#especially knowing what she did to noras powers

[rachetmath]

Jaune Revenge

Winter: Ruby we found her.

Ruby: Cinder. Everyone it's time.

Yang: Ruby no-

Ruby: I have to stop her. I am the only one.

Jaune: What?

Ruby: It has to be me.

Jaune: Who the hell- who the hell decided that?!

Ruby: She is my problem.

Jaune: I know this- oh hell no she- Ruby!

Ruby: Farewell my friend. I pray that I return.

Jaune: Oh hell-

After a minute what seemed like hours of fighting.

Cinder: Yes finally.

Ruby: *barely catching her breath*

Cinder: After all this time… you finally die Ruby R-

*Boom*

Cinder: *screams in pain*

Ruby: *looks behind her* Jaune. 

Jaune: *throws the gun away and slaps Ruby across her face* The f*** is wrong with you?!

Ruby Ow.

Jaune: You really think I would let you steal my prey? My kill? After all the bull**** that b**** put me through. The f***!

Ruby: Jaune I-

Jaune: I had dreams. Dreams of when I have this b**** in my sights. As her life is now in the palm of my hands. Having her beg for forgiveness has I take what little breath she has from her now feeble hands. Oh God yes… 

Ruby: …. Um

Jaune: And have you learned nothing from your people? Penny? Pyrrha? Alyx?!

Ruby: Whoa Jaune don't be–

Jaune: Stop running off somewhere, prepared to die. We do not do 1 v 1. We jump people. It is the most effective means to win. You are not built for that kind of time. There is no shame in having a squad, especially for enemies.

Ruby: But-

Jaune: Like your uncle, he sucks. He has lost a one-on-one every time since Beacon. Winter, hit him. Tyrian poisoned him. Hazel could have ended his career.  Your uncle needed two other hunters to take Tyrian in. He even required Tyrian to fight Clover. Your uncle isn't about that action. 

Ruby: Well sheesh…

Jaune: Now you excuse me- *pulls out the sword* I will finish this.

Cinder: You weakling. You piece of crap. What are you going to do to me huh? Kill me. Don't make me laugh. You don't have the- *stab in her arm* Ah! *mouths is covered*

Jaune: Oh no Fall maiden, we are just getting started. 

Cinder: *scared*

Nora: Ruby, sorry we’re late but-

Cinder: *screams in agony* My legs! My legs!

RWBY: *shock*

Jaune: Nah-nah we ain't done yet. This is for Pyrrha.*beats Cinder down*

Cinder: *yells in pain* Help me! Help me! Ruby help me! Please!

NERO: *scared*

Jaune This one's for Penny! *Stab Cinder's chest*

Cinder:  *screams*

Jaune: *healing and stabbing Cinder repeatedly* No, you gonna feel this. Yeah. Yeah!!

NPRA: *Summer and Alyx are shocked while Pyrrha and Penny fist pump*

RHAW: *Glad they never met Jaune*

Adam: Oh it was good that I didn't try to fight him on the train.

Hazel: Even though I know I can beat him…. It scares me that he could have a chance of killing me himself. 

Ironwood: Oh so he finally learned. Thank God. 

Clover: Sir please-

Ironwood: We died because of these kids, Clover, I have a right to be like this.

Cinder: No. No. Not my eye. Not my last eye, please! *screams as her eye is pulled out*

Salem: *watching from a far* Oo she will die. Not my problem.

Jaune: *exiles* 

Cinder: *dead* 

Jaune: Finally. And Oscar.

Oscar: Um… yeah-yeah what is it?

Jaune: Are you Ozpin now?

Oscar: N-no. Nope. I'm still here.

Jaune: Your girl. Your problem. I am tired of being the third wheel. The seventh wheel really.

Weiss: I mean -

Jaune: Figure out what you want in life then we'll talk.

Emerald: Oh my God I have maiden powers. I was Cinder’s last thoughts. I-

Jaune: *readies his sword*

Emerald: Jaune-Jaune calm down. We are good. We are good. Best behavior.

Jaune: You damn right b****.

Emerald: Jesus what have you been through on that island?!

Jaune: Isolation is a b****!

Cinder: *in hell and curled up in a ball*

Rogue: How was your freedom as a slave?

Cinder: Shut up. And why are you here?

Hazel: Are you serious? He left you unsupervised, and in a family where you were put through extreme work conditions to survive. 

Adam: You were a slave and the only thing he did was train you. 

Roman: He didn't even get you out. He abandoned you. He is a monster.

[ficretus]

I am getting kind of annoyed both at takes I see at rwde as well as anon who spammed my posts few weeks ago. Basically, they argue that on top of being awful character, Jaune also completely ruins his literary allusion, Joan of Arc.

Of course, you are free to like or dislike Jaune, however, when people claim they hate Jaune because he is a coward, I get really confused. Jaune is not a coward, he is pretty brave, to the point of it being kind of flaw since he has low regard for his own safety. If he was a coward, he wouldn't have went with Ruby, Nora and Ren to Haven, he wouldn't have challenged Cinder to the fight, he wouldn't have tried to infiltrate Salem's base to save Oscar, etc. They are pretty on the nose with it in Volume 8 when Ren states Jaune feels no fear.

However, meat of my gripes is with people not understanding Joan of Arc and how to translate her character to the story.

No, Jaune not being giga chad isekai self insert protagonist level of strong is not an issue or insult to his primary literary allusion, it's the opposite. I don't know do people get their Joan of Arc knowledge from Fate Grand Order, but Joan herself wasn't skilled fighter. She was never properly trained and never directly fought someone. In pretty much every major battle she fought she was wounded or knocked out (hit by an arrow at Orleans, knocked out by a rock at Jargeau, hit by an arrow at Paris, knocked off from her horse at Compiegne). In fact her knowledge of sword fighting was so lacking she accidentally broke her treasured sword when she struck a prostitute with its side. There is no good reason for Jaune to be some kind of prodigy when he is based on a character that never properly fought anyone.

No, Jaune relying on his team to solve problems doesn't make him pussy and isn't unlike Joan. Once again, Joan of Arc wasn't front line fighter, she was moral support to the army. Her greatest triumph, siege of Orleans, was just her directing armies where to go whenever she got a vision. And Jaune's Semblance makes sense for someone based on Joan of Arc. It is essentially morale boost Semblance considering boosting an Aura buffs both your health, defense and offensive abilities. It matches what Joan did for her comrades. Jaune relying on his team to accomplish things is not a bug, it's a feature.

No, Jaune failing doesn't make him an insult to Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc herself wasn't perfect and suffered handful of failures herself. After her victory at Orleans, she won at Jargeau, but then lost the siege at Paris. After that she was stalemated in Perrinet Gressart campaign, won a battle at Lagny and was then captured at Compiegne. After failed siege of Paris, and especially after stalemate against Perrinet Gressart, Court started doubting her abilities. It is simply different order of wins and losses with Joan peaking in her first battle while Jaune was completely useless during the Fall of Beacon but has upward trajectory after that.

Jaune's Joan of Arc is the one without any special abilities but with the same aspirations. He wants to be the hero and save the world, but he wasn't blessed with divine power that gives him unnatural charisma and allows him to see future events. People's gripes and suggestions how to "fix him" usually boil down to turning Jaune into generic power fantasy protagonist. Which is not only boring and misses the point of the character, it also misses the point of Joan of Arc. If Jaune was some kind of prodigy kicking ass since Volume 1, he wouldn't have been Joan, he would have been Roland, Arthur, Lancelot or whatever famous legendary knight you can find.

[cocogum]

There’s something off about Yugo now.

‼️ SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4 ‼️

LEAVE AT THE WARNING IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE FIRST FOUR EPISODES.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Way before 2024 hit, when Tot was still teasing us with some snippets of Season 4 on Twitter, there was a time when one of his tweets made some people think about what he meant.

The specific tweet was made on the 10th of January of 2023 at 5:10 AM which showed a small scene of Yugo once said that THIS scene in particular was going to change Yugo forever

Here’s the full translation:

“Season 4 of Wakfu is going well my friends…Here’s a small snippet of Yugo that makes me want to cry. 🥲”

We didn’t know at the time what he could’ve meant by that or what that specific scene that saddened him was even about.

But now that Wakfu Season 4 is out, we were able to watch that same scene that happened in episode 3.

And omg it makes perfect sense now.

In his tweet where he addressed his feelings for the scene, Tot specified that this moment would be the last time we see Yugo, the last scene before saying goodbye.

Some people, back when the tweet was still recent, thought Tot might have been implying that Yugo would actually die or possibly gain his adult form through this scene where he’s surrounded by his mother’s blue hues.

But now that we’ve watched the actual episode where this same scene Tot was talking about took place, we can all finally confirm that neither of those two things happened.

Because what happened ended up being far worse than that.

Yes, what’s worse than Yugo dying or growing up to an alarming speed is nothing compared to what actually happened :

Yugo’s mindset changed.

When Yugo met the Eliatrope goddess for the first time (in this life at least), he explicitly told her that he does not know her, therefore, he cannot sympathize with what she’s saying to him. Yugo could see how she was crying when she told him, Nora, and Qilby she missed them as well as her other children and that she promises them she wouldn’t be away from them any longer.

Yugo doesn’t react to this, only Nora and Qilby truly understand the power behind her words.

But as soon as the Eliatrope goddess puts Yugo to rest for a while, the moment he wakes up was as if he changed his mind completely.

He claims that his mother is the purest of the pure and that she’s so perfect that she can’t express any negative emotions. Keep this in mind for later.

He truly believes what he’s saying and cannot fathom the fact that she may be imperfect in some ways.

His mind did a complete 360 to the point where he immediately joins the Eliatrope goddess, Nora, and Qilby’s cause. He changed his mind so quickly that even Nora noticed and brought it up.

When the assembly began, Yugo was proud of showing up first to welcome his mother and he proudly stated her arrival to the rulers. He had even told Joris that he insisted on being as forward as possible to the rulers and to welcome his mother appropriately.

Now, remember when I stated that Yugo does not believe that the Eliatrope goddess can express any negative emotions?

Well, it turns out he was wrong.

Not even a full hour passed, and the Eliatrope goddess was already in a full confrontation with one of the rulers, the queen of Bonta, Astra. When someone, especially a higher being, is claimed to be a pure being with no flaws, it usually means that they cannot even fathom the idea of expressing a negative emotion or struggling to keep it in.

But the reason why this scene was just so important to focus on was because THIS is supposed to be the goddess of love, the goddess that represents purity (no wonder people were beings suspicious of her. How are you gonna be called the embodiment of ‘love’ and yet express something that is out of your agenda?)

So the reason why we need to focus on this moment, is because the goddess hesitated.

This is what makes Yugo’s claims about her being perfect completely wrong.

And since his declarations were very much flawed, his current way of thinking can only mean one thing :

Something has gone wrong.

From what we’ve been able to witness from his slumber, Yugo was able to see how he and his siblings were created by their mother, how their original planet came to be, how their mother got thrown aside, banished by the other gods and ended up in the Necroworld, and how she got saved by Nora and Efrim.

To us, this sequence must’ve probably lasted for about three minutes or so but to Yugo, this moment lasted far longer than that. He must’ve seen the details, heard a lot of recrimination from the other gods, and seen his mother’s suffering from being cast aside. All of this pain and suffering that she must’ve felt was what made Yugo side with her and her cause.

But as much as his sudden want to be closer to her makes sense, it doesn’t mean that Yugo’s portrayal of his mother is true. Anyone can tell that the Eliatrope goddess had broken a very important major rule: DO NOT use a planet for yourself. She had betrayed the trust of the other gods without any explanation other than wanting to have children and making a world for herself.

Yugo saw it all and yet he did not think that she made a mistake. He does not care if she went against the other gods (creating a world for herself), he does not care if she wants to monitor the world (she has told this in front of all the authorities of the world), he does not care if she wants to infuse vigilantism (again, she told this in front of the leaders of the world), and he does not care if all the commanders of the world do not side with her ideas (he deliberately chose to follow her as soon as she left the assembly).

But it seems like even when he was not, at the time, sleeping under her energy, he didn’t care if people with bad intentions got paralyzed for some undetermined amount of time as punishment (he was watching Nora and Adamaï fight the rogues). That could have been an early hint that he would do much more than just stand aside and not say anything in matters like these but rather silently do what his mother wishes to do.

Since he embraces everything that she is, he embraces everything that she wants to do or has done.

Another thing I should mention is the fact that ever since he woke up, he started calling the Eliatrope goddess “mother”, implying that he now felt completely comfortable with knowing and understanding that she was truly his creator, mother.

As you can see, every time he addresses her, it’s always by calling her his mother, which is factually true, but again, he has just met her and is already completely enamoured by her. His admiration and respect towards her makes sense because he has seen everything that she’s been through while sleeping.

The problem is that even when he considers her perfect, he doesn’t seem to understand that the people around her (besides Nora and Qilby) DO NOT agree with her plans.

Yugo does not understand why Adamaï left because his intuition was telling him that something was very wrong about all of this (even though Yugo wasn’t too convinced by the Eliatrope goddess, he was still taking a neutral side at the time. Even though he didn’t completely understand his mother at that moment, this still counts as an event where Yugo did not think about the Eliatrope goddess’s ways even when his brother told him something was off. Also, if Yugo did see his mother’s suffering at that moment, he would have still most likely sided with her.)

Yugo also does not understand what the leaders are trying to say and how right they are (even though they have mistreated the Eliatrope goddess in the process). One of them, the queen of Bonta, makes very good points that the goddess should have answered and explained.

But instead of taking a moment to think about it or try to at least think about how the rulers are feeling right now, Yugo simply leaves them and goes right back to the goddess.

This is a very surprising decision of his because Yugo has lived his entire life in the World of Twelve. He has not only lived here but has met a lot of different people, gone through life and death for them, saved numerous victims and fought off enemies for them, and did all that in the same world where he is currently turning his back to the very rulers of it.

Tot wasn’t wrong when he said Yugo wouldn’t be the same.

And we’re starting to see it.

It’s becoming more obvious and I’m sure that at some point, there could be another fight between Yugo and Adamaï happening, or perhaps even a misunderstanding.

[ninacarstairss]

an incomplete list of things that will make me go feral if they’re included in the movie:

alex pulling henry in the red room and “impugning his virtue” against a painting of alexander hamilton and amy out the door pretending not to know what that horny little bitch of fsotus is up to

henry offering to get out of alex’s life to make it easier for him and alex brushing it off, only to realise later what henry was truly offering him and how stupid he was not to see it

oscar talking to alex at the lake house. oscar seeing him and accepting him. alex looking at henry, nora and june (yes i know she’s not in the movie just let me dream. he can be looking at henry, nora and pez too) and feeling like his world is complete. the night on the porch swing. sometimes you just jump and hope it’s not a cliff. the night in the lake. the little stone of certainty alex feels in his chest as he’s making breakfast.

yeah so just the lake house part

uma thurman delivering a power point presentation about dating the prince of england and alex running out when she brings up protections and pamphlets

jesus, could you stop being an obtuse fucking asshole for, like, twenty seconds?

so glad you flew here to insult me—

i fucking love you, okay?

the issue of le monde that henry keeps on his nightstand from the first time they woke up together

i want you. then fucking have me—

alex waking up in kensington in an empty bed, henry coming back, looking at alex and going “your hair in the morning is truly a wonder to behold” before making the world’s best declaration of love

“When he got older, he learned about love as a strange thing that could fall apart no matter how badly you wanted it, a choice you make anyway. He never imagined it'd turn out he was right both times.” there is like a 0,1% chance of this making it into the movie but i have this tattooed on my skin and it would be so perfect to see it on screen

alex saying in front of the fucking queen that he wants henry’s children

henry rambling about art and history in the v&a and alex pulling him into a kiss because he just loves him so much

i’m taking a picture of a national gay landmark. and also a statue

alex panicking about henry having to enlist

shaan having to dislodge philip from the chandelier when henry comes out to him

i’ve been gay as a maypole since i came out of mum, philip

henry’s obsession with jaffa cakes and mr wobbles

the memories email. I took that down to the gardens. I pressed it into the leaves of a silver maple and recited it to the Waterloo Vase. It didn't fit in any rooms.

alex being a brat about the turkeys “put them in my room put them in my room put them in my room”

And then, inexplicably, you had the absolute audacity to love me back. Can you believe it?

alex calling henry at christmas and telling him all about his family drama and henry simply telling him that he did his best, the only thing he really needed to hear

most things in this world are awful . but you are good

alex’s list of things he loves about henry (especially points 16 to 18)

henry writing down the list in the email and then calling henry anyway because he knows he likes to have these things written down but he needs to talk to him

alex kissing henry in front of a giambologna

Sería una mentira, porque no sería el.

the drunk bad metaphors about maps email

alex being summoned by the president after the email leaks and ellen just asking him “are you okay?”

alex’s whole family being there for him after the email leaks, hugging him through a panic attack and allowing him to be himself after a traumatic event that had to be dealt with in a strategic political way

or so help me God I will personally make your balls into fucking earrings. zahra you fucking queen

the call from the plane. “sweetheart” he hears henry’s exhale over the line. “hi love. are you okay?”

alex and henry running to hug each other as soon as alex gets to kensington

i won’t lie. not about you. alex and henry saying at the same moment that they want to do this, they want to tell the truth, because lying about this is not an option

the little touches between them. whether it’s holding hands beneath a buchkingham palace table or hugging in a closed room or pressing a knee agains the other in a public place, because that is a tether, a gravity that makes the world make sense

bea’s speech about grief and how it’s like a pie. i want to cry really hard

numbers on one of us getting involved in a sex scandal before the end of second term?

henry sticking out his chin in that defiant way

I love him, with all that, because of all that. On purpose. I love him on purpose.

"Plus we banged it our last night” shaan and zahra being a power couple

bea dumping the tea pot on philip and going “all that cocaine i did must have really done a job on my reflexes!”

the han and leia mural

dc dykes on bikes chasing protesters

To you, specifically, I say: I see you. I am one of you. As long as I have a place in this White House, so will you. I am the First Son of the United States, and I'm bisexual. History will remember us.

alex’s face being plastered on chocolate bars and thongs with henry’s after the royal suitor photos

henry telling alex he’s opening the queer shelters worlwide. henry telling alex he bought a brownstone in brooklyn

the flashbacks to election night 2016 when alex saw zahra crying and all those women taking in the moment their first madam president was elected

alex and henry biking through austin, alex opening the door to his childhood home with henry by his side

a little flash forward into their future and alex calling henry the love of his life, henry choosing the place for a credenza in his brownstone, going on vacations together and falling in love all over again, savouring their time together with no fear of getting caught, june and nora finally kissing and alex being shook at pez’s comment, henry realising he doesn’t want to ever go back, henry listening to alex talk to his mum about marriage when he has also bought a ring, henry and alex buying a house far from the public eye, having the quiet life they never had, june subletting the brownstone to be closer to pez and nora, “you and me”

[scullysflannel]

maybe obscure but what are some of your favourite moments of script spareness in tv, whether it's no words at all or arrestingly simple straightforward dialogue

really love this, especially because it's what I'm drawn to in tv in general. it's a visual medium! vince gilligan caught flack for being completely right when he said dialogue "often carries too much weight in writing." some favorites:

for silent episodes, buffy's "hush" and evil's "s is for silence." I'm so interested in fact that robert king said "s is for silence" was so hard to write and edit because they couldn't use dialogue or adr to bridge the gap if they cut a scene or used a different shot. everything had to be deliberate.

buffy's "the body" also uses silence dizzyingly well, and there's no music at all in it. it really captures the disorientation of sudden loss.

likely thing for me to bring up, but there's an alias scene where sloane tells his wife that he's a bad guy. the dialogue was scripted (ron rifkin talks about it in the dvd commentary), but it's drowned out by music, like the show is taking his voice away when he tries to justify himself. I don't know if they always planned to cover the dialogue or if it was an editing decision, but it's exquisite to me. plus it keeps the focus on amy irving giving it everything she's got (!). perfect song choice too.

the end of "never again," mulder trailing off as he finds his words inadequate. I know the shooting script says scully knows what he was going to say, but it doesn't remotely play as a moment of unspoken understanding. it plays like a moment of realizing the impossibility of complete understanding, which I love. it's a paradoxical sign of respect and an admission of defeat. it sticks with you.

better call saul as a show is a testament to spare, deliberate dialogue, but especially "but so what." the powerlessness in that line, especially for two characters whose job depends on the power of a good speech — I still can't even think about it. no further comment.

kim and jimmy throwing bottles off the balcony in "the guy for this." that's unspoken understanding. but it's so sad and dangerous.

"we fucked up with nora" on the leftovers. yeah you sure did!! that whole big surreal action movie of an episode all boils down to this one basic truth. I especially love "we"; kevin's only company is himself.

"not penny's boat" on lost. a classic for a reason.

so many halt and catch fire scenes fit this mold, but for pure silent revelation, joe recognizing that haley is gay in season 4. gorgeous.

the americans tooth pulling scene!! we all see it!! just like in evil's silent episode, silence is erotic.

I also love the choice to stage the most decisive moment in the americans finale — paige getting off the train — in a way that makes it impossible for them all to talk about it (ever).

the last scene of the sopranos. obviously.

[howlingday]

Growth

"I've done it, Ren~!"

"Done what, Nora?" The young man in green asked as he looked over his notes on his desk. He didn't spare to glance in her direction, since the odds of her being in his face would have been greater than zero.

"I've perfected my love potion!" She cheered, right next to his ear. "And I didn't even have to break out the cauldron this time!"

A sense of relief washed over Lie Ren's body. He wouldn't be stuffed in to bubbling antacid medicine mixed with whatever garnishes Nora stole from the cafeteria. Still, he was curious why Nora wouldn't be using the cauldron, so he looked away from his notes and saw the plastic bottle in Nora's hand.

"Now I just need a test subject!" Nora held the bottle close to her, glancing around the room, then slowly honing in on her partner. "Oh, Reeee-"

"Hello, again~!" Pyrrha sang as she entered the room. "We're back from our workout-"

"Pyrrha! Drink this!"

"Um," Pyrrha shoved the bottle and Nora's arms out of her chest, "why?"

"Because, uh..." Nora wracked her brain for an answer.

"It's a love potion." Ren answered for her.

"No, thank you." Pyrrha stepped away this time.

"What?! No!" Nora scoffed, arms still outstretched. "It's not a love potion, it's, uh... a sports drink! For you!"

"Oh, thanks, Nora! I appreciate it."

The bottle was suddenly gone from the girl's hands. There was a sense of pride in her clever lie. Except Pyrrha's voice sounded different when she thanked him. If anything, it sounded more like-

"Jaune?!" Nora looked to her leader, who had brought the now empty bottle away from his lips.

"Mm, not bad." Jaune admitted. "I think I like The Power Ups more."

Then the changes began. It went mostly unnoticed until Jaune turned around to respond to a student who'd called out to him. As he turned his body around, his team noticed that his body didn't exactly change shape, especially in the butt area. Jaune's butt had swollen to a size like two basketballs were being kept inside his shorts.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha grabbed her partner by his wrist and dragged him inside. As she did, the swelling grew down his legs to his feet. Not only did his leg muscles have abs, but his feet grew feet, too! Feet as in inches, that is, not that they grew their own fee-

Anyway, not everything swelled, because his gut had shriveled away, then expanded into individual ab muscles. Of course, they could only see these abs because his shirt began to shrink over his growing barrel chest.

"Something wrong, Pyrrha?" He asked, looking down at her. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Are you?!" Pyrrha looked him up and down, then up and down again, then up and down again, then- She slapped herself.

"Whoa, whoa! Pyrrha! Don't do that!" Jaune said, unaware his voice dropped an octave or six. His massive, meaty hand gingerly rubbed against where she'd struck herself. "Is everything okay, Pyrrha? You know you can tell me anything."

"Ah... Buh... Duh..."

"I'll get you an ice pack." Jaune stepped away, walking quickly to the mini-fridge. His massive arms almost ripped the door off it's hinges, making him wince. "Sorry! I'll, uh, get that later." As he came back, he stopped for a moment. "Hey, uh, is it just me, or did you guys get smaller?"

"More like you got bigger!" Nora shouted excitedly.

"Aw, thanks, Nora!" He grabbed a towel, then wrapped it around the ice pack. "I have been working out. Right, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha couldn't respond. She couldn't feel the ice pack wrapped in the towel pressed to her head, but she could feel the kindness it came with. Jaune's mighty mitts were almost as big as her head, but she felt safe as they held her. She was smaller than him, and yet she felt no danger in his presence. She started sinking into them, while a fire started burning too uncomfortably in her heart.

"Jaune, go take a shower right now!" She shouted.

"Oh, sorry!" He backed away, and her body nearly followed. "I probably smell like a... like a... Well, like something that smells bad."

As he fled to the bathroom, there was a loud crash, followed by a soft. "Sorry!"

"So, uh, what happened to Jaune?" Nora asked.

"You made the potion, Nora." Ren answered.

"Yeah, for girls! Me, specifically!"

"Then why did you want me to drink it?" Pyrrha asked, pulling the ice pack from the towel.

"So I knew it would be safe for me to drink it, duh!"

"What if it wasn't safe for me, then?!" Pyrrha balked.

"Oh, come on, you're Pyrrha Nikos! I doubt anything could beat you, especially not a little Bimbo Potion."

The room went quiet.

"A what?"

"Oh... Right, I, uh... I forgot that you weren't supposed to learn that."

"Nora," Ren began, "what does a bimbo potion do?"

"It, uh, makes you into a bimbo?"

"What do you mean it makes you into a bimbo?" Pyrrha was dangerously near Nora.

"Well, uh," Nora nervously chuckled, "it, uh, makes you way hotter. Y'know, makes your boobs and your butt all bwoomp!" She made Cs with her arms. "Makes you crazy strong, which would be scary for me."

"What else?" Ren asked, putting an arm between Nora and Pyrrha, the latter of the two with death in her eyes. "Are there any negative side-effects?"

"Well, there is one side-effect." Nora quietly answered. "In order to make your body bigger, some things have to get smaller. Like your brain."

"HIS BRAIN IS SHRUNK?!" Ren tried his best, but Pyrrha was obviously too strong to stop her from grabbing Nora and lifting her into the air.

"N-Not physically, just, y'know, smartly!"

Ren looked to the fridge door, then winced as he heard another crash from the bathroom. Again, a voice called out to them, soft but no less sincere. "Sorry!"

"So he's clumsier now."

"When do the effects wear off?" Ren asked.

"Um... Well..." She then mumbled.

"WHEN?" Pyrrha pressed Nora into the door, the metal bending around her. Nora gave a sigh.

"I don't know when the effects will wear off. We might have our big, strong, dummy leader forever."

[pilot-boi]

For the tans winter maiden jaune au, think we can get a snippet of him meeting with Nora? Does he start using she/her pronouns by then or is he still mostly repressing everything and using he/him?

First of all, it’s not a repression thing. I cannot stress enough that Jaune’s pronouns are he/him. Being a woman doesn’t change that. Like I said before, it took this long for his egg to crack because he feels no discomfort in using he/him to refer to himself. He is a bisexual girl who uses he/him

That being said, I’ll do my best :]

Fair warning, I got VERY carried away

Jaune’s been acting weird since he got back.

Well duh Nora, of course he’s been weird. He’s been trapped in another dimension for gods know how long with nobody to talk to. And he’s apparently a fairy tale character, from a book popular enough that even HER mom had time to read it as a bedtime story before abandoning her.

Good times.

He’s the Winter Maiden.

She’s the Winter Maiden. He? She? They? Do the rules of that even apply anymore now that even Ozpin doesn’t know what’s going on and her family met the mother of the gods?

And how did it even happen? All she knows is her leader is back with flames from blue eyes and Jaune refuses to talk about it. So does the rest of RWBY. Well, to an extent.

The death of the Winter Maiden was something that got brought up immediately, especially since no Penny came through the portal and Winter showed up with Qrow and the Ace Ops. Everyone assumed that Penny was dead, but nobody knew who got the powers.

And then RWBY returns from the dead with a flame-eyed Jaune and an impossible story. They all dance around the question in meetings. It was Cinder’s fault, they all say, and Nora believes them. But they also all glance at Jaune whose hand is tight on the hilt of Crocea Mors.

Nora is many things, but she’s not oblivious. A ditz, sure, over-exuberant, definitely. But unobservant she is not. Jaune was involved in Penny’s death. How, she doesn’t know, but she recognizes the haunted look in those eyes from dark nights in Mistral. No amount of years could dull that.

Ren has taken his turn looking through their leader, and apparently Jaune is fine. Or at least as fine as can be expected. And Nora trusts him. She trusts him more than he trusts herself these days.

But there’s still something. Something in Jaune’s eyes when they land on her, a flicker of something she can’t recognize. Or wishes she couldn’t.

Blame. Guilt. Pain. Emotions that have never been directed towards her from Jaune. Flames from blue eyes, twenty years alone, a trauma she knows nothing about.

She doesn’t know who Jaune is anymore.

And it’s that realization that pushes her to find Jaune and talk in person.

“Jaune? Can I come in?” Nora knocks on the door. The Nora-Of-Before would’ve just barged in without thinking. There’s a lot of things Nora-Of-Before wouldn’t have bothered to think about.

“‘Course, door’s open.” Jaune is sitting on the bed that’s shared with Oscar, adjusting the straps on the shoulders of the armor. “Hey, Nora. Did you need something?”

“What do I call you now?” Wow, great going, Nora. Just blurt it out.

Jaune blinks and looks up at her, visibly confused. “Um… Jaune?” Blue eyes glance over her face. “Unless something changed that I don’t know about?”

Something did change, she wants to scream. You changed. You changed and you can’t even see it because it happened when nobody was around to point it out. You were alone and vulnerable and it’s all my fault.

“Can I sit down?” she asks instead. Jaune slides over immediately, shoving the armor onto the pillow to make room for her. “Jaune, we need to talk.”

“Okay. Shoot.”

“I need to get something out of the way first of all.” She looks her leader straight in the eyes. “What do I call you now?”

“Jaune. Nora I don’t-“

“No no not that,” she waves away. “Not your name, I know your name.”

Jaune chuckles. “You’d be the first.” Short, sweet, ladies love it. The whole world knows them now. Not as much as Ruby, but still. Nora can’t fathom how Jaune deals with the world knowing the fairytale title more than the name from the broadcast.

“It’s just… So much has happened, and you don’t have to tell me all of it or any of it-” The words are tumbling out of her before she knows it, before she can stop them. “-but clearly so much has happened and you’re like family to me, and I’m sorry about what happened, I’m so sorry, but-”

“Woah woah woah, slow down.” Jaune grabs her hands. Dammit, she was rambling. This is about Jaune being hurt, and here she is rambling. “C’mere.” Jaune slides her over and plops a head of white streaked curls down on her head. She can feel Jaune’s voice rumble. “You can talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“I just… I don’t think I know you anymore.” And dammit why is her voice so small. She’s supposed to be the strong one. Gods, how does Jaune do this?!

Jaune doesn’t answer for the longest time, and for her it’s like having her worst fears confirmed. You’re right, you don’t know me, her leader’s silence seems to say.

“I don’t think I know myself anymore,” Jaune says eventually. “I was the Burning Knight. I still am, I guess.” There’s a pause, and Nora leans into the ratty sweatshirt Neptune lent. “I don’t really know who I am without the fairytale. It’s hard to explain.”

I don’t actually know who I am without Ren. “No… I think I get it,” Nora says. “Ren and I have been spending time apart since you…” Died. Since you died, and we buried you, and I couldn’t bring back help. But Jaune isn’t dead, she can feel the tickle of blonde curls on her forehead and the warmth through the hoodie. “I wanted to figure out who I am. I’m still working on that, but I think I get it.”

Jaune hmms.

“I’m the Winter Maiden.” It’s so matter of fact that Nora had to remind herself that Jaune’s had decades to get used to the idea. “but I still feel like Jaune Arc. I think… I think I’m a girl, but I still feel like a man.” And Nora has to admit, she’s shocked by how quickly Jaune admitted that. Other dimension therapy must be bonkers.

“So who are you?”

Another chuckle, this one failing to hide the hurt. “If you only knew how many times I failed to answer that question.”

More silence. Less stifling.

“I think… I think I’m still me.” And Nora can hear the relief. How long has her leader been dealing with identity and self all alone? Did it start in fairytale land, or did she just miss the signs? “I’m the Maiden, and I’m a girl, but I still feel like a guy.”

“Oh yeah?” Nora shifts so she can look at Jaune’s face. Blonde hair streaked with white over blue eyes. The eyes are still the same. “So you’re a woman? Like May?”

Jaune grimaces, thumps back down on her shoulder. “Girl feels right, woman doesn’t. I don’t feel… grown enough for woman.” Nora nods. Young, then old, then young again. Enough time has been stolen, it makes sense that Jaune’s had enough of being grown.

“So you’re my sister now, not my brother?” Nora asks.

She feels Jaune curl around her, long arms holding her like a teddy bear. “I don’t think I know who I am if I’m not your brother. Or Ren’s. Or Ruby, or Oscar’s.”

Who is Nora Valkyrie if she isn’t part of Ren and Nora? “It’s just a part of you,” she murmurs. How many Winter Maidens is she going to lead down this path before she reaches the end herself? “Don’t forget about the rest.”

“The rest of me feels like a guy,” Jaune replies immediately. “Not a man, not a hero just… just a guy. Or a girl. ” She can almost hear the smile behind the words. “A friend.”

“So, what do I call you now?”

“What do I call you?” Jaune shoots the question back at her. “Who are you?” And that’s not fair, ‘cause she hasn’t had two decades to work on this, she’s only had two months. And most of that time was filled up with grieving.

Although, with the white-streaks in blonde hair and the haunted look in blue eyes, Jaune probably spent the two decades similarly.

“I don’t think I know,” Nora admits.

“Me neither,” Jaune sighs. “I should probably talk to May about this. She’s the expert.”

“Probably.”

“Who do you want to be?” And the way Jaune says it, the question clearly means something. Something locked up in fairytale land and the lost years spent there.

But it’s an interesting question.

“I want to be someone who’s there for her friends,” she says. A golden portal and knuckles and throat bleeding under the force of desperation. “Someone whose friends know that she’ll fight the battles they can’t, and laugh and cry with them afterwards.”

“Sounds like you want to be Nora.”

It does, doesn’t it? “Who do you want to be?”

“I want to be someone who can help people,” Jaune says. A gleaming shield and a shattered blade, glowing hands meant to comfort and heal. “The kind of guy who can say “Everything’s gonna be alright, I’m here to help,” and people believe him.”

“Sounds like you want to be Jaune,” Nora quips back at her leader, and receives a weak laugh in response.

Him. Jaune said him.

“Do you still want to be a him? You’re a girl who feels like a guy.” She leans back against Jaune’s chest, snuggling into the warmth there. “Whatever you say, I’ll still love you.”

Silence. Nora feels Jaune shift awkwardly, sees calloused fingers pull at borrowed hoodie sleeves in front of her. “Is that like… allowed?” Theres a shocking amount of vulnerability in her leader’s voice. Like her answer will decide the rest of the future.

Oh Jaune.

There’s an immortal witch trying to kill us, time travel is apparently real, and you’re a fairy tale character. Who cares what’s allowed? It’s what she wants to say. It’s what she’s thinking. But cradling Jaune’s bleeding heart in her hands, and knowing better than she knows her name how important the opinion of her leader’s friends are, she stays quiet.

Nora looks up. Blue eyes, full of shadow and doubt. But still Jaune’s. “It’s very allowed.”

And his smile is like the sun.

[miss-eli-starfleet]

I like how WestAllen ended in the Flash with Nora's birth. The part where they're holding hands right before her birth and yellow and purple lightning zaps between them is done really well... Now, I don't particularly ship SnowBarry, but I do find the idea cute sometimes because of the Frost sisters, and how well done the writers wrote her scripts. I'm gonna disregard the whole Khione thing in my comparison of both ships which is canon WestAllen and AU SnowBarry from my perspective.

In a SnowBarry AU, Caitlin would be Barry’s “lightning rod”.

Barry would've been married to OG Caitlin (if you know what I mean) by the time they split in S6. At least following the timeline of how WestAllen generally progressed throughout the show. Like, as in, Barry's proposal of "Running Home to You" would be directed towards Caitlin instead of Iris in S3, SnowBarry marriage in S4, etc etc... Maybe it would be Caitlin SnowAllen if they decide to hyphenate?

Anyways, AU SnowBarry or canon WestAllen, I do wish they gave Caitlin/Frost more screentime especially after they split in S6. I would take the Frost sisters in a heartbeat instead of Cecile or Allegra.

S2 Barry and Jay would be “fighting” over Caitlin lol. Or maybe not. But he would be hella protective when Zoom kidnaps her.

In S3, Caitlin turned Killer Frost does end up working with Savitar.. imagine just how desperate Barry would be to keep her from going all "Frosty" because Caitlin is his fiancee, just as desperate as he was with trying to save Iris from Savitar in canon. I think instead of the focus on Iris, a majority of SnowBarry AU’s base plot line would include Barry trying to save Caitlin from her evil self? Like in that one episode where he spoke to Frost, and allowed her to try to kill him because he knows she’s still Caitlin deep down. OR it could be both: Savitar’s tryna kill her because she’s Barry’s “lightning rod” in this SnowBarry AU instead of them joining up.

Let’s say Barry still goes into the Speedforce in this SnowBary AU. Her heartbreak would be another catalyst/reason as to why Caitlin turned into her Frosty self between S3 and S4 to work for Amunet. In canon 4x01, Killer Frost does come back to the team as Caitlin to help Barry come out of the Speedforce so don't gotta "AU" that part. I know they "balanced out" the whole Caitlin/Frost thing in S4, and that was awesome to watch.

Loved the cuteness where “Caity” and Frost would communicate with each other in little sticky notes. Since Barry and Caitlin would be married by that time, maybe Frost writes sticky notes to Barry too?

Moving onto S5.. How would it go with Caitlin raising Nora alone in the future? Caitlin is a geneticist/doctor whereas Iris is a news reporter.. I think with Caitlin’s doctor/biochemist, I don't think she'd put a power dampening chip inside Nora. Nora would have Frost (split or not) to protect/guide her as well as the rest of the team. Maybe in SnowBarry S5, Nora would've grown up knowing that her father is the Flash from the start. 5x18 would've shown Caitlin and Nora having a better mother-daughter relationship than 5x18 canon Iris and Nora. Would she still go to Thawne then? Maybe so because of godspeed and he’s the only other speedster around and then after what happened to Lia? Maybe so.

Since Nora still wouldn’t have ever met Barry, Thawne could’ve still manipulated her with the whole Cicada dagger thing so she travels back in time. One thing for sure: she wouldn’t be all pissy towards Iris lol. But my poor girl Nora would’ve still vanished in S5 finale :(

When Caitlin splits in S6, imagine how happy Frost would be have her own body, but also to be there to support SnowBarry marriage in person, and be able to interact with both Barry and Caitlin at the same time. Speaking of the Frost sisters, what would Nora call Frost? Aunt Frost? Something like that?

Yep, Caitlin and Frost never dies in this particular SnowBarry AU. It was the only stupid thing the writers did for her character.

[yandere-fics]

(Thank you sooooo much, I really doubted anyone would care about my writing this much, it's incredible! I hope you don't mind but I chose just a really bad cold as the sickness. I really really enjoyed writing this, let me know your thoughts!)

♡ How They Take Care Of A Sick Darling ♡

♡ Nora is not the best when it comes to caring for her darling, even when she was mortal she was in tip top shape so she is panicking a little bit when she wakes up next to you and you're unable to get up out of bed from how sick you are. Are you dying, does she have to go find The Boss immediately to prevent your death? When she finds out you're not sick she calms down but not by much considering her reason for living is still incapacitated in her bed and there is nothing she can do to help. ♡

♡ If she's not there and returns to you being sick then it's even worse! She needs camera's set up in the apartment and she's upset she hasn't been a good enough girlfriend for you to automatically call her the moment there's a problem, she promises to remedy this issue as soon as she can so eventually your first instinct will be to call her, she'll do better! ♡

♡ The Boss will just have to put up with her not doing her job for a week or two until she's entirely sure you're better. Nora is not a good cook, she's barely passable, which reminds her she really needs to practice for in the future in case you ever do want her to cook for you, for now though you will have to deal with her ordering food for you and spoon feeding you herself, don't you even dare try to pick up the spoon, she will swat your hand away and force you to allow her to care for you. ♡

♡ She'll prop a million pillows under your back because laying down all day long can't be good for you though if you insist on laying down all day, instead she'll roll you on you back and give you a massage to guarantee you don't get any bedsores, even though you literally haven't been laying there for very long at all. She's doing her best to not press down too hard but in all her stress she still winds up pressing down a bit hard. ♡

♡ Once you have recovered she's not letting you out until she feels like you have enough layers on because she can't risk you falling victim to these stupid mortal illnesses. Especially when The Boss refuses to give her any more days off for awhile so she wouldn't be there to take care of you as intensely next time and while The Boss did offer to send a doctor for you, Nora really doesn't trust having anyone else touch you. ♡

♡ Sawyer is very bad at this because she can't use her powers to get rid of something as minor as a cold. If it were something worse then she could snap it away but doing that for something minor carried the risk of accidentally messing things up severely so instead she was forced to watch you suffer while she could do nothing to stop it. She would have to get you on a strict regimen of vitamins and things like that quickly so this could never occur again. ♡

♡ She already has cameras set up in the penthouse for occasions like this but she still feels awful that she didn't check the cameras for an hour coming back to see you lay in bed sick. She's out of the office so quick, not bothering to tell anyone why she was leaving for the day or giving them any instructions, once she's back at the penthouse then she'll figure out what she's going to do, for now she has to be by your side. ♡

♡ Sawyer can't just take a break for this so you're coming to the office with her. Don't worry she already called her people to make them put a bed in her office and there will be doctors there waiting to take care of you under her command. Highly trained doctors who know to be very careful or they will suffer a fate much worse than death. ♡

♡ Any touching will be completed by her at the instruction of the doctors, if you must be rolled over to adjust the sheets or you need a massage to help your aching joints, the doctors must tell her to do it and if they dare to try to do it themselves she will strike them down. This is the first time she's really taking breaks from her work to eat because she has to take a break to spoon feed you, there's no way she would consider allowing the doctors to do something so intimate for you. She's very attentive, she's just also very busy so she's trying very hard to balance her two responsibilities right now. ♡

♡ Once you're better she's getting a nutritionist and a fitness coach so they can advise her on what vitamins and things she needs to get for you in order to boost your immune system. If they can't help her make sure that you never get sick again then she'll pull some strings with the elves to get immune boosting items to ensure your health is at peak condition, she's never going to allow this to happen again although she actually didn't mind it too much. Caring for you was pleasant and she liked the bonding experience but not to the detriment of your own health. ♡

♡ Theanna is very good at this considering she was not the heir to the throne her whole life so when anything went wrong she cared for herself and never received a single bit of help on anything so when she was sick she had to sneak the medicines that her siblings with more backers were allowed to receive. Compared to that, caring for you with all her wealth and power at her disposal is a breeze so she's not stressing herself out. It's only a mild cold anyways plus it makes you so cute and weak for her. ♡

♡ Theanna is appalled to leave a meeting and have the head maid inform her that her favorite maid is sick. While she's grateful for the head maid caring for you while Theanna was busy, she would have rather she just barged into the meeting room and let Theanna know immediately. That's a new rule, from now on if anyone has news pertaining to her darling, they must come to her instantly, it does not matter where she is or what she's doing, they better tell her. ♡

♡ She can take a break whenever she damn well pleases, her advisors will simply have to put up with dealing with her crappy handwriting telling them how she wants them to handle everything for the day. It's super cute to see you squirm and whine about how she shouldn't take a day off on your account. You're so worried about how improper it is for the crown princess to take a day off all for a simple maid and she simply shushes you and questions if you're disobeying her orders. ♡

♡ She insists on doing everything for you even though she could just as easily get one of the maids or doctors to treat you. Instead she simply makes them deliver the medicine to the door and get the fuck away. She can't let them inside the room because she wants to be the only one who knows what you look like when you're so weak and vulnerable. In this state she can finally care for you the way she wants to without all your silly whining that it's improper and whatnot. ♡

♡ When you've recovered she's a bit bummed out that she can't push you around anymore and you won't let her take care of you again. She would have thought that getting sick would have helped you to realize how nice it is for her to take care of you. Well even if you won't let her continue to baby you once you're feeling better, she's going to insist on taking care of you because now she's realized how nice it feels to care for you and there's not a damn thing you can do to stop her. ♡

♡ Abigail is bad at this. Her family never gets sick, her bloodline is very strong plus where their manor is situated, is the perfect moderate weather all year long so even the civilians rarely get colds and such. She has seen people get sick since her arrival in the capital but she doesn't socialize much and her knights usually just walk any illness off and she never cares to pay enough attention so she wouldn't notice if they were sick anyways. She notices you're sick the moment your stance is even slightly off though. ♡

♡ If she returns from an important meeting to discover you are sick she will freak out that none of the other recruits stopped you from training. Sure she makes everyone else work through their sickness but you are obviously different so they should have known there's no way she would permit you to remain here while you are ill. She understands why they didn't inform her instantly but they still should have made you rest in her quarters and fetched a doctor for you. ♡

♡ She is unable to take too much time off work for this because it's not a fatal illness but this does make her grow to resent Theanna even more. She wishes she could go claim her title as duke now and just give up all this nonsense instantly because what good is being the top night if she can not take a break to care for her darling even if her care would be no help. ♡

♡ She'll have to make the doctor take care of you while you're resting and then you are permanently banned from the training ground because you are too stupid to know when to rest. If you fight the doctor or refuse to take your medicine because it tastes so bad she will storm into her room and force you to take it. At night when she returns she gives your aching bones a little massage in order to speed up your recovery. ♡

♡ When you're recovered she still doesn't believe you, you're permanently required to refrain from training. She can't believe you pushed yourself so hard in order to become a knight, it doesn't matter if you got sick for a different reason and weren't actually pushing yourself, or that all the other nights already constantly push themselves, she doesn't care, you matter more than any of that and it's time you accept your role as her lady. If you miss the training grounds then you can visit but only as her future duchess. ♡

♡ Veronia is great at it. She already takes care of sick animals occasionally when she's bored and has nothing better to do. Taking care of a sick bear is way harder than taking care of a little human who can't really stop her. I mean she's a strong seven foot dragon woman so like what are you gonna do, especially when you're sick and weak, your punches feel like she just got poked. Aww isn't she so cruel for laughing at you, she'll make it up beloved. ♡

♡ When she comes back to the cave and finds you sick she's panicking because she thought you would be fine while she went out to get food, she didn't realize you had kicked the blanket off of yourself as soon as she left so you had gotten sick in that time from being exposed to the air. She'll wrap you like a burrito next time to make sure you can't kick it off. ♡

♡ She can't really afford to take a break from guarding the territory daily but she'll make her rounds very quick so she can return to you. Plus all her hunting is necessary but she'll get much better at hunting this week since now she has to find ways to speed the process up much more. She'll be by your side the rest of the time though. ♡

♡ She has to admit, she's kind of into this. Though she wouldn't say it out loud because she feels bad for thinking this, she finds this extremely appealing to her fucked up defenseless princess versus dragon roleplay. Even if you said you were okay with it, she would never act on that desire because your body badly needs to recover so sadly she will just be a good diligent mate and try not to think about how good you look right now as she massages your back trying to ease your ache. ♡

♡ Once you're better she is taking you with her when she secures the perimeter, she will put you in an adult sized bjorn if she has to. Though she will eventually give up on that idea when she realizes it might make you nauseous, still she will unfortunately have to make sure you are awake when she patrols because she can't let you kick the blankets off again. You'll be fed and bundled up, plus set up with maybe some books or an activity before she leaves from now on. ♡

[if-mirrormine]

mm cast interview

characters: grayson donohue, kennedy rose, alex colwell, kelsey montgomery, nora, callie, demetri renfied

words: 1969

**unedited//you guys ever watch kitchen nightmares?**

Hello and welcome to the very long-awaited character interview! I'm your host, Alli, and I have with me today the cast of Mirror Mine!

Kelsey: They know what's going on; let's speed this up a bit, shall we?

(Grayson nudges her and she rolls her eyes but holds her tongue.)

I suppose we should just jump into it! I'll start with Kelsey, since she seems to have volunteered herself. First question; what made you become a detective?

Kelsey: (shrug) Why does anyone? To help those unable to help themselves. To bring justice to those who need it most.

How noble of you! And what were your impressions of the other cast members?

Kelsey: (she tilts her head to the side and hums) Gray was still a rookie when I first met him; I thought he was a total idiot that couldn't tell his arse from his elbow. But he's since grown on me and (eye roll) is actually quite competent and good at his job.

Grayson: (grinning) Thanks, Kels.

Kelsey: Yeah, whatever. Nora, I adore; she made me feel warm and welcome immediately. And she makes the best ratatouille I've ever tasted. I don't interact a lot with Callie, but they seem alright. Alex is way too happy-go-lucky for my liking but to each their own. And I like Kennedy; she seems to be the only one with her head screwed on straight.

And what about Demetri?

Kelsey: (deadpan) I said all I have to say.

Well... alright then! My next question is for Nora; how did it feel to raise two children on your own? Is there anything you would've changed?

Nora: It wasn't easy... those first couple of years were especially difficult. It was like suddenly not having any legs to stand on, I lost my balance a couple of times. But I'm so proud of who they grew up to be and I wouldn't have changed anything. Well, (dark chuckle) except maybe having my husband around.

(Demetri shifts in his seat, his eyes on the floor.)

Is there a specific memory that you'd consider to be your favourite?

Nora: Oh, there are just so many... (pause) I think if I had to choose, it would be Callie's first Christmas. Demetri and I had decided to keep the celebration small instead of inviting our family over, so it was just the four of us. MC was so excited to help Cal unwrap their presents that they didn't even care about their own. We spent the day in our pyjamas, let the kids watch cartoons and play with their new toys... it was the perfect day.

Demetri, would you say that's your favourite memory too?

Demetri: Like Nora said, there are too many to choose from but... that was a really good one.

But it's not your favourite. (He shakes his head.) And if you had to choose?

Demetri: The day I married Nora.

(Nora looks away to the floor and chews on the inside of her cheek.)

Let's move on, shall we? Alex! What is it about Grayson that makes u tease him so much?

Alex: (grinning) He just makes it so easy. He's a walking treasure trove of material.

(Grayson crosses his arms over his chest and grumbles quietly to himself.)

Alex: See what I mean?

Why did you choose paediatric surgery?

Alex: Well, I like children and I like helping people; so, when I realised I could do both, it was an easy choice to make.

But surely that must make things worse when things go wrong?

Alex: (serious) Of course; it's always really difficult to lose a patient but I understand that sometimes there's simply nothing that can done, even if you've done everything in your power to make it not so. A lot of doctors struggle with blaming themselves when things go wrong and I used to too, but I've learned that I can't let myself get swept up in my grief or my next patient might suffer too.

I like that; I think that makes you a great doctor. Now on a lighter note: what made you like MC in high school?

Alex: (with a surprised laugh) Oh, I... don't actually know. I just remember thinking that I needed to talk to them and get to know them, you know? And after our first date, I just wanted more and more.

And how did it feel when you broke up the first time?

Alex: Oof, not great. I was an idiot to let them believe I didn't care for them as much I did - as much as I still do - and that's one of my biggest regrets. I was so relieved when they agreed to get back together; I'd felt like I'd been drowning without them but as soon as they were by my side, I could breathe again.

That's so romantic! I think my next few questions will be for Grayson!

Grayson: (with a nervous smile) I'm ready.

What was the hardest thing for you when MC disappeared?

Callie: (scoff) Jeez, Alli; don't hold back.

(Nora shushes Callie.)

Grayson: (after clearing his throat) You mean besides losing my best friend? I guess losing MC meant losing myself in a way. For so long I'd seen us as me and MC that when it was suddenly just me, I didn't really know how to act anymore. I don't think I'll ever be the same person I was ten years ago.

(Kelsey reaches out to rub his back and he gives her a tight-lipped smile.)

That must've been tough. We've talked quite a bit about the past and favourite memories; do you have one of the MC?

Grayson: My fourteenth birthday. I was supposed to spend it with my dad, but he had to work so MC did everything they could to cheer me up. I think about that day a lot whenever I need a smile.

And how did you realise that you were in love with them?

(He blinks in surprise but quickly regains his composure, his face red.)

Grayson: I guess when I started to look forward to seeing them every day. I'd wake up thinking about them, wondering what we'd do and talk about, and even if the day was objectively bad, I'd say it was good because I got to spend it with them.

I'll go easy on you for this last one: what's it like being a detective? Do you enjoy it as much as you think you would've enjoyed business?

Grayson: It's definitely... interesting. It's a lot more paperwork than I ever thought it would be, which is less than fun.

(Kelsey stifles a laugh and he cracks a smile at her reaction.)

Grayson: (cont.) But overall, I enjoy it; it's a lot different than business, that's for sure. As for whether I'd have enjoyed business more if I stayed... I'll never know for sure, but something tells me I made the right choice.

So mysterious... Let's pivot over to Kennedy!

Kennedy: (imitating Grayson) I'm ready.

(The cast laughs and Grayson does his best to hide a smile behind a look of annoyance.)

What made you choose teaching as a profession?

Kennedy: I always loved learning new things, no matter the subject so going to school every day was really exciting for me, unlike every other child alive, I'm sure. But one of the things that made it so great were the teachers who dedicated their lives to imparting their wisdom and knowledge. I wanted to have that same kind of impact.

And what do you like most about teaching?

Kennedy: Probably seeing that impact in action. (Smiling) So many students come in and out of my classroom and I love knowing that I had a hand, or even just a pinky finger, in getting them where they want to be in life.

On the subject of students... do you have a favourite?

Kennedy: (with a stifled laugh) What kind of teacher would I be if I answered that question?

So that's a 'yes'?

(She makes a gesture of sealing her lips.)

Okay, how about my next question; what do you look for in a partner?

(She thinks for a moment before nodding decisively)

Kennedy: All the usual things; patience, kindness, a sense of humour... someone who I can spend the whole day with without having to say a word in order to be comfortable or show my love for them. Someone I can trust wholeheartedly to catch me when I fall, to lead me when I can't see.

Do you think you've met such a person yet?

Kennedy: (with a wistful smile) Possibly.

Alright, don't tell me... I've got some questions for Callie.

Callie: Hit me.

What's your favourite thing on the menu at the restaurant?

Callie: That mom makes? I'd kill a man for her calzone. But if we're talking about my personally curated dessert menu; I simply can't choose, they're all perfect. (Beat) With that being said, I always recommend the beignets to anyone who'll listen.

Good to know... did you always want to be a pastry chef?

Callie: (shrug) Guess so. I did get forklift certified a couple years back but there's just something about baking that kept pulling me back.

Alex: I think the something you're looking for is that baked goods are delicious.

Callie: (nodding) That'll do it.

My next question is a bit of a hard hitter... what is one thing you've always wanted to say to MC but never did?

Callie: My favourite colour is sage green.

(Nora nudges them, giving them a meaning look and they roll their eyes before crossing their arms over their chest and looking at the floor.)

Callie: Fine, I guess... I don't want to you to hate me. I know I wasn't the best sibling to you, especially those few years before you disappeared, I wasn't very nice, but I didn't mean it. (They take a deep breath.) For a while I was jealous of you... you had more friends than I ever did, you were better at a lot of things than me, you knew dad a lot longer than me... I thought it was unfair, but it was even more unfair for me to take it out on you even though it wasn't your fault. Then you disappeared and I was just so angry at myself for wasting so much of our time together resenting you -

(They're cut off by a choked sob and Nora quickly wraps her arms around them.)

Callie: (crying) I'm sorry, MC; please don't hate me.

They don't hate you, Cal; I can promise you that. (Beat) To wrap everything up, my last few questions are for Demetri.

Demetri: This should be fun... let's hear it then.

First question: what is wrong with you?

(He snorts, hiding his laughter behind a fist.)

Demetri: How much time do you have?

Evidently, not enough... next question: why did you leave your family ten years ago?

Demetri: (with a sad smile) You know I can't answer that.

I had to ask. I suppose I'll settle for the next best thing: do you regret leaving?

Demetri: Yes, it was the worst decision I've ever had to make.

Knowing how everything turned out, would you do it again if given the choice?

(Nora watches him with tears in her eyes and he turns his head to look at her and Callie, an unreadable look on his face.)

Demetri: Yes. (He looks away and Nora squeezes her eyes shut causing tears to slip down her face.) There's nothing I'd change either.

Well; this has all been very... enlightening. Thank you so much for joining me today and thank you to everyone who sent in questions. Couldn't have done it without you! And now, as they say in the biz; it's Christmas, let's go home!

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

9 Days of Lancaster Training

It was eerie, camping in the town square. By their very nature search and rescue operations don’t try and hide at all, can’t, even. It set my teeth on edge, but it was necessary.

“We’ll be training a little too, but we’ll try and keep it down.” I let Ren know. He was scrapping some dinner together and some other meals. We'd found perishables that the bandits hadn’t bothered to take and would literally rot if we didn’t eat them.

Ruby had wondered if that made us better than the bandits but together the three of us convinced her otherwise.

From, “you can’t give it to anyone.”

To, “you can’t save it for later.”

And fervently, “all this in all these empty houses will be rat food if we don’t eat it now.”

She gave in but didn’t eat much.

She was stressed, they all were. Especially considering how far we just got set back in terms of our travel time. Money really wasn’t an issue. Huntsmen could make a living anywhere and with communication down…

With communication down the law of the land in most places was whatever the guy with the most fighting power said it was. Who were you going to call and how were you going to call them and what would they do by the time they finally arrived to do something, if they ever came at all?

Huntsmen will have even fewer problems making money anywhere. Perhaps too few.

I set another log on the campfire. There was a flare of sparks and the fire snapped a few times at me. I stared at them like the patterns they made would reveal something to me but there was nothing at all.

Nora was already turned away from the dim light in her sleeping bag. Ren being emotional had evidently exhausted her beyond her energy.

Ruby had found a clearing she liked as we’d set up camp and I followed her there now from the campsite. I hadn’t bothered to take my armor off at any point. I needed to get used to it and I’d do it by wearing it sixteen hours a day, more, probably.

“You’ll probably need a whole new fighting style, I mean, have you ever practiced with a broadsword?” She chatted as we walked.

“I haven’t but a sword is a sword.” What’s so hard to understand about swish-swish-stab? A lot, to be honest. “I’ll be able to figure it out.”

“I know some of my uncle’s moves.” Ruby continued. “Would they help?”

“I’m bad enough that they literally couldn’t make me worse.”

She looked like she wanted to hit me for that but couldn’t because she was about to hit me anyway.

I stared at her from the side, watching her pink lips move out of the corner of my eyes. She reached up while she was talking and brushed her short red and black hair over her ear with one hand.

She was building up contained excitement like a diesel engine getting warmed up and I had to smile. Once she started talking it released like a wave and I found myself nodding and listening along as she carried on the better part of three conversations at once.

 “A lot of his moves are horizontal, it’s hard to swing a sword that big upwards. The ground gets in the way. His most powerful attacks are usually ones that come downwards, though, using gravity. His weapon is different, you know?” I did, I was confident she’d told me, at least. I’d hear it again, though. "It’s a broadsword with a similar scale to yours but also turns into a scythe, and, unlike yours, it has a gun too.” She looked at me to make sure I was listening. I was entranced with her lecture.

"It’s actually a lot more complicated than yours but you’ve always been simple," she continued.

I agreed so, I nodded.

“I don’t mean simple like that. I mean simple like- well, you know.”

I did, so I nodded.

“But every person is like that, everybody is unique.”

“-what?”

 “Weapon!” She corrected herself a tad-little loud. “Every weapon is like that.” She glanced at me.

She dared me to call her out.

I couldn’t possibly.

“I really don’t know much about fight with shields, though, I’m sorry I won’t be more help. But like I said, swing downwards instead of upwards and it’ll help.”

I grimaced. If I swung the broadsword down, I’d need to lift it up again. It seemed obvious but the thing was heavy now. I’d need to do it as little as possible to conserve energy.

I watched her spin away from me into the clearing.

It took me a second to realize she was waiting for me and I stepped opposite her and drew the broadsword from my back.

Ruby’s scythe extended and she reversed her grip on it, holding the weapon behind her back. I didn’t think for one second it was an opening. I couldn’t cross the distance between us before she would move.

Still, I knew if she were willing to spend ammunition on a sparring match, then I would be the one forced to approach. In the spirit of that I charged at her anyway.

I committed to an attack with Crocea Mors, swinging from my shoulder down at her. She danced out of the way, her footwork was tight and fast. She was able to stay just out of my range, dipping in to slice across my breastplate with her scythe before I could bring my weapon around again.

It was enough to buffet it and I was encouraged further to back up when she rolled the scythe around her body in an upwards diagonal arc.

It wasn’t where I wanted to be, backing up was so much worse than side stepping. On the back-foot your opponent could charge and stand and fight you.

Pyrrha had hammered that into me none-too gently. Sometimes she used her shield as the hammer.

Sometimes she hadn’t.

Ruby stepped with me, staying inside where I would feel comfortable with the sword.

I lashed out with my foot in a clumsy kick, balancing the sword’s weight with my own mass and all my armor on just one leg with little practice. The kick flat out missed and Ruby had the good grace not to laugh. She did catch the leg I was left standing on with her scythe and yank me off my feet.

I felt myself whirl through the air and land flat on my back.

“Sorry Jaune.” She smiled down at me sheepishly. I couldn't be mad at that.

I got to my feet shaking my head. “I’ll get over it. I’m not afraid of looking like an idiot.” I leveled the broadsword at her. “I still have plenty of aura for you to beat out of me.”

She took that as a sign to continue and this time she rushed me.

I sidestepped lashing out with Crocea Mors into the space I had just occupied. It collided with Crescent Rose’s barrel with a heavy metallic clank. The weight was enough to stop Ruby’s momentum and she squealed adorably as she strained against it and the noise she made was enough to distract me a little.

She retreated spinning the crescent behind her, before she reversed again, rotating once more towards me in whirlwind of red and steel.

“How are you not getting dizzy?” I implored.

She giggled at me for that like I was just being just so extra silly when I truly did want answers. It sometimes felt like I could barely stand up without my head spinning and here she was like a top.

I raised Crocea Mors and blocked the blade of Ruby’s scythe with a grunt. I turned my wrists to block her next attack when she came around the other side.

I like to say my efforts impeded her but really she just hit me three times anyway.

Her blade swept across my stomach, glancing off my armor. I threw out Crocea Mors to try and gain some space, but she simply stepped back then back in and hit me hard in the side of the head with the back of Crescent Rose.

I stumbled back but she was all over me sweeping her blade towards me and chipping away at my aura. I grunted lowering Crocea Mors to defend once again. I blocked then thrust my blade out and swung it upward, Ruby easily dodged the thrust but wasn’t ready for me to continue my assault. I rushed forward. She jumped, elegantly dodging the attack with her semblance and a flare of red petals.

She flowed to my right like water before she zipped to the left with vanishing speed and seemed to hit me from behind as her scythe extended to a nearly impossible range. She threw me off balance. Her scythe was a spinning blade of death that sunk deep into my aura, shredding away chunks of it. I stepped back like I was going to retreat but I whipped the blade out and I clipped her side.

She rolled with the attack to the ground to avoid me chasing her, but I had stopped.

The sword made a meaty noise when it hit her, it was the first time I’d hit anybody or anything with it and I immediately regretted how hard I had swung it and that its first target was Ruby besides.

We were just training, and it wasn’t like she was out here swinging to hurt me. I winced slightly. She looked a little winded. Her hand dropped down a little. I shouldn’t just be throwing out haymakers at her.

Duh, Jaune, what a way to say thank you.

Her body shimmered with soft red light as she recovered, getting to her feet. I let her rise unassailed; in a real fight I’d be all over her; I wasn’t above hitting someone while they were down, after all, the world had no problems doing it to me, but this was just training.

“Are you alright?" I asked, my eyes roved her body, looking for any sign of injury. Her hand rose from where I had hit her, and she nodded.

I was sure Ruby could go toe to toe with nearly anyone, I’d seen her fight Yang and Pyrrha. But my sword weighed as much as either of them did, soaking wet in full gear. And unlike a potential Yang based weapon, Crocea Mors had all of that force condensed into a tight blade.

Ruby’s own weapon was spindly in comparison and for a moment I wasn’t totally sure that I wouldn’t crack her barrel in half if I came down really hard on it.

“I’m fine. That hurt, though, you’ve gotten stronger.”

“It's the new sword, it’s heavier,” I dismissed. “It’s easy to hit things hard with a giant sheet of metal.”

“Well, I’m sure that's true, too.”

I continued to look her over. I was thinking about her hit and run fighting style.

That old big kicker-why?

Why did she bother retreating when she was so strong? It wasn’t just a fighting style preference. I was beginning to suspect that she needed to. She needed to dodge rather than block and she couldn’t afford to tank hits like I could.

She wasn’t weak - it was impossible to think that, really. It was honestly weird to think about her as fragile, too, even with the evidence right in my face.

“How am I doing so far,” I managed between pants.

I decided I would give her a moment to catch her breath, if she needed it. It looked like I had knocked the wind out of her, even through her Aura.

“You need to move more, you stand too still.” It was familiar advice, and it brought me back to rooftop training sessions with another redhead. I changed tracks, not wanting to think about Pyrrha right now.

Thinking about Pyrrha only made me want to train. I wanted to train and fight until I was strong enough to kill Cinder.

It was fucking bullshit that Cinder got to walk around while I didn’t even get to bury Pyrrha. I shook my head, thoughts of revenge clearing. I had a long way to go until I could hold a candle to the woman who killed my partner.

Besides I was training now, I couldn’t be more training than I currently was.

“Well it’s hard to keep up with you in terms of movement,” I deflected but made it clear I agreed. Standing rooted like a tree would only serve to cost me precious aura. Plus, now I had two sources telling me to get my ass in gear and move around the battlefield. Not that I’d ever ignored Pyrrha’s advice but sometimes lessons took a while to stick.

We started again.

I slashed two wide arcs at Ruby, and she ducked under one and deflected the other. The large sword wasn’t cutting it for me right now, but the point was to train with the new form. My movements were telegraphed with the broadsword, much more so than with the bastard sword and the shield would also allow me to defend myself from her wild slashes better, but the point of training right now was to learn how to use the new length to my advantage. It was not necessarily to use the best weapon for the situation.

She hit me twice with Crescent Rose before I felt the blade swing around me. She traded places with it, swinging me and herself in a sort of orbit connected by her weapon. She brought me around in a wide arc before she used a tree to halt her moment and mine. I could only watch as Ruby effectively pulled the blade towards her and through my aura.

It clotheslined me hard into the ground and made a loud gonging noise as it her blade dinged off my freshly polished armor. I lay there on the ground with my chest flashed with soft golden light as my aura flickered. Ruby seemed to realize that I’d had enough and stepped back, folding her scythe behind her back as she did.

I tried to rub my chest through my armor for a moment before managing to puzzle together that it wasn’t helping. Even through the protection granted by my soul and armor it was enough to sting.

I sat up and just tried to focus on breathing.

Ruby sat down next to me. Plopping down in her skirt with practiced ease.

“Was it really okay to re-forge Pyrrha’s weapons like that?” Ruby asked. “I know I sort of talked you into this. I didn’t mean to make you do something you might regret.”

I understood the sentiment immediately, but this felt right.

“Her sword was in pieces and it would only have served as a reminder that she wasn’t actually invincible,” I began. It wasn’t like I hadn’t thought about it. “And I’m sure that she would be fine with me using her shield to defend myself, too. And you know there’s going to be something satisfying about killing Cinder with a weapon reinforced with the one she broke.” I chuckled lightly at the morose thought.

“Well, I guess it’s okay, then?” She struggled to find something to say after that. “I’m sure you’re right.”

We sat quietly together in the forest lit by moonlight. It wasn’t a full moon, like the night before, but still plenty bright.

“Jaune…” She trailed off.

“Yeah?” I answered anyway, ignoring her hesitation.

“About Pyrrha…” She pressed on.

“What about her?” I could talk about her, with Ruby of all people, at least. I didn’t particularly want to, but I would.

“Did you and her ever…”

“No, we didn’t. I didn’t know until it was too late.”

“Oh.”

I realized my fingers were brushing my lips. The rough material of my gauntlets was nothing like Pyrrha’s lips and my fingers tasted like sweat and grime.

So soft.

I remembered the way she’d kissed me before she left. It had been desperate but with a certain finality. She’d known she was sending her valedictions to me at the time.

I’d known too.

“She was a really good friend...”

“The best.” I agreed readily. I wasn’t sure where she was going with this.

“Would you have?” She grimaced looking pained. “Sorry.”

“I don’t know. Alright? I really have no idea. I don’t get to know.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Ruby slipped into silence and I watched her fight herself again for a long minute. “But she wouldn’t want you fighting Cinder.”

“Well of course not.” Hell, the last thing she’d done was push me into a locker and not give me the choice of dying with her. Which I wasn’t bitter about at all. “But that doesn’t change how I feel. So, I’m still going to.”

“But…” She trailed. Her concern was like a fire, it flickered out towards me but there was nothing for it to catch onto. I was already burnt down inside.

“Hey look.” I pulled my sword over to where we sat. “You wanted to see how the mechanism works, right?” Anything for a change in subject, literally anything. It was weak but Ruby seemed to understand.

She just nodded and listened while I went over the weapon with her. I could tell that she remembered how the mechanism worked part of the way through his explanation, she’d helped design it, after all. She just needed the refresher, but that was it.

I explained all of it anyway.

[ragingbookdragon]

The Soul's Tethers

Kotallo x Reader

Word Count: 1.1K Warnings: None

Author's Note: I FUCKING LOVE THIS MAN SO GODDAMN MUCH. -Thorne

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

The Nora had come through the window of her shelter before she’d even realized what was happening, and it was only until the two were in the floor, split lips and busted eyebrows that the two understood that they weren’t each other’s enemy—especially when the horde of stalkers rushed down below the trees. They’d assisted the other in taking them out and when they were reveling in their spoils, she invited the Noran back up until the rain had stopped.

She handed the girl, Aloy, a bowl of stew and tossed a log into the fire, sitting down beside her. “You’re quite a ways from Noran lands, Aloy.”

Aloy huffed sardonically. “I tell myself that every day.” As she ate, she couldn’t help but gaze curiously at the woman. “What tribe do you belong to?”

“I was once a part of the Sky Clan, though I claim it no longer.” Her expression soured. “My uncle…he betrayed me.”

“Who’s your uncle?”

“Tekotteh.”

Aloy blinked and looked at the fire, muttering, “I feel bad for you.”

“I appreciate that,” she replied, sharpening her knife, gazing towards the sky. “He was different when I was a child and younger woman. But power changed him. He is no longer the man I once respected.”

“How…did he betray you?”

Her gaze turned almost sad as she answered, “I fell in love with one of the boys he was mentoring. We…grew up together and were always close. But as he got older, and stronger, my love grew, and my uncle saw that I was loyal to him more. He sent my love away to become a marshal for Hekarro.” Her hands moved absentmindedly along the metal. “I saw through Tekotteh’s reasoning. And when Tekotteh told me he was killed at the embassy, I spoke out against him. Called him a coward and a traitor to our people. He banished me for disloyalty to the clan.” She shifted, taking the empty bowl from Aloy. “I’ve been here ever since in grieving. Away from my people. On my own…it’s…comforting somehow.”

Aloy frowned. “I’m so sorry for your loss.” Her expression turned solemn. “I was there, y’know? At the embassy? I tried my best to get as many out as I could.” She sighed. “I wish I could’ve saved your lover. What was his name, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Kotallo,” she said, a sad smile playing her lips. “His name was Kotallo.”

Aloy froze, not even blinking as the Tenakth continued to talk about him, then she blurted out, “Did you just say Kotallo?”

“I did?” her brows drew together. “Why?”

“Kotallo’s not—he’s—” Aloy shook her head. “Kotallo’s alive.”

Shock bled into her posture and face as she gaped at the Noran. “What?”

“Kotallo survived the Embassy Massacre. He’s still alive.”

“He—he is?” she started rising. “Can you take me to him? I—I want to see him. Please, Aloy, take me to Kotallo.”

Aloy was already grabbing her bow and spear, rising too. “Yeah, absolutely, c’mon.” she paused and looked back at her. “Tekotteh told you that Kotallo was killed?”

Anger drew along her, nostrils flaring in rage as she spat, “I’ll kill him.”

“Get in line.”

***

She was quite baffled by the technology that Aloy’s base contained, but nevertheless, she was grateful for the new Focus, beginning to understand a little of the mission that the Noran had explained to her along the way. The companions that Aloy kept were pleasant enough, but she hadn’t yet seen Kotallo; it was only when Zo explained that the man had gone to hunt that she somewhat relaxed, sitting in the common room, waiting nervously for the man she hadn’t seen in almost two years.

Zo sat down beside her and handed her a cup. “Here, some tea for your nerves.”

“I’m not nervous,” she retorted, but took the cup anyway. “I’m fine.”

The Utaru smiled knowingly. “Drink.”

She did as Zo said and took a few sips, the warmth bleeding down her throat. “I haven’t seen Kotallo in almost two years. I…don’t know how to greet him.”

“Aloy said your uncle told you he had died.”

“I assume it was to somehow relieve me of my love and force me to marry someone else.”

“Yet you did not.”

She glared into the cup. “I saw through his manipulations when he sent Kotallo away to become a Marshal.”

“You never forgot.”

“And I will never forgive either,” she added, looking up when the door opened and a man’s voice she recognized so well echoed through.

“Erend, I do believe you owe me a drink because I in fact found not one, but two stags.”

The Oseram groaned and dropped his head on the table as the Tenakth warrior came around the corner, looking around the common room, but his eyes stopped on her.

She rose to her feet, hands pressed to her chest as her throat tightened, tears filling her eyes; she didn’t know what to say as he stepped in, his own eyes wide, mouth parted in shock.

“You—you’re here,” he breathed, and she nodded wordlessly, unable to fight the tears dropping down her cheeks.

“He told me you were killed at the embassy,” she managed through a clenched throat. “I didn’t want to believe it, but I—” she crossed the floor to him in slow steps, reaching up to touch his chest. “But you’re here…alive.” Her eyes dropped to his left arm, and he frowned.

“No, I did not die…but I did not walk away unscathed.” He looked back at her. “In my state…I do not know if you wish to be with me. I…am not as worthy a warrior as I once was.”

Her hands were soft against the roughness of his dried paint, cupping his face, thumbs brushing over his scars and cheekbones, pulling them until their foreheads touched. “My Kotallo,” she whispered, nuzzling their noses like traditional lovers did in their culture. “My tether.”

He tipped his head to the side. “There is someone worthy of you. Please, do not waste your love on me.”

“The only man worthy of my soul is you.” She pulled away enough to see into his eyes, wiping the tears that had grown in his. “You are my tether, Kotallo. My soul is yours. It always has been. It always will be. And no amount of limbs lost will ever change such.” She smiled through her tears. “I have missed you so, my tether.”

Kotallo let out a breath and shut his eyes, voice soft, but so strong as he replied, “And I have missed you, my soul.”

[mcheang]

Spot the difference

When Zoe and Alya become replacement heroes, Marinette could have told the kwamis to pass on the message to avoid wearing the rings! Except she was kinda depressed and their decision had been a shock to her.

However as she went to visit Alya to congratulate her, she also had a list of things to beware and avoid, among which was the alliance ring.

Alya dismisses Marinette’s concern, reluctant to give up the latest technical fad and unable to think of an explanation for even doing that. Besides, does Marinette know how much these things cost?

After the events of Deflagration, Marinette, Alya, Tikki and Plagg are curious how Monarch discovered their secret identities so quickly.

What is the difference between Marinette and Alya? Could it really be the alliance ring?

Plagg: actually, now that you mention it, Chat Noir doesn’t wear an alliance ring, but Kitty does.

Everyone is stunned.

Alya hesitantly says, “And Kouki wore 5 alliance rings on his hands, Nora was complaining to me about him being such a spendthrift. That was the only time we faced an akuma with the powers of 5 miraculous. Did the other akumas wear multiple alliance rings?”

Marinette: no.

Alya said what everyone must be thinking. “So the alliance rings are how Monarch transfers the powers of the kwami.”

Tikki: you think Gabriel might be Monarch after all?

Marinette: i don’t want to think it could be true, but we can’t discount the possibility. I know he was the Collector before but the arrival of Mayura means he has at least one ally who could akumatize him on his behalf.

Alya: it is too much of a coincidence that Gabriel should be akumatized right after he loses the grimoire, the most incriminating clue that would lead to Hawkmoth.

Plagg: if Gabriel really is Monarch, there’s only one way to know for sure. He’ll have my mark on him after the wax museum.

Alya: right…how are we going to see Gabriel’s arm? A vaccine?

Marinette: not to mention, i am certain that Monarch would want to hide such a clue with makeup.

Plagg: there’s only one way to know for sure. A spy mission. Send me Marinette, no offense but out of all of you, I blend in the most easily.

Alya: right, then how do you explain kwami buster?

Tikki, who knows Plagg knows the Agreste mansion best of them all, speaks up. “No, he’s right. We need to send in Plagg.”

Marinette twiddled her fingers. “Especially since the Resistance’s last plan with Gabriel epically failed.”

Plagg avoids meeting Adrien, knowing he won’t take kindly to his father being accused again. But he really goes all out in exploring the house. He does more than sneak into Gabriel and Nathalie’s rooms, he searches for hidden lairs and vaults. He finds Monarch’s lair easily enough, and his captured friends!

Plagg reports this to Marinette. Grimly, she starts planning. “Gabriel must be hiding the rings under his gloves.”

Alya: what are you going to do now?

Marinette: I’m going to arrest Monarch in the last place he expects. When do you think Gabriel is making his next public appearance?

Alya: uh…no clue. I’m still surprised he went to the parent teacher conference.

Marinette: we need more heads. Plagg, you can go to Chat and-

Plagg: actually, it might be better if you leave Chat out of this.

Marinette: why?

Plagg: I can’t say.

A pause before they move on.

Alya: what if Adrien has his friends over, is that enough of a public setting for you?

Marinette nodded. It will do, but I have to ambush him easily.

Alya: you can count on the resistance.

Sure enough, Alya knocks Gabriel unconscious and lets Ladybug in through the window. Adrien is stunned when Ladybug exposes his father as the villain.

As the resistance stands watch over the bound villain, Ladybug summons her lucky charm to find his lair.

She frees the kwamis. Gabriel is arrested but there is still the question of who Mayura is, either Tomoe or Nathalie. Anyway, they are both taken into custody where Nooroo happily outs them.

Adrien then has to move away to Paris after the public backlash and stay with his aunt. Plagg offers the miraculous again but Adrien politely declines, instead promising to help recover the Peacock from his cousin should he show his face again.

[viridisgratia]

Wakfu Season 4

The downfall of Eliatropes

! SPOILERS !

At the end of this fourth and last season and for the first time in Wakfu history, an Eliatrope and her dragon brother are dead.

They're not dead properly speaking, because firstborn Eliatropes cannot die. They won't die of natural causes, only if their life is highly threatened. When they do, they reincarnate in their Dofus and are reborn at some point, once both siblings are back in it.

But things have changed this time.

Efrim has died, but hasn't returned to his Dofus. He became a necrome, dead but not really dead, and he cannot go back to his original self. He cannot re-die and return to his Dofus because he can no longer be harmed in a life threatening way. He can no longer reincarnate and Nora cannot be reborn without him.

Not only that, but Efrim is also dangerous now, hungry for wakfu, and without anything restraining him, he could and would put anyone and everyone in harms way to be fed, because he don't feel anything anymore.

So, Nora locks her and her brother away in the "deeps of the univers" to never be seen again (I hope, otherwise it would be very bad writting). This is the last life they'll ever live, and they're going to spend it together, apart from the world, forever.

Since the very beggining of the series, when we first met Adamai and Grougaloragran and they explained to Yugo what an Eliatrope is, they are pictured as heavely powerful and capable, almost god-like from the World of Twelve pov, and first and foremost absolutely immortal, especially the twelve members of the Eliatrope Council, the twelve firstborn, which includes Yugo, Adamai, Quilby, Grougaloragran and obviously Nora and Efrim. All twelve of them have existed for ages, leading the Eliatrope people throught war and destruction multiple times, loosing some members along the way but always getting them back. But now we have an empty dofus that will never be full again, and a pair of siblings forever missing.

Now think about this, and add it to the way the Eliatrope godess behaves in this season. She is supposed to be the most powerful being in the whole universe, that how she was depicted until then, but now she is heavily traumatized and is unable to do anything to help her children that wants to fight, so she runs away. Seeing the "most powerfull" being of the univers in such a bad state is a punch to the stomach. For me, the whole foundation of the Eliatrope people is shaken, and by extension the whole series. They have a weakness. A weakness that costed them their new spot in the Inglorium, Quilby, almost Yugo and two of their millenials leaders permanently. They seem less mystic and omnipotent and I fell like the stakes are higher and the means fewer. Having a whole race being a Deus Ex-Machina is reassuring. Now what will happen ?

Hear me out, I'm terrified but I'm thrilled. Very happy about where the story is today. They managed to question a foundamental rule of the univers and they did it very well. Maybe Eliatropes needed to look weaker, I fell like it adds a lot to the lore and you know I feed off of that.

[writingsofwesteros]

Canon verse Nora-

While Aemond and Nora were at Harrenhall, did we really think that nothing happened with a certain Strong witch? 😏

Aemond was off with Cole as they spoke with the generals down in Harrenhall's courtyard, and Nora was in the chambers they shared, combing her hair- it was annoying to braid her long silver hair into the Visenya-reminiscent battle braids without her maids, or even Hel to help her. "Would you like some help, Princess?" Nora looked up in the mirror to see the healer standing there. "I suppose," Nora hummed. Alys came up behind her and her hands worked deftly to braid her hair. Nora had noticed how the woman's eye was always on her or Aemond, and she asked calmly, "How long have you been the healer here at Harrenhall?" "Many years, Princess," Alys replied, looking at Nora's reflection in the mirror. "You're quite bold," Nora told her. "Most servants know their place, yet you take it upon yourself to look me in the eye." "Do I?" Alys looked right at her in the mirror's reflection. "And my brother as well," Nora went on. "Targaryens are a sight to look upon," Alys smiled. "Especially the Princess who has changed the path that history would take." Nora's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?" "The story that was written remained unaltered for centuries." Alys hummed. "Until years ago, when Queen Alicent gave birth to another child- another girl. Who went on to claim a wild dragon, and now....the story is altered." Nora stood and turned to face her. "Who are you?" Nora stared back at her. "I am naught but one who watches stories unfold," Alys said. "Who looks into the flames and sees what is to come." "You are a witch," Nora realised, though her tone was not an accusing one. "You sound surprised," Alys said with amusement. "You should not be. Few from your line have dabbled as well." "My line-" "There is a reason why none can take the name Visenya since the Conqueror." Nora did not let her hesitance show. "What do you want with me? With my brother?" Nora asked defensively. "We are all put where we are for a reason," Alys told her cryptically.

"Your Uncle Daemon ran," Alys chuckled. "Leave Aemond alone," Nora warned her. "You think I seek to bring harm? Princess, I seek nothing of the sort. You were sent here for a reason," Alys tucked a tendril of her silver hair back, the women standing closer together. "While your brother fights war with his sword, Princess- you can do so much more," Alys whispered. "What do you mean?" Nora asked cautiously. She had always been drawn to power, admittedly, but something that could guarantee they win the war was something she would give her soul for.

"Your hands have claimed a dragon," Alys mused. "They have brought pleasure and pain- and now, they will wield a power that men cannot." Alys's fingers danced along her own. "Show me," Nora whispered. "I will win this war." For Aegon, for Helaena, for Aemond, for Daeron. For Mother. For sweet Jaehaerys who was taken from them.

!!!!!! GO ALYS !!

Nora would learn so much from her thank you

For Aegon, for Helaena, for Aemond, for Daeron. For Mother. For sweet Jaehaerys who was taken from them. :( :(

Aemond returns back; his confused stare between the two women before him as Nora had softened to Alys

[howlingday]

Oscar Pine's Existentialism

Oscar: ...

Oscar: Why am I here? Why does it have to be me?

Oscar: Is there any other way life can go?

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

Ruby: So then I told her, I may be out of dust, but I'm not out of options!

Jaune: Haha! No way!

Yang: It's true.

Oscar: ...

Jaune: Hey, Oscar? You okay?

Oscar: ...I'm fine. Don't worry about me.

Jaune: ...Okay then.

Oscar: (Thinking) Why can't I relate to them? Is there something wrong with me? Or maybe... I just can't relate because we don't have anything in common. Would I even be here if they didn't drag me out here?.

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

Oscar: Another day, another step closer to fighting Salem. What's the point, though? She's so powerful, and I... I don't even know how to begin to use magic.

Oscar: And even if we do win, what then? Will the Brothers even come back, or have they forgotten us? And we're still here. Alone.

Oscar: Like always. And even if I do end up becoming a huntsman, or get married, or go back to being a farmer, I'm still gonna be dead in the end. Why should I even bother with anything? It'll all be gone in a hundred years.

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

Nora: Hey, Oscar~! Did you get those seeds planted?

Oscar: Huh? Oh, uh, no, I didn't.

Nora: Why not? Didn't you say this was perfect weather to do some gardening?

Oscar: Well, yeah, but, uh... I don't know. I just didn't feel like gardening today.

Nora: I thought you loved gardening.

Oscar: ...I thought I did, too.

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

Oscar: Hey, uh, Blake?

Blake: Hm?

Oscar: You ever... I dunno, feel bad about not doing something?

Blake: Sometimes, but I just do what I can to make up for it now.

Oscar: Well, what if you can't? What if no matter what you do, you'll never be able to make up for not doing something?

Blake: ...

Oscar: N-Nevermind. Uh, enjoy your book. I'm just gonna... I'm gonna go to bed.

Blake: At four in the afternoon?

Oscar: Ha ha, yeah, you know, early to bed, early to rise?

Blake: Hm...

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

Oscar: (In bed)

Oscar: (Sniffles)

Oscar: (Sobbing)

Oscar: Why am I still here?

Oscar: What am I supposed to do?

Oscar: Where am I supposed to go?

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

Oscar: ...

Weiss: Oscar?

Oscar: Huh, what?

Weiss: You were staring over the edge for a long time. Is... Is everything okay?

Oscar: ...I'm fine. (Walks away)

Weiss: Okay?

Weiss: (Pulls out scroll)

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

Oscar: (Sees everyone happy, Sighs)

Emerald: This seat taken?

Oscar: Huh? Oh, uh, no. You're good.

Emerald: Well, I am now. (Smiles)

Oscar: (Weakly chuckles)

Emerald: ...So, what are you thinking about?

Oscar: ...Nothing?

Emerald: ...Alright.

Oscar: ...

Emerald: ...They look pretty happy over there.

Oscar: Uh-huh.

Emerald: Almost like they got everything all figured out.

Oscar: Yeah.

Emerald: Not a care in the world, huh?

Oscar: (Sighs) No.

Emerald: Why don't you go join them?

Oscar: Should I? I mean, what would we even talk about? They're all huntsmen and huntresses, and I'm... Well, I'm not. When we got to Atlas, I turned the same age Ruby was when she first showed up to Beacon. And now I'm here, years later, and I... I don't have anything to show for it.

Emerald: I hear ya. It sucks not being able to relate to everybody else.

Oscar: Especially when they've already done so much to save the world. And then... Then there's me.

Emerald: What about you?

Oscar: ...I'm nothing, Emerald. And pretty soon I'll be less than nothing. Just a thought in Ozma's head. I'm on a timer, and I never realized how much I already wasted my life. Meanwhile, everyone else is getting along just fine, making a difference, saving the world, and I don't have anything to show for what I've done.

Oscar: I'm... I'm nothing.

Emerald: Damn, when you put it like that, you're right.

Emerald: We are nothing.

Oscar: Huh?

Emerald: I've only got a couple decades left to live, and I already wasted my life, y'know? Not only that, but I was actually helping destroy the world, too. But here I am anyways, hanging out with these people trying to save the world. Guess that makes me nothing, too, huh?

Oscar: What? No! That's-

Emerald: But if we're nothing together, then at least we're nothing together, right?

Oscar: ...No. No, we're not nothing. We're... We're something. And... I don't know what we'll be, but we can't be nothing forever, can we?

Emerald: I dunno about you, but I was a bad guy before all of this. Pretty sure if anybody knows about how things change, I'd say I've got some ideas.

Oscar: ...Thanks, Emerald.

Emerald: Anytime, Oscar. And really, I mean any time. I don't want to hear that you're saying and thinking stuff that's scaring all our friends. Better to hear it from you myself.

Oscar: Wait. Who told your what I was doing?

Emerald: Pretty much everybody. Jaune, Nora, Blake, Weiss. Especially Weiss. Pretty sure she was about to cry when she told me, and I can't say I blame her.

Oscar: Oh...

Emerald: Yeah, you really scared her, so you should probably make it up to her.

Oscar: Yeah, I... I should, huh?

Emerald: I heard through the grapevine that she likes flowers. Too bad there's no way to grow our own flowers out here, right?

Oscar: (Smiling) Actually, there is something we could do.