#he was a space crime lord yes he committed war crimes yes but at least he wasn't a space fascist

[maulfucker]

Kinda funny that Maul was like. The one star wars villain who wasn't a space fascist.

[rainsonata]

Doppelgänger 14/15

Chapter 14: The Cataclysm 

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: T Word Count: 6,968

Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one’s reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.   

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves   

AO3 Link / FF.NET Link

— [Chapter 01] [Chapter 02] [Chapter 03] [Chapter 04] [Chapter 05] [Chapter 06] [Chapter 07] [Chapter 08] [Chapter 09] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15] —  

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Class Notes: 

Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen   

Alternative Path: Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

Transformation Path: Immortal, Metamorphy, Twilight, Nova Imperator, Code: Sariel, Centurion, Shakti, Bloody Queen, Mad Paradox, Iblis and Anular (Diangelion), Herrscher

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Code: Ultimate 

Henir’s Time and Space existed in a separate plane of its own, balanced between all dimensions and existed at a point where time did not exist. A portal cracked open from the side, forming an enclave big enough for their group to squeeze through. 

Ultimate entered first. She forced her wings to fold back to avoid crushing the person behind her. It was the same as it was the last time she had visited. They all landed on the familiar blue platform shared by parts of Elrianode. Electric circuits glowed beneath their feet. Blue cubes hovered around their platform among the stars. A dark sun eclipsed by the moon floated above their heads. 

Despite gaining access to knowledge from the libraries and databases from her journey, Ultimate had little understanding of Henir’s Time and Space and its existence. Its architecture bore strong resemblance to that of the corrupted monsters and machines in Elrianode. The administrator of the facility was placed in what appeared to be a form of punishment. Ultimate felt her circuits hum into mild stress at the thought of being locked into one place.      

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE DIMENSION WILL COLLAPSE?” 

Loud chatter disrupted Ultimate’s train of thought. The queen of destruction closed her eyes and allowed her programs to run scans in the background. Glave was nowhere to be seen, but Ultimate needed to update her database on Henir’s Time and Space. 

“I’m sure she was joking.” Knight laughed nervously. The red knight fought to restrain Aether by placing his hands over her shoulder and gently nudging her away from Metamorphy. The elementary mage did not back away and had her staff out with a dangerous look in her eyes. 

Ultimate recognized that expression. It was the one humans had when frustrated and confused. Aether was both.   

“I don’t joke,” Metamorphy said with a bright smile. She was unaffected by her counterpart’s outburst and stepped out of the portal with her arms behind her back. 

Her sensors notified Ultimate that other organic beings were present. Orange and red light filtered through her ocular lens to let her know there were a few dozen warm bodies. Metamorphy was correct in that they were the last group to have arrived. The platform they were on was one of many. Small stairs connected each platform and formed a chain of them to travel in between them. 

Ultimate heard their names being shouted by the others that saw their arrival. It was too much for the Nasod in keeping track of them all. She allowed herself to ignore them and instead watched her friends interact with each other. Their reunion would be short before they learn about their fates. 

A figure appeared from the mass of people. Ultimate’s scans shot up in response to the high energy levels emitted from Paradox. The time traveler’s energy level was unstable, making it difficult for Ultimate’s systems to keep up with the changes. It was as if Paradox wasn’t human.  

“Of course it’s you causing all the noise.” Paradox was in his adult form and covered his mouth to hide a snide smile. He said to Metamorphy. “So you told them your intentions. Didn’t think you would become the harbinger of bad news.”

“I don’t remember asking for your input,” Metamorphy’s expression soured. “I doubt your group took it any better than mine did.” 

“You took us here knowing we were going to react like this?” Knight protested, “You’re okay with us watching the world be destroyed?”

“Reborn,” Metamorphy corrected. 

“Explain,” Ultimate looked at Paradox and Metamorphy with cold eyes. She noticed more people crowding around them and listening in to Metamorphy’s explanation. Did they know about this before they did? “I don’t quite follow what you mean by rebirth.”  

Destruction and rebirth were two concepts humans liked to bring up through history. Their religion and cultures were built around both. When one group had fallen, another would rise, sometimes stronger than the last in ways Nasods wouldn’t be able to. 

Ultimate was placed into deep slumber because her creator feared that his race had once again fallen into the cycle of death. He was correct, but Adrian failed to recognize that humans were just as compatible with creation as they were in destruction. For she had seen her teammates come up with plans and concepts that helped others. However, Ultimate began to understand his sentiment when Metamorphy showed glee in explaining the death of a dimension the Nasod queen had only come to known for a few days. 

“Rebirth makes it sound grander than it actually is,” Metamorphy said. “It’s more like a soft reboot. Having everyone into the same dimension is stressing the system and forcing it to shut down to reset itself.”

“You’re saying it’s going to come back?” Phantom asked. 

“Yes,” Metamorphy hummed. “Maybe not one-hundred percent. It should be restored to the state before the dimension broke down.”

“We’re really doing this.” Bangs covered Knight’s eyes, “We’re letting people suffer again.” 

There was tension in the red haired man’s features. His shoulders rose and a hint of blue flickered over his glassy eyes. Ultimate frowned and questioned the El’s influence over Knight. Did the El have a stronger presence with Knight than it did for Rune? 

“I’m sorry we had to resort to this,” Rage offered Knight an awkward pat on the back. 

“So this is what happens when too many timelines intersect,” Bringer mumbled to himself. “This is the end.”   

Being a few hundred years old, Ultimate wasn’t one to be as sentimental as most were in occurrences such as the soft reset Metamorphy was suggesting. The end wasn’t a foreign concept to her. According to numerous history books, many Elrian civilizations documented the Nasod war as the death of a prosperous era and the end to the benevolent relationship between Nasods and humans. Rune’s sacrifice to the El was the end of their search for the El Lady and the El Masters. A soft reset would mark yet another ending of a story arc in human history. 

Was there truly an end? 

“Resetting will fix everything?” There was a bite to Flame words and sharpness in the look she exchanged to Metamorphy and over to Paradox. Biting the bottom of her lips, Ultimate could see the flame user trying not to get excited. 

“I don’t know about that,” Paradox scoffed. “No one has done a reset before. I’m not sure if Glave can even do it.” 

“Is that why you brought us here?” Abysser asked. “I knew Glave deals with time and space, but do you really think he’s going to agree to helping us?”

“Didn’t he already help you in Elrianode?” Crusader had his arms crossed, “He gave us information about the corrupted Elrianode monsters and about the Dark El.” 

“I suppose it could be too soon to ask for help again.” Empire said, “We’re already here, so we should at least try.” 

Empire had what humans called “cautious optimism”. When Ultimate expressed her confusion, Rune explained that people wanted to see the bright side of something, but remained careful out of the fear of being wrong. The knight captain remained so, putting on a composed mask but smiling as a way to reassure the others. Flame did the same, but her enthusiasm was more overt and offering loud cheers. 

Crossing her legs, Ultimate examined a floating cube reflecting her face back. She hadn’t noticed before, but some of them acted as monitors and showed the viewer different worlds. Each surface focused on a different part of Elrios, but one caught her attention. Ripples formed over its otherwise smooth surface and offered her a glimpse of a moving figure. 

A woman sharing Devi’s face darted across a muddy terrain with a toothy grin. She wore white outfit similar to that of the warriors from Fluone's Northern Empire, followed by a white fox with many tails. Behind her was a blonde man in a white suit covered by equally pristine armor and a destroyer. An elven woman was with them. Her hair was tied back into a long braid and hoisted a sword and a bow. The sky was red and they were fighting a monster several times their size, covered in spikes and baring sharp teeth. 

An emotionless face reflected back at Ultimate from the screen. The Nasod queen froze, waiting for her circuits to process the face of her twin. Pale blue wings sprouted from the back of her counterpart from another world she didn’t know of. Were these people her friends from another dimension?        

“My, my. There are more of you than usual.” A male voice mused, “Your group gets bigger each time we meet, but this is the biggest I’ve seen.” 

A single orange eye peered through the metal mask Glave wore. His voice made it impossible to tell his age, a quiet chuckle followed by a light toned statement that placed many people on edge. The locks placed around his collar were for a man who had committed unspoken crimes.  

“You took your time,” Paradox sneered. “Where have you been?” 

“Hello, Add.” Glave chuckled, “I see you have made use of the knowledge I have given you.” 

“Cut the crap and tell us what we need to do to undo this idiot’s mistake!” Bringer growled. 

“It looks like there’s three of you now,” Glave looked at Bringer, Dominator, and Paradox. “I suspected this day would come. How can I help you?” 

Bringer fumed as Bluhen commented about the brawler being singled out with his other selves. Dominator was less pleased of being grouped with his alternatives, crossing his legs and sitting on Dynamo in a silent sulk. Paradox became a sitting duck as soon as Glave showed up, glaring at the administrator of Henir’s Time and Space with distaste.

“We need your help,” Crusader explained. “The Demon Realm where we came from is falling apart. If we don’t do something, we won’t be able to save Elrios.” 

“Is that so?” Glave looked at the mob, “Is that because all of you were involved?”

“Yes,” Anemos said. “Add said there were too many of us and it’s causing problems for everyone and the people living in Demon Realm.” 

“I expected this to happen for some time,” Glave admitted. 

“Because you taught someone how to time travel?” Nova raised a brow. 

“Yes, but he isn’t the only one learning to open portals.” Glave said, “I’m sure you remember the demon invasion in Velder?”

“That’s right, they were trying to open portals to invade Elrios!” Aether exclaimed, “But what are you trying to say? Metamorphy said you could reset the dimension and return us back to where we were supposed to be!”

“Did she now?” Glave said, “That is a heavy task you are asking of me.”

“Please, Glave. You helped us before and you gave us all the information you knew about the Dark El.” Knight lowered his head, “I don’t know what we can offer this time, but you’re the only person I know who can help us.” 

Ultimate looked back to Knight, trying to understand his intention. He led a massive group, yet maintained the humbleness Rune had. There was no humor in his intonation, coated by shame and guilt. She was confused about where the unnecessary emotion came from. He was no different than Rune. 

“What can you offer this time?” Glave chuckled again, “Resetting a dimension so I can send all of you on your merry way? It will only take time before all of you find each other again.” 

“I know it’s our fault this happened, but that’s why I want to change that.” Knight said, “I only want-”

An arm blocked Knight from getting closer to Glave. Immortal stepped up and shook his head to Knight, effectively silencing his counterpart with a tiny smile. The sword user beamed at Glave and offered the man a forced grin. 

“Yo, Glave! I got a better deal than myself over there,” Immortal nudged Knight to the side. “Why stop at resetting one dimension? You’re right, we might try to see each other again and that means you’ll have to fix our mess again. So why don’t you sit down and listen to what I have to say?”

“Oh?” A smile could be heard in Glave’s raised intonation, “What do you propose?”

“Why don’t you make it so that dimension traveling is stable across our three dimensions?” Immortal nodded, “You won’t regret this because you will never be bored!”     

Anemos once proposed to Ultimate that Glave’s strange requests were done out of boredom. She kept her voice low and hushed with a snide comment that was uncharacteristic of the elven woman. Ultimate couldn’t relate to the emotion as Nasods did not get bored, but she knew that humans had a tendency of finding ways to entertain themselves when placed in isolation. She could see why Glave would go to such lengths to reach out to the El Search Party when his traveling was limited to a few spots. 

“Never get bored, huh?” Nova laughed to himself, “That’s so Elsword.” 

---------------------------- 

Chevalier

In contrast to the cold weather in Varnimyr, there was nothing in Henir’s time and space. It was warm yet cold. Big, yet small. An infinite sea of platforms floated in space, small stairs suspended in midair and connected to one another. Just big enough to fit all twenty nine of them and its administrator. 

The first time he had visited Henir’s time and space was by Glave himself, who had a tendency of showing up at resting spots in Elrios. A strange light in his eyes gave away that the man had plans of his own. He wasn’t one to share his intentions and Chevalier didn’t want to do with any of it. Chevalier didn’t lack strange people in his life after he formed a pact with Ishtar. 

It has been weeks since Chevalier last saw the administrator of Henir’s time and space. With a look of boredom and a shrug, Glave offered useful information on the Dark El and a quick history lesson of the Henir heretics involvement of it. Their dependence on Glave brought discomfort to the half-demon butler. 

“Are we nothing more than entertainment for this man?” Ishtar scowled, “Fixing someone else’s mistake in exchange for our livelihood. What kind of nonsense is this?” 

Chevalier hushed the former demon ruler. He had seen the hasty plan wrapped together by the newcomers as if it was second nature for them to dimension jump at a last minute’s notice. There was no reason to give Glave a moment of doubt in handing over a gift to their group. 

“How would we travel to each other’s worlds?” Apsara asked. 

“I gave the coordinates to the nerd and the musclehead,” Paradox snorted. “I think that’s enough.” 

“This is a good idea?” Chevalier wondered aloud, “Demons have tried to cross into Elrios through portals in the past. What makes you think they won’t find out about our new access to them?” 

“It’s only a problem if you blurt it out in the cold open like the amateurs you are,” Paradox grinned. “With twelve of you, that surely won’t be a problem, would it?”

Chevalier couldn’t make head or tail(s) about the man who shared Doom Bringer’s face. The time traveler had two forms he could use however he pleased. That was how he tricked Knight into believing he was harmless, yet they were expected to take Paradox’s words as truth. The butler’s gaze locked into Bringer, who nodded as a confirmation. 

“That’s right, he gave us the coordinates for each other’s dimensions.” Bringer said, “Is that all you want to say?”

“You’re not the type to have idle conversations, are you?” Dreadlord chuckled, “I suppose it can’t be helped with our situation.”      

Was the Demon Realm they came from beyond saving? It wasn’t their world, but it was the one the El Search Party promised to protect. It was a relief to make amends with the dark elves and the other creatures living there. Despite the poor relation between demons and Elrios inhabitants, there were civilians living in both. Most importantly, it was Ishtar’s home. Behind her sly smiles was sadness and nostalgia for a place that no longer accepted her.  

Chevalier and Ishtar poured blood and sweat into fighting their way into Demon Realm to restore her reign as a ruler, only for all that effort to go to waste. He couldn’t imagine the thoughts going through Ishtar’s mind in watching her world be reduced to ashes. 

“It’s fine,” Ishar placed a hand over Chevalier’s left forearm. She said with a forced smile, “It doesn’t bother me. Everything will be okay.” 

“Are you sure?” Chevalier disliked how childish he sounded when he asked a seemingly simple, yet personal question to the one he was supposed to protect. 

“Metamorphy said it would be reset, so I’m sure of it.” She closed her eyes, “My people are no strangers to rebuilding themselves. We should be thankful Grave is agreeing to help us again. This will be the second time we owe him.”  

“That’s already several times less than some of us,” Immortal gave a light chuckle. “Are you ready then?” 

All this talk about portal and interdimensional travel was a familiar topic that gave Chevalier a migraine. He could understand why the ability to do so was so appealing to demons. With that sort of power, Chevalier would gain access to stronger allies, multiple versions of himself that would likely share the same objective as he did. It took the effort of many people to prevent such power from falling into their enemy’s possession.   

Meeting their alternates added an extra layer of complexity on top of the original intention to seek out the Dark El. The butler knew they wouldn’t hear the last about portals after the first time they attempted to cross a dimension over from Lanox. Chevaliar had doubts that their group would return to Elrios any time soon.  

“You all right, there?” Abysser’s annoying voice popped into his vicinity. “What’s going on in your mind?”

“Nothing,” Chevalier said. 

“No one thinks about nothing,” Abysser snorted. “Hey Ish, what’s he thinking?” 

“Don’t call her that!” Chevalier growled. Why was being around himself so grating? Ishtar gave Abysser a small smile, but the demon monarch mentally cackled at the exchange between the two butlers. Chevalier sent glares at the tiny demon, struggling not to fill his mind with profanities. That only made Ishtar laugh harder.

“Did I say something funny?” Abysser was concerned, “You look like you ate something bad and Ishtar is giving me a weird look.”  

Chevalier stared ahead, focusing his thoughts and eyes on Glave. The administrator’s lips were moving, but he couldn’t hear the words. For the first time, he wished Ishtar didn’t have to share the same mental space as him. The demon monarch was usually good about backing off and giving him privacy, but Ishtar was taking delight in picking at his thoughts whenever Abysser was around. Her Cheshire grin was one that was usually reserved for teasing Bluhen.      

“Ciel was telling me how much he likes you!” Ishtar dared to speak a complete lie. Her lips couldn’t have spread out even further if she tried. The demon monarch bore a mischievous smirk that was more in line with her appearance age. 

“Aw, I think you’re cool too!” Abysser beamed. 

Chevalier groaned. 

He spied a camera shot of Varnimyr from one of the reflective cubes floating nearby. They functioned similar to the Nasod technology used in Elysion to monitor the city. Red clouds swirled in a dangerous haze, obscured by dark portals consuming the rest of the sky. Demons trekked across the fiery path, seeking for shelter in confusion to what was happening to their world. The demon realm was a mirror to what Lanox was weeks before the demon invasion. So this was how Glave always knew where to find them.  

Past his former days as a hitman, Chevalier pondered on how he would use them. How easy would it be to find his target before they realized he existed and... Chevalier didn’t allow himself to complete the thought. Those days were over. He would have easily picked to live in the present than in a bloodtorn past where he too often scraped the bottom of the barrel for less savory jobs.   

“It’s okay if you don’t know what to think about any of this,” Abysser read his silence as uncertainty. His eyes glazed over the cubes. Anger appeared in a short moment before he said, “I don’t think anyone would know how to react.” 

“You think?” Chevalier gave a dark chuckle. At least Abysser’s voice was good at distracting him from those troubling thoughts. “I was questioning my sanity when you introduced yourself.” 

“I can’t be that bad,” he feigned a hurt expression. 

“It’s like a dream,” Chevalier said. “Everything gets resolved as quickly as the problem came.” 

“We must be blessed because we now have three Elswords,” Abysser smirked. “Lady Luck seems to like them.” 

“I wouldn’t call it luck if it means having to sit through the world crumbling before us,” Chevalier said. 

“You’re welcome to join them,” Abysser grinned. 

“I’ll pass,” Chevalier scoffed. 

“Don’t you ever get bored of acting cool all the time?” Abysser asked. 

Chevalier shrugged, wondering what the demon meant by that. While he was troubled by the idea of watching a dimension reset itself, Ishtar did not need to add his premature death to her list of growing worries. Having sympathy for demon realm civilians wasn’t going to make him into a martyr. He was not Knight.  

“What needs to be done to begin the reset?” Anemos asked. 

“Your visit was unexpected, so I won’t be able to start immediately to fix your… mishap.” Glave said. “For saving the dimension, I expect a token of exchange shortly after. I’m sure it won’t be difficult for one of you to acquire it.”  

Chevalier was sure the first part was a lie, but he didn’t have the proof nor motivation to say otherwise. He took Glave’s word for it and nodded in agreement. His mind glossed over the mention of payment, mildly interested in what the administrator of Henir could want. Glave had previously formed exchange services for them running errands. The requested items were often unique objects obtained from strange circumstances and battles.    

“You can tell us about the price after you finish saving the world,” Immortal said impatiently. 

Similar to Knight, he carried weight in his steps and was terse in his words. He had a sharp look in his eyes, hazy from the effect the Dark El had. Chevalier could feel the Dark El radiating from the sword user, yet he retained his reason and intelligence.  

“There will still be limitations on how many can visit different worlds,” Glave added. “Your dimensions will no longer collapse under the new laws, but having large groups together will cause a delay in regular timeflow.” 

“As in…?” Flame squinted. 

“Try not to visit in big groups,” Phantom finished for her. 

“Having big groups does make it harder to avoid detection from the enemies,” Daybreaker remarked. 

Being forced to arrive as small groups sounded cumbersome, but it was more than what he expected from Glave. Impressed by Immortal’s ability to sway the administrator of Henir, Chevalier quietly thanked the redhead and offered a pat on the shoulder. Immortal backed away, as if the young man had seen a ghost. He kept looking at the butler’s face with a careful expression before moving his eyes over to Ishtar. Fear struck across Immortal’s gaze before he apologized to Chevalier for staring. 

Confused by Immortal’s reaction, Chevalier accepted the apology but frowned. Was it something he had said? Did Immortal have a bad relationship with the other Ciel from his world? It took a split second for Chevalier to force himself away from drawing out his gunblade because of the way Immortal looked at Ishtar, an expression he was quick to recognize. It was one of fear mixed with anger. What did the other Lu do to make Immortal respond like that?   

“Forget it.” Immortal rubbed the back of his head, a trait he shared with Rune and Knight when frustrated. “I need to let the others know what’s happening.” 

“I know you have a lot on your plate, but Glave won’t be ready any time soon.” Chevalier said. He wished there was something he could do to help the young man. “You should take the time to rest.” 

“Lucky for us, time doesn’t exist here.” Immortal let out a dark chuckle.  

“So after this, we’ll return to where we were before like nothing happened?” Chevalier asked. 

Immortal nodded. 

Rune’s group would go back to Elrianode before they entered Demon Realm. Would they once again attempt to enter their Demon Realm or would they change plans and remain in the ancient city? Chevalier and his friends would return to a restored Varnimyr with its inhabitants being none the wiser, still in danger because of a strong demonic presence they have yet to identify. Where would Immortal and the others go? 

“Don’t waste your time thinking about the things that don’t exist in your world,” Immortal said. He gave the butler a critical expression, “I’m sure you’re curious about what my world is like, but that’s our problem to figure out.” 

Problem? Chevalier realized he was judging a group of people he had only met a few hours ago and felt guilty. It wasn’t his place to make opinions on something he didn’t understand. 

“Perhaps we’ll meet again under better circumstances,” Chevalier said. 

“Maybe,” Immortal’s expression softened. Despite his young face, there was age in his eyes. Chevalier didn’t understand why, but he sympathized with Immortal’s struggle to hold the team together. That was something he could relate to. “Maybe not.” 

“Can you at least tell me if you found the Dark El?” Chevalier asked when Immortal excused himself. 

The redhead broke into a burst of genuine laughter, “Would I be here if I knew the answer?” 

----------------------------   

Immortal 

Resting his head back against the palm of his hands, Immortal took deep and controlled breaths as Shakti had taught him. He felt his chest hover before deflating, letting his mind wander off into the distance and blocking out the pointless chatter around him. 

More waiting. Nothing he could do to speed it up. Time didn’t exist in Henir’s Time and Space, which was great because that meant the stakes were lower, but made the extraneous delay worse for the sword user. Immortal was itching to get up and find something to do. 

Paradox didn’t trust Glave, but it wasn’t a question about trust. Glave was useful. He had access to knowledge and power that could easily switch their position in their current battle against the demons. Immortal wasn’t going to ignore a viable resource, not when Glave was so eager to offer his services. 

It was torturous sitting around and waiting for Glave to do his thing and send them back. To hell with Glave saying their visit was unexpected. He knew the guy was keeping a careful watch on his group. Something about them having “potential”, whatever that meant. Glave was never confused when his team visited the administrator, often offering them valuable information they needed. There was no reason for Glave to begin being surprised by their appearances.

Immortal’s concentration was broken by girlish giggling. Scowling at nothing in particular, he opened his eyes to see Metamorphy pointing at Paradox while talking to Devi. The magical girl motioned a pair of cat ears with the use of her index fingers. Devi had a similar expression as Immortal, confused by Metamorphy’s chatter. Flame was amused and mouthed a few words Immortal couldn’t hear over the rest of the mob.    

“It’s hard to hear your own thoughts,” Nova commented. The older man settled down next to Immortal. “I’m surprised it took effort to find them.” 

“I’m surprised too,” Immortal mumbled. “We should have let Aisha lead.”

“She would be happy to hear that.” He could hear the smile in Nova’s tone without looking at the former mercenary. “Convincing Glave to let the paths crossover more than once was a bold move.”

“So was letting the Dark El take over.” Immortal balanced one of his blades to see his reflection shine over its glossy edge and smirked, “I’m a bold guy.”

“If you say so,” Nova chuckled. “I understand wanting to restore their dimensions, but why take the extra steps to let them transverse to our worlds?”

Portals weren’t a novelty for Elrios. Humans and demons alike have spent centuries toying with the idea of interdimensional travel, fighting to ignore the barriers placed by the gods to prevent them from mingling. In many ways, demons held very human qualities in wanting what couldn’t be obtained. If it wasn’t Knight or Rune’s teams attempting to use portals, Immortal was sure the demons would make additional attempts to break into another dimension. 

“I like to call it a haunch,” Immortal said. “Just in case something like this happens again. Besides, they could use the extra help.”

“In fighting Rosso?” Nova raised a brow. 

“Not so loud!” Immortal shushed him, “I don’t think they know about him yet, at least that’s what Paradox told me.” 

“Letting them know won’t hurt them,” Nova gently told him. “They already know they will make it because of us.”  

Immortal questioned if it was wiser to let the other El Search Parties know what they were getting themselves into. His team had barely scraped out of the battle with bloodied cuts and bruises that took days to heal. Unlike Knight’s team, they had no healers and relied on potions crafted by their alchemists.

What would he tell Knight and Rune? That they were going to be ambushed by a burning midget with a giant blade? Immortal sighed, frustrated by the dilemma. Their timelines were already tangled up thanks to Paradox. There was no use in hiding knowledge from each other, yet he hesitated.     

Their small team of eight grew at Rosso’s awakening. Paradox showed up when the first blood was drawn. When asked why, the time traveler shrugged with a mischievous smile. Immortal could never understand what went through Paradox’s mind and wasn’t sure if he wanted to. 

It was one of the rare fights that summoned Iblis and Anular from the depths of hell. Iblis’s face was twisted with madness and delight in the pain she was able to inflict on their enemy, dragging Anular along on an invisible chain formed by their twisted bond. Their party was down to the last of its members able to fight when Immortal thought he saw red hair and a claymore before passing out. When he woke up, Bloody Queen was nowhere to be seen. 

“You think our help will be enough?” Immortal pondered on the implications of being able to regularly interact with his alternates. They were just a walking distance from him, but he couldn’t bring himself to face them. 

Nova noticed his hesitance. 

“You should check on them,” Nova followed his gaze over to the two red haired men talking to each other. “I’ll let you know when it’s time for us to leave.”

“What if they hate me?” Immortal was surprised by his own doubt, annoyed by how honest he sounded.  

“Before you finish that thought, I think they’re more concerned about their problems than about you.” Nova said without heat in his words, “They followed you through this plan because they believed in you. I think your appearance might be a breath of fresh air for them.” 

“You sure put a lot of faith into this eighteen year old,” Immortal laughed. 

“If age was a concern, I wouldn’t have followed you when we first met.” Nova smiled. “If they give you trouble, I can talk to them too.” 

“I don’t think that will happen,” Immortal laughed again. Knight and Rune were foolish, but had good intentions. That made three of them. He gave a mock salute to Nova with a toothy grin, “I won’t be gone for long.”  

It wasn’t hard to find Knight and Rune. They sat huddled together like they have known each other for years, speaking hushed whispers that raised Immortal’s radar. He forced those thoughts away, putting on a big smile as he was supposed to. Relaxed, waving at the two as if he wasn’t bothered by the idea of being the bringer of bad news that they were going to have to deal with a half-demon brat in a matter of hours, two weeks in Rune’s case. 

“Yo!” Immortal heard himself speak. He waved to them, “Fancy seeing you two here!”

“You’re the one who brought us here,” Knight waved back with a sigh. 

“I know,” Immortal kept smiling. “I told you I would help you guys get home!” 

“That felt a little too easy,” Rune said. “Do things always go smoothly for you?” 

“No,” Immortal heard Knight’s voice alongside his. He stopped to look at Knight, who wasn’t as surprised. “Really?”

“Yes,” Knight stressed. The look on his face was one of someone who was exhausted from all the interrogating from others. Impatient, he pressed his hand against his forehead when he saw doubt in his alternates. “Maybe the things I went through weren't as long and strenuous as it was for you, but I have struggles too!” 

“Never said I didn’t believe you,” Rune patted Knight on the back. “Just surprised, that’s all.”

Even if Immortal had purposely avoided talking to Rune and Knight up to this point, he was envious of how easy it was for them to talk to each other. Knight and Rune lacked the tension in their shoulders, relaxed and eager to trust others. It wasn’t that Immortal couldn’t relax, but there was a constant nagging voice in the back of his mind. Conwell urged him to take the next step to avoid the uncertainty of death. 

“Did you make Raven worried again?” Rune asked. 

“Me? Worry him?” Immortal smirked at the idea,“When isn’t he worried? He’s going to get white hair if he keeps fussing like that.” 

“Ours already has white hair,” Knight said without humor. 

Having only caught a short glimpse of Rage from a distance, Immortal was only able to recognize the former mercenary by the monstrous arm. It was nothing like what Immortal was used to, a strange mesh of machinery and organic compounds.   

Rune threw his head back and let his hair flop over his face in uncontrolled laughter. Covered in runes, his appearance was a sharp contrast to Knight’s conservative armored look. It was amazing how consistent their looks were to their personalities. If not for their shared names, they could have been different people. 

“Anyway, I think it’s only fair I share some information about what’s coming up for both of you.” Immortal ran one hand through his hair. 

“You mean what was causing the earthquakes in Varnimyr?” Knight asked, “Yeah, Paradox mentioned something about that. Rune and I were talking about that.” 

“Did Paradox mention how strong the next enemy was?” Immortal asked. 

“We’re going to have to fight something stronger?” Rune laughed, “When is that not the case?” 

They were taking the news better than Immortal thought, maybe too calmly. He didn’t like how quick Rune was to accept his word. No hesitance or questioning involved. Maybe Paradox was right about him needing more caffeine. Knight blinked, letting the new information process before nodding in agreement to Rune. He looked at Immortal with interest and ushered him to keep talking. 

Well, that’s why Immortal was here - letting them know what they were getting themselves into. It wasn’t going to stop them from going after Rosso, because they were Elsword and none of them could ignore someone’s cry for help. If no one was going to fight Rosso, who would? The ones who felt the most connection to the El. Good gods, why did all of them have to be big damn heroes?    

“The enemy will be heavily protected from outside its tower,” Immortal explained. “You need to take down the barriers quickly before they overwhelm you. Make use of everyone’s abilities and distribute your strengths. If one person gets shot down, let someone else take over.”

“People died?” Knight looked alarmed. 

“No,” Immortal realized his wording and stepped back. “But you’re going to need all the help you can get.” 

“Is that why you asked Glave to let our dimensions overlap?” Rune asked. 

Immortal cocked his head to the side, “Am I scaring you yet?”

“Not really.” Knight’s brave front was betrayed by his face losing color. Clearing his throat, he said, “Telling us what you know will make the fight easier.” 

“Will it be easier?” Immortal asked more for himself than to the others. “I doubt things will ever be easy for any of us, but you’ll continue?”

“Of course!” Rune bumped his fist up, “Who the hell do you think we are?”

Knight nodded in agreement. 

“Figures,” Immortal smiled. “Then I see no point in stopping either of you from doing what you have to do.”

He sat with his legs crossed with his body leaned back, looking up to the stars surrounding Henir’s time and space. No wonder Glave kept finding excuses to leave this bubble and interfere with his group. There was nothing to see once the novelty in the monitor panels and space wore off. 

“What’s your team like?” Knight asked. 

“You already saw half of them,” Immortal said. “What do you think?”

“Blunt. They have a lot of energy,” Knight after some thought, clearly putting careful consideration into his response. How cute.   

“They have a lot of powers we haven’t seen before,” Rune commented. “Where did Paradox learn to use portals?”

“None of us know,” Immortal shrugged. “Metamorphy thinks Glave is involved, but that’s besides the point. Paradox does what he wants.” 

“You mean he isn’t with you?” Knight asked. 

“Yes and no,” Immortal said. “Our team is a little smaller than yours because we don’t travel together.” 

Immortal saw the wheels spinning in Knight’s head, taking in the new information and forming new questions to throw at the sword wielder. He caught the red-haired knight tongue-tied on whether to probe further. It didn’t matter to him. If Knight asked, he would let the other know that their team functioned differently. Having a smaller team didn’t bother Immortal. It made traveling easier and drew in less attention. 

“It must be hard fighting that enemy if you had a smaller group,” Rune said. 

“We’ve managed,” Immortal replied. 

Although Iblis, Anular, and Paradox had joined for the bigger fights, he wasn’t sure if they counted as allies. Their loyalties laid elsewhere, not in him. Anular followed wherever the corrupted queen went and Paradox had a separate agenda unrelated to the El. It was better than no help at all. He wanted to offer the two El Search Parties more than that. No one deserved to barely scrape by with burns and blisters on their sides. 

“I hope we get to see each other more after this,” Knight spoke up. His voice was quiet, but firm. There was determination in his tone. “Not just to help each other, but to talk. It would be nice to stop thinking about saving the world for once.” 

“You need to come visit!” Rune exclaimed, “Not sure how similar our worlds are, but it would be nice to take a break once in a while.”

“That sounds nice,” Immortal closed his eyes. 

Yeah… he liked the idea of that. When was the last time Immortal rested and didn’t stop to think about the state of the world? Traveling with his friends for the last several years was fun, but it’s been months since Immortal got to enjoy himself. Maybe he could ask COBO services for suggestions. 

“Elsword!’ Nova’s voice forced him to blink and look up. “Glave said he’s ready!”

“What do you know, it’s already time.” Immortal murmured to himself. “Guess it’s time to watch the world end.” 

“It’ll be okay.” Even Knight sounded unsure. He turned to Immortal for help, “Right?”

“Guess we’ll find out very soon,” Rune had an uneasy smile. “We have the front row seats to watch it unfold.” 

Immortal wondered what went through Rune and Knight’s minds as they passively sat there and witnessed a cruel image. Displayed on multiple screens was the same climatic scene of a redden world. Varnimyr was already red from the chaos caused by Rosso, but the portals have crushed the mountains and trees that made up the region. They dissipated into fine dust and sucked into the portals. The inhabitants’ cries were silenced by the light. 

A blinding light flared from where they stood, beaming downward into a distant galaxy containing the demon realm. Immortal watched the light consume what was left of the crumbling dimension with a promise of starting anew. His very being felt electrified in response to the Dark El in the demon realm inverting on itself.

Glave remained standing in silence. His fingers traced over a diagram of portals overlaying between different spheres of galaxies and interdimensional planes. The display of writing and symbols meant nothing to Immortal. 

“I look forward to watching the three of you make use of the reset” He heard Glave chuckle, “Don’t let it go to waste.” 

He watched as Glave manipulated something to make the lines intertwine before his body snapped into shock. Unable to hold his head up, Immortal lost his focus and closed his eyes. Glave’s laughter echoed in his head.    

[kitten1618x]

GoT Afterthoughts ep. 08x02 ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ (Jonsa Edition)

Guys this episode was sooooooo good! Okay, okay, okay, let’s unpack here! I have lots of thoughts and since this isn’t broken up into parts, this is going to be a long post, so I’m gonna drop this bad boy under a read more. 

We begin in the Great Hall. It appears Jaime is on trial. Queen Dany sits at the head of the table—and imagine having the fucken audacity to sit in Winterfell — in Rickard fucken Starks seat—and in front of his grandchildren, talking about the extermination of Aerys Targaryen like he was some noble king that was just slaughtered by the big bad kingslayer, and NOT the murderous fucken mad Targ king, whom crimes’ you just recently apologized to Jon for, and called him evil to conveniently set yourself apart from him—or did you just forget all that, Dany? Hmmm? IMAGINE the big hairy pair you have to have to actually sit in between the Starks in their own home and utterly disrespect them like that—all while claiming to be in love with one of them? Wow. Just wow. And no, I’m not even sorry for that amazingly clunky run-on sentence, either.

~

I see that Jaime still has no interest in setting the record straight on why he killed Aerys Targaryen. It appears only Brienne will truly ever know about the millions of people he saved that day in doing so. Jaime stands his ground, though, and gives up Cersei’s plans. Tyrion tries to stand up for him, but Dany cuts him off at the knees (no pun intended), embarrassing him in front of everyone, as per ush.

~

For a moment her and Sansa have common ground. Sansa doesn’t trust Jaime either because of the wrongs he committed against her family. Jamie won’t apologize for any of it— their houses were at war. But Brienne vouches for him—my courageous, yet shy bb (God, I love her), and Sansa relents, her mind changed when Brienne says she’d fight beside him. Sansa trusts Brienne with her life, therefore Brienne trusting Jaime with hers is good enough for the Lady of Winterfell.

Dany is clearly not pleased with this turn of events. She turns to Jon, addressing him as Warden of the North and asks him what he thinks — assuming he will take her side, but—

He does not.

~

Dany finally relents as well, grounding out a “very well” between clenched teeth, as Tyrion breathes a sigh of relief that his big bro will not be extra crispy or original recipe’d today. GreyWorm returns Jaime’s sword—rather forcefully, knowing his queen is displeased—as Jaime thanks Dany for her uncharacteristic mercy.

~

Scene Highlights:

Bran blurting out “the things we do for love” and leaving Jaime shooketh

Sansa immediately standing up and leaving without waiting to be dismissed by the queen, and Jon ducking his head to avoid eye contact and then dipping as soon as Dany turns to face him.

~

Which takes us into the corridors of Winterfell and Dany resorting to her favorite pastime when she’s angry about things not going her way: berating her Hand in front of everyone. Luckily for Tyrion it’s just Jorah and Varys to witness it this time. Once again she accuses him of treason, and Tyrion is pretty sure that his time as Hand in her service is fast dwindling.

~

We jump to the forge where Arya stands back admiring Gendry work his magic—a callback to their time at Harrenhall in their younger years. They have a little flirty weaponry banter, and Arya wants to know what the AotD are like. She utters the iconic ‘many faces of death’ lines from the trailer while she impresses Gendry with some dead ass accurate blade throwing. He’ll be getting right on making her that weapon, by the way—and probably walking a little funny while he does it. 😉

~

Jaime seeks out Bran in the Godswood. He apologizes for what he did and tells Bran he’s not that person anymore. “You still would be if you hadn’t pushed me out that window, and I’d still be Brandon Stark.” Wow. Jaime wants to know why Bran didn’t tell them what he did, and Bran basically tells him it’s because they need him. When Jaime inquires “what about afterwards?” Bran drops an ominous “how do you know there will be an afterwards?”

~

We jump back to the Winterfell courtyard, where the Lannister brothers are catching up and commiserating about being in Winterfell again. Dany is different, Tyrion tells Jaime, and Jaime doesn’t seem so convinced. Tyrion wants to know if Cersei lied about the baby, and Jaime tells him that was true (as far as he/we know, people). But what I REALLY love about their conversation is this part:

~

J: She’s always been good at using the truth to tell lies. Don’t be too hard on yourself. She’s fooled me more than anybody.

~

T: She never fooled you. You always knew exactly what she was, and you loved her anyway.

~

The funny, or actually ironic thing about this conversation is they’re talking about Cersei, but if you flip the dialogue between the Lannister brothers here, the same could be said for Dany—especially the bolded part. Think back to the things Tyrion said to Jorah when he kidnapped him back in season 5 — he was confused by Jorah’s blind loyalty, too. How the mighty have fallen, Tyrion.

~

They move their conversation up to the battlements, where Tyrion finds the silver lining that at least he won’t die at Cersei’s hands, and perhaps once he’s torn apart by the dead, he’ll march to Kings Landing and rip her apart too. But he’s talking to himself, because Jaime is too busy watching Brienne supervising the training of her ranks just outside the gates.

~

And my Braime heart is siiiiiiiinging!!!

~

He joins her below, and she calls him out for acting weird and not insulting her as per ush. lol It’s really just an adorable little love spat — complete with awkwardness and frustration and plenty of UST. And as the music lulls romantically, he basically admits that she’s the reason he’s here and even though he’s no longer the fighter that he used to be, he‘d be honored to serve under her command if she’ll have him—which is basically fucken a straight up declaration of love, okay? He literally just said—complete with puppy dog eyes—“I love you.” CHANGE MY MIND!!

~

Brienne is taken aback by this declaration of love and is at loss for words — and so she ducks out, leaving him to watch after her forlornly. And my Braime heart is still siiiiiiiinging!!!!

~

We head back inside of Winterfell, Dany is alone in her chambers — and they aren’t the Lord’s Chambers, that’s for damn sure. She’s not having a very good day, and her expression here certainly reflects that. Jorah enters, asking her forgiveness, reminding her that forgiveness is important. This leads into a conversation where he basically asks her to take it easy on Tyrion and give him another chance.

~

While book!Jorah might be a creep, I truly adore show!Jorah, who laments that when he found out Dany gave Tyrion this position, it broke his heart, but he still believes that Tyrion was the right choice; he’s smart, he owns his mistakes and he learns from them.

~

What I find odd is Dany’s reply: “You’re advising me to forgive the man who stole your position?”

~

Wait... what? When did Tyrion do that? I recall Dany proudly pinning that golden hand pin on a very humbled Tyrion in the season 6 finale—not some rabid dwarf attacking an unsuspecting Jorah and wrestling the position from his gnarled greyscaled hands—and what-the-ever-living-fuck kind of crazy ass dialogue are they giving this girl?

~

Jorah has one other suggestion for her, if she’ll allow him such liberties. Annnnnd now the Sansa/Dany scene makes so much more sense. Dany didn’t seek Sansa out of her own accord to try and bridge the icy gap between them because she’s just so humble and wonderful and loving and good!!!! !!!! !!!! It was actually Ser Jorah’s idea.

~

So Dany takes him up on his suggestion and seeks Sansa out, finding her in the library with Lord Royce. But ahhhh this scene is just so fucken good, so let’s unpack it, shall we?

~

Dany enters and asks that they speak in private, and Sansa cedes to her wishes, dismissing Lord Royce.

~

D - I thought you and I were on the verge of agreement before... about Ser Jaime.

~

S - Brienne has been loyal to me always. I trust her more than anyone.

~

D - I wish I could have that kind of faith in my advisers.

~

Here she takes a low blow at Tyrion again, but Sansa defends him.

~

S - Tyrion is a good man. He was never anything but decent towards me.

~

D - I didn’t ask him to be my hand simply because he was good. I asked him to be my hand because he was good and intelligent and ruthless when he had to be. (See, I told y’all Tyrion didn’t steal the position... and yes, I’m being petty lol). Dany steps closer into Sansa’s space as she continues. He never should have trusted Cersei.

~

S - You never should have either.

~

Sansa drops a truth bomb, insinuating (rightly) that Dany shares the blame here, and Dany doesn’t like this at all. She swallows, containing her anger and paints on a fake smile in her irritation at Sansa’s words.

~

D - I thought he knew his sister.

~

S - Families are complicated.

~

Dany smiles at that and pulls up a seat, indicating for Sansa to do the same.

~

D - Ours certainly have been.

~

S - A sad thing to have in common.

~

D - We have other things in common. We’ve both known what it means to lead people who aren’t inclined to accept a woman’s rule. And we’ve both done a damn good job of it, from what I can tell...

~

Sansa smiles briefly at this. Clearly, Dany is using the compliment strategy again, but not so shallowly this time. Even if she truly believes this, the commonality of them both being women ruling is where this similarity ends. We’ve seen how differently they run things via season 7’s blatant comparison of ‘the three queens’. Sansa stores food, Cersei steals it, and Dany burns it (and yes, I’m going to keep bringing this up). But honestly, who could forget?

vs.

D - (cont.) ...and yet I can’t help feeling like we’re at odds with each other. Why is that?

~

Sansa takes a deep breath but doesn’t reply.

~

D - Your brother?

~

Yeah y’all, they really did that. But again I say, no love triangle brewing here, folks.

~

S - He loves you, you know that? *(I’ll address this in a minute)

~

D - That bothers you?

~

S - Men do stupid things for women. They’re easily manipulated.

~

D - All my life I’ve known one goal. The iron throne. Taking it back from the people that destroyed my family, and almost destroyed yours. My war was against them until I met Jon. Now I’m here, half a world away, fighting Jon’s war alongside him. Tell me, who manipulated whom?

~

Y’all are you serious?!?!? This entire fucken monologue is like literally POLITICAL!JON — I mean, it’s like D&D are literally fucken trolling this relationship so hard. Nothing like hiding some shit right out in plain sight for all the world to not see it. *And if you think for one minute that Sansa is not playing the game here, and that she actually did a complete 180, then I don’t know what to tell you other than, just wait and see.

~

There was a reason that they cut that office scene between her and Jon in the last episode, and after mulling it over with a few of my comrades, I think that it’s possible that Jon came clean and brought Sansa in on it. They have been a unit since they reunited, and a major part of Sansa’s hostility in the last episode was because she felt Dany was encroaching upon that, and she was losing Jon. Romantic or platonic, no one can deny the dynamic is there between Jon and Sansa. I happen to think it’s romantic, and I will die on this hill—but political!jon and jonsa aren’t mutually exclusive!!! !!! Okay, back to our dialogue.

~

S - (releases a small laugh and looks down—and I can’t help hearing Catelyn’s voice in my head: ‘you always look at your feet when you lie’) I should have thanked you the moment you arrived. That was a mistake. 

~

D- (reaching down and placing her hand atop of Sansa’s). I’m here because I love your brother, and I trust him. And I know he’s true to his word. He’s only the second man in my life I can say that about. 

~

S - Who was the first?

~

D- Someone taller. 

~

They both giggle. I assume the other man she’s talking about is Drogo. In any event, I feel Dany is being truly sincere here. This is why people (her stans and the GA both) have a hard time seeing the darkness in her—because one minute she’s sitting narrow-eyed at a table, fighting off a tantrum while she drones on about her father—the fucken mad king—and how her and her brother fantasized about what they would do to the man that murdered him (one can only assume she wasn’t implying knitting him a sweater and mittens), and the next minute she’s all gentle heart and eyes and soft tones about loving and trusting Jon, and giggling with his sister about her ex being much taller than him. I get it. I really do.

~

But here’s the thing about political!jon that the antis and the jonerii always get wrong—at least the version I subscribe to (and yes, there are several variations of it because we aren’t a hive-mind like we’re always accused of being): Jon has every intention of fulfilling his pledge to Dany and whatever that entails—which is why he keeps trying to convince everyone that she’ll be a good queen (including himself). But he doesn’t love her. He simply used the feelings that he recognized that she had for him, to manipulate her to his cause. This doesn’t mean that he’ll throw her out of winterfell and bone his sister when it’s all said and done—because no, Jon isn’t a creep, but he is actually rather cunning when he deems it necessary.

~

However, he won’t have to keep up the charade, or boot her ass out of the north, or any of the other things the jonerii accuse us of ‘fantasizing’ about, because Dany is going to go dark, and everyone will see her for what she truly is. So, let’s return to our dialogue so I can get tf off of this scene! lol

~ S - And what happens afterwards? We defeat the dead, you destroy Cersei, what happens then?

~

D - I take the iron throne. 

~

S - What about the North? (Sansa’s tone drops here as she becomes emotional about her home and her people, the music becomes more ominous as the softness ebbs from Dany’s face). It was taken from us, and we took it back. And we said we’d never bow to anyone else again. (Her tone gets sharper, as she asks again). What about the North?

~

Dany looks angry now. She’s done playing nice, as she pulls her hand back from Sansa’s. The ominous music drones on as they stare at each other, and the maester interrupts them.~Theon has arrived at Winterfell. The music swells, and Theon looks first to a very visibly emotional Sansa, then Dany, and then back to Sansa again before customarily bowing to and acknowledging his queen. Suddenly Dany gives a flying fuck about her ally and inquires about Yara. Theon explains she’s taken back the Iron Islands in her (Dany’s) name.

~

“But why aren’t you with her?” Dany asks, confused at his presence, while the music swells again and Theon looks again, to Sansa—and not his queen. Dany of course notices this, and turns to look at Sansa as well, as Theon directly addresses—you guessed it—Sansa, and not his queen: “I want to fight for Winterfell, Lady Sansa. If you’ll have me.”

~

And oh dear god, I’m so emotional rn, as Sansa’s eyes flood with tears and she runs to envelope Theon in a hug — Theon whom through his own trauma, not only helped to get her away from Ramsay and safely to Jon — but also cared enough for her and the Starks and what he did, to come back and finish making amends!!!! And you know Sansa is so proud of him!!! And I just had a conversation earlier with my bb @scullylikesscience that Theon would likely pledge to protect Bran, and that he will also likely sacrifice himself somehow to save one of the Starks, therefore completing his redemption arc, and I just can’t even rn— 😭😭

~

Scene Highlights:

Lord Royce leaving only when Sansa dismissed him.

Dany witnessing firsthand the devotion that Sansa and the Starks inspire in people.

Also... don’t forget

We’re back out in the courtyard, where Dadvos is serving up dinner to the Northerners with a side of confidence, and Gilly is advising a woman where to go below in the crypts. A little orphan(?) girl with burns on the side of her face asks Davos where she should go and my fucken heart is shattering again because you know he sees Princess Shireen in her!!!

~

And Fuck you Bryan Cogman, you’re killing me!!!

~

She’s not sure where to go because she knows the children are going to the crypts where they’ll be safer, but both of her brothers were soldiers and so she wants to fight too. Auntie Gilly to the rescue: she tells the girl that she’d feel much safer if she was down in the crypts protecting her and her son, and with a purpose, the girl happily accepts her bowl and heads off as Gilly smiles softly at Davos. And god dammit, Liam Cunningham played this scene so well. He literally has me tearing up here!

~

The horn blows for a new arrival, and Edd is here! The last of the Nights Watch are back together again — and Tormund. lol He glomps Jon, affectionately dubbing him his ‘little crow’, and they let Jon know that Last Hearth is done for and anyone else who’s still out there is pretty much part of the AotD now. They have until sunrise to finish preparing. 

~

And the war council has commenced.~We get a little glimpse of what the NK wants, I guess??? Bran says “he wants to erase this world, and I am its memory.” —but why? And then Sam says something pretty poignant that I want @thelawyerthatwaspromised ‘s thoughts/opinion on: “That’s what death is, isn’t it? Forgetting. Being forgotten. If we forget where we’ve been and what we’ve done, we’re not men anymore, just animals.Your memories don’t come from books, your stories aren’t just stories. If I wanted to erase the world, I may not start with you.”

~

Pretty sure those that theorized that Sam is writing A Song of Ice and Fire were right, y’all —  and with such a ‘poetic’ title, to boot.

~

They strategize a plan to ferret the NK out using (a volunteering) Bran as bait in the Godswood. Theon volunteers himself and the Iron Born to stay with Bran and protect him (and jfc here comes the end I predicted for Theon and I hate it so much), as Jon shares that taking out the NK will likely diminish the entire army. They cement their battle plans and Dany insists Tyrion stay in the crypts because she intends to keep him on as Hand. Tormund announces that they are all going to die, but at least they’ll die together, and Jon suggests everyone get some rest. Avoiding eye contact with Dany, he utters “your grace,” and then quickly ducks out on her ass again, leaving her looking confused and frustrated.

~

Scene Highlights:

Jon’s commanding presence in this meeting — even so far as to dismiss everyone, despite the fact that Dany is the queen and supposed to be the one calling the shots. Even her people look to him here for leadership, which is interesting.

Aegon Targaryen and his sister-wives.

Thank you @goodqueenalys ❤️

Alys Karstark making another appearance here, standing beside Theon—yeah, I’m becoming more and more convinced we’re getting a Sansa death fake-out at the expense of this ginger beauty.

~

We head back out to the courtyard where a lonely looking Missandei attempts to befriend some northern children. Unfortunately, she came with the Dragon Queen, so they want nothing to do with her. Grey Worm joins her and the two make plans to leave for Naath after Dany takes the throne — which means that one of them is probably going to die. Sigh.

~

Way up high on the ramparts, Sam asks Jon if he’s told Dany yet. He has not, and so Sam prods him a bit — and oh look, there’s Ghost, off to the side looking like they literally photo-shopped him into the scene. 🙄

~

Edd joins them, and the last of the Watchers On The Wall commiserate, and poke a little fun at Sam. I’m very emotional as Edd says “last man left, burn the rest of us” (which most likely won’t be him) as they pan out to the northern scenery in the distance.

~

The Lannister boys are reminiscing again, this time by the hearth and are joined by Brienne and Podrick. Momma Brienne allows Pod a half cup of wine (which Tyrion overflows) and Jaime encourages her to join them (smitten fool). She does, as well as Davos and Tormund, too—who is fucken hilarious here as he tries to impress Brienne with one of his tall tales, then sloppily downs his horn of sour goats milk. It’s all rather strange. lol

~

There’s a brief scene of Arya and the Hound on the ramparts. She wants to know what he’s doing here—when’s the last time he fought for anyone but himself, as to which he replies: “I fought for you, didn’t I?” True enough. Beric joins them and Arya takes her leave, declaring she doesn’t intend to spend her last hours with these two miserable old shits. lol

~

I’m not sure where she headed off to, but Gendry finds her and presents her with her weapon. Arya wants to know what the red woman wanted with him. He tells her his blood because he’s Robert Baratheon’s bastard — which leads into Arya wanting to know how many women he’s been with. Gendry avoids the question, but Arya persists, many face gaming his ass until he relents. LOL

~

The number is 3, and Arya wants to be number 4. She wants to know what it’s like before she dies. And holy shit, they went there! They kiss passionately, with Arya taking the lead. She orders him to take his own bloody pants off and takes the bull for a ride—if ya know what I mean... 😉

We return to the group before the hearth in the hall. Tyrion remarks that almost all among them had fought the Starks at some point, and yet, here they all are defending them. But yeah, this story is about a Targaryen restoration.

~

In their battle banter, it comes up that Brienne is not a Knight—and while Tormund would happily Knight her gorgeous big-womaned ass ten times over, tradition does not allow her to be one because she’s a woman. Oh the irony that the most honorable of them all—the one who actually is a true knight, cannot be named one. Until Jaime says, “hold my beer!” (or wine, rather).

~

Okay guys, like honestly, this is probably my most favorite scene of the entire series. Everything about it is so beautiful and wholesome, as Jaime declares any Knight can make another Knight and bids Brienne to kneel. She looks to Pod who, with an adoring face, gives her a little nod of encouragement, then she looks to Jaime, and he does the same.

~

The lovely music, the proud faces of all the men who look on with awe as Brienne kneels and Jaime says the words, pressing his blade gently from one shoulder to the other and makes some fucken Westerosi history when he says proudly: “Arise Brienne of Tarth, a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”

~

Guuuuuuuys!!!! Omg!!!! I’m definitely ugly CRYING here!!!! Brienne’s eyes welling with tears, her proud smile, all these men clapping and their proud faces!!! Yeah, this is definitely 10/10 my most FAVORITE ever GoT scene!!! Just beautiful!

~

We jump back out to the courtyard where a very adorable and yet insanely stubborn little Lyanna Mormont is arguing with Jorah about going to the crypts. She pledged to fight for the North and she intends to, so she bids her cousin good fortune and leaves to take her place. Sadly, I think that she will not make it through the battle for Winterfell.

~

Sam has come to give Jorah Heartsbane. This is another very loaded and lovely scene, and my heart is pretty heavy, because I’m not very confident that Jorah will make it out of this battle alive, either. Sam tells him: “your father taught me how to be a man. Taught me how to do what’s right. This is right,” as he presents him the sword. Jorah accepts this heartfelt gesture and declares that he will wield it in his memory, to guard the realms of men.

~

BRYAN COGMAN!!!! I’M COMING FOR YOU FOR MAKING ME CRY ALL DAMN NIGHT!!!!

~

But seriously, the dynamic between Jorah and Sam has just been so beautiful. And all the antis can fuck right off with their shit-talking of this beautiful and wholesome creature that is Samwell Tarly!

~

We jump back to the crew before the hearth who are loathe to call it a night. Tyrion wants a song, and we are treated to Pod’s beautiful rendition of Jenny of Oldstones — and this entire montage is so beautiful, as we see how everyone is prepping for battle, spending their last hours with those they love and saying their goodbyes. The desperation in Missandei and GreyWorm’s very passionate goodbye kiss is extremely moving and makes me think this is probably their final kiss goodbye, and Jorah looks so gallant as he swings ‘round his horse, making his father proud and my heart is just swelling with love and dread and ughhhhhhhh!!!!!

~

At first I was a bit upset that none of the Starks were actually together here, but in my rewatch, I’ve come to understand why a little bit more. It seems as if they’ve all revisited their own life’s journey prior to coming home (in this episode). Jon, on the ramparts with Ghost and his remaining brothers of the Nights Watch. Arya, first sharing a brief moment with the Hound and Beric (brothers without banners), and then with Gendry. Sansa sharing a meal with Theon out in the courtyard in the home that holds both good and traumatic memories for both of them. He redeemed himself through her (as Jon said), and they share a bond of both surviving Ramsay and his horrors.

~

Bryan Cogman did NOT disappoint with this lovely episode, which has been what we will surely look back on as a bittersweet eulogy of sorts to some of the beloved characters we’ve come to know over the years. Yeah, this was beautifully done.

~

Ahhh, and lastly, we delve down into the crypts where Jon stands before the statue of his mother. Dany has very obviously (and understandably) grown tired of being avoided and sought him out. When he acknowledges her presence with a brief glance and a very faint smile, she cautiously moves closer and wraps her arms around him. And yep, here it is—the reveal. I honestly thought he would keep it from her as long as he possibly could, but I guess he figures they might all bite it anyway, so fuck it... (i’m kidding!! Or am i??)

~

Dany is taken aback by his words. She releases a shuddering breath and immediately steps away from him, denying it: that’s impossible. Jon tells her he wishes it were — and I fully believe him. Aside from the full-on identity crisis he’s been experiencing, you all know he has no interest in the Iron Throne... all this man has ever wanted was to protect his home, and the ones he loves.

~

Dany thinks there’s a conspiracy against her between Bran and Sam—and now Jon’s tone and demeanor have changed a bit. He takes a step towards her and insists that it’s true, calling her Dany because it’s informal and personal, and he knows now that she’s his aunt—that means she’s still his family—and I think he’s hoping that they’ll still be able to find some common ground with that.

~

But the fact that she’s found actual family—that she’s not really the last Targaryen alone in the world anymore—doesn’t seem to affect her as much as the fact that Jon is the last male heir of their line, and so therefore his claim for the throne overrides hers. A claim he has expressed no want or intent for, mind you. Maybe he intended to tell her no one would have to know, and he’d never contest her claim if she’d agree to leave the North independent when it’s all said and done... who knows? Certainly not Jon, because it’s clear he’s taken aback by her response here.

~

D - if it were true, it would make you the last male heir of House Targaryen (she grounds out those bolded words through clenched teeth and Kit’s micro expressions are on point—jfc, Watch his eyes!!). You’d have a claim to the iron throne.

~

And with the final utterance of Dany’s last words, the war horns sound. As if that doesn’t seem like a harbinger of Targbowl?!?!

~

But I will say, in my honest and most humble opinion, that his delivery here was all wrong. The way Jon lamented the story, it kind of came off as if it’s something he might have known all along... and therefore she most certainly will feel betrayed at this. Especially considering her earlier conversation with Sansa. Which, the crazy ass irony of it all is, with political!jon, he was actually already betraying her—just not about what she’ll think it was. Did I say that right? lol

~

They join Tyrion on the Ramparts, the dead are here. Jon looks towards Dany, nodding as if to ask if she’s ready, and she storms off ahead of him, anger evident on her face.

~

Ahhhhhhhhh, I’m really scared for Jon here, guys...!!! What are your thoughts?

~

Remember to care for yourselves and stay hydrated as we slug through this hellish week!

~

ty @farmgirlusa for your dialogue corrections. 

[maulusque]

here’s an idea

some of the jedi actually have their shit together re: the morality of a slave army.

Namely Aayla Secura and Plo Koon. From the start of the war, they both voiced opposition to taking part, specifically citing the clones’ situation. The Council convinced them to take part as generals anyway, on the basis that at least they could do some good for the clones as generals, whereas if they sat out and let another take their place, they wouldn’t be able to do anything. They feel like hypocrites, like slave owners, but they both vow to do everything in their power to see the clones freed. After the war. And the war just keeps, happening, you know? It seems like there’s always somewhere where they and their troops are needed, innocent civilians to save, and they can prioritize civilian lives over the clones’ lives, right? I mean, at least the clones are trained for this. They both care as much as they can for the men they have, but they still lead them to battle, lead them to their deaths, requisition more troops from Kamino with the same forms they requisition more blasters with.

 Eventually, as the war drags on and on and on, and their best intentions for the clones are stymied by exhaustion, death, and bureaucracy, both Plo and Aayla realize, independently, that they need to take drastic action if they want to be able to consider themselves Jedi, or even good people. Because they haven’t done right by the clones. Whatever their intentions, they have been complicit in slavery, in child abuse, in murder and torture. Making the clones wait until the end of the war for their freedom is cruel and inhumane, and unless they prioritize freedom and justice for their men now, then they are no better than the slave lords of the outer rim, who sit in their massive palaces with fortunes built on slavery. So, they reach out. They talk to their Commanders. Bly and Wolffe put them in touch with Cody, and with each other. Cody and the other Commanders have been talking, in secret. They, too, have realized that the war isn’t going to end anytime soon, and even if it does, what happens to them? 

Cody is reluctant to trust Aayla and Plo, but Bly and Wolffe vouch for them. He asks them, if you are truly willing to help us, you have to realize that this might mean quitting the Jedi Order. This might mean turning against your fellow Jedi. Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to, say, kill Mace Windu, or Depa Billaba, or Ahsoka Tano, if it means our freedom? Aayla and Plo say yes, they are. And they are. This had been one of the toughest choices they’ve had to make in their lives, when it should have been one of the easiest. They are Jedi, and they will fight against injustice and slavery wherever it may be, no matter who is perpetrating it. 

So Cody sets them to work. Aayla reaches out to her old master, Quinlan Vos. In this universe, instead of being a racist dickhead, his anti-clone sentiment is born from the fact that he utterly disagrees with the idea of Jedi waging war, and has transformed that into resenting the clones. He’s spent the entire war being literally as far away from it as possible, ignoring the Council as much as he can. Eventually, though, he undergoes a mr. darcy-like transformation, realizes what an asshole he’s been, and when Aayla comes knocking, he’s already been smuggling troopers slated for decomissioning to safe planets.

Plo Koon reaches out to Ahsoka. In the time since she’s left the order, she’s done a lot of growing up. Outside of the stress of constant war, and the influence of the Council and Anakin, she’s done a lot of thinking and also undergone Character Growth, realizing how unfair the clones’ situation is, and how she contributed to it, how she ignored the power differential between them. She jumps at the chance to help. (it does take her a bit to get used to the idea that she’s not a leader here, not a commander- she’s a useful agent, and her input is appreciated, but she and the Jedi with her are not in charge). Ahsoka approaches Rex, he tells her what happened to Fives. Ahsoka does some digging, and uncovers the chips. She takes the info straight to Rex, who, with the other Commanders and the medics, coordinate a massive, secret de-chipping operation under the guise of every trooper needing a vaccine to combat some new disease making the rounds.

Once Cody and the others are fairly sure that the majority of the army has been dechipped, the Commanders make their move, and the entire GAR goes on strike. Every Commander has passed down orders to their captains, and the captains have passed it down to their men, so everyone is briefed on what to do and how to behave. Any troops currently engaged in battle abandon whatever objective they had, fighting only to their extraction point. GAR ships abandon contested space, re-centering around Republic planets and bases. Troopers are ordered to only perform the duties necessary to keep the ships running and keep everyone alive. Food, sanitation, medical, and defense if they are attacked. Many battalions are essentially dead in space, or on whatever planet they were on, because their Jedi leaders won’t relinquish the bridges of their ships, but their troops refuse to fight. So Aayla, Plo, and the other allied Jedi are able to take their troops to these stranded groups, giving them supplies, taking the wounded, helping them defend against separatist forces if they need it.

Cody and the other Commanders have put together a document, and they send two copies. One to the Senate, and one to the Jedi Council. It is a list of grievances, followed by a list of demands.

Needless to say, the Jedi Council are forced into a negotiation pretty damn quick. The Commanders insist that a representative of the Senate, someone with the authority to speak for them, be present too. The clones refuse to send their representatives to Coruscant, because they don’t trust the Jedi Council or the Senate not to execute them. Anakin Skywalker volunteers his ship as a neutral place- sure, the 501st is on strike, but it’s a Jedi ship, so both parties should feel about as equally uncomfortable.

At the negotiations, representing the Clone Troopers: Commander Cody, Commander Wolffe, Commander Bly, and Captain Rex. Plo Koon, Aayla Secura, Quinlan Vos, and Ahsoka Tano are there to, mostly to say what the clones say, but louder and with a Jedi voice, so the council might actually listen. Present on behalf of the Jedi: Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and, ironically enough, Plo Koon, who volunteered when Yoda asked for Council members willing to participate in the negotiations. Present on behalf of the Senate: Senator Bail Organa, Senator Halle Burtoni of Kamino, and Chancellor Palpatine. Anakin is there, too, of course. It’s his ship, after all. Cody starts off by re-listing their grievances, the crimes committed against the Clone Troopers (he’s left the chips off the list- they’re still not 100% sure who’s behind it and don’t want to endanger the troops still chipped). Yoda and Mace try to interrupt him many times, but Cody just keeps talking over them, and Plo Koon keeps going “no let him finish this sounds interesting”. 

When Cody finishes, Halle Burtoni erupts into a rant about “traitors” and “defective products”. Senator Organa thinks Cody has a point. A good one. A lot of good ones, actually. Palpatine is quiet, silently calculating how he can turn this to his advantage. Yoda spouts off with a bunch of Jedi platitudes about perspective, the greater good, blah blah blah. Cody just looks at him and says “sir, you’re full of shit.” Before anyone can get on his case for it, Rex stands and starts reading off their demands. Obi-Wan keeps interrupting, with things like “surely, we can negotiate” or “I agree that you and your men have a right to these things, but in war, certain sacrifices must be made” and “can’t this wait until after we defeat the separatists?” Rex tells him to shut the hell up and listen for once in his goddamn life (quote). Obi-Wan turns to Anakin and says “Anakin, I thought you taught your men more respect than that!” but Anakin says “Actually, Master, I agree with Rex.” Before THAT can blow up, Yoda tries to calm things down with “discuss your requests, we must” but Wolffe’s like “Not requests. Demands. We are not here to negotiate, we are here to tell you what you must do if you want to keep your army.” There’s arguing. There’s yelling. Aayla makes an impassioned speech about freedom. Anakin and Ahsoka have a quick hushed aside, in which it takes Anakin about 30 seconds to decide he’s quitting the Order, too. Yoda and Mace ask Plo to back them up, but he just points at Wolffe and goes “my son”. Cody, Rex, Bly, and Wolffe are doing an excellent job of looking like the only professionals in the room. 

Eventually, Bail Organa asks everyone to calm down. “Commanders, I hear your grievances, and I understand that you have been treated wrongly. I propose that I introduce a bill in the Senate, to legally grant your demands-by the way, can I have a copy of that list?- We might have to do some arm-twisting to get the votes, but if you and your brothers hold steadfast in your strike, I’m sure it won’t take too long for the Senators to come around- especially those whose planets are close to Separatist activity.” Yoda mumbles something about needing to meditate before taking any action. Bail turns to Palpatine, who hasn’t said a word so far. “What do you think, Chancellor? Such a bill would move through the Senate much faster with your backing.” 

Palpatine has been watching the proceedings, and thinking. This could totally work out for him. Anakin and Obi-Wan are on opposite sides of this debate, and he didn’t even have to do anything to drive this wedge between them. Anakin is primed to declare against the Jedi Order. If he plays his ace card soon, the Clone Troopers massacre the Jedi, and, combined with their current strike, is more than enough justification for him to declare them all defective traitors and have them all killed via the chips, leaving Anakin with no one and nothing. Then, it’s a simple matter of unleashing him on the Separatists, having him commit more and more atrocities in the name of victory... unless, of course, Anakin decides to help the clones and participate in Order 66 himself, in which case, his job is done! And he might not even need to kill Padme to do it! At least, not until after the children are born and he can assess whether he wants one of them as an apprentice instead of their father. So Palpatine stands, walks over to Cody, and says, “Commander Cody, the time has come. Execute Order 66.”

And Cody says “Fuck you, Chancellor.” and punches him in the face. In the ensuing shitstorm, a lot of stuff is revealed. Palpatine is a sith lord- the angry Force lightning kind of made it obvious. Anakin has good reflexes, jumping in front of the lightning and absorbing the blast to protect Cody (he’s the most powerful Force-sensitive in a thousand years at least, he’ll be fine). Rex has good aim and good priorities- his pistols are drawn and Palpatine has two smoking holes where his eyes were before Anakin has finished screaming and collapsing dramatically. “Oh my fucking god,” Mace Windu says, realizing that they’ve been living in the pocket of a Sith Lord for a good decade and that he is an idiot. Wolffe is trying to get past Plo Koon, who jumped in front of him the moment Cody punched Palpatine. Aayla and Bly both tried to jump in front of each other (Bly won, because Aayla may be a Jedi but she’s shorter than he is), and Ahsoka, who didn’t get the chance to jump in front of anybody, just goes “yikes”. Obi-Wan, who is currently evaluating all of his life choices and also just how well he really knows his Commander, goes “agreed”. 

Anyway Bail gets the bill passed and is elected chancellor, and immediately enters into negotiations with the Separatists (dooku mysteriously vanished, high-tailing it out of there when his master died, and suddenly the separatist forces are much less blood-thirsty and sentient-rights violating when he’s not leading them). Yoda retires to a swamp planet, Mace decides to de-centralize the Jedi Order, re-write a lot of rules and Jedi philosophy, and moves to a new Temple being built on Hoth or something.

The clones are freed, given citizenship, backpay, and reparations, funded mostly by the Senate taxing the shit out of the Banking Clans and the Trade Federation. They objected strenuously, but couldn’t really do much about it with an entire clone army breathing down their necks. There’s a big search for a home for the clones, and a planet that will agree to host them. This is when the clan leaders of the Mandalorian Houses come forward- not the New Mandalorians, but the Mandalorians of the traditional, warrior culture, kicked out of Mandalore by the new government, living as a diaspora all over the galaxy. They say they will claim the Clones as theirs, accept them as their own clan. Their motives are manifold- one, the Clones were trained by Mandalorians, including Jango Fett, and clone culture borrows a lot from the Mandalorians. Secondly, it’ll really piss off Satine Kryze’s government, Thirdly, the promises made to the clones in Organa’s bill could be leveraged into a win-win for the Mandalorian Clans and the Clones. The Clones get their citizenship, and the Mandalorian Clans get recognized as an independent political entity, separate from New Mandalore, and as such, not subject to their laws, and entitled to a Senator of their own, as well as protection and recognition for their citizens spread throughout the Galaxy. 

Additionally, many planets offer citizenship programs to the clones, especially those whose populations had been decimated by the war. Governments are desperate for able-bodied people to come in and fill in the economic gap left by the war to stave off economic collapse. The Senate further creates programs to make it easier for clones to gain citizenship on planets that might not be so eager for them to live there, and for clones who are disabled and unable to work. So many clones end up with dual citizenship- Mandalorian Clans, and their home planet of choice.

Many choose to stay in the army- it’s familiar, it’s easier than trying to find a job and pay rent (especially when you’ve never heard of a job, salary, or rent growing up), it’s where their brothers are, and hey, they’re getting paid now. Anakin talks to Rex, and together, they take the 501st to the Outer Rim and wreck shit on the Hutts and their slave empire. After fulfilling his childhood dream of liberating Tattooine, Anakin retires to raise his children with his wife. Wolffe spends a few years traveling the galaxy alone, seeing new places and meeting new people. Eventually he returns to Coruscant, and when he leaves, a newly retired Plo Koon goes with him, and together they see as much of the galaxy as they can. Cody and Rex spend a while helping to settle their vod’e, taking the cadets and babies from Kamino and setting up home bases all over the galaxy, where they are raised by their older brothers. Cody discovers that he loves teaching. Rex finds out that he really likes kids. Eventually, Cody and Rex retire, but they still spend a lot of time with the clone children, and with their brothers. Ahsoka drops by every once in a while. Bail spends his career rooting out corruption and establishing requirements that Republic planets must elect their senators by popular vote. Everyone is reasonably content, oh and also Fives didn’t really die, he was wearing a blaster-proof vest and went into hiding, he rescued Echo and they both live the rest of their lives happily together.

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Why I Am Not A Unificationist

I’ve been a Unificationist since childhood. From then, until I was around 19, I had to eat all of the sadomasochism fed by Rev. Moon. My new Father. My new Messiah. I’ll take some time to go through them, but please be patient. I had been told that God was some sort of compulsive crybaby whose universe was forever torn asunder because two naked teenagers had pre-maritial sex in a garden. A step up from the apple and snake, I admit, but the Garden of Eden is still a myth no matter how you spin it.

Anyways, I was also told that human history was a convenient series of failures on behalf of the human race to understand the infinite sorrows of God. The Church painted said God, interestingly enough, as quite impotent. He was a servant to some pseudo-scientific law, called the Divine Principle: a lugubrious, confusing, absurd, and comical attempt to plaster Moon’s idiotic theology onto human history. Neon Genesis Evangelion’s myths made more sense.

I’m not quite sure if the Divine Principle was supposed to be a moral law or not, but I certainly was given that impression. I would be horrified and disgusted if the Principle was by any stretch of the imagination considered moral. This so-called morality dictated that again, because two naked teenagers had pre-marital sex in a garden, the Biblical wars against various tribes, the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Fall of Rome, both World Wars, the Holocaust, the Korean War, and numerous other tragedies, in the Bible and in history, were ordained by the Divine Principle to occur as payment for indemnity, or global karma. The Principle has weird ideas on proportionality. I don’t think that even Zeus, at the height of his maliciousness, would have approved of such a doctrine, so it would be doubly discouraging if a loving and compassionate God did. 

Why then does Moon praise the Principle with such fervor? Even it was true, it should have been condemned and resisted, even if the effort was futile. Of course, there’s always the idea that the Principle is brutally objective, but then, I don’t recall Newton’s Three Laws of Motion or the Pythagorean Theorem bluntly putting persons into sides of God or Satan.

Again, I swallowed this nonsense in my elementary years – I didn’t know any better. I think that I was still watching Power Rangers. So all of this made me very terrified of sex. Moon had a cute obsession with sex. If you don’t believe me, just look up the instructions for the 3-day ceremony. It’s quite revealing. He also said that if a pretty woman attempts to touch your penis, you should kick her 1,000 miles and God will praise you for it, but I’ll touch on his sexism later.

He just could not stop going on about the sexual organs and how they were at the center of the universe, or something like that. Easy enough to pledge abstinence when you’re young, but after puberty, I felt like I was walking in a nightmare. No sex until after I married, and Lord knew when that was going to happen. No choking the chicken, either, but when I did get the occasional slip of the wrist, so-to-speak, my whole being filled with guilt, as if I had committed a crime against God and joined the ranks of Satan.

I realize that abstinence is quite common among many Christians and even Muslims in this country, but at least they are allowed to date! Yes, because God certainly doesn’t want His Children engaging in the evil of DATING. Okay, so women were off limits until I married. At least I got to choose my wife. Oh, what’s that? My wife could be chosen for me? We might barely know each other before getting married? She might not even speak English? There could be a waiting period before having SEX? You know, there’s a word for people who have a peculiar interest in other people’s sex lives, they’re called perverts, and Rev Moon was certainly among them. Lord knows the countless unintentional pregnancies, STI infections, and abortions his teachings may have prevented had he taught instead about the options of masturbation and birth control.

Speaking of sexuality, Rev Moon was diseased with homophobia. I am sorry to say that I caught this disease as well. Moon referred to homosexuals once as dung-eating dogs and homosexuality as an activity that attracts Satan. He also said that those who love dung eating dogs, ergo people who support gay rights, will produce that quality of life. I’ve heard some homophobic statements from Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, but Moon’s hate speech sounds like something you’d hear from Neo-Nazis. Yeah, I went there, but Moon’s words were straight up dehumanizing and condemnable. NO group of people deserve to be described in that fashion. Also, Moon himself said that Hitler and Stalin were reborn as new beings, and they declared him the messiah. So he seems to think quite a bit of their opinions.

In any case, many religions still have trouble with treating homosexuals as equals, and that’s a shame. I repeat, a shame. Moon could have learned a thing from Desmond Tutu. Even the 14th Dalai Lama supports gay marriage and Pope Francis, who does not like homosexuality, says that the Church has no right to interfere with the spiritual lives of gays and that he has no authority to judge gay Catholics. I grew out of homophobia after I grew out of Moon.

Then there’s this whole damned idea of Rev Moon being the Messiah. Hell, anyone can claim that. Just ask Father Divine, Marshall Applewhite, Elijah Muhammad, Jim Jones, or L. Ron Hubbard. We all know the story. Jesus asked Moon to take up the cross and suffer for humanity as the first True Parent. The whole idea being that Jesus was supposed to get married as opposed to being crucified. Now I wouldn’t force crucifixion on my worst enemy, but marriage on the other hand, should be a choice, not a requirement for joining heaven, as Moon teaches. I think that most people are comfortable with the parents that they already have, and don’t need fanatical ones from Korea.

What makes Moon so special that he should be the Messiah, anyways? It’s his word against mine. Surely, Jesus didn’t expect Moon to convince people on word alone. Except that he apparently did. To be honest, I believed that Moon was the Messiah out of pity. He does deserve some. His home country was torn apart before his eyes, and he had to suffer atrocious accommodations in a North Korean prison camp. No one should have to go through that. The pressure was all around me to convert. Certainly I wouldn’t turn against a man who suffered so much. Before I knew it, I was bowing before photographs and reading books I could hardly understand at six in the morning. For those who want a better idea of what I am talking about, check out the film, “Ticket To Heaven.” Moon, however, had a habit of romanticizing Korea as the center of the world. I don’t hate Korea. It’s a fine nation, but not a holy one. Since Moon cast North Korea as Satan and South Korea as God, he probably forgot to mention that “God’s” nation had brutal dictators like Park Chung-hee.

I could also go on about how, in face of separation of church and state, Moon crowned himself like a king in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, how he implored Americans to forgive Nixon who sabotaged the Vietnam Peace Talks in 1968, how he founded the Washington Times which spews climate change denial, and how he had at least one affair while dictating other people’s sex lives, but I think I’ve made my point. Moon is no more of a messiah than my dead goldfish. If you still want a Korean to admire, try Kim Dae-Jung.

In closing, you may wonder what exactly liberated me from my slave-masters? It was a woman named Nansook Hong, whose book I would implore all of you to read. She married Moon’s first son, Hyo Jin, and suffered unspeakable abuse, both mental and physical. When Moon was told of these things, he blamed her for not being a good wife. This is the sexism I was referring to earlier. Moon was more concerned about his magnanimous legacy than about the domestic abuse of his daughter-in-law. As I read her testimony and followed her journey, I found myself going through a similar one. By the last page, I left the church and freed myself from the depressing theology of Rev Moon. I live a happy life now. I’m not very religious, but I don’t hate religion. 

Moon didn’t learn a lot from religion. Many Jewish scholars see the Old Testament stories as metaphors to learn from, not literal historical events representing the Cain and Abel dichotomy. If Moon really understood Jesus, he would have lived more like Gandhi, Tolstoy, or even Shaliene Woodley, as opposed to Donald Trump or John D. Rockefeller. The Qur’an opposes collective punishment for crimes done by others and would be disgusted with ideas like indemnity. While both Buddhism and Hinduism see atheism or agnosticism as acceptable spiritual paths, Buddhism more so. Moon denounced godlessness as Satanic.

I would like to thank HWDYKYM for giving me a healthy space to express these thoughts. As you can see by the length of this, they’ve been bubbling beneath the surface for some time now. I know that I may not have not have gotten everything right as far as Moon’s doctrine is concerned. I simply speak from my own experience – what I was taught, what I had believed. I hold no ill will towards current members, by the way. Many of them are still beloved members of my friends and family, just don’t expect me to go to workshops.

Sun Myung Moon’s theology used to control members

Divine Principle – Parallels of History

Sun Myung Moon  – Restoration through Incest

Moon’s Theology of the Fall, Tamar, Jesus and Mary

Nansook Hong, transcripts of three interviews

Nansook Hong In The Shadow Of The Moons, part 1

[theprojectatedensgate]

63. “You never learnt to think did you?” Joseph and John

This is quite sad so be warned!

John’s fist collided with the wall with an almighty bang, chunks of cream coloured drywall and wood splintering out around him. Joseph watched after him calmly, not un used to seeing his little brothers episodes, his temper wasn’t stable at the best of times. But this was different, John had succumbed to his Sin and Joseph had to save him.

“You have to love them, John. Do not let your sin prevent that.”

But how could he? How could the man who was forced to suffer and confess for his sins, the man who’s life sunk into a pit of drugs and lasciviousness, how could the man who was abused by society, twisting him into the sadistic tormentor he was today, love them?

The Resistance was winning. Many of the outposts in the Holland Valley shanghaied by the Deputy and their companions, destroying Eden’s Gate property. They had been the bane of the Baptist’s existence, spreading their sin like a cancer, toxic and resilient, the very air around them became polluted with their doubt. They were taking their homes, supplies, people, undoing all the endeavours of the Seed Family and worst of all? Making John Seed look a fool.

So when the bliss bullet punctured their flesh, when they awoke with water burning their lungs, when they were marched towards John like a successful hunt, he couldn’t help but give into his sin. His hold firm as he thrust them back into the river, their limbs thrashing hard against his grip, he watched them with  reverence as they struggled, remaining steadfast as they suffocated against him, their body slowly tiring. He tugged them to the surface, taking in their spluttering and soaked expression, red with the constriction of water. John knew it was a sin, such feelings are perverse and rife with depravity, but God, did it bring immense satisfaction, to watch them suffer. John bared his teeth, his blunt nails cutting crescents into the Deputy’s arms, clenching his hands around them he moved to shove them back into the darkness of the river, a voice called out to him, one that would make him freeze where he stood.

The Father had told him then, his actions mocked the very cleansing that was held sacred by the Baptist, by all of the flock. He would have to love them,  he would bring them to atonement or face the closed shut gates of Eden. Bitterness crept through John’s mind, the Deputy who had been murdering their brothers and sisters, culling them like they were lambs for slaughter, would reach redemption by his hands or he would face abandonment for their transgressions. What was so special about them? What was it that drew the Father’s attention? He will have to open them and see for himself.

They escaped when the convoy to his bunker was ambushed, dragged away by the selfish and misguided Pastor Jerome. John had visited Joseph then, heading to his compound in orange dusk of the evening. His fingers squeezed white against the steering wheel of his car, fixation gripping him in a choke hold. The church doors swung open at his palms, the stretched shadow of Joseph kneeling on the podium,cast by the flickers of candlelight. The faint mutters of God’s prayers filled the holy space from his lips. He remained focused in prayer as John approached him, fighting himself to keep his temper at bay. He needed an explanation, he needed an answer for the nonintervention of the Deputy’s crimes. He waited as Joseph finished his prayer, rising to his feet and turning to face him, moving towards him with open arms, blue eyes filtered green through the yellow lenses.

“My brother, I wasn’t expecting you, what brings you to the church?”

Nerves bubbled in John’s gut, he didn’t want to be afraid of Joseph, he was his brother. But the threat of sending John to exile and the sudden preoccupation with the Deputy had shaken him, to think that his own blood would banish him from the garden chewed at his insides. But this needed fixing, he wouldn’t see himself lost from the path because of the Deputy.

“I need to speak with you, urgently.”

Joseph furrowed his brows, sending him a low nod.

“Of course, come sit with me, tell me whats on your mind.”

They moved to the first pew, sitting together side by side. Joseph looked on at John with concern, John wearing a grimace.

“It’s the Deputy.”

Joseph nodded, leaning back into the pew.

“Ah yes, I heard they escaped, but I trust you will bring them back onto the path to atonement.”

John narrowed his eyes, there it was again, the insistence of the Deputy to be cleansed, despite their belligerence.

“Yes, Pastor Jerome organised an ambush. He will be dealt with, I will drag him into the light of God myself. But that’s not why I came, I need to know, Joseph.”

It was Joseph’s turn for his eyes to thin, perplexity gracing his features, he searched over John’s face for more information.

“Need to know what, my Brother?”

“Why must they be redeemed? The travel all of Hope County spreading their lies and immorality. Their sin infects the very ground they walk on. Surely, they cannot be saved?”

Joseph sighed, reaching a hand to swipe at his brow. John’s gaze remained fixed on Josephs, as if his eyes could pluck the answer from his face.

“I understand your confusion, John. They have caused so much destruction with their lust for war, their wrath,…” The syllables hissed as they left his lips, the words filing away in John’s mind. “Their pride… It is easy when dealing with a enemy such as this to give into the temptation of sin, the rage that plagues your soul.”

John shifted awkwardly against the pew, his indulgence in sin being brought so openly into the conversation.  He was a sinner, they all were, but he endured years of atonement and expiation to cleanse himself of the deviation that pursued his being. He had crawled into the light of the Lord on hands and knee’s to achieve purity,  to rid his body of the disease that blinded him.

“But… God demands that we must save these lost souls no matter if they desire it, no matter if they deserve it. The ones who’s sin flows thick through their veins, who’s eyes are blind and their senses dulled, the ones who fight and resist and stray from the love of God, are the ones most in need of salvation. They must be brought to the gates.”

John set his teeth. This sinner had committed such atrocities against God and his people, their ignorance and defiance sought the destruction of everything they strive for. They were not worthy of a place in Eden but John definitely was,

“ But you would threaten to desert your own brother for a sinner? One tainted soul? What makes them so special?”

“We are all God’s children, some of us lose our way and it is our job to bring them back to that path. Some will try to harm us, some will try to destroy all that we have built here together, some will betray us. You see they are blind, blind to God and his love, blind to the Garden we can all live in. Your role is to wash them of their sin, the make sure they are of devoted body and soul, to make them pure. You draw their confessions so they may be known, you expose their transgressions so there is no hidden intent, you absolve them of their sins so they can be clean. I place this task on you because I have faith you can complete it, I give you the warning because your soul needs an incentive to stay on the path. I know your loyalty to us, the flock, me, I see your devotion, but you are easily led astray, it’s my role as the Father and your brother, to guide you and keep you whole.” 

Anger kicked in John’s chest. He wasn’t a disobedient child in need of discipline or punishment, he had served his time for that. Now he was a herald of Edens Gate, Confessor and Baptist, a man with devoted followers at his back, ready to follow his word. To be treated this way by his brother was patronising to say the least, he was sick of the restraint Joseph held over him, he may be the youngest but he was proficient, and eager to prove his worth. He wanted to scream, to throw and hit things and destroy all doubt of him. He stayed silent as he internally battled with his indignation, which threatened to boil over any second, he almost shook with the struggle.

“I just think-”

“You never learnt to think did you?”

The words held venom, intended to cause harm. Regret fumbled at the words as the exploded from his lips, his voice reverberating against the bones of the church. Joseph tensed, pain flashing in his eyes. He stared at his brother in bewilderment laced with concern. A moment of deathly silence fell between the both, John’s breath heavy with adrenaline.

“”You never learnt to think, that I can be trusted, that I am capable of abstaining from sin. You expect me to just fall back into old habits at any time, I was the last one to be assigned a region, you claim to have faith, but I don’t see it with me.”

The younger brothers eyes radiated anger and sorrow, the blue depths glaring with pain and Joseph’s were a replica, sadness filling them whole.

“John. I trust you with my life. I have seen what the years of sin have done to you and I must lead you from temptation, deliver you from evil. You have to love them John. Love them as I have loved you. Do not become blind to your sin.”

His words were stern, but ever calm like a father lecturing their child. John shook his head in disbelief. Rising from the pew and Joseph followed suit. John began for the door of the church, stopping to look at his brother.

“If you don’t have faith in me. I’ll have to give it to you.”

He carried on his way to the door, taking a chunk out of the wall with his knuckles. Joseph did not call out for him. He did not attempt to stop him and change his mind. John wouldn’t listen if he did, he had work to do. If Joseph couldn’t provide him with the answers he desired, he would extract them himself. He will open them, he will pull their perversions from them piece by piece, he will expose their deepest, darkest secrets, spilling them onto the floor of his Bunker. He will mark them with their sin and lay them bare for him to witness.  Their confessions will pour from them like wine and he will see what makes them so special.

And the harder they resist? Well…The harder he’ll have to scrub their soul.

Thanks for requesting!! Enjoy!

[spootiliousrps]

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Stranger: ((Jotun!Loki)) Loki had been a mere child when he had been taken during the war, so he couldn’t remember a life outside of Asgard. He had grown up in a large house hosting many other war captives, but they were treated well by the house owners and were allowed to live their lives as they pleased. Since he had been young, people had always praised him to be an exceptionally beautiful Jotun. He wasn’t as giant as they were, his skin was soft and his hair silky. He usually kept it in a braid, but it was thick and raven black, which was rare in Asgard, where most people were blond. There were also those that whispered about him or outright told him he didn’t belong, that he should be rotting in a cell for the crimes his people had committed, but he never paid much attention to that. Asgard was his home, not Jotunheim. When he had finally reached adulthood, he was allowed to leave the city on his own. He had always been curious to go beyond the city walls, and so right on his birthday, he had wrapped himself into a warm coat and headed out the back to the forests behind Asgard where the hunters went hunting. He spent the day by the river on his own, but around noon, he heard the laughter of several people approaching. Sitting up, he looked out to see who was around.

You: Thor had been spending the last two days outside the city with his friends, hunting; just as they did every other week when his duties allowed. It had been a good night and the group had managed two of the monstrous boars that tended to terrorize the livestock on this side of the wall. One was slung over his shoulders, the large body of the beast dwarfing his own. The other was being carried between the warriors three obviously two bulky and heavy for them individually. Thor of course had commented, making them laugh as the marched along the river towards the city. Fendral was the first to pause, catching sight of the Jotun, face falling as he nudged Hogun and indicated the blue skinned man. Thor paid no attention, continuing moving until he heard one of them speak. "Hail, beast!" Fandral called, dropping the boar and causing Thor to glance up and frown. "Do you not realize the presence of royalty?! One your knees."

Stranger: Loki blinked in surprise, then frowned, puzzled - for one because he wasn't sure whom of the group was the 'royalty', but also because he was already on his knees. Not to show respect, naturally, simply because he had knelt down by the river. "It's not very nice to call a stranger 'beast', even if you're royalty", he pointed out dryly. He didn't get up though, he wasn't about to show any aggression, he simply wanted to enjoy himself out here. "I'm not calling you anything either, am I?"

You: The words had Thor's lips twitching in amusement. He had considered stepping in at first but it seemed as if the Jotun could handle himself. "Why you little-" Fendral growled, drawing his swords and advancing. "Oh, you're in for it now, abomination." Hogun mumbled in amusement, dropping his portion of the beast as well. Thor did the same but more so that he could step in if needed to defend the Jotun. If the man was a warrior, stepping in without him showing his skill would be an insult; and that was the last thing he wished to do.

Stranger: Loki wasn't a warrior, obviously, but ever since he'd been a child, he had possessed the seidr that had almost become forgotten to Asgard's warriors. Since he wasn't entirely welcome in everybody's eyes, he sometimes had to defend himself, so he had learned and studied everything he could find about the powers he possessed. He got up to his feet now, though he made no move to back off. With the snap of his fingers and a bright, green light, Fandral was turned into a frog. Loki crouched and picked it up, setting it on the palm of his hand. "You should know better than to antagonize a sorcerer, little frog prince."

You: Thor burst into laughter at the sight as the others paled and took a step back, hands on their weapons. They obviously weren't as amused as the prince. "Shall, we rid Asgard of the menace, My Lord?" Hogun asked, gaze never leaving the Jotun. "Not at all." Thor replied, still grinning. "Take the boar to the palace, I'll follow shortly." He instructed. They hesitated only a moment but knew better than to argue with their future king and picked up the beast before continuing on. Thor however, waited until they were gone before approaching Loki slowly. "Will my friend recover?" He asked, amusement still obvious on his features.

Stranger: "Naturally", Loki replied, poking the frog's head lightly. Frog-Fandral didn't seem very amused. Loki sat him down on the ground again. "As soon as he's ready to apologize to me, he will turn back to his normal form." He smirked at the frog, than he sat back on the ground and looked up at Thor. "Some of you Asgardians need to learn some manners. This is the third time this month that I have been antagonized. That isn't very welcoming, considering you brought me here yourselves."

You: Thor's smile broadened at the brash words. "You know, not very many people speak to me like that." He commented moving to his side. "I could have you flogged, you know?" He pointed out before gesturing to the grass next to him. "May I?"

Stranger: "Be my guest", Loki replied, moving a bit to give Thor some space. He let one of his legs slip over the edge and dangle in the water, enjoying the cold, fresh feeling. "Why, are you important?", he asked, unimpressed by the comment, or at least mostly. He didn't want to be flogged, obviously, but it didn't seem like the other was angry with him.

You: The question had him laughing once more. "How long have you lived in Asgard? You're obviously not a recent immigrant from Jotunhiem. It's rare we taken in elder Jotun and your mannerisms and clothes are far too Aesir." Everyone knew how he was, even the Jotun knew who he was even if it were just to avoid him. The fact that this one didn't was interesting if not refreshing.

Stranger: "All my life, really. I was told the King took me along after the war when I had just been born, not more than a few days old. And yes, that appears to be rare. I am the only Jotun in our home", Loki replied. He smiled a bit as he watched the silver fish jump out of the water, the sunlight reflecting in rainbows from their scales. "This place is really beautiful. It's my first time outside the city walls, and I found myself drawn to these beautiful shimmering fish."

You: Loki's smile had Thor searching for it's source before his own turned soft at the beauty before him, and it wasn't the fish. "Quite." He agreed. "There are many beautiful sights here. Perhaps, you would allow me to show them to you some time?" He offered, breath catching as he waited for the man's answer. It was unusual for him to be nervous and yet, suddenly he felt the odd sensation climbing his spine.

Stranger: Loki turned back to Thor in surprise. He hadn't expected that, an invitation to spend time with the man, they had only just met, after all. They didn't even know each others' names yet. And yet, there was something very charming about the man. "Well, you seem to know your way around", Loki said, a small smile playing around his lips, "So sure, why not. You may show me around."

You: Thor chuckled. "I suppose I should show my gratitude for the opportunity." He teased lightly. "Will you be here tomorrow?" He asked extending a hand out for the frog.

Stranger: "You should", Loki teased right back, grinning. "I don't agree to dates, usually." He picked the frog up again. "Not ready for an apology yet? Eh, you'll come around." He winked at it, then handed it over to Thor. "I will be here by noon, I think. It depends on the chores I have to fulfill."

You: Thor flushed at the words. "Date." He mumbled softly, accepting the frog. "I'm afraid I must be going, but I give you my word I will be here tomorrow." He reassured as he stood. He was about to depart when he paused. "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name." He offered, glancing back at him.

Stranger: "You better not disappoint, then", Loki replied with a wink. "That's because I didn't tell you my name", he added then, leaning back a bit. Chances were, it would be easy for the other to find out his name if he wanted to, he was the only Jotun around, after all. But maybe a little bit of secrecy would keep his interest. "Names are powerful, you know. I don't know if you deserve that power yet. I'll tell you if you manage to make me speechless tomorrow. And only then."

You: Thor didn't know his smile could grow even more and yet it did. "That they are." He agreed. He paused, staring a moment before realizing that he was. He cleared his throat and glanced away. "Very well. I'll be sure to do just that." He reassured. "Until, then." He nodded before turning, heart racing as he collected the boar and tossed it over his shoulder, heading for the palace, the frog being placed gently in his pocket.

Stranger: Loki looked after Thor with a smile, probably just as excited as he was. He'd never been on a date before, which made him rather nervous, so he went home not much later. He spent the evening with his sisters - two orphan girls that he shared his room with and with whom he'd grown up with - and they helped him relax a bit, picked out an outfit with him and even took over some chores the next day so he could leave early. He arrived back at the river around noon, dressed a little nicer than the day before. They didn't have money for actually expensive, beautiful clothing, but he owned a few pretty things that he'd saved up for, a green tunic that he felt went well with his skin. He sat down in the grass again as he waited, watching the fish once more.

You: It was about half an hour before Thor stumbled out of the tree line, practically falling over, just barely managing to catch himself before falling into the river. He paused, catching his breath for a moment before catching sight of the Jotun. He offered a smile before rushing to him and grabbing his arm. "We have to go." He urged, still in his fine silks as he began hurrying towards the stone stepping stones just south of them. A few shouts could be heard from a good half mile behind him and growing closer.

Stranger: Loki was alarmed for a moment at the sound, then he recognized Thor, though he was no less confused. He let the man pull him up and quickly followed him. "Is somebody chasing you?", he asked, looking back briefly to were the shouts were coming from.

You: "Yes, and if we slow, they'll catch us." He replied, obviously still amused to no end. "Don't worry, they're not anyone important. Come on." He urged, pulling him along as he stepped across the rocks quickly.

Stranger: Loki laughed, almost slipping on the stones if Thor hadn't such a tight grip on his arm. "This is definitely an interesting start", he commented once he'd made it, taking a brief moment to take in Thor's appearance. He had to come from a rich family, wearing clothes like that. Probably somebody with a high standing in Asgard. Not really somebody he'd expect to be interested in a Jotun, but that only made it even more intriguing.

You: "I like to leave an impression." He teased, pulling him into the brush to the right. It was only a moment before a small clearing came into view, where a large mare was tied. He quickly undid the reigns and climbed on offering a hand out for the smaller man, waiting for him to join him in the saddle.

Stranger: "Quite obviously", Loki chuckled as he let himself be dragged along wherever it was they were going. He halted briefly when they walked on the clearing, though took the offered hand quickly and got on the horse in front of Thor in a secure position. "Is this your horse?"

You: "Yes..." He answered without hesitation before pausing. "Maybe..." He added. "I'll return it... eventually." He chuckled before kicking the mare into action and galloping through the trees at a break neck pace, finding the trail to keep the horse from laming itself. "We should be in the safe within a matter of minutes. I hope I haven't scared you."

Stranger: Loki laughed again at that. Just what kind of guy had he ended up with here? For some reason, he wasn't turned off at all, though, it was actually kind of fun already. "I'm not scared, just curious", Loki replied. He was leaning back against Thor and holding onto the saddle to not slip off. "Who were you running away from?"

You: "The royal guard." He admitted without hesitation. "They tend to rile a bit when I'm around." He chuckled. He took a right as the trail forked and finally brought the mare to a brisk trot. "We should be fine from here on out." He stated as he straightened. "They won't come this far north."

Stranger: Loki didn't really get why the royal guard would be after the other, except maybe if the horse he'd stolen belonged to the royal family. He decided that was a topic for another time, he enjoyed this little mystery game of either of them not really knowing each other too much. "So it's just you and me, mh?", he asked, tilting his head back against Thor's shoulder to look up at him. "I like that."

You: Thor tensed at the press of Loki against him, flush returning to his cheeks. "J-just us." He nodded. "I hope you don't mind the ride. It'll be another half hour before we reach our destination. I brought a meal, in case you grow hungry." He reassured, obviously a bit unsure himself. He wasn't use to courting someone. Being the only son of the Aesir royal family meant that he was never allowed time to himself, and everyone knew who he was which meant they were either intimidated or greedy. It made for a horrid personal life.

Stranger: "I like the way you people go red when you're nervous", Loki grinned, reaching up and poking Thor's cheek gently. "It's really sweet." He remained seated that way, it was kind of comfortable, though he turned his glance straight ahead again to take in their surroundings. "I've never been on a horse before. It's pretty high up. But I don't mind a little ride. It's lovely around here."

You: The press of his cool finger hand him chuckling, despite the darkening color. "Yes, well... not very many people elicit this reaction from me, if I am honest." He replied. "I suppose it is." He agreed taking in their surroundings. "I don't tend to venture north very often, but there are times when-" He cut himself off as if realizing he was about to give away something he shouldn't. "When life grows a bit too heavy." He offered instead.

Stranger: "I understand", Loki replied with a sigh. "I share my room with my two sisters, and there's another sixteen kids that live in our house, so it's really difficult to get some time to yourself. I always hide in the attic if I want to read in peace, for example. It's not so bad other than that, though", he added. He didn't want to complain, he could have been killed during the war after all. They had given him a home instead. "Lady Red takes good care of us, as good as she can. Her husband died a few years ago, so she's been struggling a bit. She wanted to ask the crown for some help, but they didn't even let her into the palace."

You: He gave a small whistle twenty people, all in one house. "Lady Red?" He asked, the name not sounding too familiar. His smile did fad at the mention of the palace. "Yes, well... That's not too surprising. The royal family are all high browed and pompous. They'd probably have a stroke if she so much as tracked mud on their entry rug." He scoffed. "How much did she plan to ask for? Perhaps, I could help."

Stranger: "That's what everybody calls her. She doesn't want us to call her Mother, she fears she will become too attached if that happens. People adopt the kids sometimes, after all. I think she gets attached nevertheless, though", Loki commented, smiling. The woman always cried when one of the kids was adopted, out of happiness and sadness. "I don't know what she wanted to ask for, she doesn't want the kids to know that she's struggling at all. Money is always tight, though, that's for sure."

You: Thor gave a nod, already making plans to show up at the woman's estate, hidden and offer her the coin she needed along with food and equipment, granted she keep it's source to herself. "She sounds like a good woman." He acknowledged. "Is the lack of coin affecting your meals? Forgive me for implying such, but you are a bit small in stature for a Jotun."

Stranger: "Oh no, we get fed well", Loki assured right away. "She always makes sure of that, none of us has to go hungry. My - uhm, /condition/ has nothing to do with that. I've always been small. I don't know why, maybe it's a genetic defect, maybe I'm not entirely Jotun. I don't know who my parents were, and I'm pretty sure I won't get to ask the King, so it remains a mystery. It's alright, though. I probably would have it even more difficult if I was taller than the buildings in the city."

You: "Quite possibly." He nodded as they came into sight of a large cliff face towering over them. "We'll have to walk from here, is that okay?" he asked as he slid from the saddle and turned to open his arms to help him down.

Stranger: "Of course", Loki replied, once again taking Thor's hand and sliding gracefully from the horse. He gave the animal an appreciative pat on her neck, then turned to the cliff. "I'm really curious where you're taking me."

You: Thor helped Loki down before leading the horse to one of the lower branches and tying it off. He collected the saddle bags before turning back to him. "I think you'll like it." He commented, giving a nod towards the cliffs. "Come on." He indicated a small crack in the face, barely large enough for him to squeeze through sideways.

Stranger: Loki was very much intrigued and didn't hesitate, quickly following the other. He managed to squeeze through a bit more easily, less muscle mass was covering his body, and he joined Thor again on the other side.

You: The small hole was damp and smelled a bit of mildew but ended abruptly into a large cave, completely black with the lack of light. Thor reached out a hand to cover Loki's before tossing the bag over his shoulder and using the free hand to guide him along the wall. He could feel the grime that clung to his clothes already. Mother was going to be irate but it would be worth it. "So... What is it like having so many siblings?" He asked as he led the way, taking a right after a good ten feet, shoes splashing through the shallow puddles on the floor.

Stranger: Loki trusted Thor to know the way, though he could not see anything. He did feel Thor's hand in his, which was soothing, so he followed him swiftly, careful not to slip. "We don't really consider all of us siblings. I consider the two girls that share the room with me my sisters, the others are more... I don't know, people I live with, friends, in some cases. I grew up with Leanna and Sadriel. Leanna is an Asgardian orphan, Sadriel is an elf, nobody really knows where she came from. But those are the two I'm closest with, and I wouldn't trade them for anything."

You: Thor gave a small huff that he hope translated in the dark cavern as amused. "I'm sure they're wonderful." He offered. "I don't have any siblings of my own. According to my Mother I had a sister once but she died in battle ag-" He cut himself off before mentioning the war against the Jotun. "I hear it was valiant." He tried to recover. "But it has just been me for as long as I remember. She died long before I was born." He finally paused. "Don't move." He mumbled before dropping his hand and moving away.

Stranger: "That's a shame. I like having siblings. You can always rely on them." At least he could rely on his sisters, they were always there for him, and vice versa. Since they all had no parents, that was even more important. When Thor let go of his hand and moved away, Loki was immediately getting a bad feeling. "Hey, don't leave me here", he said, but he didn't dare follow.

You: "Don't worry." Thor's voice came from a bit away. "I'll be right here. Just give me a few seconds, you won't regret it." The grin was almost audible as he knelt. For a moment there were a few sparks in the air before the arched out over the floor, dancing across the water the was illuminated by the electricity. In a moment the light was gone, but only for a moment. Suddenly from the below the face of the large lake before them a faint blue light began to glow and slowly a large serpent uncoiled itself from its depths swimming in a lazy circle before it's head splashed out of the water to greet Thor fondly.

Stranger: Loki was soothed a bit by the assurance and remained where he was, listening and watching intently, although there was nothing to see at first. Then he spotted the sparks, but before he could wonder where they came from, another light caught his eye. He gasped when he realized what he was looking at and watched entranced as the serpent moved gracefully through the water towards Thor, like a puppy greeting its owner. He was thoroughly speechless at the sight.

You: Thor stroked the creatures snout affectionately for a moment before glancing back at Loki. He reached out a hand for the other man, silently urging him forward. "Come. This is one of my dearest friends, Jörmungandr." He introduced, earning a heavy snort from the beast, spraying water and slime across Thor's boots and making him laugh.

Stranger: Loki followed the request and walked over to join Thor's side. "He is beautiful", he whispered once he found his voice again, admiring the gorgeous beast with big eyes. He had never seen anything of the like, except maybe in drawings in one of his books, but most creatures of this size seemed to have been slaughtered by warriors who wanted to test their strength.

You: He took Loki's hand and lifted it in his own to press against Jorm's snout just as he had before. The beast jerked back for only a moment, shocked by the chill of the Jotun's skin but slowly returned to press against his palm, eager for affection. "Aye." Thor agreed. "Almost as beautiful as you." He admitted, glancing at the other man.

Stranger: Loki smiled and petted Jörmungandr gently, glad to be accepted so easily. He'd always liked snakes, they were elegant and gorgeous, yet in many cases deadly if they wanted to be. His attention was promptly shifting at the compliment though, and he looked at Thor with big eyes. If he'd been able to blush, he would have been furiously red at this point. "You - You think I'm beautiful?"

You: Thor's serious expression softened at the question, a smile playing on his lips once more. "If I didn't I wouldn't have claimed so." He pointed out. "You are unlike anyone I have met, both physically and mentally. Not many people would have stood up against a man like Fendral, much less turned him into a frog. Even fewer speak to me as you do, or tease me so." He chuckled. "Or elicit the reactions that you do with nothing but a smile or a well placed word."

Stranger: A smile spread on Loki's lips and he felt very much proud of himself. It was nice to be appreciated for who he was, and for a man like this to speak of him so fondly made his heart beat a bit quicker. He decided to be bold and took a step closer to the other. "Forgive me for being so forward, but I cannot possibly back off now", he said softly, then he tugged Thor down a bit by his collar and kissed him very gently.

You: Thor returned the kiss without hesitation an arm wrapping around the smaller man to trap him there. He allowed the kiss to continue for as long as Loki would allow before they finally broke apart. "Forgive you?" He asked with a breathless chuckle. "You simply beat me to it." He teased before kissing him again, this time only stopping when Jörmungandr shoved his snout against them with a snort of water and slime, drenching them both and causing Thor to pull away with a disgusted grunt, wiping away the slime from his cheek.

Stranger: Loki had never kissed anybody before, but he immediately liked the feeling. The soft lips moving against each other, with a tease of tongue here and there, he could drown in this. When they parted, he was beaming happily, unable to hide his grin. He didn't bother commenting as he returned the second kiss, but squealed and laughed as they got drenched by the serpent trying to get back their attention. "You cheeky thing", he teased, scratching Jörmungandr's chin lightly. He smiled up at Thor again then, not even bothered by what had just happened. "Loki", he said then, out of the blue. "That's my name."

You: Thor glanced up from where he was trying to clean the slick from his face and hands and beamed at the other man's words. "Loki." He acknowledged before the smile instantly faded. He debated with himself whether or not to give his own. Surely, he'd know him when he heard the name. Would he still look at him the same? Would he run? Would he stay? "Some call me Bjorn." He replied. It was the truth. He had many names, Thor was his birth name but the soldiers he fought alongside had given him the name Bjorn over the many battles he had lead them through.

Stranger: "Bjorn", Loki repeated, not losing his smile. "I won't forget that." He looked at the snake again, crouching down so he could thoroughly fondle him with both hands. "You didn't disappoint me, Bjorn", he told Thor, "Not in the slightest. Asgard has so much beauty to offer. I can't wait to see it all with my own eyes, rather than read about it in books."

You: Thor brightened once more. "You have no idea." He commented. He moved to collect the saddle bags and produced a blanket. He spread the thick fabric across the cold stone floor and set out the food he had brought. "Jörmungandr. If you'd please." He urged and the beast gave a small growl. A hum began to sound through the cavern and his illuminated scales brightened, heat beginning to come from him in waves.

Stranger: Loki stepped back a bit to watch, fascinated by the view. He felt the heat immediately, it always got to him when it was too warm - during summer he usually had to hide inside most of the time - so he took a few more steps back, where he joined Thor again. "What's he doing?", he asked the other.

You: Thor moved to lead Loki to the blanket and sat down, pulling him down with him. "He's heating the room so we don't catch a cold." He admitted before realizing that the Jotun was naturally cold. "Oh... Forgive me." He mumbled, motioning for Jörmungandr to back off a bit. The creatures glow faded slightly, the warmth turning down a bit but still noticeably enough to keep Thor from catching ill.

Stranger: "It's quite alright", Loki assured him, sitting down next to Thor. "I'm used to your climate most of the time. Only summer is difficult. And I wouldn't want you to get sick." He smiled and nudged the other gently. "This is very romantic. Perfect for a first date."

You: "Really?" He asked almost as if surprised. "I uh... mean... yes, well, that was, of course it is. That was the plan." He tried to recover a bit too enthusiastically. "Are you hungry?"

Stranger: Loki chuckled at Thor's stumble. The man seemed so sure of himself, but also very nervous at the same time, which was adorable. "Yes", he confirmed, he was feeling a bit famished. "I could definitely eat something."

Stranger: ((It's super late here so I'll need to go sleep now >.< Would you like to continue elsewhere?))

You: "Great!" He grinned, opening the boxes of food and revealing a variety of meats cheeses and breads, before producing a still warm bottle of mead. "I've brought plenty." ((Absolutely. Email would probably be best: *******@gmail.com))

Stranger: ((That works for me, my mail is *********@gmail.com. I'll send you the log and my response!))

You: ((Great!))

Stranger: ((See you!))

Stranger has disconnected.

[thezolblade]

16. “It’s okay. I couldn’t sleep anyway.” - Sveta and Karis

[Hey it’s a little late, but here it is for femslash february…]

Sveta lay awake in the darkness of her quarters, letting the distant hum of the engines wash over her thoughts, an endless ocean of static.

Should she give up on the idea of rest, at least for now? If she visited the observation deck, she could lose herself in an ocean of stars instead. The moonlight would illuminate the vaguest outlines of the dark clouds below, and the cold air would carry the scent of life, even at this altitude.

She scraped back her blankets, then paused at the sound of movement in the adjoining room. Her guest was still awake.

Sveta switched on her bedside lamp, and took a moment to smooth out her nightgown. A couple of hesitant footsteps heralded the swish of the door; Karis jerked her hand away as it opened before her, still unused to Tuaparang machinery.

“I, uh, am I…?”

“It’s okay.” Sveta offered her a smile, shifting back to the edge of the bed and extending her arm in invitation. “I couldn’t sleep anyway.”

“Oh, good. I mean, I’m sorry you couldn’t sleep, but if you’ve got time to talk, about the mission…?” Karis tiptoed over, stifling sharp breaths each time she made contact with the chill metal floor.

“Are you getting cold feet?” Sveta checked.

“I should have remembered my slippers.” Karis bundled herself into bed and pulled the blankets up to her neck, then stifled another little gasp and propped herself up on one elbow. “Oh, the mission. No, no, I’m fine. I just wanted to go over it with you, where we’re up to, and what’s next. I know you haven’t had much time to babysit me these last few weeks, and I’m grateful for your explanations, but there are still a few things bothering me, and I, well, I’d rather ask in private.”

“You may ask me anything, Karis. I hope I have made that clear.”

“You have, but I wouldn’t want to ask an embarrassing question in front of your troops. Your agents? Whatever the correct term is.”

“You needn’t concern yourself with semantics or appearances. I owe you a great debt of gratitude for your forbearance and aid, considering the circumstances of our first meeting. The least I owe you in return is a satisfactory explanation.”

“Thank you, your Highness.” Karis paused, registering the faint smile on her face. “I mean, thank you, Sveta.”

“What are your concerns?”

“Matthew and the others will reach Belinsk soon, won’t they? And they’ll definitely be able to meet with the resistance? With, uh, Volecheck, wasn’t it? Even in Sanan territory?”

“Yes, he has made arrangements to meet with your friends. Are you nervous about seeing them again?”

“A little.” Karis ducked her gaze to the mattress, then took a steady breath and met Sveta’s gaze again. “They must still think I’ve been kidnapped. I tried to reassure them at the Konpa Ruins, when we met them at the southern exit, but I didn’t know much at the time, except that I wanted to stay with you. And you’d told them to meet me there in order to guarantee my safety, and - and then you ran of with me after all. Tyrell wouldn’t stop cursing…”

“Do you wish we had stayed longer?”

“No, I couldn’t have persuaded them that I knew what I was doing, even with a few more minutes. They’d have closed the distance and picked a fight. We had to run.”

“Are you sure you knew what you were doing?” Sveta asked, pressing her claws into the blankets to hide her own nerves.

“Yes.” Karis reached out to stroke her arm, an easy smile lighting up her face. “I’d sensed your soul. How could I leave you after touching upon so much grief and love, so much fear for the sake of a world that has no idea you exist? You’d die for us without asking for so much as acknowledgement.”

Sveta let out a shaky sigh, shivering briefly under her touch. “Let us hope it does not come to that.”

“…Yeah.” Karis stared into her eyes for a few moments too long.

Sveta looked down to fiddle with the blankets again. “If you fear an unpleasant confrontation at Talon Peak, then you are welcome to remain on the airship.”

“No, I should be there to smooth things over. Even if I can’t tell them everything, I can tell them to trust me. Once we’ve helped them out against a roc, they’ll have to listen, won’t they?”

“We must hope so.”

“I’m more worried about whether Lord Kuan will hold off on executing Eoleo. Prisoners don’t usually survive that long after committing crimes against the Sanan Empire…”

“Chalis has convinced Emperor Ko that Eoleo will serve as bait to draw in the beastman rebels. Lord Kuan has received his orders. Eoleo is safe for now.”

“So he’s really convinced? Chalis must be pretty good…”

“She is.”

“Then, uh, that only leaves the worst part.” Karis hesitated, her form draped in long shadows by the lamplight. “Volechek has done all he can to prepare Morgal for the Eclipse, hasn’t he?”

“Yes. The resistance have spread the word. Every beastman settlement should be ready to hole up underground, where they will be safe. The rebels have been stepping up their raids on Sanan settlements, pushing the civilians to retreat to fortified areas. When the Eclipse hits, Emperor Ko’s army will be exposed in Morgal and Ayuthay. Morgal will be freed, and the rest of Angara will be rescued from the prospect of war.”

“Right. Then Volechek and the others will collect the Umbra gear, and we’ll meet them at the Apollo Lens to end the Eclipse before it spreads. Once we’ve rebalanced Weyard’s energies, you’ll finally be in a position to do something about the vortexes.”

“Yes.” Sveta’s answer came out almost inaudibly soft.

“And you’ll be able to reclaim your ancestral home. I’ve been doing some reading, while you’ve been in meetings. The Fang Tribe and the Zenith Tribe were almost wiped out, weren’t they? Almost a thousand years ago. These new beastmen are descendants of your scattered ancestors. Once your family takes back Morgal, you’ll be able to govern your kin, after freeing them from decades of oppression. It’ll all be worthwhile. So don’t blame yourself for what happens in the meantime.”

Sveta shook her head, clawing small holes in the mattress. “No matter how carefully we prepare, salvation will come too late for some. Who knows how many…?”

Karis took hold of her wrist. “We must acknowledge the blood that we spill, and that which we stem, even without knowing how they compare. We’ll never know the cost of inaction.”

“No… You’re right.”

“Our preparations might spare us some unpleasant surprises.” Karis leaned in until their noses were almost touching, and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Uh, about Chalis. I haven’t had much chance to get close to her, or to sense her unguarded thoughts, but lately I’ve been getting the impression she might not leave the Umbra gear in Volechek’s hands. If she beats him to the controls of the Apollo Lens, I - I think she might mean to fire on Tuaparang itself. And Blados supports her.”

“I have sensed the same thing,” Sveta assured her. “I have spoken to Arcanus, and he also suspects that his fellow officers are not loyal to my father.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“We will keep an eye on them, and confront them at the most opportune time.”

“Would you let me stay with you, from now on? In meetings, in battles, and at night?” Karis bit her lip, blushing as her own words reached her ears. “I wouldn’t want to be separated from you when they show their hand. They could have bought the loyalty of any number of your guards - they’re so hard to read - ”

“Of course you may accompany me. In truth, I have been telling myself to give you as much space as you might reasonably expect. I did not count on your friendship, or your loyalty - ”

“You have my friendship, and far more. That’s why I have to ask… Do you truly intend to leave the Umbra gear with Volechek?”

“I - I suppose you have guessed that whoever fires the Apollo Lens is unlikely to survive, even with the Umbra gear’s protection.” Sveta hesitated, and her guest nodded, squeezing her wrist. “I cannot ask Volechek to sacrifice himself at a moment’s notice. He has already shouldered his share of burdens, and he did not choose this path. These new beastmen already look to him for leadership. In another life, in another world, I might have found myself in his place, and I am not sure I could have found the strength… Since I know what lies ahead, I must steel myself to face it for him. Please do not tell anyone. If my father found out…”

“Sveta, no, of course I won’t betray your confidence, but you don’t have to take this on yourself. We could tell them sooner… we could find a way…”

“This is the best way. I honestly believe I stand the best chance of surviving the light. The blood of emperors flows in my veins. I must put it to use by protecting my people, or else I am not fit to ask anything of them.”

Karis drew in a harsh breath, but her voice was level when she spoke. “I’ll go with you.”

“You can’t…”

Though Karis lay still, her spirit surged forwards, closing the gap between them with an ethereal kiss. Sveta gasped and drew back, her lips tingling.

“I’ll go with you,” Karis repeated, her lips curling into a smile. “I’ll lend you my strength. Maybe it won’t be enough, but then neither of us will have to face the end alone.”

“Karis…”

“I chose this path too.”

Sveta tried to refuse her, but the words wouldn’t form in her throat. When Karis reached for her hand, Sveta surprised them both by pulling her into a crushing hug.

“I am s-so sorry to ask - ”

“You didn’t.” Karis kissed away her tears, sliding an arm around her back. “I offered, remember? I’m yours.”