#he gave me amnesia over the fact that this was ever a subject i really liked.

[britneyshakespeare]

i’m a smart girl i got a 98% on my physical science exam

[synergysilhouette]

Remaking Fire Emblem: Awakening

I kinda did a remake with "Fates," so I thought I'd make one with Awakening. To be fair: this is all subjective. I'm not saying my choices would make the game more enjoyable for everyone or that it'd be objectively superior. And most of this is plot-related, based on my understanding (or lack thereof) of the game after playing it. I changed a lot, and I've experienced gatekeeping within the community before back in my Reddit days, so be nice with your feedback!

Fell Dragon relevancy and the reduction of villains--It's revealed in retrospect towards the end of the game that certain villains aren't what they seem. Aversa was brainwashed by Validar as a child, Walhart was actually trying to prevent Grima's revival (albeit earning everyone's ire in the process) and was being manipulated by Excellus. Along with this, Grima and Walhart aren't really villains who affect the overall story, moreso placeholders for the main event. Because of this, I'd prefer to keep the focus on Validar and the Fell Dragon Grima, without there having to be those "well, in actuality" moments (as a Kingdom Hearts fan, I'm tired of those)--though we could keep the Aversa being brainwashed subplot; in fact, I'd re-work it so after Validar kidnaps her, she's raised by him to become a friend/servant to Robin (more on that in a sec), so they're the only one who can truly break through to her. Walhart is less aggressive with his approach to destroying the Grimleal, asking for cooperation rather than trying to take over the whole continent and forcing everyone to help him (he'd be allies with Chon'sin and actually have Say'ri and Yen'fay join before later joining our ranks himself), and Gangrel is a begrudging ally to the team because it inconveniences him greatly if the world is destroyed, as it would anyone--plus he realizes his troops are planning to revolt against him and wants to make nice with the people of Ylisse in case he ever needs to abscond.

Robin's background--First off, keep in mind that "Fates" was my first game, and while it copied a lot of "Awakening" (and "Engage" would do the same), the latter will always be my second FE game, and thus I wanted to avoid some tropes. Robin being the child of Validar is kinda burying the lead, and their mother is an unseen NPC, which is a big pet peeve to me with customizable characters; I adore a backstory. Seeing how Corrin, Byleth, and Alear's backstories follow similar beats to Robin's, I'd prefer if we switched it up. I'd enjoy if, rather than going the "nice, mostly absent mom and evil dad" route the succeeding games would go, we instead make Validar a bit more grey. He is still a devout follower of Grima, but not by choice. Coming from a family of worshippers, he plans to defect with his wife and child, but when they are captured and threatened with death, Validar agrees to become a vessel to Grima. This fails and corrupts him, and he raises Robin as the next vessel, his love being twisted with a fixation and obsession with them. His wife helps Robin escape shortly before the events of the game, but she disappears shortly thereafter and is presumed dead. Robin no longer has amnesia here, but has been kept a secret from the outside world, and thus Frederick is correct in being hesitant to trust them, and Robin understands, slowly revealing their origins to Chrom and co. (the full of which is done before the end of Act I).

The confusing paradox/Lucina's Mission--If you weren't mad before, you probably will be now. I kinda found the explanation of "Grima from an alternate future came to the present, gave Robin amnesia and went back to square 1" explanation kinda confusing and convoluted. Given the fact that the future children don't return to their time period anyway, I'd rework the story so that the alternate future that they came from is destroyed, and the children are the last remnants of it. No Grima going back in time with them; he was a being of destruction that brought about his own demise, eventually. The children were simply given a new lease on life, as well as wanting to spare their past parents the heartache of it all.

Making the children from the same timeline--This would mean a lot of extra work, but I'd enjoy it if the story and support convos reflected each character's unique heritage depending on who their dominant parent married. This INCLUDES CHROM ACKNOWLEDGING HIS KIDS HAVING BRANDS. If you recall, that's a family trait, and Lucina (the daughter he has regardless of your choices) has it, and Inigo (a son he could potentially have with Olivia) also shows that he has it. Any other possible kids Chrom can have should also mention having or not having a brand, imo. Morgan's backstory also changes. Here, Morgan comes from the same timeline as the other children (which can potentially happen in the OG game, but mainly if they have a sibling to confirm this), and they maintain a bubbly attitude, albeit not as moronic/silly as in the OG game.

(Art found on Etsy)

Emmeryn and Philia survive--Since I've already reversed the (seemingly) deaths of Walhart, Aversa, and Gangrel, I wanted to focus on Emmeryn. In the game, Philia is killed while trying to save her, and she commits suicide to prevent Chrom from giving up the Fire Emblem. Emmeryn can survive in one of the paralogues, though how this is possible isn't stated, and she has amnesia that makes her somewhat child-like. In my rewrite, Philia and her knights--or at the very least, Philia--doesn't die, and manages to rescue Emmeryn, though she has been roughed up in the process (IDK if I'd still make it because of Gangrel or if it'd be from Validar; probably the latter), forcing Chrom to take the role as king.

Romance options are more flexible--This includes same-sex options for Robin. Obviously this is more of a bonus aspect rather than something that largely affects the story/gameplay, but as a gaymer, this is something I'd enjoy, as well as STILL having kids in this (Fates mentioned same-sex couples adopted, but they don't get xenologues or get to be part of the story at all). Of course, this doesn't mean we can have Robin/Chrom since there's emphasis on heirs and Chrom has a big wedding with a bridge (unless you wanna have them get married and have an offscreen surrogate, which would be neat). Concerning Chrom, I'd enjoy Miriel, Anna, Panne, Tharja, Phila, Say'ri, and Flavia being additional romance options for him (which could come with interesting consequences).

Olivia joins earlier--This is a nit-pick as a Olivia/Chrom fan (mainly because of him acknowledging Inigo more than his other extras kids), but I also enjoy having a dancer on the team earlier.

Perhaps a bit more background/attention for some characters--In games like "Fire Emblem," most of the characters' personality and background is shown in the form of their supports with other characters. This might be unachievable in the game, but I would like more inclusion of the characters who join; the ones who join earlier definitely feel like they fade to the background as the story goes on, and things like Ricken's admiration for Chrom, Tharja's obsession with Robin (cue "obsessive dad" flashbacks), and Stahl's training under Frederick are some of the things I wish the mains story would bring up here and there rather than confining it to convos.

It'd also be nice to have an open-world, exploration-style story like 3H and "Engage," but it's not a necessity; it's just a fun thing I'd enjoy. Plus actually letting us replay our convos like we're able to do in later games would be awesome.

And that's my take! I'm almost certain that I'm forgetting something, but I can always edit this later. Lemme know what you think!

[timelesslords]

prompts: could you write an in canon verse (so like gods and stuff are real) fic with amnesia? it could be post TLO or it could be one of them coming out of anesthesia and feeling wonky. i just love a good memory loss fic.

@halfbloodcarrie was instrumental in making this happen!!! Her adorable fluffy idea was completely paid dust in favor of making this angsty as hell but I blame her for me getting it done at all <3

read on AO3

Everything was dark. And everything hurt. His head especially was throbbing, but he couldn’t make out any other feeling. He could hear something; vague at first, just a ringing. But if he struggled, and he did, he could start to make out faint voices. His eyes refused to open, they wouldn’t even blink, but the noises were getting clearer by the second.

“What if he doesn’t wake up?” a worried voice asked. Something about it felt familiar, but he couldn’t even pry his eyes open, much less figure out who it belonged to.

“He’ll wake up,” a second voice said, male this time. He sounded confident, assured. At least he thought so.

“There was so much blood, I thought… gods.”

The first voice again, though this time it wavered. It sounded scared, terrified even.

“He’ll be alright, Annabeth. He’s got a thick skull.”

That made the first voice laugh, watery as it was.

“Don’t I know it.”

Some feeling was starting to return to his limbs, slowly but surely. He tried blinking again, but it felt sluggish, slow. Suddenly he realized he could feel his arms and fingers, and there was a hand in his, gripping it so tightly it was a wonder he hadn’t felt it before.

“Percy?” the female voice asked, hopeful. He groaned. His head was pounding like nothing he’d ever felt before. Actually, he wasn’t sure if that was true, because he couldn’t remember his head pounding before, ever.

Come to think of it, he couldn’t remember anything at all.

He blinked again, this time managing to pry his eyelids open a fraction of a degree. The light streaming in hurt like a bitch, and he groaned again, closing his eyes.

“Percy,” the first voice said again, more frantically, “Can you hear me?”

She seemed to be talking to him, though he wasn’t quite sure. He couldn’t remember his name, but she’d said Percy twice, so that had to be it, didn’t it?

He tried to say something to the girl, but it came out as a strangled groan of pain.

“Will,” she said, a little desperately.

“He’s maxed out, Annabeth, I’m sorry,” the other voice said.

The girl (Annabeth?) muttered something under her breath in-- was that Greek? And how did he know that? More determined than ever, Percy blinked again, this time managing to crack his eyelids open and keep them that way.

His vision was blurry, but a few more blinks and the vague shapes in front of him started to sharpen into focus.

“Percy?” the girl said again. Percy squinted, trying to focus on her.

The first thing he noticed was that she was-- well, pretty didn’t quite describe it. She was seriously beautiful. Her eyes were a dark grey color, currently wide with concern, her hair framing her face in cascades of golden curls. Her nose was small and button shaped, dotted with freckles.

Even if Percy didn’t currently feel like a small blacksmith’s forge was hammering on the inside of his skull, he was pretty sure he would’ve been rendered pretty speechless.

“Hey there, sleepyhead. You were out for a while,” she said, smiling. She did look relieved, but Percy didn’t miss the genuine worry behind her eyes either, the little waver along her lips trying to maintain an upbeat expression.

“I… what’s going on?” Percy asked. Annabeth bit her lip, looking over her shoulder. Percy glanced upwards, properly seeing the other person in the room for the first time. He was a teenager, with shaggy blonde hair a shade or two lighter than the girl’s. He was wearing a white lab coat over what looked to be an orange t-shirt and jeans, which didn’t exactly instill Percy with a lot of confidence in whatever medical care he was receiving.

Of course, the fact that he had no memory didn’t help matters.

“You sort of got hit in the head,” Annabeth said, wincing as she did.

“Really hard,” the boy added.

Percy reached up tentatively, to the place where it felt like his skull was splitting inside out. Instead of skin he felt something else, some thick sort of fabric.

“Ow,” he said, a little unhelpfully. The girl smiled again-- crap, how was she even more beautiful when she smiled?-- but it still had an edge of sadness to it.

“Yeah. Discus accident,” she said.

“Discus accident?” Percy asked, confused.

“Yeah. Those stone frisbee things, remember?” the other guy said.

“No,” Percy said, pushing himself into a sitting position. It made his head throb, but he couldn’t stand lying down anymore. “I don’t-- I don’t remember anything.”

“You mean-- you mean you don’t remember the accident,” Annabeth said, a little forcefully. Her grey eyes flashed, and Percy didn’t quite recognize the expression, but something in his gut told him it was not good.

“No, I mean I don’t remember anything,” Percy repeated, figuring it was best to get it out of the way sooner or later, “I don’t know where I am or who you are or who I am.”

The girl took one very long look at him. He didn’t know what exactly he had said in particular that had triggered something in her, but the concern fell from her face in an instant. She dropped his hand, something sharp overtaking her expression.

“You’re such an ass sometimes,” she said. Her voice was a little thick, but Percy couldn’t tell if she was crying, because in the next second she stood and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Inadvertently, Percy felt a twinge of something sad in his chest, though he couldn’t quite place why. He didn’t know Annabeth, but she clearly seemed to know him, and what he’d said had clearly set her off.

All of this was really not improving his headache, which had resumed its throbbing with reckless abandon.

“I didn’t mean to…” Percy trailed off. To what? Upset her? Make her run away? But all he’d done was tell the honest truth-- he couldn’t remember shit. The guy was giving him a look that was bordering on disgust.

“Dude, that’s really not funny,” he said. He sounded pissed, though if Percy wasn’t entirely mistaken, there was a hint of fear behind his bright blue eyes.

“I’m not trying to be funny, I literally don’t know what’s going on,” Percy said, starting to feel a little frantic. Why was everyone here acting like they knew him? And why did he not even know him? He felt nerves and something else tugging in his gut, an insistent, terrifying pull--

Without warning, the glass next to his bed shattered, spraying water and glass everywhere. Percy flinched away from the table, whirling around to look at the boy. His eyes were wide and surprised.

“What the fuck was that?” Percy asked, alarmed.

“That was… you,” the boy said, staring at Percy like he had just grown a second head, “Styx, you’re not making this up, are you?”

“How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t know what’s going on for you to believe me?” Percy said, still staring wide-eyed at the place where the cup had shattered. For his own sanity, he decided to ignore the boy’s declaration that he had caused it.

“Four, apparently,” the boy said, rubbing his forehead like he could feel a headache coming on, “Unless you want to make it five for good measure?”

“I have absolutely no memory,” Percy repeated.

“Great. This is just-- this is awesome,” the boy said, sighing heavily.

“Yeah, I’m having so much fun over here,” Percy said dryly.

“Right, sorry,” the boy said, wincing, “Your name is Percy.”

So Percy had guessed that correctly. Good to know.

“My name is Will,” the boy continued, oblivious to Percy’s thoughts, “The girl was--”

“Annabeth,” Percy finished. Will perked up, hopeful, but Percy shook his head.

“I heard you say her name,” Percy explained. Will deflated.

“Oh, right,” he said. He sounded inordinately disappointed, way more disappointed than he’d been when Percy hadn’t remembered him.

“How exactly did this happen?” Percy asked, doing his best not to rub his forehead again. Will sighed.

“Some newbies were messing around with the discuses on the strawberry fields-- which is stupidly dangerous, by the way, we have an arena for a reason-- but it went a little off course and almost hit Annabeth in the face. You shoved her out of the way but it clipped your forehead pretty good.”

Percy tried to process all that, piece by piece. He didn’t know what a newbie was, and apparently wherever this place was had strawberry fields that he and Annabeth had been in together? But the strangest thing of all was that Percy didn’t feel at all surprised that he’d gotten injured trying to get Annabeth out of the way. That piece felt strangely right to him, even if everything else was messy and confusing.

“So me and Annabeth are friends, then?” he asked. Will gave him a strange look, his face paling slightly.

“You guys… you’re close. Really close.”

Percy nodded. That made sense. He didn’t know why Will was being weird about it, but he believed him regardless.

“She was mad at me,” Percy noted. At this, Will winced.

“Yeah. Memory loss… it's kind of a sore subject for her.”

“Why?” Percy asked. Maybe it was a little invasive, but this was all stuff he was supposed to know anyway, wasn’t it?

Will sighed, rubbing his face in his hands.

“Gods, I’m so not the person to be explaining this to you,” he said, “But a few years ago you sort of… disappeared. And you lost all your memories. Except you remembered her. But it was really, really tough on her, she had no idea if you were gonna know anything or not when she found you.”

Percy blinked, trying to take all that in. He had a feeling that was the hyper-condensed version of what had gone down, but it explained the situation well enough. Annabeth hadn’t considered the fact that he genuinely wouldn’t remember her, so she’d assumed it was a bad joke. Percy wished it was a bad joke, because he would give absolutely anything to remember more about her.

“Got it,” Percy said, trying not to frown, “So how did I get my memories back last time? Can we do that again?”

Will grimaced.

“I think last time you drank gorgon’s blood, but we’re fresh out of that.”

Percy stared at him, unsure if he was joking or not. He looked serious, but Percy didn’t want to press it. Clearly last time had been a different sort of deal.

“So what do we do? I can’t go around like this forever.”

“Well, hopefully it's just temporary. Your head injury, plus the mortal pain meds we gave you, plus the nectar--”

“The what?” Percy asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Will said, a little hurriedly. “The point is, your brain is processing a lot of stuff right now. My best guess is that it overloaded a bit, and the amnesia is a side effect. If that’s the case it should go away on its own eventually.”

“And if it’s not the case?” Percy asked, dreading the answer a little. As predicted, WIll grimaced again.

“It could be from the initial injury. In which case it would be… more permanent.”

Percy’s mouth went a little dry.

“Goodie.”

“It probably isn’t,” Will said, though he didn’t sound entirely convinced.

“So what do we do?” Percy asked again.

“You could try going to sleep. It might give your brain a chance to readjust, chill out a little. Or…”

Will trailed off, clearly unwilling to finish his thought.

“Or?” Percy prompted.

“Or we could try to jog your memory with stuff you might remember,” Will finished. Percy didn’t understand why this option seemed to be so unpleasant to Will, since it made the most sense to him. He felt disoriented as hell, and he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to be able to calm his mind down enough to sleep anytime soon. Plus, he was pretty sure he’d been unconscious for a good long while.

“How long was I asleep just now?” Percy asked.

“A while,” Will admitted.

“So let’s try the other thing.”

Will swallowed heavily, his fingers gripping the sides of his white coat a little too tightly.

“Yeah. Okay,” he said, still not sounding happy about it at all, “I’ll-- ugh. Don’t move, I’ll be right back.”

Percy did not move, mostly because he didn’t think he could get up from his bed if he tried. Being alone gave him the chance to observe the room he was in a little bit. It was small but clean, sort of a cross between a normal bedroom and a hospital unit. The walls were made of old looking hardwood, and if he craned his head back a little bit he could almost see out the window. It looked green out there, but it was kind of hard to tell.

Nothing about this place felt familiar, but that didn’t mean much, given nothing Percy had experienced since waking up felt familiar.

Nothing except for those few flashes of feeling he’d gotten about Annabeth, anyway.

Will was gone for a long time, a lot longer than Percy had been expecting. He couldn’t tell time very well and he didn’t see a clock anywhere, but it felt like Will had to have been gone at least half an hour, maybe more. Just when Percy was about to give up and try taking a nap, the door opened again. Will was there, but this time Annabeth was in tow too.

Percy tried not to read too hard into the fact that she didn’t look happy to be there. If he wasn’t mistaken, her eyes were puffy and red from crying, though now they were narrowed in barely constrained anger, her arms folded over her chest.

Will, for his part, looked extremely nervous. That didn’t give Percy a lot of hope about how this was going to go.

“It would probably work better if you could get up and walk around, but well…” he trailed off, but Percy knew exactly why that wasn’t possible. Just keeping his eyes open had been a struggle, and he was pretty sure if he tried to stand right now he was gonna black out.

“Yeah, sounds like a bad idea,” he agreed. Annabeth said nothing, just kept staring with her jaw clenched tight.

“I figured-- you know, you remembered Annabeth last time,” Will said, still sounding nervous, “And you guys have known each other for years, so if anything is going to jog your memory… well.”

“Okay,” Percy said, easily.

Annabeth remained silent.

“I’ll leave you guys alone,” Will said, looking like he absolutely couldn’t wait to get out of the room. He did a second later, slipping out the door and shutting it behind him.

Annabeth looked extraordinarily unhappy to be there. Any care that she had displayed for him when he first woke up was apparently gone. She said nothing as she looked at him with nothing but ice in her eyes.

He didn’t know why exactly she was so pissed-- it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t remember anything, and wouldn’t it be worse for him anyway? But she didn’t seem keen on speaking to him anytime soon, and Percy figured it was up to him to break the ice.

“So, um. Are you single?” Percy asked. It was dumb, sure, but he didn’t remember shit, and this girl was pretty and she seemed to care about him and well? Might as well shoot his shot.

Annabeth muttered something under her breath, something that sounded suspiciously like I’m going to kill you. Cool. Definitely did not make her hotter to him, not even a little bit.

“I’m not single,” she said, practically glaring at him.

“Got it. Sorry,” Percy said. For just a second her eyes ducked away, sadness replacing anger. But then she looked back up, and her previous expression was reinstated.

“Why don’t we just stick to you,” she said.

“Sure,” Percy said. He didn't want to make her mad again, because he had a feeling if that kept happening it would not end well for him. He wasn’t sure what could be worse than complete and total amnesia, but looking at Annabeth he was pretty sure she could think of something.

She took a deep breath, a little unsteadily.

“Your name is Percy,” she said, “I guess Will already told you that, though.”

Percy nodded. She moistened her lips, staring down at the ground.

“Okay. What else do you want to know?”

“Where are we?” Percy asked. It wasn’t his most urgent question, but it felt like a safer one to ask. Then again, from the look on Annabeth’s face, maybe that was a miscalculation. She was biting her lip, the anger in her expression softening slightly. It seemed to be replaced by something sad though, and Percy found he almost preferred the anger.

“It’s… a little hard to explain. But we’re at a camp. A summer camp. It’s-- it’s where we met.”

“Why are we here now?” Percy asked. Annabeth shrugged.

“We’re just visiting,” she said.

“Together?” Percy asked. She stared at him, swallowing heavily.

“Yeah. Together,” she said, though she was clearly unwilling to elaborate.

Okay then. Time for a new line of questioning. A safer line, one that hopefully wouldn’t put her on the verge of tears.

“What’s my favorite color?” he asked.

“Blue,” she said, instantly.

“Favorite food?”

“Anything blue,” she said, just as fast.

“I eat blue food?” Percy asked, confused. She smiled for the first time since he’d told her his memory was gone. It was small, but it still made his heart flutter.

“Yeah. It’s sort of an inside joke with you and your mom,” she said. The smile faded just as fast as it had come, but her answer had inadvertently given Percy more information than he’d expected.

“So I’m close to my mom?” Percy asked, unable to help it. Annabeth nodded again. She took a tentative step forward, sitting back down on the chair beside his bed.

“Who else?” he asked, without thinking. Annabeth frowned, a little confused.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean--” Percy started, realizing this might be a little too much too soon, but wanting to know so badly he couldn’t help but ask anyway, “I mean, who else am I close to?”

Annabeth didn’t answer for a long minute. She was looking down at the ground again, her hands gripping her own shoulders, arms shielding her chest. She seemed to be contemplating something, though what it was, Percy wasn’t sure.

Maybe he shouldn’t have asked that question. Maybe it was too personal-- with a start Percy realized that Annabeth was probably a pretty high priority for him, given the scant details he knew about their relationship, and him not knowing that intrinsically had to hurt.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “Just forget it, tell me something else.”

She finally looked back up at him, though she still seemed upset and unsure.

“No, it’s fine,” she said, though she was clearly forcing her voice not to waver, “Like I said, you’re close to your mom, her name is Sally. You have a sister named Estelle and a brother named Tyson. And your best friend is--” she stumbled, but found herself again, “His name is Grover.”

Percy noticed that Annabeth’s own name was conspicuously absent from that list. Maybe he should keep his mouth shut, all things considered, but his curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to know this more than anything.

“What about you?” he asked, voice quiet.

It took her less time to answer than he expected, but she was still quiet for a minute.

“You asked me if I was single,” she said finally, eyes ducked down, a rosy blush growing in her cheeks, “And I said no because-- because we’re dating. We have been for a while.”

“Oh,” Percy said. He could feel his own face getting red, even though this was kind of great news-- or maybe not so great news, considering his stupid brain still couldn’t remember shit. But it still felt right, like a puzzle piece slotting into place. Of course he was dating her. That was just correct, an inalienable fact he felt dumb for not knowing, despite not knowing anything at all.

“Yeah,” she said, “But you don’t remember, so… so I don’t know anymore, I guess.”

“I’m sorry,” Percy said, and he felt it. He felt like an idiot, both for trying to flirt with her earlier, and for not putting the pieces together sooner. The hand holding probably should have given it away, at the very least.

To his surprise, Annabeth gave him a small smile, even though her eyes were a little red. She wiped them on her sleeve, clearly trying not to do it in an obvious way.

“Sorry, it’s just-- that’s so you,” she said, sniffling a little.

“What’s so me?” Percy asked. He felt stupid, oblivious, but she just smiled again, a touch wider this time.

“Apologizing for something that isn’t even your fault.”

“I really am sorry,” Percy said, and he felt worse with every word, “I want to remember, I do, it’s just-- all of it’s gone.”

“I know,” she said. She sounded defeated. “I guess it would be too much to ask for you to remember me twice, huh?”

She said it like a joke, but Percy could feel the real pain behind her words. He felt an ache in his chest, like a phantom pain he couldn’t quite place, something in him mirroring her own hurt. He wanted so badly to comfort her, but he didn’t know how.

Or maybe he did. His brain was a jumbled mess, but he did know the only things that had made him feel anything since he’d woken up had to do with her.

“I… I almost get flashes,” he admitted, glancing up at her again. She wasn’t quite meeting his eye, looking somewhere over his shoulder, but he continued anyway. “When you say or do things… It’s like my body knows what to feel but my mind doesn’t know why.”

She glanced up, her eyes finally meeting his own. They were still shining with tears, though not as intensely as before.

“Like how?” she asked, simply. Percy swallowed heavily, not exactly sure what to say. It was hard to describe, given he’d barely recognized his own feelings.

“Like… like when you left, before. I was upset but I didn’t know why. I didn’t know you but I knew… I knew that was supposed to hurt, somehow. And when Will told me about how I got hurt in the first place, how I was trying to keep the frisbee thing from hitting you-- that felt right, but I don’t know why.”

She had graduated to crying in earnest now, tears slipping out of the corner of her eyes and falling down her cheeks. Percy felt the inexplicable urge to reach out and brush them away, but he knew he couldn’t. And that hurt too for some reason, a hollow aching in his chest he couldn’t quite place even though the reason for it was standing right in front of him.

“And right now,” Percy continued, even though maybe he shouldn’t, “You’re upset and I just feel this urge to do something, and I can’t because I don’t know how.”

“Percy, please--” she said, still crying, her voice rough with tears. He didn’t know what she was begging for, but he couldn’t help his next words slipping out, like his tongue knew more what to do than his mind.

“I don’t know anything about me, but I know-- I know I love you. I can feel it. I’m not just saying it either, I swear I can feel it.”

“Percy,” she said again, her voice barely above a whisper this time.

“You have to help me, Annabeth. I don’t know what to do,” he said, and this time it was his turn for his voice to get thick, a lump in his throat obscuring his words.

“I--” she started, swallowing heavily, eyes welling with tears again, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Yes you do,” Percy said, and he was sure she did, something in him just knew, “You always do, don’t you?”

That felt right too, even if he couldn’t place why, but it seemed to mean more to her than to him. She stared at him, eyes wide and scared. She was so close now, close enough that he could see every freckle on her nose.

Annabeth looked so panicked that for a second a second, Percy thought she was going to hit him, but then she did the opposite. She leaned over and kissed him.

Her lips were soft and sweet, and she tasted like strawberries and salt. His lips seemed to know exactly what to do, moving against hers like they’d kiss her a thousand times-- and maybe they had. His hand moved, almost of its own accord to her hair, tangling in it, pulling her a fraction of an inch closer--

And then it hit him. The scent of her shampoo, lemony and sharp and familiar.

He gasped, not meaning to, but she pulled back, grey eyes wide.

“Percy?” she asked, hopeful even as she tried to hide it.

“Annabeth,” he said, trying not to panic as things started to float through his mind-- more than things, memories. Her face and her voice and her words, the feeling of her hand in his and her smile against his lips, it all started to flood back like it had never left.

“Are you--” she asked, her hands on his shoulders, gripping tight, too tight, but he didn’t even care.

“Annabeth,” he breathed, saying her name like a revelation, because it was, “You’re Annabeth Chase, you’re my girlfriend and an architect and you’re scared to death of spiders and you still sleep with a teddy bear--”

She cut him off at that last point, throwing her arms around him and hugging him harder than she ever had-- except for maybe that time she’d thought he was dead for two weeks and he’d crashed his own funeral. Percy hugged her back just as hard, because he actually remembered that.

It hadn’t all come back-- things were blurry, most things, actually. But Annabeth at least felt clear in his mind, a shining beacon welcoming the rest of his memories back. He was already starting to get a headache again, but he didn’t care. They would come back. And even if they didn’t-- he had her. That was enough.

She pulled back from her bone crushing embrace, keeping their faces so close their noses were almost touching. She seemed scared that if she pulled away he might too, even though he had no intention of doing so, physically or mentally.

“So you’re back? Really?” she asked, sounding scared to know the answer.

“Sort of,” Percy confirmed, wincing as he did. He really was starting to get a pounding headache. “I remember you. And bits and pieces of other things, but mostly you.”

Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes for a long moment.

“You scared the shit out of me,” she whispered, her hands trailing up his neck, just barely scraping his hair.

“I know. I’m sorry,” he breathed. And he did know, now better than ever. It couldn’t have been more than a few hours since he’d woken up without his memory, but he knew every minute of it had to have been hell for her.

Annabeth sighed, pulling back further, so he could see her whole face. Her eyes were still red from crying, and her cheeks were still flushed from their kiss. But he could see the barest traces of humor in her expression, a slight tug at the corner of her mouth where a smile was being repressed.

“What?” he asked, but she just shook her head.

“It’s nothing,” she said, but her smile had grown.

“Come on, I just had amnesia. You have to tell me.”

She laughed, a light tinkling sound. It was just on the edge of being hysterical, but she deserved it, after the day she’d been having.

“Fine. I was just thinking-- Hera couldn’t make you forget me but a glorified frisbee could?” Annabeth said.

“Hey, it was heavy!” Percy protested, but he couldn’t help but grin as he did. He would probably stay grinning for the rest of his life, actually.

“You’re such an idiot,” she breathed, pulling him into a hug again, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Percy said, hugging her back. And now he knew he did, in a permanent, tangible way.

There was still a lot missing, but he had the most important bits down. His name was Percy Jackson. He was twenty years old, and in college and a demigod, and lots of other things that would surely return with time.

And he loved Annabeth Chase more than anything in the world.

[fatefulfaerie]

Mortality

Zelink Week 2021 prompt #7/7 @zelinkweek2021

Word Count: 3,684

Incarnation: Breath of the Wild 2 (pre)

Additional Prompts Followed: Forsaken Fates, Lost Eternities

Inspired by this art by @morniae

A big thank you to @braidy-maidy and @linktheacehero for beta-ing!!

He wasn’t expecting a fairytale reunion as his horse trotted slowly, arriving at the Forgotten Temple with next to no fanfare. All sorts of geniuses from every race of Hyrule had gathered to study this place, to pull it from its lost state and unearth its secrets, to discover the reason behind its eternity and maybe even why its fate was to be forsaken and forgotten to all of history.

Link left his horse with the many others that were being cared for on the left side of the canyon and began to navigate the ruckus on foot. It seemed crowds of scientists and historians alike were out here securing their tents, making food, and languishing in a well-deserved rest. Link felt as if he stuck out like a sore thumb with his small brain, but no one paid him any mind, not even her.

In fact, she was nowhere to be found.

Perhaps he was expecting some fairytale reunion as he peered his head around every Sheikah, Goron, Rito, Zora, and Hylian in sight. He didn’t care that there was no fanfare, in fact, that may have made it even harder to spot her if it were a big deal that the hero of Hyrule had arrived. Thank Hylia these ruins were more interesting, that no crowd had congealed into a true tidal wave of obstacles. He missed her dearly, after all, no matter how short a time two weeks was in comparison to a hundred years.

He made his way all the way to the shrine in the back when he finally saw her. Zelda smiled when she spotted him and bounded over, clutching the Sheikah Slate.

“Thank the goddesses you’re here,” she said, pecking his cheek. “They haven’t made anything good for dinner in days.”

She walked right past him. Link’s mouth popped open as she practically flew to another inscription of the ruins being studied. Purah, following close behind Zelda, approached Link as he looked over.

“Two weeks she hasn’t seen me and I get a colder welcome than ten thousand year old ruins.”

Purah clicked her tongue and began to cross past Link.

“Sounds like you better get cooking.”

And so he didn’t see his blur of a girlfriend until dinner, when he was serving a ladle-full of meat stew to everyone who passed by with a bowl, salty chunks of meat and sweet carrots swimming in a broth that radiated a scrumptious scent for at least a mile.

The last person he served came up wearing a forehead beaded with sweat and sticky blonde hair from a hard-days work. As she approached, she lightly hit the empty wooden bowl against her hand, and pursed her lips taut with eyes almost apologetic. Her steps shuffled in the sand.

“Look who it is,” Link said before she could muster an apology. He looked more amused than upset, anyway. Zelda sat on her heels in front of the cooking pot and handed him her bowl.

“Sorry,” she said, “it was just a busy day. We think we’re close to finding--”

Link and Zelda’s eyes met. They both knew what she was going to say. The entrance to the caves. The hidden reason why this expedition was such an extensive operation. Only Purah and Impa knew the true reason, after all. Everyone else was just here for research. Bless their hearts.

They knew they needed to find it, but not finding it meant more of an excuse to not go down there.

Yet.

To not let go of the illusion of peace.

Yet.

To not face their mortality once again.

Not yet.

Link looked down to pour soup in her bowl. With everyone else fed--and Zelda more than likely went to the back of the line on purpose so that she would be the last one to eat--Link poured himself a bowl as well. They soon sat down in front of Zelda’s tent.

“When are Impa and Paya arriving?” Link asked.

“Tonight,” Zelda replied, but she swallowed hard, regretting taking another spoonful with a “mm”. 

“Oh my gosh I almost forgot!” she said enthusiastically. “You should have seen it, Link. The reunion between Purah and Robbie? They just marched up to each other, both short, old, and wrinkled, said each other’s names and walked off. It’s hard to believe they used to be lovers.”

Link choked on his stew.

“What?”

“Did I not...mention that?”

Link was still coughing, eyes tearing up.

“No?” He croaked, before coughing a couple more times. “You’d think I would remember something like that.”

“Believe me I wish I didn’t,” she said, before changing the subject. “Oh yeah, how did the meeting go?”

“Horrible,” Link said between spoonfuls.

“What do you mean?” Zelda inquired, slightly disappointed. She had hoped diplomacy would work.

“If I had known that Kohga had an eight year-old hiding somewhere in that hideout, I never would have attacked him,” Link started. “Apparently we needed him to keep his son in check. The kid is so hell-bent on revenge that he didn’t even read the treaty. He’s determined to hunt us down until the end of our days. Even his guards think he’s taking it a bit far. I could see it in their faces when Sooga was going on and on about his forces being strong and ready to fight. Those poor men and women are tired.”

“I thought the Yiga wore masks?”

Link shook his head.

“Not anymore,” he replied. “Sooga wants them to be proud of themselves, whatever that means. Goddesses, that whole meeting was like getting a child to eat their vegetables. I’m pretty sure Riju was about to slap him at the end, the little runt recycling the dogmas of the Yiga that are ten thousand years old now. Even when I ask him why he said such things about Hylians, he doesn’t give a straight answer. He knows less about history than I do and I had amnesia. He’s just been conditioned, raised to hate.”

“That’s unfortunate, but not hopeless,” Zelda said. “I’m sure Riju and the rest of the Gerudo will be able to work it out if the entirety of the clan no longer backs him. Is there any danger until then?”

Link shook his head and swallowed his current spoonful.

“Not yet,” he said once he could. “The only reason they haven’t attacked here is because he wants to find the entrance of the caves as much as we do. He didn’t say it outright, but he’s waiting for us to do it for him.”

“That’s not frightening at all,” she said sarcastically. “We’ll have to increase security when we do eventually go down there, make sure he doesn’t follow us.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Zelda,” Link said. “He’s only eight years old, and he’s pretty short and lean.”

Zelda smiled as she sipped her soup.

“I remember a little eight year old like that who could best adult knights,” she said with a smirk. “People say he saved Hyrule.”

“Really?”

“Never grew an inch after eight years old though.”

Link scoffed.

“I can and will pour the rest of this stew over your head,” he said as he held it up. Zelda laughed, but put her arms out in defense.

“Don’t you dare!” She exclaimed. She stood up and began to back away “I’m a princess!”

“Not anymore,” Link said, forgetting about the soup and tackling her. They wrestled playfully, rolling down the rocky slope and laughing joyfully until they stopped suddenly in a gulch, Zelda hovering over Link and sharing with him panting breaths.

“I win,” she said.

“By chance,” Link argued. He brought a hand up and lightly coaxed her head to lower. It, however, did not take much effort, as Zelda more than willingly met his lips to his, exploring his mouth and enjoying the sensation. She felt her cheeks warm. Kissing was all they had ever done, so being flush to him was frankly exhilarating, but she didn’t mind it in the slightest.

They both heard the reigns of horses, the clatter of a covered wagon, the jingle of Kakariko-style bells, but it blended too much into the rest of the ruckus for them to think anything of it.

“Paya, you brought us to the wrong place,” Impa said. “I wanted to go to the research expedition, not a mating ritual exhibition.”

Zelda pushed herself off Link and attempted to fix her hair, composing herself as best she could. Link stood up, but he let his messy hair be.

“H-hey Impa,” Zelda said, walking towards her oldest friend. Despite her feeble frame and short stature, Impa hopped off the wagon like a child. “How was the trip?”

“Long,” Impa said, bruskly.

“She’s a bit cranky,” Paya explained as she stepped off and started to untie the two brown horses from the wagon. “Where do these go?”

“Over there,” Link said, pointing over to the mini-stable on the left of the canyon. “And your tent is the one next to ours. If you’re hungry, there’s probably some stew left.”

“Please,” Impa said, allowing the young man to lead the way to the appropriate cooking pot. She even let him help her walk when the terrain wasn’t the smoothest.

They had left Zelda alone, but it gave her the opportunity to help Paya with unloading the wagon, and to catch up with one of her newer friends before they all turned in for the night.

Zelda was surprised to find Paya as reserved as she was when they first met, but after a bit of grilling she admitted to Zelda that Impa had told her of their true purpose here, that sealing Calamity Ganon may not have been an ending they could trust. Her red eyes were sad and apologetic for learning the secret but Zelda wouldn’t have it, insisting to Paya that it was okay, that it won’t be a secret for long, and that Hyrule was going to be okay.

That last one was a lie Zelda thought about well into the night.

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

“Zelda.”

He opened his eyes to the dark tent, the edge where tan cloth met a small patch of dry grass.

Link couldn’t believe a whisper was what woke him up. Still half awake and already turned away from the center flap of the tent, he kept his eyes closed, hoping he could doze off again.

“Zelda, wake up.”

Someone gently shook Zelda’s foot, and Link guessed the voice belonged to Paya.

Link felt Zelda’s arms slide away from holding him and he tried to slow his breaths. They both would feel so guilty for waking him.

“What is it?” Zelda asked, the rustling that followed suggesting that she got out of the tent. “Should I wake up Link?”

Paya must have shaken her head, or said something to suggest that it wouldn’t be necessary, because that was the last Link heard of the conversation.

He inwardly wrestled with the decision to get up anyway since he was, in fact, awake, but his comfort insisted otherwise and he drifted off before he made up his mind.

“Link.”

The sunlight was bright, even through the dulled filter of the canvas tent.

He felt Zelda’s hand on his shoulder, and he rolled over at the gentle prompt. Link found her green eyes.

“We found it,” she said. “An entrance to the caves.”

Link closed one eye and scrunched up his face. Zelda knew he did that when he was both tired and confused but with his messy bedhead she saw it as adorable.

Link moved his arm to the other, pinching his own skin somewhere around the wrist and, once he felt pain, his entire body sighed exasperated. He faced the top of the tent and closed his eyes far too tight to go back to sleep.

He opened the blue gems one at a time and took a deep breath.

“I assume we are leaving as soon as possible?”

Zelda nodded.

Link didn’t say another word when he got up and started getting ready, almost ignoring Zelda and how she sat on her heels in her own silent and undetectable bout of sadness. He even left her there in the tent but Zelda let him have his space, let him breathe his last breaths in this wild, fresh air, let him hear the birds and see the sun before she dragged him down to hell, back down to war, back down to fear and panic and worry and trauma and everything he had worked so hard to heal from.

It wasn’t until they were several steps into the caves that his stoicism really started to wear at her. One statement and all of him was left in the tent. He just…walked, looking forward, not saying a word. Zelda hated it as much as she did a hundred years ago. She tried to remember that he wasn’t really mad at her back then, so he couldn’t be mad at her now…

Right?

She looked over at his profile again.

Right?

“Link?”

The hooves of the large, blue ox behind them clapped along.

“I, uh…” she began when he gave no response. “I’m sorry about all this.”

“It’s not your fault,” Link said quickly and briskly.

Zelda’s lips parted. Her pacing slowed to a halt. If she hadn’t stopped pulling the ox along, it would have rammed into her.

Link looked over his shoulder when he realized he was the only one moving, turning around completely to see Zelda with a slightly furrowed brow.

“Why don’t I believe you?” Zelda asked.

He decided to look elsewhere as he hugged his arms close, the stone ground, the cavernous chasm above them, the rocky wall, anywhere but Zelda.

“I’m not mad at you, I...” he said quietly, “I’m just feeling a little off, okay?” He said quietly. “I had trouble breathing when I left the tent this morning.”

Zelda’s expression softened. She closed the distance between them and attempted to comfort him with a hand on his shoulder.

“You could have told me that,” Zelda said. “I’m nervous too. We have a right to be. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Yet Link still refused to look up.

“I almost collapsed, I felt so weak,” Link said. “The dread, the fear of facing it all again, the thought of losing you…it gathered, I felt it here.”

He placed a hand on his chest and he started to pant. His fingers began to clutch at the brown leather, the blue cloth and he stumbled to his knees.

“Link!” Zelda exclaimed as she grabbed him under his forearms, kneeling down with him. His breaths were shaky and fast, and he stared down at the ground.

“Link,” she repeated. “Link.”

The next sound from Link was the combination of a spurt of fresh paint and a croaking frog, warm vomit spilling from his mouth in smelly chunks of beef and carrots. It was instinct that Zelda stood up with a yelp and backed away with arms floating up, the gathering of vomit ending up mere inches from her toes. If she had stayed where she was, her pants would have been covered in Link’s partly-digested dinner.

“Oh gosh, Link,” she said once she got over the shock, rushing to his side and drawing circles on his back. He didn’t react though, only staring at the mess on the floor with his weight on his hands.

Zelda’s eyes stung with tears as she ran her fingers through his hair, some drops even lopping onto Link’s mess. She held him as best she could while still giving him the distance he needed, but that could never stop her from the occasional kiss on the side of his head and whispering sweet assurances of love into his right ear.

After a couple fruitless lurches of his back and neck, Link hurled a second time. As ironic as it was for her to hope for anything from the goddess anymore, Zelda prayed it was the last one.

“Zelda,” he said between heavy breaths. It was apparent his lungs were exhausted. He coughed a couple times.

Link looked into Zelda’s eyes, finally, although they veered towards horror, the green marbles conveying desperation for how to relieve this poor young man.

“I know,” she said, trying to smile. She wiped away Link’s tears. “I know.”

Wary of the mess near them, she brought him into a proper embrace, rocking him back and forth and holding him in such a way that she was sure he knew he was held. She wasn’t sure how secure he could feel on the cusp of embarking into danger, but she would try her best.

“I’m scared, too,” she said. “Down here is an untouched wild that was left alone for a reason we know not of. Nothing is scarier than the unknown, especially for us who have been hurt again and again by the unknown. Hope has betrayed us too much for us to readily depend on it, but we have to try.”

Link looked up, tilting his head to see her.

“How?”

Zelda lips parted. She stammered speechlessly. He seemed so hurt by her hopefulness.

“Together,” she said, attempting to fake her confidence. There was still a small question mark at the end of her statement that she didn’t mean to expose.

Link stood up and faced away from her. He crossed his arms.

“Do you know how long a version of Ganon has been terrorizing Hyrule?” Link asked. “How long he has been reincarnating?”

Zelda, who was now sitting on her heels, shook her head.

“No,” she said honestly.

“Do you know what makes us any different from the people who tried to stop him in the past?”

“No,” Zelda repeated, again, honestly.

Link nodded.

“I don’t either,” he said. “And that scares me.”

Zelda stood up.

“Link, we—”

“I can’t lose you!” Link exclaimed, turning around quickly. “I ignored it, okay?! All this time when you talked about there being caves, there being another journey, I ignored it! I put it off! I casted it aside! I focused on us.” His voice broke. “I thought that was all there would ever be…”

He placed his hands on his hips and collected himself.

“This morning it all collapsed,” he said. “Right before my eyes. Everything I could have ever hoped for.”

Zelda scoffed.

“Do you think I was happy to have found these caves?” Zelda asked rhetorically. “To have been woken up in the middle of night and told that this place I saw in my nightmares was indeed real, that I was to investigate a threat that hasn’t been faced in ten thousand years of Hyrule birthing warriors more capable than you? I had to keep a straight face, but Link, I wanted to scream so loud that even Lurelin could hear me!”

Zelda released her residual anger at the world in heavy pants of her breaths. Once she sighed herself calm, she snagged a small rag from the heaps of resources strapped to the patient and by now likely deaf ox.

Zelda stepped forward and washed Link’s stunned face clean of vomit.

“Then I thought of our future,” Zelda continued. “I was angry because coming down here means jeopardizing that. I scorned myself for how selfish that was. I told myself that this wasn’t about me and you, that this is about a peaceful Hyrule. That helped but...do you want to know what really helped?”

“What?” Link asked.

“The people of Hyrule want to live in peace, and so do we. They want to raise families without worrying about another Calamity.” Zelda smiled. “I think we do too, when the time comes.” She perished the thought. That was a long while down the road. “But this isn’t just about a peaceful Hyrule, it’s about our peaceful Hyrule. I’m no longer a princess, distanced from others by a pedestal, and you are no longer a knight, distanced from others by a sword. We actually feel like a part of Hyrule this time. Of course we loved the Champions, my father, but we aren’t acting as Hyrule’s weapons anymore. We don’t feel like cards to be discarded or pawns to be knocked off in a game of chess. All of this is voluntary. We can’t blame a kingdom or a calamity this time. The possibility of losing each other is already giving us stomach-churning guilt because no one told us to go down here. We came down here because we want to preserve peace for all of us, preserve peace beyond even our lifetimes.”

Zelda placed a hand on Link’s cheek.

“And we will,” she said. “We have to believe we will. If we don’t think we’ll get out of here, then there is no chance we will. This is our first on-our-own decision and it’s a damn risky one. We can always turn back if--”

“No,” Link interrupted.

Link’s hand went to hers and his thumb stroked her soft fingers.

“No,” he repeated, however shakily. “We are going through with this. I just need to process it, that’s all. I didn’t think we would actually be doing this. I think we both held on to the fantasy of peace. I definitely held on to it too much.”

He finally let her touch soothe him.

“I’m here,” Zelda assured him softly. “I’m right here.”

She took his hand and placed it on her heart, the rhythm of which pulsated through his own veins.

“I’m not supposed to be alive right now,” Zelda said. “I should have died an eighty year old queen about thirty years ago but here we both are, young and spry. These caves are filled with dangers we don’t know, but with my heart in your hands and your heart in mine I know we can dare to do the impossible again.”

Link met his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. He tried to breathe the way she was, to feel her calm and to adapt it into his own body.

“Okay,” he said. “I’m ready.”

[wrienne]

My Cheating, Amnesic Fiancé

Chapter 7: Reconnaissance

You stared at him. “You must be freaking kidding me.”

“I’m afraid not,” replied Sejin as he reluctantly sipped his cup of coffee. “I’ll help you in any way I can, but it’s mostly up to you.”

“I… I’m...”

“You’re doubtful?”

“That wouldn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling,” you admitted and nervously scratched your arm. “I… I’ll try my best, I really will. But...”

You stopped yourself right then and there. You had merely promised Jungkook you would help him through the amnesia. It wasn’t necessary for you to get him back on top of the music industry again. But you knew he had suffered and worked and spent too much of his life to lose it all just because he was stupid and impulsive enough to drunkenly run out on the street at the wrong time. Also, you couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty. Even though he was - or should you rather say had been - an absolute scumbag, if you would have never made him so upset, he might not be in the devastating situation he was in right now.

And he had changed. You felt it. Somehow, however little. Jeon Jungkook relied on you for the first time in your life.

You had a chance to help him. And although that was good enough morally speaking, what would be the point of all your efforts if he couldn’t perform again? The concert had clearly proven to you that Jungkook belonged up there, on stage, singing and dancing with his hyungs. Having a deadline of slightly more than three months would only mean you and Jungkook would have to work harder.

A lot harder.

“I’ll make it happen,” you said finally. “Jungkook will be able to perform in Japan by the end of May.”

You surprised yourself with how confident you sounded. Perhaps even Sejin, too, for he raised a surprised eyebrow before nodding in approval.

“I believe you can do this,” he told you. “If there’s anything I can do to help, just tell me.”

“Actually,” you began, “I need to get Jungkook some new clothes. Could you give me an address to where he lives and perhaps the numbers of his group members? Yours, too, if you don't mind.”

After exchanging numbers, you realized you could probably make a fortune selling the information to fanatic fans. Though, as Jungkook had stated yesterday, you didn’t really need any more money.

You parted ways with Sejin and found your parents’ private chauffeur, Kwon Jong-Yeol, waiting impatiently outside the entrance door to the hospital. While driving you home, he held a long lecture for you where he talked about the dangers of young women wandering around alone during the night. He didn’t even care about the emergency part, but then again, he had never been particularly fond of Jungkook.

You were done drying your hair after a much-needed shower when you decided to call your parents to tell them about your decision to break the engagement. As you stood in the hallway of your apartment, your heart pounding against your ribcage, you realized very quickly that nobody would reply. You weren’t particularly surprised, knowing your parents' habits of exercising early in the morning before work, and made a mental note to call them later in the day when they were free.

Frankly, you felt a bit relieved. You didn’t know how they would react upon hearing the news - nor did you want to know.

Before you zipped your phone into your jacket pocket, you spotted, to your great horror, that the seven numbers Sejin had given you were names you had never heard before, of course with the singular exception being him.

Jung Hoseok.

Kim Namjoon.

Kim Seokjin.

Kim Taehyung.

Min Yoongi.

Park Jimin.

Six names. You guessed Jin, the guy who had blown a kiss at Se-Eun and her friends, was Kim Seokjin, but you hadn’t even the slightest idea regarding the remaining five. You barely remembered what their stage names - since that’s what they must have introduced themselves as at the beginning of the concert - had been.

You didn’t have the chance to stress over it much, since you were getting late to school and you had forgotten to read a chapter for the day’s first presentation. You planned to read during the drive, but you were so tired you fell asleep during the usual, boring road to Korea University Business School. Yes, you were enrolled in one of the prestigious SKY universities. But as the granddaughter of one of the most prominent businessmen in the world and the alleged heiress of his company, this surprised nobody.

It hadn’t really been much of a choice for you, since you had known, ever since you were four years old, that you would one day become the owner and CEO of Phoenix Inc. Even if your parents were to have birthed a hundred children after you, none of them would have become a candidate for the post. Because your grandfather had chosen you in particular, stated your name explicitly in his will, to become his successor as soon as you had finished college. Your dad was merely a placeholder - your placeholder - until that day.

You didn’t know why, though.

Se-Eun was waiting outside the main auditorium together with the other students when she spotted you approaching. She darted toward you, greeted you happily with a hug and took you a bit off to the side, so no one could overhear.

“You have to tell me what happened,” she blurted, her brown eyes glinting with curiosity. “We only have three minutes ‘til class, so you’d best keep it snappy.”

Thinking back on the last twelve hours, it wasn’t difficult for you to deduce that you could say nothing. Not even to your best friend.

“I… I can’t really talk about it,” you said truthfully. “But I promise, it wasn’t anything sensational.”

“I thought you were going to snap someone’s neck when you returned,” she said skeptically. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that upset. Were you embarrassed because they kicked you out? You didn’t have to let us wait for half an hour just to make it seem you had gotten backstage.”

“I was neither upset nor embarrassed,” you protested. “And if I wouldn’t have gotten backstage, I would have been only half as angry as I was yesterday.”

“I knew it!” she exclaimed triumphantly. “You are the quickest, craftiest person I know, (Y/F/N) - now spill the details! What’s there to be so on the down-low for anyways?”

“You know your dialect always spills through when you’re overexcited?” You gave her a teasing smile, pleasantly surprised with her compliment.

“Don’t try to change the subject,” she said stubbornly as she folded her arms across her chest. “Why are you so secretive about it?”

You shook your head. “I really can’t talk about it, I’m sorry.”

Se-Eun sighed, but she gave in. “Well, what did you think about the concert? Wasn’t it-- every one of them amazing? Especially Jungkook?”

When you didn’t immediately give her an annoyed eye roll, sigh or a directly opposed comment as you had the last couple of years whenever she brought up the subject of Jungkook, she whistled in surprise. “You must have really been floored,” she noted.

“Yeah,” you admitted reluctantly. You recalled Jungkook’s presence on stage and almost shivered. His hair, darkened with sweat; his large eyes, filled with an intensity you had never before witnessed; his body language, purposeful and practiced, yet fluid and wild, like liquid mercury; and his voice, soft yet steady, controlled yet gentle.

Beautiful.

But then you remembered his face when he had spotted Kim Sejin. You remembered the creeping anguish in his voice when he had spoken to you and the desperate strength of his grip when he had held your hand. He had been a whole different person. Fearful and brittle. So near his dream yet suspicious, confused and alone.

Now he trusted only you. Of course, you couldn't forget his eyes on Park Yi-Jae, either.

Se-Eun had been discussing which solo performance had been her favorite while you reminisced, when she said something that caught your attention.

“‘Taehyung’?” you repeated. “Who is he?”

“Are you serious?” exclaimed Se-Eun. “I’ve been talking about BTS for years and you only now pay attention?”

“Sorry,” you said unapologetically as you checked the time on your phone. Class would begin anytime now. “You never listen to me when I talk about my interests.”

“Oh, I don’t? I’ll remember this, (Y/N).”

“Come on, I’ll buy you lunch. Now tell me.”

“You would have gotten in so much trouble without your family’s money,” she replied while giggling. “Whenever your tongue and stubbornness get you in trouble, you have an easy way out.”

“Please, Se-Eun,” you said impatiently as you spotted movement over your friend's shoulder. “Professor Kang has already begun letting people inside.”

“Make it free lunch for the whole week.”

You gave her a sharp look but knowing the time-crunch you were in, you also nodded. “Deal.”

Se-Eun began toward the door as she spoke, signaling for you to follow. “Kim Taehyung is V’s real name,” she told you. “Do you want to know the rest of their real names as well?”

You greeted Professor Kang while passing her, then nodded again.

“Rap Monster’s real name is in fact Kim Namjoon,” said Se-Eun as she followed you on your search for two available seats next to one another. She folded a finger for each member - and name in your contact list - as she continued. “Jin’s real name is Kim Seokjin. J-hope’s real name is surprisingly not J-hope but Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin is Jimin and Min Yoongi is Suga. You probably know Jungkook’s real name.”

Suga. Min Yoongi. He was the one who hadn’t spoken even once when you first had stumbled upon the group. With slim dark eyes and a solo performance that had left you feeling physically wounded.

There was something about him.

“Jimin is the shortest one, right? With the light voice?” you asked as you found two seats and sank down into one of them.

“He’s taller than you.”

“In comparison with the whole group,” you said as you rolled your eyes at her instant defense. “And it wasn’t an attack, merely an observation.”

Se-Eun sat down next to you. “I’m just saying. Now, what’s the reason you want to know about their names? Are you becoming a fan?”

“Not really,” you said nonchalantly. “I just thought it would be good to know the names of the seven guys my best friend plans to marry by the end of her twenties.”

“Well, that will be easy. I only intend to marry one of them. Can you guess who?”

You swallowed. Hard.

“I can’t believe you’re still shameless enough to fantasize about things like that,” you said in an attempt to change the subject, immediately regretting the path your joke had taken. “Aren’t you too old to be a fangirl?”

“You’re never too old to be a fangirl,” she said defiantly. “I have a whole scenario in the back of my mind for the time we first meet. Jungkook will have spotted me in the audience and fallen in love with me just like that. I just need to be seen by him, that’s all.”

“You’re absolutely mad,” you told her as you laughed in disbelief. “Love doesn’t work like that. He doesn’t work like that.”

“Right, I forgot you and him are childhood friends and have known each other for centuries.”

You regarded her closely. ���You’re actually getting irritated, aren’t you?” you asked.

When she didn’t directly reply, you almost burst out in laughter again. Fortunately, you were mindful of your surroundings: people were quieting as they trickled in slower through the door where Professor Kang still waited, her one hand rubbing the face of her wristwatch.

“I would never let a guy get between our friendship,” she said instead of directly addressing the question.

“Not even Jeon Jungkook?”

She shook her head as Professor Kang shut the door and began toward the lectern. “Not even him,” she whispered.

Se-Eun could never get hold of the knowledge that you and Jungkook had once been engaged, you realized as soon as the professor began her lecture. It would mean the end of your relationship. Even though you were tempted to talk with her about you and Jungkook and the situation overall, you couldn’t.

During the rest of the school day, you surprised yourself by almost constantly thinking about Jungkook. Which ways you could help him, what type of reintroduction would most likely help him and so on and so forth. You looked back at your and Jungkook’s time as younger, when and how he would express himself regarding music. You even listened to Se-Eun’s obsessive rambling over the group, hoping you could snatch any type of idea or information that might be of use - which didn’t prove as fruitless as you initially had predicted. For example, you never knew Rap Monster, or rather, Kim Namjoon, was the reason Jungkook had chosen BigHit when he had numerous other options. By the end of last class, you had actually gotten somewhat of a battle plan against Jungkook’s amnesia. Though you seriously doubted anything less than a miracle would be absolutely crucial for you to succeed by May 30th, you were determined.

You were in good spirits by the time Jong-Yeol dropped you off outside what Kim Sejin had told you was BTS’ apartment. The sun had already sunken beneath the upraised, jagged horizon of other apartment buildings, and your breath was escaping in white wisps. Fortunately, you had had the foresight to dress properly - unlike when you darted out to see Jungkook at the hospital - so you weren’t feeling too uncomfortable. Still, even though most of the snow had melted, Seoul was a chilly city during the winter months.

The apartment Kim Sejin had given you the address to didn’t look any different from a typical, middle-class apartment building. But then, you were used to living very affluently and had no idea if this was considered a good buy or not. Jong-Yeol had been unwilling to let you walk around all on your own, forcing you to remind him you weren’t seven years old any longer. Perhaps he had meant that the neighborhood wasn’t the best.

You were too nervous to call any of the six new contacts in your phone, so you stalled a bit by trying to find out where seven guys could live by checking the mailboxes in the entrance hall. However, none of the names stuck out as particularly “largest K-pop group in Korea”-esque, and you understood to your dismay that you would have to call one of them.

You were just about to dial Kim Seokjin - since he was the only one you had managed to fully identify on your own, he felt the least awkward to talk to - when someone called you.

[the-sunshine-dims]

amnesia rewrite! (chapter 3)

it took a bit but here's chapter 3!

ch 1 | ch 2 | ch 4 | ch 5 | ch 6 | ch 7

original fic

words: 3,457

ao3

contents and warnings: angst (past and present), hurt/comfort, amnesia,  mentally a child!janus, patton has too much guilt to be healthy, flower crowns, food mention,

________

Roman slowly approached the open inviting door of Patton's room, which considering the circumstances that he was there for, didn't seem that inviting. After a moment or so he knocked on the wall to warn Patton he was there.

And Patton, who had been on the floor possibly scrapbooking, definitely making a mess, turned around quickly at the noise before he smiled at him

“Hey Ro!” He greeted with a grin, waving roman over to him.

Roman offered him a small, slightly strained smile in return  “hey Padre,” he greeted in return before going “pat you might wanna sit down because something... kind of happened.”

Pattons happy smile shifted into a concerned one as he started talking again “okay I’m already sitting, but what happened?” 

Roman nervously rubbed his neck, while he had volunteered to go tell Patton the night earlier he had not accounted for how awkward it would be to tell people something he didn’t fully know about, actually he was pretty sure he would still feel awkward even if he knew every single detail. “okay, so, apparently Janus.. went into the imagination, and something happened, we- logan and me, think he got attacked or hit his head or something, and umm well logan kind of confirmed he has amnesia..” he chewed the inside of his lip nervously, a bad habit he had picked up from Virgil a long while back.

Patton opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to process that and trying to find the right words before simply going “is he okay?”

Roman nodded “yeah, well he’s the best he can be. When I left, him and Logan were competing on who could complete a rubix cube the fastest, I’m pretty sure Logan was even letting him win,” he smiled to himself, and Patton couldn't help the small smile at that mental image either “it's kind of adorable actually.” Roman trailed off, eventually he remembered that there’s still one, very important last thing he should tell Patton “okay also, specs said Janus is mentally a child of some verity, we still don’t know exactly how mentally old he is but we know he doesn’t remember king splitting and anything more recent than that.”

Patton made a sympathetic noise “poor thing…” he trailed off, it would be bad enough if Janus had to deal with amnesia but Janus in the mindset of a child.. children shouldn’t have to deal with the aftermath of amnesia or loss (especially twice in the loss subject.) 

Roman nodded crestfallen as the image of Janus sobbing into his chest burned itself into his memory “yeah..” he agreed, Roman may have been kind of upset at Janus for the POF disaster but.. he didn’t deserve anything that happened in the last 24 hours.

After a bit it was clear Patton wasn’t going back to his scrapbooking so Roman sat down on the floor with him, doing what he and Logan did with Janus and just not leaving him alone after unleashing a bunch of stuff he had to process.

After another long stretch of silence Patton looked over to Roman “hey, ro.. do you think I’d be able check up on him?” He asked, he wanted Janus to know he cared enough to go and see him when something bad happened.

Roman hummed “probably, I mean it’s not really my decision but I’m sure he’d be happy to see you from what Logan told me, so yeah we can go see!” He told him before continuing “oh also if he wants to hang out or is just fine with hanging out you can go to bring him somewhere else if you want, because i’m pretty it'll be kinda boring otherwise.”

Patton smiled fondly, and with a nod he got up and helped Roman up with him, and after a moment of just standing there Roman realized Patton didn’t know where Janus even was because he accidentally excluded that information, even when it would make sense to share it, the closest thing he said to a location was that logan knew about Janus as well, and that was why he was awkwardly standing around so he just took Patton's hand in his own and pulled them into the hallway and headed to logan's room.

Once they had passed the kitchen Patton paused though, stopping them both dead in their tracks, before simply asking “have you guys eaten yet?” 

Roman laughed awkwardly and nervously rubbed his neck again, trying his best to avoid eye contact,

That was enough of an answer for Patton so he just sighed fondly before popping into the kitchen and beginning to cook food for everyone, once he was done he made sure to leave an extra two plates in the fridge, though it would be a wonder if Remus actually ended up eating his and didn’t just use it for an ‘art project.’

_____

Janus looked up from where he was sitting on the floor watching tv almost the very second the door opened, Expecting Roman since he disappeared a bit before, so the moment he did catch a glance he gave the smallest, happy little smile as he began waving, and received a wave from Roman in return,

Morality entering right behind Roman was a surprise though.

He offered another wave, because he liked Morality, He was nice, Morality once gave him one of his stuffies when Janus was sick, so he liked him.

After a moment Janus just settled back into his spot as Patton came over to him and handed him breakfast, Janus offered him a brief thankful smile to be polite because that's what Thomas's parents said to do before beginning to turn his attention back to the tv.

Patton was happy Janus seemed relatively content but he didn’t know how to ask to hang out with him, if he ever had a plan he had forgotten it the second he stepped into the room.

After a couple awkward moments he just took a breath and settled down before turning his attention to Janus and asking “hey would I be able to hang out with you for a little bit?” 

Janus turned to him and nodded, simply going “‘Kay” and continuing to do as he did prior, now just with the acknowledgment of Patton's presence, Patton couldn't help but smile as he settled fully onto the floor, sitting criss-cross applesauce against the bedside, passively waiting for Janus to be done with his food and initiate a conversation, Patton knew sometimes there were days where people were less talkative so he didn’t wanna force him to talk if he wasn’t in the mood. 

After a while passed and everyone had eaten, Janus did end up speaking up, asking simply “how are you?” 

Patton smiled at him “I’m doing fine kiddo, how are you?” He asked in response, honestly he wasn’t the finest. He was nervous and still feeling guilty from everything that went down because of the wedding and the fact he had treated Janus so badly, hell he’d treated Remus badly too! He had been so mean to everyone.

Janus hummed in thought before simply going “‘m fine too,” which was only partially a lie, and he had a very tiring day the day before so he got to lie about how mentally drained he was, and hey he was fine for the most part, Roman and logic were being very nice and he had been able to just hang out watching tv while Logic worked and he liked doing that, it was some much needed calm,

Patton offered another smile as he tried thinking of what to say; after another awkward silence he decided To just warmly go “hey kiddo would you want to go explore? And if so do you have any specific places you wanna hang out at?”

Janus pinched his chin in a very exaggerated thinking pose that would make logan proud before just going “sure! and i don’t really mind anywhere really! Well- as long as there aren't horses there, they’re mean,” he told him, before continuing “they hate me and I hate them, it’s a mutually understood hatred.”

Patton didn’t have Time to unpack all of that so he just chuckled and nodded like he understood and didn’t have a million questions on why Janus hated every Horse in existence and just how they all hated him back- so instead of thinking about that he took a moment to think on where he should go with janus, not really knowing where janus would genuinely want to go, before remembering a certain interest Janus used to have that Patton distinctly remembered king showing off whenever he could, so after not much of a second thought he just smiled and asked “would you wanna hang out with me in Roman’s meadow? It’s really pretty there and hey we could even make flower crowns-“ 

The moment the words left his mouth Janus practically had stars in his eyes, he looked like a steven universe character as he excitedly gasped before nodding vigorously “yes please!” He chirped excitedly.

Patton once again smiled, and contained a soft chuckle at how happy Janus looked, he looked like when you tell a child ‘actually yeah why don't you pick out a candy’ when going to the store, he looked.. childish, and Patton thinks that’s good, if he’s in the mindset of younger Janus, Patton doesn’t think it would be good if Janus started acting like normal Janus right now.

After a bit of Janus just being excited it finally crossed his mind that the reason Patton’s not getting up to go is because he’s waiting for him to say he’s ready, so he bounces up and after a short confused look that’s quickly replaced with a smile Janus helps Patton up to the best of his ability and then it’s Janus’s turn to wait because he doesn’t know where anything is, he doesn't  even know how he got to Logan's room, all he remembers is crying a bit and then waking up under a soft blanket on Logan’s bed.

Luckily for Janus, Patton took no time to shoot a wave to Roman and Logan before going “I’ll be back soon, don’t worry I’ll keep him safe” and then presenting his hand for Janus and once their hands are linked Patton headed to the nearest imagination entrance.

_____

The moment Janus could see the archway with the absolutely beautiful meadow covered with all kinds of wildflowers and overgrown green grass just beyond it he ran out into it without a moment's hesitation.

Patton followed him with a smile playing on his lip, and a chuckle following in suit as Janus twirled himself around into a soft patch of grass and promptly fell face first into the blanketed earth, after a moment Janus just smiled hugely and began happily laughing as he turned over so he could face the sky. 

(And Patton tried his best to not think about how he had kind of outcasted this side, this side who with just the mention of flowers or flower crowns was almost bouncing with excitement, this side who viewed him as a friend, this side who really did want the best for Thomas. And instead he tried to focus on the fact he was trying to repair it, and the fact that Janus was practically elated as he began his best attempt at rolling around in the grass and flowers, which counted for something, at least it meant he chose a good place to hang out with Janus,) so he just smiled and sat down next to Janus, 

And after a moment he picked a small yellow flower and offered it to Janus, cuasing Janus to beam at him as he took it before he began picking others around him and weaving them into a crown with it.

And After a moment Patton just slowly went “I have to admit, I have no idea how to make flower crowns,”

Janus looked over at him with a reassuring smile before he replied “that’s okay, don’t worry! That just means I can teach you!” he said as he grabbed more flowers and started a new crown and while making sure Patton was paying attention, weaving them together slowly to see if that was all Patton needed to learn or if he needed actual instructions like he did when creativity was trying to teach him to crochet.

Patton tried his hand at it after he grabbed a handful of flowers and slowly tried to replicate what Janus did, and after a bit and some trial and error he was successful, Which caused both Janus and Patton to cheer because he Did it!

“You did it!! You did super super well too!” Janus congratulated him excitedly, and he decided he liked teaching, he felt super proud, he understood now why Logic liked it so much now (despite not really actually teaching.)

“Thanks!” Patton grinned, and after a minute they both started doing their own things, Patton trying to make another flower crown to get the gist of it down to memory, and Janus.. Doing something, he wasn't entirely sure what.

Though soon the peaceful happy mood shifted for Patton, it wasn't that anything really happened, actually it might've been because nothing happened, because it was quiet enough to allow Patton to begin thinking, and normally thinking was a good thing, but recently every time he began thinking all he could think about was how wrong he'd been and how much he'd failed- so the more time went on the more sorrowful he became and the more the small smile that had been left from the little mini celebration dwindled.

After awhile of the two just sitting in silence the thoughts got louder and louder, them all just echoing in his head until they got loud enough to voice themselves, much to the chagrin of Patton, who would prefer having a choice of whether his insecurities and regrets got out, and if they did get out he would prefer to tell them to someone who hasn't literally just been through a traumatic experience, “I’m sorry- I’m sorry I misjudged you and was mean- I’m so sorry I was so awful to you- I’m so so sorry” he practically word-vomited. the words coming out a mile a minute, and because of that he was able to make it become more mumbly a little after the second ‘sorry’, which was lucky for him as he wanted it to be as inaudible as possible so Janus didn't have to actually understand his little guilt-ridden ramble, which didn't work completely but he tried, because he didn’t want to let his guilt get in the way of hanging out with Janus, Janus quite honestly should not have to deal with that at the moment, he should get to have a happy fun day, since he was already dealing with so much, if he did even tell him he wanted to tell him after his memory returned.

Janus was silent for a couple moments, quite honestly he was so confused, he didn’t know what Patton meant and even if he did it was so abrupt it left Janus quite literally stunned, but after an uncomfortably silent minute or so he tried to defend Patton “I don’t know what your talking about.. but I’m sure you weren’t mean! And if you were you probably had a good reason for it, I know you! You wouldn’t be mean if you didn’t have a good reason!” He told him insistently. 

Patton.. really wished that were true, he had a good reason on paper but in reality not so much, he wanted to keep Thomas safe, and somehow his view of Janus had changed throughout the years to view him as a danger, despite him knowing Janus, well he didn’t know his name till recently but he knew Janus. but regardless of that somehow he started thinking Janus was evil, and then he had mistreated him, not hearing him out even when Janus was probably the expert on the situation. “dee.. I know you don’t remember it but I really was super super mean! and I misjudged you and I most definitely ended up hurting you and you didn’t deserve any of it! and I’m so sorry I’m just.. so so sor-“ Patton was cut off abruptly as Janus hugged him, 

“You probably had your reasons,” he said once again, much more insistent, and patton couldn't help but wonder, had Janus always seen the best in people? And when did he stop? “-and whatever they were I’ll probably forgive you for them! I mean I honestly don’t remember what you're talking about so it might be... a bit before I fully forgive you when I got all the memories and stuff back but-  no matter what,” he pulled out of the hug just to be able to look into Morality’s eyes, trying to look stern, which for once, didn't really work. “you deserve a second chance.” He told him firmly, and after another moment he continued “and I’m certain we’ll be friends! I promise I’ll stand by you when I’m all memory-y again, promise!” He grinned and plopped his now suddenly and magically finished flower crown onto Morality’s head.

Patton smiled sadly at him, “okay, and.. Thank you,” he said, leaving what he was thanking him for blank, and honestly he was still feeling extremely guilty because despite everything and Janus not really knowing what he meant he still comforted him to the best of his abilities, and really how could he think Janus was evil, how could he, roman and Logan dismiss him so easily? never inviting him to the table, and pretty much just ignoring his existence to Thomas. later when everything was normaller Patton needed to have a sit down discussion with Janus and Remus because he needed to make sure they were starting to be listened too, and that they knew they would be, however though currently he needed to focus on Janus, because Patton brought him here to have a good day and while he thinks since it's been maybe a bit more than a hour, and eventually it'll get boring, he still wants him to have a good day.

So he adjusted the flower crown to be more comfortable on his head before he slipped right into his happy façade which luckily Janus, who was trying to make a little cave out of the tall overgrown grass, didn't seem to question “so kiddo! After maybe a half hour more out here would you wanna go inside and watch a show or movie? I can make popcorn!” (-and now that Patton was paying attention did Janus look that young before?)

Janus perked up like a sunflower and nodded “mhmm! sure! What would you wanna watch?”

Patton Smiled “I don't really care, i'll be fine with whatever you wanna watch kiddo,”

Janus seemed to think about it before going “can we watch kiki’s delivery service..? Oh! And can we have skittles too?”

Patton smiled once again. “of course! When we get inside I’ll set it all up!” 

Janus’s eyes lit up brightly before he murmured an excited thank you and tried to hurry and begin distracting himself so he wouldn’t feel like he was waiting and time would pass quicker and a minute wouldn't feel like an hour also he needed to focus on making that last crown anyway since he had already made one for Logic and he needed to make one for Roman.

_____

A couple hours later Logan and Roman got curious as to where the two went and discovered Patton and Janus dead asleep, Janus pretty much curled up into a ball against Patton's side, Janus’s normally small form somehow slightly smaller, as Patton's arm snaked around his side almost protectively, with the Tv asleep from no use, Logan and Roman just shared a soft fond look before silently agreeing to not wake them and summoning a blanket for the two before leaving. Logan and Roman could see something had changed, they could see the tension eased from Patton's shoulders ever so slightly, not gone for sure but he was clearly content and that was breathing room, because while Patton had always left the door to his room open as an invitation to anyone and everyone that they could come in and that had persisted, Patton had still been coming out of his room less and less, and aside from that there was other things that just made it clear something was wrong, but Patton and Janus were content, right there, taking a nap, and for now that's all they needed to know. 

[killed-by-jane-volturi]

Cause someone has to fill the huge Volturi void, right?

An extract of the start of who knows what, y’all.

****Jane (and Alec) are aged up to 20 because S*eyer is a gateway pedo and she does not pass the fuckin’ vibe check****

---

@greekmuser

----

“Well, I think that was wonderful. That was wonderful, don’t you agree?” Aro clasped his hands and turned to each of his brothers in delight.

Marcus nodded deeply and slowly, his face not moving from its sunken blood-hound like melancholy. Caius smiled thinly. 

This human did indeed have a wonderful handle of the violin trembling against her shoulder, but Aro had been at this for eight days. In a bid to add to his ‘collection’ of art, Aro had decided to reach out to those few hopeful humans who stayed under the Volturi’s employ in search of any with a talent with instruments. Once he acquired a full quartet, orchestra, or god knows what he had his heart set on, he would grant them the immortality they craved in exchange for their eternal service as the castle’s musicians.

No one dared voice how ridiculous a waste of effort it seemed, even when Aro declared he wanted to hear for himself each and every audition, and dragged his brothers into the newly repaired turret room for the occasion.

The young woman with the violin bowed deeply, awkwardly, and then left, only to be replaced by another. This one carried a cello, and froze to her core once she gathered the courage to look at her spectators. 

“Whilst we’re still young.” Marcus droned in an unchanging, deadened tone.

Caius’ snort at the humour was childish and Aro glared across the room at him before regaining his whimsical, cheerful facade. 

“Go ahead.”

The woman wetted her lips and tried to smile, drawing the bow to the strings. Aro thought she looked like very much like she was in pain. 

As the thought crossed his mind, the sound of an enraged scream split through the marble and mortar of the castle walls with such a blood-curdling quality the cello woman almost fainted. 

Aro closed his eyes in annoyance, Marcus rolled his tortured gaze on the ceiling and Caius gave the side of Aro’s head a look which could have said ‘rather you than me’ as much as it could have meant ‘I told you so’. 

“Excuse me.” Aro said with a sickly sugariness, lips peeled back in a shark smile as a muffled crashing sound resounded from above.

He left the judging to his brothers with a heavy heart, and hoped they would at least allow her to play before they killed her. 

Jane’s chambers, of which had been hers and hers alone for over twelve hundred years, were now more of a salvage operation than a rescue mission. She stood still in the rubble of the furniture, of her few possessions and in places, the stonework of the walls, with her back to the door and an antagonised aura about her. Chalky dust still swirled in the air, and smears of powdered granite peppered with splinters decorated her black robes in calico patches. Aro cleared his throat from the doorway and she exhaled audibly. 

“Jane.” He prompted, like a school teacher cueing a small child to take their turn. 

“Master.” It was polite but she knew she was pushing it. Aro had asked a question with his presence alone, and this was the second time this week that she hadn’t answered it. She didn’t turn around.

Aro stayed silent for long enough to give away that he was calculating. 

“Your power grants you a great deal of… privacy. Which in turn demands a great deal of transparency,” His voice stayed light and oddly-pitched. “I trust that I still have your… transparency?” His saccharine tone was straining. She was keeping things from him, and no one kept things from him. 

Jane clenched and unclenched her jaw, still rigid. It wouldn’t be long before he worked this out, she knew Caius was already whispering in his ear at every opportunity. She turned very slowly to look at him, and Aro’s features scrunched a little at what he was confronted with. Jane’s face was calm, but there was a crack running along her cheekbone which was healing very slowly, if it was healing at all. Her eyes were flushed black. However long it had been since Jane had drank, it was long enough halt her natural abilities to heal almost to a stop. 

She nodded once, knowing better than to speak and risk her words being seized and used against her. 

“I do not wish to have to force you to behave appropriately, Jane.” He added with some finality, the threat seeping into his voice. “The Guard do not have personal issues.” He left. 

Jane’s shoulders relaxed a little and she glanced towards a god she didn’t believe in before looking around at the room she had destroyed. She swore. She hadn’t succumbed to such a blind rage in centuries, but she didn’t know any other way to handle this new complication. 

“Dear me.” 

Jane’s head snapped around to regard the new intrusion into what was already a poor day. She growled lowly, fists tightening under her cloak as she felt Chelsea’s thin influence coil around her. 

“Temper, temper, Jane.” Chelsea’s pale brown hair was wrapped into a bun that made her sharp features look as though they had been created by the taught pressure alone. She kept a cold, vindictive twist to her thin lips as she surveyed the room. 

“Didn’t your dirty peasant mother ever teach you that it’s unbecoming of a lady to throw tantrums?”

Anger simmered under the surface as Jane battled to school her face. In her eyes, Chelsea, for what she could do, was an abomination that should have been destroyed long ago, and the fact that Aro refused to listen to her on the subject gave the manipulator a kind of insufferable glee that goaded Jane to her very soul. 

“If you’d like to see a tantrum, Charmion, by all means; carry on.” 

Jane lifted her jaw and with some satisfaction saw the other woman hesitate, eyes flicking down and back up again as if somehow surveying a threat she couldn’t see. The eldest of Aro’s daughters despised people calling her by her birth name and anyone else would have paid for their insolence with a hard dose of Chelsea’s most brutal destruction, losing their friends, lovers, even pets on occasion. But Jane’s power was volatile and chaotic in her veins and no vampire so far had been able touch her mind without being brought to their knees in indescribable agony. 

In fact, the last time a vampire had gone head to head with Jane’s natural defences— a white-blonde Parisian vampire named Lafayette with an affinity to cause long lasting amnesia— he had simply tried, screaming and straining until he expired. Aro had ordered him killed once it became apparent that the force of what Jane had unwittingly done to him had left him barely able to speak let alone serve. The inner circle had accepted this handicap to their absolute power out of necessity to keep Jane close, but Chelsea had never been able to let it go that Jane went unaffected and unchecked, her mental privacy so absolute. 

“Always such an angry little thing,” Chelsea mocked, smirking around at the carnage. “You know, I really thought our time apart would have calmed you down.” Her abilities poked at Jane a second time, just slight enough to be safe.

Late one afternoon in 1740-something, Chelsea had almost died by Jane’s hand when it had accidentally slipped that the older vampire could delicately manipulate Jane’s relationships without torturing herself, though it took a skilful, butterfly application, excruciatingly slow and insidious to evade Jane’s detection and defences, with an end result was pathetic at best. Aro had ordered them apart for ninety years after the fight had been subdued, favouritism Chelsea had branded it when she had heard Jane had survived the transgression (sure as hell nobody else would have), and once they did come back into contact almost a century later the bad blood had only run cold. Her application of it now was just blatant provocation. 

“I’ll be calm as I take a long nap at your overdue wake.” 

Chelsea sneered suddenly. “Please. I know as well as you do that you’re stomping that foot on ice far too thin to risk adding any bite to your bark.”

It was Jane’s turn to laugh. “You have the natural edge when it comes to barking, Chelsea.” 

“Jane.” Alec’s sharp voice cut off the rage her comment had invoked in her antagoniser as he strode past them without halting. “Marcus demands your presence. Now.”  

Jane gritted her teeth again and Chelsea was already back to her smug default. 

“Oops.” She feigned Aro’s sugar with one hand over her mouth as she followed Alec away, knowing damned fine and happily so that Jane was probably in trouble if Marcus wanted her so suddenly. 

[clouds-rambles]

Amnesia Anon. #6 is up and marks halfway done. This time, it's just cute stuff happening and a bit of Jean/Venti bonding. Tell me if I just gave myself toothache or if it really is cute. I mean, I'm biased ;-P

oooo! it's that time of the week!!!

you can read it here!

okay but crying over domestic venti rn

also the weaving of the god of time plot is really cool. I wonder what'll happen when Cael sees these places, for him I hope good things

I love the fact that Jean has basically just become the older sister to a handful of people of mond and her charm obviously doesn't stop for Venti. It's really sweet

Also seeing Venti's insecurities was also kind of nice? Idk if that's the right word, but I feel like that's the first time he's ever really spoken about his feelings regarding that subject. I can see the guilt of that resting on Venti's shoulders. But having someone to comfort him for once about it must have been nice for him

honestly though it was overall a really cute chapter, I loved it

Amnesia anon hits it out the park again because they're so good <333

[bigskydreaming]

Dick is abused by Bruce in canon.

Fandom: ...yeah but not really though, I mean its not like the times with Jason or Tim, now you wanna talk abusive, let’s talk about those....

Dick dies in canon.

Fandom: ...yeah but not really though, I mean it was only for a couple of minutes, its not like the times with Jason or Damian, now you wanna talk death trauma, let’s talk about those.....

Dick was fired as Robin after being shot, with Bruce taking away the name and mantle he’d created to honor his first family.

Fandom: ....yeah, not really though. I mean, its not like that time with Jason replaced by Tim or Tim replaced by Damian, and c’mon, the being fired thing is really only a retcon that didn’t even need to happen, now you wanna talk being fired or replaced or wronged, let’s talk about those....

Dick grows up being subjected to constant racism and classism from Gotham’s upper class.

Fandom: ....eh, still seems like a spoiled rich kid to me. I mean its not like as bad as Jason had it, now you wanna talk tough time growing up with Bruce, let’s talk about him....

Dick is shot in the head and gets amnesia.

Fandom: ...yeah, but not really digging his personality changes, tbh....

Dick is brainwashed and psychologically manipulated and controlled.

Fandom: ....okay but did he have to be such an asshole about it though?

Dick is lost and grieving when believing his father dead, and forced to shoulder impossible burdens and expectations with no clear solution and usually with conflicting expectations heaped on him by multiple different parties he feels responsible for.

Fandom: .....okay but Tim was more hurt and grieving and also why didn’t Dick believe him tho.....

Dick has lost countless friends who’ve died over the years, not all of whom have been brought back to life some way or another.

Fandom: .....I mean, who hasn’t, am I right?

Dick watched his parents die right in front of him.

Fandom: ....okay but at least he had parents who loved him, Jason and Tim and Cass didn’t even have that much!

Dick was thrown into juvie by the very system that was supposed to protect him.

Fandom: ....sure, if you wanna insist on going with the one super angsty take that tbh doesn’t seem all that believable, compared to his siblings’ super realism based origins....

Dick was kicked out or driven away by Bruce at multiple times, in multiple continuities.

Fandom: ....sure, if you wanna insist on going with the two or three super angsty takes on years worth of continuity, but gotta say, seems like you just got a hard on for the dude suffering....

Dick spent months passively suicidal, eventually getting more and more reckless and seemingly with a death wish.

Fandom: ....okay but its like his dad said when dishing out the tough love, he lost sight of the value of his own life and wtf dude, that’s not cool.

Dick saw his circus burned down, everyone in his apartment building killed, a woman shot in the head just for sitting across from him, all simply because these innocent people crossed his path, and him feeling guilty and responsible for each of their deaths because of this.

Fandom: ...yeah but wasn’t it kinda a little bit his fault? I mean, if he didn’t exist, they wouldn’t have died, y’know?

Dick found out that his direct ancestor is an undead assassin for a secret society intent on ruling Gotham from the shadows, and that he was intended by them to be another of their tools since before he was even born, and the circus he loves and remembers fondly from growing up there was complicit in the conspiracy to force him into a life of servitude to the Court of Owls as their personal assassin.

Fandom: ....ugh I just hate how everyone always makes a big deal about Dick Grayson, like he’s gotta be the most special ever, eww.

Dick was battered and guilt tripped by his father into going undercover away from his family for a year immediately following his death and revival, with the rest of his family believing him dead and blaming him for this upon his return.

Fandom: ....like we’re supposed to feel bad for a guy who faked his death and made his family all mourn him while he was off playing James Bond? Pfft.

Dick has lost siblings at various points and grieved for them over extended periods, being extremely affected by their deaths.

Fandom: ...umm, he literally hated Jason though, according to the fact that we said so, and yeah he was sad about Damian dying but then he faked his death so we had to stop caring because fuck that guy.

Dick has struggled with abandonment issues, fear of disappointing Bruce and other related issues, such as his own ongoing battle with people trying to make him into a killer and his own repeated struggle with whether or not he believes its never justified, such as when he killed the Joker.

Fandom: ....that didn’t count, though.

Dick was tortured on multiple occasions, almost to the point of death.

Fandom: ...source?

Dick was left to fend for himself in multiple instances where he’d been there for his family in similar situations.

Fandom: .....mmmm, sounds fake.

Dick was estranged from Bruce for years after being fired, and again after Jason died, with Bruce never reaching out or apologizing in either instance and their estrangement only ending when Dick extended the olive branch and came back.

Fandom: ...oh boohoo. Drama queen.

Dick had to find out from the news that Bruce adopted another kid and also gave him Dick’s mantle, as well as find out from computer files that his brother died, because Bruce never deemed it necessary to inform him of any of these things.

Fandom: ...jeez Dick, sometimes, things aren’t about you. What a narcissist.

Dick’s entire city is blown up by supervillains.

Fandom: .....uh, pretty sure we’d remember that happening.

Dick’s subjected to constant sexual harassment by Dr. Netz while working for Spyral.

Fandom: ....didn’t see it. Sorry. Was busy laughing at Dr. Netz’s jokes about sexually harassing Dick. Look, they were funny, okay?

Dick was raped, not once but twice.

Fandom: .....ALRIGHT! NOW we’re talking! Tell me more, I mean, fuck, that’s so sad and tragic, I wanna know all the details. Who was it, why did they do it, how many times, did Jason kill them like the good brother he is or was it traumatizing for Tim and Damian to learn that the brother they looked up to was subjected to something like this? DETAILS, MAN, DETAILS.

Dick is frequently written as the focal point of fics wherein a villain graphically rapes him in addition to the rapes he endured in canon, but in far more specific and traumatizing ways and with the vast majority of fics having this villain be male and in a vast majority of those fics, the rapes rendered in ways that are sexually gratifying and titillating even in scenes emphasizing the emotional devastation the actual actions inflict on Dick.

Fandom: ....not sure I see the issue, bro.

Me: One of these things is not like the others.

Fandom: ....still not seeing it.

Me: Its almost like there’s only one specific kind of trauma many of you are willing to consider Dick an actual victim for suffering.... 

Fandom: ....okay but its not our fault literally none of the other things count.

Me: .....and the way many people write this specific kind of trauma being inflicted on him in particular, lends the impression that even here its still not about sympathizing with him so much as enjoying the acts inflicted on him and the emotional distress they cause him.

Fandom: ....nah. LOL.

[theartofbeinganeldar]

The Art of Being an Eldar: Legolas x Reader Chapter 2

Summary: You're a fantasy-loving, LARPing human from this world, who's the black sheep of society because of your obsession for the unreal and alienation of what's real. When you're in the middle of a LARP battle with some pretty phony boars, you fall out of a tree and bust your head. You wake up, alone, and are suddenly attacked by some very pissed-off, very real wargs. Without any idea of how you got there, you got dropped into Middle-Earth, with only bits and pieces of memories of Tolkien's masterpiece, though your recollection of everything else is perfectly clear. And of all places in Middle-Earth, you got dropped into Mirkwood, with some suspicious, potentially hostile, Woodland Elves...

Chapter No.: Chapter 1

Key: [Y/N]=Your Name [F/N]= Friend's Name [B/N]= Bro's Name [S/N]= Sis's Name [M/N]= Mom's Name [e/c]= eye color [h/c]= hair color [s/c]= skin color

Notes: Listen to Medieval Pagan Music, Runestones when reading this chapter.

Warnings: Fluff, angst, graphic depictions of gore and violence (Cuz of orc battles y'know?), more angst, slow burn, some light depression in the first few chapters, some amnesia about Middle-Earth because the Valar say you're not supposed to have foresight, hard-core language, feels, lots and lots of feels, mentions of NSFW content, maybe some eventual NSFW content, LGTBQ+ characters, Thranduil being a jackass at first because he's fabulous, Legolas being a hot edgy prince that nobody can handle, Kili being an innocent bean, Hobbits being smol innocent beans, except for Bilbo 'cause he's been through some tough shit, Bard being dad of the year, Thorin being one dumbass boi, awesome dragons, awesome Nazgul, awesome scenery, awesome stuff in general, Elrond isn't listened to by anybody, confused Aragorn is confused,  Denethor's a bitch as always, Boromir lives, brace yourself for creepy as fuck Cream of Worm Tongue Grima Wormtongue, Gandalf. (yes these are all legit warnings don't judge me)

Pairings/Ships: Legolas x Reader, Legolas x you, Aragorn x Arwen, Faramir x Eowyn, Thranduil x Elvenqueen, Galadriel x Celery Celeborn, Boromir x OC, Thorin x OC, Fili x OC, etc. general LoTR standard shippings plus some of my own cuz I can't stand my boys being lonely

Word Count: I try to keep my chapters short, under 2000 words.

Rating: Teen (14+) for now

When I said I hated reality, I didn't mean I wanted to be ripped from it without my family.

How they'd healed you so efficiently was beyond your comprehension, and nobody came to visit you. You couldn't bring yourself to eat much of what they brought you. To think you'd finally gotten your wish, you'd finally, somehow gotten sucked into some alternate reality where fiction was fact and what you'd known and lived in for your entire life was nonexistent... It was amazing. Surreal.

But you couldn't stay here. Not without your family. Not without your mom, not without [B/N], not without [S/N]. [F/N]... You wished you could've at least said goodbye to him. Life without the only people you'd ever had seemed unreal, incomprehensible, and too nightmarish. Too... Alone. You couldn't lose them.

For hours, you waited, pacing the ten-by-ten cell furiously. You had to find some way to get out, some way to find whatever portal you'd triggered... A sound at the barred door made you freeze in place, whipping around like a meerkat. It was Blue-Eyes, and some of his guards, one of which was unlocking the door. "Are you letting me go?"

Blue-Eyes stared at you as if trying to figure out whether or not you were desperate or stupid. Finally, he shook his head, probably deciding it was most likely both in your case. Well, screw him. "My father wishes to see you."

You glanced to each of the guards that came to grip either of your arms. "Is that... Bad?"

Blue-Eyes smirked. "It depends on his mood."

You glared at him as the other two Elves ushered you out of the door, onto the precariously thin ledge just outside of the cell. "You're trying to freak me out, aren't you?"

Blue-Eyes didn't answer, but took up the rear of the procession. They lead you to a platform overlooking all of the mazelike bridge-sets of the dungeons, and opened a pair of elaborately crafted doors. You balked, your jaw fell, your eyes widened as far as they'd go, stunned by the view.

The building you'd thought was surrounded by trees? It was a palace-city, which stretched back from the front wall as far as you could see. And it was made entirely of trees. Bridges of wood, twisting trunks, curling pillars of wood holding up a vaultrf ceiling which opened up to the orange-gold canopy, and beyond, the cloudless blue sky. Huge, arched windows with stained glass of amber filled the front wall, framed in wood, every few dozen feet, letting in a golden light that made the entire place seem more surreal than it already was. Leaves fell too slowly here, as if afraid that touching the ground would destroy their fabulousness. Elves inhabited every floor, sailing gracefully around like gorgeous swans that glared down at the sudden ugly duckling in their midst.

You felt tiny.

"This is your home?" You breathed in amazement, going where the guards took you on autopilot as you drank in the magnificent sight. "It's bigger than the town I live in!"

"This is just a small portion of it," Blue-Eyes had a hint of pride in his voice. You glanced over your shoulder to see him taking in the view with a faint smile on his face. "This part is my father's palace. Only nobles and militia reside here."

"It's beautiful..." You surveyed the palace in awe. I'm here. I'm really here! This is where I'm supposed to be! "Do you all have different floors? Is it flameproof? What happens if there's a forest fire? Can you even get forest fires here?"

"Why would you like to know?" Blue-Eyes demanded sharply, all kindness gone just as suddenly as it'd arrived, replaced with obvious suspicion and disdain.

You sighed, and dropped the subject. You wouldn't be finding anything out about this place today. The guards lead you up a short flight of stairs, which stopped at a huge circular pavilion, lined with a different type of guard in silver armor and navy-blue masks covering their lower faces. They stood almost impossibly still, and each carried a deadly spear.

More stairs, curving upward from each side of the pavilion, lead to a massive throne of carved wood. A regal Elf lounged on it, holding a curled wooden staff. He wore silver robes lined on the inside with a deep crimson, and a crown of thin branches styled like an elk's antlers --or maybe a thornbush-- sat atop his head of snow-white hair. Piercing blue eyes watched you from underneath strangely dark (And thick.) brows, but his catlike face was drawn into an unreadable expression.

Blue-Eyes stepped before you and the guards, and put his right arm over his chest, fist resting over his heart, as he bowed at the waist. "My king, we have brought the prisoner."

Inwardly, you winced. What kind of father forced his son to call him 'my king'?

The Elvenking flicked his fingers toward the guards on either side of you. "Leave us."

As they left with barely a clink of armor, Blue-Eyes grabbed you roughly by the shoulder, forcing you to your knees. His grip was like iron. He leaned down to snarl in your ear, "Show respect. His majesty has shown you a great kindness in allowing you to live."

Aw, fuck. You forgot that these guys had healed you. If Lord Fabulous over there had decided that by even so much as breathing near his lands you didn't deserve for your wounds to be healed, you'd be dead right now. "O-oh..." You quickly fixed your position, and even bowed your head with an arm over your chest, like Blue-Eyes had done. "Sorry..."

"My son tells me he found you trying to escape from warg-bound orcs on our northern border," Elvenking drawled slowly. Wargs... Those big dogs... Why does that sound familiar? Were they in a book? Mythology? A game? You couldn't remember, and Elvenking didn't give you time to. "You were found near-death, and without any apparent recollection of how you came to be there. Is that correct?"

You weren't sure how to adress him. "Yes, sir. My lord. Your majesty. I'm sorry."

Elvenking continued. "Would you like to elaborate on what you do remember?"

His tone wasn't kind. It was "Tell me bitch or I will throw you off into the chasms below."

And there were lots of chasms.

"You won't believe me," You started, and risked a glance; Blue-Eyes and Elvenking watched you warily. You could easily say you were from this world, but you didn't know anything about it. You couldn't lie believably. And even if you could, Elves can sense lies. You figured you'd get some extra points if you were totally honest. "But I'll tell you anyway." So you started out with your explanation of coming from a place called Earth, and that you'd been having a battle against some pretty fake boars played by unconvincing actors in Live Action Roleplay, when you'd fallen out of a tree, banged yourself up, and knocked yourself out. You then proceeded to explain about the big dogs and the orcs.

Elvenking lifted his chin slightly for the sole purpose of glowering at you. "Tell me more of this... Earth." You told him all you could. About cars and trains and jets and phones, then on to TVs and movies, and the huge skyscrapers, and how modern slang was different from what it had been, and how where you came from, Elves and orcs and dragons were all part of a genre known as fantasy. You even tried, for a brief period of time, to explain the subject of eMail and social sites like Tumblr and Twitter, but you gave up at their odd looks as they tried to comprehend the concept. You told them about all seven continents, presidents, world leaders, endless wars, hunger, trashing the planet and all other shit that was wrong with Earth.

You could've been there for hours explaining it all. When you were finished, Elvenking regarded you like he'd just came to the conclusion that you just weren't normal. "It seems, [Y/N], that your world is poisoned."

"It is!" You agreed excitedly. "Nobody cares about it anymore! It's why I grew up to be so... Un-normal, by my world's standards."

"I see..." Elvenking blinked slowly. "Then you are, since you are a spawn of this Earth, equal poison to this world, are you not?"

All the blood drained from your face. "What?"

He looked to Blue-Eyes. "Kill them."

Blue-Eyes gripped you by the back of the head, and your hands flew to his wrist as he yanked your head back. With a flourish, he drew one of his ivory-handled knives and pressed it to your throat. "Wait!" You screamed, and Elvenking raised a hand.

"Last words?" Blue-Eyes sneered.

"I don't know where I am," You choked out quickly; the cool steel of the blade was digging into your neck, cutting a fine line. "I don't know how I got here, but usually when stuff like this happens in movies, there's always a portal. Let me find it-- send an escort if you want! Take me back to where you found me, and I'll find the portal and go home. You'll never see me again!"

Elvenking dropped his hand, and your heart jumped, expecting your head to go with it. "Do you really think that is wise? I sense no dishonesty from you, but you could very well be a spy from your world, which seems so intent on conquering and destroying peace. I will not let this world, much less my own land, fall prey to yours."

"I won't tell anyone about you, or this place, I promise! I don't even know where this is!" Tears of frustration pricked the corners of your eyes. "I'm not a damn spy! I don't even know how I got here! Give me a couple of days to find the portal. Then I'll leave. What if there was a way for you to know I'll keep my word? Like a blood-oath, or something!"

"And if asked where you had gone?" Blue-Eyes countered, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'll tell them I went to Narnia, dammit! They never take me seriously anyway!" Your eyes widened. "This isn't Narnia, is it? Narnia didn't have Elves!"

"No, this is not... Narnia." Elvenking replied. "And you will not know the name of this land. You have three days to find your portal. You will be accompanied by a small assembly of my best warriors. If you do not find the door to your world within the given three days... I will give the order to kill you."

You swallowed hard. The steel dragged across your throat painfully. "Th-that sounds fair." It didn't, but, you just rolled with it.

"Legolas, you will go with them," Elvenking said; something clicked in your mind. You knew that name... You knew that name. But... Why?

Blue-Eyes-- Legolas-- nodded and finally removed the blade from your throat. Lord Fabulous inclined his head once, and you vaguely thanked him, too concerned with how you knew Blue-Eyes's name. He kept a tight, painful grip on your arm, actually digging his fingers in until you were pretty sure he cut off most of your circulation.

When you reached your cell, he thrust you in roughly, making you stumble forward. You whipped around to glare at him. "Could you be careful, Blue-Eyes?"

He paused in locking the door. Confused, he brought his sapphire eyes to meet your [e/c] ones. "What did you just call me?"

"Blue-Eyes," You suddenly felt a little embarassed about picking a nickname for him. Shit, you'd never let that bother you before. He could screw off. "I didn't know your name until a few minutes ago, so... I just picked something to call you."

He raised an eyebrow incredulously. "And you chose to call me after my eyes." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

You flushed a little, glancing to the side with only your eyes nervously, then back to him. "Uh... Yeah. That's pretty much it."

He rolled his eyes and walked away. Before you even realized what you were doing, you'd ran to the bars and grabbed hold of them, pressing your cheek up against them to watch him walk away. "Blue-Eyes!" He stopped, but didn't turn around. "Your name... Legolas. I think I've heard it before."

He turned his head slightly, like he might be interested, but your hopes fell through the floor when he just continued walking. You immediately wished you'd've said something to get his attention, so he'd come talk to you. Like, Hey, I'm really a spy for Earth, MWAHAHAHAHAHA.

Ok, maybe not that drastic...

But you did wish he'd stayed to talk to you. Even if he'd tried to kill you. Legolas... You slid down the bars, sitting on the floor. Your knees came up to your chest of their own accord. Legolas... What do your Elf eyes see? You knew that you knew his name, but where did you know it from?

They're taking...

Aw, damn. It was right on the tip of your brain. Lord Fabulous looked really familiar, too. He reminded you of Ronan the Accuser from Marvel. Why couldn't you remember? Was it a side-effect of being tossed to another reality? What else did you not remember...?

You sat there for hours, until one of the guards brought you some food. You picked at the meal, as a tune got stuck in your head that you couldn't quite place...

Home is behind...

The world ahead...

Here, the song fizzed out like a radio signal, then you got another bit of it...

All shall fade..

All shall...

...Fade...

~ominous time skip~

You, Blue-Eyes, and a team of Elvish warriors like the ones who'd helped you escape the dogs and orcs set out at dawn, which was way too early for someone used to getting up at noon most of the time. All the Elves showed off their glowy perfect selves by leaping gracefully to pebble to pebble like the regal shits they were, including Blue-Eyes.

Actually, scratch that. Blue-Eyes was the fucking king of being a show-off.

They moved fast, and you were surprisingly able to keep up with them. Not one of the Elves wanted to speak to you; they seemed to consider you an abomination.

You kinda seen what they were getting at, though. You were still in your bright white, blue, and black sci-fi Elf outfit from yesterday, complete with the latex ears and bright blue faux-hawk, which had become much less faux-hawk-y after sleep. You were covered in dried blood, dirt, and parts of your outfit were ripped. You'd tried to clean up as best as you could when you were woken up by using the water from the cup you'd been given to scrub your face and arms with the stunningly clean sheets on your cot.

In other words, you stuck out like a bright blue flower in a field of dark grass. You didn't know the way back to the river, so most of the Elves surrounded you discreetly while Blue-Eyes took the lead. Every one of them had a bow or sword or knife out and ready, so one wrong sniff and you were dead.

You traveled for about an hour before anyone spoke. It was Blue-Eyes, to your surprise. "Why is your hair blue?"

"Huh?" Of all possible questions, that one hadn't been expected. Though, that was kind of dumb of you, to just assume they wouldn't eventually wonder if everybody from your world had crazy hair colors.

"Your hair," Blue-Eyes specified, sounding condescending, like his hair was much better than yours because it was long and perfect and almost white. "Why is it blue?"

"Oh," You cleared your throat. "It's dye. My real color is [h/c]. Lots of people do it where I come from. You can dye it a natural color, or an unnatural color, like so. Some keep their natural color and just add streaks that aren't their natural colors. Some dye their full hair, like me, for the sole purpose of cosplay--uh, dressing up as made-up characters for events--and others dye it just for fun. Or to stand out, I guess. But I wouldn't advise it. It ruins your hair. I just don't care, though."

"Why would anyone want to do that?" One Elf asked in horror, then sneered at you. "I suppose those of your world simply do not appreciate the naturalities of the body."

You shrugged. You should see the LGTBQ+ community... But you didn't feel like explaining any of that to these people right now. Especially when they obviously looked down on stuff like that.

"And what character are you meant to be?" Blue-Eyes asked in a challenging tone.

You flushed. "... A sci-fi Elf."

"...Sci-Fi?" A different Elf asked. "What is that?"

"Science fiction," You specified. "Basically, I'm supposed to be an Elf from another planet. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Is that why you have pointed ears?" Blue-Eyes questioned, and you nodded.

"Yeah. They're latex-- a kind of rubber. Wait, do you even have rubber here?" You waved a hand. "Nevermind. They can come off pretty easily, though. Speaking of which, I'd better take them off before they cause damage..." You reached up to one of your ears, despite the looks the Elves gave you.

Blue-Eyes stopped for a minute, halting the whole group. He looked at you like you were crazy. "Whyever would you put something on your body that could cause damage?"

You blinked. "That is a very good question, Blue-Eyes, and one I don't exactly have an answer for. Almost everybody does it at some point." You felt for the flap of latex, but you couldn't find it. Hell, you couldn't even find the edge of the prosthetic. "Oh shit..." You breathed.

"What is it?" Legolas huffed, and turned around impatiently.

Your eyes widened; you couldn't let them think you were panicking, but, well, you were, and shortly after, you did. "I-I can't get it off."

Blue-Eyes's brow furrowed. "Will it cause permanent damage if they are not removed?"

"Maybe? Yes? My skin goes red and itchy and starts to swell up if I touch latex for too long, so, I'm gonna go with a definitely on this one. Just keep walking. I should have them off by the time we get to the river."

But you didn't. There was no flap, no edge of the latex. If it weren't for the fact that you did put latex ears on, you wouldn't have known you had latex ears on. A suspicion grew in your core, so you grabbed hold of the pointed tip, and pinched down with your nails hard and fast. "Ow!"

Every Elf turned to look at you as you pulled your hand away. Some blood was on the tips of your fingers. "Why, in the name of the Valar, would you hurt yourself?" Legolas sighed like a parent lecturing a child, but you were staring at your fingertips in shock. Valar...

"I'm an Elf..."

"I beg your pardon?" Apparently the mere thought of being the same race as you was too much for Blue-Eyes to handle. It was fucking offensive.

"I'm an Elf!" You shouted, and snatched your hand to your chest. "The ears won't come off! They bled and hurt when I pinched them! I'm a damn Elf! When I fell through that portal, I was a normal human! Now I'm an Elf! I don't know whether I should be freaking out or excited!"

Legolas rolled his eyes. "It won't be permanent. Obviously, here you're an Elf. There, you're not. When we get you through the portal, you'll be a human again."

"But..." I don't want to be human... Yet, you were also trying desperately to get back to your family, on pain of death and loss of cool fantasy land. If only you'd wake up to learn you were in some kind of damn coma...

You waved your hands. "Ok. Alright, fine. Is this where you found me?"

Legolas gestured to a particular rock. "The exact spot. Do you think you could find your way from here?"

You smirked; you'd always been good at knowing your way. "Please. I was born with an innate sense of direction. Now how the fuck do we get over this damn river?"

Legolas grinned. "You're an eldar now, aren't you? See if you can get across it yourself." Eldar... That had to mean an Elf of some sort, right?

You stared him down for a second, hands on your hips. He smirked cockily back, pure smugness on his expression. "Ok. Sure. What's life without risk?"

So you took a deep breath, and headed for the opposite bank.

You and your siblings had this special hiking trail in a park, and on this trail was a creek slash pond area. Several of them. You'd always cross the creek carefully, each step placed just so, and quietly, too, so that you could see the frogs-- it was a frog hunt without actually killing said frogs. The exercise gave you all good balance and a know-how for shit not that rock.

But this river was much different than the creek back home. It was clear, and clean, and strong as fuck, so one wrong move and you'd be whooshed away, with Blue-Eyes giving Lord Fabulous the excuse of "Oh they died in the river tragically oops..."

The rocks were unstable. The river swelled over them every so often to make them slippery. Your rubber boots were less than zero help. But you were an Elf now, right? So that had to make you unfairly agile. You took another deep inhale, then took what you hoped was a graceful leaping step, only for you to slip and nearly bust your ass. Elvish powers have to be learned. Noted.

When you finally got to the other side of the bank, you were stiff, and your heart was pounding. Behind you, the Elves sneered and jeered and all kinds of other "eers". You whipped around, and flipped them off. They looked somewhere between shocked, offended, and terrified. You realized they might not know the symbolism of it, and might think you were cursing them. When they reached you, Blue-Eyes was the first to demand what that was all about. "What was that all about?!"

You panicked under pressure. "U-uh... I-it's a minor insult where I come from. Very minor. We use it frequently as a joke among close friends. A friendly insult. Yeah. Sorry. Won't happen again." He totally didn't believe you. So you quickly changed the subject. "O-oh, uh, this way!"

Scenery seen at night was harder to recognize during the day, and vise versa, but you knew you hadn't gone too far up the river when you came across some massive paw prints and scrape marks from where you'd skidded down the bank. Another bonus clue was the scrap of bright blue fabric, from your skirt/tunic thing, hanging precariously from a branch.

It took you the better part of an hour to find the tree you'd woken up at. "Okay, this it it."

"Are you certain?" Blue-Eyes asked you.

"Wait." You laid down, and yep, everything was the same, except in daylight. Legolas frowned at you as you stood, probably ashamed to even breathe the same air as you. "Yeah, this is it."

Blue-Eyes ordered something in Elvish, jerking his head. The Elves immediately set about making camp. "So, in your world, you fell from the highest branches of an oak, yes?"

"Yep, breaking several things in the process."

"And you lost consciousness after you hit the forest floor?"

"Yep."

Legolas hummed and looked up into the canopy. "Then by all means... The portal should be where you laid."

You glanced down at your feet before bouncing up and down a little. "Nope. Nothing."

Legolas huffed. "You may have to try climbing this tree and falling into this spot."

A deranged laugh escaped your throat, which you quickly stifled. "I'm sorry, but are you crazy? What if I die? We don't have the same healing stuff as you guys unless you can pay for it up front, and I'm very poor. So is all of my family. We can't afford that shit. So if I die, what's the point in going back?"

Legolas glared at you. "I didn't mean from very high. Just high enough to hopefully send you through, but not high enough to kill you. Your healers will mend broken bones, will they not?"

You scoffed dejectedly. "Yeah, but for a pretty hefty bill..." You threw your hands up. "Whatever. I'll die anyway if I don't try. Might as well." With Legolas watching you carefully to make sure you didn't try to jump from tree to tree, you started to climb.

Was it really only yesterday that you'd been having a fun, standard LARPing day with your family and [F/N]? The real world seemed like fantasy, now. This felt real. This felt like where you should be. But if your family weren't here, you wouldn't be able to enjoy it. You'd always feel as if you abandoned them. You wondered, did time pass differently? Did it go faster there, and slower here? Or was it the other way around? Would you find the portal, and return to the real world to find your family long gone and the year a thousand into the future? Then you'd wish you'd never left this place. Or would you find not a moment had passed, and to them, it was still the terrifying moment of not knowing if you were dead or alive, to find you unharmed? Would you then be able to convince them to fall through, even on the chance that the portal could only be used a handful of times, and if it did work, would a millenia had passed here? Even Blue-Eyes would've aged by that point, however slightly.

Once you'd reached a suitable height, you braced yourself against the trunk. "How's this?"

Legolas nodded. "Fine. Jump when you're ready.”

You took a minute... Ah... Better get this over with. One does not simply... Damn, what was that meme? "Ok, ready when you are."

Legolas stepped back, and waited; you hesitated, then jumped, and you felt deja vu as you barreled toward the ground, landing flat on your back. The impact knocked the wind out of you, and you felt a painful snap in your right ribcage. You kept your eyes closed; you heard nothing aside from the birds in the trees. You hoped, then hoped some more, expecting at any moment to hear the frantic footfalls of your family rushing to help you...

"Well, I see I was entirely wrong on the matter," Blue-Eyes stated simply, and you frowned. Fuck...

"Ya think? I'm still seeing priss-ass Elves in a goddamn forest that isn't the one I fell in. Fuck you, Blue-Eyes, for having me break a rib for no good damned reason." You glared at him as you tried to sit up, barely making it halfway before Legolas helped you, albeit roughly.

"Watch your tongue," Blue-Eyes snapped. "If it were not for us, you would be dead."

You pursed your lips. "You're gonna kill me anyway just for breathing on your trees, so why didn't you just let me die?"

For a second, Legolas seemed to feel pity for you. "I am sorry. Truly, I am. Perhaps if we fail to locate your way home, I could convince my father to refrain from executing you."

You huffed, wincing as the action hurt your broken-on-some-level ribs. "Why? So I can live the rest of my suddenly immortal life in a dark cell, underground, just for existing? Hell no. I'd rather die."

"Perhaps you could have another use," Legolas offered, and you shook your head.

"Never in my life have I been considered useful." You eyed Blue-Eyes disdainfully. "Ever. By anybody. If you can find a place for somebody like me that doesn't involve imprisonment, fine. But I won't be able to live with myself if I can't find a way back to Earth. I need my family. They're all I ever had."

Legolas knelt beside you. "You... Seem to be very close with them. You love this..." He looked off into the trees, searching for the word. "...Life, so much, and have wished for it for so long, but you'd give it up, to be with them in a world that does not want you... You have a brave heart."

You took the compliment. "Thanks. Now let's find this damn portal, shall we? I've got a couple more ribs to bust."

Tag List: @tesserphantom​ @thedragonghostofmordor​

@taurlel​ @hauntedsiriel​

[8stepsoffthebeatenpath]

Extraordinary You Thoughts Ep 1-8 feat. Differences From the Webtoon

Okay, so first things first... I AM LOVING THIS SHOW SO FREAKING MUCH! I love absolutely everything about it! The characters are amazing, Dan Oh is so much fun, I can’t get enough of her. Haru is so beautiful and cute and ahhh. Kyung is such a jerk but he wears it so well??? Plus, knowing he really doesn’t have much choice in the matter helps. Ju Da and Nam Ju’s story is actually so much fun BECAUSE they’re in a Boys Over Flowers remake but our mains are aware of how dumb it is so it’s actually very enjoyable!

I am actually looking forward to watching this one every week, it’s given me my much-needed drama obsession for the next couple of months or so.

It’s VERY different from the webtoon, but I think it kind of works (for me) because of that? Like, I keep looking forward to figuring out what those changes mean. I am excited to see where they lead! But I do want to talk about them for a sec. 

A short disclaimer: when I talk about the “comic” I am actually talking about “Secrets” - the original comic from which Dan Oh comes and lives inside. It’s a romance comic that has its own plot and all the characters of the webtoon are part of it.

When I talk about the webtoon, I am talking about the actual webtoon that you can read, in which Dan Oh is a self-aware comic character trying to change her fate as an extra. 

SPOILERS FOR THE WEBTOON!!

The Set-Up

In the Drama they went for a more “Boys Over Flowers”-esque type of story, with three hot friends who are the highlight of their rich kids' high school, and the one poor girl who transferred in and has the guts to stand up to the leader of them. It has scenes like girls ganging up on her to bully her, the leader saying “don’t touch what’s mine” and being all contrary, the special F4 A3 club room/space that makes you wonder about this school funding and if this is really where it should be going and more familiar hits.

And you know what? I totally get it! It’s a cognetive shortcut. We don’t need anyone to explain to us what’s going on in the Comic Plot because we’ve all been there and done that before, allowing the drama to focus on Dan Oh and her reactions to everything around her. Plus, it allows for some very fun commentary from Dan Oh that proves dramas have come a long way and now recognize how exceptionally dumb and cringy much of what we see in them is. 

I do wonder if they are going to incorporate their original backstories somehow, the same as they are doing with Baek Kyung, because the comic is still named Secrets, and that was a very big part of why. 

Basically, In the Webtoon, you still have three hot friends, but they don’t have their own special area and all of those things. Many of the BOF scenes are not part of this setup. Instead, Ju Da, the main character of the Comic “Secrets” is actually a childhood friend of the comic’s second male lead, Do Hwa. As a child, she went through a horrific experience, which Do Hwa is aware of. She has PTSD and selective amnesia, which means she gets panic attacks from loud sounds and glass shards but has never actually dealt with her trauma because she can’t remember it. She transferred to their school with Nam Joo’s help after her grandmother’s death and has a contract with him that has to do with his secret. They also share a childhood connection. Their relationship is different and more complex than what it is in the drama (so far). Therefore, their interactions are of a different nature than they are in the drama.

Part of what is so great about the webtoon is that it deals with really difficult subjects. The drama so far looks so fluffy and fun in comparison, that I can’t help but wonder how these elements would be incorporated, if at all.

Dan Oh & her Family Life

Webtoon Dan Oh is a much more reserved character than Drama Dan Oh. She is not innocent sweet in her “comic version”, and she is not energetic say-what-comes-to-her-mind in her self aware version, either. She is cool, both in a “she’s so cool!” meaning and “wow, she doesn’t show many emotions” type of way. 

Her parents care mostly about money, and actually, don’t pay her much attention. They use her about the same way Baek Kyung’s asshole dad uses him. They are both alive and in the picture, too.

And, most importantly, she is terminally ill from the get-go and she finds that out in her “character concept” from the comic. So, her actions are in part directed by the unfairness of knowing that the author probably doesn’t even mean for her to survive until the end of the comic. Her story is full of emotions, heartbreak, and hope, and it’s really touching. But she does it all more subtly and quietly than Drama Dan Oh. 

Webtoon Dan Oh is also very much an extra. At least as far as the main comic story is concerned. Yes, she obviously has her scenes with Baek Kyung that give her some more story and relevancy, but in most of the scenes she appears in with regards to Ju Da and Num Joo’s story, she is a one-liner character if at all. She often wonders why the author brought her all the way to the scene just for this. 

Drama Dan Oh is very different, and, look, I ain’t complaining. Drama Dan Oh is all I said Webtoon Dan Oh is not, and that makes sense. In a Webtoon, we have free access to the character's thoughts. Even if she is not as expressive, we know her true thoughts and feelings and so we don’t need that extra energy. A drama doesn’t have that luxury--if we spent all the drama just hearing her thoughts without her really emoting, I don’t think we’d be all that interested. And Drama Dan Oh is so much fun. She is what makes it breezy and funny and refreshing. But that also means her story, so far, is not as poignant and painful. That’s not to say we won’t get there--but for now, it’s lighter and more fun.

As for her family, Drama Dan Oh has a father who would die for her and a loving mother who has already passed away. I kind of feel like thanking the script-writer of the drama for giving Dan Oh something. In the Webtoon, it felt very unfair that the comic writer thought to saddle her not only with a terminal illness and a jerk of a fiance who hates her but also with a greedy, money-hungry family. C’mon, give a girl a break!

Drama Dan Oh is not really an extra, is she? I mean, in the drama, she feels much more like a side character, especially as they made her the “love bridge”, as she calls it, between Ju Da and Nam Joo. It means that she actually appears in many scenes related to Nam Joo and Ju Da. I get that because you do want to give your main character more screen time, but at the same time, it’s a bit weird that she’s considered an extra in this world? 

Haru

boy do I have things to say about this one. Because they gave him so much to do in this? Not that I mind, of course. Haru is beautiful and I am here for him to grace my screen for as long as he possibly can, but it does make me wonder where they are going with it.

In The Webtoon, Haru’s role within Secret really is a nameless extra. He has nothing specific to do, no role in Secret’s story whatsoever. He barely appears on stage and when he does it’s background. His relationship with Dan Oh is so bittersweet because it is filled with waiting and lounging--waiting for scenes in which they both exist, so they can sneak off and be together while the script is running around them. They communicate any way they can, looking forward to the quiet moments they can spend together, alone, away from the cold hand of the author. He only becomes active when it becomes dangerous for Dan Oh, and even then, he needs the help of a main character,  Baek Kyung, to be able to do something.

The drama is taking a different approach, which actually makes me wonder if the Drama is combining Haru with Dried Squid Fairy from the webtoon, what with the questions about flowers and secret places he shouldn’t know about, the cautious way he approaches Dan Oh, and the allusion to historical places. 

Drama Haru actually has a talent that differentiates him--he can draw, and really really well. He appears to have been self-aware long before Dan Oh, which doesn’t necessarily contradict the webtoon, but the fact he appears to have been following her--from afar--for quite a while, is. And why? 

the biggest, most groundbreaking difference... Drama Haru actually appears on stage! With Dan Oh! And Baek Kyung! He is literally becoming a part of Dan Oh’s comic book plot. That... that doesn’t happen in the webtoon! For Baek Kyung to get angry at Haru and Dan Oh for having fun together, and for other people to remember it, is actually extraordinary when you look at it in the context of the webtoon. It means that in this version, things really are changing, and changing drastically. Is Haru actually going to be a love rival for Baek Kyung, not just in the Shadows, but on Stage as well? 

While I don’t mind that idea at all, it changes everything. Like, for real. It changes the idea of fighting your destiny and carving your own, against impossible challenges. It changes the tone and nature of his and Dan Oh’s relationship. It changes the type of heartbreaking scenes we can expect. 

Much excitement, very confuse!

Portals 

in the drama, they exist. 

.

.

.

.

Okay, fine, I’ll write a couple more sentences about them, yeesh. 

Okay, so, what does this mean? Do these portals indicate people can maybe LEAVE this comic book world? If you do, do you go to another comic, or might you actually come out in the Real World? What do these imply, and what can we do with them? I am excited to find out!

Dried Squid Fairy

possibly the dumbest character name to ever appear in a drama, but what can you do.

A little bummed he doesn’t have a bunny companion like in the webtoon, but it’s not like that bunny made sense in the webtoon context, either, so I’m not surprised.

A little bummed he doesn’t have long blond hair, because it was so funny when he pointed out how that hair made NO SENSE for a cafeteria worker. 

I feel like his backstory might have been given to Haru, which is a bit of a bummer. In the Webtoon, he is actually a character from a different comic--a historical one--in which he originally became self-aware to disastrous results. The author loves him so much that she/he has given him more than “one life” in his/her comics, much to his aggravation.

I get the feeling they just want a break, really. 

[nadziejastar]

It's sad that they're trying to make Lea and Isa's duo into a trio by adding Skuld because Skuld is so underdeveloped that she barely counts as a character. All she does is hang out with Ephemer and neglect her friendship with Player. Maybe if she actually did things I'd be able to muster up some excitement over the idea of her becoming friends with my two favorite characters, but with the current situation she could be replaced with a cardboard cutout and no one would notice any difference.

Yes, thank you! This is a huge reason KH3 was such a letdown for me. I’ve heard people say that fans just got themselves too hyped up and their expectations were unrealistic. Nope, that’s not the case with me nor do I think that was the reason for most of the disappointment within the fandom. I wasn’t even overly hyped. KH3 just didn’t accomplish what it was supposed to. But more than anything, the characters were NOT treated with respect. That was my biggest disappointment.

Before KH3 came out, I was actually excited about KH4 and beyond because of the fact that we now have a pretty large group of main characters and they have so much potential. We wouldn’t have to focus on just Sora, Donald, and Goofy anymore. There are so many characters to develop and they all have solid personalities. We have the Destiny Island trio, the Wayfinder trio, the Disney Castle crew, and Lea and Isa. 

I have an attachment to all of them based on all the previous games and all the years they’ve been developed. I wanted to see them interact with each other once Xehanort was defeated and everyone was rescued. Not get dumped in favor of new characters. Of all the characters Lea and Isa could form a relationship with, Skuld is the WORST choice. There are sooo many more interesting characters to focus on. Lea and Isa could grow close to Sora, Riku, Kairi, Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Donald, Goofy, or Mickey! Yet, they’re getting shoved aside for Union X characters that you need to play a mobile game to be familiar with. Skuld wasn’t even included in the Back Cover movie. Even if you played all the KH remasters, you still won’t know who she is!

I’ve actually seen all the cutscenes for Union X and I agree with you wholeheartedly. The characters were inoffensive, but they all had the personality of a wet paper bag. Nomura said Kingdom Hearts X, as it was originally called, was not supposed to have a heavy focus on story. Nothing I saw gave me the impression that characters like Skuld or Ephemer were meant to be anything more than mobile game characters. They were there for the player’s avatar to interact with, to give him/her a voice, since he/she is silent. But they are ancient history and should have perished during the Keyblade War. 

Ehpemer comes from the world ephemeral, meaning “lasting a very short time”. The three Norns are the Goddesses of fate in Norse mythology and are described as deciding the fates of people. Their names are Urd “What Once Was” (Old Norse “Urðr”), Verdandi “What Is Coming into Being” (Old Norse “Verðandi”) and Skuld “What Shall Be” (Old Norse “Skuld”).

My point is that these characters seem more suited as background characters. They are part of the mythology and history of the Keyblade War. They are not on par with the established characters and are not suitable to be the new protagonists. Now they are being teased as the main focus for the upcoming plot arc. I think this was a big mistake on Nomura’s part. Hardly anyone is going to be excited for them. I’m certainly not. I feel like there is very little to look forward to anymore.

You’re right. Skuld has no personality. And to add insult to injury, since she’s Subject X now, Lea and Isa had everything stripped from them in order to prop her up. Skuld isn’t interesting enough to be introduced on her own, so she has to ride on the coattails of Lea and Isa and the human experimentation subplot. This is such bullshit. New characters should NOT come at the expense of old ones. Lea needed a sad backstory as a test subject, and he needed his friendship with Isa to be properly developed so his fight at the Keyblade Graveyard felt emotionally engaging (which it didn’t).

Isa needed to be Subject X to redeem him. Saïx didn’t have much of a “personality”. This was the whole point. He was never likable the way Axel was. He was rude, condescending, cold, and vicious. According to Axel, he showed no human emotion besides sneers and snide remarks. But he was Norted, for crying out loud! Saïx was not meant to be one of the protagonists. Isa was!! They threw away two amazing characters for this flat underdeveloped Union X one. Very foolish and shortsighted. it’s definitely gonna bite them in the ass.

Lea and Isa were always meant to be a duo. For some fans, it seems like only trios are valid, but that’s not true. SRK are Sky, Land, Sea. TAV are Earth, Water, Wind. Well, Lea and Isa are Sun and Moon—complementary opposites. I’ve heard people say that Skuld would be “Stars”. Well, I think Terra, Aqua, and Ven were meant to be the stars. Skuld is redundant and not needed to “complete” Lea and Isa. 

Even in canon, she is a stranger to them. They spoke to her a few times in the shadows and couldn’t even see her face. She had amnesia. They literally knew nothing about her and weren’t sure if she even existed after a while, yet now their whole backstory revolves around her. She doesn’t complement them at all or make them more interesting. She detracts from them.

On the other hand, Isa definitely complemented Lea and made him a more interesting character. That’s why I liked him. He provided Lea with someone to humanize him and to give him a poignant backstory. He gave Lea a goal while becoming a Keyblade wielder. And Isa’s chemistry with Lea was adorable. Isa was sarcastic and brought out a different side of Lea than Roxas and Xion did. They also had an actual history together. They went to school together, ate ice cream, and also played with a dog. Probably played fetch with the frisbee (aww).

Lea was closer to Isa than anyone else—period. I was much, MUCH more excited to see Lea and Isa’s past and their friendship get developed than the potential relationship they have with Skuld get teased. No, I’m not excited for them to be a trio and I’m not excited for Skuld to get in the way of Lea and Isa’s friendship and make it all about her. She seemed like she fit in better with Ephemer anyways. Also, I think Lea and Isa have waaaaay more personality than Skuld. They are both colorful characters with a lot of charm. She can’t hold a candle to them.

Leo Traits

Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac and has the Sun as its ruling celestial body. Bold, intelligent, warm, and courageous, Leo star sign is a natural leader of the Zodiac. Leo is an adventurer, seeking to balance an intense life of social obligations and travel with plenty of downtime to relax and luxuriate. 

A Leo is a typical outgoing and jovial kind of person. He has a big friend circle and likes to boss around. Appreciation and admiration are the two important things for getting close to a lion’s heart. He likes to be flattered and pampered.

Skuld just doesn’t fit in with Lea and Isa’s theme. They are Sun/Moon opposites. She’s a third wheel. In KH2, Axel didn’t have a lot of development. He was clever and cocky, but we didn’t know a lot about him, especially as a human. When they decided to flesh him out, they definitely decided to make him a typical Sun personality. I thought Lea was surprisingly cheery and positive.

Caring

At their best, the courageous Leo is strong, and has an amazing, protective attitude towards their friends. They care very deeply for those close to them.

He cares very much for his friends.

Optimistic

Leo is an optimist who is able to see the silver lining to life. They are optimists who are always able to find the positive side of any situation, and they prefer to revel in the good than dwell over the bad.

Even though Axel could be quite pessimistic, Lea was a natural optimist.

Kind

They are always willing to help out a loved one in need, and they will go to great lengths to make sure that those they care about most are happy. Leos have a compassionate heart, and they tend to be extremely kind and generous creatures.

He was always willing to help stray puppies.

Loyal

If there’s one thing that you can say about Leo with certainty, it’s that they are some of the most loyal people that you will ever meet. Leo is the bravest sign in the Zodiac, often doing whatever they are required to do despite being scared or in danger.

He is amazingly loyal. He always wanted to bring his friends back, no matter what. Even when he thought Isa tried to kill him.

Straightforwardness

Mincing words is not in the nature of a Leo. They speak their mind and like to express their thoughts clearly. Frankness is therefore, one of the biggest strengths of Leos. It is because of their straightforwardness that they are able to confront opinions and thoughts, they do not approve of, directly. This is also one of the reasons why they get things done fast.

He is very straightforward. He lied a lot to Roxas and kept secrets, but that wasn’t who he really was.

Faithful Partners and Good Friends

Leos are romantic and passionate lovers. They are faithful partners and exhibit extreme sensitivity  while in a relationship. This is also the reason why they are vulnerable to getting hurt. Thus, Leos need to find someone whom they can trust before they shower their love and kindness on that person. 

One of the special traits found in Leos is helping friends in need. Lending emotional support to friends in difficult times is a rare quality found in these people. It enables them to make lifelong friends. Behind all the aggression, ego and other domineering personality traits of a Leo lies a sensitive heart which cares for the dear ones. Leos take pride in protecting their close ones and would do so with all the energy and wit they possess. It is observed that the bossy exterior of Leos often eclipses their sensitive nature.

He is a wonderful friend, but has a deeper side, more sensitive side. All very accurate. 

Arrogance

At times, their dominance and confidence can be seen more like arrogance and conceit. Leo individuals ooze with confidence. They think that if they are the first to arrive at some conclusion, then they are right.

Lea was arrogant in a playful way. Like when he challenged Ventus to a fight. Axel was like that, too.

Inflexibility

They’re inflexible for other people, but they’re also inflexible for themselves. When they’ve made a commitment to something, they’re going to stick with it, regardless of how much they hate it.

Basically, Lea did whatever he wanted. Even Saïx said this about him.

Laziness

Though full of ambition and enthusiasm, Leo has to admit to a lazy streak and, given the opportunity, will take the easy way out, especially when a situation offers little fun or glory.

He likes to have fun.

Pride

This sign is represented by a lion, and as such, Leos are born with all of the pride and glory of the maned creature.

Oh yes, he is very proud.

Domineering

Leos have a hard time learning when to stop ruling and start listening. For this reason, Leos are extremely domineering and tend to overpower those around them.

Lea was the accelerator and Isa was the brake. Lea never listened to Isa, though.

Impatience

Impatience is one of the negative traits exhibited by a Leo. This trait of Leos get reflected in their habit to get things done fast. Impatience may lead to development of anxiety and restlessness in these individuals.

Axel never liked waiting around.

Jealousy

Leos may exhibit a possessive nature. This trait is closely related to the jealousy they exhibit. In fact, they are jealous because of their possessive nature.

Saïx was very jealous. But Lea probably had a side like that as well. He would not like it if Isa alienated him.

Cancer Traits

Cancer, the fourth sun sign of the Zodiac, has water as its element, is feminine, and is ruled by the Moon. This sign is represented by crabs, and similar to their nature, these people can be the sweetest and most sympathetic people at one moment, and turn into the most cranky and irritable ones the next.

Even though Isa was an NPC, he was not just “Lea’s friend”. He was certainly far more deserving of character development than ANY Union X character, that’s for sure. Isa seemed like he was more of a feminine archetype. Therefore, he is unlike any other male character in the series. I thought he was very refreshing and unique. He brought something new to the table. Also, based on the way Saïx acted, Isa was not just a cardboard cutout, either. He had interesting flaws to provide him with depth. Evidence suggests he was a typical Moon personality.

Moody

Cancer individuals are also known to have a moody attitude, especially whenever they are jealous. Normally protective and courageous, Cancer signed people could become very brooding and moody if they feel that their emotional needs are not being met. Cancer is all about needing emotional security and trust in a relationship, like all of us of course. But they take it to another level.

If a Cancer feels as though he can’t trust you or if he’s just an insecure guy in general, then his possessive and jealous side is going to come out in a major way. He’ll make snide comments about what you’re wearing and ask you questions about what you’re doing and who you’re with that can rival the time of being a teenager under your parents’ roof.

Man, dos this sound like Saïx or what? He was insanely jealous. While I think Saïx was a totally different personality from Isa, I still think he reflected much of Isa’s personality in him, due to having his memories and captured heart. In the novel, when Roxas was upset he pushed the wrong button, Axel said he knew what it felt like to have something be wrong and not know the reason. Based on the way Saïx acted, Isa sounded very emotionally needy towards Lea. I definitely think he’d be jealous if Lea didn’t spend enough time with him. He might be passive aggressive about it, too.

Unpredictable

Cancer, being a water sign, is very emotional and sensitive. They are very touchy, and can get hurt at the slightest provocation. It is this sensitivity, which makes them hide in their own shell, away from the world, to protect themselves from getting hurt. When they retreat into this shell, and refuse to talk to anybody, people may find them to be moody and unpredictable.

It doesn’t take much for them to go from friendly and outgoing, to totally introverted as a way of protecting themselves. And it can prove quite confusing and unpredictable to the people in their lives. Cancer needs a strong partner who can deal with his various sides and complexity. You never know what will trigger his moods and his evasiveness and his habit of being indirect makes you question if you ever really knew him.

Saïx could also be surprisingly moody and oversensitive once he began to awaken a heart. Axel had no idea why he suddenly started berating Xion and calling her a failure all the time. He wouls walk on eggshells to avoid upsetting him. It was probably easy to push the wrong buttons with Isa and he might not tell Lea what was bothering him right away. In the novel, Axel tried to get Saïx to open up to him by putting his hand on his shoulder, but Saïx brushed it away. This upset Axel and made him think how different things were between them. This said a lot about their relationship as humans. Lea had to put effort to get Isa to open up, but Isa was receptive to it.

Negative

Cancer people are ruled by the Moon, which is ever-changing, and thus they can have moods that can grow dark and darker. It’s common for people with this zodiac sign to struggle with low self-esteem and hold a lifelong grudge against someone. They are someone who sees the glass as half empty rather than half full.

Another trait being their lack of trust in people, they tend to have a negative outlook of life. They become prone to depression, and are unable to enjoy life. They can get hurt at the drop of a hat, and rarely express their resentment and anger.

I think this was why Isa felt like a burden on Lea and was down on himself a lot. Isa needed Lea to be the upbeat optimist for him. Isa was probably snarky and nitpicky with Lea, but in a more playful way. He was the brake, while Lea was the accelerator. This is also a dynamic unique to Lea and Isa. Axel had to be the mature and responsible mentor figure with Roxas and Xion. But with Isa, he was more playful and mischievous. Isa would scold Lea, but Lea never would listen.

Clingy

Cancer is a sign of fertile imagination and deep emotional needs. Cancer individuals are sometimes over-imaginative, which can get them in trouble. They will obsess over the situation until they have all of their answers.

Cancerians are very possessive about their relationships. They can be very clingy, and try to hold on to relationships, even after they have ended it. In relationships, they give much more and expect very little in return. Being emotional and sensitive, they are very easily influenced by their loved ones.

Yep. This is exactly how I think Isa was with Lea. Isa was very attached and gave his whole heart to Lea.

Suspicious

The empathetic crab is inclined to protect themselves. They only trust when they feel safe within relationships, often resorting to their inner world when they do not feel trustful or safe. He needs his moods and anxieties to be understood and if they’re not then he will retreat to his shell and come back out when he feels safe.

Definitely sounds like Isa. He was shy and couldn’t open up to just anybody.

Cancer Traits

Cancer star sign, the fourth sign of the zodiac is all about home. They are a nurturing and maternal sign. These people love their home and family more than anything else in this world. Cancerians are blessed with strong intuitive and psychic powers that help them judge people well. These people tend to be hard on the outside and soft inside. But they also have a tougher side to their personality.

So, Saïx exhibited all of the typical Cancer flaws. So, it stands to reason that Isa would also exhibit Cancer’s positive attributes, too.

Intuitive

Cancerians are known to be psychic, and can almost guess things before they actually happen. This comes from their highly developed observational powers. They can truly understand human behavior, and rarely forget things. All these make them highly intuitive and psychic.

This is a side of Isa we definitely never saw in Saïx. His scar is on his third eye chakra, which is the center of psychic awareness. It’s why he couldn’t see Xion or understand why Axel acted the way he did. It’s sad actually. A big part of his personality was shut down.

Kind

Emotional strength and intuition will always define Cancer’s top strengths and traits. This is emotional, but kind-hearted and compassionate personality type that makes for an outstanding friend.

I’m sure Isa was very kind and a wonderful friend, which is why Axel was so desperate to have a “best friend” to fill the void.

Emotive

Cancers are known for their traits like loyalty, their emotional depth, and their parenting instincts. Cancer individuals are emotional and intense; they are also extremely intuitive and compassionate. People belonging to this zodiac sign are highly emotional. Just like the crab that represents them, they are hard from outside, but very soft and mushy from within.

Isa scolded Lea a lot, but only because he cared. He was compassionate and selfless, like the Moon Rabbit. If there’s anything KH3 got right about Isa, it’s that he’d try to comfort an imprisoned girl and want to help her.

Faithful

Cancer is the most concerned with a secure and faithful relationship. Cancer individual loves home and family and is not happy unless they have deep emotional ties. Cancer is usually very nurturing and tends to take good care of everyone they care about.

Isa was serious when he said he’d never forget Lea. I definitely think Isa was the one who first gave Lea the WINNER stick, too.

Loving

Cancer individuals are very loving and caring. As the most sensitive sign of the zodiac, a Cancer does everything with love in mind and in the heart. Because of this, they are the most tender lovers.

Yes, I do think Lea and Isa were envisioned as a couple. Isa loved Lea. His Bunnymoon weapon has a rocket being launched by a heart. Lea also loved Isa, and this is why Axel was so depressed whenever he thought about how different Saïx was compared to Isa. Axel desperately missed feeling loved by someone. They had an extraordinarily interesting relationship. I don’t think Skuld adds anything except getting in the way and watering down their bond.

[travllingbunny]

The 100 6x07 Nevermind

Season 6 of The 100 has been fantastic so far, and 6x07 is not just the best episode of the season so far, but also one of my favorite ever episodes of the show. Nevermind is, in many ways, a dream come true for me: this is exactly what I was hoping for at least since the promos for the show started promising the theme of characters “facing their demons”. At the time, I couldn’t have guessed that it would be about Clarke battling a centuries old woman who has taken over her body after her parents had decided to bodysnatch Clarke in order to bring their daughter back, but I was hoping for trippy, mind-bending, character-based storylines. Most of all, one focused on Clarke Griffin, the main character and hero of the show (oddly enough, this needs to be pointed out, since there are fans who keep forgetting it), her psyche, her traumas and emotional issues and character development.

After the wonderful last scene of 6x06 and the promos for this episode, my expectations were really high, and they were met. There was a little bit of fear that the whole “which characters will make a cameo”, “who will be mentioned how many times” thing would distract from Clarke’s character exploration, but that was not the case. This episode was almost entirely (except for the last scene) set in Clarke’s and Josephine’s mind space rather than the real world. The walk down the memory lane that the drawings we saw on Clarke’s mind-wall was there, but it was, above all, a great character study of the show’s protagonist, a battle of wills between the hero and the villain, and it had some big revelations – for the audience or for the characters. It had brilliant dialogue and acting, and was emotional, dark, intense and even funny at times (mostly thanks to Josephine, who is evil and detestable but also incredibly funny and charismatic).

And what particularly made me happy is that it addressed some long-standing questions of morality that the show had been ambiguous about. The show’s moral complexity/greyness has long bordered on moral relativism, and allowed (mis)interpretations in the fandom, to the effect that “There are no good guys, the protagonists are as bad as the villains, therefore it’s all the same and it doesn’t matter if someone does bad things, since everyone does it”. The unfortunate motto “for my people” has been overused and abused by many morally ambiguous or straight-up villainous characters on the show, to justify their own actions (the classic “who are you to talk, when you killed all the Mountain Men! Therefore I get to do whatever I want ‘for my people’’ – as if doing the only thing that could have stopped the evil society of technological vampires/overlords from killing and cannibalizing all your loved ones, is the same as killing people with no remorse to get power). By season 5, Clarke herself seemed to start buying into that view. Josephine Lightbourne again try to use that against Clarke in this episode, and nearly made her give up. This time, however, Clarke and the show both finally said “f*ck you” to that worldview.

One of the reasons why Josephine is such a great villain is that she is both a parallel and a striking contrast to Clarke. On the surface, they seem similar – their looks, background, family. When we first saw her in the flashback in 6x02, the similarities were obvious – another intelligent, capable, beautiful blonde girl with loving parents (Russell, in both versions, even matches the same physical type as Jake), a princess from a privileged background. But Josephine is everything that Clarke-haters (in and out of the show) claim Clarke to be, but that Clarke most definitely is not: selfish, narcissistic, with a god complex, remorseless, sociopathic, completely ruthless, pampered, classist, treating people as disposable. A start contrast to Clarke’s compassionate, caring, self-sacrificing nature.

Various thoughts about this episode in bullet points under the cut.

One of the many contrasts between Clarke and Josephine is the disorganized, beautiful way that different memories fill Clarke’s mind space, as drawings all over the walls of her room, unlike Josephine’s highly structured, organized mind. Just like “Monty”, I also like Clarke’s better.

I’m overall very happy with how this episode included references to various people and events from Clarke’s past, through a combination of drawings, flashbacks, mentions and objects. Most important people in Clarke’s life were referenced – both dead ones like Jake, Finn, Lexa, Jasper, Monty, and living ones like Bellamy and Madi (not so many mentions of Abby, but that’s because she’s both alive and, unlike so many others, not a source of guilt for Clarke).

The only exception is arguably Wells, and it’s really unlucky that the planned appearance by Eli Goree didn’t work out. We still got a confirmation of his importance in Clarke’s life (which should be big – he was her best friend since childhood and died tragically, even if he didn’t last long on the show) through several drawings (and the Chinese version of the idiom “A friend in need is a friend indeed” under one of them), and, more importantly, a close-up of one of them. Let’s be honest, the drawings are generally little more than a cool Easter egg for the fans, if the show doesn’t focus on them through close-ups and flashbacks or mentions – something that the general audience would notice.

I love the way that Clarke’s outfit and hairstyle kept changing depending on which memory or part of her mind space she was in at any given moment. For instance, she started as Ark Clarke from the Pilot, then turned into Eden Clarke when she visited her safe space of the life there with Madi for those 6 years – which was far from perfect (what with being isolated from everyone else, without any adult with her, without other friends or any chance of love or sex life, and waiting for Bellamy to come back and talking to him without answer to keep sane), but was still the most peaceful time she’s known. Except maybe for her childhood, which she did spend in a not-happy space (life on the Ark was difficult, if not for her, then for so many others who were less privileged, and we know Clarke was aware of that), but she had a happy family life, so it makes sense that her father is the first person she would see in her mind-space. Jake and Eden stood for safety and family life and peace, which Clarke thought she got when she briefly believed she had really died – before Jake (aka her own mind) told her it wasn’t true. It’s the sign of her being upset – the rain and storm outside that happened due to her mood – that alerted her to the fact she was still alive.

Every character, other than Josephine, who appeared in Clarke’s mind space was, of course, an embodiment of a part of her.  

Although I’m not sure about ALIE, whose code may have remained there, and who delivered information that Clarke may not have already known. It was the one cameo in this episode that really surprised me (since the rest had been revealed or guessed on social media). She was there for the big revelation that the neural mesh from the time Clarke was in the City of Light is what ended up saving her. This made this episode’s link to 3x13 Nevermore even stronger. (Funny that the erased memory of ALIE!Raven is what gave rise to that awful amnesia theory. Glad that this has been shut down now.) I guess this means that I was wrong about other hosts being savable, and that Delilah is gone forever? A big part of why I wanted it to be true, apart from liking Delilah, was to give the Earthkru more incentive to fight the Primes. But we have been given a lot of other reasons why they should make the decision to so that.

ALIE also had a conversation with Clarke about the nature of life and humanity, which, however, could be just Clarke talking to herself. Clarke has been tempted to run away from pain, she’s even tempted to run from it by accepting death in this episode, but she’s still insisting that pain is a necessary part of life and that there’s no joy without it. At the core, Clarke is not someone who gives up.

The revelation that the darkest and most painful memories are those that aren’t even on the wall and that Clarke keeps hidden, explained some things, such as why there were no drawings on the mind-wall of such huge moments as Jake’s death or Finn’s death (Clarke’s trauma from this was a subject of an entire episode – one of my favorites, 2x09, Remember Me)... However, while I don’t want to criticize the prop department, who did an incredible job drawing those pictures from scenes, they did make an error - one of the drawings of Lexa is actually from the scene of her right after being shot, which doesn’t really fit (her death is one of the “darkest place” hidden memories) – though you wouldn’t know that by just looking at the picture and not knowing the scene.

I’m glad that Josephine called out Clarke on child abuse, and that the drawing of Madi in pain in the shock collar was so prominent on the wall. Season 5 had Clarke at her lowest point, and that was certainly, IMO, one of the worst things she’s done.

We know (from 6x04) that Clarke’s biggest regret is leaving Bellamy in Polis in season 5, and this episode confirmed that this weighs so heavy on Clarke’s heart that she can’t even face Bellamy in her mind space (which fits with the fact that the darkest and most traumatic moments are those she did not put on the wall). She is afraid that he hasn’t really forgiven her in his heart, and that he can’t, because she can’t forgive herself. Even if Bellamy is alive and well, Clarke’s feelings for him make her betrayal of him unforgivable in her own eyes (even though, at the time she did it, she had been heartbroken and furious because she felt he had betrayed her). Octavia, or rather Blodreina, was the right embodiment of her guilt in a weird way, since she was the danger that Clarke left Bellamy to, the one who threw him into the pit in the first place (kind of like Jaha was the embodiment of Bellamy’s guilt over the culling in 1x08). She reminded Clarke of some of her other sins, those that involved Clarke being ready to sacrifice Octavia (while trying to protect Bellamy) – letting the bomb drop on the people in Tondc, stealing the bunker in season 4, but she was there mostly to talk about Bellamy, because the relationship between Clarke and Octavia has always mostly revolved around their respective relationships with him. Even in her own mind, Clarke is still deflecting when confronted with her feelings for Bellamy (“I care about both of you”, just like she said “I care about all of them” when called out on her feelings for Bellamy by Lexa in 2x14). Octavia is also the embodiment of the unwillingness to forgive, so her refusal to fight for Clarke makes sense.

Not that Clarke needed any help to kick Josephine’s arse. It was satisfying to see, but expected. Josephine is an actual pampered princess who’s never had to fight for anything, while Clarke has been fighting and surviving in adverse circumstances for 7 years.

Maya’s appearance made perfect sense, but she was the most OOC character of all the “mind space” characters – maybe because Clarke didn’t get to know her that well, but mostly because she was the embodiment of Clarke’s guilt over the innocent deaths she’s caused. Maya was a good person, someone who helped them against her own people because it was the right thing to do, and because she knew what the Mountain Men were doing was wrong. She is also linked in Clarke’s mind with her feelings of guilt over Jasper – Clarke didn’t know Maya well, but Jasper was one of her closest friends, and Clarke feels deeply guilty for indirectly causing his downward spiral that ended with his suicid4. I was happy to see him referenced so much in this episode – through “Maya”, the case Clarke found in 5x01, and his goggles that she found there, which all played a big role in this episode. The accusations that “Maya” (Clarke herself) made sounded a lot like the repertoire of Clarke-haters: that she likes being a savior, has a god complex, has killed more people than she’s saved, is no better than the Primes… This is a confirmation that Clarke herself has agonized over all of these things. But it’s not what the real Maya would have said – the real Maya died acknowledging the responsibility all of the Mountain Men had for the evil things their society was doing, saying “None of us is innocent”. When Clarke made her “Maya” character be helpful against Josephine, it was the closest thing to what the real Maya had been like.

Clarke’s darkest place, the most painful and traumatic memories she has, are the deaths of Finn and Lexa, the only two people she has had romantic relationships with – relationships that were both extremely brief and tragic, and ended with deaths that traumatized Clarke a lot and made her feel guilty – even though she doesn’t really have, IMO, objective reasons to feel responsible for either of them, it’s not hard to see why she would feel, on the emotional, irrational level, that she is the one causing people to die. (The show and especially the fandom have tended to ignore one of these relationships  post-season 2 and to over-focus on the other, so I was pleasantly surprised that they were both acknowledged in a similar way for their role in Clarke’s development and emotional traumas – with the visual references with Lexa’s throne and the pole Finn was tied to and the knife Clarke used to mercy kill him, combined with the flashback of Finn’s death, a different flashback of Lexa seen before, and Josephine’s indirect mention of her death – which was probably the most elegant solution, since I don’t think the show would ever dare replay the footage of her death for fear of more backlash.)

It’s certainly no coincidence that this dark place that’s about Clarke’s traumas of her tragic romantic life is the place where Josephine breaks Clarke by convincing her that Bellamy has given up on her and that he and everyone are better off with her dead. Josephine didn’t technically lie – she told her he took her death hard but in the end made the rational choice of agreeing to the deal with her murderers. But, by showing her an out-of-context memory of Bellamy taking the deal, she showed her a skewed version of the truth. Clarke didn’t see Bellamy’s grieving, despair and anger, and didn’t realize that Bellamy saying that she would do the same was out of admiration for her, as a leader who’s not just smart but also selfless and caring. She probably took it as another sign he sees her as a monster, doesn’t care that much about her and is better off without her, because it fed into her own insecurities.

Josephine: “Have you considered sacrificing yourself?” Bitch, watch the season 4 finale. She didn’t just consider it, she did it.

I loved the fact that the case Clarke used to hide the important memory was Jasper’s case, that it contained Jasper’s goggles alongside Jake’s video, and that the lock password was “102”. More confirmation of the importance of the initial Delinquents community from season 1 in Clarke’s life and the show. “You forgot Bellamy and Raven” may be my favorite line from this episode.

Monty’s return (which the show tried to hide by not putting Chris Larkin’s name in the credits until the end credits, but it revealed it through not cutting enough of one of the promo pics) was not a complete surprise, thanks to the detective work of some of the fans, but was still my favorite part of the episode. Monty was most in-character, because Clarke knew him so well, and it makes perfect sense that he was the voice of Clarker’s reason and moral compass, which is what made her change her mind after having given up and given Josephine the victory. (You want a great platonic friendships between a man and a woman on The 100? Here it is!)

The ‘Monty” part of Clarke’s mind fought back, against all the BS – the “bear it so they don’t have to”, “for my people” mottos and moral relativism and Josephine’s half-truths) and reaffirmed Clarke’s resilience and will to live, and reminded her that what it all comes down to is not just saving your people, but doing the right thing. After Monty told them to be good guys and be happy. Both of these messages are what Clarke had to remember. As I’ve been pointing out, doing better is not just standing by and not killing people. It’s also actively fighting against evil. They are not being good guys if they let the Primes murder, bodysnatch, oppress, brainwash and sacrifice the people from their community, just because it doesn’t affect them.  As “Monty” (Clarke) pointed out, it’s not doing better if you let the Primes murder people to live forever.

Clarke’s trip through Josephine’s memories (of being killed by Kaylee, and of killing Isaac and sacrificing a baby) helped her fully realize that Josephine is truly evil and needs to be stopped. Really, if killing babies is not enough to make you classify someone as true evil on a whole different level, what can?

Josephine tried to pull the “for my people” motto with Issac, but she was full of s*hit. She only does things for herself and maybe a few other people (not even all the Primes, since she murdered four of them). We learned that Children of Gabriel are literally the children that the Primes tried to sacrifice to the trees and that Isaac saved and brought to Gabriel. We also got another confirmation of the cruel caste system of Sanctum, where “nulls” (people who are not Nightblood gene carriers) are treated as lower life forms, and routinely sacrificed, and that Josephine would rather kill them all, if she was allowed to by her father. Not that having the NB gene is so good, as it means your child may end up as a host, and obviously, the “honor” of being a Nightblood means you get bodysnatched at the age of 21.

When Isaac said  “if only we were allowed to be more than your janitors and guards”, it felt like it was the writers’ way of reminding us of the class system on the Ark, where Bellamy was a janitor and a guard-in-training. It’s also another reminder of how different Clarke and Josephine are – Josephine would have considered someone like Bellamy expendable and useless, whereas Clarke quickly showed in season 1 she valued people based on their personal qualities rather than their origin or class.

It was cool to see a flashback to the time before the apocalypse, complete with references to Diyoza and Becca, but this memory was my least favorite part of the episode. I guess I just wasn’t that interested in Josephine’s traumatic memories, since I don’t think they’re enough to explain her sociopathic nature. On second thought, you could say that this guy was her Finn, and that her response to that trauma was completely different from Clarke’s – genuinely shutting herself down to any compassion or remorse.

I love the fact that what saved the day was the fact that Clarke and Bellamy were both good students of Earth skills (taught by Pike!) and that they are, once again, so well attuned to each other that they can communicate this way. Or the fact that Bellamy was watching JC so carefully, even though it must have hurt him emotionally to look at her, that he noticed her movements and read them correctly.

Nice to see Miller back, but did he have to be so… not-bright? In any case, it’s great to see Bellamy as determined to save Clarke, as he was despondent in the last episode. This is maybe the first time that Clarke really needs saving, but a huge and crucial part of that rescue was Clarke deciding that she wants to live.

Rating: 10/10

[bxstiae]

⚜ ; [ BOTW / OTHERWORLDS.2  ]     WORLDBUILDING │ VERSE

Honestly, i was trying to write a reply for @wildshero​ & then i thought maybe.... i should let people know a few things about Twilight Princess Link in the setting of Breath of the Wild. I feel like it would just be better for people to know a bit more about the verse since it’s actually one or my more favourite verses imo. but first allow me to refresh everybody on what i have for the verse.

let it be know that i will differentiate between the links for the rest of the post as the following: Wild = BOTW Link Twilight = TP Link

NAME: Twilight, Wolfie   SPECIES: wolf   HEIGHT: 4’3”   ‘ IS A LITTLE SHIT ’ Summoned as a wolf by Wild Child. He has to deal with his antics without rest or until he is returned back to his home world. Until then, the Link of this world must deal with the Cheeky Hero-Beast. Nobody said he had to play nice.

Another tidbit, i will always, ALWAYS RP Twilight in a post, TP state when he is in BOTW. Meaning that he already accomplished his role as the saviour of hyrule & things are at a somewhat normal state for everybody. he is currently looking for ways to look for midna & often times runs into random ‘twilight portals’ that are still in his world. these portals are like the normal portals you use in TP, however these are a bit different because they react when 2 things happen. 1: when twilight’s twili shard is nearby & 2: something ‘else’ happens that causes the portal to activate. that something else -- for BOTW purposes -- is when Wild uses the sheikah slate. consider these portals though more like random rifts in twilight’s world. sometimes he can’t even see them. 

one this is for certain though: when he teleports -- only his body is taken. his master sword of his world is not taken with him. so the chances of him turning back into a human are very slim UNLESS he touches or tries to hold the master sword in wild’s world. Also another thing: twili magic works very differently in wild’s world. sometimes twilight -- if he wants to stay close to wild, is able to WILL himself to teleport to wild. but if he stays too far from wild for an extended period of time, he will be teleported back to his own world. he legit cannot stay alone in the wild’s world because it’s not his world. the thing that is keeping him there is the sheikah slate. so obviously if he’s not around it for a long time then he will naturally go home.

anyway, everything else will be under a read more because it talks about twilight’s relationship with wild & so on.

Honestly though, THIS POST made me really think about how Twilight would consider Wild as. if Wild was just a child to him, or if he considered him more as an equal. I feel like it would be the former tbh. THIS OTHER POST kind of proves a bit into that theory as well. Twilight obviously knows a lot more than Wild does & not just because Wild lost his memory. 

Wild, in many ways, is still ‘young’ in the aspect that he hasn’t taken down ganon like how Twilight has. Twilight has fought many things, took down the Demon King himself, & lost a beloved friend while also losing part of his humanity as well. he’s only in his early 20s & he suffers from survivor’s guilt and its trying to mend a broken/betrayed heart. 

am i ignoring that wild has amnesia? no. i am not. wild himself has gone through hardships, i will not lie about that. he almost lost to ganon. the other champions have all died. & zelda is keeping ganon at bay. but he doesn’t know what it is like to have fufilled the prophecy in his world. at least not like how twilight has. 

I brought it up in another post about it, but essentially twilight feels empty after the defeat of ganon. not only that, but he also feels used. now that ganon is gone, he.... doesn’t know what to do with himself. & his friend destroyed the only known why to visit her. so yes, he... feels shattered. his heart weighs so heavy because after such a long journey, he can’t just move on. it’s like everything was stripped from him & he’s back to ‘just being plain old link: ranch hand of ordon village. 

so yea, wild IS a child compared to twilight. his antics are all over the place -- wild is incredibly fickle. he feels like he’s dealing with the ordon children all over again. yet at the same time its just like the ordon children. he wants to help wild. he wants to protect him. in a way, he wants to prevent wild from having the same fate as him. yes he KNOWS what it feels like to be empty. wild is not empty, just because he doesn’t have any memories doesn’t mean that he is empty. wild is just lost. twilight wants to help him, & yet he doesn’t want to rush anything. 

there was a post that discussed the personality of wild but i can’t find it. but it has to deal with the japanese version. ( another reason why i hate the english translations ) in the japanese versions, all the entries in the sheikah slate are LINK’S entries. its like link is keeping a diary to HELP him remember. so in wild’s case with twilight, its THE SAME THING. 

the problem is that the more he remembers, the most intense they are. mainly because pieces of the memories are now wielding together. they aren’t just random fragments. the puzzles pieces are now fitting together. but you try to remember everything too fast? it can be incredibly devastating & more harmful than helpful. twilight recognises this. he knows this because lanaryu did that to him when he was given the vision. it can be harmful to one’s mental health especially if you aren’t prepared. it can lead you down a dark path & you can end up doubting yourself. 

so if wild is rushing in trying to remember everything, it can hurt him. it could make him more reckless because he is simply more determined to win. just imagine this: somebody lashes out in anger after finding something out. you aren’t thinking, you are acting out on anger -- on emotion. it’s the worst thing to do especially in war. you HAVE to be calculating, especially with ganon. you cannot fight ganon with anger & pain. GANON IS THE EPITOME of those emotions. you will only be predictable & naturally, fighting anger with anger doesn’t work out. link will die because ganon is stronger than link mentally in this aspect. wild cannot go in blindly: he doens’t have zelda this time to give him another chance.

& yes, twilight KNOWS all of this. you are the only one who knows you the best. for twilight, he knows wild in a sense that wild is another incarnation of himself. twilight has also met the hero’s shade as well to know that there are several things that always get reborn with the hero of courage. one is that every link is reckless in some way, shape, or form. they have to be! they are the hero of courage; fear is not supposed to be in their blood. i say fear isn’t suppose to be, but anxiety still can be. any link can still hold some sort of doubt &/or self-blame. it’s a given. they are all heroes after all. they are not perfect, & they are expected so much. but each link can take it in differently. though i digress. my main point is that every single link is reckless. ( yes, even twilight, one of the more calculating heroes of courage is also reckless, it’s in his blood )

so yea, twilight worries for wild. he should. but anyway. that doesn’t mean twilight won’t be a little asshole to wild. as much as wild has his antics, so does twilight. wild often times does some really stupid shit, so naturally twilight would too. just to annoy him. call him petty if you want, but twilight is just a tired boy.

please let it be known that while twilgiht is an asshole sometimes, he is VERY protective of wild! he would consider him a best friend ( eventually ) and a companion! Wild does, in fact, fill the voidness in twilight's heart, and while he may be annoyed with him 80% of the time, he still cares for him. a lot. 

uh.... some other things to consider too. twilight would not hesitate to pick up the master sword if wild is severely injured. while he may transform back as a human, he still is a swordsman at heart, and if he’s canine body cannot defend wild, then so be it, twilight would transform to his normal state & risk his life for wild. he will always be better & stronger with a sword than his beast form anyway.

while twilight calls wild ‘link’, wild does actually call him twilight! or twi for short. wild gave him the nickname for a few reasons. 

1: his fur & the patterns in it. twilight’s fur is not just one brown, its a mix of brown that kinda resembles that mix of yellow-orange found literally at dusk/twilight. 2: twilight is actually most solemn & quiet at the twilight hours. wild can tell that he’s a bit distance during this time as if he’s thinking about something or rather, something is on his mind. 3: the twili magic that causes him to warp is obiously very twilight-esque. aside from the legends passed down, wild would most likley recognise this as twilight magic -- especially when they find midna’s helmet. because it only confirms that the legends are true: that twilight magic exists & that twilight has something to deal with it. 4: the sheikah slate actually registers twilight as twilight instead of link -- even if he were to be in his human form, the piece of technology considers him as that. besides, if twilight were to ever transform ( mind you he probably wouldn’t unless forced to ), twilight would say that his name is twilight. 

does wild know that twilight is him but from another time? honestly, i don’t know.it’s up for debate. i probably could go either way to by honest, but i think my natural instinct is to say that no, wild does not realise that twilight is him but from another time. but that’s my 2 cents on the subject.

also: other names wild calls twilight is puppers, bud, & wolf/wolfie. twilight PREFERS twilight though, he feels a bit sentimental and happy when he’s called that. & it is ABSOLUTELY noticeable cause twilight will wag his tail when he is called twilight. don’t judge him.

more to come when i think of anything else.

[starletwriting]

8 + 9 for Killervibe please x

Deja Vu

Request: amnesia + secret relationship

Ship: Killervibe (Cisco Ramon x Caitlin Snow)

Characters: Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow, Barry Allen, Iris West-Allen, Ralph Dibny

Word count: 5376

Notes: Thanks so much for the request!! Sorry it took me a bit to upload!! I hope you enjoy. Special thank you to @thatkillervibe for beta-reading and offering feedback!! This one shot doesn’t take place at any specific point on the show, but in my head I saw it as taking place post-season five, but in an au where Cisco doesn’t lose his powers in 5x22. 

Tags: @shakesqueer-writes @narniasfinestavengingsociopath

~~~

To say that tensions were high would be an understatement. To say that Team Flash was stressed would also be an understatement. They weren’t just stressed. They were at a stage of emotion that only led to hair-pulling and temper tantrums. There were two metahumans ganging up on Barry, another on Ralph, and another on Cisco. Iris was on comms, frantically trying to take control of the situation at hand. A four-person meta-gang would’ve been hard for them on any day, but it was even worse considering the fact that they were down a member. While every member of Team Flash was stressed down to their core, Cisco was taking it the worst of them all. After all, the member they were lacking just so happened to be the one Cisco knew best.

The metahuman facing Cisco let out a creepy giggle as she flicked her wrist, causing dark green superhuman vines to rise up through the pavement and wrap around Cisco’s legs. As his breathing quickened, he forced himself to stay calm, and instead tried opening a breach underneath him. However, to his dismay, the breach only faltered and faded out of existence the moment it touched the magical vines.

“Silly Vibe,” the villain cackled. It wasn’t the time, but Cisco mentally coined her as Green Goddess. “You thought that would work. But, as it turns out, there’s no escape. Nowhere to run to now.” 

“Uh, Iris, now would be a great time for those meta-cuffs.” Cisco huffed into his comms. “I can feel these vines getting tighter, and I really don’t wanna say goodbye to my legs today.” 

“If you haven’t noticed, Cisco, I’m a little busy at the moment!” was the reply he got.

Through his comms he could hear Barry panting as he exhausted himself trying to take on two metas at once, and Ralph saying “Ow ow ow ow ow!” repeatedly. He had no idea what was going on, as the four metas had separated them early on in the battle and now Cisco had no visuals on either of them, but he figured Iris was busy with whatever Ralph was up against. 

The vines surrounding his legs only squeezed tighter and tighter. Cisco gulped. That was definitely gonna bruise. 

After a moment, Iris’s voice returned to his comms. Whatever had just gone on, she was noticeably winded from it. She took a moment to catch her breath before muttering “Cisco, the extrapolator might be your best invention yet.” 

“Is that a yes on the meta-cuffs then?” 

Iris didn’t take the time to reply. Instead, she just opened a breach right behind Green Goddess and clasped the meta-cuffs on her before she had time to react. The shimmering blue breach closed behind Iris, who gave an exhausted-but-triumphant thumbs up to a now vines-free Cisco. Within seconds, a flash of lighting appeared in front of them and faded once as Barry came to a skidding halt, holding two metahumans in meta-cuffs. The second he stopped, he buckled over from sheer exhaustion, taking in huge gulps of air. 

“Cisco, do you think you could…” Barry made a weak gesture to indicate he meant a breach. “I don’t think I can run back to the lab. Not right now.” 

Cisco nodded, and formed a breach that engulfed all of them and brought them back to the lab. Ralph had already collapsed onto a chair, presumably from when Iris came and rescued him only moments before she came to Cisco’s aid. Once Barry took a moment to sit down and catch his breath, he was feeling better already, and he turned to Iris with a grin. 

“We did it.” Barry said, first to Iris, then repeating it to Ralph and Cisco. “We did it, guys.” 

“What, you think this is a win?” Cisco had already crashed into a chair and rolled up his pants legs up to his knees in an attempt to investigate the damage on his legs. “We would’ve been screwed if Iris hadn’t come and saved our asses. I can hardly stand up because of what that Green Goddess did to me.” 

“Hey, nice name.” 

“Do not change the subject, Ralph.” 

“Look, I get it! Does it look like I was playing around? I had two metas coming at me at once from different angles. Ralph got an electric shock to the chest. Iris was having to juggle all three of us.” Barry said. “All I’m saying is, it was hard, but we got through it. That’s celebratory.” 

“What, so we can just ignore the elephant in the room? You can’t live in denial forever, Barry.” 

“We’ve tried everything we can think of to get her back, Cisco, and nothing is working! What do you expect us to do?” 

“So what, we’re just supposed to give up on her? Turn our backs on our friend? All these years working with you, I never thought you were a quitter!” 

“Barry, Cisco!” Iris intervened before the argument got worse. “We all miss Caitlin. We’re all a little tense. I get it. But fighting isn’t going to help anyone.” 

They knew she was right. Barry and Cisco both sighed and backed down. 

“We’ve tried everything.” Barry spoke with a much calmer tone now. Instead of getting defensive, he instead sounded… regretful. “We tried tracking her kidnapper. We can’t get an identification on him because of his mask. We tried tracking his mask. Turns out it’s sold from pretty much every Halloween store in the city. We even tried tracking Caitlin’s cold signature. Nothing.”

“It’s hard when we know virtually nothing about the guy who took her.” Ralph pitched in. “I mean, I’ve had to drop many cases before because there just wasn’t enough to go off of.”

“This isn’t some random P.I. case, Ralph.” Cisco said. “This is Caitlin.” 

“I know, but he has a point.” Iris spoke with a sympathetic tone. “We know virtually nothing about her kidnapper. We know he was a meta. We know his powers have something to do with the mind. That’s… pretty much it.” 

Cisco bit his lip. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he knew they were right. What else could they possibly do? 

“Caitlin’s a strong girl. She’ll be able to hold her own until we can rescue her. She’ll be okay, I promise.” Barry’s words were meant to be reassuring, but somehow they only stung. 

I just don’t know if I can do this without her.

When Cisco looked around Star Labs, all he saw was memories of Caitlin. The time she worked late to help him with a project that he just couldn’t quite figure out. The time they spilled Big Belly Burger sauce in one of the computers and blamed Hartley. The time Cisco found Caitlin crying so he just read off a bunch of corny puns he found online until she laughed. The time they placed a bet on how much ice cream they could eat in one sitting and both got stomach aches afterwards. 

Cisco saw history in the walls. He recalled the day he realized that Caitlin was his best friend, and the day he realized she was so much more. Every nook and cranny of Star Labs was taunting him with memories- memories that brought a smile to his face, and memories that felt like blows to his already-sunken heart. 

Without Caitlin, Star Labs would never feel like home to him.

“I just need to get out of here. I’m going to Jitters.” 

“Are you sure your legs will be okay to walk?” 

Cisco stood up, and instantly regretted it. The pain came searing through his legs the second he applied pressure, which made it a hassle to even just stand up. And yet, Cisco decided he could live with it. 

“I’ll be fine.” 

Sure enough, he made it through. He breached to Jitters instead of driving to make it easier for him, but he made it nonetheless. He figured the pain would eventually wear off if he just pressed on through. Either that, or he’d just make it worse. Either one. 

He got in line and mentally decided on an order without having to look at the menu. You’d think Team Flash practically lived at Jitters with how often they met there for casual coffee chats, or just an early morning pick-me-up. 

The lady in front of him placed her order and moved on to find a table, and Cisco stepped up to the counter. He had opened his mouth in preparation to state his order, but the second he met the cashier’s eyes, everything stopped. He forgot his coffee order, his name… everything he had ever known. None of that mattered to him anymore, not after he saw her. 

Brown eyes, but not just any brown eyes. The most perfect brown eyes Cisco had ever seen in his life. They were the eyes that lit up with passion when she was talking about everything scientific, everything medical. They were the eyes that twinkled with fondness every time they met Cisco’s. They were the eyes that gave Cisco a playful glare whenever he made a bad joke, but also the eyes that sparkled with the laughter she was trying to keep in. They were the eyes that shined with the beauty of a thousand stars. Gentle, joyful, calming. Her gaze never failed to stir up the butterflies in Cisco’s stomach, and he never grew tired of the feeling. 

“Caitlin?!”

Caitlin blinked, clearly startled. She stared at Cisco for a short moment before speaking.

“I’m sorry. Who are you?” 

~~~

Her legs dangled off of the bed in the Star Labs medical bay. She looked around the place with a mixture of confusion and awe in her eyes, she met everyone’s gazes with an unfamiliar distant look. As everyone else stood around her, Cisco had gotten a chair and sat, fiddling with his thumbs and trying not to look at Caitlin. Just hearing her voice was painful enough. He knew that if he met her eyes and only saw her blank stare in return, his heart would shatter all over again.

“You really don’t remember anything?”

“That’s the fourth time you guys have asked me that.”

“So that’s a no.” Ralph sighed. 

Barry turned to Cisco. “You said you saw her at Jitters?” 

Cisco nodded.

“Today was my third day on the job.” Caitlin said. “I had to get a new job, seeing as how I didn’t remember enough about who I am to show up to my last one. I’m assuming this is it, though?” 

“This is Star Labs.” Barry said. “You’re our bio-engineer, and resident doctor. Do you know your name?”

“Caitlin Snow. That’s what it said on my driver’s license.” Caitlin said. “When I woke up with no memory of who I was, that was the first thing I checked.”

“So, what exactly do you remember?” Barry asked. 

“Well, a few weeks ago I woke up in some abandoned warehouse with no memory of how I got there or who I was. I was alone. I know how to drive, but I don’t remember ever learning. I couldn’t tell you my name or age or anything about me, until I checked my wallet.”

“You had your wallet on you when you woke up?” Ralph asked. “You were kidnapped and abandoned, but he left your wallet?” 

“He didn’t want money.” Barry’s voice was solemn. Cisco recognized that look from when they were up against Devoe, or when Cicada had injured Nora. “He must’ve kidnapped Caitlin for a different reason.” 

“Kidnapped?” Caitlin raised an eyebrow. “That sounds intense.”  

“Caitlin,” Iris spoke with a gentle tone, careful not to overwhelm Caitlin. “Do you remember the warehouse you woke up in?”

Caitlin nodded. “I wrote down the address in case I needed to go to the police.” 

“Smart move.” Iris said. 

“Okay, then that’s our next move.” Barry decided. “Tomorrow, we go check out the warehouse and stop this meta once and for all.” 

Nods of agreement followed from Ralph, Cisco, and Iris.

“So then it’s settled.” Barry said. “I’ll head over to CCPD and fill Joe in on what’s happening. He can get CCPD on alert.” 

With that, he walked out of Star Labs.

~~~

The stars shimmered against the nighttime sky. Cisco leaned forwards against the balcony’s metal railing and stared up at the moon, his mind still racing from the events of that day. It was getting late, but Cisco was still at Star Labs. Just earlier that day, he couldn’t find it in him to stay, but now, he couldn’t find it in him to leave. 

He heard footsteps coming from the Star Labs lounge behind him, and turned around to see Caitlin walking up to him. She stepped with hesitation, as if silently asking permission to join him. Cisco nodded and stepped aside as if allowing room for her to stand next to him.

“I’m surprised you’re still here.” 

“I wanted to stay a bit longer.” Caitlin said. “It’s weird, but… I wanted to check out this place. I think part of me was secretly hoping that if I could explore this building, somehow it would help me remember something from my life.”

“Did it work?”

Caitlin shook her head. “It’s pointless.”

“That’s okay. Nobody expected you to get your memories back in one day.” 

She leaned her body against the railing and sighed. “There’s just so much I don’t understand. I’m so confused, and I know everything would make sense if I could just remember, but it’s… not that easy.”  

“What’re you confused on? I could try to explain.” 

“How did I end up in that abandoned warehouse? Why was I kidnapped? Why did they take me if not for money?” 

“Ah.” Cisco said. “That’s a bit of a long story, but I’ll try to put it simply. Do you know what a meta is?” 

Caitlin hesitated for a moment, as if trying to come up with an answer. “Sorry, but I don’t think I do.”

“That’s okay.” Cisco gave her a gentle, reassuring smile, and went on to explain it. “A meta, or a metahuman, is someone with powers.” 

“Like… Iron-Man?” 

“Famously a hero without powers, but yes, you have the right idea.” Cisco said. “Years ago, there was this particle accelerator that malfunctioned, and it exploded, causing a large ripple of dark matter to spread throughout the city. That dark matter infected certain people and physically changed their DNA structure, giving them superhuman abilities.”

“So superheroes are real?” Caitlin said. “You’re serious?” 

Cisco nodded. “Absolutely serious. In the few weeks that you’ve been conscious, have you heard of The Flash?”

“The Jitters drink?”

Cisco laughed softly before shaking his head. “The drink is named after the superhero. You see, when that particle accelerator went off, it made villains, but it also made heroes. The Flash was struck by lightning and sent into a coma, and when he woke up nine months later, he was given the ability to run faster than the speed of light.” 

“No way. So there’s a hero with super-speed, here in this very city?” 

“Yup.” Cisco nodded. “And you haven’t even heard the craziest part.” 

“Which is?”

“The Flash just so happens to be Barry Allen.” 

Caitlin’s eyes grew twice their size as the realization dawned on her. “No way. The guy I met earlier was a superhero?”

“But wait, there’s more.” Cisco said. “We’re all superheroes. I’m known as Vibe. Ralph- you met him earlier- is Elongated Man. Iris is the team leader. She doesn’t have powers, but she’s just as heroic without them. And you… you were Killer Frost.” 

For about thirty seconds, all Caitlin could do was blink and process what she had just heard. “I’m a hero?”

“One of the best.” Cisco said. “You have cold powers. Everything ice and snow.” 

“My last name is Snow, and I have ice powers?” Caitlin tilted her head. “That’s convenient.” 

Cisco couldn’t hold back a smile at that. “You’d be surprised at how many villains we face that have names sounding like they came right out of a comic book.”

“I’ll bet.” Caitlin hesitated for a moment, then something occurred to her. “This whole thing, me being kidnapped, me losing my memories… it happened because I’m a superhero, didn’t it?”

Cisco nodded. “My guess? He didn’t kidnap you for money. He kidnapped you to handicap the Flash. It was a lot harder to face metas without you helping out, and I think that’s what he wanted.”

“How did it happen?”

“Well…” Cisco let out a brief sigh, and began to tell the story. “About a month ago, CCPD started getting reports of various attacks from throughout the city. It was a different person each time, but they all had one thing in common: when the culprit was brought in for police questioning, they would always claim to have no memory of the event. We suspected that there was a meta with mind-control behind these attacks. A few days later, CCPD got an anonymous tip telling them to check out the Central City Park that night, and they’d have their guy. Well, CCPD went, and it turns out it was a trap. Joe called Barry and told him what was happening, so we all showed up to the scene. But this meta was… powerful. He could get inside our heads and throw us off our rhythm. Before we knew what was happening, he took you and got away.” 

“Wow.” was the only response Caitlin could muster. “So that’s how he erased my memory, then. He had powers.”

Cisco nodded.

A moment passed between the two of them, neither one saying a word. It felt so strange, and yet, it felt so comfortable. Cisco knew that she didn’t remember him, but one look at her and all he saw was Caitlin. His Caitlin. Caitlin, the one he’s been falling for a little more each day for the past six years. 

Then she spoke.

“Cisco?”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry.”

Cisco tilted his head in his confusion. “Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for.” 

“This whole thing must be really hard on you.” Caitlin said.

“That’s not your fault.” Cisco said. “For the past month, all I’ve wanted was for you to come back. And now you’re back, but it’s… not the same. Yeah, it’s hard, but you shouldn’t blame yourself. I don’t expect you to remember, I don’t expect you to make it up to me. You’re the most amazing person I know, Caitlin. I just wish you knew that.” 

Caitlin met Cisco’s eyes.

“You and I… we weren’t just friends, were we?” 

Cisco shook his head. “How’d you know?”

“The way you look at me.” 

“Caitlin, what we have, it’s… escaped definition.”

“But it’s love?”

“Yes. It’s love.” 

“Do the others know?”

“No.” Cisco said. “You and I have worked together for years. We became instant friends, and for a while, that was all it was. But as the years passed, we survived every little crazy thing together, we never left the other’s side, and… the feelings formed on their own. We were in denial for a long time. I dated other people, I thought that I could move on from you if I found someone I loved just as much. But it never happened. Not a single soul in the universe is as perfect for me as you are. You’re practically my soulmate. Then you confessed. And I realized that our love for each other was mutual. After that, we started dating in secret. The team was going through a lot at the time, and frankly we both wanted to keep it on the down-low for now. But then you were kidnapped. After all these years, I finally had you, and then I lost you. Just like that, you were gone. For a whole month, I had no idea if I was ever going to see you again.”  

“And now I don’t remember anything.”

“But you’re here.” Cisco said. “We’ll get your memories back one way or another, I promise.” 

“What if we can’t?” Caitlin asked. “I mean, you said yourself that things were so much harder without me helping you out, but without my memories, I can’t help. I supposedly have powers, but I don’t have the slightest idea how to use them.” 

Cisco paused for a moment, then his whole face lit up. “Wait. I have an idea.” 

“Yeah?” 

“When you use your powers, you become this whole other persona. You physically transform into Killer Frost. If you could transform now, maybe that would be enough to trigger your memories.” 

“But… I don’t know how.”

“It’s okay, just try.” Cisco said. “It was hard for me to use my powers at first, too. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and focus on becoming Killer Frost.” 

Caitlin inhaled a shaky breath, stood up straight, and closed her eyes. Cisco watched with a hopeful grin, crossing his fingers and wishing for the best.

A beat. Nothing.

Caitlin let go of the breath she had been holding and opened her eyes. “I can’t do it.” 

“That’s okay.” Cisco placed a gentle hand on Caitlin’s shoulder reassuringly. “You did your best. Thanks for trying.”

“I should be getting home soon. It’s late and I’m starting to get tired.” 

“Do you want me to take you to your apartment?” Cisco asked. 

“You sure you’d be okay driving me?”

“Who said I was gonna drive you?” Cisco’s eyes twinkled with a hint of playfulness. “I never did tell you what my powers were. Watch this.” 

Cisco outstretched his palm and concentrated for a few seconds. Before long, a bright blue shimmering breach appeared in front of the two of them.

“Whoa. You can make portals?”

He nodded. “We call them breaches. They can take me anywhere I wanna go in the multiverse at any time.” 

“Multiverse?” Caitlin raised an eyebrow. “The multiverse theory is real?” 

“Yeah. We have a couple friends from different universes, actually.” 

“Alright, I definitely wanna know more about that. But not tonight.” Caitlin started to step through the portal, but turned back and met Cisco’s eyes one last time. She smiled in a way that made Cisco’s heart melt. “Goodnight, Cisco.” 

He smiled back.

“Goodnight, Caitlin.” 

~~~

The day was just getting started as Team Flash gathered in Star Labs and prepared their ambush on the warehouse Caitlin woke up in. Cisco brought a granola bar and was snacking on it. Ralph was tapping his foot against his chair. Caitlin sat in the cortex, keeping quiet while everyone else made plans.

“Alright, everyone has to be on high alert. He doesn’t know that we’ve found Caitlin, so there’s no way he can be expecting us, but we can’t let our guard down. He’s bested us once before, let’s not give him the chance to do it again.” Barry said. 

“I searched the address Caitlin gave and found this warehouse near the edge of the city.” Cisco set his granola bar down and pulled his search results up on the computer screens. “In other news, I’ve been brainstorming a name for this guy. I’m thinking… Mind Master.”

“You really like alliterative names, huh?” Barry raised an eyebrow.

Cisco shrugged. “They sound nice.”

Everyone was suited up and ready to go. Cisco threw away his empty granola bar wrapper, sighed, and outstretched his hand. A shimmering blue breach appeared before the team, ready to transport them right to the warehouse. 

“Wait.” 

The team turned around. The voice had belonged to Caitlin, who was now standing in front of her seat, staring at them with a look of determination that reminded them all of her old self. 

“I want to go with you.” 

Barry spoke up. “Caitlin, without you being able to access your powers-”

“I know, but I’m the only one who’s actually been in the warehouse. And if this guy took away my memories… maybe he could give them back.” 

“She has a point.” Cisco said.

“If she wants to go, let her go.” Iris reached into the cabinet behind her and pulled out an energy rifle. “Here, Caitlin. To defend yourself.” 

Caitlin took it. “What’s this?”

“It’s an energy rifle. Basically a fancy gun, but it shoots energy instead of bullets.” Iris said. “Just pull the trigger, you’ll be fine.” 

“Okay, I don’t mean to rush us here, but I’ve been holding this breach open for like, almost a full minute, and it’s very draining.” 

“Right. Sorry, Cisco.” 

With Caitlin now holding the energy rifle, the team stepped through the breach and into the unknown.

The warehouse was dark, empty, and cold. It felt unwelcome, like the creepy mansion you’d expect in an old cheesy horror movie. Chills crept down their spines as they treaded lightly into the unknown. 

“This is the place.” Caitlin confirmed. 

“Yikes. You woke up here, all alone?” Ralph raised an eyebrow. “Respect.”

“Well, it’s not like I had a choice in the matter.”

“Let’s just find Mind Master and get out of here.” Cisco said. “This place is creeping me out.”

“It’s… empty.” Barry said. 

You really fell for the same trick twice? The Flash isn’t as smart as I thought.

They didn’t hear the voice. It wasn’t spoken. It appeared in their heads, as if it was a thought, but it wasn’t their own. It was his.

“That’s him.” The tremor in Ralph’s voice reflected the fear they all felt. “He’s here.” 

Do you think I wouldn’t expect you to find your friend again? Do you think I didn’t expect you to try to find me?

“He led us here.” 

“This is my fault.” Caitlin looked like she was gonna be sick. “I brought you here. This is on me.” 

“No.” Cisco reached out and laid a hand on Caitlin’s shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t think that. It’s not your fault.” 

A purple mist surrounded them, clouding their view of the warehouse. They heard footsteps somewhere nearby, but they couldn’t tell where. Whether it was real or just in their head, they had no idea. 

Then they saw him. Walking through the fog towards them, there he was. The master behind it all. 

A deep, hearty, intimidating laugh escaped his throat. 

“You lot are no match for me.”

Cisco shot a vibe blast out of his palm. The blast was aimed right for Mind Master’s chest and it should have hit, but to the team’s dismay, it only passed right through and instead left an impact on the wall behind them. Magic Master’s image glitched and disappeared, gone from sight.

He lowered his hand in defeat. “It was a hologram.” 

“Wow.” Ralph muttered. “This guy’s no joke.” 

Barry cursed under his breath. “Once again, he could be anywhe-”

Caitlin’s shriek cut Barry off. Mind Master had taken advantage of the distraction and was pinning Caitlin up against the wall, facing the team with a sly grin. 

“Try and stop me now, heroes.” 

Caitlin was practically whimpering. Cisco felt his heart pounding in his chest. He hated seeing the panic on Caitlin’s face. She could get out of there, if only she remembered how.

“Caitlin, you can take him. You gotta transform.” Cisco stepped forward, meeting Caitlin’s eyes and trying to appear as calm as possible in spite of the situation. 

“I- I don’t know how.”

“Think about what motivates you. Fear, anger, spite…” Cisco recalled all the times he would get Caitlin to transform in the past. “I know you can do it. I believe in you.” 

“Oops. Not soon enough.” Mind Master raised his fist and aimed it at Caitlin.

“No!”

A flash of lightning whipped past them, soaring through the air with enough force to blow Cisco’s hair in front of his face. Before they knew it, Barry had knocked Mind Master onto the ground, freeing Caitlin from his grasp. After that, all the others saw of the fight was Barry’s yellow lightning and Mind Master dodging, throwing punches. 

Until Mind Master got away.

Cisco didn’t register what was happening until it was too late. He felt a force throwing him back, knocking him against the ground. He looked up and saw Mind Master’s fist only inches from his, his eyes holding more malice than the Reverse-Flash. Cisco shut his eyes and his heart skipped a beat…

“No!”

The voice was all so familiar, and yet distorted at the same time. She spoke with a hint of an echo, a magical voice perfectly fit for the person it belonged to. It was icicles and blizzards and the crunch of fresh snow beneath a traveler’s foot, and yet it was warm, and sweet, and so very Caitlin, all at the same time.

A blast of icy whirlwinds knocked Mind Master off of Cisco and against the wall with enough impact to render him too weak to fight back. Barry grabbed the metacuffs and put them on him before he could try anything else. Mind Master slumped in defeat, his powers no longer at his expense.

Cisco got up and faced his savior. Sprinkles of white were dancing around her fingertips. The frozen mist was still fading around her. Her hair sported a shade of white that matched the piercing frostiness of her eyes, the ones that were looking at Cisco with a warmth someone wouldn’t normally expect from an ice queen. 

Killer Frost.

“You did it.” Despite his heart still thumping in his chest, he couldn’t stop grinning. “I knew you could.” 

“It worked.” 

“What?” 

“It worked!”

Frost shut her eyes and exhaled the breath she had been holding. The ice around her faded, her hair reverted to its natural warm brown, her eyes lost their frozen touch. Her grin was accented with her natural warm brown aesthetic, the excitement in her expression was something so genuinely her. She ran up to Cisco, not caring about anything in the world except for him. She cupped his face, and she kissed him.

“I remember.” She huffed, a joyful grin stuck on her face. “I remember everything.” 

~~~

“So, when were you two planning on telling us about your relationship?” 

Cisco and Caitlin laughed. Iris was looking at them with a sparkle in her eyes, one that showed how happy she was for the both of them. The heroes were all still a little worn out from the battle beforehand, but Caitlin hadn’t been able to stop holding Cisco’s hand since they left. Even now, in Star Labs, Caitlin was leaning against the chair that Cisco was sitting in. 

“Just throwing it out there, I totally called it.” Ralph said. 

“You did not.” Barry raised an eyebrow at him. 

“I did! Remember when I pulled up Ralph’s Guide To A Healthy Relationship and I said, ‘huh, Cisco and Caitlin would be great for each other’.” 

“That doesn’t count. You said the same thing about Kamilla when Cisco was dating her.”

“I’m supportive of all Cisco’s romantic interests!” 

Cisco laughed softly at the team’s playful bickering, and reached into the desk’s bottom drawer to pull out a Twizzler. He offered one to Caitlin, who took it and held it in front of her teeth.

“This monitor is old.” Cisco said. “I think this is the same one from that time maybe about six years ago when we spilled Big Belly Burger sauce on it-”

Caitlin laughed. “Didn’t we blame it on Hartley?” 

“Yeah, we did!”

“Dr. Wells was pissed.”

“Oh well. Hartley was a dick anyways.”

The two of them shared memories and giggled to themselves like schoolchildren for one long, precious moment. When it ended, Cisco was simply looking up at Caitlin with lovestruck eyes.

“What?” Caitlin smiled. 

“Nothing.” Cisco shrugged. “I’m just glad to have you back.” 

Caitlin leaned over and kissed Cisco one more time. “I’m not leaving. Ever again.” 

“You didn’t leave. You were kidnapped. And for the record,” Cisco tucked Caitlin’s hair behind her ear. “The next person who tries to take you away is going to have to pry you from my cold, dead hands.” 

“Yeah?” Caitlin’s voice reflected her amused smile. “I thought I was the one with the cold hands.” 

“You just had to make a cold joke, didn’t you?” 

“You love it.”

Cisco chuckled softly. “I do.”

[lula1991]

My Jewel

Summary

 An ancient spell causes a millenary young lady to weaken, it is up to Larry and her friends to help her find the key to return her to normal while a stranger pretends, along with three already known individuals, to take over a captive jewel somewhere in Egypt with the in order to proclaim it “yours.” (The shock of all the chaos in her).

 Objective? The guard and the exhibits must prevent it from falling into the wrong hands while between Ahkmenrah and the girl, a romance will slowly emerge that will bear fruit over time.

Genre: Adventure, comedy, romance, fantasy

Warnings: None.

Chapter 4

  Our little girl was going around the museum looking for the "tree" that was with her a few minutes ago but did not find much, until Larry showed up at the right time ..

"Larempteh, do you need help?" Larry asked somewhat unfocusedly watching as she looked for something she couldn't find.

"Hi Larry, have you ever seen a tree walking around here?" Larempteh clasped his own hands with Royal delicacy.

"A tree? That sounds weird .. ”Larry chose to cross his arms trying to analyze the girl's restlessness.

"It is .." Larempteh said.

"And how was it?" Larry asked.

"Well, he was short and had a rather peculiar accent, as between French and English." Larempteh described the subject  while still thoughtful.

“French and English? A quite striking mix. For a moment Napoleon came to mind trying to talk like that ..” Larry commented.

"Who is Napoleon?" Larempteh asked.

“He was Emperor of France. Well, but keep telling me ..” said Larry.

“It was very strange. He claimed to be a bonsai and be called Chang, although the bonsai are from China and according to him, he learned to speak French during an exhibition at the Department of Flora Conservation in Paris. ”Larempteh explained but she still didn't close any of that talk.

"How crazy!" Larry exclaimed in surprise.

"Too much!" Larempteh stressed and then left a little left in his thoughts. "Maybe I should downplay it, what do you say?"

"Maybe, but .." Larry paused cautiously.

"But .." Larempteh kept a smile of knowing the meaning of the word. "I know, I must be careful." She said with good energy at last. "I have heard the rumors that Ahk's brother can return from the dead and is somewhat bloodthirsty." The queen spoke quietly for safety.

"Kahmunrah. Yes, he is only an extravagant character but nothing harmless. You must take care more than anything for his army. I may be willing to go back to Ahkmenrah's table. ”Larry predicted and at the comment the girl began to laugh spontaneously.

“Army, which one? Nobody told me anything. What is a kind of alliance or how..?” Larempteh wanted to know to be more careful.

“They are quite clumsy because they are the most detestable villains in history. They are nothing more or nothing less than Ivan the Terrible, Al Capone and Napoleon Bonaparte. ”Said Larry.

“Are you serious, Larry? How crazy! ”Larempteh couldn't believe it at all.

"Yes, even if you don't believe it," Larry said without further ado.

"Who would say it .." and Larempteh was thinking with a smile of not falling into what he heard. "A picturesque, despicable and megalomaniac pharaoh, a dwarf with complexes, a ruthless Russian and an extremely scary Italian gangster, together?"

“I know, I know, it sounds pretty paranoid but it happened. Some time ago I had to fight them together with the boys. So you have to be cautious in speech and in the information you give.” Larry said.

“That's why I'm looking for that tree. It left me somewhat restless. ”Larempteh shook his head, removing thoughts. "But what..! I must remember that all this happens due to the power of Ahk's tablet and even the bushes usually come to life, I think .. ” she was thoughtful. "But if he was sent to the underworld, it is impossible for him to return without the help of the tablet." The queen sounded convincing.

"It's understandable too, although remember to be careful, Larempteh." Larry used a warning tone was very fatherly. He was beginning to take love as much as Ahkmenrah.

"Yes thanks. Maybe I'm chasing myself a lot. ”Larempteh put that issue aside to go back to another that was somewhat worried. "Larry, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what's up?" Larry said.

“Nothing, it's just that since I arrived there are no papyrus records regarding my parents' reign or information on where they are. Do you know if they are in a museum near here? I need to see them. I haven't done it for 4000 years and I would like to meet with them. ”Larempteh seemed worried.

  From his tone of voice it could be said that it sounded like despair but it was a mixture of many things, a little hope for the answer, a little disappointment due to a hard blow for a no. Anyway, she had a storm inside her ..

"Larempteh, I want to help you but even working here I don't think they can give me access to that request you want again ..." Larry felt guilty and upon hearing this the girl was a little sad. "I'm really sorry because I would gladly do it, you're really a great girl just like Ahkmenrah, they're both good guys and .." Larry stood up, wanted to continue but her interrogative look didn't leave her.

"Yes ..?" Said Larempteh.

   It was something curious to be the exhibition of an Egyptian mummy returned to life, Larry could not contain himself and resumed the thought that was pending ..

"And you make an adorable couple and deserve to be together." Larry took that comment by surprise.

"Do you really believe it?" Larempteh said very seized.

“Really, both are great, jovial and very intrepid. Yes, of course you deserve all possible happiness. I still don't understand how it is that you are not yet .. ”Larry added.

"Yes, he is a great pharaoh already ascending and me too .." there was a hint of something else to glimpse, the girl was very transparent and that Larry noticed but preferred not to add comment. He had to respect his privacy. "Thanks Larry, except for the fact that we are both very friendly, I appreciate your praise from that perspective towards us .." The little girl answered her why in a good, genuine way.

"I did not know. I, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude .. ”said Larry.

“No, no, don't worry it's fine, you didn't have to know. You know sometimes things happen that way. ”Larempteh's voice denoted a bit of neutrality, hidden anxiety perhaps, as if his gaze lost some brightness at the mere idea that this long decree would come true. She was looking for an answer that her friend Larry couldn't answer beyond what he said, maybe a sign? but the queen was not to be excited even though her heart gallops like one of the many horses her father's kingdom had every time she heard young Ahk's name as her old future? pending. "In fact, we may be friends until proven otherwise." She was mature and with a spontaneous talk." Larempteh said simply.

“I am sure it will be, Larempteh. Just time to time. ”Larry advised her and she took it very well.

  But something rocked Larempteh's existence again, she was trapped in that trance where she lost her balance a bit and Larry was able to sustain her in time..

“Larem? Larem, are you alright? ”Larry worried holding the girl's arms.

"Who?" Asked a disoriented Larempteh.

"It's you." Said Larry.

"Who are you?" Said Larempteh.

"It's me .." said Larry.

"I don't know you .." Larempteh said looking at him with a strange fixation, the girl seemed lost.

  The guard was worried due to the sudden state of the girl, it seemed that she was not only tortured with a hypnotic trance with temporary fades but also produced a slight amnesia ..

"Larempteh ..?" Larry asked watching the girl while she was still a little absent. "Larem .." the guard snapped his fingers causing her to react from that confused state. "Larempteh, are you alright?"

"What happened?" Larempteh asked slowly returning to himself.

"Larem, you didn't recognize me." Larry said.

"What..? Did I do that? ”Larempteh said.

"Do you at least remember it?" Larry asked as she shook her head.

"No, nothing. ‘Nut’ (‘Heavens’). I'm sorry, Larry, I don't know what got hold of me .. ”Larempteh held his head processing what happened.

"All in order? It seems as if you had aged 300 years .. ”Larry saw how she regained her stability.

"All in order. Yes, I'm fine. ”But Larem wasn't quite sure, one thing was wrong.

"Don't fool me, Larem." Larry tilted his head pressing the girl to speak for her sake.

“You know me very well. What, I was very obvious? ”Said Larem.

"Well, your trance would scare anyone .." Larry mentioned.

“Good, okay. I can't hide anything from you. ”Larempteh gave up before a sigh. “Larry, you better know this. A little less than a few minutes ago before I was talking to you, the same thing happened now, except for the amnesia thing. Suddenly I felt like I was going to fall and then I didn't fall. How a strange magic in the air .. ”

“Wait, it makes me familiar. Larempteh, I would like to know if you have any precious item that has been corrupted at this time by an essential fault .. ”Larry wanted to know and she frowned.

“Wait, wait, object ..? Corrosion? What are you talking about, Larry? ”Larempteh was confused.

"A possession." Larry said at last.

“A possession? How of what kind? ”Larempteh asked.

“Yes, just as Ahkmenrah has his tablet, you must have something similar. Some talisman, you might even have a tablet too. ”Larry said simply.

“No, I don't really remember it very well but no, I didn't run with that luck of containing a tablet. I only have this necklace that is considered a talisman but it was not what caused me that discomfort, I think so. Maybe it could be that .. ”she was thoughtful on alert. "Larry .." the queen took her hand instinctively.

"What happens? I'm something big for surprises .. ” said Larry.

"It's late! Yes there is something, a jewel. It's a bracelet, but I don't have it with me. I just don't know what happened to him after Cambridge managers transferred me here, nor am I sure what the right cause is for these symptoms. ”Larempteh sounded convincing.

"Then we'll have to take you to her to find out." Larry said.

"You mean go to my old home in Cambridge?" Said Larempteh.

"Yes." Larry said.

"No Larry, forget about that idea." Larempteh said.

"Why?" Larry asked waiting for more.

"You won't understand." Larempteh seemed scared of herself.

“Larempteh, I managed to solve the dilemma in Ahkmenrah's table, so just tell me. Explain to me how you are born to narrate it .. ”said Larry.

"It's strange, because without knowing where he can be at the same time, I feel like he's in a part of the Middle East, maybe it's a hunch, but I suspect that I should be connected to him through ..." Larem emphasized his collar. "Or something similar .." she instinctively squeezed her usej with the winged beetle along with three ahkn charms, a significant symbol of life.

“Have you seen yourself like this before? Because it's the same state the boys have suffered including Ahk and the tablet a while ago. ”Larry inspected the girl but it was not safe to venture to say that this was happening for the same reason the boy's board had.

"Never. This situation had never happened before. I was always exactly the same. ”Larempteh sounded convincing.

“And what happens? I don't understand. ”Larry continued without finding answers.

“Being honest, I have no idea. But it turns out to be that way, my father knew the secrets of that jewel better than me. Unfortunately he swore never to reveal them and he did so .. ”Larem explained and again it happened, the girl went into a trance that barely made her back when her friend came to hold her until she could stand. "Perhaps it is for this reason that I want to meet again with my parents ..." she wanted to remove all possible doubts and answer her whys that grew slowly.

“Quiet Larem. We will take care of this and I will do my best to help you. Just relax tonight, okay? ”Larry somehow managed to calm her.

"Very well." And she smiled in thanks.

  Larry had to take another course after corroborating that everything was fine and Larempteh also had to continue before that problem got bigger in his head, without suspecting that Napoleon heard every detail of the talk so he smiled to get more information about it ..

  Honestly the villains were quite fools, it was easier to get a candy from them than to another person. But returning to the subject, Napoleon took the information that he managed to bring with him thanks to the young woman and the queen tyrant began to reproach, so as not to lose the habit ..

"Is that all ?!" the queen shouted with an unknown name.

“Mona mi, the girl is quite cunning. I couldn't collect more data than those .. ”Napoleon excused himself at the dissatisfaction of the leader.

“We have enough information, piccolo. We know that she is and that she is friends with the boy. The plan marches on wheels .. ”Al Capone remarked with his Italian accent.

“And that is a possible weakness of the Egyptian and vice versa. This will be easier than snatching a candy from a brat. ”Ivan, the Terrible decreed with his Russian accent.

"What's your next step, girl?" Al Capone seemed impatient.

“She will be forced to renounce what my dad and my mom unfairly destined for her, referring to the throne, the crown and the jewel, of course.” Said the queen.

“And the boy? What about him? ”Al Capone asked with one hand in his dress pants pocket.

“It's just what we need, guys! If one yields, the other must yield, they will remain occupied only by the simple fact of wanting to try to save each other more than the world itself, thus leaving us the free path .. ”said the queen and the others waited expectantly for their next words .

"Highness!" Tahmenk exclaimed.

"It will be how to attract fish to the water .." the queen continued.

"Highness!" Tahmenk exclaimed again.

"What?! I hate being interrupted! ”Shouted the queen who looked annoyed.

"His goal was always found here." Tahmenk reported and a countenance that would terrorize the same god of the underworld was embodied in the woman's face. "The jewel was in the basement all this time."

"Well, go get her ..." the queen smiled demandingly.

"No .." said Tahmenk.

"Why not ?!" the queen reproached.

"Because we can't do much if the jewel is being scheduled to be transferred to Cairo just now, less if it was already packed to get there in a couple of days." Tahmenk reported.

   And the queen formed an uncertain grimace on her lips, an indecipherable rarity..

"Cairo .." the queen whispered.

"Yes .." Tahmenk continued.

"Cairo .. Middle East .." the queen raised a finger remembering what the Emperor of France mentioned.

 The aforementioned collected finishing spinning the information to continue forging its plan ..

"This is wonderful! This is divine! ”The bewitching woman laughed jokingly.

"Mona mi, we must act fast!" Napoleon exclaimed plaintiff.

“Stop sir! No one rushes me! The night is still young and we also have plenty of time to take possession of it, but first of all, Army! ”The queen shouted and her faithful men stood firm. "Get ready to start, let's visit my little sister whom I call, Larempteh and at least notice, the world will be ours and Larempteh is not welcome in him, nor will she be much less a hero." The queen murmured happily looking for the crystals of the big window.

  The young queen walked quietly through the exhibition of Egypt, when passing through the room and before the room facing the old temple of Ahkmenrah where she was previously, a hand brought her to the beautiful interior of such a hall representative of her time where there was more to see the magical place where both came from, it should be noted that this place was where the ornate sarcophagus of Larempteh was with its walls covered by hieroglyphs with considerable lighting ..

 "How is it that I missed so much time from his pleasant presence?" Ahkmenrah wondered..

   Yes, that's right, neither of them was aware that they were so close during all that time since she was exhibited as a historical piece on this site, around 1958..

"Hey ..!" His mouth was covered with one hand to meet his bright pupils.

"At last alone .." Ahkmenrah whispered close to her nose as he placed his hands at the girl's sides, cornering her.

  The king was caught with the exquisite aroma that she possessed by her natural perfume, she smelled of papyrus mixed with fragrance to Sol also counted the small help of the aromatic oils that they prepared especially for her beautiful and royal queen, those balms that she still preserved from his embalming ..   He brought his face close to the queen's neck to wear that scent impregnated in his nostrils for weeks, so stock up on Larempteh by olfactory memory when he didn't see her after returning to his sarcophagus or when his new duties allowed..

"Ahk .." Larempteh muttered looking at Ahk's lips.

"Mm ..?" Ahkmenrah muttered sensually looking at Larem's lips.

"You're very close .." Larem murmured as he approached dangerously.

"Do I make you nervous ..?" Ahkmen spoke with his best seduction tone.

"No .." Larempteh whispered comically sensual almost falling for Pharaoh's appeal but woke up from that trance. "Ahkmenrah, are you crazy?" Larempteh spoke quietly looking everywhere.

"Mm, maybe .." Ahk smiled slyly as he scanned her with a scan from top to bottom all over his body carefully.

"It is good that you admit it, you are one step further .." Larempteh admired her virtue by accommodating a bretel of her dress and a wing of her little cape. "Now, why did you do that?"

"Why did I do what?" Ahk faded.

"That!" Said Larempteh.

"That?" Said Ahkmenrah.

"Yes, that!" Said Larempteh.

"What is that?" Ahkmenrah despaired comically when she shook her head clearing the argument.

"Nothing, forget it. Why did you bring me here? ”Larempteh demanded with the demand for a sovereign but without being severe and without losing spontaneity by bringing her hands to her hips, she looked so tender before Ahkmenrah's eyes.

"For this .." Ahkmenrah took his face crashing his lips against hers.

  Due to the abruptness of her act, the queen was caught between the wall and the body of Ahk, opening her eyes for that reason and for the clash of Ahkmenrah's hips against her own where that impact caused the king to rub only intimately in Larempteh, although then the girl closed her beautiful eyelids slowly keeping up with Ahkmenrah, due to an unconscious submission to the girl. By the way, the young man kissed perfectly well and where the king asked permission in his mouth to have tongue in between ..

    An instrumental of romantic melody from Egypt sounded in the background making that moment less uncomfortable and more relaxing..

  But a mental click caught on his conscious for a few moments trying to get rid of the king's lips, pushed him scared ..

   Maybe Larem let his guard down and was vulnerable under Ahkmenrah's charms ..

"Don't do it again!" Larempteh graciously ordered indignantly.

"I'm not done yet .." Ahkmenrah took revenge.

"Ahkmenrah!" Larempteh said and he kissed her again but this time with more intensity.

  They continued kissing for a good while until she reacted after several seconds since they both separated comically while Larepteh tried to incorporate some air before speaking..

  They looked at each other, detailed themselves, memorizing every gesture that will be impregnated in them. They were agitated, both had large pupils due to the low light provided by the lights, a strong blush with the adrenaline that shook their hearts predominated on their cheeks, but still she did not know what to say..

“Ahkmenrah, I thought it was all clear, young man. That way you don't win a girl, not the gross. What was that? ”Larempteh inquired graciously and spontaneously, wanting to erase that moment from his mind.

"Fluid exchange?" Ahkmenrah raised her eyebrows as she smiled and opened those imposing eyes, captivated by the young woman.

"I reaffirm, you're crazy." She had no idea that Ahkmenrah was so impulsive.

"You are beautiful when you get angry, did you know that?" Ahk smiled at her sensually and then approached and she looked at him expectantly for some trace of mischief, her eyes gave him away. "I, yearned to see you give me a dance." Ahkmen murmured in his ear.

"Ahkmenrah, you .." Larempteh muttered about Ahkmenrah's boldness.

 That guy was sensuality in person when he returned to give a smile and a sexy wink before leaving slowly ..

 Larempteh was a little silly after that moment, touching his lips confirming that this kiss was real and yes! it was, so much that he still felt the heat of that fleshy mouth in his, he smiled biting his lower lip while resting his head on the wall when he closed his eyes remembering everything. The girl mentally sailed in an intoxicating and captivating sea because of the effect that had the pleasant and seductive perfume with aroma of herbs and Sun that Ahkmenrah gave off, coincidentally also its natural fragrance emanated from papyrus, a long and captivating smell of masculinity ..

Of course she was also crazy about him, but Larem hid it better ..

"Little girl?" Teddy was surprised to see her in that way and of course, the girl was petrified. "Are you alright, pretty?"

   It was a little funny scene to see the young queen biting her lip and trying to align her thoughts by inventing a good lie so that he would not suspect anything but it was late, if only she had a minimum idea of what she already has in mind. Mr. Roosevelt about them ..

"Yes! It's just that I had a little skin on my lip and I had to take it out. It is not attractive that a queen looks like this with her lips .. ”Larempteh sighed a nervous smile and was more so when Teddy looked at her, happily discovering the king's step with her while smiling, squinting his warm eyes. "Me, I must go ... to another place .." Larempteh gave him a pretty smile and resumed his path.

"I wish she knew instead of both being hiding .." Mr. Rooselvelt felt good knowing the truth and on the other hand he longed for that day where Ahkmenrah would finally know what role Larempteh plays in his life.

  They are friends? Yes, although the young man does not feel that danger of crossing the “prohibited..?"

  And in fact, he already crossed it, quite a bit or maybe there was never such a crack because after all, they are free to choose their concubines..

  Maybe it was all in his imagination ..

"I saw her, miss .." Lancelot turned to the young woman.

"What?" Larempteh was a bit self-conscious.

"You like each other, right?" Lancelot wanted to truly lie him.

"No .." maybe, sometimes Larempteh was awful hiding his heart, not always. She tried to do her best with regard to Ahk but it was impossible. The two liked each other very much.

"Yes, of course .." Lancelot said elbowing her.

"Already! Stop bothering, Lancelot .. ”Larempteh couldn't help but let out a smile when she ran away.

****

Tags: @underworldsheiress @txmel @s4msepiol @itsme690 @xmxisxforxmaybe @moon-stars-soul @1970smalek @singyourheartout4-rami @seafrost-fangirl @sherlollydramoine @mrsahkmenrah-malek @hazeleyedbeth @yousaycoke-isaycaine @r-ahh-mi @rocketrhap4229 @eschnei7 

I want to label them in this chapter so you don't miss out on this beautiful story, I hope you don't bother, girls .. :D💕