#he is a time oracle!!!!!! so he doesnt know his past but he keeps seeing the future ough nooo!!!

[acerunaway]

new OC for my friend's pathfinder 2e campaign. he has amnesia (classic) and has been stabbed in the gut at least once per session

[yogurthoopsart]

Splatoon TOH Crossover Timeline/Concept

This is mainly for my own reference and ill be drawing art/designs for it later but I wanted to get everything outlined in one place. If you've been seeing my instagram you'll have seen some sketches already, but here's the IN DEPTH timeline and concept.

Philip's BS:

Humans are Octolings, and Witches are Inklings. The Boiling Isles is on the Surface, while the human realm is in the kettles.

Great Turf War ends. Octarians retreat underground and keep the militaristic lifestyle. They constantly fight against the Squidbeak Splatoon but fail.

Philip and Caleb are the only surviving members of their squad, and stuck together when reassigned. Their new squad was frontlines, and SUPER anti-inkling. Caleb played along to fit in, but Philip was heavily indoctrinated.

Caleb gets the chance to escape to the surface with the help of Evelyn the inkling, one of the members of the Squidbeak splatoon.

Philip goes after him under the impression that he was taken by force. Finds out otherwise. Kills him. You know the drill.

Ok this is getting long. Putting the rest under the cut

The Clawthornes are weapons specialists and bomb inventors. Evelyn hits Philip with a Fucked Up Bomb that has some sort of slime ooze, resulting in the "curse".

Philip lies low, steals his brother's corpse, and starts foraging for Octarian tech that makes its way up to the surface. He uses Octarian cloning tech (that exists in canon, thankfully) to clone Caleb. Grimwalkers are a go.

Philip finds the collector!!! (Idk how time travel is gonna work here so we're going to skim past that) But the collector is an advanced AI created by humans. It teaches Philip about technology, and Philip promises to connect it to the grid, "freeing" it.

The draining spell is a Giant Ink Canon (like in octo expansion). He's gonna use the blended Dna sludge ink (which he gets from "petrifications" of "wild witches") to wipe out all life on the surface.

Philip is now Belos. He cuts his round ears to blend in, and starts preaching about "Main Purity". Basically no one should have more than one main for the good of team balance. Each main has a color associated with it probably? Covens are called Clans, and each clan focuses on one weapon type.

He becomes Emperor. He edits inkling society into something more militaristic, resembling Octarian society. Think like... if everyone only cared about Ranked Mode. It sucks.

Clan Association Intermission (literally just went by vibes for this one):

Bard: Brushes

Construction: Rollers

Beast Keeping: Shooters

Potions: Blasters

Plants: Splatlings

Illusion: Dualies

Healing: Chargers

Oracle: Brellas

Abomination: Sloshers

Emperor's Clan: All

Idk about splatanas and trishots yet lmao

EDA TIME:

Eda is an inkling who is incredibly cracked at every weapon. She's SKILLED. She's a blaster main. She destroys. the only thing is that she goofs off too much. Squidpartying in ranked, painting amongus and hearts with the brushes, etc.

Lilith is good (squiffer main in my heart, Bella secondary), but not as good. She wants to join the Emperor's Clan with Eda, where inklings can use every weapon, but only one of them can make it. She finds a sample of Feathery ooze and infects Eda with it.

The "curse" turns Eda into a bird monster if she runs out of ink.

Eda finds a kettle to the surface. This is the portal.

Relationship with Raine is the same, not much changes. Raine is a brush main tho. Imagine Raine using a killer wail in place of the whistle during the Covens Vs Wilds game.

Eda finds King!!! King is a salmonid Chum, but is actually a King Salmonid Spawn. We'll get to that later.

Eda starts selling octarian tech she finds when she goes through the kettle! Her "potion" business is a bomb business. She also probably illegally mods her weapons a-la grizzco, making her the most powerful Inkling on the surface.

Season 1 - Luz time babyyyyy:

Luz is a young octoling obsessed with AZURA, and inkling idol group from the surface. Has only ever used an octoshot. She doesnt fit into the military-like society of the octarians, and is sent to boot camp by Camila.

Camila is an adult octoling, part of the Med Division. She also used to be obsessed with the surface too, along with Manny. Similar vibes to canon.

Luz is lured through the kettle by Owlbert, who im debating between him being a smallfry a-la lil' buddy situation or a sentient auto bomb. Haven't figured that out yet.

We're at the Owl House boys.

Hooty is a zapfish btw. If you care.

THE HEXSQUAD. Willow is originally in the "slosher" track (abominations) but moves to the Splatling track (plants) and She Will Kill You. Hydra Main in my heart.

on that note for the Teenage Abomination episode I can imagine Luz helping Willow mod tf out of a explosher for her project, or she hides inside some sort of weapon to sneak into class somehow.

Gus the dualie main. He kicks ass and does flips. Head of the Octarian Appreciation Society.

Amity mains sloshers in my heart, probably also dabbles in the really hardcore shooters like splattershot pro or 52. gal. The Blights are super expensive/professional weapons specialists/inventors.

Oh my god the Covention Amity vs Luz witches duel. 1v1 final destination. Luz doesn't have a weapon.

Stuff in season 1 pretty much goes by like canon. Luz wants to main all the weapons but with her own modifications (octarian tech stuff). Idk how the whole "Luz is a human and can't do magic" thing translates here, but im guessing it's kind of like... her ink doesn't calibrate easily with the inkling weapons, maybe?

King is obsessed with Salmonids instead of demons. The Intruder is him trying to teach Luz about "his kind", ie the salmonid bosses. This is also going into season 2 territory, but his section of Knock Knock Knocking on Hooty's door is them trying to figure out which boss salmonid he is (which he isn't one. He's a KING salmonid).

OH the petrification ceremony is Eda about to get Blended like in onto expansion.

And Luz's witch's wool cloak is modeled after agent 3's cloak in onto expansion. It's ink resistant.

The Belos vs Luz fight is just Luz w her octoshot trying to keep up with an X Ranker. She gets a lucky shot with an ink mine though.

Season 2

Belos has the damaged kettle. Lilith and Eda are both infected by the feathery ooze. Luz starts learning about More Weapon Types and Mods (glyph combos).

PHILIP'S DIARY. It's a video diary. I'm imagining its projected from a squee-G.

HUNTER is an octoling. His Golden Guard main is the octobrush (the golden guard staff).

Ok I JUST remembered purblethinkin did an octoling hunter design and also gave him an octobrush and this is EXACTLY what I was thinking. The kelp. The Golden octoling goggles. Yes.

Im starting to like the whole "Sentient Autobomb being Palismen" thing. Robot Flapjack. Either that or Lil Buddy flapjack.

VEE!!! There's two options for Vee. She's either a sanitized inkling or a fuzzy inkling.

The fuzzy inkling thing would fit better with her whole "technically im not supposed to exist" speech, since mammals are extinct, but Sanitization fits better with Belos's plan to wipe out all life with his sanitized ooze canon. Idk yet, could go either way.

The entirety of Yesterday's Lie is instead of Luz appearing in reflections, she appears in the loads of electronic screens underground. The beta portal they make is a communication device to connect underground.

Jacob Hopkins is an inkling conspiracy theorist lmao.

Stuff is p much the same as canon.

Oof. Hollow Mind. uhhh. It probably takes place in Belos's secret lab instead of his mind. the teleportation spell/walkie talkie is a super jump beacon.

The Titan Trappers are grizzco-like. King Trappers. They dress like salmonid chum/cohocks/smaller versions of cohozunas.

KING'S TIDE. King's salmonid powers are golden egg adjacent, which im going to say he has the ability to mess with technology. This allows him to "free" the collector and connect him to the grid.

Titan Blood is replaced with Golden Eggs in general btw.

Belos's curse turns him into a mud/ooze/sanitized ink creature.

OH the Sigils. idk about them. They're not really necessary since the canon is gonna kill Everything regardless of if they're in a clan or not. They're probably just licenses.

When the collector is free, he takes over all electronics on the surface and sets it up for THE MOST FUN SPLATFEST EVER.

Belos gets splatted (lol) like normal. Except it's probably by one of those octarian machines that the collector can take control of. You know the octobot king and the giant fists it has? Bam.

The Hexsquad ends up underground with Camila and Vee.

Season 3!!!!

Luz goes to school, which is just Octoling training. She's depressed like normal.

I kind of like to think that the underground isn't Intense Military like it used to be in Philip's time. It's generally pretty chill with some militaristic aspects bc they don't have a lot of electrical power.

The two new kids ("give me books about crusty old women") are octarians who LOVE Luz bc they heard about the mods she used to put on the basic-grade octoshots

The gang tries to get a working portal to the surface but it aint workin.

The gang finds the rebus to a hidden golden salmonid egg that can power a kettle to the surface.

Halloween is probably an octarian version of a splatfest/celebration. The Haunted Hayride is mild anti-inkling propaganda warning octolings about the dangers of the surface, using the Whittebane Squad as an example.

Hunter gets possessed like normal. I really want to include the brainwash glasses in this somehow but idk how to do it realistically so thats just on the back burner.

Aaaaand that's it so far! Feel free to suggest stuff. I think I got a general idea of everything though, except the palismen, sigils, and Vee's whole deal.

[uncharted-constellations]

Ur quiz really made me put into perspective that i tend to view dick as alot younger then comics/other people see him, juz like i only really saw him as roughly 6-8 years older then Jason at most lmaooo

To be fair, arguably it probably is in that range, but when i think of realistically how long a vigilante should run their careers for and the constant growth of the super community, i think (unless youre bruce wayne, the most controlling and self detrimental person ever,) most vigilantes probably retire in their late 30’s to mid 40’s depending on how hard their career is, and how much physical and emotional damage they’ve accrued. Some retire even earlier, and obviously some die.

Also I’m sort’ve using the general age of professional athletes. 20’s-30’s tends to be the prime era, and any time after that is a decline. When you’re fighting criminals every day you really want to know and be careful of your limits.

Anyways in terms of specific lore: Nightwing is his perma identity for me, its the one he personally chose to evolve off of robin, which was also His Idea, but its an identity that also has a lot of meaning for him with his connection to his family, and the super community as a whole.

While Dicks life changes every once and a while and he might pick up batman when needed, he doesnt need to move past that point. While he could potentially be a runner for batman, he’s already done it, and kinda proved that he didn’t need it, batman just needed him.

Also while Jason was obviously beaten to death, most of the wear and tear on his body was fixed by the pit. Meanwhile dicks probably got old acrobatic injuries going back to well before robin era, and hes also been shot in the head. I imagine his ability to really stay as a vigilante is cut short by that, so im considering him to be older in this sense as well.

Barb is probably a year or two older than dick, and still much younger than bruce but again, she doesnt really need to go past oracle. Both of her identities she really made for herself.

This is also just the batman beyond lurking in my head to be honest, but i think thats just a given when thinking batfam and future.

The reason i started the survey with Jason who is probably less than a decade younger than dick, and not say Tim who would probably really be considered the start of the second generation of the batfam, is mostly to due with jasons arcs.

It is mostly just a lack of consistent writing and dc not knowing what to do with him but i think a reoccuring theme with him is still not knowing how to orient himself in the world without going back on his beliefs or completely destroying his relationship with his family, (whether or not its worth it to try and keep that relationship, is not my place to say.)

I think the name Red Hood, while is very dramatic and interesting plot wise, is potentially not a name he would want to be stuck with for the rest of his vigilante career, especially since he chose it to be a volatile name that evokes the memories of the joker.

I think, both by the results so far, and the timeline itself, jason is probably not considered a main player in the sort of era this survey explores. But unless someone kills him he is gonna be around. He does not need to be able to do a backflip to shoot you. He could be 90 and still only be listed as semi-retired. Don’t fuck up this mans neighborhood

[of-faunsandyellowflowers]

Hello! I saw that you posted about working with Cernunnos, and I'm interested in working with him honestly, but there's one problem. I'm Chronically Ill, and have been bed bound almost all day, so I'm worried about how good of a devotee I can be when fatigued or depressed. Do you think Cernunnos would be alright with a Chronically Ill follower, and how he might even be able to help? And do you have any ideas for how to worship him while having little energy? Thanks so much, I appreciate it!

Hi! I get this question a lot from people actually. I'll post this one publically so ppl can see. This is going to be long! I apologize for that.

First and foremost: disabilities/chronic illness are NOT an issue for most deities/spirits that help guide is. There are some who are very old and quite unwilling to interact with humans due to past grievances or trauma that these souls have endured, but it's not a disability thing.

This is something that many many many of us here on earth experience (myself included, I am autistic with adhd, major depressive disorder, PTSD and major anxiety alongside IBS, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). I get this question a lot, and I've had this question myself.

Cernunnos (link to my long post about it which also mentions this) actually has a soft spot for chronically ill people and adores helping comfort them and bringing them guidance. You do not need to worry about this being a burden within your work. Theres SO many ways to practice magick, ritual, meditation and be a devotee to a god even when this way. I'm a dark forest/green witch (non wiccan) and I'm also a kitchen witch. These forms of magick bring me the most comfort and work best for me. Find the types you are drawn to, and incorporate them into your day. It doesnt need to be big. Divination, for example, is a good way to communicate with your gods when you are unable to meditate. Little things are just as impactful as the large ones and require minimal effort. Make tea with certain ingredients and enchant a spell for it....etc.

The first piece of advice I can give you is to get yourself into the mindset that you are, and shall always be good enough for a god to help guide you. This will not only raise your vibrations but will also set you on the path that you need to be. I fall back on this sometimes. This doesnt mean become conceited. We still need to show respect to these divine beings and when they offer guidance, be nice. DO NOT demand things.

Second, meditation is INCREDIBLE. it does NOT need to be some in depth 'find your soul' type meditation. With adhd, I have an awful time trying to concentrate. One thing Cernunnos has told me is that I must take my own time, and be patient. Even 5 min a day helps. Meditation opens you up to spirit more, grounds you, and makes it easier to do spirit work the more you do it and the longer tou do it. It is also VERY good way to cope with disabilities as it calms our mind down as well as body.

Third, grounding is 100% needed. This is why I mention meditation, through this you can learn to ground. Grounding is an exercise which literally 'grounds' your soul into your body, calming you and giving you a better base for when you start doing more magick. It's very easy to learn and takes minimal effort.

4th, learn divination. This can be tarot, oracle, pendulum...whatever YOU feel is best. This is the way I normally talk to Cernunnos when my hearing is blocked.

5th, learn how to put up wards. This is mentioned in my Cernunnos post that I put up. A lot of people on here will state you do not need them. Heres the thing, you do. It's not because Gods cant protect us, it's because Gods have SO many people that they work with and theres so much that we as humans? We dont know about. As someone whose been attacked BY a malicious spirit, I can concur you do need wards when you do magick. They also are essential because they teach you defensive magick which Gods would want you to know anyway when you get to the point of travelling in the astral, but that's more advance magick. Anyway how to wards is in that link!

6th, in my link I shared it talks about a lot of ways to get in contact with Cernunnos but I'd like to mention some ways I do it as a chronically Ill person myself. I'll also list ways I personally offer him things.

Meditation outside (not during winter)

Dancing (he adores dancing)

Listening to irish/celtic music

Cooking with his favorite foods

Tarot

Telling him about my day out loud

Telling him I love him, thanking him for his guidance

Wearing his pendant.

Singing in irish

I'd also like to note that Cernunnos has such a soft spot for his disabled devotees, he will literally yell at you sometimes if you are pushing yourself too hard or being disrespectful to your body in anyway. And some warnings: if you choose to work with him you HAVE to be respectful to nature. This doesnt mean be vegan. Cernunnos adores meat, you just need to honor it. Always give an offering or ask a plant prior to picking. Make friends with your local fae (just offer them things to keep the peace), talk with your trees. Be kind to the earth. That is his #1 rule when working with him. I've seen him get furious over trees be cut down too soon. He hates how corrupt our world has become.

He loves us, but he wants us to respect ourselves, our home, and so forth.

Again I hope this helps and you guys are always welcome to reach out to me about him!

[ganderinggoosie]

Would you break down Kylo Ren, please?

Boy can I anon! :) Apologies as well for the late reply, i wanted to take my time for this one.

essentially the TL/DR version is: this character has been neglected and abused his entire life, believing he didn't belong anywhere with anyone. only after realizing his parents and Rey actually care about him does he gain the courage to “do the right thing.” He’s then written unceremoniously out of existence after saving and kissing Rey, only being happy for 10 seconds in hid entire life. Aint that dandy! :)

Idk how short of an explanation you want, but i also decided to list all of his major character arcs within his lifetime, simply because i care about this character A LOT. I haven’t written anything like an essay in a while, so i really couldn’t help myself haha. This list is also chronological, but ill keep it under a read-more for easy scrolling.

PRE-TFA

Literally been toyed with and corrupted SINCE BEFORE BEING BORN

A happy toddler who loved his parents and "uncles"

His parents loved him very much but didn’t treat him as a priority. Leia tended to focus on her political career and Han couldn’t shake his old nomadic ways. As a result, Ben ended up very isolated.

As he grew stronger and keener to the isolation, his parents feared him and his emotions. Leia sent him away to Luke’s academy, despite Han not wanting Ben to go.

Made friends in the academy, but still a loner. All the while the voices in his head (Snoke/palpatine) are growing louder and louder

Luke forcibly saw into his mind, intent on ending ben’s life until changing his mind. Naturally this upset Ben, seeing as he figured what was left of his family that cared about him wanted him dead. He then collapsed the building, trapping Luke inside.

While deciding to run away, a storm (inferably caused by Snoke/Palpatine) struck fire to the Jedi Temple, killing the students inside. Ben attempted to save a few, but failed.

Ran into the arms of the First Order and the Knights of Ren, since snoke gaslit him into believing it was the only place he could be.

Trained under The KOR and Snoke as a dark side force warrior. Mainly used asa spiritual tool to snuff out Jedi rather than a political tool for the FO.

Tasked with finding Luke Skywalker, sets the beginning of TFA in motion.

TFA

Demonstrates his capability in dark side tendencies by torturing Poe for information

Chooses not to acknowledge Finn’s deflection

immediately gets distracted from his mission of finding bb8 once learning there is a girl involved with this situation.

remains primarily on the defense while subduing rey, carries her away manually to his ship for interrogation. its notable to mention that Han was completely unworried for rey as she was being taken; he knew rey was strong enough to resist and he knew his son’s shortcomings. 

willingly unmasks to rey while interrogating her; this is to show the audience that not only is he making himself more vulnerable and relatable to rey, but also to show that he’s completely opposite to what rey was expecting.

Their connection is formed as they push into each other’s minds

snoke tells him to kill his father in order to complete the training. ben loves his father dearly but genuinely believes he’s too far gone to do anything contradictory to snoke’s orders.

senses it when han arrives at Starkiller, and ignores him. referential material implied that kylo wanted to give han the chance to escape, but when Han sought him out then he reacted.

kills han, the deed “splitting him to the bone” 

survived, but gravely injured by Chewbacca’s bowcaster blast (shown previously blowing up 6 troopers at once). Sees Finn and Rey, becoming enraged, and follows them.

intercepts rey and finn in the forrest. angrily taunts them while beating his wounds. sends rey back into a tree in self-defense. demands to take the legacy saber, fighting with finn in the process. its notable that his fighting style while on the offensive is extremely akin to a berserker method; precise and accurate but brutal and excessive. ends up slashing finn and rendering him unconscious.

is in awe of rey’s ability to call the saber to her, fights her less-aggressively in order to corner her and offer her guidance. naturally she refuses, and taps into the force to overpower him and leave him bleeding on Starkiller as her and Finn rejoin the resistance.

TLJ

approaches snoke in his throneroom, visibly injured and emotional as a result of his fight with rey and the death of his father. snoke mocks his “weak” emotional state and calls him a “child in a mask.”

is hurt by snoke’s remark, an destroys his mask in a rage.

leads an arial attack on the Resistance ships, demonstrating his skills as a pilot. When he has an opportunity to blow up his mother’s ship, he doesn’t; he loves her far too much and cant physically bring himself to repeat the horror of killing Han. Unfortunately, one of the TIE pilots do instead. (later he is relieved to still feel his mother through the force.)

while in a medbay getting treatment for his scar, the force connects him with rey for the first time. both are surprised by this turn of events, and Kylo is more curious as to the logistics of the connection rather than being angry at the sudden appearance of his enemy.

connects with rey again as she is in the rain, still fascinated by how exactly the bond works. rey is still enraged by his presence as he casually mentions that Luke isnt the saintly figure she sees him as. Agrees with her as she angrily calls him a monster; instead of a taunt its actually a display of self-loathing. he then wipes his face after their connection ends, demonstrating that the bond they share permeates a physical space (as well as being a metaphor of the palpable tension between him and rey).

connects with rey again, this time with him in a state of partial undress. rey asks him if he could put a shirt on and he doesn't, despite the fact his shirt is on the desk a few feet away. the narrative purpose of this introduction is to show that rey is physically attracted to him and he knows it.

tells rey his story of Luke attempting to kill him, then tells her his nihilistic outlook of “letting the past die.” they disconnect, but rey ends up following his advice and explores the darker part of the island (a metaphor for HER darker side).

Later connects with rey again as she tearfully tells how alone she felt while in the cave attempting to find herself. Him, visibly touched by her story and the fact she trusts him enough to confess something so personal, tearfully tells her that she’s not alone. they then touch hands, doing so granting them visions of the supposed future. Luke angrily blasts apart the cabin, forcefully ending their connection.

Rey flies to him on the Supremacy, and he cuffs her to take her to snoke. (It’s important to mention that in the novel adaptation of the movie, it’s more of a playful and flirtatious banter between the two instead of a prisoner/hostage situation.) While on the elevator rey begs him to join her, as he counters and says that she’ll eventually join him instead.

While in snoke’s throne room, Kylo submissively kneels as snoke tortures rey for information. he occassionally looks up woefully at her, and eventually turns the saber on snoke after saying “he knows what he has to do.” He and rey team up to fight the Praetorian Guards and end up defeating them together.

Pleads with Rey to join him in leading the darkside as rey pleads with him to save the resistance fleet. Kylo tells her that he saw who her parents were and that she was nothing to them and had no place in that particular story. he then clumsily adds “but not to me” and begs her to join him again. the two then fight over the legacy saber, only to have it explode and knock them both back.

passed out from both the blast of the saber and Holdo blasting through the ship, kylo awakens to find rey gone. heartbroken and furious at her supposed betrayal of his trust, he violently declares himself the new Supreme Leader and orders an attack on Crait.

on Crait, he shows that not only is he deeply impulsive, but also an ultimately poor leader. he’s fine until noticing the millenium falcon, then finally loses it in a fury of rage and heartbreak. Luke skywalker understands the irrational state his nephew is in, and takes advantage of his irrationality to aid the resistance. his fight with luke was simply a distraction and taunt, resulting in a massive tactical failure.

kneels in defeat while clutching his father’s lucky dice, only to be connected with rey one more time. she distainfully “shuts the door” on him, and he recoils sadly as the dice disappear.

PRE-TROS

featured in supplimental material as a ruthless leader, hellbent on finding the resistance and eliminating threats to the First Order.

is shown to take plenty of self-assigned solo missions, implying that he doesnt truthfully care about the governmental aspect of being supreme leader.

TROS 

Begins the film on Mustafar, fighting a band of cultists dedicated to Darth Vader, taking the wayfinder they were protecting. in earlier drafts of the movie (as well as probable deleted scenes) Kylo then sees a character known as the Oracle on Mustafar, who cryptically tells him about Palpatine, Rey’s heritage, as well as his affection for rey that he attempts to deny.

he flies to Exogol, where he discovers that it was actually palpatine whos been manipulating him his entire life. threatens to kill palpatine but humors him as palpatine offers promises of utter domination if kylo could kill rey. naturally he has no intention of doing so.

Later connects with rey as she is training. its unclear if hes the one making the training droid react negatively to her or if hes simply observing her and attempting to catch her off-guard.

unites with the knights to rebuild his mask (for some reason).

informs the First Order officials he knows one of them is a spy (for some reason). 

connects with rey as she’s on pasaana, taunting her and stealing her necklace in order to track her location.

arrives to pasaana and witnesses rey trying to drag a ship down. holds back the ship in order to see if she’d tap into the dark side to bring it down, which she does.

follows rey to kijimi as she boards his ship and steals the dagger he has. tells her the “true history” of her parentage while also stating that he’d never lie to her. they fight (him on defensive) and she destroys his room. they meet again in person, him unmasking to show hes being sincere in proposing to her again; saying they’re a dyad and they belong together. she denies, again, and flees. 

meets her again on the Death Star, remarking that neither of them could return to the light since the pair of them are too far ingrained into the dark. He destroys the wayfinder she found, believing they’ll only get to Exogol together. they fight, again, with him on the defensive, again.

towards the end of their fight its clear that rey is exhausted, so he backs away and lowers his weapon. however, at this exact instance, Leia chooses to call out to him via the force. (it is unclear if she does this to distract him or if she does this because she knows she’s ill and wants to see him before she passes.) While he is distracted, rey grabs his saber and fatally stabs him. he collapses, feeling his mother’s death and the resignation that the woman hes in love with ended him. However, rey immediately regrets hurting him and uses the force to heal him. she confesses that had he been Ben rather than Kylo, she would’ve taken his hand. 

While gazing out to sea alone, Kylo hears the voice of his father. He turns, and it met with a vision of Han. Han tells him to “come home” and that the light within Ben was always there. Han caresses his cheek like he did in TFA. Ben, crying, starts to say something but is so overcome with emotion that all he can manage is “dad.” Han smiles and says “i know,” a callback to his line to Leia in ESB.  With the forgiveness of his father and the newfound strength and motivation, ben throws his saber into the ocean, effectively cementing his persona Kylo Ren officially dead.

as rey is in danger on Exogol, Ben flies an abandoned TIE (inferably left in the Death Star wreckage) there and sprints, armed with only a blaster, and launches himself into danger to help rey.

their bond connects as she’s about to pledge to the sith and as the knights of ren are about to kill him. he wordlessly assures her that he’s there for her and that its ok to reveal that shes part of a dyad. she agrees, passing along her saber to him through their bond. Ben kills the Knights as rey kills the sith guardians.

the pair of them reunite, but only for palpatine to sap their life force, made more powerful due to them being a dyad. once significantly weakened, Palpatine launches Ben into a pit. 

After defeating palpatine, rey dies. Ben manages to climb out of the pit and crawls over to rey, severely injured. he then embraces her lifeless body and cries for her, knowing then what he needs to do.

Ben heals rey with the force, bringing her back to life. Rey, elated to see him, cups his face as he cries and smiles feebly. she kisses him and caresses his face again, him smiling and chucking for the first time the entire series. At peace and healed by the redemptive power of being in love and having that person love him back in return.

he then immediately falls over dead and disappears into the force, thereby ruining all semblance of a skywalker legacy and redemption arc. FOR. SOME. REASON.

[mckittyarts]

hey guys sorry about the couple of days i wasn’t posting!! this thing took a little longer than i thought-- but yeah! i’ve seen other artists draw their own interpretations of all the incarnations of Links, and i finally decided to draw the versions i’ve made up together with a friend of mine all in one place! get a load of these fools

tumblr wouldn’t let me post these in rows without them getting super blurry so there’s gonna be closeups, headcanons, etc under the cut

Time (Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask):  - post-majora’s mask but he still has the scars from oot(dont ask me how idk either)  - Really Fucked up. Very Strange Grandpa  - despite actually having had the years to grow up this time he still acts like a kid  - idk i can’t really describe him but he’s just been through so much stress his only remaining emotion is essentially just “:)”  - he’s gone back to hyrule and is just kinda wandering around he got those two shoulder pads as a gift and they’re based off of the ones he has as a ghost  - the gauntlets are redesigned golden gauntlets only because i forgot what they looked like  - he’s missing his right eye from a wolfos and lost his finger when Ganon slapped his sword out of his hand also he has goron tattoos on his shoulders  - headcanon that he’s Zelda’s twin brother but they just never were told about it

Sky (Skyward Sword):  - he’s got Sleepy Bitch Disease  - just wants to rest...... please let him Sleep For Once  - he gets very snappy and Rude, especially when he’s tired but he’s pretty patient and sweet around people he’s fond of  - headcanon that he has some form of asthma(because in game hes like constantly gasping for air)  - after the events of his game hes just Tuckered Out and just wants to sleep for the rest of his life  - i didn’t really give him any redesigns, just let him keep his skyloft outfit  - his scars are from demise and ghirahim(jerks)

Twi (Twilight Princess):  - COUNTRY BOYYYY I LOVE YOUU  - furry boy go awooo  - amazing with animals and kids but doesn’t really cope too well in social situations because he gets Nervous  - GAY. I WONT ACCEPT ANY OTHER ANSWER  - headcanon that he’s the direct descendant of Time  - goes back to his Farming Ways after the War and just chills with the rest of Ordon village  - most of his scars are from those stupid Ghost Rats but he also has some others from Ganondorf

Wild (Breath of the Wild):  - ‘scuse me everyone certified ROWDY BOY comin through  - he seems very normal from a distance but as soon as you get close to him you will realize that you just found a Raccoon  - *sees anything* oh! yum!  - really, really loves cooking and is actually really good at it even if his ingredients come from questionable locations  - headcanon that along with every other memory he lost, he also forgot most of what was pressuring him before his Death and is now completely unhinged and will not stop for anyones social standards  - he has a couple scars from being blasted by guardians but honestly most of his other ones are because he just really loves rolling down mountainsides

Warrior (Hyrule Warriors):  - hh,,, Anxious boy :(  - he just really wants approval and he damn well deserves it  - when he first got appointed as the hero of whatever and got the master sword he was honestly starting to get a bit cocky  - but then Cia Promptly ripped all of that confidence and Rude Boy Behaviour out of him and he became :( again  - he could speak beforehand but he got an injury during the battles and is now rendered practically mute  - has a couple major scars underneath his scarf/tunic but he managed to keep his face mostly unscathed somehow

Albi (A Link Between Worlds/Tri Force Heroes):  - Shy,,,, doesnt like Attention  - honestly just wants to be left alone but since he’ss the hero of whatever people just Gave Him Too Much Love  - broke down and is now Fashionable  - sometimes likes to sew or paint  - headcanon that he’s colourblind(tritanopia)  - those little marks on his skin are little “wall cracks” from merging too often  - has a few scars but no important ones tbh

Minish (The Minish Cap):  - small and Super Mad About It  - he’s extremely quiet and only really ever talks if he’s mad or asked a question  - and even then he says as few words as he can possibly muster  - really dedicated blacksmith and is pretty good at his job despite his age  - still hangs out with Zelda a whole lot theyre still Best Friends  - the scar is from his fight with Vaati and he got an undershirt with a collar to hide it a bit because he feels a bit self conscious about it :(

Engi (Spirit Tracks):  - BABY BOY. BABY  - fuckin LOVES trains. he would Probably Die without them. still an engineer  - completely polite and sweet, calls you sir and stutters a whole lot  - also likes to fidget when he doesn’t have anything to do with his hands  - secretly completely RIPPED and could probably break you in half if he just weren’t such a sweetheart  - missing tooth from Byrne smacking him in the face with his Metal Hand and constantly has scratches but thats just cuz hes clumsy  - headcanon that he’s the grandson of Wind  - another headcanon that he can see ghosts since he was the only one who could see Zelda when she got absolutely annihilated 

Wind (The Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass):  - SHIP AHOY BITCHES  - absolutely Stupid. goddamn Fool, complete and utter buffoon  - tends to be a bit direct and a little too honest but as i said before. complete Dumbass  - ADORES to tease and poke fun as long as no one gets hurt  - swears like a sailor and IS a sailor. Its All Connected  - has a crooked nose because SOMEONE launched him at a wall that one time. Also from that explosion that launched him into that other wall that other time  - all his little jewelry things are treasures he found along the way

Alti (A Link To The Past/Oracle of Seasons/Ages/Link’s Awakening): - oof this boi has been through So Much - just so tired of this shit.......... wants a break already - has pink hair because nintendo cant convince me otherwise and also has black roots because that’s his hair colour in the gameboy games - still misses everyone from the wind fish’s dream :( also idk know if he ever came back from the ocean tbh - honestly i know jack shit about any of his games so,,, sorry my boy

Classic (The Legend of Zelda/The Adventure of Link): - the boy who started it all!!! god i love him so - honestly don’t really know much about him either,,, and honestly i dont think there is a lot to know the classic games are pretty plotless - but i like to imagine he’s like every Good Protagonist trope but none of the other links appreciate it a whole lot - “dont worry guys i believe we can do this! :)” cut to the whole group throwing trash at him - also gave him sectoral heterochromia to match the way his eyes look in the first game’s sprites

[dragonastra]

1-100 on the DnD questions, for Deah >:3

Wow you're sure as hell fishing to kill me huh xD

I'll answer these under a read more cuz FUCK. I'll also try to keep it spoiler free -- I may mention stuff that hasn't come up in game but it would be stuff that might not ever come up explicitly anyway. Everything else has either been said or can be gleaned.

If your character wasn’t an adventurer, what livelihood would they lead Probably what she had been doing -- being a pirate

Who in the party would your character trust the most with their life Probably Maddie and/or Gael. Maddie is a divine soul sorcerer and probably the one Deah is closest to. Gael is our barbarian/paladin who is probably the emotional backbone of the group? He is very earnest and genuine, and also hits like a brick house.

What are your character’s core moral beliefs? [Brushes off notes I made like a year ago] Promises must be kept, and debts one day fulfilled. Clean up the messes you made. Family is more important than self. Survival means not letting the past define you. (Not all morals but those are her ideals)

What relationship does your character have with their parents and siblings? She has a twin brother, whom she would die for. Their relationship used to be solid, but theyve currently broken apart somewhat due to lies and building tension, and the brother needing to go his own way. She is still very broken up about it. Her parents are both dead, and she has not spoken of much closeness there, but describes them as "they tried their best." Her pirate captain was basically a surrogate father for her teenage years and onward until their separation, and she... misses him.

Does your character have any biases for or against certain races? Not really. She probably doesnt trust ratfolk based on where she grew up, but beyond that? If you're good, you're good.

What is your character’s opinion on nobility? On authority? (: fuck em. She is... shall we say... less inclined to help rich people.

Describe your character’s current appearance: clothes, armor, scars they’ve picked up along the journey, etc. She's grown out her undercut so she has an asymmetrical style, one side of her head buzzed. She is still wearing her bright red pirate coat, but now wears a dark brown vest with purple accents underneath, as well as a long black sleeve to cover magical scars she received when she accepted a warlock pact with the hunter god. Also covering her scars is a gauntlet made by Maddie, so that they can't be detected by Detect Good and Evil and such.

What location encountered in the campaign has your character felt the most “at home” in, or just generally liked the most? Sometimes she still thinks about that nap she had on the beach at a random island they had stopped at to restock on food.

What deity, if any, does your character worship? What’s their opinion on other people’s worship? As i mentioned, she has a pact with the hunter god, Erastil. She does not worship him. In fact, she rather doesnt like gods much. She doesnt really understand other worshippers, but if they're not hurting anyone with it she doesn't really care. Their worship doesnt affect her.

If your character had time to pick up any artisan’s tools, game set, instrument, etc., what would it be? Let's get this binch some navigator's tools finally!

Describe your character’s current relationship with the player character sitting to your right. We are entirely online so we don't really have table seating. Based on the order of our nicknames in discord though, that would be... Haru, our new kitsune Oracle who joined us to fill a gap while some other players went on hiatus. Deah is uncertain about him, and she is generally pretty wary about strangers in her party, but he is useful. Their relationship is not deep by any means tbh.

What is your character’s current goal, summed up in one sentence? Stop the lord of the sea, and stop Aleksander.

Does your character ever want to “settle down” with a spouse, children, house, etc.? ;) you'll have to ask her

Has your character ever been in love? Before the campaign, certainly not. She's hella ace, and doesn't open up easily, so she's got some confusing feelings right now for Maddie ;)

What battle in the campaign has been most memorable to your character The battle against Tokt, since this was the battle that she was able to help save a person from being possessed by a demon -- something she figured out beforehand and convinced her team about.

If your character wasn’t whatever class they are, what would they be instead? I mean... probably a fighter???? Or maybe a full warlock, if she was desperate enough.

What is your character’s favorite season? Probably the fall? Sailing is usually good during that time, plus the harvest is coming in on land, so there's a lot of fresh food.

What would your character’s Zodiac sign be, following stereotypical astrology? She would be an Aries based on her birthday! Our homebrew world just uses "Season Day" as time markers, with 90 days each season. She was born on Spring 12, which would translate to the first week of April.

Where in the world does your character most want to visit? She's been all over as an adventurer and a sailor. The place she'd like to visit the most is one she doesn't know about -- somewhere important to her old captain.

What is the biggest mistake your character has ever made? Deah would maybe even say joining the pirates. It was the happiest she'd ever been, but it led her brother to a path he regrets and feels pain over, and she feels a... bit guilty about that.

Does your character have any noticeable scars? If so, what are their stories? The only scars she has are from her pact to Erastil. She hides them, though. She's not ashamed of them, but she likes to keep them to herself... she's private like that.

What animal best represents your character? I always liken her to a hawk, especially a sea hawk. In some ways she’s like a cobra or a porcupine too -- kind of hard to get close to!

If your character could go back in time and change one thing about their life, what would it be? 😬

Which other player character does your character find themselves having the most in common with? I don't know about most in common, really, but she gets along easiest with Ro, our halfling. Their banter is 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻. Honestly though? She probably has the most in common with Mercy, our tiefling fighter/paladin.

Does your character regret any particular choice the party has made? She probably regrets the party not staying behind in a certain town after a powerful enemy escaped. They thought the immediate threat had been dealt with and that another team from their guild could keep watch over the town, but then that team got surprised by an undead and two of them died. She feels at least partially responsible for that.

What would your character say their best trait would be? Her ability to perceive and track things. She has the observant feat plus the invocation that lets her see through even magical darkness!

What is your character’s greatest fear? Deep, irrational? Being abandoned.

What is currently motivating your character to stay with the party? No where else to go, really. Like, sure, she likes at least most of them and they've been through a lot!!! And she DOES you know, feel like this is a stable job, and she does feel good helping people. But... she really does have no where else to go. :(

What are your character’s hobbies and interests outside of their class? She does enjoy reading, though she's a little slow. Her favorite books are detective/mystery novels! She also sometimes likes to practice magic tricks (like... sleight of hand stuff). And technically this isnt outside of her class, but she really does enjoy training. Let's her burn off steam.

What would most people think when they first see your character? Pretty little waif, but that resting bitch face looks like she will cut me of I even say hello (this is by design).

What stereotypical group role does your character play in the party? (The Mom, the Mess, the Comic Relief, etc. Optionally: What role would your character play in the “Five Man Band” structure?) [Googles five man band] probably Lancer. Initially she wanted to be the Leader type but with the group dynamics and her own insecurities and issues, that isnt really truly possible for her. But she still tries to lead...

What is your character the most insecure about? :)

What person does your character admire most? Her old ship captain. Her DEAD ship captain :(

What does your character admire and dislike the most about the player character sitting to your left? She admires maddie's strength and kindness (and to a degree, innocence). Maddie's cooking skills. Maddie's family. She dislikes how nervous/anxious and possibly depressed Maddie can get :c

Why is your character’s lowest stat their lowest (the in-character reason, not “because there’s no reason for a wizard to have 16 strength, duh”)? Her lowest stat is strength, and her second lowest is constitution. This is because she grew up poor, and was at times starving and definitely malnourished. Once she was om the pirate ship, she was regularly fed though.

What would be your character’s theme song/favorite band/favorite genre of music? I've been saying if she was in modern time, her favorite band would be Florence and the Machine. There's just something about the Florence sound that speaks to her. She'd definitely be into that kind of music, plus some heavier stuff leaning more towards metal or symphonic metal...

What stereotypical role would your character play in a high school AU/if they attended a normal high school? (Nerd, jock, bully, goth, etc.) She's got the soul of a goth but the hobbies of a jock (in our team's college AU she's totally on the fencing and sailing teams). When I've drawn her in modern day she is usually wearing athleisure (capris leggings, loose tank top, sports bra, e.g.) but also it's mostly dark colors. She's Joth.

What treasure/item/artifact that your character has collected during the adventure is the most important to them? Toby :) just kidding, the pseudodragon isn't an item!!! Specifically collected during the adventure, probably her force blade. Her brother had found it, but had given it to her, near the beginning of the adventure.

Is there any particular weapon, item, etc. that your character longs to find? She's not really looking out for items, no.

Where does your character feel the most at home? On the beach, on the ship. Specific locations to call home, she does finally feel like she has a stable place to call home in the patty's estate.

Does your character care about how they’re perceived by others? How do they change themselves to fit in with other people? She's worn disguises and fake names before, but that's mostly to protect herself during her pirate years. She doesn't care a whole lot, but she does want to appear somewhat intimidating so that unsavoury people won't approach her LMAO. But she also wants to be seen as nice by children and poor folk, so she does soften a bit when they're around.

What does your character think is the true meaning of life? Happiness. Safety. Survival. Family/community.

What is your character’s scent? (Bonus points for a description that sounds like it could be from a bad [or awesome] fanfic.) She's always got a slight scent of salt on her, reminding you just a bit of the sea. For herself, she prefers to just smell... clean, so there's a fresher floral scent lingering...

Does your character think more with their heart or their brain? She tries to think more with her brain but sometimes the bottled up emotions get to be a bit much.

What is your character’s most recent or frequent nightmare? BEING. ABANDONED.

What opinion does your character have on [CERTAIN ESTABLISHED GROUPS/AUTHORITIES IN THE GAME WORLD]? (Dragonmarked Houses, royal crown, etc.) She hates (most) rich people and used to be a pirate, so you can kind of figure it out.

How did your character spend their childhood? Where did they grow up/who were their childhood friends? :(

What aspect of your character’s future are they most curious about? (If they could know one thing about the future, what would it be?) I dunno man she is just taking things one step at a time.

What colors are associated with your character? Red is her primary color. She also uses blacks/dark grays and a light purple as an accent. She's using more brown now tho to represent her connection to the hunter god.

Who in the party would your character prioritize rescuing, in dire circumstances? Maddie always. Then Ro. Then Gael. Haru would probably be up there because he is squishy and also mostly blind.

Is your character the most swayed by ethos, pathos, or logos? A mix of pathos and logos is most effective on Deah. Logos probably most of all, but there are pathos buttons that hold away above all that... if you know which buttons to press.

If your character was granted a single use of Wish, what would they use it for? Currently? To bring back her pirate captain. She knows its selfish but...

What is your character’s favorite spell? If they don’t use spells: what is their favorite personal weapon/combat maneuver/skill/etc.? Her favorite spell is stab with rapier.

How does your character feel about keeping secrets from the rest of the party? She keeps secrets pretty regularly! Basically if the party needs to know, then the secret should be shared. But if it doesnt really affect the group or something important, and the person doesnt want to share, then go ahead and keep the secret.

What type of creature in the world is your character the most intrigued by? Dragons probably, at this point. Definitely an influence by me the player, haha, but it's buoyed by an early meeting with a particular dragon that sparked her interest.

When they were a child, what did your character want to be, or think they were going to be, when they grew up?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ she didnt have life plans as a kid. She just wanted her and her brother to live.

The player character to your left admits that they’re passionately in love with your character. How would your character respond? That's already happened LMAO. Deah didnt know how to react so her brain blur screened and she ran away from the situation for a bit.

If somebody (an NPC, someone from their backstory, etc.) your character trusts/loves asked your character to do something against the party’s best interest, who would they side with? If it only involved herself, Deah would probably go do it. But if it was a huge net loss for the group, she wouldn't, if that makes sense? It's hard to make sweeping statements like that.

Does your character value their own best interest more than the party’s? She values her own interest for sure, but she would prioritize the party's if one meant dunking on the other. She knows what it's like to sail with a tight knit crew; sometimes you sacrifice to make the group as a whole better/happier.

What decision would the party have to make in order for your character to consider splitting off from the group? Oh gosh, uh.... I mean, if they decide to help her enemies (not likely to happen, there are a couple shared ones). If they don't let her do something she REALLY wants... I can't really think of anything specific.

How does your character imagine the way they will die? Tragically. 

What is your character’s greatest achievement? Taming her pseudodragon ;w;

Is your character willing to risk the well-being of others in order to achieve their goal? Hmm... not to a certain degree. Eh, probably not. She only really wants to risk herself, not others. Risking others doesn't give them the choice.

What is your character’s opinion on killing others? She does it all the time!! But if they're defenseless or not fighting back, she won't.

What is your character’s favorite food? Beverage? She really loves fresh baked bread!! As for beverage, uh.... I guess she'd like water with like, something fruity mixed in???

How generous is your character? Especially to those they don’t know? To the poor and to kids? Very. Also, recently, she gave all of the money she got from a quest to a townsperson to help them rebuild their city a bit (secretly of course. Not even her team knows she did that, though maybe some of them suspect hahaha)

What is your character the most envious about, regarding anyone in the party? Once again... probably most envious of Maddie!! She comes up a lot doesn't she ;P

The player character to your left and the player character to your right are both telling your character two different versions of the truth. Who does your character believe? Maddie vs Haru? Shed probably lean towards Maddie :p

What is your character’s sexuality/relationship with sex? I've described Deah as Panromantic Asexual. She is rather sex averse and has difficulty pinpointing romantic feelings as well, being rather prickly at times.

What is your character’s biggest pet peeve? When people try to dig into something she doesn't want to share at the moment.

Describe how your character feels about the party’s current situation/objective/etc. The current objective/situation involves her backstory, so you'll see soon ;)

Who in the party would your character trust the most to keep an important secret? Maddie of course! She trusts Gael, but not with secrets. Similarly, she trusts Mercy to hold an oath to the best of her ability, but not if a secret comes up -- same with Rudi. Ro does what she wants LMAO and she isnt telling Haru anything personal atm.

If your character knew that they were going to die in a month, how would they spend the rest of their life? I dont want to think about that question and neither does Deah

What makes your character feel safe? Having her weapons. Having her pact/her pact scars.

If your character had the chance to rename the party/give the party a name, no questions asked, what would it be? Nah, she likes Fortune's Blades

What memory does your character want to forget the most? Cal leaving. It's probably her most painful memory.

If your character had to multiclass into a class they currently aren’t the next time they level up, what would it be and what reason would they have for doing so? She's already multi classed and her reasons for becoming a warlock are kind of muddied. She explained them initially but maaaaybe wasn't 100% truthful. If she had to pick a third, probably uh.... fighter?????

What television/book/video game/etc. character would your character be best friends with? (Or: what media character is your character the most influenced by/similar to?) I would HOPE she would be friends with Elizabeth Swan (: but idk lol

What unusual talents does your character possess? Sharp senses and magic tricks.

How does your character feel about receiving/giving orders? Are they more of a leader, or a follower? It's rather situational. She tries to be a leader type, but she also realizes she's not at the top of the leader chain (and, with her party, at times different people take the head, so it's almost more consult-y like).

What does your character’s name represent to them? (Or: why as a player did you choose your character’s name?) The player of Cal, her brother, chose his name first from a generator. I like to construct my names sometimes from different name elements, so I made hers to match the sound of her twin's (that is, make it sound like it came from the same language). Her name is constructed of "Feld-" (field) and "-Deah" (dye) so her first name translates roughly to "field of dye." Her original last name is Shearwater, which is a real life sea bird but also follows the traditional elven naming convention (their dad was an elf). She never felt much of an attachment to her last name. She recently changed her last name to Blackheart, which was the moniker of her captain.

Is your character more of an introvert, or an extrovert? Introvert for sure

How far is your character willing to go to pursue the “greater good”? Do they believe in a greater good at all? She would go as far as she needs to, but would never force others to make that same decision.

What does your character want to be remembered by? At one point she thought she would eventually be a famous pirate captain. But mostly I think she just wants to be remembered by those who love her and by those she helped...

What would be your character’s major in college? Fuck, uh... I had discussed this before.... I think I made her pre-law??? Math major???

Does your character consider themselves a hero, villain, or something else? Something else. She doesn't really care about that, she's just Being.

What major arcana tarot card best represents your character? I believe last it was discussed I had picked the Chariot for her.

Where does your character see themselves in 20 years? If not dead from adventuring, then settled somewhere nice, hopefully...

What is your character’s relationship with magic? Are they scared of it, wish to know more about it, indifferent to it? For a long time she was the Sokka of the group, the only non-magic user. Then she got her pact. She's still kind of awkward about it, and at times really doesn't like magic, but she sees it as a tool. A means to an end.

Who is your character’s biggest rival? Rival?????? I guess Morrigan tbh??? Cuz a rival isn't an enemy, and she had a thing going with Morrigan (her player is on hiatus tho). In some ways she rivals Mercy too. A dance of similarities and differences.

What is your character’s guiltiest pleasure? Fine, beautiful dresses. She doesn't own any, because it's a waste of money, but.... she wants them. Secretly.

What does your character hope for the afterlife? Peace and rest.

Who in the party does your character trust the least? Haru, currently, simply by virtue of being new.

What is your character’s biggest flaw? BIGGEST flaw???? Uhhhmmm..... Her secrecy probably. Her tendency to run away from really big, painful problems, to bottle up her emotions around that until everything just gets worse.

How did your character learn the languages that they speak? Common, prucrician and Elvish she learned just growing up. Deep, she just... mysteriously knows. Doesn't know why she can speak it. Draconic she learned at first from Rudi, and then from a dragonborn NPC to finish her lessons during a timeskip.

What is your character’s favorite school of magic/type of weaponry? Rapier

What is most important to your character: health, wealth, or happiness? Why must she choose? Wealth, because that brings health and happiness in her eyes. (Because money buys food and when you have food.....)

What advice would your character give to a younger version of themselves? I know it's hard, but open up more. You don't have to keep it to yourself to protect others. Your brother can be your friend as well... you don't have to just keep holding yourself back for your friends and family.

Are there any social or political issues your character feels strongly about? She doesn't feel super strongly about politics, having been a pirate. She feels strongly about protecting children and poor though, as I've mentioned.

What, currently, is your character the most curious about? The afterlife. Erastil, but specifically just that one god. Her ship captain.

[altanhal]

i see you (and your diamond blues)

Summary: Fuck me harder. She'll say and never: fuck the gods, because at the end of the night, this is all preordained. Everything in this world is already set in stone, even the bruises come tomorrow, is written by Bahamut's hands.

Or: The Lady Lunafreya through the Chancellor's eyes (and hands).

Rating: M

Trigger Warning/s: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death/s

Relationships: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Ardyn Izunia, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Nyx Ulric, Aera Mirus Fleuret/Ardyn Izunia

Characters: Ardyn Izunia, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Nyx Ulric, Aera Mirus Fleuret, Ravus Nox Fleuret, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Original Child Character(s)

Additional Tags: Past Rape/Non-con, Underage Rape/Non-con, Soulmates, Murder, Violence, No Smut, the rape doesnt apply to lunardyn/lunyx 

Part 1 of “I am lost and led only by the stars” Series.

Also on AO3 and FF.net.

×××

i see you (when you cry, when you're shy, when you want to die)

The first time he sees her, he doesn't know who she is yet.

She is thirteen and bruised, sobbing inside one of the hollow trees of Fenestela Manor. White dress ripped up to her hip, and angry purple marks generously pepper her neck and wrists.

There is a spot of blood at the bottom of her dress, and Ardyn wouldn't even have spared her a second glance. This is how monsters are after all.

But the moment he sees those diamond blues for eyes, Ardyn takes off his coat and wraps it around her smaller, much smaller shoulders.

She sees his face and recognizes him. "Chancellor." She cries and those eyes pierce through him like knives.

"Who did this to you?" He asks and she shakes her head. Quiet and miserable. A servant girl, abused by her master, too afraid to speak out it seems.

Ardyn kneels down to gain her trust.

"What's your name, love?" He asks her gently and it takes her a long, long while to answer.

"Lunafreya." She says and Ardyn releases a breath. The Princess of Tenebrae herself, sullied in her own country. In her own castle.

"Lady Lunafreya. . ." He begins but he is at a loss for words. So he hikes her on his arms, like a father would his wounded child, and takes her back to the Manor. She is silent save for her sobs, and clinging on to him as if she would die if she didn't.

Her maid sees her and begins to cry also, but they say nothing, only bowing to the Chancellor and taking the girl from his arms.

Ardyn hears about the Lady Lunafreya departing for the town the next day. His visit only a political one, he couldn't stay long enough for her to come back from her trip. But her maid had been ordered to give him back his coat. Ardyn leaves it behind, along with the image of her crying in his arms, of those blue diamonds piercing through hundreds of years of his life.

It is only a few weeks later when he returns to Tenebrae to see how the young Lady of the Manor faired, but she still has not returned it seemed. The guest books were still logged and it is there that he finds two names other than his own on the date of his visit.

A murderer of the blood of the Oracle that goes by Glauca, and just a deputy, a Caligo Ulldor.

×××

i see you (yes, i see you)

The second time he sees her, it is three years later on the ceremony that would crown her the Oracle.

She is sixteen and already a young woman, and yet Ardyn cannot see her as anything but that bruised and bloodied girl in the ripped dress. She parades around Tenebrae in her Oracle robes and arrives at the designated altar.

The Chancellor watches her from somewhere in the crowd as she kneels and prays. Sees that rare sunshine blonde of the Fleurets frame her holy face. The image is almost complete. Only one last thing to finish the replica.

And as if he willed it to her, she opens her eyes and looks straight at him. To meet his amber ones with her blue diamonds.

And thus, another Oracle is born to hate me once more. He thinks, because the moment she received the visions from the gods, she also received their hatred for him.

She looks on without a trace of emotion on her face, neither of joy nor relief. She looks on. And Ardyn finds himself entranced as she summons that same trident that has been between his flesh and bones once upon a time.

Anger pours forth from his many cracks, something ugly and demanding to be felt. And still, he looks on.

As does she.

×××

i'm alone with you (you're alone with me)

It is the third time that has him certain that not only are Bahamut and the five other gods fucking him over, but also Eos herself has joined in tormenting him. For he sees the Lady Lunafreya approach him in one of the grand balls he is required to attend as Chancellor.

She is twenty and in a silver dress this time, beautiful as he expected her to be; and confident, oh so confident that he doubts this is the same child he wrapped in his coat and held in his arms years ago.

The Lady Lunafreya presents herself to him with a small bow of her head and a smile so sweet; Ardyn almost doesn't see the danger in those sly lips of hers. He bows in return, removing his hat with a flourish to acknowledge her.

"Lord Chancellor." She greets as he straightens himself.

"My lady." He smiles, that smile that says he is amused but you aren't sure whether to be convinced by it; so you best be careful with him.

But this Oracle is careless. For she moves to his side and takes his hand in hers.

Ardyn watches her curiously, a suggestive retort for her boldness ready on his tongue.

"My, my, Lady Lunafreya—"

"Aera." She cuts him off, blue diamonds looking up at him with mischief.

His heart must have dropped to the floor, because it takes a moment for him to pick it up and put it back in his chest; where it drums wildly for the first time in two thousand years.

He hasn't heard that name from a mortal tongue in so long. Eos is teasing him; of this he is absolutely certain.

"I beg your pardon?" He says and sees a twinkle in her diamond eyes.

"My name is Aera."

Ardyn finds himself fully facing her, hands cupping her face and tilting in that angle where he can see her in all her glory.

"Aera?" He asks, hopeful, so desperately hopeful that someone up above has given him a blessing in this curse riddled life.

"Yes. That was the name my mother chose before I was born, but my father disagreed and desired for me to be named Stella instead. They had a long argument until they settled on Lunafreya. Mother liked it enough, and thus, here I am. The Aera-could've-been." She explains and this is where Ardyn allows himself this one weakness.

The Aera you are not. He thinks bitterly and laughs, a hollow frightening thing that has the Oracle looking worried.

"Is there something wrong, Chancellor?" She asks and he shakes his head.

"No. I am fine, love. Only that, that was an interesting fact that I didn't know about you." Ardyn tells her, dropping his hands from her face but she holds on. Clasping her own onto his.

"Chancellor," she begins and her diamonds find his ambers once more. "May I have this dance?"

He sees those same brows furrow in the way he knows that she is determined. That same purse of her lips, a rebuttal ready if he refuses. That same spun from sunshine hair that he knows is as soft as the rays he couldn't touch. And that same diamond blues for eyes that pierces his own every single time he sees them.

The same face and nothing more. Ardyn thinks and gives her a smile that is a mask.

"Lead the way then, Aera-could've-been."

×××

i see you (when you run from the light within your eyes)

The fourth time is the first of many.

Of nights and days where he succumbs to that face paired with those eyes. Where she lies beside him on her front, letting him ghost his fingers on her moon-kissed back. Times where, she holds his hands and smiles that smile of hers, the one that says she knows what she wants so don't ever give her what she needs.

And what she wants: is him.

He would remember how she got him. How the day after the grand ball, she asks if he had any duties as Chancellor for the next week.

The answer was yes; he had to get back to the Empire to plant onto the Emperor his plans discreetly. Time isn't of the essence but his plans on the other Chosen King must go smoothly without fail. But this isn't what he tells her.

He tells her that he isn't pressed for time by his duties and entertains her request.

"Would you accompany me to Tenebrae? I would want the people to know who their Chancellor is." She tells him but he knows it is a lie.

It is a lie because the moment they arrive at Fenestela Manor by nightfall, the moon high at the top of the sky, she takes his hand and leads him to her chambers. She excuses herself to her closet, leaving him standing alone and utterly mystified by this Oracle. By this princess who shouldn't have been making friends with him.

He inspects her room; a room he knows is fit for someone of her prestige, and sees the book the people of today call their bible.

Cosmogony. Ninety-nine percent lies. He thinks and walks over to the table where it rests. He opens the first few pages and reads the passage he has memorized the first time Verstael handed him a copy. Only one percent truth.

"And so, Izunia Mirus Fleuret, the son of the first Oracle, inherits the trident but refuses to be holy." He whispers reverently. Tracing the depicted painting of Izunia on the thin page of the book. The boy's red-purple hair and blue eyes, the only accurate thing about the painting.

"Origo Sanctus, chapter 66, verse 6." He hears the Lady Lunafreya say behind him but he doesn't face her.

"You know this tale well." He says, closing the book and flipping it over. He doesn't want to see his brother on the cover. Not in this place where the Oracle keeps it immaculate—clean.

"As do you." She replies knowingly.

It tears a sigh from his throat. A weary one and it is only by millennia of patience that he doesn't burn the book to ashes.

"No. Not as well as you."

"My ancestor, Izunia, became the Oracle but an unholy and impious one. The book does not elaborate as to why. I can only wonder, if Oracles really are the chosen mouth piece of the gods." She says with a tilt of her head.

He didn't expect something this callous coming from an Oracle herself. It is scandalous, blasphemous even.

"Your ancestor was just a boy." He says sternly, trying to justify an unholy Oracle.

"As was I."

He knows what she means. He has thrown away that memory years ago but now it all comes rushing back before his eyes. Of the thirteen year old Lunafreya Nox Fleuret with bruises on her pale neck and wrists, her white dress ripped and bloodied.

"Do you question your preordained fate?"

"Yes," she says this almost in wrath. "But. . . But I accept it nonetheless." Her tone is defeated now, and Ardyn decides he cannot face her yet, not when something this honest and so close to his own truth is heard within these walls.

He doesn't say anything because what she says is true. It applies to him as well. The silence stretches on and he hears her approach.

"But there are such things as unholy Oracles." She says as she rounds him, standing in front of him wearing that coat he wrapped her in, all those years ago.

He watches her, the silver of the moon streaming in through the balcony to bathe her in its ethereal light. The perfect replica. The Aera-could've-been. That same face and nothing more indeed.

The coat hangs loose on her like a child in her parent's clothing, but somehow, it pleases him to see her in his clothes. She moves closer, taking his hands in her own once again. Her eyes focused on his, she brings his hands to rest on her neck, where the coat is held together only by a single chain.

He sees her drop her eyes for a second, building her courage before meeting his gaze, steady and ready. By his hands, she tugs on the chain and the coat unravels to fall to the floor.

Her skin glows in the moonlight, carefully unmarred and soft. Ardyn eyes her apathetically. He isn't sure if he could bring himself to compare this Oracle's body to that of his beloved, because even in this, they are the same. From the small star-shaped mole on her left rib close to her breast, to the birthmark shaped like one of Ifrit's horns on her hip, close to where neatly trimmed light colored hair begins.

Ardyn finds himself not caring either way, when she stands on her tiptoes to brace both hands on his chest and kisses him. Just that gentle tap of a kiss before she pulls away to assess his reaction. Only for him to surge forward and devour her in the most unholy of ways.

And so it began. Of a pious yet unholy Oracle, and a Chancellor adding another one to his sins.

×××

i see you (when you chase all the dreams inside your head)

He has lost count how many meetings they already had. But he will remember each and every one of them.

Where at one time, she grows too curious. Lying on his chest, gazing up at him with her inquisitive eyes.

"Is it just a coincidence?" She asks.

"What is?" He smirks at her and she gets that cheeky look on her face.

"That you are Ardyn Izunia, or is it that we have a common ancestor?"

I am your ancestor.

He stares at her. Sees past the curiosity and finds the eyes of an Oracle seeking the truth, and also somehow. . . something a little too wise.

Ardyn knows that she knows about him. His story all too clear in the visions of every Oracle that ever was. And she knows that he knows. But they play their parts as if they were truly just a princess and he, her Chancellor.

He knows that she does this because once upon a time, he had been her knight in shining armor. That she has painted him a savior when he hasn't been for the past two thousand years. All of this is given physical proof by that coat that she has never given back, and of times like this where not even clothes separate them.

"Just a coincidence." He says lightly, like he jests but he can see the way her eyes soften knowingly.

"I've read the Fleuret lineage." She comments as she traces the line of his jaw.

He quirks a brow at that. "Oh?"

"Everyone's parents are accounted for. Except for Izunia. His father hadn't been listed." She says and Ardyn tears his gaze away from those diamond blues. Something truly vulnerable and devastating yawns wide in him.

Because he had been erased. He wants to say.

"Izunia's parents weren't married when he was born." Is what he says instead. "Thus, in the legal point of view, his father wasn't part of House Fleuret."

He was House Caelum. He thinks bitterly.

"How come?" She asks and Ardyn tightly wraps her in his arms. Rolling over her to bury his face in her neck.

She holds him close, feels the air build up in his expanding chest. He holds his breathe for a few seconds, like gathering what little remains of his sanity. The sigh is heavy and tired when he releases it, tickling the skin of her shoulder.

"They were betrothed, but he was too busy."

"Busy doing what?"

"Hiding from his brother who hunted him down, and saving his people from sin."

×××

i see you (when you smile)

One night is a little different from the rest, because in this, he tells her what it meant if she had not been named Lunafreya.

Her eyes are closed and she is dozing off, her back to his chest as they soak in the warmth of her bathtub. The water sloshes a little when Ardyn raises an arm from where it was wrapped around her waist, but she doesn't even stir. Her head is slowly starting to loll forward unto the water when he brings his wet fingers to graze her hair and tug sharply on a strand.

Lunafreya jolts awake with a yelp and the water splashes with the movement. Ardyn laughs mirthfully as he places his hands on her shoulders to calm her.

"Forgive me, my dear. I didn't want your maid to find a drowned princess on my lap. Just imagine the scandal that would bring." He says with that arrogant but endearing smirk of his and Lunafreya finds herself completely awakened.

"I assure you, Chancellor, I will never drown." She says and turns around to drape herself on him.

Ardyn raises a brow at her, hands resting on her hips. "Is that so?"

"I know how to swim." She tells him and the ever present lopsided smirk he has twitches minutely.

He releases her from his arms to lean forward and pull her legs to wrap around his waist. The water sloshes again, the volume decreasing as the liquid ends up on the tiled floor. She is exposed to the air from the waist up, revealing the star shaped mole on her left rib close to her breast.

Ardyn takes notice of it and rubs the mark with his thumb as if he wants to erase it. It doesn't go away as expected so he rubs harder, the action tearing a laugh from the Oracle as she tries to squirm away.

"Desist at once, it tickles!" She huffs and Ardyn does as she says. Settling back down with her on his lap.

"Did you know that Stella means star?" He asks.

"Yes, but when I asked my father if he wanted to name me that because of my birthmark, he said that he had just read it from a book somewhere and that he didn't actually know what it meant until I asked." She chuckles at how silly it is and Ardyn's eyes twinkle as he hears her laugh.

"It's a beautiful name, as beautiful as the poem I've read about a star."

She grins at that. "A poem you say?"

"Surprised that I am a man of culture?"

She looks away, eyes sly and coquettish. "Perhaps."

"Very offending, love. I might not tell you after all." He grins, mock insulted.

"I jest, Chancellor. You are indeed a man of finesse and culture."

Ardyn makes a show of thinking her statement over. He absolutely loves games like this with her. He doesn't answer for a minute, waiting for her impatience to take over. The minute not over yet, the eagerness sparks in those diamond blues of hers. Alas, she comes for what she wants as expected. He cannot deny her these small things after all.

"Will you tell me, Chancellor?" She leans forward, placing her hands on his chest, eyes bright and curious.

Ardyn smiles, a pleased expression painting his face. "Very well."

"V temnom nebe,

Ya tebya vizhu,

Kogda ty bezhish',

Ot solnechnogo sveta,

Eto idet za toboy."

"More eto gorizont,

Eto gde vy idete vniz,

Utonul na zapade,

Krasivaya Stella,

Proglochennyy morem."

He finishes with a soft, sad smile on his face. His eyes vulnerable and a different color from the amber it always had been. But before the light could reflect and show her the tone, Ardyn blinks and the tender and fond expression is wiped away in an instant. Leaving that same devil's grin that the Oracle is more familiar with.

"It sounds beautiful. I can understand all six of our languages, and yet I have never heard of that before. It is nowhere close to any dialects I know. It sounds similar to the oldest formal Galahdian but it is somehow different. What language was that? I am mystified." She says; the awe evident in her tone.

Ardyn is pleased that he has her amazed just by reciting a poem. His eyes drop down to the mole and it makes something like pride rise in him. Ardyn decides that Lunafreya being the perfect replica of Aera isn't so bad after all if it meant he gets to teach her something new about her body.

Krasivaya Stella.

"Solian. A language long dead. But you are right about it being close to High Galahdian. They are migrants that descended from an extinct civilization. Most probably from where the language originated."

Lunafreya nods, comprehending this newfound knowledge he has shared.

"What does it mean then? This poem about a star?"

"In the dark sky, I see you. When you run from the light of the sun. It is coming for you. The sea is the horizon; this is where you go down. Drowned in the west. Beautiful Stella, swallowed by the sea." Ardyn recites fluently and this is where her face falls.

"So the star, it is being chased away from the night sky by the dawn. And the tone. . . it is quite melancholic, don’t you think? Is there more meaning to it?"

"Oh, who knows? It is an ancient poem. For all we know, it was made by a child who liked stars." Ardyn shrugs and tilts his head back to rest against the marble.

"Or someone who lost the stars in their life."

Ardyn looks down at her with a chuckle.

"My, getting philosophical with that tongue now. Let's put that to good use, shall we?" He says and tips forward to taste her mouth with his. Discussion abandoned, Ardyn covers the star on her rib with a purple background, caged by bite marks and surrounding skin a raw pink color from the heat of the water.

It is this night that he gets fresh scars on his back that could be mistaken as slash wounds like the rest. Little parallel valleys of red almost akin to wings on the entirety of his back. Only the Oracle knows that they were put there not by blades, but by perfectly polished nails.

×××

i see you (when you hide, and when you lie, it's no surprise)

It is a game they play. Where she asks and he answers as close to the truth as he can, but also, as vague as possible. Each meeting starts with her holding onto his hand, stealing him away from whatever he is attending to. It all ends with a single inquiry. Each, different and closer to the truth than the last.

But it is on the day he arrives on Tenebrae from Insomnia that she breaks from the rule of their game.

"You are to be wed, my Lady." Is what he greets her with when he barges into her room unannounced.

She stands by the balcony. The mortal form of the Glacian at her side. Ardyn tilts his head, the smirk on his face as flamboyant as ever.

The Lady Lunafreya looks at him with grief as he expected, a small frown on her lovely face. He walks closer, closer and closer, until she has to crane her neck to look up to him.

The Glacian advances on him as well. Her movements wary and cold, yet her face is that same peaceful one on her death bed.

The Oracle waves her at ease.

"It is alright, Gentiana." Lunafreya says and the Glacian disappears in a flurry of snowflakes.

Ardyn grins at that, another god reduced to a glorified lap dog. He smiles down at her, something ruthless and malicious, but she doesn't falter. The small subtle frown is still on her face.

"What is the matter, love? Is the bride getting cold feet already?" He teases as he strokes the side of her face. She flinches away from his hand.

"So it begins." She says and Ardyn hums tauntingly in agreement. This is the beginning of the end. His long coveted demise is just a few more years ahead.

"Astute as always." He smirks, leaning down to invade her lips with his own, but unexpectedly, she pulls back.

The devil's grin grows wider with this.

"I am the Oracle, and you, the Accursed." She says this so coldly, he could almost see her as Aera with that trident, stabbing him again and again as orchestrated by the Draconian.

"Ah." Ardyn cannot contain his glee. “No more of this is what you mean?”

She hesitates.

“We must fulfill our calling.” She whispers.

Ardyn steps away from her, smirk ever present, as if he hadn't been rejected, or more likely, it didn't quite affect him. “Very well.”

As he walks away, he feels the warmth of her hands wrap around his glove covered wrist. This is how it all began. With touches precise and unrelenting, knowing exactly what they want.

"For the last time then?" Her voice is surprisingly hard but he cannot be deceived. He hears the lament in her voice. Feels her disappointment that this little game they have is coming to an end.

It seems brutal even for her, to speak as if she had a right to this, use him for her fantasies of a knight in shining armor. When she knows she is just as expendable as all the pawns in this mess of a fate they have.

Oh, but her eyes, diamond blues shining with want, want, want. Not need, never need, because it would seem hypocritical to have this instead of reject it.

He faces her, crowds her onto her bed. "For the last time." He whispers on her lips and that's when she presses on.

In this last immoral dance, she is unappeasable. Anger in her mouth as she kisses too roughly, bites too hard, and grips too tightly. She demands for the pain and that is what he gives her.

Fuck me harder. She'll say and never: fuck the gods, because at the end of the night, this is all preordained. Everything in this world is already set in stone, even the bruises come tomorrow, is written by Bahamut's hands.

×××

i see you (in the dark, at the dawn of something new)

It is by her countenance at the Caelum Via, on the eve of the signing ceremony that he notices her eyes wandering from him. A moment she was by his side, regal and professional. The next, she is turning her whole body away from him the moment the King of Lucis arrived.

Ardyn was sure she wasn't looking for the Prince, because she knows that the young groom had been sent away with his friends. It is certainly not the King nor his entourage; for he sees her eyes skim past and away from that group. He wonders what it is that is in the works here, but the moment a Glaive steps up on one of the overlooking posts, is the moment she steps a little farther from him.

Ardyn admits he did not expect this development. For the Princess to take interest in her once guard. From the corner of his eye he sees her pretend not to eye the Glaive, but it seems she is not skilled in the arts of subtlety with a real soul-paramour as compared to their illicit affair.

He really is her dirty little secret. Much worse than a simple bodyguard it seems.

No matter. If the desperate and angry way she fucked him was any indication of her finally taking on the role of Oracle and bride, then this little infatuation with the Glaive would be gone come the morrow, when Insomnia's walls shatter like fragile wineglass.

"Let us toast to this propitious day, love." The Chancellor says as he snatches two glasses from a passing waiter. He offers the blood red wine to her and she takes it mindlessly, eyes still on the Glaive. The flute of champagne in his hand sparkles as fireworks burst around them.

He raises his glass forward and she gives him her full attention. Her eyes guarded, so very guarded that he doesn't see the once sullied child nor the unholy Oracle anymore.

"A toast, to the Lord Chancellor's successful broker." The Oracle says and clinks her glass with his. She drinks, smooth yet greedily, and Ardyn watches with amusement, the champagne in hand still untouched.

She finishes her glass and delivers it to another passing server. Then, she excuses herself. Gliding past people who would want to chat with her, and arriving to her Glaive with hello on her lips. Her smile so rare and genuine, that Ardyn sees it only now.

Oh Aera, pray be with me. Always.

It's that same smile that Aera gave him when she promised him eternity.

Rage expels from him in a heartbeat but he must not be weak even in anger. He bites his lip to contain the scowl threatening to split his face. The glass in his hand cracks but doesn't shatter, it makes him ease his grip, grazing the web of cracks with his thumb.

This changes nothing.

He raises his glass, distorted are the image of the King and the Emperor, but on the Glaive and the Oracle, their image is as golden as the champagne.

Ardyn toasts to the four people he would hang in the Lucian throne room.

×××

what a mess you've made of everything / when you think that i don't notice all your scars

Halting the Oracle's brother from killing the barely-there King of Light, the Chancellor had not expected to have to warp so close to them.

Ardyn is grateful that even with Ravus, he still has influence and authority over him. Managing to tug the High Commander along and away from the Prince Noctis, they leave without much trouble. He must keep both princes away from each other until the Lucian Prince and his friends are ready.

In the meantime, the Chancellor has one more seed to plant for one specific thing to go according to plan, and this particular seed concerns the High Commander Fleuret.

Leaning on the window of the airship they boarded, the Chancellor smiles the devil's triumphant grin.

"You might want to look within the ranks, High Commander." He says like a taunt, mocking this blood of the Oracle of his status as outsider.

"Please, Chancellor. There are no moles in the Imperial Army." Ravus dismisses.

"Moles, no, but someone other than the late General Glauca who had access to Fenestela Manor on that flawed day of fate." The Chancellor says with a flourish of his hand, and knows without a doubt that Ravus understands what he means.

The look on the eldest Fleuret's face when he turns bodily to him is one of inquisition, eager and begging to hurt. "Pray tell, Lord Izunia, the name of this monster."

"Then the name you are looking for, is Brigadier General Caligo Ulldor." Ardyn answers and that's when Ravus' eyes glaze over, remembering every detail long buried of the day he found his sister unresponsive to anyone but her maid for months.

Ravus Nox Fleuret trusts the Chancellor, trusts him with his sister's life for he has seen the coat treasured in the Oracle's closet with not a speck of dust. Ravus knows the story behind it even if he hadn't seen it unfold before his eyes.

Though, it is enough that he has seen them often together. Seen them dance on balls and go for walks. Seen him accompany her on her trips to other towns and cities in order to heal plague bearers. Seen them at the Manor for tea.

The only occasion he has never seen them together, are the moments when his sister takes the Chancellor's hand, and leads him to sin.

This is why Ravus trusts his credibility, because he has not seen how Ardyn prays to Eos before having the Oracle come on his tongue.

"How did you find out?" Ravus asks, good hand twitchy and shaking with restrained anger.

The Chancellor gives a little bow.

"You're most certainly welcome." He smirks theatrically. Quite enjoys riling up these pawns; he thinks this must be how the gods feel when they toy with mortals.

But Ravus wants his answers, and this time, there is a slip in his perfect composure since the ring denied him. The High Commander paces away, uncharacteristically agitated and fuming.

"I ask, Chancellor, that you tell me."

Ardyn closes his eyes, face peaceful even with the insinuating smile on his face.

"She mumbles in her sleep—your sister."

The High Commander freezes. Eyes deadly despite the way he calmly asks: "How would you know that she does?"

Ardyn's eyes twinkle when he opens them, and Ravus—he sees red.

"This is why you were always with her?! Under our own roof!" Ravus advances on him, rapier drawn and pointed at the Chancellor's neck.

Ardyn laughs.

"I never did anything that she did not want, it is she who took my hand from the very start." He smirks and parries the blade with his own palm. "Lower your weapon, High Commander, I am not the one that tainted your holy sister."

"When did this began?" Ravus questions and it tears a chuckle from Ardyn's throat.

"I do not hurt little girls, Lord Fleuret. Rest assured, she was a woman when it all began."

Ravus eyes the Chancellor sternly. He searches those amber eyes for lies but he sees no deception, only amusement and something utterly soft and desperately hidden. He sheaths his weapon and lets the Chancellor step closer.

"I tried not to remember that miserable girl, but alas, she does mumble in her sleep," he says lightly, a frown worms its way into his grin, turning it into a grimace.

– Lord Ulldor please stop –

"This is something I am surprised I cannot be. . . indifferent with." Something creeps in Ardyn's voice in the middle of speaking, wrath and sorrow rolled in that break of speech. He hides it, quick and inconspicuous like hummingbirds.

Before he truly goes, Ardyn gives the High Commander a hard look. Amber eyes flashing, like spilled gold in a ship wrecked by storm.

"The world needs not men who hurt little girls. Do with the Brigadier General as you please." He says and leaves the Lord Fleuret to it.

Another seed planted. Another murder on the way.

×××

i see you (when you laugh, and when you love until the bitter end)

It came as a surprise, really it did, for Ardyn thought he has seen it all. To see the Ring that had once been meant for him, worn on the finger that shows of marriage, by a man not of royal blood.

Nyx Ulric is his name, as reported by one of the Lieutenants stationed at Altissia. Arrived with the Oracle and never once left her side. It's the gossip of the town, a scandal as big as the coming covenant in the next few days.

I heard the Oracle cancelled her wedding.

But I saw her arrive this morning, isn't here the venue of the wedding?

Not to the Prince, have you seen her bodyguard? I don't blame her.

Oh dear. An affair?

But isn't that how political marriages work? Empty with another different person to warm their bed?

Ardyn hears them all. He hears how the Lady Lunafreya has abandoned her lineage in favor of taking on a Galahdian name. How Lunafreya Ulric married her Glaive on some small chapel on the road.

It is obscure and vague, but rumour is that their souls are one and the same, tethered to each other by a red string.

The last one hadn't been a gossip. He heard it from the Lady herself, after she has settled from her arrival. He visits her in their suite (a prison really), when the Glaive took the rare moment to be apart from her for a telephone call all the way to Galahd.

Ardyn greets her with a bow.

"Lady Lunafreya – oh, forgive me my mistake – it's Missus Ulric now."

"So you've heard."

Ardyn smiles at her, something glinting, like flint in a dark cave. "Is it fuck the gods now?"

Lunafreya gives him a resolute stare. "For him? Yes."

"For me, then?"

"The Aera I am not, remember?" She glances away to the open balcony, where the scent of salt and the breeze of new come from.

There is a tug on the side of his lips, akin to something like amusement made by her impertinence.

"You were my hero once upon a time. Now your daemons have made you a villain. The villain has swallowed what little hero I see from you."

"Oh?" He follows after her as she steps toward the open air. "Is that why you've found yourself a new hero?"

She looks at him, giving nothing away if she had been offended or not.

"That little fairy tale matters not the moment I said I do." She answers with a shake of her head. Beautiful as ever even with the frown on her face.

Ardyn can only smile emptily at that. "The Aera you are not indeed." He agrees.

The Oracle hums readily, compliant with his truth out loud—not curious, not knowingly, only certainly as if she will not hear anything from him anymore.

"Nyx is mine." She says.

"What a proud wife." Ardyn comments with a smile but it is void of amusement or mirth.

"Mine in the soul, together since time immemorial, Chancellor. I am his as much as he is mine." As preordained. He thinks she almost adds.

"We've found each other. . . but it wouldn't matter. My candle burns close to the last wick, tied on the other end to Nyx's like that fabled red string." She says softly like a prayer but the whisper of what's to come to her and her husband is enough for the wind to carry the tone of defeat to him.

Ardyn knows what it means, soulmates are rare, but it is irreconcilable with what could happen, if they did not bow before Hexatheon; if she really had just up and left, and said fuck the gods, for him instead of the Glaive. If she hadn't met the Glaive. If there was another way. If, if, if—

But the Oracle has made her bed, and he isn't on it. So he must watch her lie down on this grave and lower her to the ground.

"Lady Lunafreya," Ardyn starts. "If you and I had met differently, I—" He stops abruptly as the sound of the door swings open. He pulls on the tale old weaponry, and throws it to the roof where he lands and crouches quietly.

In comes Nyx Ulric, a tired and sad smile gracing his handsome face.

"Nyx." The wife greets with surprise on her face.

Ardyn sees her husband arrive beside her. Nyx's smile turning into a full blown grin once their hands fit together like perfect puzzles. It falls short though, when his nose scrunches and he inhales the air around her.

"That's the scent of air mid warp. What—?"

"It is nothing. I had a need to summon my trident."

"Are you in danger?"

"No."

Ardyn carefully warps away before he can see or hear more of this husband and wife together.

For him to run and hide like this, he truly is her dirty little secret.

×××

and i’m hoping that you will see yourself (like I see you)

Watching the Oracle as she tries to draw not even a percent of the daemons from him while the Hydraean rampaged, he is certain that she is not and never will be Aera. It's the eyes that give it away. Diamond blues that shine only for him. In this moment, where she lives separate from her calling. This is the child that saw him as her hero. The one who is scared to death of death himself. The one that wants to run away and turn deaf to the gods.

This is definitely not Aera.

This is Lunafreya, the child her father wanted to name Stella, who clutches onto his hand, weak and desperate, trying her damnedest to take away his sins. To pour it all on her soul. The same touch that had him tethered to her bed to ignore the world beyond her room.

Her blue diamonds twinkle as he gazes at her. Eyes that same fire that had him unable to deny her anything. And what he sees in them is something ugly and remarkably unique because he knows what it is. He's seen this only once. In the mirror one morning, when his humanity had seemed to come to him, his face with those same diamond blues that covet only the kiss of death.

It is not Aera he sees in her. It never was.

It was always himself.

He stumbles away from her with this realization. The weight of the dagger bringing him back to the present. His grip on the hilt sure and tight.

"When the prophecy is fulfilled, all in thrall to darkness shall know peace." She says, oh so devoted to this cause.

Ardyn's rage comes forth, fresh and unwavering even through the years. He stalks back to her, arm reared back to strike her but Nyx Ulric's kukris flash for a millisecond between them and the man himself appears to shove him away.

"Ah, the hero." The Chancellor taunts and throws his dagger at the Glaive. Nyx deflects it, easy as breathing. "I have no desire to fight you, Nyx. Run along to your prince and do what you must. Your wife and I have unfinished business."

"Like hell I will!" Nyx spits back, full body blocking the Oracle from any harm.

"Let me make this easy then." Ardyn says and calls forth his Armiger with a wave of his hands. The crystal like image of his weapons bathes him in red light.

Nyx's eyes widen. "You. . . who are you?"

"Why don't you ask your dear wife? She is my flesh and blood after all."

Lunafreya grasps her husband's arm to stand on her feet. She holds onto him, eyes imploring him to look at me. Nyx feels the weight of her gaze and reluctantly takes his eyes off the man before them.

"Why does he have the King's power?" He asks, the leather hilt of the kukris squeaking with how tight he was holding them.

Lunafreya gives him a defeated and apologetic look. "Ardyn. . . Lucis Caelum." She whispers and Nyx stares at her in disbelief.

"There you have it. Now take the ring to Noctis, you know what must be done. The Hydraean awaits." Ardyn says dismissively but Nyx doesn't go.

The Glaive stands his ground. Firmly beside his wife, electric blue eyes disturbed and with a fire that reminds him of the Infernian.

"Fuck the gods! I stay with my wife," He shouts determinedly and turns to look Lunafreya in the eye. "For better or for worse, 'til death do us part."

"'Til death do us part." She recites back just as fiercely.

Their resolve is admiring. Ardyn finds himself wondering if this is what it meant to love until the bitter end. When the face of your loved one still greets you with light still in their eyes. To have them fight with you for what beats in both your ribs. But Ardyn has lost all of this. The light in Aera's eyes. Izunia's freedom. And Stella. Krasivaya Stella.

"Behold, the lamb of god which taketh away the sin of the world." The Chancellor says, raising his hand to summon the Rakshasa Blade to arms. "Dostoynyy Agnets, voznesennyy na uboy."

"Worthy is the Lamb who is raised to the slaughter." Nyx says in return. "That's High Galahdian. How—"

"Do you want the truth?" Ardyn says as he walks closer to the pair.

Nyx stands in defense.

The Oracle answers him. "I've seen the truth."

The confidence with which she says it makes Ardyn's serene indulgence snap. Outrage distorts his face as blood, black as the night oozes from wounds that weren't there before. His eyes ghoulish like the undead. "Only my truth. Not theirs. They were twins, Lunafreya!"

"Twins?" She echoes in confusion. The history erased by the winners completely unknown even to the Oracle who's supposed to see them all.

"Izunia and Stella."

"Stella." Lunafreya breathes and every little thing he has shared with her rushes to piece themselves together.

"After what Somnus did to Aera and I, Izunia inherited the trident because Stella refused. She wouldn't leave me by myself at Angelgard. One morning when the sunlight was too much for me, she wrapped her cape around me but the guards were ordered to let me suffer so they took her away by nightfall and drowned her at sea. That is why Izunia was a deviant, being unholy was his disobedience to Somnus. Do you see now? They were children, just like you were." He spits at the injustice of it all.

Beautiful Stella, swallowed by the sea.

Her eyes lose a little of their gleam and Ardyn sees tears pool in those endless diamonds of hers. They fall and a sob makes its way past her throat.

"You – you – I see you now. You are me. In this life, alive and fighting the same fight I did." Ardyn points at her with his sword. He closes the distance between them and readily slams his palm on the forehead of the Glaive that advanced on him the moment he was at striking distance.

Nyx Ulric crumples to the ground, unmoving and face peaceful as if in slumber. The Oracle rushes to his side, what remains of her power glowing in her hands as she rests her forehead on his. She is ripped away from her husband by her hair, the braids untangling as she is dragged to kneel before the Chancellor.

"I see you. Sin eater. But unlike me, you are clean." Ardyn says as he caresses her face with the back of his hand.

She glares at him, but he can see her eyes are too soft, half-hearted and without malice. "Even one more. I will gladly take your daemons." She tells him.

Even one more. His own words on her face with his once eyes.

She is not Aera. She is the Ardyn that was meant to be. Pure and clean of all filth.

It infuriates him.

"Then take them!" He growls and wraps his fingers around her neck. That same neck he had worshiped so many times along with the rest of her.

This will be the last time he sees her. The last time he sees those diamond blues for eyes, as she struggles to breathe and claw at his hands. The final time as the tears spill from her face and the light in her eyes dull each failed breathe she takes.

Ardyn leaves husband and wife lying unmoving and cold for the Prince and his friends to find. He places the ring on the Oracle's lips in mock symbolism. Now the gods will watch over them all, won't breathe for the next years as he enters the last act of the play.

Ardyn cannot wait to hear the applause.

×××

[thewannaone]

Hi!! I loved your Harry Potter au for Wanna one and if you're familiar with the Percy Jackson series (most ppl aren't so I wouldn't be surprised tbh), could you do w1 as demi-gods? Like how they got to camp, their godly parent, camp life etc

omg no percy jackson used to be my life when i was in highschool thank you so much for this ask!!!!!!! im mainly familiar with the first 5 books though, i havent really kept up to date on the roman versions so it’ll just be camp halfblood. also if theres any inaccuracies i apologise, i havent read them in a while :(

Jisung: Son of Hestia. (I kno Hestia is a Virgin Goddess so this is very out of canon but Hestia just fits Jisung so well). Jisung was born at the Camp, rising out of the Hearth itself. He was raised by Chiron, growing up and learning about the Gods and his Powers from day 1. He goes to school and university during the terms but for the most part he stays at camp, tending to their home. All campers know him, he’s the oldest camper there. Jisung has minor Pyrokinesis abilities, just small things like candle lighting. He often works in the kitchen, cooking up food for the BBQs. He also can sense when new campers will arrive and can often tell which cabin they belong to. He’s very caring and warm, making everyone feel welcome and often being the life of the party who everyone laughs with. He doesnt participate in Capture the Flag but loves cheering everyone on. Lives in the Big House with Chiron. Close to all the campers but becomes closest with Ong and Daniel, watching over them and keeping their powers in check. 

Sungwoon: Son of Demeter. Had a pretty normal upbringing even though he used to get weird looks as a kid for singing to plants. Grew up pretty average, even with his ADHD and dyslexia. Thought he was a really normal guy, nothing special, wouldnt achieve anything. When he reached 15 his Dad told him about his Mother and Sungwoon didn’t believe him whatsoever. Until a Satyr named Taehyun showed up at his house telling him to pack his stuff for camp before a monster killed him. Was very quick to believe then. Hangs out mostly with Taehyun at camp, though hes a lot better at agriculture stuff like gardening and cooking than training. Often sings at campfires and enjoys Capture the Flag once in a while. Used to be really terrible with his powers, always accidentally tripping Taehyun with a vine, but with practise is getting better. 

Minhyun: Son of Athena. His Father was a scientist who married another woman after Minhyun was born. He grew up thinking the woman was his Mother and didn’t learn the truth until he was attacked by a Hellhound at school. Fashioned a weapon out of his own stationary and got away with his life. Demanded answers out of his Dad but his Dad was ashamed of his Godly heritage and tried to hide it from him, calling him an abomination. Left home and eventually was given a sign by Athena as to the Camps location. Arrived at the camp safely and it didn’t take long for Chiron to explain his true heritage. He’d studied enough Greek Mythology growing up to understand quickly. Was placed in Hermes cabin until his first capture the flag game where he won using his wits and battle skill. Athena was impressed and claimed him almost instantly. Now lives full time at the camp but goes back to school during terms. Is one of the older campers and most well known. Younger campers are often scared of him and think hes too cold but he turns out to be super nice and caring, always helping them train and practise. Close with Son of Ares, Dongho, Son of Hecate, Ren and fellow Son of Athena, Jong who’s also Counselor of their cabin.

Ong: Son of Poseidon. Similar to Percy in that growing up he had a bit of a troubled childhood and was kicked out of school a few times. Was pretty young when his Mum was killed by a Manticore and spent a few years on the street, sleeping down by the docks or on the beach, hopping from place to place and not knowing what to do. It was only by fate that he stumbled upon the Camp and Chiron was very confused as to how and why he’d found it. Was put into Hermes cabin for a while and was happy to accept that his father was the God of Tricksters. Was almost disappointed when Poseidon claimed him but then was told he’s one of the most powerful demigods and was cool. Really good at capture the flag, one of the best players on the teams. Also pretty good at battle training, has very good reflexes. Also enjoys horseriding and chariot racing but is abysmal at studies and theory. Is kinda weirded out by his water powers initially but grows to love them. Even though he’s friends with everyone, he’s kinda sad that he’s the only one in his cabin, as well as the only Big 3 child so often spends time at the bottom of the lake when hes lonely. Is disappointed with the fact that even though he’s one of the most powerful, so far he’s never been given a quest.

Jaehwan: Son of Dionysus. Grew up in an orphanage and was pretty down on his luck his entire life. Went into foster care but left as soon as he was of age, kicked out of schools, found a shitty job and tiny one room apartment and did his best to keep up with his studies. Flunked out a lot due to his dyslexia. Once he reached a certain age his powers got stronger and he accidentally drove his classmate to insanity, leading him to run away again. Around this time, he was found by 2 other demigods, Sewoon and Gwanghyun who were on a quest,  and they helped him find his way to camp. Greeted by a very confused Dionysus who wondered why he looked so familiar. Ends up becoming good friends with Dionysus and enjoys helping him with camp organising. It wasn’t until they were bonding over a can of diet coke when the god finally realised that Jaehwan was his son. Jaehwan initially didn’t want to move into his cabin since he resented his father for abandoning him but they eventually are able to become close once again. Realises he’s not very good at the plant control powers (tho sungwoon tries to help him) but very good at mania and insanity which is useful at times (tho many campers think he himself is insane when they hear him laugh). Enjoys playing guitar and singing with Sewoon by the campfire and a lot of campers think he should have been an Apollo child with his skills.

Jihoon: Son of Aphrodite. Grew up in a rich family, was very used to having things go his way and people listening to him. Almost to the point of a spoilt brat. Was the most popular boy in his class and had admirers from all of his classmates. The day a Harpy showed up and attacked him, Jihoon used his Charmspeak to convince it to leave him alone. Constantly did that with monsters who attacked him, allowing him to grow up without needing the camp. Was found by a satyr who was surprised he was so unscathed and offered to take him to camp. Jihoon initially refused, saying he didn’t need protection with his power but reconsidered after his Charmspeak failed him and almost cost him his life. Was claimed almost instantly by Aphrodite, didnt need to spend any time in Hermes cabin. Is the prettiest camper, even by Aphrodite standards and constantly has both girls and boys falling for him. Is always competing with Samuel from Apollo’s cabin who arrived at Camp at the same time as him and for some reason, is immune to his Charmspeak. Jinyoung teases him saying its cause Jihoon has a crush on Samuel but Jihoon refuses to believe it. Jihoon often participates in Capture the Flag and battle training, moreso than other Aphrodite campers and is one of the most skilled fighters. Ends up going on a quest and becoming very close with Samuel, Daehwi, Woojin and Jinyoung.

Woojin: Son of Hermes. Grew up with an abusive stepfather and alcoholic Mother. Ran away from home pretty early and found a group of homeless kids named Youngmin, Donghyun and Daehwi. Youngmin took care of them for a year, slowly trekking them across the country where he revealed himself to be a satyr and that the other 3 were demigods. They were all put into Hermes cabin at first, with Daehwi and Youngmin being claimed quite early on. Woojin stayed in Hermes cabin, kinda alone with so many kids around him and unable to make friends, waiting to be claimed by his Godly parent. When the Oracle announced a quest with him, Samuel, Jihoon, Daehwi and Jinyoung everyone was very confused, wondering why an unclaimed camper would be part of a quest. It wasn’t until the day they were leaving when Hermes himself stopped by to give Woojin some winged shoes and his blessing. Woojin got a loooot of praise from other campers for getting the attention of his Father. Ended up being an asset on the Quest, picking locks and avoiding traps and very skilled at sneaking past monsters. Gets very close to all of his quest mates and gains the attention of the other campers when he gets back and shows off his skills in capture the flag and training. Becomes a lot more social and proud of himself.

Jinyoung: Son of Hades. Was a weird kid growing up, kinda a loner. Used to see ghosts and his Mother took him to therapy until he learned to just keep quiet about it. He faded into the background a lot and was shy around living human beings. Accidentally Shadow Travelled to camp one day, ending up in Hades Cabin and being extremely confused and shocked as to how he got there. Stumbled out of the Cabin into the arms of Daehwi who immediately took him to Chiron where he passed out. Woke up to see a bunch of demigods and satyrs around him wondering how he managed to enter Hades cabin. Theyre all very surprised to hear that he Shadow Travelled and therefore must be one of the Big 3. Jinyoungs initially sad to learn that theres only one other Big 3 child (Ong) and that he has no cabin-mates. Gets called on the quest however and grows closer to them all, especially Daehwi who shines very brightly to him. Daehwi and Jihoon are both very intrigued by his ghost friends and Jihoon is a bit too interested in his undead army. Like Woojin, becomes more open and skilled with his powers as time goes by. 

Daehwi: Son of Apollo. Grew up on the streets at a very early age and never knew his Mother. Was found by 2 older boys Donghyun and Youngmin who became his family. Was able to predict another boy joining them and travelling to Camp together. Woojin was very surprised when Daehwi already knew his name. At Camp, Daehwi was claimed very early, his musical and healing abilities, plus oracle like predictions were too great to ignore. He thrives in the Apollo cabin, sometimes when he gets happy he ends up glowing. His best forte is archery and his golden bow is his main weapon. He loves composing, singing and dancing, anything to do with music. He’s ok at Capture the Flag but prefers more artsy activities. He becomes very close with Jinyoung which leads people to be confused seeing as Jinyoung is dark and Underworld and Daehwi shines like the sun. But they make it work. 

Guanlin: Son of Hephaestus. Grew up in an average family and went to a special school for kids with learning difficulties. Met his best friend Seonho there who also had dyslexia and ADHD and they bonded. Guanlin was always really good at the craft section, creating things and tinkering with objects. One day he saved Seonho from a chimera that attacked him at a construction site. Guanlin controlled the machines and managed to banish it. Both were very confused as to how he did it and Seonho exclaimed that he must be a superhero. A satyr found them soon after that when Seonho kept asking Guanlin to practise his powers on little machines, like his nintendo to get Shiny Pokemon. Wound up in camp together and Seonho joined Hebes cabin. Guanlin started living in Hephaestus’s cabin and everyone was so thankful that he didnt have pyro powers given his lack of awareness at times. Is very good with his hands though, and even though hes quiet, makes the best weapons and ends up creating the magical items for the other 10 members. Ends up going on a quest with them all and, while sad to leave Seonho behind, grows close to the rest of them.

Daniel: Son of Zeus. The newest camper. Doesn’t know his past, just woke up one day and is outside the camp. Knows only his name is Daniel and that he misses his cats. The day that he arrives, it’s announced by the Oracle (Eunki) that he shall lead a Quest made up of 10 other campers. No one knows why this random, new kid who hasnt even been claimed, nor knows who he is, will be able to lead. Ong is jealous that he gets given a Quest immediately while he has had to wait for years. Ends up clashing with Ong, who calls forth his water powers to attack him from the lake. Daniel accidentally loses control and brings forth a storm. Jisung watches worridly from the side and tells Ong to calm down. The storm gathers and begins to rain as all the campers run out to see the two circling each other. Before Daniel can stop it, lightning strikes Ong out of no where and he collapses, needing immediate medical attention and is carried off to the Big House. The rest of the campers show disdain for Daniel as he’s escorted to Zeus’ cabin. Chiron explains to him that Ong is a Big 3 son and therefore there might be continually clashes between them. Daniel is apologetic, being there for Ong to wake up so he can apologise. Ong’s pride is hurt but says he wouldnt mind having someone else who understands what its like being a child of the Big 3. They grow closest together, much to the surprise of everyone and work on their powers influencing each other, creating storms and hurricanes together. Daniel becomes the best player in Capture the Flag, though Jihoon and Ong both rival him. A month into his stay at the Camp, Eunki announces the rest of the team that shall take on the Quest and also lets Daniel know that his memories shall be found on this journey, though he may not want to know them. (These memories are his past where a younger demigod, Woojin, was killed by a monster and Daniel was unable to protect him. In his grief, he lost control of his powers, creating such a storm that he begged the Gods to take away his pain, leading to his amnesia). 

The 11 of them take on the Quest with new weapons built by Guanlin such as Imperial Gold sword for Daniel and a small thin rapier for Jihoon. Though interactions with monsters and minor gods, they save each other and manage to complete the Quest, bonding and becoming a family.