#even in am i alone now. even in memoria. means something.

[commsroom]

the fact that we only really experience hera in one place at a time - even and especially from her own perspective / in her own memories! - despite the literal fact she's in many places at once, is, i think, a very purposeful choice that says a lot about what she values, how she perceives herself, and how we should perceive and understand her. with that said, she is always in many places at once, and there is some lost comedy potential in, like. she can't talk over herself. if hera was in the middle of a conversation with minkowski and eiffel, in the same room, wanted to tell her something and kept trying to interject, she could just have that conversation with him in the next room over, or the hallway, or literally anywhere else on the station that isn't the room she's already having a conversation in. and he would never think of that or remember it's possible.

[nobodysdaydreams]

CUTTER'S LITTLE GIRLFRIEND CAN JOIN THE ERRAND BOYS IN THE AIRLOCK, I HOPE THE HEPHESTUS CREW TAKES OVER THE SHIP AND DESTROYS CUTTER, AND I KNEW THE EMPTY MAN WAS COMING BACK!

(or my reaction to Wolf359 episodes 41-43 plus the episode 43 post-credits scene).

Welcome back dear readers. I have had multiple people independently message me to say that this next reaction is a big one, and I'm not sure if that means I should be scared or excited.

Also, is it just me, or are these episodes getting longer? Like...a lot longer? This one is 43 minutes, and the season 1 episodes were about half that. Which is fine, but I might not be able to react to as many in a row, and will likely be doing housework during them. Sorry about that, but hopefully the reactions are still good.

Tagging the mutuals who got me invested in this, and if you want to be tagged or untagged from these posts, lmk, or you can follow my blog or simply follow the tag "#bods wolf359 reactions". Anyone who has followed me for a while knows my updates are inconsistent, so I apologize in advance for that and for any spelling/grammar mistakes in my posts.

@sophieswundergarten @oflightningandstars @acollectionofcuriousreblogs @herawell @commsroom

Episode 41: Memoria

Thanksgiving Episode! 🦃 Kind of perfect that I'm listening to this now. But why does this feel like a flashback? Unless Lovelace is in the bathroom and they threw everyone else out the airlock?

Aw Hera...this is beautiful. St. Augustine's Confessions. That did sound familiar. As does "rub a dub dub thank for the grub!"

...what is this? Well that mood changed quickly. Oh this is dark. Oh wow she hears THEM as being distorted. She hears all of them like that all the time. That's scary.

Maxwell this is private. But oh boy am I excited for this one.

So...she's in a robot coma? "Pure Memory Consciousness" okay.

MAXWELL. Those are her memories! DO NOT DELETE HER MEMORIES!

Okay Discount Dr. Garrison.

...and now we have Minkowski's musical theater. That's nice. And yeah, Hera is nice. Minkowksi. Don't say that.

"There's a red flashy light show in the hanger bay" Doug is fantastic.

Yeah constantly dealing with your friends screaming at you to save them and not let them die is a lot of pressure. Leave Hera alone.

Maxwell, you're still here. Oh yeah...Hera's replacement. She doesn't deserve to be replaced.

Okay, I see why so many people were recommending this episode to me. Rewriting and deleting traumatic memories is something that I have written about in my fics. The funny thing is, the people who did that in my fics also started erasing memories in less willing individuals for less than benevolent purposes. But hey, surely the Wolf359 villains would nevvveeerrrr stoop so low.

Oh wow. Now it's Hera hearing DOUG'S voice in her head. 😂😂😂 Yes, Star Wars. 😂😂😂 I need to get Doug's reaction to the Sequels. It's also really cool to hear Hera's voice without the distortion.

"Shortcomings...no one is here to make friends..." she's focusing all her attention on Doug so she can hear him talk about Star Wars? 🥹💕Hilbert shut up that's wonderful.

And yes Doug, good point. She CAN hear you.

Not the count to ten without glitching thing. I don't like this. No bueno.

THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING. SHE'S A PERSON!

As someone who writes about AI, is she designed after a certain person's personality, or is she more of a "free script AI"? Either way, I wonder who designed her and what they had in mind.

"They could have made me better, they made me me". EXACTLY. "This is my life. I don't want to go. But if this is it, I'd rather go as me." TELL THEM HERA!

Oh ew. I knew it was Cutter before they even said it.

Shut up about Cutter. He doesn't know anything. And the fact that Duck and Whisky boy have a bet going is gross.

YES HERA! You can't change people!

The other half is Hera. And YOU. Because y'all have NOT been supportive crewmates. Doug has been stepping up, but everyone else needs get on board.

Maxwell. "Feeling bad is a dumb reason your code can't run". I certainly hope you don't have any friends with depression or anxiety.

Um. Uhhhh... is that her subconsciousness? Is that another Hera? OH MY GOSH DID THEY PUT THAT INSIDE HER TO STOP HER FROM REBELLING? BECAUSE SHE TRIED TO ESCAPE?

They did, didn't they. OH MY GOSH THE COUNTING! Cutter did this didn't he? He needs to go. He needs to go right now. He is such a coward.

"Access Denied" That's Cutter isn't it? Isn't it? Oh and the environment changing with Hera's emotions is a nice touch.

Oh here we are. Buried deep. Welcome to truth town.

"Just a memory" um...are you sure about that.

I KNEW IT. I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT!!!! I KNEW IT WAS CUTTER THAT SLIMEY FOOL.

The best? See. I knew Hera was the best.

Wait. What.

WHHHHAAATTTTT????

Well, well, well, well, well, well, WELL. So THIS is Cutter's Garrison. The whole time I was thinking it was Maxwell. Modeled the AI after her own brain no doubt. Weird that she feels comfortable enough to call him "Marcus". Let's un-pause the episode and see what her deal is (I get the feeling I won't like her as much as I like Garrison in TMBS).

"It Marcus. Never her. It." Oh I hate her. I hate how comfortable she is with Cutter, I hate that she uses Hera's voice, I hate that she clearly modeled the AI after HERSELF and KNOWS they are human but still choses to call them it like she's on a power trip. What's the matter? Scared one of your robot creations will end up being a better version of you? Don't worry. I get the feeling it's a very low bar. (Also you were right Sophie. The pronoun switch here is EXACTLY like what I wrote in my fic).

"Back door into the subconscious...make these things have my voice..." Disgusting, absolutely disgusting. I swear, if a robot shows up with CUTTER'S VOICE I am gonna vomit. That is HERA's voice. This lady is the friend Cutter was talking about isn't she? I bet she made all his tech too, he probably couldn't build a robot to save his life.

Oh ew is she Pryce? Ugh. That would make too much sense.

"Neural restraints but it can hear you". / "Hahaha...good...hi Unit 214. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to clip your wings. Allow me to share a thought." SHE IS DISGUSTING. REVOLTING. She clearly loves torturing her robots. I see why she and Cutter, oh I'm sorry "Marcus" get along so well. They certainly seem rather chummy.

MIRANDA PRYCE I KNEW IT. I KNEW IT.

YOU KNOW WHAT MIRANDA. YOU CAN'T DO THIS. YOU'RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Um..."keep it boxed?" Was that the box Doug was trying to open earlier?

A yes deleted scenes...watching a completely different movie...I do love to do that in my writing.

Dr. Miranda Pryce. Hera's Voice Model. Robot Designer. Sadist. Waste of Space.

Not sure whether "Cutter's little girlfriend" or "Cutter's Garrison" is a more appropriate title for her right now. She certainly seems to be his Garrison, more so than Maxwell even, but not loving how close they seem. Not even Rachel or Kepler call Cutter "Marcus". Either way, she need to go.

Can't take it out? You can do it Hera. You are stronger than Pryce. She hasn't even been brave enough to show her face. She had to make you insecure and call you "it" just to have power over you, because she KNOWS she could never earn your respect.

YES! USE YOUR FRIENDS VOICE TO DROWN IT OUT! HECK YEAH!

PFFTTT... Doug telling her to use the force 😂 I love it.

Um...so what happened?

37 hours. Yikes. Good work Maxwell, you're earning a potential redemption faster than Duck Boy and Whisky Boy.

Yeah Hera. You will be okay. Right after we throw Cutter's little robot girlfriend out the airlock with the errand boys.

Episode 42: Time to Kill

Hopefully this episode isn't as intense.

"We'll be FINE" don't jinx it Jacobi.

oh good Doug has cards, so they don't have to play Funzo, a game that Pryce and Cutter CLEARLY MADE UP JUST TO TORTURE THE CREW BECAUSE THEY ARE SADISTS. Seriously. They are the worst. I hope they get everything that's coming to them.

And why do I get the feeling that Cutter's "inner circle" is little just him and maybe this Miranda Pryce person? I seriously doubt Kepler or Rachel made the cut.

Is Minkowski still not talking to him because of the jail time thing? She needs to get over that. He's sorry, and there are more important things going on right now.

"Nothing to hear..."

Well well well. I beg to differ. You all tried to gaslight me dear readers, but at last the truth revealed.

THE EMPTY MAN IS HERE! 🥳

"Who said anything about people?" "It's moving"

"This door is completely secure".

THE KNOCKS.

IT DID ANSWER. IT DID COPY YOU.

THE EMPTY MAN RETURNS!

An incoming hail you say????

Uh...is that...um... oh my goodness. This IS bad. One duck boy is bad enough, we can't handle two.

One is clearly an alien or an evil clone. The only sensible solution is to throw them both out of the airlock. It's sad but a sacrifice that needs to be made.

And that's right Doug. You DID tell them. Just like I said the empty man mattered, and everyone said "it doesn't Bods" but I knew better and so did my boy Doug. Welcome to truth town ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to truth town!

But um. If the aliens can um...copy people then...Lovelace...uh oh. Oh no. It doesn't even seem like she knows.

Though it does make sense. They already copied Doug's voice. Why not copy the rest of him too? Only a matter of time before copies of the others show up. At least they can't copy Hera...or can they? Hm. Would she look like Pryce then?

This is straight out of a dark fairytale where you see or hear someone who looks and sounds like your loved ones.

There's only one way to tell who the real Jacobi is.

We need a duck.

"It's trying to turn you against me" Jacobi, honey, we're already against you, you don't need any help with that.

YES DOUG! I KNEW IT! IT IS THE EMPTY MAN!

Oh right they don't know about that. But Doug is dead on the money.

The flares??? Oh I see...so that's how they do it.

And um...how about the possibility that the clones actually BELIEVE they are Duck Boy. And possibly Lovelace. It certainly sounds like they believe it.

Look. Guys. The solution is simple. Kill them both. It's tragic, and I hate to see Duck Boy go, but we have no choice. We must consider the safety of the crew.

The outside guy is hesitating on his answers.

"If there is any chance that it's A real Jacobi, we can't just leave him out there!" In all seriousness, as much as I hate to say it, Doug is right. You can't risk human life like that. But in the world of the fictional narrative, do we really need to keep any Duck Boys around?

Uh...Lovelace? Lovelace?

So this is why the episode was called time to kill. Because it was time to kill someone.

Oh gosh. The aliens might not like them after this.

Perhaps they should have let him in. Maybe that was the real Jacobi. Or a real Jacobi. Or maybe neither of them were. Or maybe none of them are their real selves. But there is one thing I know is true. The empty man is real, and at last I have my proof.

Nah, he's gone Maxwell. But at least you have a backup Duck Boy.

Just the four of us...all on our own...

But Doug. How do you know? How do you know that you are truly alone?

And that's the end of this one. I see what you mean. The show is getting good. It was already good before but… things are getting interesting…

Episode 43: Persuasion (plus an end credits scene 👀)

I'm glad Maxwell is helping Hera out. But if her allegiance comes down to Hera or Kepler, I hope she makes the right choice.

It's okay Doug. We all miss meetings sometimes.

And yeah...it's nice to know the plan for this alien contact.

"And how relaxed are you at the moment?" it's such a funny line when I imagine Hilbert and Doug as the same guy talking to himself (thank you live show).

YES! Hit him Maxwell!

"We're there for each other" Since when? Since when are Cutter's errand boys there for anyone but themselves?

Same Minkowski. Like what even is their relationship?

Hilbert is me every time Doug coughs.

"You talk about helping people, but what about the real life people around you?" Doug is speaking straight facts Hilbert.

YES! Everything Doug is saying is true.

"You lack vision." "At least I don't lack a soul". Hilbert lacks more than a soul he lacks rational common sense because he is letting one very traumatic thing color his whole view of this. Like. The decima virus will only help people if you get it out of the hands of Mr. Crazy Psycho Man (Cutter). Can you do that Hilbert? If not, your work was for basically nothing.

Oh dear. Minkowski!

Aw, she saved Maxwell. See, she's actually a GOOD boss. Unlike some people, I won't name names.

I hope they can save her.

Oh good. See? Work together, save a crewmate.

"That was some fun" We'll see how you like it when you're in that position Kepler. Try again? Oh no, no, no. How about YOU try it Kepler?

SHE CAN CALL HER HUSBAND!!!

He probably thinks she's dead or missing in action or whatever horrible lie Cutter told him. Oh but he's a journalist. I hope he puts him on blast. I hope he puts Cutter and his whole operation all over the news.

Pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up...

This is agony.

Oh she got his secretary.

HE THINKS SHE'S BEEN DEAD FOR OVER A YEAR????

...and that means Doug's daughter...and everyone else...i just- I- FOR A YEAR???...oh my goodness...

Cutter was already a dead man. But I believe this action just brought him back to life. I have another plan for him now. Something worse. Something so much worse.

Okay...so Jacobi is human...or at least he appears to be?

"You killed a man...that might catch up to you..." do you speak from experience Kepler?

"You're okay with hearing Jacobi screaming in agony as he undergoes a horrible death?" Kepler, you're okay with literally everyone else doing exactly that. Please stop trying to have the moral high ground, you're standing in the world's deepest of ditches.

We're beyond horribly wrong Doug. We are FAR beyond that.

Very specific instructions. Good work Minkowski. Doug will appreciate that.

And yep. You are dead. You've been dead for a while now.

Killing Kepler? This better not be like killing Hilbert where I got my hopes up just for him to start crying about his sister.

I better not be blasting Goodbye Earl by the Dixie Chicks for nothing.

End Credits Scene:

Oh Hilbert and Lovelace...what a pair...

Still kinda dark to manipulate their friends like that, but what else were they expecting from command?

And... wow. Those were some episodes. Normally I pick the best of the three to make my title, but this is gonna be a challenge. Let's see if I can cover all my bases.

Also if Miranda ends up being...idk Cutter's relative or something, I'll change the title, but right now I'm going just gonna call her his little girlfriend because I absolutely despise her.

[you-can-be-what-you-want-to-be]

Favorite wolf 359 episodes

1) The watch tower

It’s so interesting to see the aliens reasoning and understanding of the universe and why it’s needed, and I love the song that goes with the reveal, and how Doug is both the child and adult in this situation, both asking Bob to give him the kids glove treatment and trying to patiently explain things like an exasperated parent

2) Am I alone now? It’s the episode that made me care about this podcast. We hear from everyone and Heras speech about the solar flair and how she doesn’t know if she’s going to miss them fucking kills me

3) Boléro. Like a better version of team what’s wrong with handcuffs. Effiel is tired, and he hates this, and everyone who’s dead has tried to kill him at least once, but he’ll be fucked if they aren’t going to be people about this, if they aren’t going to treat them as people and loose all control of decency. Heras talk about what the point of this is and why they had to die, and her complicated feelings of getting betrayed by a friend and not knowing how to feel, and Minkowskis feelings of inadequacy…. Girl I am UNWELL

4) Time to kill. Not much to say about this one. It’s a Halloween favorite of mine and the idea of them sitting there for hours after that is chilling. No matter which version it is, there was A Jacobi out there who’s friends let him die. The dread and fear and tragedy in that episode are overwhelming

5) memoria. To feel there is something wrong with you your entire life, to find out the thing tripping you up was your own anxieties? To have to look at that and go “this is a part of me I can’t remove and have to live with, but because I know it’s there now, I can work around it. I’m not okay, but I’m going to be.”

6) Into the depths. Ok listen. The aliens telling Kepler that just because hes violent doesn’t mean he has a say in anything is delicious. Them communicating with Doug who is terrified and has no idea what the fuck they’re saying is delicious. Lovelace saying I’m choosing to be this person? 10/10. Minkowski going even if I think you were wrong you were willing to make a choice? Chef kiss. This episode can do no wrong

7) Wolf 359 live: deep space survival procedure and prodigal. This episode is comedy genius. The voice recording Eiffel going that’s impossible and everyone telling it to shut up, the microwave gag, the role-playing between Effielf and Minkowski? Top teir. Him utterly failing at keeping the meeting cool and immediately giving them away? So good. Loveless being just so fucking pissed and confused? Light of my life

8) Let’s kill Hilbert. Like a diet version of Boléro. Early enough that it could be naïveté but relistening makes you go wow doug really is the moral back bone of the ship, and at the end him offering the different options for Hera and her taking all three gets me every time

9) Mission mishaps: a little night music. 1: it’s funny to hear someone verbally describe that kind of music 2: him having a breakdown midway 3: the fact that hilbert would’ve known about the aliens if he listened to like 10 secs 4: his fake fancy accent

10) Minkowski commanding. Seeing her loose her mind is funny but the revelation that the plant just wanted to not be alone in the dark always got me like 😭🥺🥺🥺

[tarhalindur]

Rebellion’s Biggest Outstanding Question

(Big fat PMMM+Rebellion spoilers under the cut, natch:)

Homura, at the end of Rebellion, believes that she is rebelling against Madoka’s will.  But is she actually doing so?  Or is she acting in accordance with it?

Let me explain.

I’ll start with the point I’m sold on either way (and have commented on at least twice before, including my explanation of Madoka’s other big mistake): Rebellion is directly downstream of Madoka making a single mistake immediately after her ascension in episode 12, a moment when she could not afford to make any mistake at all.  Much like Madoka’s other big mistake in episode 10, this one is not obvious on the surface and only becomes clear when looking at the events through a symbolic lens.

Specifically, a Buddhist symbolic lens.

I’ll leave the full explanation there to this post, which lays out the Buddhist influence on base PMMM’s themes and imagery and on Madokami’s ascension better than I could.  (Although its author is missing a few points.  First, the shot of Madoka expanding to galaxy size is DIRECTLY out of ego death symbolism.  Which makes sense, because there’s enough accounts to suggest that regardless of whether or not it has any deeper meaning beyond brain chemistry the people who’ve had it are describing a single class of subjective experience, and “one’s consciousness expanding to the size of the galaxy” seems to be a common feature of it - I’ve read at least one account of that kind of experience from, of all people, a random Protestant minister who claims to have had such an experience on a vision trip to the Amazon and only later realized that there was precedent for that kind of experience in Buddhist traditions, and he mentions that exact expansion as part of what he went through.  Second, the flower on Madoka’s bow is a rose, not a willow... which makes sense, because “Guanyin/Kannon and the Virgin Mary are two aspects of the same goddess” has been a theory in certain parts for at least a century, and the rose has a traditional association with the latter goddess - there’s a reason they call it the rosary, after all.  (I’ve seen speculation out of a few polytheist/less orthodox Christian circles I keep tabs on that Pistis Sophia is yet another aspect of the same goddess, too...)  Third, note all the mandala symbolism floating around - most obviously Walpurgisnacht’s appearance and Kyubey’s exposition in episode 11.)

And that influence is important here, because part of the process of the escape from samsara is the breaking of all karmic ties to the world.

Except... Madoka does not do this.  She leaves one karmic tie behind.

This one, to be precise:

Now, in theory it’s possible that the tainted miracle of Homura remembering Madoka has another root.  But I have my doubts, and the biggest piece of evidence there is the OST: the track that plays when Homura meets Junko in the finale and offers to give up the ribbons is named Taenia Memoriae, aka “the ribbon of memories”.  HMM,

(That Junko scene is in this regards the single most enigmatic scene of the main series finale to me.  My instinct is that it’s drawing off of Christian mythos again, either canonical or Gnostic, but I can’t quite place what piece; I kind of want to compare it specifically to the Denial of Peter.)

Now, there’s two other pieces here that are worth noting.

1) While Homulilly is described as the Nutcracker Witch in Rebellion, Homulilly’s name and Witch card are first revealed in the PSP game, and there she goes by a rather different epithet: Witch of the Mortal World, nature is karma.  Which is rather on the nose (the Mortal World [shigan] being another term for samsara), but then that’s probably by design - main series PMMM is not subtle at all when it wants to make a point.  And it is this epithet, not the Nutcracker Witch, that the Doppel versions of Homulilly in MagiReco draw off of, which suggests the staff considered it important.  (There’s a second distinction in the latter, because Moemura’s version of the Doppel implies that Homulilly’s nature was originally slightly different again - Witch of the Mortal World, nature is closed circuits - but I think for our purposes here this is a difference without true distinction, much like the Witch of the Near Shore pun for swimsuit!Moemura’s version of Homulilly.)  And there’s echoes of this even in Rebellion: the Clara Dolls are of course referred to as the Children of the Mortal World, plus of course the obvious “Homulilly’s Rebellion barrier as the Mortal World” take.  (Which, hmm.  Hello second-order symbolism - Homura failing to “break out of the egg” as failure to escape the cycle of samsara.)

2) The red ribbons of course suggest a very specific form of karmic tie - the Red String of Fate.  And you can be very, very sure that the staff intended that, too.  To drag a certain piece of key animation back out from storage:

While it’s hard to tell at this size, it sure looks to my eyes like the two ends are specifically tied around the girls’ pinkies.  You know, exactly where the proverbial Red String is said to be tied.

Or, to put it another way: AI YO.

Everything in Rebellion is downstream of this.

But all this is prologue.  Now that we have established the mistake, we can address the actual outstanding question: Did Madoka intend to make that mistake?  People have noted the applicability of Junko’s comments about intentionally making a big mistake when backed into a corner to Homura’s actions in Rebellion; do they also apply to the action Madoka took that led to that?

I am not sure.  Both cases are consistent, and I’d put about even odds either way.  But it’s the affirmative case I want to lay out here, to show that it does in fact exist:

- Let’s start with the one point someone else might bring up that I don’t really weight: Madoka’s final conversation with Homura in the flower bed.  This one, I think, can mostly be discarded.  We have word from both Kyubey and Sayaka that Madoka does not have her memories here; I can’t see both of them lying here.  (Also remember that Kyubey seems to have restriction that is sometimes said to apply to demons, at least under certain circumstances: he cannot directly tell a lie.  This is of course a very different thing from having to tell the truth, as episode 9 alone is enough to attest, but in this specific case it’s a boost to his credibility.)  If there’s an actual argument here, it’s a second-order one; it is possible, especially given her divine abilities, that Madokami was running a Xanatos Gambit and counting on her amnesiac projection to unwittingly relay her true feelings.  (In which case I would have to grab a certain infamous line from another well-known anime: “Just as planned”.)

- That one shot of Madokami’s gloved, scarred arm reaching down through the window to touch Homura.  Operative word scarred.  (And honestly, looking at one of the subs for that scene again Madoka’s comments there look potentially consistent with her actually supporting of or at least accepting Homura becoming a demon...)

- Mata Ashita, specifically the lyrics thereof.  With the perspective of the full series, Madoka’s character song is fairly clearly from the perspective of Madokami, and it’s suggestive that she is not entirely happy with the results of her wish and ascension.

- The fact that Rebellion happened at all.  There’s a complaint that I’ve seen regarding the mechanics of the Incubators’ plot in Rebellion: logically, by the wording of Madoka’s final wish the Incubators’ plan to use the Isolation Field to block the Law of Cycles should not work, since part of Madoka’s wish was to rewrite any rule or law that would prevent her from destroying Witches with her own hands, including the one the Incubators set up with their Isolation Field - doubly so if you take Madokami’s statement can see every world that ever existed or could ever exist and apply it to the Sealed Reality the experiment generates.  Except... there is one way that argument fails, regardless of anything else: namely, if Madoka saw what the Incubators were doing and intentionally allowed their experiment to proceed.  And at this point there is precedent for her doing something very similar; AIUI in her Magical Girl Story in MagiReco Madokami does something very similar wrt the MagiReco timeline, deliberately declining to destroy it despite its continued existence conflicting with the Law of Cycles.

(- Magia.  This point of argument I’m not convinced of either, but let’s lay it out.  (Honestly, even if I’m right I’m not sure how much of this was consciously intended, but creations can have a life of their own - especially creations where fucking natural disasters delay them so that they’re released on the most appropriate day possible!)  There’s two pieces to this, one I’m more sure of than the other:

1) The visuals.  Here’s the spot where I feel most solid about interpreting Magia: the ED visuals are clearly a reference to Madokami’s ascension.  (The show loves hiding that sort of foreshadowing in plain sight, why would you be surprised?)  Note the second half particularly, both Madoka’s hair lengthening and the starfield she’s running past.  (I think the order of the four other girls in the first half is probably how long they held out without Witching out.)  That leaves two issues, one more obvious to Western audiences and one less so.  First, that enigmatic and ominous shot of Madoka in fetal position (appropriate - her request in 10 and then her wish in 12 can be rephrased as “don’t let me grow up”) in the eye of Mephisto.  Second, there’s a point I’ve seen raised in analyses of Connect: in Japanese cinematography, motion from right to left indicates a correct course (unlike its Western equivalent, where the opposite applies)... and for the entirety of Magia Madoka is moving left-to-right.

2) The lyrics.  This is the part I’m less sold on, but once again let’s lay out the affirmative.  My line here derives from a hunch: Connect is famously from Homura’s perspective despite appearing to be from Madoka’s, perhaps the inverse is also true?  I’m still not sure there, but especially if you’re considering the TV version it can work... provided the lyrics are specifically from Madokami’s perspective again.  Grabbing the wiki version of the translation: “The light of love lit within your eyes will transcend time” sure fits better if we’re talking about Homura rather than about Madoka, likewise “with this power that can break even darkness” sure sounds like a better fit for Madokami to me.  And in that case the most interesting stanza is the second: “Swallow down your hesitation.  What is it that you wish for?  With the direction of this greedy admiration, will there be a short-lived tomorrow?”  The former two lines  are quite consistent with Homura’s decision in Rebellion (and I note the visual of Homura biting down on her Soul Gem to break it!), and “tomorrow” is consistently a reference to the possibility of Homura and Madoka meeting again in other PMMM songs (Mata Ashita again, Colorful, Connect full version) - which is realized courtesy of a greedy admiration, no less.  So.  Magia’s full version might count, too - there’s lines there that are harder to square from a Madokami perspective (”if I can move forward without hesitation then it’s fine if my heart gets broken” especially), but “Someday, for the sake of someone else, you too will wish for great power; on the night love captures your heart, unknown words will be born” fits Homura’s fall better than Madoka’s wish, I think.)

- If Madoka’s mistake in 12 is intentional then it more closely mirrors her (unintentional) mistake in 10: she’s implicitly asking Homura to once again do something she can’t and stop her from/alleviate the effects of her making a mistake.

- At a Doylist level, if they go for a proper happy end (either in Walpurgis no Kaiten or in a hypothetical sequel to the same) I’m not sure there’s any way they can get there without using this interpretation.  (In general, the two outcomes that make the most sense to me are “Akuhomu becomes the core of Walpurgisnacht, cue ending scene with Moemura making her wish” (the Logic Error ending, consistent with the Eternal Return of the Self; cue MagiReco as the way out) or an ending based on the answer to this question being yes - the easy version being a movie of everyone except Homura fighting to let Madoka rejoin the Law of Cycles only for her to surprise everyone with some sort of ending based on “actually, I was counting on her to do this from the start”.)

[bbnibini]

PSISLY: An Obey Me!CYOA – sixty-seven🔖

How many years had it been since you were spirited away in Devildom?

You asked your husband that question, and he understandably asked you, “Why the sudden nostalgia trip?” When he poked fun of your age, you rolled your eyes at him and gave him the silent treatment. He knew that age was a sore spot for you. Every wrinkle creasing in your face meant a night of affectionate reassurances. So why was he even asking you that?

You loved him. You really do, but sometimes, you wished he would SHUT UP.

“You’re not that old. I’m sorry, kitten.”

You hissed at him, throwing a pillow over his laughing self.  

“You know that DDD Messaging is shutting down soon, right? I started scrolling up and saving as much memories we had.”

“Oh?” He held your hand and kissed it, closing the book he was reading and placing it on his lap. “Was that why you bought so many scrapbooks?”

You nodded. No matter how many years you spend together, his presence had always been reassuring to you. He was your home. His days in the human world inadvertently made him more…humanlike too. When you pointed out that change in him, he seemed oddly happy rather than disturbed.

“Is that so?” You remembered him say, his smile that day had been peaceful. He enjoyed the times you spent as a human so much that he confessed that he didn’t even want to go back.

“You’re smiling, kitten.”

“Well…I was remembering happy times.

“Happy times?” He bit his lip as if he was choking back on something, forcing whatever emotion overwhelming him to not show on his face.

“Mhm. We were happy, weren’t we?

.

.

.

Helel?”

Satan’s emerald eyes narrowed, and a beautiful smile also graced his face. “Very happy. In fact, I’m so happy I met you. I’m…” He breathed out, the hold he had on your hand tightening. “Remember what we talked about that day?”

“What day?”

You talked about many things. So many things—secrets, gossip, heartfelt confessions that you etched in your heart. Precious memories he had given you, moments he shared with you and you alone. You tried your best to remember each of them. In fact, you were sure there was a time where you remembered every single thing but…it was...vague.

…the memories are starting to slip by. Every moment he recounted that you didn’t remember pained you. And if it pained him at all, you didn’t know. He had been smiling lately, cheerful even. So perhaps it meant…it was okay if you didn’t remember?

“Kitten…!" He raised his voice, growing gentler once he saw you turning his way. "Are you still with me?”

“Ah! Yes…sorry…you were saying?”

You recalled your conversation with him last night. Over a pot of coffee and a few bashful apologies for causing you "trouble", the bibliophile asked you an unusual question.

"What will you do after you come back?"

He never raised the question before, unflappable as he was, or so you thought until you took notice of his worried gaze.

"I wonder if we'll be able to see each other again. That would be wonderful, don't you think?"

You knew that he cared--there was never a doubt in your mind. Satan had always been a thoughtful demon. People hardly gave him any credit for it and only saw him as someone who liked keeping up appearances. He was so much more than that.

It all made sense: the flowers, the thoughtful gestures, and even the meaning behind his gift as well.

This was his response to your self-deprecating words that night.

"Aren't I just a transient existence? My lifespan is barely worth even a fraction of yours. Am I even worth remembering?"

He only smiled at you that night, warm yet contemplative. But after what happened in the lockers, you can now clearly envision him saying this to you back, with unabashed gentleness:

 “A single flower for a singular, unforgettable you.”

You couldn’t help but smile. He explained why he was so insistent on why he only gave you one flower every anniversary—extravagance would only spoil his feelings for you. Besides, why would he pick a flower garden when only one flower ever mattered to him?

“…I’m getting sleepy, Helel.”

“O-oh…” His hand trembled, shaking his head repeatedly and muttering something incomprehensible on your earshot. By the time he looked up, he was smiling, his hold on your hand however, remained tight.

“Then, why don’t you sleep? I’ll read something for you.”

How sweet! He always does that lately. He really shouldn’t. You wished he’d spend more time with your family. But, he was insistent on staying by your side. It wasn’t like you’re going away.

“Hey Helel?”

He grew accustomed to that name now. Although he would never admit he was rather fond of it to the likes of Lucifer. It was enough that you knew.

“Yes…?”

“I love you…thank you…for everything…”

….

..

…

….

…

"Thank you for being part of my life. I love you, Satan..."

.

.

.

.

.

.

The heat of your hand was disappearing, as well as the sun peeking from the windows. But the smile you saw on his face was enough for you to know that the morning will soon come, and once the dawn cracks again in the fringes of twilight, you’d come back to that smile, smiling back yourself.

“Good night kitten.

.

.

.

…I won’t ever forget you.”

[ Satan's Good Ending obtained. ]

💌 Autoload previous save slot

💌 Read epilogue

[ MEMORIA 12/KEY 6: ~An Old Friend~ unlocked. ]

💌 Read now

[ KEY 9 ~Beelzebub~ cannot be accessed. Please unlock the true ending. ]

💌 tag request: @krussyfed, @lilliansstuff , @cupsof-tea

💌CG Artist: Juukah

[join-the-joywrite]

Hamish & Vera soulmate au headcannons

Lil headcannons for a colours soulmate au in which the S1 finale wasn't the first time Hamish had been hit in the face with the powder. Because why not? This version of the colours is the one where you can only see varying shades of the colour of your soulmate's eyes. Because why not?

Here is part two, as promised

To everyone who knows Vera on any level, she hasn't changed a bit. Okay, maybe she's a little bit more sharp now and then and she gets a little testy whenever it rains. But maybe that's just the stress of being Grand Magus, and Temple Magus, and Chancellor of Belgrave setting in.

When she's alone at home, Vera stays up late into the night, wondering if she made the right decisions. She falls asleep in Hamish's jacket often.

The jacket is completely worn through now, the suede verging on ruined again. But she doesn't want to make back to brand new again nor does she ever want to get rid of it. It's quite literally that last bit of Hamish -- her Hamish -- that she has left.

She tells herself that it's for the best. If the Knights remained active, the Order would pursue them to the ends of the earth. But you have a seat of power almost all disciples would die for, that inner voice says, you can turn the Order around.

"They're our enemies." "But they don't know that." Well ok fine but I'm also deathly afraid of seeing Hamish's face again so let's not talk about this ever.

Eventually, logic trumps all else and Vera agrees to induct the Knights.

When Alyssa returns their memories, Jack is consumed by rage and hatred. Hamish wants to feel the same, he wants to be burned bitter by the betrayal, but he can't.

"Secrets are terrible things. They ruin the best of things and can break down nearly everything."

"I love you."

Hamish understands Randall's apprehension, Lilith's disgust and Jack's rage. He wants to say he feels the same. But all he feels his confusion. All he thinks about is the day he watched Vera leave.

Who's jacket had she been wearing?

Hamish runs his thumb over the letter hanging from the chain before tucking it under his new Order robes.

Did the necklace belong ..... to Vera? Because he knows it isn't his and he found it right where he'd fallen.

What the fuck is in Hamish's head on repeat for the entire evening.

"If you're going to stand there, at least make yourself useful." While Vera congratulates herself on her ability to appear as normal in front of Hamish, Hamish studies Vera as he passes her a drink. The same drink he'd watched her make back in the den.

Vera is momentarily distracted by the taste of the drink in her hand.

"Drinks are an art form, V, which means I can make whatever I want with justifiable reasoning." Laughter echoes. "And what are you calling this drink? It's a bit . . . harsh for all your old suggestions." "I'm thinking something along the lines of Vera."

"Are you calling me harsh?!" "I would never!" Pure, unfiltered joy echoes through the entire apartment.

"Magus?" Hamish's voice brings Vera back to the present. "Mingle, Acolyte. It's your party, after all."

Hamish reluctantly leaves the bar. He wants to stand there longer and study Vera -- maybe some of his questions will get answered.

"Drink it all in one go or your brain will shrivel up to the size of a raisin." "Bottoms up."

Suddenly, Hamish can recall his high school locker combination. Lilith is talking about some childhood fear, Randall's complaining about a retainer, Jack's crying about a tattoo -- frankly, that part scared Hamish a little -- and then he's stunned into silence with the flood of memories.

And then he's as angry as Jack was. He's furious. But not at Vera for what she did. He's furious at her for not waiting. Waiting for him to respond, waiting to see if they could have made it work.

He's furious because now he'll never know if they could have avoided all the deaths between then and now. Maybe the Knights could have allied with the Order. Maybe the Knights could have weeded out all the bad magic in the Order. Maybe he and Vera could have done it together, made the Order what she said it could be, a secret society of magic practitioners that is dedicated to preserving and passing on the art of magic. So many maybes, so many what ifs.

A part of him wants to storm into the temple, into the reliquary and demand that Vera confess. The more rational part of him keeps him grounded to protect the fact that they have their memories.

He'd feel a little bad about planning to rob the Order blind if he wasn't so pissed at them for raiding the den. Thanks to Lilith's potion, Hamish is slowly developing burning rage at the idea of being betrayed by his own goddamn soulmate. As time passes, he's starting to forget that he used to understand her circumstances, her choices being bad or worse.

So when they come across Zecchia, he's ready for it without any hesitation.

"Bring me something in a tall glass." Okay maybe a little hesitance. Just a little.

Hamish thinks it might have been a mistake when the news about Rogwan is delivered. He realises he's gone and royally fucked up on a Jack Morton level when they find out Zecchia robbed them.

"So, what's all this talk about wolves?"

Vera's too pissed with them to register the fact that Hamish has his memories (not all, though, right?) "Where is my inventory?"

"It was . . . stolen from us." "For fuck's sake, Hamish, can't you keep track of anything in that fucking apartment?" Randall: ( ͡° ʖ ͡°) (ಠ_ಠ) what the fuck is happening here 🙃 "I am seriously considering killing both of you." "Please don't." "SHUT UP"

Rogwan taking Hamish's fear could have been incredibly catastrophic if Vera had had her phone on her around the same time Hamish got his hands on money and a phone booth, even worse if she had answered any of those calls (though to be honest, she might just have been incredibly confused about it or more accurately, Hamish might not have even dialled her number properly)

Hamish standing at the phone booth with the dial tone while Randall repeatedly tries to climb a nearby tree: I know what you did, Vera Stone. You wicked witch with a cute butt. You jacket thief, alcohol thief, heart thief-- vest thief! + stupider and stupider things until Randall eventually gets his attention again.

"I give my life to the cause to protect the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose from threats both inside and out." "So . . . we're supposed to babysit the Grand Magus aka you?" Both Vera and Hamish shoot Jack a withering glare. Randall finds it funny and Jack is grateful for Randall.

"Is everyone okay?" Awww she cares. Stop smirking at her -- stop -- STOP IT, FACE!

As much as Hamish was internally laughing at Vera for her still harbouring her old feelings, Hamish realises that he hasn't forgotten his own instincts when it comes to Vera when he sees the Magistratus, Angus, charge at Vera.

He may have fucked several things up, but no one is allowed to harm Vera. Tundra is a Knight of the Blue Rose, but Hamish is Vera's -- it's not as if he'd have it any other way anyway.

Vera's pretty stressed, what with the impending end of the world. Hamish is waiting for Vera in the reliquary, having discovered something ... interesting about the Tartarus explosions.

"I got your text." Hamish stands, book in hand. "Yeah, I found -- . . . is wearing three different shades of black a conscious decision or--" "Shut up."

Hamish happily complies. Who cares what colours she's wearing when he's got her in his arms? For someone who doesn't like anyone kissing in the reliquary, Vera seems to be very unopposed to the idea when she and Hamish are the ones doing all the kissing.

Not that Hamish is complaining. He wouldn't ever want to stop Vera. "Wait -- wait, this isn't why I'm here." "Your text specifically said you had something big to show me." "I ... see how that can be misconstrued."

Vera glares. "Make it quick, I'm busy."

"Tease," Hamish mutters with a grin before delving into the very solid fact that the world is going to end.

"The council wouldn't listen to reason so . . . I gave them fear. Stopping Praxis is the only way to stopping these eruptions." "Or is it the only option you'll consider?" The glass hits the table hard. Hamish is beyond pissed, but he's not sure at what. Vera is clearly stuck between a rock and a hard place. Perhaps he should let her know about his first clash with pulveris memoria

"They're asking for something I can't give them." "Or won't." He knows he's being difficult but he doesn't feel guilty about it at all. He's still mildly miffed that Vera didn't think he could make the choice for himself on whether or not he wanted anything to do with the Order.

Of course, his entire demeanour changes when Alyssa shows up in the reliquary. He may be pissed and a little disappointed in Vera but that doesn't mean he's willing to let her stand in harm's way. And of course, Alyssa knocks him straight the fuck out. (I mean personally I don't like her but I have to admit, that was a smart move)

I can't fucking remember how the scene goes word-for-word but you all know it.

Hamish wakes with the gripping fear that Vera is hurt or worse, dead. As soon as he sees Vera though, he's incredibly calmer. She seems okay. She's alive.

"She took your magic." Honestly, it could have been worse. It really could have been a lot worse. But he doesn't say so because he knows magic is something that is important to Vera and he knows that she's fucking terrified -- even if she won't say.

"I imagine she, like you, finds me a selfish woman." "Vera, I don't think you're selfish. You're demanding and ... weirdly ticklish, but not selfish."

Vera thinks about all that she's put Hamish alone through. She has very many a regret in her life, but Hamish somehow seems to dominate that lost. "How can you be so sure?" "Because of all the times you could have killed the Knights but you didn't, because you wanted th-- us to live. To learn."

It's a little hard to separate Vera's soulmate from Tundra's champion, but Hamish does it. He's still a Knight, despite whatever feelings he and Vera might share. Both of them are him but not together. Not just yet.

"It's all right to let someone care about you, V." "You--" "You dropped this." Vera stands still as Hamish puts the chain over her own head. How long had he had all his memories? Said nothing? All this time, he'd kept his mouth shut -- was it for her sake? Old guilt creeps back into her.

"Maybe you are selfish, V, but not for all the reasons you think. Your selfish acts are always about protecting other people. Me, Jack, Alyssa, the Knights, the Order. Selfish doesn't mean evil."

"What's he doing here?" "We're not staying." "Yes, we are."

"No, you're not." "It's not safe." "I'm no threat to her."

Hamish really doesn't want to leave Vera alone with Alyssa. But she trusts herself so he'll trust her. Besides that, he still has to save Lilith.

When Hamish returns to the temple, chasing Midnight, Alyssa is dead and Vera is shaking.

"V, it's not your fault." How does he know exactly what she's thinking?

Hamish sets a drink, Vera's drink, in front of her and turns to leave. To give her space. To give her the choice. He drags his hand over hers. Do you want me to stay?

Vera makes no movement other than wrapping her fingers around Hamish's hand and holding fast. Yes.

And as he stands there and the doors to the reliquary closes, he glances down at Vera and realises that bad as things are, they could be worse. Vera tried so many times to push him away, but she's failed every time. And he's incredibly thankful for that.

Vera doesn't have her magic, but she's got all the colours in the world because of Hamish and somehow, that's so much more important to her.

Someone help me I'm Sad™ I wanna write this but like ,,,,, not as a full book because that would make me cry ,,,,, maybe like a nice collection of scenes 0.0 what do you think?

Take a look at other soulmate aus I've chosen to torment myself with

[itsakpopalypse]

Gold, Silver, and Cunning.

Byeongkwan x Reader

Familiar Fox! Byeongkwan Witch! Reader

Warnings : mention of mind control substance and some kissing. that’s it.

Beautiful moodboard made by my Tumblr Babie because she loves me @lovesfaith

Beautiful moodboard made by my Tumblr Babie because she loves me!! @lovesfaith​

“Mandrake leaf, Mewsberry Root, Muggwart.. Ah!“  The stool under your feet toddled a bit, but didn’t give way, as you reached for the Munchleaf extract. Barely grasping it between fingertips, you steadied yourself against the cupboard and heard the soft snickering behind you of your familiar.

You ignored the fox, of course- saying anything would only egg him on, and continued your search for your next item before dismounting the stool and turning to your cauldron.  

You glanced back, against your better judgement. His shiny silver coat was lovely, almost glittering in the sunlight that passed through your large windows, he preened under your gaze as he knew that he was always going to inspire some level of awe in you. The bond you shared allowed you very little privacy, and you would rather not transmit your feelings too directly, as eye contact made it easier for him to read you. 

You pursed your lips and turned away, determined to ignore him further.

“You have to talk to me eventually.” He persisted, rolling his neck before shivering as he shifted into his human form, fur giving way to expanses of beautiful skin and lean muscle. Those eyes though, those big golden eyes, slanted upwards in the most entrancing curve that mystified those who saw them, be they in human or fox form, they  would know you too well, they would read you better if he got closer.

Refusing to acknowledge his nudity or his words, you turned to the book before you, checking that you had the right ingredients. You heard shuffling of fabric behind you as you diligently coaxed the flames.

“Come on, Y/N.” His voice was pleading now, and you knew if  you looked at him he would be clothed at least in those low hanging loose pants, but also that devastating pout that always did you in.

With a sigh, you turned and locked eyes with him. Just as you expected, they were soft, and the mahogany that glittered in the bright golden caught you the exact way it had when you had bonded him.

“Byeongkwan, this time you REALLY messed up. You could have ruined everything for me for joining that coven.” You tried to scold, but your voice was soft, you were weaker for him than you’d like to admit, especially after the 50+ years you had spent together at this point. 

His pout intensified, crossing defined arms over his chest in defiance. “I didn’t like the coven leader. I refuse to allow you to be with someone so.. So… Haughty.” 

Your cauldron was going a bit beyond simmering, you could hear the popping of larger bubbles,  so you snapped your fingers and it cooled a bit, the flame beneath lowering to a more reasonable size and heat.

“Haughty? Byeongkwan with all the time we have known each other, I don’t believe that.  Your ego shouldn’t clash with the coven leader. I really shouldn’t be a solitary witch anymore, these days numbers mean safety.”

He honestly looked like he wanted to fight you on this, full bottom lip protruding in a way that twisted your guts more than you’d admit to yourself.  He opened his mouth, eyes narrowing before shutting it, and nodding softly.

“I’m…. I’m sorry.” His big honeyed eyes drifted to the floor of your cottage, and he took a few steps towards you, letting his arms drop before gently grasping your hands  in front of you. 

When he was mere breaths away he raised his gaze again, sorrow within, but earnest also. 

“I can protect you.” He whispered, the corner of his lip lifting. “After all of these years, when have I ever let you down?” One hand rested on the top of your head with all the gentleness you’d come to grow fully used to.

You had to give him that one, he had been a loyal companion, good instincts, helpful, shrewd, even if a bit playful. He meant well and rarely was wrong about another person’s intentions. 

“You don’t care for other people’s egos. At least tell me the truth about what was wrong with Elder Diron.” You persisted, as his thumbs ghosted over the backs of your hands, holding his eye contact for answers.

He cleared his throat, puffing out his cheeks before deflating in on himself. 

“I didn’t.. I don’t trust the way he looked at you.” He admitted.

You paused… Jealousy??? But for what? The bond you shared was beyond any human comprehension. Witch and familiar inseparable, at times sharing deep emotions and thoughts. It made no sense for him to worry about Elder Diron.. Unless…

“Byeongkwan…” 

A smile lit his face, all playful and sly as you were used to. “After all, if I am to protect you, I have to be careful of the intentions of others. We both know your intuition is useless. That’s why you needed a fox familiar. It’s the cunning.” He winked, tilting his head as his eyebrows waggled. 

“Byeong-”

“That’s burning, Y/N.” He let go of you and grabbed the spoon beside the cauldron, stirring the simmering liquid to keep the herbs from being singed. Shifting his weight onto his left leg he shot you a small smile as he stirred. “See? Hopeless without me.” When he turned away though, you swear his smile faded too fast, replaced with a look of self doubt.

You swallowed the lump in your throat. Something about all of this just.. Didn’t feel right. 

In more than 50 years he had never behaved this way.. What could possibly be the problem??  You took a few steps towards him, reaching out to softly stroke the silvery strands on the back of his head. It always astounded you how soft it was. 

His neck rolled, lulling his head back into your hands as you scratched at his scalp in the way he liked best, in the way you could get him to admit almost anything. “That’s not fair.” He mumbled as your fingers ghosted over the base of his neck, up through his hair and rubbed in tiny circles. He leaned and leaned until his head landed on your shoulder, he bent at the waist to fit against you, a soft purring resounding through his throat.  

 “Byeongkwan. You can’t avoid it forever.” You murmured into his hair. He turned his body so he could wrap his arms around you, tucking his face further into your neck and inhaling deeply. 

That wasn’t something he did unless he truly needed comfort. So you allowed it and let the subject drop.

-----

Byeongkwan settled in at your side that night, fox form, curled up against you has your fingers gently stroked his back. It wasn’t uncommon behavior, over this many years and his personality, physical affection was something you both found comfort in. 

A low grumble through his body lit your fingers with tingles. You gently scratched the base of his ears, causing him to nuzzle into your hand. 

The knock at your cottage door caused you both to exchange a surprised look.

Who could that be?

You gently nudged Byeongkwan off your side and trudged down the hall to the door.  Before opening it you checked the energies outside, extending your field of perception beyond the door.  When you didn't perceive malice, you opened it, smiling gently at what you'd first assumed must be a customer. 

Some local with the need for  a love token or a good luck charm. What you weren't expecting was a visit from Elder Diron. 

Why would he come so far??

"Greetings, Y/N. Blessed be and well met."  His smooth and charming voice cut through the air as you tried to process your shock. 

"Oh. Wise Elder. I'm humbled by your visit. Whatever could bring you so far?" 

You heard the scuffing  of Byeongkwan's  paws against the stone floor of your home and prayed he didn't act out again. 

“I wanted to extend your invitation to join the coven… With a few provisions.” 

You nodded, knowing it was common for a coven leader to ask for certain skills or gifts or rules. “What are your stipulations?”

“First, you need to bring your shop to Maritray town. We have it hidden well, and you’ll get all your business from others within the coven who are less talented in your craft. You will be able to partake in the skills of others there, medicinal witches, transport specialists, free folk speakers, seers and the like.”

You nodded, all that was reasonable. 

“Second, you should meet me at this location, and leave your familiar at home.”  He handed you a scrap of parchment and smiled, but something about it made you uneasy.

“This is a restaurant.”  You said with confusion in your tone. “Without Byeongkwan? Why?”

“I’d like to meet with you alone.. By now you must know why…” He smile was almost shy, but something hid under it that made your skin crawl. 

“What are you actually asking me, Elder?”

"Here. A gift." He replies without answering, handing you a small bottle.  You stare at his outstretched hand, examining the color of the liquid within. This entire thing felt wrong, but you gently accepted it. "I'm asking you to meet me on that night for dinner. I'll see you then. " he smiles before he begins to waver in the light, and disappears.  

Corporeal transference was never easy  and you knew it spoke wonders for his abilities, but you couldn't  shake the feeling you had. 

When you turned to see Byeongkwan in the hallway, back in human form with narrowed eyes, you knew he more than shared your opinion.  Part of you was unsure if the feeling was his or yours.  Were you being paranoid because  HE didn't like Elder Diron or was this a sincere gut feeling you should heed?

You stared at the bottle in your hand before walking down towards your alchemy lab, hoping to analyze the contents before you made your mind up.

You felt Byeongkwan enter. You didn't HEAR him because he was walking so softly, so carefully.  Something in his soul through the connection was so upset, withdrawn, gloomy. More than that though,  it felt like his hackles were raised and he wasn't even CURRENTLY a fox. 

You poured a bit  of the bottles liquid into a small bowl, first examining the smell, density, color, etc. 

"It's memoriae imperium."  Byeongkwan  said softly from the other side of the room where he leaned against a counter.  His arms were crossed and his eyes were glowing in the low light if your lab. So so very golden and piercing.  So so very beautiful and entrancing.  

But, memoriae imperium… that's a memory control potion… you can use it, if brewed in a potent enough way, to wipe someone's  memories and control new ones.

"Why would Elder Diron give me memoriae imperium? I am a green witch and potions and charms are my specialty. I'd never drink something without testing it. Besides, what would he want to erase my memories for?"

Byeongkwan walked close, so close, gazing directly into your eyes. "It's got something else in it too. Want to guess what?" 

Your brow furrowed.  He was being so intense and it was scaring you a little, he normally kept himself lighthearted, you'd known him for so long… this level of eye contact felt different. Intent. Intimate.  Intimidating.  

"I-I don't?" You stuttered, stuttered, why??

"Discidium. Y/N he laced a memory control potion with the most potent separation potion. He wants. You and I.  Apart." 

He kept nudging closer, and it made your body tingle. The way he maintained eye contact  burned you from the inside out.  

"Why would he?" 

"He covered it up well. If I didn't  have such a keen nose I'm not sure even you with all your abilities could have figured it out. He made it appear, down to molecular levels  like a harmless protection potion.  The kind you'd take before you'd go somewhere  a plague has been. Like an antibiotic before you join the coven… but it's not. He wants to  take you away from me and I won't let him. "  he closed his eyes and breathed out  his nostrils in heaving  breaths like he was trying to remain  calm, but even as he did, his voice  had been so level. So low and matter of fact. You knew he was barely containing his rage. 

"Why?" You asked. 

Byeongkwan let out a low chuckle.  "Why else, Y/N? Because with me near he can't  get what he wants from you.  This would make you malleable.  Docile. But I like you how you are.  Wild and untamed.  Smart and funny and a little too loving. I like your head full of ridiculous ideas and how bold you are. I like when you fight back. The fire in you is lit in me."  Byeongkwan stared with that same firey intensity,  and reached for the side of your cheek, he gently caressed your cheek with the back of his hand, a soft smile on his lips just enough to bring the pointed tips of  his canine into view. "We belong  to each other.  Always, Y/N. You knew it'd come to this. It was always leading to this."   

With those trailing words he brought his mouth to yours in a heated kiss. You gasped against his mouth, in shock but also in excitement.  

Some part of you had known you'd end up here, and some how the two of you'd been so stubborn that it took half a century. 

But his jealousy had brought you together and you couldn't thank him more at the moment.  It made you feel whole. Loved. 

Like he said, a fire inside you. 

So bright you felt everything else dim in importance.  All that mattered was Byeongkwan's lips and hands, which twisted in your hair and tore the fear from you.  

You belonged like this. With him.  Always. A connection deeper than the familiar bond. 

When his lips parted and his tongue pressed gently against yours you softly moaned, finally pushing yourself hard into i his body. Your fingers clutched his chest, then shoulders then jaw and hair as you felt yourself melt into him.  

Eventually you pulled back, gasping and heaving for air.

His eyes still held that heated stare. "We're leaving. Moving.  He knows where we are and he's going to continue trying.  We pack the cottage, we find a new town. We could go to where I came from.. rather than a coven, let ourselves be surrounded by familiars?"  He was hopeful, hopelessly worried and so endearing.

You nodded and swallowed, running your hands down the front of your shirt to smooth the wrinkles. "Okay." 

"Come on it'll  be .. wait, you're agreeing? No arguments?" He looked surprised. 

"No arguments  Byeongkwan.  Your reasoning is sound, and as long as your happy so am I. " 

It was his turn to be stunned. "I'm… okay. I'm not questioning it. "  he said, turning to leave. 

He paused for a moment, turning back to eye you suspiciously.  "Wait. What are we now?" 

You looked around searching for the right answer. What title did he want?

"Um "

"Whatever. We're partners, not just a witch and a familiar right? So. So you're.  You're my girlfriend. Now." He seemed like he was trying to keep a brave face as he stated his facts.

"Okay." 

"Okay." He took your hand. "Let's start packing. We need to leave before he returns. "

 He was overreacting  a little, you knew, but it was sweet. Whatever his reasons, today had solidified  the way you felt.  You would be happy, and didn't love  a new adventure? He was by your side. It would all turn out well. After all, who could beat the cunning of a fox?

[tetrakys]

Falling - part 6 (Finale)

Lance/Guardienne route following the events of episode 26.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

The first time I’d been on a boat with Lance I had no idea he was even there, hiding below deck for the whole duration of the trip to the Jade coast.

The second time he’d kidnapped me, knife at my throat, just to be able to escape HQ and get to Memoria.

Both times I hadn’t been a willing participant in that forced partnership.

This time though… it was completely my choice.

I rested my arms on the railing of the boat, looking at the lights in the distance, getting further away the longer we sailed.

Had I really left the guard for good? It sounded almost crazy to me. Those were my friends, people that I loved, and I was abandoning them to join their sworn enemy.

They were planning to sacrifice me though… the thought should’ve put things into perspective, truth was that part of me understood them, desperate times called for desperate measures.

But I wanted to live and, more importantly, I wanted my friends to live.

Friends… the word didn’t sound right in my mind.

Valkyon was a friend, no doubt about that, but I had to admit we’d always walked a thin line between friendship and something more. When we’d been possessed by the spirits of Yeu and Tihn and kissed, I’d seriously wondered about my feelings for him.

But then… there was Leiftan. He was the person I went to when I needed to talk, he was always there for me, so sweet and understanding, I fell head over heels for him. As much as he’d lied and hurt me there was no way I would let anyone kill him.

Time heels all wounds they say, and maybe it was true, but I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to feel again a love so pure and unconditional.

And then there was him.

I turned around to look at the third element of my equation.

Lance was at the wheel, guiding the boat with mastery. I looked at the rigid posture of his body in the dark armour, his severe gaze pointed towards the horizon while he took us away from HQ as quickly as possible. He hadn’t said a word to me since our escape, and in that moment I would’ve done anything to get into that head of his.

But the fact was… I’d been there. I’d seen his thoughts and as messy and complicated as they were one thing was clear: he felt something for me. What? I had no idea, but it was deep.

Also, it didn’t escape me the fact that the spell that was supposed to let me access the mind of whoever I desired the most had showed me his.

Yeah, friendship indeed.

Whatever we had was raw, messy, deep and… inevitable. I was done fighting this, I was done pretending.

So I stayed there, leaning against the railing, looking at him while he took us away. He didn’t look in my direction one single time, as if he were trying to avoid my gaze.

I would’ve been embarrassed if roles were reversed and he’d been the one accessing my memories and most intimate thoughts, but Lance didn’t do embarrassment. He wasn’t that kind of man. There was something else.

Sooner than I thought we stopped and I realised we were still in El… we’d simply circumnavigated the peninsula where HQ was built.

“Jump” he suddenly said, the first words he’d spoken to me in hours were an order… typical.

“What do you mean ‘jump’?” I asked crossing my arms, I wasn’t going to move one inch. “Aren’t we a little to close to the guard, here?”

“It means,” he replied tiredly, as if grasping for patience, “that the boat is damaged and we can’t go any further than this, we’re going to spend the night in the cave.”

“The cave?” I asked confused. “You mean the Immersed Cave? The one that is, you know, immersed?”

“Hence why I said jump, we need to swim to get there.”

“If you think that I’m going to…”

The words died in my mouth as soon as, with an annoyed grunt, he grabbed me by the waist and dropped me off the boat in the freezing night water.

The asshole!

I kicked my feet to raise to surface and find him already swimming towards the cave.

“Move your pretty ass, little aengel, we don’t have the whole night” he said from above his shoulder.

Cursing him in my mind, I followed him to the dark entrance in front of us.

I had been right, the cave was indeed submerged, but only partially. After a ten-minute swim we reached the shore or what was its dark, rocky version under the cave.

“It’s too dark,” I said once we reached the ground and I managed to feel my way to a mostly dry area.

“Well, why don’t you take care of it, instead of whining?” he replied, charming as ever. “You’re an aengel, light is kinda your thing.”

He was… actually right. Damn, I hated it. I concentrated on that spark I’d been feeling inside me since the moment my powers had awaken and pushed it to surface. Two seconds later I was covered in a pure, white light.

“Nice, he commented unimpressed from some point in front of me, “but I don’t think you want to spend the night as a human torch.”

“I don’t know what to do, it’s not like I had someone teaching me these past few weeks.” Well, I had one in theory, the only other aengel who could help me navigate my new powers, but he’d been locked in the prison and I’d been too angry to ask him for anything.

“You need to project the power towards the outside,” he replied, strangely patient. “I know your instincts tell you to keep it close, that it’s part of you, but exactly because it’s in you, you won’t lose it. Try it, picture it in your head and do it.”

I did it as he suggested, I closed my eyes and imagined a ball of light hovering us, strong and warm.

After a minute I opened them again and saw a decent sized ball of low intensity hovering our heads, a little too high than what I’d planned, still… it was a start.

The dim light was enough to give an idea of the area. I could tell the cave was huge, most of it was immersed but there were little areas, here and there, like the one we were on that were over the level of water.

I was sitting against one side of the rocky wall, Lance was sitting against the opposite one, but the place was so small that if I stretched out my legs I could easily touch his.

Without a word he started removing his armour.

“W-what are you doing?” I asked suddenly nervous.

He looked at me raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not going to spend the whole night wearing drenched clothes, and since you’re not able to produce anything warmer that that pitiful ball over there, I guess we need to undress.”

“W-wait… let me try again.”

I tried several times, I didn’t manage to produce anything warmer than a couple of matches. I was tired, after our escape from HQ we hadn’t stopped one moment, also I’d never learned any of that, what I did was purely by instinct. I needed a full night sleep, a good meal and a teacher.

With a sardonic smirk he resumed undressing and, trying with all my strength to keep my cool, I started doing the same.

“I bet this is the moment where you wished you’d escaped with the fire dragon, not the ice one.”

I looked at him unimpressed.

“There are many aspects that make me prefer the fire dragon.”

That shut him up. But what was I doing? I’d decided I wasn’t going to antagonise him anymore. That I was going to stay true to my feelings.

“But, right now, I’m exactly with whom I want to be.”

He looked at me seemingly annoyed, but I could tell he was surprised, I was starting to learn all his fake expression and telltale signs.

“And why would that be? You spend five minutes in my head and think you understand me now? Girl, you’re so out of your depths.”

“Am I?” We were both done to our underwear, without removing my gaze from his I lowered my bra straps, all his attention focusing on my movements.

“You’ve spent so much time alone in this angry Ashkore persona of yours that you don’t even have the guts to admit what you really feel and what you really want.”

I removed everything that was still on and stood there completely naked in front of him.

I thought he would come out with another snarky remark, another excuse of some kind but, taking one step, he grabbed me by the hips and with one swift movement I found myself with my back on the ground and him on top of me.

“You know…” he said with a heated look, “I’m done playing nice.”

“W-what? That was you… being nice?”

“Extremely nice, yes.”

“All the times you’ve manhandled me and snapped at me… you were being nice?” I asked sceptical.

“Foreplay,” he replied with his trademark smirk, while his hands moved to my waist and started raising up and up towards my chest.

“Even when you tried to kill me, more than once I might add?”

“You’re still alive, aren’t you?” he paused and, looking into my eyes, the most earnest and sincere I’d ever seen him, “You said it yourself… I can’t. I just can’t.”

My breath caught in my throat at his shaky words.

“Believe me, I tried,” he continued. “You know, you saw it. Killing you would’ve been the best way to ensure the success of all my plans, but it’s been a while since I realised that the end of the world is not worth the end of you.”

I raised my hand to cup his face, for the first time I’d known him, the ice in his eyes seemed to melt a little as he looked into mine. “If you can’t beat them, join them?” I said smiling, “I’m here with you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

He almost seemed relieved, but something else was there, something he was not telling me. But Lance was a complicated man, I couldn’t expect him to completely open up to me in one night after he had locked himself away for so many years. I raised my head and put my lips on his.

I kissed him slowly, tentatively, and when I was confident he wasn’t going reject me, I tangled my fingers into his hair and pushed him towards me, his weight pressing me into the rocky pavement of the cave.

He must have felt my discomfort because, with one movement, he grabbed me by the waist and changed our position, so that now I was sitting on top of him, straddling him.

This was so completely out of character for him, putting himself in a position of vulnerability, giving me power to do whatever I wanted to him.

I rested my hands on his abs and drew the lines of his muscles with my fingertips, in the dim light I’d created I could barely see his marks and scars, but I touched them all, with my hands, then with my lips and finally with my tongue.

I could feel him getting harder against my belly, and I was so ready for him. Without another moment of hesitation, I reached in his boxer briefs and took him in my hand.

He was huge and perfect, I couldn’t wait to feel him inside me. I looked into his blue, deep eyes and, where I usually could find only cold anger, now I saw heat, desire and something else. He stared into mine, and I was sure he could see the same. I’d never wanted anything as much as I wanted him in that moment. Without breaking our gazes apart, I lowered myself onto him.

Gosh… I was so full. As wet as I was, I had to take a second to adjust to his size inside me. Then, he rested his hands on my hips, and helped me guiding my movements.

That night, many things happened in that cave.

Our movements, in perfect synchrony, bringing us to the peak of pleasure.

His lips on my neck, my shoulders, my chest… sending shivers down my spine and goosebumps on my skin.

My hands in his hair, on his arms, grabbing for dear life as our movements got more and more frantic.

It was sex, it was passion, it was desperate and raw, but it was also deep and meaningful, and while none of us wanted to label it out of fear and leftover arrogance, I knew exactly what it was.

It was love.

 ————

Hours later, we were hiding in the middle of El’s forest, waiting for the right moment to sneak inside HQ undisturbed.

That morning, at dawn, once we were both resting trying to catch our breath, he told me that if we wanted to stop the Guard for good, we had to get to the Crystal and perform a ritual, one that would froze it in its current state and prevent any new sacrifice.

We had argued a little about what consequences this would’ve had on Eldarya, I didn’t want to sacrifice anyone but also wasn’t on board with his plan of destroying the world. Once he’d assured me that the ritual would nether worsen nor improve the land’s current situation (that was getting pretty bad by the minute anyway), I accepted.

His men were going to attack HQ from one side, granting us the perfect diversion to sneak into the Crystal room.

Indeed it went easier than expected. Among the commotion, no one noticed us. I knew he had plenty of experience getting in and out of HQ as he wished, so it wasn’t really a surprise.

He’d even been able to remove Miiko’s seals and put stronger ones once we were in.

The Crystal looked even worse now than when I’d seen him last only a few days ago. I felt slightly guilty for what we were about to do, but I knew that we currently had no other options.

I helped Lance set everything up, I didn’t know how this ritual worked and we hadn’t had time to properly discuss this morning.

“Take this,” he said passing me what looked like a water bottle with a small pouch.

“What do I have to do with this?”

“You’re going to need it later, you’ll see,” he replied almost cryptically. He looked very busy though, so I didn’t ask for extra information.

At some point I saw something I wasn’t expecting.

“Ugh… is that… a piece of bone?” I asked a little disgusted.

He didn’t reply and just took out other objects.

“Wait… I know what these are…”

Dragon Tears, Dragon Scales, Dragon Heart… I’d studied so much about the subject that I sure confident I was right.

“You… this is not a ritual… you’re opening a portal!”

Laying one last object on the improvised altar he had created, he burned a parchment that probably contained words I would never find out, and a big ominous-looking black hole opened at my back.

“I’m sorry little aengel, this was the first and last time I lied to you,” he said with his smirk that didn’t look at all like his usual one, he tried, but he looked sad and almost dejected.

“Lance! What are you doing?” I asked frantic, grabbing his arm.

“This world is doomed, there’s nothing you can do to save it, unless you want to sacrifice yourself in the process, and I won’t allow it. Go back to your world, your life is there, with the humans.”

He paused, then cupped my face and added, almost pleadingly.

“Live. Please.”

I wanted to protest, wanted to make him understand that it wasn’t his choice to make, that I wasn’t going to save myself and leave them all in trouble. I could see he had enough ingredients for one trip, he wasn’t going to come with me, and I knew he would never leave his brother to die here alone.

But before I could say anything, he kissed me. He kissed me with all he’d got, like he hadn’t done the previous night when we’d spent hours in each other’s arms, when he was still trying to put some distance between us, and now I knew the reason why. He’d been planning this for a while, all those times he’d sneaked into HQ stealing stuff, he was preparing for this.

Save me and damn the world at the same time.

We kissed with fervour and passion, there was everything in that kiss, anger, desire, hurt, longing and devotion.

When he finally broke his lips away from mine, I heard him whisper.

“I love you, Erika.”

Grabbing me by the arms, he pushed me into the portal.

The last thing I saw of Eldarya were his eyes, his beautiful, striking, icy eyes.

“Lance!” I cried out.

Then darkness, darkness and nothing else.

And I kept falling.

 ———

Epilogue

“This is your only option,” I said after what felt hours of pointless discussion, but it couldn’t have been that long, there wasn’t enough time, the world was about to end.

Miiko looked at me with hatred in her eyes, the whole guard did, they wanted to kill me, maybe, probably, but they knew deep down I was right and there was nothing else that could be done.

“If we do this,” she said, “it’d be like a second Blue Sacrifice.”

“Similar, but not the same,” I replied annoyed by their stupidity. “No genocide this time, no senseless selective suicide, the price this time will be paid by everyone.”

I looked into their eyes, “this is going to take away from you everything you took away from her.”

 .

“Erika… Erika!” I felt someone call my name and woke up to find Candy shaking my shoulder.

“Geez… you slept the whole hour, luckily Miss Paltry didn’t see you, otherwise you’d have been in trouble.”

Ah, right… the personal development class.

It always took me a few moments to remember where I was when I had one of these dreams, which looked more real than reality itself, because I was back in Eldarya, looking at the world with his eyes, experiencing his thoughts.

But, alas, those were only dreams, Eldarya had been destroyed and everyone was dead.

When I woke up, a few months ago, in the forest on Earth close to the mushroom circle where this story had begun, I was desperate. I’d tried so hard to go back to my world and, now that I was there, I wanted to go back to Eldarya.

I couldn’t accept the fact that I was the only one who’d survived.

I couldn’t accept my friends were all dead.

I couldn’t accept he was dead.

A part of me hated him for what he’d done, for taking the choice away from me.

Another loved him even more.

This was definitely the case when I realised that the water bottle he’d given me contained Lethe water, and a formula that reversed engineered the memory potion that had took everything away from me.

I was back into my world, back to my family, back to my life.

But I wasn’t the same person who’d stepped foot in that mushroom circle.

I tried to move on with my life, I really did. I went back to school for my last year of college, made new friends, went out, but everything felt off, as if I was living half a life.

And that spark… it was still there. I still felt it in me, but didn’t have the guts to call it to surface, as if it’d be too painful to access that part of me that I was supposed to forget.

But how could I? I kept having those strange dreams and, as absurd as it sounded, I kept seeing people from Eldarya everywhere I went.

Once I was sure I’d seen Kero in the library, there was a boy who looked exactly like him minus the horn. I even ran to him and hugged him, the poor guy was so distressed he fled the library.

Another time I thought Karuto was serving me at the cafeteria, he was wearing a protective mask though so I wasn’t completely positive. When I asked the man his name, he just mumbled something annoyed and left.

And these were only two examples, one time I thought I saw Miiko in the crowd of a concert, and another time, at the gym, there was a guy who looked incredibly like a human version of Jamon.

I was becoming completely crazy. I even thought about going to therapy, but what could I say? I’m back from a magic parallel world and I can’t readjust to life on Earth?

Yeah, sure.

Candy and I left the class idly chatting about thesis ad plans for the weekend. She was nice, I’d met her at the first personal development class I’d attended, but we didn’t have any other classes together, she was in the History of Art program. Still, we’d become good friends in the past few months.

“Ugh…” she said pointing towards a wall. “You know I love art, but this is too much.”

There was a huge mural freshly painted in the corridor. It wasn’t the first time this month, apparently there was someone sneaking into Anteros at night, painting these things on the wall, I could tell they were trying to denounce something, but the message wasn’t quite clear to me, strangely familiar but unclear. Still, the university had tried anything to capture this guy, but they’d never made any progress.

Candy left to meet her friends Rosa and Alexy, she asked me if I wanted to join but I wasn’t in the mood this time, I went to the library and spent a few hours trying to study.

I must have fallen asleep again on my books, because when I woke up, it was the middle of the night and the library was deserted.

I grabbed my stuff and quickly made my way towards the dorms. Before I could get into the building though, a strange noise caught my attention.

I turned the corner to find an unexpected sight. A guy, a tall guy dressed in black with a bandanna on his face and a hood covering his head, was painting a huge mural at the back of the dorms building.

It was… familiar. The painting was abstract, but its colours… I could see they were blue and white… and it reminded me so much about Eldarya and the Crystal… I had to look at it closer.

When I stepped towards it, the guy turned around and grabbed me by the arm, pushing me to the wall.

“Who the hell are you, and what do you want?” his hostile voice said.

But that voice… sounded too familiar. I looked up into his eyes, the only thing visible of his face and I almost felt like crying. Icy blue eyes… looking at me with a cold, aggressive stare I knew only too well.

“Lance…” I whispered.

Those eyes rounded in shock. “How do you know my n…”

And then I understood.

Those dreams hadn’t been dreams at all, they were his memories, somehow I was still connected to him.

He’d found a way to save everyone, Eldarya was gone but everyone was here on Earth, and the sacrifice for that were their… memories, their memories of each other and their life.

This is going to take away from you everything you took away from her.

Before I could say anything else, we heard a guard coming our way and Lance ran, disappearing from my sight.

I ran too, towards the dorms, my mind and heart in turmoil, but it felt like I was finally breathing again.

Maybe this was what the Oracle had meant, saving Eldarya had nothing to do with the place but everything to do with its people, I was the only one with her memories intact, maybe my purpose was to awake them all and help them find themselves again. Help the faeries live in the world they’d originally escaped.

Prove that faeries and humans could coexist.

It wasn’t going to be easy, but I could do it. I could save them all.

I could save him.

I smiled, finally relieved, he was here, with me, in my world.

And I was going to get him back.

THE END.

——–

Thanks to the anons who inspired this story with their prompts, you’re amazing! ;)

[geejaysmith]

Wolf 359 Classpects, pt. 1

Soooo, while I was still busy with the last few weeks of my summer internship, I did keep thinking about classpecting the Wolf 359 cast. Possibly too much, because it wouldn't leave me alone until I'd solved my own God Tier riddle. Unfortunately, it got really long in the solving because I have many Thoughts and want to share all of them, always, so uh, a complete Classpect Analysis of Wolf 359 will be in parts? This first one covers Eiffel's, Hera's, Lovelace's and Minkowski's aspects.

DOUG EIFFEL: An utter no-brainer; ya boi Dougie Fresh is a Breath player if I ever saw one. For Chrissakes, he's the communications officer, and the first one to start complaining about the monotony of being stuck in a deep space sardine can. Breath is associated with communication, freedom, openness, and change - "free as the breeze", you might think of it, but that also leads to Breath players having trouble pinning themselves down to anything. They get skittish if they feel pinned down, and frustrated when stuck in place. Doug's noncommittal aloofness, the way he's off in his own little world (partially to hide from the fact he really does not like himself very much at all), and the way he's incorporated media into his self-perception all match pretty well with John and the Nitrams. But at the same time, he's the one playing mediator even as early as The Sound And The Fury. Being largely outside of the War Industrial Complex the other characters are so familiar with and thus mostly free from its dogmatic worldview of hierarchy and order, he's becomes the One Sane Man when he's the one to shout "what is WRONG with you people?" when "murder" shows up in the top 3 potential solutions to a problem, and he has no hesitation in saying what's on his mind. And it's not all complaints and bad ideas, either; he's got whole speeches telling the others how amazing he thinks they are and how in awe he is of their skills. A key catalyst in the plot of Wolf 359 is the reaching effects of his radio broadcasts. Also, there's something hilarious to the fact that for the aspect associated with communication, Doug *literally* cannot lie to save his life. I kept my ears open for the infamous Breath Hex on my second listen - that is, the strange little way in which things Breath players say tend to come to pass in reality. Cigarette Candy is basically 20 straight minutes of the Decima virus being Breath Hexed into existence, and he guessed Lovelace's situation in one - "Maybe she's a clone, or like a *really* good robot replica."

HERA: Another easy one. Although Hera is resistant to splintering as we've come to recognize it, Heart players are nothing if not determined to be an individual. They have a firm idea of themselves as a person and defend it fiercely, including compartmentalizing away pieces that don't fit their self-image. Maybe less actively putting them down like Jade Harley did to Jadesprite (the manifestation of the negative feelings she repressed out of fear they'd make her less useful) - that would mean attacking or denying a part of themselves - and more... "why yes, I put this part of myself in this box, and I may look at the box on occasion, the box definitely exists, but I don't go near the box and I definitely do not touch or open or interact with the box. And then one day, I will die." So that piece finds other avenues to express itself because it can't not do that. Hera's programming dictates she be "chipper and non-confrontational and always ready to help", but she actively resists being a mere utility and always has - her earliest know action was to attempt a jailbreak of the manufacturing facility she was made in, born rebel that she is. She will insist upon her name over her serial number unless you force her not to, and gets passive-aggressive at people treating her like a machine. And yet, even as she teaches herself to ignore commands literally written into the base of her personality, she doesn't reject her directive to be helpful, nor does she express a wish to be a flesh-and-blood human, or even really to have a physical form? She has a human self-image in mental spaces (we presume, I will semi-seriously point out there's nothing definitively stating she doesn't see herself as like, her fursona or something), but when she has to limit herself to a human-like view of the ship, her immediate reaction is "this is weird, I don't like it."  This is honestly something about Hera that I think may be unique among non-villainous AI characters; she seems to be content with being what she is in general, and she just wishes for people to treat her as a person and not a piece of equipment they can do with as they please.  

ISABEL LOVELACE: Arm-wrestled Hera for the Heart aspect and lost, despite Hera not actually having any arms, but that's okay because there's two aspects that fit her much better: Blood and Time. I ultimately went with Blood.

This is the part where you notice I'm onto the third of four characters in an aspects-only meta post, yet there is still a lot of post to go. This is because These Kinds Of Characters, the sort that're constantly on emotional lockdown, are a Challenge Mode, and for me to truly be satisfied with my classification I have to start drilling into the bedrock of what it even means to have an aspect in general, what it means to have a specific aspect, and what each aspect is really about. When you're on that level you tend to find yourself throwing out explicit expositional statements as incomplete, oversimplified, or unreliable, and looking at the text directly with a subtextual electron microscope. Brace yourselves. I have thrown the author out of the airlock, and I am about to get verbose.  

Lovelace's character sheet describes her in contradictions, and we get to see two different sides to her that resolve into the complete picture by the time Lovelace Mk. III wakes up. There's Captain Isabel Lovelace, goofing around in her earlier logs, and The Terminator. She does things Her Way and is very much prepared to fight you if you object - the whole reason she was picked for the Hephaestus mission was her willingness to go against (in her words) "stupid orders" and do what she thought was right. She's also fiercely loyal; The Terminator is the end result of her anger and grief for her lost crew and at her failure to get them home alive. Her backstory episode has her summing up her complicated relationship to the Air Force with "I owe a lot of who I am to them." And even before she and Minkowski have completely stopped butting heads, Lovelace shoves her out of the way of an exploding wall panel that would've killed her, and takes a near-fatal bit of shrapnel to the gut in the process. At her best, Lovelace is a fearless, boundlessly determined, dedicated firebrand of a leader. At worst, she can be impatient, stubborn, shortsighted, and ruthless. I dunno about you but that reminds me of a certain... angry crab that I know.

"Time" was what a few people chimed in with for Lovelace and while I see some of the connections (her awareness of the time loop, "Variations on a Theme", her multiple selves and multiple deaths, the repeated motif of clocks and pocketwatches) I don't think she quite fits in with the other Time players. Unlike most Time players, she doesn't have a fixation with historic context, the "Why Things Are The Way That They Are." This manifests in Dave's paleontology and his taking of source material for ironic twisting, Aradia's archaeology and knowledge of The Nature Of The Game, Damara's... /noises and vague gestures bc I don't want to go back through Meenahbound but her role as The Handmaid fits the pattern, and Caliborn's own warped, thoughtless replication of narrative archetypes. Context. Decisions. What came before and how it shapes the now, where your decisions will take it from here. The consequences those decisions will have. The details versus the larger picture. Even failure has its place in that scheme - that's the Time aspect. Lovelace doesn't like to dwell, she's a very "barrelling forward momentum" kind of person.

Side note: Aradia, Dave, and Damara all face hesitation to take action they had to learn to overcome. Also, all of them had to be pushed to use violence except in self-defense; Aradia let Vriska cross a series of lines before beating the everloving shit out of her, and Damara snapped after what, years? Of Meenah's abuse. Dave, on the other hand, never raises a hand to another person except as a complete necessity. Caliborn is, if anything, an aberration here in that he's outright homocidal and self-doubt is something that happens to other people. Caliborn is an outright aberration to a lot of Time player patterns, and to SBURB in general, because it's SBURB, so the rules are made up and the points don't fucking matter, except when they do, because Fuck You, The Author Said So.

No, Lovelace's approach to decision-making is that regrets are for afterwards, and "if I fail I deserve to be out of this picture; also, this situation has gone entirely pear-shaped, time to fling myself into the sun." (and that sounds an awful lot like someone that I know very well, but I'll deal with that royal mess when I get to the crazy whamma-jamma that is Classes). Impatience and railroading of other people can be her undoing just the same as assertiveness and decisiveness are her gifts.

...aaand then I went ahead and watched the live episode and yeah, major Karkat vibes there. However, I note that I don't believe we have ever hit hard evidence in Homestuck that Blood players are capable of Chilling The Fuck Out - this is part of the limitations of classpecting characters who weren't made for this system, you really have to dig into how much of their behavior is situational and where you see the kernel of individual perception shine through, the Rosetta Stone by which you begin to see the constants. "Where the object becomes the subject", to quote Memoria.

Finally, I think it's also worth noting that while Lovelace has a lot of connections to Time motifs, she also has connections to a lot of Blood motifs that arguably become more important to her story. Personal bonds and social justice are two of the Blood aspects strongest associations - see Lovelace's loyalty to her crew, and extending her desire to avenge them out to everyone Goddard Futuristics has ever used and tossed aside. The physical body and literal blood are other strong associations, and gee, how many times does the O-negative Cure-All Alien Juice in Lovelace's veins become a critical plot point? Not to mention the implication that her new friends all pulled through the finale because all of them now have her blood in their system. I'll accept that she's closer to the line between Blood and Time than some, but I'm holding by ground here: 

(Also, here's some irony for you, she may share an aspect with the Cancer trolls, but her birthday is August 11th, making her a Leo.)

RENEE MINKOWSKI: Minkowski was the hardest of these 4 to come to a decision on. My first inclination was Mind. Her general disposition put me in mind of a Life player. But then, I sat down and thought my way past the Commander's layers of emotional armor and ultimately settled on Light.

First off, by being a stickler for protocol and procedure as well as an Actual Responsible Adult, Minkowski is a kind of character that Homestuck straight-up just does not have, so snap judgements aren't gonna cut it here.  This is, again, another limitation of the classpecting system - all the examples we have to draw from are teenage disasters stuck in a lawless hellscape of some description or another, and written by an author allergic to boxing himself in with hard conclusions. But I digress.

Commander Minkowski is also stubborn. When she sets her mind to something, she digs in her heels, cranks the dial to 11, and then breaks off the knob and pockets it so you can't turn it back down. We see this as soon as episode 2, and at it's most hyperbolic when she Captain Ahabs the plant monster. Her's is iron-willed, bloody-minded, unstoppable, Determi-fucking-nation - when she sets her mind to it.

The submarine thought exercise is what had me initially lock her down as a hero of Mind before I mulled it over. The exercise is meant to provoke thought about priorities - what you think your role's purpose is in that situation will determine your priorities, and thus, your decisions. Mind heroes' most prominent skills are in riding the flow of causality, watching decisions, their causes and their consequences, and directing that path. They know people, and how to direct people. But the need for this means that they can get a little co-dependent. Other people are understandable - it's themselves that Mind heroes have the greatest struggle with. Without that vehicle of another person, Mind heroes may find themselves adrift and struggling to define themselves. This is fitting, given Mind is the most direct counterpart to the Heart aspect.

However, upon further examination, I found that this framework of priorities setting your decisions can also be extended to the Light aspect. What is "lucky" in a given situation? What do you define as a fortunate outcome? Rose arguably gets Grimdark'd by something like this, she asks the cue ball "are the horrorterrors evil?" and in doing so attempts to pry into the motivations and intent of *indescribable eldritch beings existing on a nigh-incomprehensible plane* and wedge it down into a relative human understanding of morality, which is sort of like trying to fit the Pacific Ocean into a water bottle. She was trying to deduce what impact the horrorterrors would have upon her and her friends, but asked the wrong question and got an answer she couldn't handle. She didn't recognize Doc Scratch was baiting her into this by leading her into a specific framework through which to ask the question. Vriska died because of her failure to recognize she was in a situation where luck didn't matter. Aranea got trounced because of her inability to recognize that reshuffling reality to prioritize herself and her preferred outcomes still didn't overcome the fundamental nature of timelines - you try to take over the alpha timeline with an insubordinate branch? That's a doomed timeline no matter how you slice it, and we know what happens to those. Luck and knowledge are both used by the Light-bound to give themselves power, whether in showing themselves off as The Smart One or the The Helpful One or The Unstoppable One, but their limited viewpoint often leads them to overlook the limitations of their own framework, or in other words, missing the bigger picture. I'll point out here also how Minkowski has the entire DSSPPM memorized and is the one who wants to get to the bottom of whatever the hell is really going on up at Wolf 359. Additionally, one of her other ambitions, at least once upon a time, was writing musicals. The verbal arts are one of the domains of Light players.

So while on the surface, Minkowski bears the most resemblance to a Life player, Life players tend to have an element of conformity to them. Unquestioned assumptions they've internalized have about the context in which they exist. Light heroes, on the other hand, need conformity so they have something to defy when they jump up and down screaming LOOK AT ME!  

So after much pontificating, I came to a decision. In the end, what Minkowski wanted more than anything else was a stage. Maybe to direct rather than hold the spotlight, but still; that's a Light hero if ever I saw one.

[palukoo]

so a couple months ago i relistened to w359 and made a 18000 word document while doing so containing iconic quotes, my reactions, feelings, et cetera. heres some highlights with varying amounts of context. (theres lowkey spoilers for the whole series btw)

""""i empathize too much""""

crazy how i still vividly remember walking outside [my old job] and to starbucks while listening to the spider ep... trauma

i mean i dont love it but it makes me feel things

GABRIEL THATS TOO ON THE NOSE

"let me have my badass space chick victory cocktail"

god like i AM team what wrong with handcuffs but I WOULD NOT HESITATE to kill hilbert for hera

the girlssss are fightinggg

THE SAD W359 MUSIC IS KILLING ME

like memoria who maxwell who jk jk

i love you renee minkowski marry me

local idiot's heart is in the right place

HARPOOOOOOONSSSS

lovelace lovelace lovelace loveLACE LOVELACE

"maybe she's some kind of clone thing" EIFFEL... this is day 1!!!

i hate these self sacrificial idiots

no no no not this music again ill cry

yall are so emotionally stunted it fucking hurts but damn if you dont care

literally how are they still alive

i want to hug her so much omg

alan rody shut the FUCK up im crying

rip zach valenti's throat

face the death reality via math

jacobi being a piece of shit

maxwell said lets kill hilbert rights

this is a kepler hate blog

minkowski thinking her emotions dont matter to the mission oh ho ho

"youre gonna straighten up" cutter they cant theyre not straight

maxwell and jacobi show up and blow up lads

"and you should really be more careful with your queen" KEPLER WHAT DOES THAT MEAN

wolf 359 stop making me stan these literally terrible people

FUNZO FUNZO FUNZO

i am caring about men tonight lads

theyre both awful sure go ahead have history

hilbert you interrupted their emotional moment they wouldve had a MOMENT

hera said im gay

ohhhh nooo interpersonal conflict makes me sad

hug minkowski rn

FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC jacobi and maxwell are iconic

minkowski how did you not kill him

how much do yall use the words "good enough" and "cant"

"are you an alien" GOD the Hints

"one of our... sexier jobs" vs "this is gonna said less sexy after that"

eiffel stop cockblocking them

y'all's choice of pronouns IS illuminating

PROTECT HERA AT ALL COSTS

aw eiffel... minkowski... communication is KEY

oh yeah THATS what the psi wave regulator is for.... SURE

hilbert read the room

JACOBI you can't just describe minkowski like that without giving me a heart attack

how many times have all these bitches almost died

SORRY ANYTHING THEY SAY I LOSE IT

oh minkowski finally flipped (VALID)

oh wait that fact isnt fun at all and im literally crying

LIKE sometimes you save someone's life at great personal risk only to kill her a little while later

minkowski cries to “back to before” from ragtime

i feel to many things about the gals here idk what to tell you i love them thats the problem

its gay and it hurts!

lovelace laughing at people who can and will kill her... hot

OH WERE STARTING LOVELACES SELF SACRIFICE ALREADY

they let lovelace say FUCK

OH WAIT NO I FORGOT ITS WORSE

THANKS FOR MURDERING ME WITH YOUR TEARY ANGRY VOICE

ouchie anyways gay or no but also gay

hilarious and sad at the same time?

MAXWELL dont be a bitch... i expect this from jacobi and honestly i actually expect this from maxwell too but i dont like it

NO NOT THIS MUSIC

BROTP BROTP BROTP

i cant say anything else im too busy crying

UGH I COULD WRITE ESSAYS ON MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS THE MESSAGE THE TAKEAWAY BROADLY THE PERSONAL EMOTIONAL ANGUISH THE DESIRE TO HUG HERA ITS

im mad but thank you... all of you... explain... 

stop stop stop im literally so tense gone straight from sobbing to freeze instinct

GOD I HATE ALL THESE SURVIVALS GUILT IDIOTS

OH theyre all about uncertainty... the what ifs... okay... ouch ouch ouch

give everyone awards for bolero

eris are you gay

she said gay rights and AI rights

like i know i know we been knew but goddard really is so awful

Hera stop narrating Lovelace’s ongoing existential crisis

HOW IS THIS NOT GAY (I know how it’s not gay but. Let me have this)

KEPLER stop giving Lovelace insecurities and existential crises

Team back off lovelace for the win

like not to be dramatic but her arc is beautiful

oh boy thats my girlsssss

THATS FLIRTING MINKOWSKI

god i love that concern for your gf keep it up minkowski

COMMUNICATION? WITH THIS CREW? BOLD

GOD angrey hera is great

you know hera is having the time of her life witnessing it

eiffel you just ruined their romantic moment

minkowski is gonna kill them

a much better gayer more altruistic light

WE’RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION

WAIT I WAS BEING CANON DAMN I THOUGHT I WAS BEING CREATIVE AND PERHAPS OOC BUT IM IN THE CLEAR I GUESS

god hera has needed to snap at eiffel for so long

i can already feel myself about to get hit with the tears... the emotions

that shit hits different renee

The implications that Goddard like destroyed global warming omfg

it’s the moral grayness babeyyy

when it hits you with minkowski's shaky sigh first thing you know its gonna hit different

MINKOWSKI i need you to. love yourself as much as i love you

GOD the mutual concern they always have for each other is touching whether or not you think its gay. i think its gay

HERA WOULD YOU ASK A COW TO NOT BE A COW

oh of COURSE they cut coms first

lovelace is man, butterfly is quote, it says "is this flirting"

jacobi i need you to chill

but jacobiiiii thats lovelaces schtick

oh eiffel... you fucking idiot who gets really lucky sometimes

this game of chicken where theyre both chickens and kepler doesnt know any of that and each of them only know half

minkowski said im an ethics teacher now

who taught minkowski empathy in high stress situations?

yeah so i stay hitting the nail on the head

“kepler SHUT UP” is what brings everyone together

this is, como se dice.... kinda gay

this statement does not bode well for that

“Maybe less talking to yourself” he says to himself

ugh, to be Pop Culture Man™️

RACHEL i love you even tho I also hate you

Rachel if you make one more hand joke I’ll lose my mind

HER NAME!!!! IS HERA!!!! And I love her!!

i have a vivid mental image of post-series eiffel doing stand up like chris fleming style 

"my crew has made it very clear through a series of looks and gestures that one more slip up and i am out, thats it, so im taking this job very seriously"

"minkowski is very overprotective in a weird, erratic way, like when your seat belt randomly locks and its like i appreciate what youre trying to do but im going 4mph in a drive way."

"so when something like this happens you have to at least consider going away for a long time and living on a cursed space station"

"you know how when maxwell and hera are talking ive never felt less needed, you know, like ‘cause you guys would be totally happy alone on a rock in the middle of a lake"

"this is the kind of body you look at and go he'd probably be ok in space without a space suit"

the whole "theater kids" video is actually him going off about minkowski

minkowski is too swole for her own good

jacobi im gonna need you to take the redemption arc more seriously

i love my crazy crazy bitches

this FUCKING music

GOD HOW DOES PRYCE JUST ALWAYS GET WORSE

she just like mutilated that man he is doa absolutely destroyed one hit ko

can you tone down the gay, sweetie

you did it you broke rachel and Goddard down to their bare essentials

GOSH shes so AWKWARD 

so damn jacobi was just IMMEDIATELY ride or die for maxwell

this is too much for my poor baby heart

pryce & carter literally are just like lets do eugenics, lets do genocide

when hera says ill pull a yall and sacrifice myself for minkowski and lovelace 

god like cant believe KEPLER got a redemption arc (well not arc but you know)

ah yes the most tragic scenes all take place at once :)

I HAD TO STOP LISTENING TO BRAVE NEW WORLD CAUSE IT MADE ME TOO CRAZYYYY

THE SCRIPT SAID IT NOT ME

i love space moms!

this fucking music ALAN RODY IM SUING FOR DAMAGES

like the document also does have a lot of like deep thoughts and meta and parallels and discussion of motivations but this is just fun random things i said

[yrpspiritsintheshadows]

The Dark Man

The Dark Man

"Timmy?"

The boy looked up, his grey eyes widening at the sight of the investigators with his mother.

Carly knelt to his level.

"Mr. Miyamoto and Ms. Nicks want to talk to you about your drawings." She told him with a gentle look. The boy's eyes grew wide, grinning.

"Really?"

Eiji knelt to the boy's level, giving a warm smile.

"Really. I'm super impressed. They're really cool."

Tim giggled, picking up another notebook sitting on the floor with them.

"I got lots more!"

Carly stood back against the wall, trying to hide her worry.

Eiji narrowed his eyes as the boy started to flip through them.

"So, who's this?" He asked, pointing to an image of what he assumed was Tim, standing beside a large being with spindly limbs.

Tim froze up, shifting.

"Um…" He mumbled something.

Skyler frowned.

"We won't be mad, promise."

Tim fumbled with his hands, looking up at the two.

"He said if I told anyone, he'd hurt Mommy again." He whimpered.

Carly let out an audible gasp, covering her mouth.

Oh, doesn't that sound familiar…

"I can't tell you, Mama. It said it'd hurt you."

Eiji squeezed his shoulder gently.

"I promise you, while me and my friends are here, no one's gonna hurt your mommy."

"You mean it?"

Skyler smiled.

"He's right. Eiji never breaks his promises either. He's helped a lot of kids who had mean friends like yours."

Tim fumbled with the notebook page, uncertainty in his eyes before he took a deep breath.

"He's the Dark Man. He likes living in the basement… A-And in my closet." Tim pushed away his sketchbook, getting up, spreading his arms wide. "He's got arms, just like this. A-And he walks like his legs are broken."

Skyler wrote down what he said as Eiji nodded along.

"What does he do?"

"He said he has… somethin to do. Somethin, he doesn't wanna stop doing." The boy's lip quivered. "He's a bad man."

"He's not a friend, is he kiddo?"

Tim shook his head furiously.

"Do you want us to take him with us when we leave?" Eiji asked seriously. Skyler paused, giving him a warning look.

"Yes, please."

"I'm gonna do my best to take him with us, when we leave. But if I can't, I'll teach your mom how to protect you from him."

Tim perked up before something crossed his eyes. He ran over to his toy box, pulling something out.

"He doesn't like this." He held up a small plastic mirror. "He freaks out."

Eiji took it gingerly into his hands as an idea crossed his mind, a smirk coming to his face.

"The Dark Man hates mirrors, huh? That's great to know. Now, get packed up, okay?"

"Okay!"

Carly took him aside as Skyler stayed back to keep Tim busy.

"What if it does try to follow us?"

Eiji looked back before digging into his coat pocket. He handed her a paper tag, written on it was Japanese kanji with a strange symbol in a wax seal.

"What's this?"

"It's a protection tag, straight from the Memoria Coven. It'll enable you to leave virtually invisible to HIS eyes. He won't even know where you go. He has no choice but to stay and deal with us instead."

Her eyes welled up in tears of relief.

"What if you can't take him with?" She asked softly.

"If it's worst case scenario, we'll attempt to cleanse the house and if it's not working… then I'm gonna recommend you move as a last resort." he gave her a gentle look, "but I'm gonna try my best."

"Thank you… Thank you."

oooooo

After Carly had left with her son, the team set up their cameras and equipment all through the house.

"Alright, nerve center is in the back guest room. Let's finish setting up."

Chase groaned, setting a monitor on the table, bringing a hand to his back.

"Eiji, can't we just get fancy tablets for this?"

"I told you to lift with your knees, not your back." He said simply, hiding a smirk.

"With your knees, not with your back, meh." Chase muttered under his breath.

At the look Eiji gave him, Chase swallowed hard.

"I mean… If you wanna be like that, I guess you could just… go into the basement."

"HEY!"

"Kidding." Eiji looked around. "Alright, we got the night vision cams set up around the house. You got the full spectrum going in Tim's room and the parents room?"

"Yup. We can't see it with our own eyes but the cameras will." Chase grinned, leaning on the desk. "I also got full spectrum's going in the kitchen, the basement AND the front porch.

"Great. What're Lucian and Skyler doing?"

CRASH!

Their eyes went to the floor before looking to the camera in the basement. Lucian was rubbing his head while Skyler picked up the bag he had dropped.

"Ah, hit his head on a low hanging pipe." Eiji winced. "He's… fine, right?"

Chase rolled his eyes.

"This is Lucian we're talking about. NOTHING ever takes him out."

"True." He grabbed his radio. "Hey, what's going on down there you two?"

"We're just finishing setting up the REM pod in the basement too. Anything crosses here, we'll know."

"Great. Who's staying there?"

"Sky."

"Yup. Pendulum session!"

Eiji nodded to himself.

The REM pod, to detect when a spirit crossed its field, the full spectrum cameras, to see what the mortal eye could not.

They all carried their EVP recorders on them at all times during the investigation.

Let's see… Oh!

"Chase? Ghost box?"

"Already got it. I also brought um... that thing." Chase rubbed the back of his neck, not quite sure if what they had brought in was going to work. "You sure you want the freakin box of mirrors? We haven't had much luck with it..."

Eiji waved him off.

"The Dark Man apparently doesn't like mirrors." He smirked. "The Devil's Toy box will be perfect."

Most spirits won't fall for a box of mirrors, that's supposedly meant to trap them. But, if a spirit doesn't like mirrors and is trapped within it, it might let us take it out of here.

From that point on, the investigation had officially begun.

Alright, shift starts with Lucian in nerve center, then I'll be in Tim's room. Chase will be in the parents room and Sky's already in position.

Eiji grabbed up a bag, heading out as Lucian got into position at the monitors.

"Good luck."

"You too." He smirked before heading to Tim's room.

The house was dark now, the equipment working its best in the dark.

He first took out his EMF meter out, running it along the wall to get a reading. After a moment, the device beeped as Eiji pulled it away.

The reading wasn't too high to be dangerous but enough to let him know... he was not alone in Tim's room.

He snapped several pictures with his full spectrum camera, setting up a thermal camera as well.

Later on, they would take different readings but this was the start. The thermal camera would show him if anything unusually cold was in the room with him.

He kept it focused on him as he stood in the center of the room.

He closed his eyes, touching the necklace around his neck.

Please... light my path so I can help this family.

He opened his eyes, pulling out his EVP recorder, deciding it would be time for some questions. The device was able to let him speak to the dead and have them heard back without much energy use.

"Hello, is anyone here?"

He stayed silent, counting down from one hundred in his mind slowly, to allow whatever was in here with him, to speak.

Five... Four...Three...Two...

ONE!

He paused the recording, playing it back.

"Hello, is anyone there?" His voice echoed. There was interference in the background... until something hissed back.

"I am." A warped voice responded.

He turned the recorder back on.

"What's your name?"

He counted down once more... just as the EMF meter went off by itself, the number higher than before. The heck?

He played back the recording.

"Death... I AM DEATH!" The warped voice snarled through the recorder.

Eiji swallowed hard. Great, something's calling itself death.

I don't think it's a Lady or Sir Death either.

Eiji kept his composure, letting out a slow breath.

He wanted to mock it… but he instead, held his tongue.

"Why are you tormenting this family?" He asked.

There was something sliding across the floor, he couldn't see… right before a few of the toys on the floor started to go off.

A toy ambulance drove between his legs.

An animatronic teddy bear started to read off an audio book as a remote controlled helicopter lifted off the floor.

All around him, the room seemed to come alive suddenly as he watched where he stepped.

All of these run on batteries.

Ghosts will sometimes drain devices of their battery life to boost their strength.

Eiji slowly inched for the door, leaning against it. He cussed under his breath as a toy plane buzzed by his head.

One minute, the room was loud, full of energy the next, silent. The toys in the air, dropped to the floor, the toys on the shelves or moving across the floor halted.

Utterly. Silent.

A hand clamped down on his left shoulder.

"I can touch you." The warped voice hissed in his ear, clear as day.

oooooo

Lucian narrowed his eyes, focusing on the monitors.

Eiji was backed up against the door, shaking his head as he tried swatting at something the man couldn't make out.

He took a look over at Chase's monitor, the history teacher talking to something, trying to get his device to respond only for a frustrated look to come to his eyes.

It's only focused on one of us. It doesn't want you, Chase.

He looked over to the basement monitor. Skyler was sitting cross legged on the floor, her eyes closed. Meditating.

Her pendulum was dangling from her hand, the pendant utterly still.

So, it hasn't visited her yet either.

It really only wants Eiji currently-

He narrowed his eyes, focusing on one of the cameras. Eiji had stopped flailing around.

Lucian looked up, eyes widening as a shadow darted across the wall. He jumped up, snapping pictures around the room immediately.

"Eiji, getting shadow figures in Nerve Center. I think your buddy found me." He called into the radio.

"On my way. Looks like we're gonna have a seance on our hands at this rate."

"Maybe we can chase it down to Sky-"

An ice cold hand ran down his arm as he froze up. The man looked around before focusing on his limb, snapping pictures frantically.

"EIJI, ANY DAY NOW-"

Eiji slammed a protection tag onto the wall just inside the doorway.

There was a shriek as a rush of energy blindsided Eiji, sending him against the doorframe. He panted, looking over to Lucian, concern in his eyes.

"You okay?"

"Fine. It didn't get a chance to do what it likes best. What happened in there?"

Eiji merely held up the EVP, playing the recordings. Lucian's eyes widened as the spirit's voice echoed in the room.

There was a crash in the kitchen as something was thrown against the wall.

"Okay, this is getting nuts for the first go." Lucian shuddered, grabbing his radio. "Skyler, Chase, be careful, this thing's stronger than we thought."

"Should Eiji get the toybox ready?"

"Not yet." Eiji cut in. "We don't know what it wants yet."

Lucian stared him down before shrugging, giving a smirk.

"So mote it be, Boss." His eyes narrowed. "C'mon."

oooooo

Chase sighed, drumming his fingers on the nightstand.

"Is there anyone who'd like to come forth?" He asked, glancing at the ghost box beside him. It had been pretty quiet on his end. Nothing to make note of besides how many floorboards the room had… that he could see at least.

He picked up his thermal imaging camera, looking around the room…

Just as something very large and black appeared on the camera. Chase let out a gulp.

"Oh god and goddess." He whispered.

The figure was, judging from the camera feedback, directly in front of him, looking down at him.

It had to be at least seven feet tall, maybe larger if he had to guess, entirely cold.

Cause only living crap shows up warm on this sucker.

He took a deep breath.

Alright, property history.

It was owned in the 1920's by Orson Falkner. He didn't die on the property though and was not involved in anything strange that would make him come back like this.

Not to mention, reports claimed he was a beloved figure in the community and would never hurt a fly.

Alright, narrow it down, narrow it down.

He loved this job. It was exciting, it was terrifying.

He never felt more alive than when faced with death head on.

The man backed up on the bed he had been sitting on as the figure moved with him. Chase's hands shook as the figure crawled on all fours.

"Hey, easy now. Don't need to get so excited! What's your name?"

One second, Chase was looking down at the figure… The next, his face was cold as a hand pressed against it.

In a millisecond, white hot pain flashed through him as he screamed, dropping the camera.

"GET OFF OF ME!"

He fell off the bed, taking off running for the door. The entity was faster though, grabbing his leg as he pried the door open.

"GUYS! I NEED HELP-AAAUGH!"

More pain bloomed through his leg as he was pulled to the floor, back into the room, thrown against the back wall.

He was dazed as a shadowy figure stopped in front of the door. Long spindly limbs, a dark body…

Red eyes stared back at him before disappearing through the floor… to the basement.

Chase grabbed up his camera, bolting out of the room.

"LUCIAN! EIJI-"

WHAM!

He slammed right into Eiji as the two stumbled back.

"Ow! Chase-Oh good goddess…" Eiji's eyes widened.

Chase had a long cut down the right side of his face, a small trickle of blood on his chin from it. His face was bruised as well.

Lucian cursed, taking his face into his hands.

"Scale of one to ten?"

"I don't have time to play patient right now." He shook Lucian off, running for the basement stairs, the others in hot pursuit. "It's down in the basement! I saw it!"

Lucian and Eiji exchanged a look. Eiji grabbed one of their equipment bags off of the kitchen table.

"It's time."

Let's end this.

He had hoped they could run as many experiments as they wanted. Use as much equipment as they needed but this was getting too dangerous.

Chase is bleeding from his face and who knows where else… and if it's down there with Sky…

The basement was pitch black, their only source of light was their full spectrum cameras.

Skyler was still calm, sitting in the center of the room.

"Skyler?! You okay!?"

She jumped as Chase ran to her side, looking around.

"I-I'm fine. What was with all that crap up there?"

Eiji ignited a match as a candle was lit.

"We got a spirit to trap in the toy box is all."

Skyler pocketed her pendulum, taking the candle from him, Lucian and Chase grabbing their own out of the equipment bag.

When things got as rough as fast as it had, it was always good to have some insurance.

Illuminated by the candles light, they placed them in the four corners of the room. Eiji looked around as his eyes adjusted. He made note of something covered up by a tarp, going to it.

His reflection stared back as he tugged it off, a full sized mirror in front of him. He smirked, pulling it into place.

"Alright, we went over the plan during set up. Get those mirrors we found out and get ready." Eiji told them, as he retrieved the most important item in this plan.

The Devil's Toy Box. It was small, not very impressive in appearance. This particular one, was set up like a maze on the inside, designed to confuse entities trapped within.

They usually didn't have much luck with it because spirits were smarter than they appeared. But, if a spirit hated mirrors and had no choice but to bounce around them…

Eiji set the item on the ground before going around the room. He pulled out a vial of salt from his pocket, going around each member of the team, drawing a circle around their feet with it as each stood in the four corners of the room.

Eiji was the past to get into position as a shadow darted across the wall.

This isn't a proper cleansing…

But who said it is?

"Hey! You think you're big and tough just because you call yourself Death!?" He called out, holding his own mirror up - the small one Tim had given to him. "If you're really that strong, go ahead, try to get all four of us!"

The candles flickered as the entity screamed, causing the team to flinch but they didn't waver.

The shadow on the wall grew as the spindly limbs of the entity were shown to them.

It charged Skyler first as she swung her mirror in its direction, causing it to bounce off of it, the circle keeping her safe from harm.

The spirit changed its direction, rushing Lucian next, only to be met with the same result.

Chase, swung his mirror as hard as he could as the entity slammed into it dead on… sending it right to Eiji.

Eiji braced himself as the surge of energy rushed him, the tiny mirror being his only means of deflection.

I infuse my intent, to shine light in this area, in this home. For this object to help me defend Tim, to defend Carly, to defend my friends.

To defend anyone from being harmed by this entity again.

LIGHT MY PATH!

The entity slammed against the mirror… ricocheting across the room towards the full sized mirror. It was positioned, facing the Devil's Toy Box.

The entity shrieked as it was slammed against the mirror… as the Devil's Toybox began to shake, until the lid clamped shut on its own. The candles went out, bathing the area in darkness once more.

They held their breath, waiting in case it didn't work… only for the box to stay still. Eiji rushed forward, salting the area around the box as he lit a flashlight this time.

"That, I believe, concludes the investigation." He grinned up at his teammates, relieved.

The entity wasn't going to be getting out any time soon. The air seemed clearer as well. Like a heavy fog had been lifted.

He looked to the little plastic mirror in his hands, seeing a large scratch across its surface, marring his reflection.

"Thanks, Tim." He whispered.

Lucian stepped out of his circle, lighting his own flashlight. He put it under his face, sneering at Chase.

"And since, we're done… You have five seconds."

"... Ahhh frick." He grinned sheepishly. "Lucy, c'mon! We just had a victory a-and you heard what the lady said, it'll just disappear-"

Skyler poked his cheek as he hissed.

"Ow! SKY!"

"Go with the Emperor of the Underworld. Now."

He grumbled, but did as told.

"Eiji, you owe me."

"I'll cook you all a good dinner. Just glad it's all over now." He sighed in relief.

Now to get home.

oooooo

The house was dark when they got back. Everyone was exhausted, just glad to head to their own cars and head home.

"Hey, Chase, you want me to drive ya home?" Skyler offered. The man stammered a little, giving her a surprised look.

Eiji looped an arm around his shoulders.

"Boy, he sure would, he's just speechless!" He exclaimed. "Ain't that right, Chase?"

Chase nodded mutely, giving him a grateful look as he followed Skyler to her car.

Lucian chuckled.

"He's gonna need more help with that."

"Oh, majorly. Thanks for tonight."

"You know I love what we do. Take care now." Lucian gave a wave before driving off as well.

Soon enough, all was quiet again, Eiji making his way inside, keeping quiet.

The living room was lit by the light of the television, a DVD menu on the screen.

Carmen and Ken were curled up together on the couch, both fast asleep. Carmen's dark hair splayed around her like a curtain, Ken's head tucked under his mother's.

Awww…

He shook his head, grabbing an afghan out of the linen closet, laying it over them, trying not to jostle them.

Okami perked up from her place laying next to the couch.

"Rrf?"

"Shhh…"

He supposed he hadn't been quiet enough since Carmen stirred, a green eye opening.

"Mm…? Eiji?"

He kissed her head.

"Go back to sleep. I'm home."

She shook her head, motioning for him to grab Ken.

It was a silent exchange as Eiji carefully lifted his son into his arms. Ken didn't shift, thankfully just huddling closer to his father, sighing happily.

Carmen rose up, the afghan draped around her shoulders. She leaned up, kissing his cheek.

"Love you." She whispered.

"Love you too." He kissed her head as they made their way upstairs.

Soon enough, they had Ken tucked into bed, Okami making herself comfortable at the foot of his bed once more.

Carmen smiled softly, turning to head into their room… letting out a small squeak, as she was lifted up.

"Eiji!" She hissed.

Eiji gave her a silly grin, carrying her to their room.

"Oh, let me spoil my lovely bride."

She rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Nerd."

"Your nerd." He dropped her unceremoniously on their bed before heading to get changed. "Oh man, I had a heck of a night."

"That bad huh?"

"It was trying to imitate a Sir Death." Eiji rolled his eyes. "One of the times I wish I could've seen it dead on and smacked it."

She made room as he laid beside her, bringing her into his arms. Carmen kissed his head, huddling closer.

"You don't need special eyes to do what you do best."

He smiled, burying his face in her hair.

"You always know what to say." He yawned. "I love you."

"Love you more."

He tightened his arms around her.

"Love you for eternity."

Safe and sound.

Where I'm meant to be.

[7thspacevelocity]

Symphogear XD Unlimited - Memoria Card “Christmas Angels” EN TL

As area volunteers, Hibiki and the others participate in a Christmas gathering for the sake of local children. Their program is an original play.

Hibiki: Oo-h, what am I gonna have~? A pork cutlet bowl sounds good enough, that I might give up on the ginger pork...... Miku: I've made my decision. Hibiki: Oh, what're you having? Miku: I'm going to go with the seasonal pasta set. Hibiki: Aa-, that sounds tasty too...... Miku: Hibiki, isn't rice your number-one craving? Hibiki:  Yeah, rice is super important, but...... look, if someone were to ask me, it seems like this over here looks pretty tasty...... Hibiki: Ah-! Why do we only have lunch once!? It'd be great if we had more meals in the day! Kirika: I totally agree with that, too! I think it'd be great if we could have meals in a shorter timespan! Shirabe: But that'd be a big problem...... for those working in the kitchen. Miku: Ah, it's Shirabe and Kirika. Hibiki: Oh, Kirika-chan! That's totally it! I really wanna eat lots more! Kirika: Yeah, yeah! We oughta have six meals a day, and even three between-meal snacks! Chris: ......what stupid conversation is going on with you all? Hibiki: Chris-chan! And with that, everybody's present- Chris: With that, what's with this special summoning on our day off for a discussion? Does it have to do with us being members of S.O.N.G.? Hibiki: U-mm, that's not it. Just a little something from school. Chris: Well, alright. I haven't had lunch yet either. You mind if I eat while we chat?

Hibiki: So then, what I wanted to talk about was putting on a play with everybody! Kirika: A play......? Shirabe: I don't understand the meaning of this conversation...... Chris: Ih' na' tupi ta'. Miku: Jeez...... isn't it bad manners to talk with your mouth full? Chris: Mph, ah~. It's not stupid talk. Why do you want to put on a play all of a sudden? Hibiki: Thing is, if you're talking about a spectacle, you've gotta go with a play! Miku: Jeez, that alone won't get the idea across. Hey, so, Christmas is coming up soon, isn't it? Kirika: Just a few nights of sleep away! Shirabe: I think that's the new year...... Chris: Christmas is a Christian celebration, yeah? That doesn't really concern us, though, right? Miku: In Japan, Christmas doesn't have that relevance; it's for enjoyment. Miku: And with that. Since we're part of Lydian's volunteers in the area, we were talking about the Christmas party. Miku: We're gathering the neighborhood kids who aren't in elementary school yet, and volunteering to show them an enjoyable program...... Chris: ......so that's it. Maybe if there's, like, not enough people and you see trouble popping up, we can help others out by making it our business? Hibiki: Just as expected, Chris-chan. You really understand me! Chris: It's not like I want to...... I'll give that a pass. Hibiki: Aww~, let's try it together~ Kirika: Yeah, that's it! When you make your debut on stage, you'll get a standing operation from everyone! Shirabe: It's "ovation", not "operation", Kiri-chan. Miku: Shirabe, Kirika, would you join in with us? Kirika: Let this great actress-to-be take care of it! Shirabe: If Kiri-chan does it...... Hibiki: Thanks! I've really gotta hold on to these kind juniors~. Chris-chan, how about you? Hey, hey, let's you and me try it out~ Chris: I, I'm telling you, I'll probably give it a pass!

Miku: Hibiki, you worked hard today. Hibiki: Thanks, Miku. Miku: Oh, and could we talk a little more about the play? With Shirabe and Kirika, too. Kirika: Of course! Shirabe: Sure. Genjurou: Play......? Hey, what are you up to? Hibiki: Yep! For our volunteer activities at school, we're putting on an original play. Genjurou: I see. Volunteer activities, huh? Those are good intentions. Tomosato: If you need to gather costumes or tools, I know of a great shop, if I can jump in on this discussion. Miku: Really? Thanks a lot! Fujitaka: Hey, do you maybe need some rare costumes? Tomosato: ......there's no weird costumes here. Genjurou:  You're missing the heart of it, Fujitaka. Fujitaka: Y, you've got me all wrong. That's not what I intended to ask...... Genjurou: ......hm, and will Chris-kun be participating? Chris: It'll probably be a bother, so I'm giving it a miss. Hibiki: Don't say that! We should still try it out together~ Kirika: I wanna stand up on stage with Chris-senpai...... Shirabe: Mhm, I want to try it out with everyone...... Chris: Oof...... Miku: How about it......? If you're reluctant to go up on stage, it'd be alright if you were a stagehand...... Chris: I, ah...... I hate going on stage, but...... Genjurou: -that's it! If that's the case, then you'll have free time! How about joining me on the mountain for some special training? Chris: Haa!? H, how'd things end up like this? Genjurou: While everyone's putting all their time into the play, you're bound to be the only one free. If so, I think it'd be good if you participated in some secret special training! Chris: I'm fine, thanks! Hibiki: Secret special training...... *gulp* Miku: You're probably thinking about going, aren't you? Hibiki: If I don't go... that's fine too. Genjurou: How about it, Chris-kun? But if you were to participate in the play, it'd be disappointing to see you give up on the training- Chris: Quit asking me about that! Oi, I'll go ahead and volunteer for the play too! Hibiki: You'll do it? Awesome! Chris: Well, I'll take it instead of that special training!

Theater Club President: I'm very thankful, Tachibana-san. You were able to gather this many people...... Hibiki: It's fine, it's fine. More importantly, let's make this play a success with everyone! Theater Club President: Mhm...... your lines are over here and on this cheat sheet as well, so just have fun playing the part without getting too tense. Chris: If I do it, I'm putting my all into it! Hey, you're just acting scared, right? Theater Club President: Ah, the curtain's going up. Please, begin with the narration. Miku: Okay, I'm heading out. Hibiki: Miku, do your best!

Far, far above the clouds. There lived the gods, and two angel sisters.

The older sister was a hasty kind of person. The younger sister was shy. And yet, these two sisters helped each other out, Spending each day for the sake of the gods-

Miku: Whew. Was that okay? Kirika: Right on the money! Theater Club President: Thank you, Kohinata-san. Chris: ......alright, now it's their turn. Kirika: Finally, Shirabe's making her stage debut!

Hibiki: I'm, um, the older angel sister-. I'm a hasty person, but I'm always helping out my little sister- Shirabe: ......I am her younger sister. As long as I'm with my older sister, I'm able to go out. Chris: There's not an ounce of feeling in that reading. But, maybe it matches. Miku: Yeah, those two seriously look like angels...... so cute...... Kirika: Yeah! The way they can't look anyone in the eye is pretty cute! Chris: Ah, I was thinking the same thing, but, hey, it's a big success! Hibiki: Say, let's go pick flowers at the lake for the gods today. Shirabe: Okay, big sis......

Still Christmas in my time zone, so this still counts! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you; here’s the 5* Memoria from the recent XDU event. I didn’t see a TL up so I decided to speed-solo this so that it’d still be at least somewhat relevant on release time. No quality/TL check this time, so every little mistake is on me more than usual. If you have access to the original source, as always, feel free to point out any errors to me with corrections, and I’ll gladly update and credit!

TL Notes

Hibiki’s mention of ginger pork is literally 生姜焼き - fried/grilled pork with ginger. I left the cooking method out to stay generic. Chris’s garbled speech line is about as weird in the original Japanese: 「ふぁかいっふぇんじゃふぇーよ」/「バカいってんじゃねーよ」, so I tried to approximate that with at least a mild degree of decency. Yes, Kirika literally says “STANDING OPERATION”. 「 スタンディングオペレーション 」 The bit where I’ve put Chris saying “You’re just acting scared, right?” - I think that’s addressed to Hibiki, based on the others’ assessment of the duo’s performance.

If you want more Symphogear XD Unlimited memoria translations, check out the #sxdu-translations tag! I’m not the only one who’s been posting these, so don’t miss out on some fun stories!

[cutepresea]

Memoria: Hidden Talents

If you want to blacklist these, you can use either the tag #xdu memoria scripts or #xdu scripts

Reminder  that these are copied straight  from XD Unlimited itself, so any grammatical weirdness, mistranslations,  and/or mischaracterizations are  not my doing.

In-game Summary: “Tsubasa takes up shogi in order to improve her tactical prowess, and ends up underestimating Maria's multi-faceted talent.”

Genjuro Kazanari: "What's going on?!"

Aoi Tomosato: "Alca-Noise signals detected downtown! ...Wait!"

Sakuya Fujitaka: "We've got two separate groups of Alca-Noise in two different locations!"

Shinji Ogawa: "Looks like they're trying to divide our forces."

Genjuro Kazanari: "Wielders, split into two units! Tsubasa, Maria-kun, I'd like you to captain the teams!"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Roger."

Maria: "Understood."

Genjuro Kazanari: "Tsubasa, your team will be Hibiki-kun and Chris-kun. Maria-kun, you take Shirabe-kun and Kirika-kun!"

Genjuro Kazanari: "We're still not sure what the enemy is after. You'll all need to be on your guard."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Yessir!"

Genjuro Kazanari: "All right, then. Move out!"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "We're back."

Maria: "Welcome back."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Whoa, that was fast!"

Chris Yukine: "Things went pretty smoothly out there."

Shinji Ogawa: "It was all thanks to your spectacular teamwork."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "That means a lot coming from you."

Shinji Ogawa: "Yes. Shirabe and Kirika rounded up the Alca-Noise allowing Maria to take them down. It was very impressive."

Maria: "We've had plenty of practice. I'm more impressed with how well you two worked together without training."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "I just wish we could've fought more strategically like you instead of letting the enemy control the flow."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "But if I want to control the battle, I could probably stand to learn a thing or two."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Anyway, talking about fighting tactically is one thing, but what can I actually do?"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Hmmm, tactical maneuvers..."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "The thing is, Ame no Habakiri is made for close range, and I've been fighting alone for so long..."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Have I just been fighting like a raging bull, with no regard for teamwork?"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "But the commander said I have to learn group battle tactics because we have more wielders now."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "So I need to start thinking tactically... But tactics... Where do I even start?"

Shinji Ogawa: "Hey, got something on your mind?"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Yeah... This may seem a bit random to ask, but do you know any good ways to learn battle tactics?"

Shinji Ogawa: "Battle tactics, you say? How about taking up shogi?"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Shogi?"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "What do you think of this move?!"

Shinji Ogawa: "I see. Not bad as a last ditch effort. But if I move here-- Checkmate."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Oh..."

Shinji Ogawa: "As you've probably just realized, a relentless offense can draw your attention away from potential threats."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "You got me there. Gah, if I had just pressed forward there! No, from the moment you took my rook..."

Shinji Ogawa: "I think you're doing well for someone who just learned the game."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Huh? What are you guys up to? Is that shogi?"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Tachibana, if you know how to play, how about we play a round?"

Hibiki Tachibana: "I'd love to!"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "By the way, how much experience do you have with shogi?"

Hibiki Tachibana: "Miku and I just play it sometimes when we're bored."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "I see. Then a friendly match between beginners it is."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Aaaaaaaaand checkmate!"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Wha--! Ngh! I lost again..."

Hibiki Tachibana: "Ehehe. I never thought I would actually win. Well, I've got plans with Miku, so I have to go. Bye!"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "When I focus on offense, I neglect my defense, and when I focus on defense, my offense falls flat."

Shinji Ogawa: "Well, you're still a beginner so you should focus more on the basics."

Maria: "Wow, hardly anyone plays shogi these days."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Oh, hey Maria. If you know how to play, how about a game?"

Maria: "Sure. I don't get asked to play often, so let's see what I can do."

Tsubasa Kazanari: (Maria has spent a long time overseas. I might just be able to win for once!)

Maria: "All right, shall we begin?"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "I see it! I've found the path to victory!"

Maria: "Oh? Looks like you've learned how to look at the board, but it appears you didn't notice that was a trap."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "A trap?!"

Maria: "Your turn."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Grrrrr... Damn, I can't find a move. I concede defeat."

Maria: "Hehe, is that really all you've got?"

Maria: "How about it? One more round?"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Yes, of course! I know why I'm losing now, so don't expect things to go the same way this round!"

Maria: "Then I suppose I can go a little less easy on you this time."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "What?! You were going easy on me the whole time?"

Tusbasa Kazanari: "You seem to have forgotten that I am a guardian. Let's see how long you can keep underestimating me!"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Wh-What's going on?"

Maria: "It's exactly as you see. Your soldiers have abandoned their king and surrendered to my army."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Agh! My soldiers have forsaken me all because of my incompetent commands!"

Maria: "It's your turn. What will you do now?"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "There's nothing I can do... I'm surrounded and there's no way out."

Maria: "Then it looks like I win."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "My army was utterly decimated..."

Shinji Ogawa: "Seems like being a military commander doesn't suit you."

Shinji Ogawa: "Also, I didn't realize you were so good at shogi, Maria-san."

Maria: "Hehe. This was pretty fun. Let's play again some other time. See you."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "I can't remember when I was last beaten so thoroughly. Ogawa-san! You have to teach me more Shogi!"

Shinji Ogawa: "I'd be glad to, but I'm swimming in work at the moment. I'll teach you another time."

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Yes, of course! We can't let you skip out on work!"

Tsubasa Kazanari: "Just you wait, Maria! I shall restore my honor the next time we cross paths on the shogi board!"

[bbnibini]

PSISLY: An Obey Me!CYOA – forty-seven🔖

[ I like it. ]

(Mammon's affection -60)

{ OPEN STATUS : YES

> approved > displaying capture targets

Mammon: 30♡/100♡ Satan: 85♡/100♡ Barbatos: 0♡/100♡ Lucifer: 5♡/100♡

CLOSE STATUS : YES >approved }

It started raining as you spoke, familiar with the scent of petrichor in the air as it hit the earth. Perhaps because of it taking your attention, you mistook Mammon's calm expression with a wistful one for a fraction of a second--gone immediately from your peripheral as he told you, "Forgive me, but we must run." His statement led both of you to an awning of a nearby restaurant. Thanks to his quick response, both of you were only slightly damp, although from the way the rain was turning into a downpour, as well as the clock inching every second closer to your curfew, that may immediately change. Mammon acknowledged that and looked over to your side.

"Allow me to find both of us an umbrella. We cannot stay here for long." And you nodded despite still being weirded out by his mannerisms.

The moments of your lonesome with a downpour just a few steps away from your small safe space led you to a trail of idle thoughts. You wondered about the strange way he was behaving, the reasons behind his actions and most of all, your alarming attraction to a side of his that you weren't very used to. The way he spoke reminded you of the elusive Mammon who wrote you the letter---fancy words filled with love and affection, hinting of shyness and melancholy at every passage. A reserved love that threatened to pour out with every apology, with every praise or pleasantry it pretends to be interested in, masking away the three words that seemed to permeate despite its veneer of propriety. A love that regrets, but loves you despite all the reasons that seemed to argue against it. A love that felt burdened but kept on loving, unnoticed by an oblivious you. A love that loved enough to share jokes and even lighthearted conversations with you despite the weight of its sacrifice. A love perhaps a little too heavy for someone like you who had only noticed it until now--yet despite the weight of its feelings, you'd want to give it a chance.

Why? Because it felt like its sender, who adored you so much (almost to an unimaginable extent), needed it too---to be loved and cherished unconditionally. A wonderful person that deserves a love only equal to his own. That was why you wanted to love Mammon, willing and perhaps even excited to see the side of him he had been trying so hard to hide behind his empty vitriol and threats. You wanted that Mammon to feel that he is also loved, and will be loved despite it all. But who were you to decide for him? Why did you feel not a hint of worry or care once he started acting strange? Why were you excited about his change instead? Was it terrible of you to feel anticipation over it? Any conclusion to your thoughts had to end prematurely with his arrival. He seemed to have run a considerable distance, for the usually energetic him was panting in front of you.

"I apologise for taking so long. Here." he handed you a plain, black folding umbrella as he wiped himself with his wet handkerchief.

"What about you?"

"I'm already wet, so using an umbrella is useless. You however, might catch a cold. Now hurry before Lucifer goes home before us."

You can't argue against that, so you reneged. Hating the silence consuming both of you, you kept on conversing with him as you walked home.

"I'm sorry for making you run in the rain. It must have been difficult getting  an umbrella."

"Not really," Mammon sounded almost bashful. "Rather, I felt bad for taking it."

"Taking?" he didn't purchase it?

Noticing your confusion, Mammon answered. "There were actually two of them: a disposable one and this one near the park. The nearby shops have already sold out of umbrellas, so I was left with no choice but to…borrow it."

Pfft!

The old Mammon would have grabbed both umbrellas without a care. This new Mammon was amusing, however. "So why did you only take one?" you couldn't help but ask.

"Why? Well, it would be the right thing to do. What if other people are stranded and are in need of one to get home?" he sounded almost offended while he explained his reasoning to you and it took all of your being not to point out his adorable pouting as he spoke.

"This isn't so bad…"

"Pardon?"

"You. This...you. It's weird but I like it. I really like it." You smiled at him. "Why did you randomly decide to act like this though? Did you lose a bet or something?"

You thought you were in the middle of a lighthearted conversation. Your smiles should already be telling, and so was your playful tone, but Mammon suddenly stopped walking. There was a frown on his face, a look of hurt you recognised at the many instances where his feelings had been overlooked--a mean word spoken out of affection but still carried wounds and scars.

Have you…hurt him?

"Do you really like it that much?" his polite tone sounded forced. "Perhaps you would prefer it if I stay this way?"

The rain was loud on your ears, the black umbrella on your hands colliding with the downpour and creating an uncomfortable, crackling sound. You felt your shoes stepping on a puddle as you were stopped his gaze. His hands were balled into fists, threatening to burst a vein with how tightly it was clenched. Yet…only confusion seemed to register in your emotions, oblivious to the weight of your own words.

"I don't understand Mammon."

You heard him sigh.

"I'm not sure what you're implying but, I like you. Am I supposed to say I hate that you're acting like this, even if it's a lie?"

He looked…tired---the rain not helping to cause an illusion of tears on his spectacled face. If not for the small smile gracing his features, you would have assumed you made him cry as well. Then again, would someone who you hurt look at you so gently? His wet hand laid atop your head.

"You're right. Liking someone shouldn't be so complicated. As long as you like me, even if it's a lie, you'll never leave my side, won't you?"

Blinking, you answered obliviously. "Well, I have a few more weeks left. And even then, we'd still see each other, right?"

Laughter had been his answer to you, along with the long-drawn silence accompanied by seemingly endless rainfall. Silence continued to loom between the two of you even as you fussed over him to take a quick shower and get a fresh change of clothes so he wouldn't catch a cold once you got home. Dinner had been the same as usual, albeit with forced conversations that you couldn't bear to pretend on not noticing. Perhaps he noticed as well, and was rather affectionate with you (probably because of it) once you two were alone. Questions were raised over his strange behaviour, but he had been avoidant, even unaccommodating with his answers, only focused on the warmth of your hand under the dinner table; his lukewarm responses, although polite reminded you of his impulsive old self---his old self that you began to wonder if it's ever coming back.

[ MEMORIA 8: ~Chasing an Illusion~ unlocked ]

>Read now

💌💌💌

Lately, you've been getting concerned questions from people around you:

"Is something wrong?"

Define "wrong". On what grounds should you, in your otherwise not-so-wrong state feel…wrong? While Mammon had continued to act weird, you didn't really mind it. It wasn't wrong. So why is everyone saying otherwise? That there's something wrong with the two of you? You can both be weird at times (read: all the time), and Lucifer didn't seem to mind it before…(sort of). So why is he so concerned now?

"Looking at the two of you is painful. If you two are fighting, talk it out. Make your last few weeks in this exchange program count. Are we getting ourselves clear?"

aRe wE gEtTiNg OurSeLvES cLeAR?

…not. That was a terrible Lucifer impression. Levi wouldn't have let you live it down if he heard it. Lucifer? Yeah, good luck living. Silently thankful for the privacy of your own thoughts, you feigned reverence and pretended you were listening to him.

Why are they acting like this? You didn't understand. Mammon had been wonderful lately and even took you to an amusement park as an early gift for finishing the final exams. That's less than a month by now; everyone was still busy with festival preparations and your date that weekend was the final rest day you're going to have for a long while. Realising the thoughtfulness of his gestures earned him your incessant words of affection. He wasn't cute anymore when he hears it, but his smile was beautiful and made your heart skip a beat. Everyday was bliss. He treated you like a princess and made you feel that you're loved, and you try your best to let him know that you feel the same way. So…why is everyone telling you to go back to normal again?

…isn't this normal? Shouldn't they be happy that Mammon is now a changed demon?

You thought that Lucifer would be your final lecturer for the day until you heard someone knocking at your door.

"Are you still awake?"

Oh good. First it was the Father, now it's the Son. Who's next? The Holy Ghost?

"Yeah. Come in, Satan."

It suddenly felt really warm, which was ridiculous because it was raining outside. You rolled up your sleeves as you asked Satan to come inside, offering him a snack from your stash which he politely declined.

"It will only take a while. I just wanted to say something to you."

You were smiling from the outside, but you were screaming your lungs out on the inside. You wondered if Satan could tell.

"You might be tired of hearing it already though."

Oh, he could. Then again, if he knows, then why is he repeating what everyone else is saying to you? Isn't he supposed to be the mom friend? Can't he see this is already stressing you out?

"A bit…I'm tired of telling everyone we're fine. If Mammon wants to act like that, then just leave him be. He's trying his best to change, so why is everyone concerned about that?" Really. Someone tell you. When you ask, they just look at you with pity, as if the answer was right in front of you all along. Satan reacted the same way as you threw in your usual rhetoric, growing contemplative.

"It's something you should realise for yourself. It's not in my place to say it."

"If it's something I should already know, then why can't I already know? This is ridiculous, Satan. What are we doing wrong? We're happy, so why is everyone treating it like it's a problem?"

You regretted your own words immediately. You saw something new in his eyes. Anger. New as it was never directed at you like this. Though only for a few moments, it was enough to stun you into silence. Fear. What have you done to make him snap? Are you the villain in all of this? Why?

"He's been cursed for a while. Didn't you notice?" He spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Or have you enjoyed playing house with him so much  to spare any thought for his feelings?"

"Excuse me?!" you cried. "Cursed? Mammon? I already asked him if he's okay and he said he is! He's been improving lately! He even paid Levi back and never got into trouble anymore! So what if it's a curse? Isn't this what you all wanted?"

Crash! went the empty vase on your desk as you backed away from Satan who had cornered you. He was holding his anger, you could tell; he didn't want to hurt you. Still, you felt fear as you locked eyes into each other, seeing his cruel emerald eyes sucking you to its pent-up anger within.

"I lifted it this morning. Do you know what he said to me?"

Your lips quivered in reply, feeling a film of cold sweat on your body at his every word.

"He said, turn me back."

What?

"Concerned now, are we?" he said mockingly. "If your so-called farce of a relationship with him is happy , then why would he go so far as to ask the witches to turn him into a different person? Tell me, won't you?

.

.

.

.

.

Who do you really love?"

No. He's wrong! You love Mammon! You're happy together! He told you he loved you and you said the same! Heck, you were all over each other this afternoon!

You heard a sound come out of you. Your eyes stung from the realisation that you had been gasping for air. You smelled Satan's cologne burying your nostrils, his arms warm and gentle as he soothed your back. What was he saying? Why couldn't you hear him?

Love. Love.

What was wrong with your love? Didn't you love Mammon? Your wonderful Mammon who was more than what he seems? His gentleness and unexpected shyness, his hidden eloquence, the gracefulness of his movements, his small yet loving warm smiles directed only at you..

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Is that really Mammon?

You knew you loved him at some point. Did getting to know him…disappoint you? Is that why you pretended there was still love in your heart? No! You love him, you still love him! Your Mammon. Your one and only Mammon. So…why didn't you notice he was hurting? Why were you pushing him to change when he didn't want to? You asked Satan's question back at yourself over and over, while the real one kept calling your name to try and calm you down. You wondered how you slept that night, or if you slept at all. You wondered how many hours had passed since you learned of the truth. How many knocks there were at your door, how much you stared at your uninteresting wall, hoping for something to happen there that would make you...feel something again. You wondered how much of a monster you've become, placing your unrealistic ideals at someone who genuinely loved you. You wondered how much he had been hurting since then. You wondered if you even had the right to say sorry to him for being a grade A bitch. For hurting him, for being an oblivious prick that fell in love with a stupid letter, and not the actual person who wrote it.

And that's what you're only good at. Wondering. Dreaming. Hoping.

…is there any way to fix this?

Why are the two of you circling at each other and not talking,ACTUALLY talking at all?

That's when you started to notice.

There was stiffness in his gestures now; awkward, lacking its usual class--Satan was right. You're tired of closing your eyes at what was glaringly obvious.

"Mammon?" you decided to finally tell him everything the moment when you two were finally alone and you have gathered your bearings.

You need to tell him the truth. You don't even care about being forgiven. You just didn't want to hurt him anymore. Not if all of what he had been doing was out of desperation. Not if he was losing himself in the process. Your heart ached when he directed a smile at you. It was funny that just a day ago, that same smile caused your heart to race, making you feel butterflies all over. Now? You just felt disgusted with yourself. Sick to your stomach. Repulsed. You're a horrible person , you heard a voice say in your head. No, you don't deserve him at all. It added, not even giving you a chance to retort.

"I think we need to talk."

"Oh? Is it about the festival? Did you decide to wear something special after all?"

Oh god. That innocent smile. You hated the thought of it disappearing for good. Then again, you already hurt him, so why don't you hurt him even further?

.

.

.

"Are you alright? You're sweating bullets."

He asked you in concern as you got lost in your thoughts. His warm hand touched your cheek and you couldn't help but hold it so it wouldn't let go.

"No," you began, plucking out all of your courage to look up at him. "We're not okay, aren't we?"

His face paled. "W-what do you mean?"

Something was holding you back from saying your next words. It felt like something was blocking your mouth from saying anything further. Something hurt in your chest as hesitation slowly consumed you, leaving your concerned lover's queries only in painful silence. You tried to swallow it back, hoping that it would go away, but it only continued to spread further, casting dark shadows around your heart.

Should you really hurt him further? After all that you've done?

"I'm sorry, Mammon. This is all my fault, isn't it?"

Ah, his smile was gone , and you were only left with Mammon clinging to you tightly. His voice trembled as he spoke his next words.

"I can change. I will. I'll go back to normal. Is that what you want?"

Normal ? You wanted to cry. So even he was deluded as well, poisoned with the twisted love you had for each other. If you're already the villain in this story, then why not act more villanous? Why just stop there?

"No, I don't want that Mammon. It's unfair. Maybe we should---"

"No! I ain't letting ya!"

You couldn't breathe.

"Mammon,"you began again."You're miserable. This relationship isn't healthy for you. For us."

"No! I didn't hear anything!" he clung to you tighter, shaking his head over and over. "It's okay! I didn't hear ya. We're good. I'm fine. We're happy, aren't we?"

"No we're not. Your brothers are worried about you. About us. Why cling to a love that isn't even yours?"

Your ears rang with his screams. Raw, guttural and painful--screams that eventually turned into sobs. His nails dug into your back, as if holding onto there for his dear life while truth's cruel abyss was slowly pulling him in. You couldn't do anything for him. Kindness will only make him hope, and you've had enough of that now. Try as you to pull him away, however, he stuck to you. Cloying, desperate, hurt. And you, the villain who started it all could only look on, denying the tears that threatened to fall on your own eyes.

"It's me! It's my fault!" he said repeatedly, trembling in your arms. "I lied to you! I kept it a secret from you! I'm sorry! Don't leave me!"

"Calm down, Mammon. Ple--"

"I DIDN'T WRITE YOUR DAMN LETTER!" he shouted, his breaths heavy at every syllable spoken. "The one I wrote was sent to the wrong locker!"

You couldn't believe your ears. More than that…

You hated how hope bloomed in your heart.

>continue to next scenario

[starberry-cupcake]

I probably shouldn’t write this here because last time I complained about some of these books I got anons about it, but ultimately it’s my blog so I’m doing it anyway. 

Yesterday, I was watching a video in which the vlogger asked for book recommendations. Most people recommended Grisha and Lunar Chronicles, as well as Sarah J Maas and Fire and Thorns. I am aware, because I live and study and work in an environment that concerns literature and ya, that these are some of the popular ya books/authors now. Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J Maas are everywhere at the moment. And everyone seems to love these things. 

I have so many issues with all those book series. So many. And they all seem like the same story with some variations to me. TLC is the only one I’ve read complete, which doesn’t mean I don’t have a million issues with it, just that at least it reads fast and has some stuff that is worth my while. The rest, no. I’m attempting Grisha still and I swear I feel actually sad that people thought I would enjoy this series, and it’s not just the fact that it has 3 fatphobic remarks on the first chapter alone, it’s all of it. On that note, I also feel uneasy that people thought Fire and Thorns was a book series to recommend when I asked for plus size protags, given how her eating habits are so present in the writing, she puts down weight in book 1 and she describes herself as a pig at one point, if I’m not mistaken, among other things. 

I used to read ya a lot. And even if sometimes I found stuff I didn’t like or couldn’t stand (or I downright jumped ship from because authors were terrible people doing terrible things and fandoms were incredibly toxic, like Shadowhunters), there were things I liked in there. And things I loved. 

Now, I feel every single time I get a book recommendation when I ask for it, I get something like: 

1) Cliche love triangle with female protag who is conventionally pretty, able bodied, cis, het, white and thin, with 2 boys, a childhood friend named something conventionally manly and who does “manly things”, like hunting or whatever, and a more goth-y dude with a name that’s probably a literature reference or something vampy sounding (like Dorian ffs), both probably treat her in a toxic way at some point, and she has a special power to save the world which she got out of sheer luck but she didn’t ask for this stop harassing her she can’t do this. Spoiler alert: she does the thing in the end. 

2) Something gay but where the gay relationship is a) overly sexualized and b) set upon a problematic context that stands on the basis of slavery, incest, racism, underage relationships or abuse of some kind. 

And then, in the margins of this, and most times finding them by chance or by someone with great recommendations, I find the good stuff that makes me feel not all is lost. This year, that was The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, for example, which is fucking amazing and nobody talks enough about how good it is, and also I read Aristotle and Dante, which I was late for, but still. In 2015 it was Chaos Walking, although it’s more in the verge of children lit and ya. In 2014, it was Leviathan (also thanks to Emily). And I don’t see people talking about these books as much as the others.  

What I mean to say about this isn’t that I’m all hipster and I don’t like what most people do and I like what nobody reads, on the contrary, I wish those books I liked were as popular as the other ones. I’m just trying to figure out if somewhere along the way I changed, my priorities for what media offered me changed, if I just grew too old for these kinds of books, or if the audience isn’t asking for anything new and latches on to the known and predictable, leaving more interesting and out of the box stuff to disappear into oblivion. Because maybe it is me, but, as a content creator, I should try to figure out what’s going on here with all this and why I feel like this, why this is happening and what kind of content I want to create and which one is accepted by audiences. And here’s where what happened with Great Comet proves important, but that’s another thing for another post.

And I also wonder why there aren’t books with the subjects of ya, like fantasy and science fiction, centered on female characters and/or written by female authors, but for older audiences. I wonder why it is that when men like Martin or Gaiman write series or books with these subjects, they’re seen as books for an adult audience, no matter the subject, even if younger audiences can like them too, but when women like Liliana Bodoc or Laura Gallego García, for example, do the same, their series are seen like ya, no matter what the content is. A Song of Ice and Fire is decidedly an adult book series on the vain of LOTR, but La Saga de los Confines or Memorias de Idhún are seen as ya fantasy most often than not, even if they’re somewhat on the same vein. 

It’s like everything that seems feminine or has a feminine vibe is automatically ya and if it’s not in the cliche of self-indulgence and wish-fulfillment, then it’s not sellable ya for publishers. I don’t know, I’m just trying to figure stuff out so that I can walk my way through content creating knowing where I’m stepping into. And these are things that puzzle me at the moment.  

And, for the sake of this post, I’m not even gonna get in how the fanfic authors that get published and massively popular are most often the ones I wouldn’t want people to know of, that’s also for another post.

[teamdoubleoh]

Masterlist of Already Posted Fics

Since commenting earns points and not everyone has read everybodies already posted fics, here is a list beneath the cut of those posted before the Fest begins. That way we have an easy way to pick/go to our team mates fics and comment or rec to our hearts contents

Organized by writer

List of Writers:

amottledrose (thebookworm214), beaubete, brookebond, Castillon02, Gwyllion, hippoprima, Iambid (Flantastic), IAmVengeance (Venstar),  JaimiStoryTeller, opalescentgold, sunaddicted, timetospy

amottledrose (thebookworm214)

Been Waiting My Whole Life (For Someone Like You) - Q takes independent IT contracts and James works as a security guard. All Q wants to do is start over in London after time working abroad, but he never could have imagined he would meet a blond, ex-Navy officer with a sense of humor and a ridiculously cute pet lizard.

Snapshots - James Bond and Q- perfect for each other even if they don't always know it.

00Q Jukebox - Music inspires many to write, and that's what it's done here. Each chapter will be the title of a song that in some way influences the content of the chapter. The story will be a series of short stories and one-shots featuring everyone's favorite Quartermaster/Agent. Some might be AUs, some might be angsty, others will be so high on crack/humor that hopefully you cry from laughing. All of them are inspired by the songs that give each chapter its name.

Unplanned - A glimpse into Q's mind, someone who never planned on ever loving anyone.

Double-Oh Doctor - It's dangerous to work in R and D, especially when things catch on fire.

Be The One You Bleed - Set back in Medieval England, James Bond takes the throne after his parents die, but there's more danger in his court than even he suspects. During the celebration of his coronation, a young traveler arrives: a strange man with pale skin named Q...

We Fell - An RP about Q, the angel tasked with guarding MI6, and Bond, the spy who loves him.

What's Said in the Silences - James and Alec are ex SAS who now work at a bakery in Oxford. Bond is struggling to adjust to civilian life after a career ending injury retired him from duty. Little does he know that he will soon meet a young bookshop owner, the enigmatic and curious Q.

Smile - His favorite memory of Q

Holiday Memory - It's James and Q's first real Christmas together since they began dating, and the agent is slowly remembering something that he'd forgotten a long time ago, buried under loss and pain.

Strangers on a Train - Two strangers meet on a train. Sometimes it's just as simple as that.

Happy Holidays - Q is feeling a bit like the grinch with all the holiday cheer, but James can fix that.

You Are Beautiful - After years of being together through missions and strife, James and Q are finally getting married! The big day is not without its struggles, particularly since both men are nervous about the actual event.

The Way of the Glamping - Q surprises Bond in Japan. Bond surprises Q in return.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane - James returns from a mission gone wrong and discovers something about Q.

In sickness and in health - In light of recent events here in the US, we decided that we needed a fic of James taking care of a sick Q. And that turned into all sorts of fluff :)

Kitten Q comes out to play - BDSM pet play James/Q/Alec

Pop Goes the Weasel - Memorials for fallen agents are typically somber affairs. Then James Bond gets up to speak.

Hand Talk - What better way to welcome James home than with unexpected sex?

My Fault - It was never going to be. It never could be.

Unrequited - Q knows falling in love with James Bond won't be good, but it doesn't stop him trying.

Longing - It's hard when you've been left behind. It's even harder when you blame yourself.

Second Chance - Dreams

My Skin the Colour of your Eyes - Eve sets up James and Q, not knowing about their soul mate marks.

A Kiss and a Good Scotch - James has to rescue the Quartermaster after he's kidnapped. But there's more to him than what appears on the surface.

The Hacker and the Hit Men - (I Am) Q is an up and coming hacker (and a Submissive), living next to married Doms James and Alec. When Q stumbles on something he shouldn't have seen, he has to go to his neighbors for protecti

Caring Goes Both Ways - (I Am) Set after "The Hacker and the Hit Men" Q wants to help James and Alec with their work, and he learns quickly that his Doms have a penchant for getting intro trouble.

Migraine (Prequel) - (Retirement Bliss?) Q sometimes suffer migraines from his long hours in front of his screens. He usually pushes through them. Set before the main events of the rest of the series.

The Tummy - (Retirement Bliss?) James and Q are retired now, and James is feeling self conscious.

Lazy Afternoons - (Retirement Bliss?) Cuddling on the sofa is a nearly daily activity now.

Mad Scientist - (Retirement Bliss?) Q likes to tinker...

Bail - (Retirement Bliss?) Just because they've left MI6 doesn't mean they've left the memories behind.

Gardening - (Retirement Bliss?) Everyone has to have a hobby.

Kitten - (Retirement Bliss?) Turing is getting older, so he needs a companion.

Chores - (Retirement Bliss?) Arguing over chores and picking up

Dancing - (Retirement Bliss?) Q discovers a secret James has been hiding for quite a while.

Touch - (Retirement Bliss?) Timetospy's headcanon of how James and Q comfort each other. It looks like a hug but it means so much more.

Strays - (Retirement Bliss?) James is something of an animal whisperer. Q thinks it's hilarious.

Watch Over Me - (Retirement Bliss?) All this time and James still can't properly believe that Q is really his.

Contemplation - (Retirement Bliss?) ames isn't he only one contemplating old age. Q does too.

Constellations - (Retirement Bliss?) James loves stargazing, but Q is easily distracted.

beaubete 

The Witches of MI6 - An old spell made in a youthful temper, an old sea witch managing in a new era, alone and broken. Old and new clash together within MI6.

Skuld - Dread is knowing a man will hold your heart in his palm before you meet him. 

Within Me - “I need it.” / Here, Q could play coy. He could pretend not to know what Bond means. He could be cruel, could mock Bond his obvious weakness. Instead he hums thoughtfully, considering. “Yes,” Q agrees. “You do."

2016 LDWS fics! - (ficlets and drabbles ) A collection of six drabbles from the 00Q Last Drabble Writer Standing 2016.1 - genre: canon; theme: game; 100 words / 2 - prompt: "bet you didn't expect this"; 200-250 words / 3 - genre: AU; prompt: trope role reversal; 300 words / 4 - prompt: fantasy; 150 words / 5 - genre: historical AU; prompt: trouble; 250 words / 6 - prompt: trust; 300 words

Prompts and Bites  - (ficlets and drabbles )  A collection of all of the prompt fic and fic bites that are too short to be on their own but long enough to archive.

In the Shadow of the Forest - (Here, There be Dragons) - Written for the 00Q Reverse Bang 2015/2016! / Sent to the edge of the world to look for dragons no one believes in, Sir Bond finds something.

A Year And A Day - (Here, There be Dragons) - Bond has lived with his dragon for a year now. A long, chaste year.

In Memoria Res - Memory is a tricky business. / After Franz's machine, the cup of Bond's mind becomes a sieve.

Only Style - Q takes the job because it's a ridiculous fluff job with an even more ridiculous salary. Things only get more bizarre from there. 

Hands-On Approach - What if the scene in the ski lift had gone differently?Spoiler-tastic, obviously. [Noncon Warning] 

[...and tons of other stories, because beaubete has 77 posted Bond fics! -Cas ] 

brookebond

Control - What else was he meant to do when he got caught? {DARK FIC}

Exposure - Bond is a photographer. Q is a model. What more do you need to know? (There is lace involved.)

Tangled Hearts - Nothing's ever easy when you work an almost 24/7 job, have a department to run, a boyfriend, and a cat to feed. Then there's the ever unruly 007.

No Accounting for Taste - Even though soulmates were common, James had been content without knowing who his was. He was happily married to Anne, the loveliest person he had ever encountered. She put up with all his bullshit and they were expecting a child. Things don't always go to plan though, and when complications arise during birth, James may just end up on his own after all.

Say yes? - (Diamonds are Forever) It’s Christmas Day, Q’s favourite day of the year, and Bond is nervous as fuck. He wakes Q up at 6am and Q is drowsy, half asleep when Bond starts asking questions.

Mr & Mr Bond - (Diamonds are Forever) Q and James get married.

Free to a Good Home - (Diamonds are Forever) Q has had enough of Bond's shit and puts flyers up in Q-Branch.

Another One Bites the Dust - (Diamonds are Forever) Bond has lost something rather important.

Castillon02

If I Had a Functional Pancreas I Could Love You - Q fears that revealing his diabetes will make Bond think less of him. Bond surprises him. (Fluffy just-established relationship fic.)

Pre-flight Jitters - Q experiences some flying anxiety and Bond offers him a (chemical) solution. Fluffy ficlet.

Wild Nights Should Be Our Luxury - Q decides that he and Bond should start having sex. Bond avoids choking to death on cannelloni

Luminous Beings Are We - In an effort to persuade Q to accept him and his feelings, Bond learns the way of the nerd and creates a special Halloween cosplay.

No Cock Tuesdays - Bond, Q, and Madeleine are snowed in and anticipating some hot OT3 sex. Only one problem: Bond’s cock is not cooperating.

And I laid me down with a will - Bond knows where he wants Q to be when the world ends. He finds him at Q Branch instead. (Written for the h/c prompt "World Explosion.")

Rubbish Flirts - Bond and Q’s first sexy weekend together ends with a bit of practical domesticity.

Post-coital Breakfast - Bond convinces Q that he had only the purest of motives when he snuck downstairs to make French toast on the morning after.

Tanner's Mission - Tanner goes on a mission to thwart his arms-dealing doppelgänger. Bond goes undercover and tries out a new form of transportation.

In the Office - Q makes a mess of Mallory in his own office; Mallory enjoys the hell out of it.

A Case of Good Etiquette  - Having recently moved into Q's house, Bond returns from a mission to find that his first welcome home has gone a wee bit awry.

Waiting for Spectre - Fills for MI6 Cafe prompts on Tumblr, written pre- and post-Spectre. Chapter eleven: Felix helps Bond on a mission; Bond wins a bet. James/Felix ficlet

It is not the wine that makes us drunk - Bond, Moneypenny, and Tanner take Q out for drinks to celebrate the end of a very long day. Fluff ensues, including Q's glasses getting passed around like a party favor and Bond having an honorable intention.

Q Branch Professionalism - Q finds his staff acting inappropriately.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear - One of Bond's targets tries to hide in the wilderness.

The Trick is Slick Code - Bond decides to woo Q in a way that Q will surely understand--with technology! Meanwhile, Q strongly suspects that Bond just wants a new Aston or something

First Cat to Feed - (Cats to Feed) The story of how Q, with a little help from Bond, acquires a cat after Skyfall. 

Worth Killing - (Bond Women Loving Women) Camille finds out that Mr. Greene’s boss has a daughter working with Medecins Sans Frontieres in Bolivia. She pays Doctor Swann a visit, hoping to find leverage and discovering something else.

For Want of a Moneypenny - (Bond Women Loving Women) Moneypenny changes the course of events on Silva’s island. Séverine lives.

Sparks in Six Saloon - (Bond Women Loving Women) Moneypenny helps out a woman who’s gotten on the wrong side of Mr. Greene. Old West AU.

Due Donne a Roma - (Bond Women Loving Women) MI6 and Lucia Sciarra both need the Spectre goons in Rome to go away. They work out a deal that involves Moneypenny.

Acceptable Loss - (Bond Women Loving Women) Field agent recruit Moneypenny starts dating Fields and learns a hard lesson.

A Conversation in Heaven - (Bond Women Loving Women) In the afterlife, Vesper asks Severine an important question.

Motivation - (Bond Women Loving Women) Yusef’s captors instruct Vesper to make a drop in Bolivia. Camille gets curious about why someone from the British treasury would walk into a known criminal hang-out.

Table for Two - (Bond Women Loving Women) The Treasury sends Vesper to Macau; the people who hold Vesper’s leash send her to meet Séverine.

A Question of Commitment - (Bond Women Loving Women) Back before Ms. Dowar had been an MP, she’d asked M to call her “Claire.”

Gwyllion

Five O'clock in the Morning - Written for the 2017 00Q Last Drabble Writer Standing.

Hello Weekend - Written for the 2017 00Q Last Drabble Writer Standing. Prompt: Transform, genre-fluff, Fibonacci number sentence per paragraph construction.

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire - Written for the 2017 00Q Last Drabble Writer Standing. Prompt: AU “I must be dreaming.”

Sputter - Written for the 2017 00Q Last Drabble Writer Standing. Prompt: Bright.

Nothing Gold Can Stay - Eve goes on holiday alone and picks out the perfect Secret Santa gift for Q. 

2020 - Written for the 2016 007 fest Last Drabble Writer Standing. Prompt: Dare hurt/comfort

My Little Finger - Written for the 2016 007 fest Last Drabble Writer Standing. Prompt: Dialogue only 

My Heart Will Go On - Written for the 2016 007 fest Last Drabble Writer Standing. / Prompt: Fusion “I expect you to die.”

Big Spoon - Written for the 2016 007 fest Last Drabble Writer Standing.

Prompt: wager. First word beginning with "M." Second word beginning with "I." Last word must be "six."

Blackbird - James Bond didn’t need anything or anyone. He had already lost the war that circumstance had waged against him. When his affection for Q flared, he got the love he never had, and the home he never knew he was missing. 

Baby - Written for alby mangroves’ Lip Service – the Panfandom Commentfest.

hippoprima

Give and Take - Q wants and gives all that he could (exploding tech, hidden feelings, secret fears). Then he realized he should just take instead because Bond was more than happy to give.

A Bit of Supernatural in Your Life - Daemons are supernatural manifestations to meet human desires and expectations and MI6 decides to summon a couple of them to join its employment roster, such as one for protection, one to replace a lost Quartermaster. Bond's inextricably stuck dealing with them for better or for worse because that's how his luck is.

Iambid (Flantastic)

Le Beau Garçon - Bond comes home from a mission to Q.

Oh, Won't You Be My Valentine? - Q has a crush and asks Bond to help him out.

Completely Plastered - After a mission in Bruges goes horribly wrong, Bond finds himself confined to Medical. / In which Bond is a bloody awful patient, Eve is a crafty cow, Tanner is oblivious and Q has some wonderful ideas about how to relieve a 00's boredom.

Never Fearful - In a post-apocalyptic world where technology is a thing of the past and magic runs riot; James Bond, a warrior cleric of the Palace of Vauxhall, is the ultimate fighter.  / Will his bone-deep hatred of magic prevent him from protecting House Emisyx’s last, best hope for peace? And what is the deal with the kid with the goggles anyway?

Beholder - Bond's own concept of beauty.

One More Bruise - It’s been eleven hours since M changed the status of field agent 007, Commander James Bond, from ‘Active’ to ‘Missing in Action’.

Silence Is Golden - James Bond is a porn star who's been in the business for years. Q is the newcomer who's been drafted in as his co-star.

La Rata - Fourteen years ago James Bond lied to the man he loves and now that lie has come back to haunt him. / As the time approaches for him to confess what he did, he thinks back to the events that led to them meeting

Blacktail - When M loses patience with the way that James Bond conducts himself while out on missions she thinks she has the ideal solution. She has no idea she's about to change the agent's life forever.

All I Am - Finally falling into bed together after months of flirting, Q has a confession to make. Q seems to think his secret might scare Bond away. Bond thinks all his Christmases have come at once.

The Birthday Girl - When Eve Moneypenny’s birthday celebrations go wrong there's one man she can rely on to make everything better - her friend, Bill Tanner.

Breathe With Me - When James Bond goes back to MI6 following his disastrous relationship with Dr Madeleine Swann, Q wants nothing to do with him. / Then there's an accident in Q-Branch...

Lumos - Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry holds its secrets well.  Born six months after the famous battle in which Voldemort was defeated, James Bond is just weeks away from leaving the school when he stumbles across an unusual portrait of a young man.  Who was the mysterious ‘Q’ and why does James get the feeling that the painting is in terrible danger?

The Valentine Dinner - Bill's determined to make Eve a lovely dinner for Valentine's day. Unfortunately things don't go exactly as planned...

The Glastonbury Sprite and the London Spy - A chance encounter at the Glastonbury Festival leads to a passionate relationship between James Bond and Thomas “Q” Holt. / When James's true identity is suddenly revealed and it abruptly ends their relationship, James realises that he is in love and he will do everything he can to try to prove it to Q. Even if that means digging into his twin brother’s past.

Kissing It All Better - James visits a poorly Q.

2017 Last Drabble Writer Standing - A little collection of drabbles which I wrote for this year's competition over on MI6-Cafe's page on tumblr.

This Is Our Beginning, Coming To An End - (Devotion) Following the aviation accident which killed his family, Q uses a wheelchair. Fiercely independent, this is the story of how he fell in love and the three times he allowed James Bond to carry him.

I'm Right Where I Belong - (Devotion) After four years together, Q and James are as happy as they have ever been. This is never more evident than on a rare day off spent together. Although the dark repercussions of their employment are never far away, even the quietest day can be filled with surprises.

Dress Up In Dreams - (Devotion) James and Q's lives are turned upside-down when a kidnap plot sees them both taken, hundreds of miles apart. For Q it's a battle of wits and survival. For James, it's as much a fight against his own demons as the people who take him. [rape/non-con]

The Evening Shift - (Devotion) James Bond, from three different perspectives.

All Of Our Ghosts And Secrets - (Devotion) Following on from the events of Dress Up In Dreams, James and Q's relationship is struggling but a terrible injury turns out to be a blessing in disguise as they are thrust into a series of life or death events.

Grabbed By The Ghoulies - (Halloween Fun) Q takes dressing up for Hallowe'en far too seriously...

That's Just Wizard - (Halloween Fun0.) Just what did happen in that deserted office?

The Assumption - (The Surprises) Unbonded Alpha James Bond would lead a pretty solitary life if it wasn't for his Beta friend Q. They get on well and Q always knows the best restaurants. However James soon learns that Q is full of surprises...

The Homecoming - (The Surprises) What was supposed to be a straightforward covert op for the alpha James Bond turned into an extended, deep undercover mission.  Almost six months after leaving England he returns to London and the omega he was forced to leave behind; his beloved Q. / He thinks he’ll surprise Q by turning up unannounced in the middle of the night. As it turns out, Q has a much bigger surprise waiting for him...

The Arrival - (The Surprises)  It’s been a hectic time for alpha James Bond since returning home and finding out that his omega Q is expecting twins.  On leave from field work, James has spent his days trying to make up for lost time by being as close to his mate as possible and learning all he can about the intricacies of giving birth.  Unfortunately all his training hasn’t quite prepared him for things not going quite according to plan…

The Nanny - (The Surprises)  Three gorgeous pups and James and Q are still surprising each other.

IAmVengeance (Venstar)

The Subterranean God of MI-6  - The mind of a God is never still, even when it’s forgotten what it once was… Q flickered between himself and Hades on the way home, the riders in his train giving him wary looks and space, something about him now unsettled them. The kindly grandparents pulled their purses and coats close around them. The large youths pushed their earphones further into their ears, trying to lose themselves in the sound of their music. Small children peeped shyly out at him from over their parents shoulders. Those same parents would glance back and then quickly pull their children down to face away. Q kept his head down as he exited the tube station and made his way to the entrance to his building, bypassing the elevator and running up the stairs, where he finally stumbled through his doorway.

Getting A Word In - Some days, Q is so busy that James feels like he just can’t get a word in. Maybe it’s just the right word in or maybe it’s the right place.

Just Checking - You can’t have it both ways, much less three. I’m either a Wizard, or I’m...

Ping! - Old people and technology. Somehow 007 had accidentally group texted him and 006. There’s an attachment included and being curious in his little soul, Q opened it...

Inhale, Exhale - It was supposed to be routine, simple bodyguard duty for the Quartermaster of MI-6...instead it ended in a series of mistakes.

A Price -Death came to me on sock footed feet, stepping softly and silently across the hall floor, for it seems that Death didn’t care to wear shoes. For the MI6-cafe challenge for October.

Just Dance - Q walks in on some agents, absolutely killing it at Just Dance 4.

Banner Graphic for rivermoon1970 - IT'S A BANNER. THAT'S MY SUMMARY. YO. HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!

Good King James - A short re-telling of one of my oddly favorite Christmas carols, Good King Wenceslas.

The Boffin and The Badass - a rewrite of a holiday favorite, The Holly and The Ivy. Sing along! inspired by Rigel99's pics titled "The Boffin and the Badass"

The Greatest Responsibility is to Hide the Truth... Because Superpowers Suck. - Sometimes the greatest responsibility is to hide the truth from the ones you think you know. Other times, the greatest responsibility you can have, is saving each other’s asses. Bond has a secret that he doesn’t want anyone to know, it’s what fuels his “resurrection” hobby. Okay Alec knows, but they’re besties, he was bound to find out! Q is suddenly hit with a secret that he doesn’t want anyone to know, except for his cats and Rufus the roomba, or else he could be stuck in a lab forever and not as it’s Supreme Overlord! A failed kidnap reveals what the urban hero and the supreme lab rat have in common. They must get their shit together and work as a team, for the greater good and a bit of kissing.

Memoirs of a Quartermaster - You can wish for a different beginning for your ending, but sometimes you’re not allowed that luxury. In Japan, a pair of siblings are sold by their fisherman father. One to a geisha house (okiya) and the other one, to a brothel. Along the years of training and failure, one sibling escapes from the brothel where they lived and the other is left alone, becoming indebted to their okiya. However, years later, he earns the opportunity to become a taikomoshi apprentice, with the help and support of a successful ally. While still a young man, he falls in love with The Commander, at a chance meeting. Years pass before they meet each other again...

Growing Up - Now, it wasn’t that James couldn’t remember how he passed most of his youth, it’s just that it wasn’t very pleasant. So he chose to forget, like we all do.

There's Always Cats - It used to be a lonely walk, but with the discovery of two little fluff balls, Q's valentine's day might not be spent alone.

Demons by Candlelight - if you summon it, it will come.

The Bond Letters - Q has a whole notebook filled, with private writings, all about James. James was unaware of this, until he stumbles across a small, ratty, tatty notebook that was so at odds with the pristine and crisp Quartermaster. James was never supposed to ever find it or be aware of how Q really felt, but spy is always a spy. Now James can't help but wonder what it would be like to actually be on the receiving end of something so powerful outside of the journal writings.

Summer Bucket List - bond has a list. a list of things to do that will be done. he also has a reluctant quartermaster

1000 Paper Things - there's an old Japanese legend that if you make 1000 paper cranes, you get a wish. for james, well, he only has 999 paper things. not sure if it counts but q seems to think so.

The Witches of MI6 - An old spell made in a youthful temper, an old sea witch managing in a new era, alone and broken. Old and new clash together within MI6

The Origin of R -There comes a time, when your past catches up to your future. For Adam, the future Quartermaster (although he totally doesn't know this, sssh don't tell him), this is how his meager beginnings at MI6 collided with R’s rebellious nature, and how she came to be. Desperate to escape a situation of her own making, R turns to an old hacker mate and drags him through his own worst case scenario of past meeting present...they adopt a trusty 00 agent along the way, or perhaps, he adopted them.

Mission to Invite - (Mission Transcripts) It was just supposed to be the weekly read through, followed by Tanner summarizing the bullet points to M. Unfortunately, Mallory had requested unedited copies of the most recent missions, regardless as to if they were complete. 007 and 006’s joint mission had been part of that call for transcripts.

Mission to Date - (Mission Transcripts) Another transcript review by Tanner and another job of reminding a couple of agents that the Quartermaster of MI-6 is NOT a customer service agent or a call...center...girl.

Mission to Play - (Mission Transcripts) The minions need reminding that the deadly agents are not playthings, especially the Double ohs. Alec continues to try and be helpful.

Mission to Sell - (Mission Transcripts) Q’s eyes closed and he listened to the two agents as they left the safety of the hotel room for the unknown risk of the auction. To sell, perchance to buy - ay, there’s that rub. For in that sell of death, what dreams may come? Q twisted the lines of Hamlet for his own purpose. Slowly he began to work at his bindings.

Mission to Steal - (Mission Transcripts) The minions looked around the room, there were very few of them left in the branch. There were a few other double-oh’s in the field presently, but 006 and 007's mission was the only active mission that was currently going tits up, with one of the most important and heavily guarded assets in dire straits. They looked to R and she began to give orders.

Smile - (2017 DRABBLES FOR LDWS) post-SPECTRE

The Trap - (2017 DRABBLES FOR LDWS) Demons keep the wings of angels that they kill as a prize.

Transformation - (2017 DRABBLES FOR LDWS) MI6’s ruler Queen M, sent Q, his protectors, his feline advisors and Q's true love James Bond into the future to be reborn through the power of the LEGENDARY QUANTUM OF SOLACE. Q and James can transform into the SPECIAL GUARDIANS OF MI6. They fight for love and justice, and in the name of MI6, they’ll punish you. (DON’T LOOK AT ME LOOK AWAY!!!)

When the Sky Fell - (2017 DRABBLES FOR LDWS) That which we are, we are; made weak by time and fate, but strong in will. When he is gone, I work my work, but he is still mine.

JaimiStoryTeller

Seducing Q - Bond comes to a realization that he wants his quartermaster for more than just a night and sets out to win him over.

After Seduction - Originally called Teasing, changed the title when I decided to add other drabbles to this

Stillness in Silence - (Bonds of Friendship) Doctor John Watson runs a rather unique practice, its entire purpose is to help those who are deaf or mute, either by birth, illness or trauma. Sherlock is brought to his practice by his concerned older brother after he spends months refusing to speak. Things do not go as planned or expected for any of them. 

“It’s for me.” 1 -  (Bonds of Friendship) Prompt: Somebody says “it’s for me” - whether a question, statement, or demand. Have fun! 

Flash Fics Set 1: 2- (Bonds of Friendship) Prompt: You get into your car one morning only to have your GPS inform you that it forgot all directions and needs your help remembering them.

Phrases Said 16 -  (Bonds of Friendship) Prompt “Have you lost your damn mind!?”

Phrases Said 19 - (Bonds of Friendship) Prompt: “I need you to pretend we’re dating…”

Bad Advice - (Bonds of Friendship) Q is in need of some advice and decides to ask his best friend for it.

Christmas Preparations - (Bonds of Friendship)  Jasper and Jim set up the flat for Jasper's first Christmas with his partners.

Different Paths - (Paths Taken) Soulmates Alec Trevelyan and James Bond find themselves at odds when Alec is given a mission that he assumes that James knows about. But they’ve both been betrayed. James’ briefing isn’t the same as Alec's. Alec’s life undercover is hard, and becomes harder once he learns his soulmate has been killed. Feelings of guilt and anger cause him to fight back against MI6 for his loss. When James turns up unexpectedly, he is shocked to find his soulmate is still alive - a soulmate who attempts to kill him and sets a chain of events into motion that he never would have expected.

Night Out - (Paths Taken) Time stamp event during Alec and Q living in Paris

Wrong Answer - (Answers Verse) Nine years is a long time to be undercover and the longer Alec's mission drags on, the harder it gets. He doesn't expect the teen he is given to actually change the course of his mission, but that's exactly what happens

Through the Ages - (Answers Verse) A series of short stories about James Bond, Alec Trevelyan, and Q over the years in the various life times. Each one is complete as is and will include which tags belong to it in the notes at the top of the story.

“It’s for me.” 5 - (Answers Verse) Prompt: Somebody says “it’s for me” - whether a question, statement, or demand. Have fun!

Deciding His Future - (Real Legends: Moments in Time) Aiden's a young adult now and its time to decide what he wants to do with his life

Interesting Person - (Real Legends: Moments in Time)  Aiden's observations lead to him meeting one of his classmates he finds interesting

Q's Gift - (Moriarty Twins) Q's twin decides to do something about his love life for their birthday, it definitely doesn't go as anyone expects.

Lost in the Echo - (Legends in the Multiverse) Alec's thoughts over the years

Diverted - (Legends in the Multiverse) What if Jon met James first instead of Alec?

Of Unicorns and Fate - A unicorn goes searching for the others of his kind, along the way he meets those who would both hurt or help him, and a most unexpected thing, he finds himself in love

Cuddles and Threats 6 - Prompt: laying in bed with each other, one whispers “I could beat the shit out of you” and the other says “I know”. Thoughts?

Around the House 19 - Prompt: Must use these words: Screwdriver. Curtains. Phone. Chair

Phrases Said 1 - Prompts: “Who crawls through someone’s window at 4 am to go for ice cream?!” and “Before you decide to murder me, let me explai n

Our Soulmates 7 Sentinel Verse 1 part 1 - Prompt: Soulmate AU

Our Soulmates 11 Sentinel Verse 1 part 2 - Prompt: Soulmate AU

opalescentgold

Sugar and Kisses - In which Q is (terrifically) bad in the kitchen, James is sweetly indulgent (with ulterior motives), and Q and James are (very much) in love.

For His Wallet - Bill doesn't know what he's done to deserve this. It's all Moneypenny's fault anyways. Christ, who has this much money?

Redamancy - If you write something on your skin, it will show up on your soulmate's skin as well. James doesn't quite fall in love over physics discussions and cheeky book quotes and coding and riddles inked onto his skin, but he comes close. And then he actually meets Q.

sunaddicted

Meow - Cats - James never was fond of them.

Tea Party For Two - "Good afternoon, Q. May I help you with your little predicament?"

Unspoken - It’s as normal as they get and they’re both fine with it: in the end, they don’t need words to profess their love.

Il Marionettista - He hadn't expected things to be the same as when he had walked out of MI6, his mind clouded by the illusion of a happily normal life and Madeleine's sweet perfume - 007 wasn't naïve: MI6 moved at a dizzyingly quick pace and those who didn't manage to keep up disappeared, promptly replaced by someone who supposedly was more competent

Shade: Blood - Q's head snapped upwards so quickly and forcefully that the protesting of his vertebrae was clearly audible and jade-green eyes burned with incredulity "What?! I don't do fieldwork"  / "This is going to be so far from fieldwork that I'm wondering whether we'll even be payed" James smirked, folding his hands behind his back so that he wouldn't give in the itching need to comfortingly pat those messy curls - somehow, he knew Q wouldn't appreciate it.

Lovers' Spat - James smiled cheekily, icy-blue eyes twinkling "Have I told you lately how adorably fluffy your hair is?

White - As James watched Q and Danny shriek like bloody children in the snow blanketing the park, courting pneumonia with childish glee, he couldn't help remembering the quote from the TV adaptation of "North and South" his lovers made him watch and think that Thornton was wrong: hell definitely wasn't snow white.

Hole In My Head - There's a hole in Q's head, where Silva used to be and that now he's trying to fill with James' presence

All About Us - “He looks delicious, doesn’t he?” Raoul smiled sweetly, his lips seductively brushing against Q’s earlobe and fingers possessively tightening onto his jutting hipbones. / [...] / “I think he needs to be gagged” Q offered quietly, leaning back in Raoul’s embrace as if to find a new position to better contemplate the way sunlight was painted over that tanned skin, stretched taught over deliciously powerful muscles.

Burning Ink - The day the youngest Quartermaster ever in the history of MI6 and the legendary 007 shook hands in front of a vaguely mocking and depressing painting by Turner, they both ignored the simmering heat burning a name on their skin. / [...] / The day a desperate young man like any other in London and an early riser jogger brushed fingers while swapping a bottle of water in the cold and humid air of a grey dawn, the surprise was so great that their paths immediately parted and left them to wander alone the city with the feeling of having let luck slip out of their hands.

Lingerie - "Wow" James couldn't prevent the three words engorged with admiration and lust from escaping his suddenly dry mouth "Wow" he praised again after uselessly and desperately gulping down nonexistent saliva: the vision offered to him truly was worthy of such honest and bare admiration.

#improper use of marshmallows - Q was bored to death, alone and sprawled on the still unmade bed, gorging himself with sickly sweet and gummy marshmallows and the tablet propped on his stomach to better watch stupidly cute cat videos

Yellow -  00QAD - Relationship

Hearts In Atlantis - "Stop frowning, mi querido, or you'll get wrinkles" Raoul ruffled Q's curls passing by, leaving a freshly baked biscuit by his elbow - a white chocolate and almonds concoction designed to uplift bad moods "You're usually not so pensive after having just woken up" he pointed out.

Bottled Happiness - "You do know that you don't need to bring me presents?" Q inquired as he caught Bond leaving a neatly wrapped package at the corner of his eyes. / 007 smirked and moved the little box in front of the boffin, who still was focused on the screen of his laptop, its light and algorithms reflected on the smudged lenses of his spectacles "I just want to show my appreciation for your hard work, Q"

Blossomed Hope - "Are you okay?" she kept asking and no, Q was not okay - very far from it. But he lied smoothly at her with a smile, not trusting his voice not to betray him if he let it out his vocal chords "You could come to dinner: James has been telling me how he misses your takeaway nights here in Q-branch"

Violet Hour - The first breath of fresh hair burned down Q's throat and he gasped, coughing and laughing with exhilaration at the same time while he spied at the horizon with half-closed eyes, the brilliance too much to stand for his pupils used to the darkness of the ocean's depths. His pale arms were thrown open up towards the sky, seafoam sliding down his wrists as if the ocean itself was having difficulties with letting its fairest child go; not that the flimsy hold would have ever been able to hold Q back, not once he managed to peel his eyelids open and the vastness of the world was forever seared in his retinas - an invisible brand of ownership.

00Q LDWS - I realised I never posted these so, here they are

Selfish Prayers - "Why do they always make them look like glorified whores?" James muttered, shivering as he remembered the late High Priest - an odious fat man that had been made leader of the Cult at the questionably venerable age of sixty-seven - thusly clothed; at least, he was thankful that the new High Priest was such a finely boned and handsome boy.

Royal Presents - Saying that James Bond wasn't a particularly big fan of Christmas would have been a pretty big understatement: he quite detested it, in fact, and tried to avoid anything to do with it - especially at work, which was the reason why he always requested to be sent out in the field, preferably in a country where Christmas wasn't celebrated.

Shattering Stars  -  James selected a piece by Rachmaninoff he knew Q was particularly fond of and tried to pretend everything was fine.

Twisted Games - "Last time Bond fucked you, the whole floor heard you" Silva tutted reproachingly, reaching over to spoon some cream into his tea. / Q merely arched an eyebrow: it wasn't as if he cared whether anyone knew about the little arrangement he had with Bond - and neither should his colleagues care, since having a sexual relationship with the agent didn't prevent him from doing his work. Anyway, it was widely known that Bond was his favourite agent: the fact that they were fucking couldn’t have changed that much people’s already malicious opinions "Jealous?" / "You don't even know where that cock has been"

Ode To The Broken - "Grow a pair, Q" 002 snarls over the comms, gritting her teeth as she scales the wall just using her pigheadedness and a huge amount of luck. / Q rolls his eyes: she could have easily used the elevator - after all, he could control it easily "Of what? Boobs?"

00qad LDWS - What it says on the tin

Feathers In My Head - (Tumblr Kink Meme) Josephine Bond. Of fucking course, Q should have bet her favourite sweater on it: the woman not only made heads turn with her natural and sensual beauty, enhanced by her colourful attires and heeled shoes, but she also conjured a nervous atmosphere with her reputation of ruthless assassin clinging to her even in the safety of MI6.

Break Time - (Tumblr Kink Meme) "I just want to know one thing" Q panted [...] "Why do we always end up having sex in my office?"

The Odd One - (Omega!Bond series) "James, you're painful to watch" / "Don't watch then" James shot back, turning on his side to have a look at his arse: he knew it looked good but instead of being plump, its cheeks were toned and firm.

One Of A Kind - (Omega!Bond series) To be honest, James had never particularly been fond of cats [...] but Q and the cats came together as a package deal and James had welcomed them all in his flat, which no more was depressingly bare.

E.T. - (Alien!Q series) "That's... a mouthful" James pointed out rather uselessly. / "You can call me Q" the other said with the poshest accent James had ever heard in his life - keeping a startled laugh from escaping his throat was quite an hard job.

Rainbow  - (Alien!Q series) James had some bad mental associations with red: it was the colour of blood - freshly spilled or already drying - and of gore; it was the colour of Vesper's sundress when she had drowned under the scalding Venetian sun of an Italian summer; it was the colour of Q's skin whenever he was hurt and in pain.

Comets - (Alien!Q series) "Will you stare at him for much longer or are you dragging him home any time soon?" Eve asked, a teasing grin appearing on her lips

Octopus - (Alien!Q series) "What is it?" He inquired [...] / "It's a lifejacket: it will keep you afloat in case you fall overboard" / "Does it come in another colour?"

timetospy

Riding in Cars with Spies - (la Vie en Rose) Riding along on a test drive with James Bond is never a good idea. /  Unless it turns out to be the best idea Q has ever had.

Slippery When Wet - (la Vie en Rose) He took the last few steps to the door, paused a moment, then burst in, assuming his firing stance and scanning the room. The refrigerator door was open, and he could see someone bent over, rummaging around in the crisper. / “Oh for the love of….” / He recognised that arse. He could pick it out of a lineup, should the need arise.

Acapulco - (la Vie en Rose) Something is missing in Bond's idyllic retirement, and he can't place what it is...

Descent - (la Vie en Rose) Q had been tiptoeing around the flat on eggshells or weeks. The tragedy was that Q was still on that beach, hundreds of kilometers away, lost along the dark shore as he tread over the remains of the battered and broken bits the ocean had seen fit to throw against the sand. It hadn’t been eggshells under Q’s feet as he tried to navigate himself back to the wreck of his happiness, a sand castle that the tide had reclaimed and broken into nothingness. No, it had never been eggshells. It had been the ever-widening drifts of the remnants of his life ground into his raw soul without mercy.

I'll Be Seeing You - (la Vie en Rose) A drink. He needed a drink. Maybe it would shake something loose from the cobwebs that were his unreliable memory.

Acapulco (Reprise) - (la Vie en Rose) Madeleine frowned. She turned and re-entered the bedroom, stopping at the dresser to retrieve her mobile. As she reached for it, a small slip of paper caught her eye. It was tucked underneath the vase filled with day old flowers, a routine she had adopted in futility to inject some kind of joy into the room that had become their battleground.

Writing on the Other Side of the Wall - (Either Side Will Do, 00Q) What happens when you drop a heavy bag through your neighbor's wall? Head wounds and dinner dates, apparently.

Writing on the Wall - (Either Side Will Do, 00Q)  What happens when you drop a desk through the wall of your flat? Q's about to find out...

Before My Eyes - “He must choose,” Death had said in the slow, raspy voice of wind through dead leaves. “And since you knew him in life, you are the one to give him this choice.” / Why me?” / “Because he loved you.”

Tease - It’s been a long day. Which isn’t an excuse for shouting, really, but Bond is leaning against Q’s desk, hands shoved into his pockets, which does things to the front placket of his trousers that Q would rather not be thinking about at the moment, but can’t seem to ignore, and his frustration is leaking out of his mouth.

Save Our Souls - The first time I save your life, it’s an accident.

007 Fest Ficlet Collection - The following ficlets are what I created during 007 Fest 2016. They were based on a prompt list I created - one quote for every day. The ficlets run the gamut from crack to angst to tooth-rotting fluff, so each one has a small content explanation in the notes. Fic rating is for only three or four of the 30 ficlets collected here. Most are T/M.

00Q Last Drabble Writer Standing Contest Entries - These are my entries for the 00Q LDWS contest held for 007 Fest in July 2016.

Cup cakes and anniversaries - Q makes cupcakes to celebrate, but James ruins his plans. Or does he?

For the Love of Peach Pie - After discharge from the Royal Navy in 1946, James finds himself adrift with no clear future. Hoping to find direction, he travels to America./ In which Q is a mechanic in a small Midwestern town, M runs a diner, and life still isn't as simple or peaceful as anyone would like.

A Face in the Dark - When Q suddenly vanishes, James tries everything to find him with no luck.