys really wanted a continuation of this....well who the heck am I to deny yall. Consider this a confirmed series that I will write out. Enjoy!!!)

-

Ganondorf smiled to himself as he overlooked his kingdom, to see the women and children going about their days as the sounds of the desert surrounded the area with the sun beginning to set for the day. He looked over his shoulder to see Zelda at his desk writing out a letter to be sent to all of the realms as to inform of the union that would come to pass. He couldn’t help but find it a bit funny that she needed a plush pillow in order to sit properly as the desk was much bigger.

He knew that this union would be a difficult one to accept, but if he was truly to insure his peoples freedom then he would be willing. But in the back of his mind he knew this union was not entirely unwelcome. She was a fair and wise girl for such a young age and his attempt to wed Sonia was never going to come to pass, he scoffed at the memory of when he first saw Queen Sonia when both of them were teens. She was just as beautiful as she was now, but years of being apart caused them to drift apart, especially when he found out her betrothal to the Zonai. A memory that would haunt him for the rest of his days.

A small tap on his arm made him flinch ever so slightly as he looked down to see Zelda holding the finished letters.

“You wished to over look the letters did you not?” She asked as he nodded to her and took them to read them. In short they were a simple and none showed of any fear or warning of their union. The ones to the Zora, Goron and Rito were straight to the point and offered comforting words in showing that the union was agreed by both parties. The one written to the hyrulian though were written more as a sign of peace, saying more how the Gerudo were treating her fairly and how no hostility was found with him. It was strange to see how she wrote positive words of his people when many hyrulian saw most Gerudo as thieves and warriors with no mercy.

“They are acceptable. I will have my fastest riders send them to your guards at the border then they can deliver them to each realm.”

“Before you do there is one matter you still need to do.”

He gave her puzzled look as she handed him the quill. 

“A show of good faith with your signature and mine on each of them will show that there is no hidden agendas or tricks for the others to worry for.”

He scoffed.

“As if they would care for what I think. They will never truly trust us.” He gestured out to the kingdom.

“Then make them. I promise you...it will help. They will see that you truly wish for peace, trust me on this matter King Ganondorf.”

He was about to speak out once more but he knew there was no point, she was quite headstrong and stubborn, she would make a better Gerudo than Hylian with such traits. He walked over to the desk and signed his name at the bottom of each letter and she signed her own name next to his.

“Perfect, now they may be sent out. She said walking up to one of the women guards who kneeled down and took them bowing her head to both of them leaving them in the room by themselves.

Ganondorf simply shook his head pinching the bridge of his nose realizing that there would be even more political matters in the future. Something a warrior king truly hated...maybe even more the idea of swearing fealty to Rauru.

Zelda turned her gaze to him and softly coughed to get his attention.

“If you would be willing...I would like to see more of your kingdom. Perhaps a walk around the city before it gets too dark.”

He thought on it for a moment before walking over to the throne grabbing his blade in hand. As he motioned for her to follow him. She did so trying to match his speed, every step he took would be equal to three of her own. She watched as he walked ahead of her down the main stairs to see the women guards she had come with were being offered some fruits and drinks as some of the Gerudo women placed fabrics down on the ground clearly showing good faith. The guards noticed her walking with him and for a moment were about to stand up at attention until she waved a hand at them for them to be at ease. It pleased her to see that not all of the Gerudo seemed to hate the Hylians, perhaps staying in his domain would truly help the kingdoms relations.

They both turned at the corner of one of the alleyways to where she saw a few of the small shops, most with food and clothes where she saw other traveling hylians offering trade. She had heard that Ganondorf was open to the trade of the people who were wondering the deserts as not all Hylians were sworn to the crown and preferred the life of being on the open road.

“King Ganondorf!” She heard the sound of multiple small footsteps running their direction to see many young kids run up to their king were he leaned down smiling at each of them gently rubbing their heads messing up their hair in the process. One of the children snuck up behind and climbed up his back making him sigh as they tried to topple him over with no success. Zelda smiled and couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. She saw his gaze fall on her for a moment before the children stood behind him looking over at her. Clearly a bit nervous to see a hylian of her stature. She could see them whispering to him and suddenly he chuckled to himself as he pointed to her and whispered them something that made them all smile and run up to her.

“Lady Zelda come with us! Please you’ll want to meet them.”

“Yes please miss you with love them they are the cutest sand seals.”

“oh I suppose...alright...woah” She said as the girls gently pulled her hand forward and some gently pushed her legs forward. The sigh made Gannon smirk to himself as he walked behind them carrying two of the girls on his shoulder as they gripped his hair laughing as he walked.

Zelda saw the children bringing her to a side stable where a large pen was. The children let go of her hands and ran to the fence to look at the sand for any vibrations. Zelda as well was a bit curious as she looked at the sand with them until a small rumble could be seen but then disappeared.

“Aw no fair, they must be sleeping.”

“Well perhaps all they need is to hear his call.” one of the children said looking up at Ganondorf. He rolled his eyes for a moment as he spoke.

“They are not sleeping children...they are simply waiting.”

Zelda looked curiously at her and then back at the sand when suddenly two of the biggest sand seals she had ever seen pounced out of the ground bringing their heads to the top of the pen.

“In the name of the goddess...they are huge. I never imagined they grew this big” Zelda said as the children laughed and smiled as they walked up to them giving them pets. Ganon walked beside her putting the two children on his shoulder on the ground.

“They have to be, they are mine to command and ride. None of the smaller ones could handle me.”

“Oh...” She said as got a better look at them as they licked the children's hands and faces. One had much more grey than brown fur with a red mane with larger tusks than the other. The other while the same size had blueish fur with a white mane to match. She saw one of the children pick up a whole melon from the side of the pen and offered it to them, eating it in one big bite.

“Miss, here  here your turn.” one of the children offered a smaller piece of melon to her pulling her closer to them. Zelda smiled as she broke the piece in half offering both of them. The seals hummed to themselves as they each ate them so quick that it almost surprised her. They licked her hands and gently nuzzled their mouth toward her hands trying to lick up the juice left on them. She started to laugh at the feeling as she watched the children smiling and laughing with her. Ganondorf watched with a bit of surprise and curiosity. 

Most hylians were not used to sand seals yet she seemed to be completely at ease around them, it was as if she had seen them before yet he knew she had never been to his kingdom before, he simply chalked it up to her having seen them when she arrived but still it was a bit odd.

Suddenly the sound of a spear hitting the ground was heard as two women stood behind looking to the children.

“Children the moon is out, you should head home for the night. You will all need your rest to become great warriors.”

The children looked a bit disappointed as they simply nodded as Ganondorf held a hand out to the warrior women giving the children a moment before leaning down to them and putting his blade away from their sight as he opened his arms out to them and offered a giant hug making each of them smile and laugh as he lifted them from the ground as if they weighed nothing. They all laughed as he placed them down on the ground running off into the directions of their homes. he smiled to himself before looking over to Zelda who was utterly shocked.

The demon king that she knew would never have done that, heck it was almost impossible for her to even imagine. Yet here he was offering them kind actions like a father would to his children. 

“So surprised to see such acts from their King...” He said a bit coldly to her thinking the look she gave him was one of judgement.

“No. Its...its just nice to see they are enjoying their childhoods...I never really had such an option.” She grew a bit saddened as the memories of her father constantly criticizing her for her interests in the tech and the loss of her childhood when her mother passed. She honestly couldn’t recall the last time her father made her smile like that. 

He looked ashamed of himself for what he said. He should have known that being related to the royal hyrulian family was no easy task, after all the responsibility was not unknown to him. She looked to see Ganondorf facial expression change as he looked at his sand seals and then out at the gate leading into the desert and immediately a thought came to his mind.

“Did you still wish to see the lands of my kingdom?”

‘Of course.”

He hummed to himself for a moment as he whistled to the his seals that perked up their ears and immediately ran to the front of the gate. She watched as Ganon tied a small supply back on to the back and checked the ropes tied to the gigantic sled, he stood on it and checked the ropes before offering his hand to her.

“Your not afraid now are you? Tough girl.” He said with a small smirk.

She shook her head as she took his hand letting her stand in front of him with his arms on either side holding onto the handle of the sled. He kicked up the reins and in an instant the seals ran off into the vast ocean of the sand. She felt her whole body hit into the front of his as she tried to keep herself stable until she felt his arm wrapped around her midsection. She couldn’t help herself by grabbing his arm, to be both surprised and maybe perhaps a bit welcome at the gesture . The sand seals rushed into the dunes past multiple sinkholes almost too close for comfort, jumping out of the sand so quickly made her whole body lift off the sled a bit making her laugh but also scream surprisingly as she saw them climbing through the thick desert sand up the hills to see a small oasis that seemed to be void of any people. The cool desert air pricked her skin as she felt the grains of sand cling to her skin and clothes. The seals stopped just a bit short of the small oasis shaking off their fur as Ganondorf looked down at her only to laugh loudly at the sight. Her hair was slightly a mess and still she clung onto his arm with her legs shaking a bit.

“That was....that was not what I expected.”

“Hahaha. Perhaps you would want to try it again so you get used to it.”

“No, no, I'm fine with us stopping here...” She said looking down at her hand on his arm, immediately feeling her ears getting a bit warmer as she quickly moved it to fix her hair. 

“You...you can let go of me now.”

“Are you sure about that?” He said moving his arm lower so she was sitting on it lifting her up to his eye level.

“I wouldn’t want my new bride to hurt herself.”

“Y.....yes I am very sure...please.”

“As you wish.”

He smiled to himself as he placed her back on the ground as he stood off of the sled untying the ropes allowing the seals to drink from the oasis. He looked behind him to see Zelda looking out into the now illuminated sands by the moon. The wind howling into the night as the faint hue of the kingdoms lights could be seen. He breathed in the night air, moments like this reminded why he was fighting so hard for his people. He knew what the other realm thought and in truth he couldn’t have cared less. All he really wanted was freedom, both for his people and himself. For years he hated that the knowledge of Demise’s curse flowing through his blood made all those who looked upon him as nothing but a monster. The moment from his birth he was told that he would lead the people to their true value...yet he would be hated and feared by all. Perhaps it was foolish of him to hope that he could change his fate. 

Suddenly he felt his sand seals leaning on him offering a comforting nudge of their heads as he pet them. He leaned over to the sled and untied the rug that he kept with him in case he was to scout for days on end along with his troops. He placed it down on the hard ground as he watched his older seal sitting behind him as the  younger seal lay down beside him breathing slowly knowing fully well the children must have fed them more than they thought they could handle.

As he looked over Zelda and noticed she was shivering. The moon light glazed over her skin making her look almost like a holy spirit as the dress she wore which was lightly covered in sand blew in the air in time with her hair. Yet she was still a sight for sore eyes, truly one he didn’t expect to enjoy.

“Lady Zelda...” He said seeing her turn around gripping her arms as she noticed him sitting down beside his seals with an arm gesturing to the spot next to him. The moon illuminating his body in a low glow as the gold accessories he wore gleamed in the light. His vibrant red hair surrounding his frame as the loose Gerudo clothes blew in the wind. She was now completely nervous. Why was he being like this to her? They were not wed and yet he was acting completely differently than she ever expected. This man was the reason for all the pain in her time, Mipha, Urbosa, Revali and Daruk. All of them died by his hand, the pain inflected on her kingdom and Link.

Link... She had almost forgotten that he was searching for her in their time. But she knew the choice she made was for the best. By marrying him, all the deaths and suffering that happened will never come to pass. But then again there was no true guarantee that it would happen...after all with the blood of the goddess in her veins and Demise in him...fate might be cruller to them than any past incantations. She would not allow such a fate to happen again...not if she could stop it. 

“You’ll freeze if you just stand there.” He said this time patting the rug as if it were no big deal.

She simply nodded in agreement as she sat next to him as the younger of the seal cuddled up to her allowing all the warmth to return to her body. She looked up at Ganondorf and spoke.

“...Thank you. In truth I did not think you to be like this to a woman you barely knew...seeing as we both have strange fates...”

“You should know by now that I am not a complete and utter monster. I am a man first and a king second. Whatever the other realms see in me...I will change that fate. No matter how it must be done.”

He looked down at her.

“I can see in your eyes that you wished at some point that you never had the blood of the goddess in your veins...for what reason you need not tell me...but clearly your family sees you as thing to be relished on a pedestal...a holy figure.”

She saw him look up at the stars and sighed. She knew what he meant, living a normal life was never going to happen. She had to grow up fast and learn to fight off the Calamity since she was very young. While the protecting the realm was more than enough a reason to do it...it was never truly enough for those around her. Only the champions and Link truly understood her and yet...here she was sitting with their enemy so to be wed and in truth felt that he too understood her struggle. 

“I do hope that this...” She gestured to both of them.

“Will truly work.”

“We will have to wait and see.” He said leaning back. When he felt her lay her head against his arm which surprised him seeing her gently petting the younger seals head making it hum in appreciation. He could feel his heart beat ever so quickly at the sight as a small blush came upon his face as he ran a hand through his hair trying to ignore it. 

“King Ganondorf....”

“Hmm.”

“I meant to ask, what are there names” she said pointing to the seals.

He pointed to the bigger one and then to the smaller one.

“ Cerbofog and Tuguk.” the seals moved their heads in response but soon calmed down and layed back down in the sand.

“Really...Huh...”

“What? They are Gerudo warrior names. What would you name them?”

“Well...personally they look more like Blubber and Flipper to me...”

The look on his face was one of pure cringe at the idea of the names for him being so...casual. It didn’t help that when she called them that they actually looked up with wide smiling faces barking in excitement. 

“See...even they like the idea of nicknames like that.” She said rubbing their fur causing them to roll over in pure joy as she ruffled up their manes in a friendly manner. He was never gonna the hear the end of this from her. But the sight of her laughing as the newly appointed Blubber and Flipper loved on her even more than before made him sigh to himself...for once...in a very long time did he feel peace.

[lindalofbroome]

lief: so where's barda jasmine: he's looking for the belt of deltora lief: he's wHAT

31 - Essence of Rodda

'Despair is the enemy. Do not let it defeat you.' [Zeean whispered.] DELTORA QUEST 3 The Sister of the South Ch 9 The Yellow Notice

'Norris!' shouted Rowan, shaking him. 'Even if you are right — even if we have been led by some evil force into a trap — we cannot just lie down and die!' ROWAN OF RIN Rowan of the Bukshah Ch 13 The Climb

'So it is not too late, Rye! We still have a chance to stop that future from happening! It is not too late!' [said Sonia] THE THREE DOORS The Third Door Ch 23 Three Doors

And she imagined what her companions on the shore were seeing — a dishevelled girl in a flaring red skirt, surrounded by a throng of fawning ghosts. No wonder Sky and Jewel had fled from her as soon as they were able. She quelled the wave of misery that threatened to engulf her. She had always been haunted by her past. The wraiths were just the visible sign of it. STAR OF DELTORA The Hungry Isle Ch 6 The Glittering Shore

👇👇👇👇

[ben wyatt voice] it's about the perseverance through suffering 👌

👆👆👆👆

there's a bunch of other stuff like double meanings and being epic and found family that i wanted to do but in the end i didn't have time for lol and so i had to chase the serotonin for this last post and make a bad joke out of it to motivate me adfKSDJFH but also so serious

the suffering is not the end; there are horrors AND delights; you lose when you give up; not everything is as it seems but also multiple interpretations can coexist; i know this is so sappy and kids cartoons but it's so real hope is everything and can counter the overwhelmingness of despair; choose to be optimistic, to love, to be happy

you're gonna really feel that in DQ3 because of the high stakes but this is also like the very essence of rowan of rin. he's always being surprised when the big heroic models of courage break down, but they've never had to keep moving forward and doing so scared the way he has. norris was overconfident but he's never had to face something like the cold time and the Mountain, but this is rowan's like hundredth rodeo. this is not to dunk on norris at all but just the way that rowan of rin directly and indirectly shows courage and perseverance

anyway this was supposed to be our beloved trio being a family and looking after each other but it turned into post-mask and then i forgot i cant halfass things to save my life this was supposed to be a crappy shitpost but then i was looking up so much cirque du soleil references trying to figure out what they might wear lol. they might not actually be wearing costumes but the other acrobats with jasmine were so why not put her in one too and then how could bess not resist dressing lief up in her son's clothes etc

so lief's outfit is like a preliminary costume before a more grander and brighter one if he became fully integrated into their circle. i keep searching up baby bird and forgetting that im going to see some gangly pink guys lmao

jasmine's acrobat troupe were described as just blue costumes from what i found. and i was like. UH OH. because i was gonna have to work soooooo hard to differentiate from bede's blue bird vibe. i thought i'd go for a lighter blue than the sorta. royal blue i give him usually. and then it got me thinking sky blue. the perform acrobatics up in the air. they reach for the sky. they up there in the sky. sky costume.