#i hope you find belonging and peace within and outside of your community

[basiliskonline]

My Released TTRPGs

I’m gonna create this post so that it can be linked through my sidebar (once i get a theme set up xD) It will be edited as I release more!

IMMUNE is a fast-paced, high-action zombie-splatter role playing game inspired by video games like Left 4 Dead and board games like Zombicide.

You can pick up and be playing Immune in just a few minutes as either player or GM with no forknowledge.

DIESEL AND DINOSAURS is a powered by charge RPG combining dinosaurs and post apocalypse settings and inspired by the cartoon Cadillacs and Dinosaurs and the comic Xenozoic Tales.

Humanity emerged from their shelters centuries after surviving an apocalypse to find the world once again reclaimed by Dinosaurs.

ARCOLOGY WORLD is a PBTA solarpunk game of community and science and learning to help your community thrive and adapt in an ever-changing and often dangerous environment.

THE WASTELAND COVENANT is the first Told By Travelers game, it is a diceless game thats mechanics are driven by questions and answer. The players take on the roles of trade envoys and settlements forging the connections needed to survive and rebuild society in a post apocalyptic world.

LEGACY OF THE LOST is a Belonging Outside Belonging (No Dice, No Masters) game about a diverse and eclectic group of survivors that have come together to live on an old ship in a post apocalyptic galaxy.

Navigate the complexities of society and the social dramas within your community while exploring and preserving the knowledge of civilizations lost to the cataclysm.

GOBLINAUTS is my first game and one that desperately needs some expansion and upgrades and I’m hoping I find the time. That being said it is totally playable and a fun lil pbta game about a community of goblins that built ships and escaped the oppressive regime of Humans (and Elves and Dwarves) on Earth. 

For Centuries things have been peaceful for the hardworking but thriving Goblin communities, but now the Imperium has colonized mars and is looking to the asteroid belt...

LUMEN ENDGAME is a design tool and GM guide for adding in a variety of new options to your Lumen ttrpgs or sessions. It includes Power Up drops, Boss encounters and Finale scenes.

[alloutshirt]

i really believe you should shut the fuck up about what you think closeted people have to do to be deemed legitimate and respectable

[rosesastrology]

Chiron in the signs

Chiron is the wounded healer. A half God, half mortal. A centaur who was abandoned by his parents. He's only good at healing. He gets shot by an arrow and can't heal his own wounds, ironically. He begs to switch places with Prometheus whose liver is being gnawed upon by vultures for eternity. Zeus pities him and sends him to heaven.

Chiron in Aries

Wounds: I can't be myself, I don't have the right to exist, fear of failure, needing to be number one, often neglected in childhood, identity issues

Healing gifts: empowering others, cheering on the underdog, independence, self-care, channeling creativity, shameless individuality

Chiron in Taurus

Wounds: I am unworthy, I don't have enough, I don't deserve this, distrusts change, sees value in everything but themselves, getting stuck in bad habits, materialism, fear of losing everything and everyone, following the flock

Healing gifts: seeing beauty in all places, having a knack for taking care of finances, are able to stay stable in the hardest times, rigid and strong

Chiron in Gemini

Wounds: feeling misunderstood, feeling like they're dumb or incapable, their passions are often discouraged especially in the educational field, paranoid about what others think about them, speech impediments

Healing gifts: You are the voice for the weak, you stand up for the underdog, you have the power to change situations with your words, can give impactful speeches, good at writing and perhaps at poetry or singing

Chiron in Cancer

Wounds: feeling like you can't be vulnerable, feeling as though you can't trust people with your emotions, feeling like you don't belong anywhere (even in your own body), comfort eating, neglect in homelife or childhood, feeling like your emotions are too much or like they're crazy

Healing gifts: You can help others heal emotionally through various acts, you're good at taking care of others, you make people feel like they belong somewhere, you can help others open up, nourishing others, empowering women

Chiron in Leo

Wounds: need to be validated or approved, fear being rejected, chasing the high, crash and burn, the Icarus effect, feeling as though you're not good enough, high standards

Healing gifts: channeling creativity, empowering others through art, sending positive messages through your passions, playfulness and self-expression

Chiron in Virgo

Wounds: perfectionism, body dysmorphia/distorted self-image, overly critical of themselves and others (on all levels), possible health issues, people-pleasing, feeling the need to serve at the expense of one's own endeavors

Healing gifts: You can heal others through traditional means like medication or herbs and may be a great doctor, you are good at organizing and creating routines for others to pick up their lives, you are an amazing problem solver, you are good at creating powerful media or a good social status, good with animals, may be a veterinarian

Chiron in Libra

Wounds: Romanticizing trauma or other issues, idolizing your partners, indecision, fear to commit in a relationship, trouble ending relationships, shoving problems under the rug to fake "peace"

Healing gifts: diplomacy, harmony, you may be great at singing, you tend to create harmonious situations or conversations, you bring people together, you're good at negotiating, you make a great wingman, peace with sexual diversity/sexuality and equality

Chiron in Scorpio

Wounds: You struggle with sexual expression (which can go from addiction to an extreme fear of it), nihilism, the wound of death/grief in your life, being possessive or jealous, insecurity, being interested in the obscure at the expense of your sanity, abuse

Healing gifts: sexual empowerment, seeing the good in a seemingly bad situation, alchemy, spiritual healing (usually through material means like tarot or astrology), helping people deal with life, death and birth, being able to bring about change

Chiron in Sagittarius

Wounds: steadfast beliefs, stubborn, chasing the highs, recklessness, feeling like you don't belong anywhere, restlessness, trying to find meaning in everything to the expense of your own mental health, feeling like there is no meaning in anything, no clear limits or boundaries

Healing gifts: finding personal freedom within travel, coming to understand the differences and comparisons between people, accepting diversity, bringing inclusiveness and equality about, good at bringing humor about, laughter is the best medicine, luck, manifestation powers

Capricorn in Chiron

Wounds: You feel like you were beaten by society, you may hold a resentment towards authority or society itself, you feel like a freak, you're always left out, you may use your career as an escape, workaholic, obsessive ambition, struggle with gaining status or approval, feeling like they'll never succeed, discouragement, unrecognized, unnoticed, unheard, fear of losing control of their life or emotions, bad coping mechanisms

Healing gifts: You're an amazing leader, learning to accept and respect yourself will help you heal, you are your own authority, you're determined and passionate, you follow through, reliable, you're a born survivor, you have a natural sense of authority that others will respect, giving others guidance, being a good mentor, healing/controlling other people's energy

Chiron in Aquarius

Wounds: Feeling like an outsider, you feel like a loner, feeling alone in a crowd of people, feeling like the black sheep of the family, feeling like there's something wrong with you, going out of your way to be different, avoidance of personal relationships (yet still friendly), feeling like you have to belong in a community

Healing gifts: Seeing the whole picture, acceptance of diversity, objectivity, bringing about change, fighting for humanitarian causes or for a bigger purpose, authenticity and originality are your strong suits, owning your individuality

Chiron in Pisces

Wounds: having no hope or faith, feeling betrayed or victimised, suicide idealism, building up a shell of cynicism, feeling like the universe is unfair, fear of being hurt, trust issues, fear of opening up, always rescuing others at the expense of themselves, nostalgia

Healing gifts: spirituality, spiritual healing, confronting unfairness, romantic, imaginative, helping others, you're a natural healer with a deep compassion for others, good with animals

[ellitx]

Chapter 13: Fidelity

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁

previous || next

art belongs to _suucrose

word count: 2.9k

           In sun and clouds, the church spire reached into that every stretching blue. It was as if it spoke of the love of the community towards their god, that it too lasted in any weather and called on them to join and put their faith in him.

           When Aether and Paimon walked along the nave, the church choir was different compared to the other choirs that didn’t sing hymns. Their voice was almost like angels, high notes soaring over the clouds, graceful notes dancing on the staves, and they sang for the Anemo Archon only.

           The two waited to finish their practice before looking for a certain deaconess that might help them gather more information they needed. It wasn’t long before Barbara noticed them and approached the two with a welcoming smile.

           “Hello, Honorary Knight. What brings you here today?” 

           Paimon flew over her and leaned closer for a much better closeness to ask. 

           “We would like to ask you something about Barbatos!” She exclaimed fervently whilst she placed her small arms in front of her chest. A bright smile was then donned on the deaconess’s face, her blue eyes sparkling in delight at her words.

           “Oh! Are you two perhaps interested in serving Mondstadt’s very own Anemo archon as well?” Her tone had an obvious enthusiasm in it. Aether already felt bad that’s not what they were here for, and be that as it may, he still has to prioritize in searching for his lost sibling.

           “That’s not the case. We wanted to ask if by any chance the Anemo archon has a lover.”

           Barbara’s small pink lips parted trying to utter a single word however a short chuckle was what came from her mouth. It surprised them and was confused if they said something odd. Her delicate hands were now placed on her mouth to stifle her laughs, apologizing in between them, as small tears form from the corner of her eyes.

           “Sorry for suddenly laughing. I wasn’t expecting that’ll be your question. But to answer that, there are no stories or mentions if Barbatos had a lover or not in the past. If he did, it would’ve already been written in the books and be sung by the bards everywhere. You celebrated the Windblume Festival, right?" 

        The two gestured their heads as a yes. "Since you already know it's a festival about love and freedom, wouldn't the Windblume Festival be celebrated for both of them instead of Barbatos only? But just as I have said before, there were no tales about the God of Freedom having a lover.”

           Something clicked inside his head though it didn’t last for long as it suddenly fades away like a speckle of dust. 

           “That’s true…” He turned to look at Paimon who was all troubled and disturbed.

           He continued to listen further if there’ll be more clues but it seems like that’s the only information he’ll get for now. His companion looked at him then held her aching head to alleviate the small ringing echoing in her ears.

           “Paimon’s running out of brain juice and my head is hurting the more Paimon thinks about this…” The throbbing in her head told her it was time to rest someplace quiet, to ride out the pile of confusion within her brain.

           Aether nodded and massaged his forehead in hopes to ease the pain. Why does he suddenly feel so lightheaded? He shook his head and pushed himself forward to carry out his plan on giving the pendant back to you. Words of gratitude were what Barbara received from the blonde and she waved them a goodbye to continue her choir practice with the other members of the Favonius Church.

           “Are we going back to the lair?” Paimon asked. Aether hummed in affirmation as they stepped outside of the parish. The harsh sunlight caused him to squint his eyes and cover his face with his arm. Was it always this hot for this season? The sudden change of the climate made him so lightheaded than ever. 

           Paimon detected how pale he looks as if he’d been painted with white-wash— even his lips were barely there. It was as if his heart had suddenly stopped beating and all the blood had run down into his boots. He swayed just for a moment, then with one step backward, he crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of their strings.

—

  Birds trill, sweetly high, the chorus as playful as the birds themselves. With closed eyes, Venti imagined their music to color, painting stairs in the same way grapevines grow - this way and that, in a beautiful harmony that isn't quite random. 

           Along with your soft humming, it made the ambiance much more relaxing and calm for him. In the calm of the day, his heartbeat is the steady drum to your melody and he seeps into the moment, allowing himself to drown in your beautiful voice.

           You rubbed the petals of the red flower between your fingers, watching your skin take on the sunny hue. Venti had spent the entire afternoon lying down on your lap and listening to your canorous tunes that made him forget about everything— as if you two were the only ones in this world with no one to intervene in such a peaceful moment he has with you.

           You watched the petal rotate and awed in admiration as a flower’s petal is able to spin like wind wheels. 

           “Hey, Venti,” You called out to him and peered down to peek at his sleeping face. Your lover hummed in drowsiness before opening one of his eyes to look at you. Dragging the flower close to him, he shifted to get a proper look at what you’re holding.

           “What flower is this?”

           You’ve always been a curious one. Even before you were in a coma. It’s like you have a passion in you to know every single thing about this world. From small creatures to rare species of beings in the wildlife, anything that catches your interest and you're eager to know more about it.

           Your drive to find answers is one of your unique traits he’s grown to love the more he’s with you. You create yourself in that fire of ongoing need that focuses everything that you are. And you do it because it feels as if the finding of the answer is your personal mission, your reason for being, your way of belonging and giving.

           It came to him if your curiosity will cross the line. Will it come to you that he’s been hiding his identity from you? Or will you still continue to live life with him in pure denseness? Either way, if you managed to find out he’ll find a way to have you forget what you witness. 

           For now, he has to be cautious and prevent you from exploring the outside world. Especially if that traveler is around in his land. It’s no good if you meet him. With the help of the humming winds to let him know what’s happening, it occurred to him that he has to just patiently wait and prevent you and Aether from crossing paths.

           Venti held your soft hands in his palms and took the flower from you. A small and gentle smile appeared on his face as he leaned forward and pressed his temple against yours, placing the plant close to your chest.

           “It’s Windwheel Asters.” He answered and observed how your eyes sparkled in joy when you watched the petals continue to spin.

           “I haven’t seen these before.” 

           Venti lightly chuckled and placed the flower between your hands as he returned to resting himself against you, but this time his head was now on your shoulder. “Windwheel Asters cannot grow in places with no wind nor plagued by strong storms, only where the wind is gentle and nourishing.” 

           “Really?” You laid your head against his and fiddled with the stem. If these floras are really unable to grow in harsh winds, then it means Old Mondstadt’s storms have truly vanished without any traces left. 

           Peace and harmony at last. 

           Freedom is finally with you.

           You lifted your hand up against the sunlight and marvel at how simple it is. It may not look as fancy as the cecilias nor does it resemble feathered wings of a dandelion when blown away, but you found yourself liking this more than what Venti had given you.

           It’s not like you don’t appreciate his efforts for collecting every cecilias and dandelions in this region to create a wonderful garden for your eyes to fancy with, you still are grateful for it though you do wonder why did he not include these asters in the collection?

           “I kind of like this. It reminds me of you.”

           Now that made him fully awake.

           “Me?”

           The color-infused cheeks dimpled with the blossoming smile, your eyes shone in a way that only deep happiness can bring. It was the blush of roses, that peek of champagne pink. Nodding your head to him, you brought the flower close to your face to cover your flushing features.

           “You were always fighting for freedom. If it weren’t for you, we won’t be able to see the skies and birds you’ve always wished for. I really admire your perseverance and passion to fight against my father to have the city liberated from his hands. Thank you. Thank you for revolting against him. Thank you for giving everyone freedom they’ve longed for.”

           You suddenly felt your throat tightened and your breath hitching every now and then. With your shoulders shaking and chin trembling, you fear he might see you in such a vulnerable state. You lowered your head even more and let your hair cover your face. Even if you hide it from him, Venti can still see small drops of liquid falling from you until it turns into a small puddle on the back of your hand.

           “[Name]…?”

           “Even though I’m Decarabian’s daughter, you never looked or treated me differently. Even after the war has ended, you never leave me. And now father, mother, and the knight… they’re all gone and y-you survived. You still stayed with me until I woke up…  I… I was so scared that once I awoke, I won’t be able to see you.”

           You were wiping your cheeks every few seconds and gulping down the lump sitting on your throat. Sniffling quietly, the tears still threatened to spill from your eyes. Your lover gently clutched your hand and used his other hand to lift your chin up to look at him.

           Your eyes were red and swollen. It shatters his heart seeing you like this as your tears split over and flowed down your face like a river escaping a dam. Using his finger to dry your damp face, he brushed his lips on your temple and laced your fingers together.

           “I should be the one thanking you.” He muttered and brought your intertwined fingers up to his lips to kiss the back of your hand. “Without your support, I don’t know how things would end up. If he— if I hadn’t saved you back then, you’d be locked up in that tower. Things would go differently, wouldn’t they? I can’t bring myself the idea of leaving you there when they were chasing after you.”

           He pushed you until your back was leaning against the rough trunk of the tree. His other arm was propped beside your face before he rested his head on your shoulder and nuzzled closely.

           “Thank you. Thank you for always being here with me.” Even though his voice was muffled, you can hear him loud and clear through your teary state. A shaky smile came from you as you caressed his hair lovingly before leaning forward and wrapping your arms around him.

           “I love you. I love you so much, Venti.”

           He has lived long enough to know that what you share he can’t replicate it with another. This love, this feeling, is just you and him. He could travel the world and the seven regions to create new ballads; he’d still come right back at you if he wanted true love. 

           He has protected you for years, he’s your confidant, a true friend, and even a lover. The trust he gave you, you gave him, is what keeps both of you safe in this world, in this life. So whether his heart beats another day or another hundred years— it’s always yours.

           Meeting Venti was more of a coincidence than a fate. Yet it was the first time in your life you felt like you could be yourself around him. Memories of meeting him have become the same as the dream you play time and time again. You felt good with him in a way you haven’t been before or since.

           Hearing those three eternal words from you is surreal for him. His heart would beat madly and his stomach churn in such a way excitement and happiness is filling his entire system. He wants to hear from you again.

           Just once more so he can finally have you all to himself.

           His chest was burning hot and so was his heart that rapidly beats in great euphoria. He can sense your emotions when you cry but this feeling… it’s much more different than he had felt before. A burning desire. He’s so smitten of your entire existence. All words coming from you were all his, he grasps each phrase and corresponds with his own loving and affectionate words.

           He was brought out from his trance when he felt how warm his palm is, and it’s when he became aware his hand was now placed on your cheek just like how he brings your hand to cup his face. 

           Venti felt his face heat up at such a simple gesture and when you give a short and quick chaste kiss on his lips, he recognized the first brightest and sweet smile for this day was painted on your graceful visage.

           “I love you.”

           His wish was heard when you repeated your confession at him. Is it finally working? Were his efforts finally paid off? Before Ludi Harpastum was the Windblume, a festival where they offer windblumes to their loved ones and to the Anemo Archon. Every year, every time Mondstadt celebrates Windblume, his first priority is to give you cecilias.

           He collected them for you every year. He tends them very well until they bloom— until your eyes opened. For him, windblumes are the cecilias. A symbol of elegance, purity, and just as ethereal as your gentle heart. It may be different from what that really means as interpreted by the people of Mond, but for Venti, he feels freedom when he’s with you, he feels loved when he’s with you and it’s the reason why he gathered so many flowers for you while you were asleep.

           The arrangement given to him by the former Dendro Archon— she proposed the idea to him to gather flowers for you every time they feast Windblume. He can still clearly remember her words, her voice echoing in his head saying that even she may part from this world. 

           Her predictions for her own life were accurate. As if she already expected this to happen to her and that’s why she’s planning ahead to list all the preconditions to him to keep you safe and harmless. Barbatos can’t keep relying on her on everything and that is why he put a lot of effort into maintaining the garden.

           Yesterday night was the time of the ceremony. Venti prepped everything to make it perfect, he wanted it to be successful. A mimic of a dance he once saw when he and you were together ages ago, it was a secret you both hid but he knows this. Barbatos knows what happened during that time and pretended as if he weren't there.

           But now that he was able to dance it with you, one would call him shameless for stealing you from him. The heavy weight on his shoulder was now lifted away, finally free from the guilt he’s been feeling for centuries. His inner battle with himself is fully resolved, inner conflicts vanished, a conflict between his love and longing for you.

           Your words eased Venti and made him assured you love him back as well. If you haven’t said a single word about your own feelings, he’d be living in an illusory fantasy that you were only shy to tell him you love him very much. But ever since the bond has been created, all he hears is I love you’s from you for his ears to delight in.

           “I love you,”

           You repeated once, a faint brush of your lips against his made him shudder. Soft, gentle, and shy just like your personality. Twice when you parted away, grasping how he tastes like apples before meekly leaning on him once more for a kiss but with more vigor. Your hand clutched the front of his shirt when you felt him hold you the small of your waist to pull you against him.

           “I love you.”

           Thrice was words of tenderness and desire from you to him. At that moment, you felt your body flushed warm. This was a person you wanted to be with than you’d ever felt before. 

           Venti has always been the one you could love forever.

@trust-the-oxygen​

[flowerwrites06]

ring lover — pjm

Plot: Violence and grace come together in harmony. 

Pairing(s): Boxer!Jimin x Ballerina!OC (Name: Gaia) 

Rating: G | PG | M | R 18+

Type: Drabble | Oneshot | Two Parter | Series

Word Count: 7k+

Genre: Boxer | Ballerina | Fluff/Smut/Angst 

Tags & Warnings: mentions of blood, boxer-related violence, explicit smut. 

Authors Note: we love boxer jimin so I didn’t a whole lot of convincing to repost this lmao enjoy! 

Red oozed across the glistening floor as the medics dragged the body away to let him relish in his victory. If he had not done this damage then he would be the one being scraped off. At least that was how Jimin reassured himself after the lack of news on his opponents’ health. Or when a parent and wife would scream at him for being harsh in the ring. It was a battle of who could knock someone down the hardest. Jimin never faltered when he needed to get something done.

Cheers everywhere with no remorse because they knew no judgement would come for being happy with murder within these walls. Jimin let himself be washed away by the production.

Eyes scanned across the crowds, seeing painted faces and lit banners with statements that could never be repeated in a more humble setting. He drank them each of them in filling his ego to the brim until it overflowed out through his smile.

However his gaze stopped at one person he really looked forward to see. Curly locks with a pink bow peeking out from the back of her head while her lips shone even from a distance. Inside the heart of the city situated a dance studio full of the most elegant dolls he had ever seen.

One in particular Jimin seemed to gain a stubbornness in impressing.

**

On a day full of meetings with new sponsors, Jimin had the opportunity to see one of her shows and much like the rest of the crowd he grew enamored. Grace seemed to ooze through her veins letting her limbs flow into the most complicated of moves but she did them like she was born to do it.

Soft face ever so sweetly gracing her features when the show ended and Jimin swore he almost fainted from the overwhelming feeling pulsing through him.

His sponsor had been kind enough to get him backstage for even one conversation with the faery on stage. Jimin prided in his luck for seeing her in person, to find out her demeanor was a little shy with one person compared to the thousands she saw just a minute ago. Somehow that tingled excitement in his belly even more.

Except his luck fizzled out when Gaia recognized exactly who he was and her smile faded away.

“I know exactly who you are.” Her throat bobbed up and down as she held her shoes in her hand tightly. “You’re that boxer who killed the nineteen year old boy in the ring.”

Jimin was used to fear in people’s eyes when he met them but now more than ever, he wished anything else. He wanted the sparkle on stage but came to the painful realization that the reason it disappeared was because he stood in front of her. “In the ring, we just call each other opponents.” The man attempted to smile.

Gaia took a deep breath. “Well...I hope we never meet in a ring.” She turned away, hair moved over her shoulder while she carefully placed her shoes inside a pale pink box.

He pursed his lips not entirely used to someone being against his ruthless behavior. Usually it would gain a lot of positive feedback and respect. Right now Jimin felt like a simple minded murderer who just referred to it as a sport. “We could meet outside the ring.”

“Pardon?” She looked back at the male, brows furrowed.

A gentle smile tugged at the corners of his lips silently admiring how she could keep such an elegant composure even when she clearly looked a little upset. “I have a match coming up soon. Maybe you could drop by…” Jimin shrugged attempting to keep the conversation as casual as possible. He hated to admit that it never took this long for a girl to just get on board and it had only been ten minutes.

“I don’t like watching fights.” She replied simply holding the box to her chest as form of a shield between them.

“You don’t have to watch the fight.” Jimin shook his head. “You can come afterwards and—and I’ll be nice to the guy this time, I promise.”

“Why do you want me to attend?” Her eyes flickered up and down his body.

“Apparently faeries are good luck…I’m told.” He smirked.

Gaia had the strongest urge to scoff but unfortunately this was not the place to be showing off any casual behavior of the sort. Sighing, the woman nodded. “I’ll be there towards the end.”

Smirk stretched into a proud grin before giving her an almost bow and some motivation to impress the hell out of his new lady friend.

**

The rush of adrenaline lasted around two seconds before his stomach dropped down to a pit watching the fear on Gaia’s face, her gaze fixated on the limp body of his opponent. It didn’t take any type of effort to notice the way she hugged her jacket tighter around her body as if someone was going to attack her in any second. Someone like him.

For the first time Jimin could not feel like floating as he was patted on the back and cheered on. Everything seemed muffle and fade away to the imagined sound of her heart pounding out of her ribcages from how she struggled to avert her eyes away. Smile disappeared watching her pad away behind to the lockers with Kiku leading her to the right place.

He wanted to somehow communicate to her why he did his matches like this but it just seemed like such a silly reasons in his mind. So all he could do was mentally apologize for bringing a peaceful faery into a murderous war zone.

-

“You alright? You need some water?” Kiku, one of the Jimins’ trainers, asked in a gentle almost motherly like tone as they walked into the dull looking locker room.

Greenish lights, blue lockers with suspicious red and brown stains, wet benches and the stench of too many bodily fluids swirling in the air. The loud incessant cheering now finally faded into something Gaia could tolerate without feeling her lungs trying to escape from her throat.

The only thing somewhat pleasing to look at was the beautiful head of curly pink hair on Kiku contrasting pleasantly with her all black get up. From afar people couldn’t tell but Gaia noticed the little crevices of her toned body peeking through the top and pants. She was not much older than Jimin but apparently had been fighting in less professional rings than this which led to a bubble of fear with the people around her.

As much Gaia admired the strength of fighters and boxers, it still did not help her anxiety seeing violence happen in front of her. Every punch always seemed like it was directed at her no matter how far away she was. The dancer understood pain and blood more than people really saw. Her feet were permanently ruined so watchers could admire her shoes, grace and movements. Even still to harm other people never settled with her.

Doors burst open as the cheering and shouting ripped through the thin cloth of safety, sweaty bodies rushing inside with smiles on their faces while Jimin was constantly patted on the back. Damp orange hair matted against golden skin riddled with blood splatters that did not belong to him. Except the grin he had tugged at his lips was so sweet and kind.

Gaia almost couldn’t believe that this man was the same person in the ring battering his opponent.

Kiku pulled her over closer as the fans were escorted away from the rooms by security. Soon the multiple bodies scattered down to just Jimin and his coach.

Jimin slumped onto the bench wiping off the back of his neck while his coach talked about booking the next match. When the huge faded away, the boxer became highly aware of the aching on his shoulder blades and stinging on his forehead.

“Let him breathe for a minute, will you?” Kiku retorted with a smile, gesturing for him to walk with her. “Ice and first aid kit.” She whispered to Gaia tapping on the boxes rested on the table behind them where the water tank was.

Jimin chuckled lightly, quietly telling the coach that he will think about it before he moved off leaving him alone with Gaia standing on the side. Smile drowned back into softened expression seeing the woman looking unsure as she shifted in her position. “If it helps I’m too tired.”

Gaia rolled her eyes turning to grab an ice bag and the first aid kit. Padding over, she knelt down on the bench just behind the male carefully placing the ice bag on the bruising.

The male hissed before groaning lightly as his body squirmed a little from the frosty touch. “I probably shouldn’t ask how you liked the match, yeah?”

“No you shouldn’t.” Her lips twitched, eyes following the little orange tinted trails of sweat flowing down his neck. “But you fight well within context I suppose.”

Jimin nodded even though it hurt to do so from the injury. “I can take that, thank you.”

“Keep your hand here.” Gaia requested. When Jimin obliged, she walked over to stand in front of him now with the first aid kit shifted towards them. Placing an antiseptic on the cotton pad the woman carefully tapped it onto the wound making the man wince. “You’ve taken punches but this bothers you?”

“I can’t show that it hurts in the ring.” He smiled watching her continue on with the work.

Gaia hated that she could relate to the idea so much. She could never start wincing and crying whenever everything hurt during a performance or her cramps would get so terrible that her vision blurred. It had be sucked in and used as strength to carry on. Always keep a smile on your face and perfect posture even if your feet bleed across the stage, one of her instructors used to say.

“You’re very good at this.” Jimin gestured with his one free hand.

“Ballerinas get bad injuries too. We have to know how to fix things up when needed.” Gaia spoke but her focus was on placing a gauze on the wound.

“Really? You get punched in the gut?”

She glared at the male before shaking her head. “It’s mostly on the feet.” Gaia took off her shoes immediately causing Jimin to look down and see the bandages wrapped around the balls of her feet, little red spots and healing bruises with a simple band aid on her second toe. “Still want me to come to your matches?” She teased gauging Jimins’ speechlessness.

Jimin flickered his gaze back to the girl and let out a chuckle. “Does it hurt right now?”

Gaia shook her head, light hum under her breath. “I get used to it after a while.”

“Would you ever get used to me then? What I do?” Eyes searched her expression as his words made the woman pause her actions for a moment. It was a shot in the dark asking such a question considering they only knew each other for little time.

She sighed gently placing bandage over the gauze while her fingers kept his hair out of the way.

Silence plunged into the room between the two of them as Gaia finished the dressing before moving her hand to the ice bag so she could hold it instead.

“Are you scared I’m going to hurt you?” Jimin’s tone rung so much more meek than Gaia prepared for. His eyes softened and droopy, bitten lips relaxed into a natural pout. How was it that someone so dangerous could look so gentle this up close?

“A little.” She whispered, wanting to speak honestly. Despite sensing a side of him that those people in the arena would never see right now. “I always think if you can knock people twice your size in the ring in a matter of seconds…” Gaia chose her words carefully. “I don’t exactly want to live my life terrified of making you angry.”

It took a lot out of his whole entire being not to protest heavily on her words but that kind of behavior would really just prove her point. Jimin never knew anything but fighting for what he got. Nobody ever gave him what he needed when he was kind especially not on the streets or even in his own home. A long trail of just fighting, scraping and surviving to get to this point and people loved him for it. They loved the story and journey.

“Fighting is your passion, I could tell when I saw you out there tonight.” Gaia’s fingers drenched at the layer of water droplets around the ice-bag. “It isn’t mine.”

He tilted his head. “Do you want me to give it up?”

Gaia furrowed her brows, stammering a little. “Of course I don’t. Why would you even do that for me?” She chuckled nervously.

Jimin shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve never had a girlfriend before…not the kind that I liked anyway.”

“There’s a kind you don’t like?”

“Yes, unfortunately.” Ever since he rose up to fame, there were a lot of publicity projects to have him parading around with different models and actresses. Thankfully this year Jimin was able to keep himself busy enough for that to be non-existent.

Gaia smiled lightly. A small jolt of courage allowed her to reach out and brush away his hair from his face, warmth radiating between their close bodies. “I like you, Jimin.”

Jimin couldn’t help mimic her smile as his eyes glanced momentarily at her lips. “I like you too.”

She pulled the ice bag when there was nothing but sloshing heard from the inside and walked over to the table. As she placed it back in the mini fridge for it cool up again, she heard shifting from behind her.

He stood from the bench with a light groan when he tried to stretch his back a little. “I’m gonna go shower, you want to join me?”

Gaia glared at him over her shoulders, brows furrowed and mouth agape.

Jimin laughed as he backed away towards the lockers. “Just kidding.” He winked before disappeared down the little hallway that led to the showers.

God the excitement that momentarily rushed through infuriated her. She trained her whole life to keep a strong composure, head held high with a integrity that reached out for miles on end. Of course this was not talk of integrity. This was temptation. That little ache touching her lower belly whenever he smirked her way. Jimin made it so easy to just forget about elegance for a moment and jump into the ring to take what she wanted. The woman was trained to do jumps and leaps all the time.

Zipping down her coat, Gaia shrugged it off to reveal her plain black dress before padding over until the sounds of the shower grew louder.

Hot water trailed down his slightly bruised back, hair sleeked back already fading into a more pale orange and his new bandage already dampening. The shower was mostly opened with a tiny wall just at his waist covering the sides to hold things.

But from Gaia stood just behind him, the girl could see his entire silhouette. She tried to look away but something in her brain seemed to switch off. Steam emitted from the shower adding more warmth aside from the heat on her cheeks.

Jimin looked over his shoulder as he shifted and paused for a moment, the corner of his lips lifting a little. “Did you need something?”

The dancer stammered before swallowing down a small satisfied hum. “Your— your bandage…” She struggled a little as she gestured to her own forehead. A crude excuse to somehow validate her blatant staring at his naked body but Gaia’s proper words were lodged in her throat. Instead her eyes absentmindedly tracing across each toned line of his torso, glistening in the light, arms veiny from the match and his muscular thighs framing something that made her whole body burn like a furnace.

His faint smirk widened looking at how flustered the usually composed girl looked. Turning fully around to face her, he padded closer not really caring about the water droplets gathering around his feet onto the floor.

Gaia backed away as he came closer until her back halted against the wall leaving her to wait until Jimin stood right over her. Water dropped down from the strands of his hairs and some settling on his skin as the heat in the room made her break a slight sweat.

“You wanna fix it?” He muttered, their faces seconds apart to a point where he could see the tiniest little mole on her nose.

Chest rose and fell as Jimin inched even closer until the droplets touched the sides of her face, warmth clouding all judgement and replacing it with this magnet. Just a constant pull tempting her to take the leap.

Gaia closed the tiny space they had left and pressed her lips against his. A burst of curiosity and courage. But she pulled away to let out a shaky breath. “Sorry…”

Jimin grew speechless once again for a moment expecting her to push him away at any moment. His heart pounded right up to his throat, the small memory of her soft lips still lingering so strongly on his own.

Shit he needed more.

Breathing heavily, he cupped her cheeks to have her face him and kissed her, with the same gentle current but a personal intensity. Jimin wanted Gaia to feel the heat rush through his veins making them pulsate and yearn until his head spun. He forced himself to stay at this tantalizing pace, silently reassuring her that it was possible for him to be gentle. Even in the midst of immense desire tightening around his crotch.

Tongue brushed across her bottom lip making her part them just enough to invite him in so he could explore any inch of her that he could.

She traced her hands up his damp arms to his shoulders, the sounds of the shower running creating an ambience amongst the shared pleasure.

Tingles shot up her spine feeling Jimin’s hands trailed down her waist to her hips before wrapping both arms around her and diminishing even the slightest space left between them in a tight embrace. Steam flowed around the couple almost making them look a little hazy like they were lovers in a fog.

Gaia felt her clothes sticking to her dampening skin, lips still in a soul-catching lock that shortened her breath. Whining lightly at the heat she broke the kiss seeing Jimin’s lips so bitten it was to a near bruise.

Her hair felt almost just as damp as his, running his fingers through while succumbing to pressing a few soft kisses on her cheeks and jawline.

“Jimin!”

The ballerina jumped at the voice trying to keep her breath in check while Jimin backed away reluctantly and turned the shower off.

Quickly grabbing a towel to put around his waist, Jimin saw Kiku stomping over to where they were and waving away the fog.

“You trying to start a fire or something?” She chuckled before looking over at Gaia who attempt to look as nonchalant as possible despite standing here while Jimin was supposed to be showering. “Ah—sort of.” She teased.

Jimin smiled nervously, scratching the back of his head as he glanced at Gaia feeling the little nag that they were interrupted too early. “Is it an interview?” He asked.

Kiku nodded. “No it’s…about the opponent.”

Gaia’s heart jumped out of her chest almost predicting the news that was going to fall from her lips. The usual softened expression now contorted into one of concern.

“What is it?” Worry gripped his feature more so because Gaia stood in the room rather than his own. Jimin grew used to bad news at this point.

Kiku maintained her usual serious note for a few moments before a smile quickly stretched across her lips. “He’s okay. It was a broken nose and a few bruises…quite happy with being beaten up by you really. Your fans are fucking weird.”

“So were yours.” Jimin retorted with a smirk, gaze trailing over to Gaia who visibly let out a sigh of relief. It could have been just as easily turned the way around where the girl ran away from him if the news were of a different light.

“Speaking of fans, you two should probably get out of here, they’re getting more crowded out there.” Kiku glanced at the both of them before turning on her heel to leave.

Once Kiku walked away, the couple were left in an awkward silence very much aware of what they did a few minutes ago. Now that woozy heat from the steam faded away into the cool air it felt like they woke up from kind of dream. Gaia was almost not sure if it even happened but the light ache on her lips and the loss of consistent breathing spoke otherwise.

Jimin padded back closer with a towel covering his lower body now. “You alright?” He smiled faintly.

Gaia met his gaze, smile shyly twitching out but she hung her head to hide out. “Yeah I’m fine.” A slight chuckle passed through without her realizing.

“You’ll have to come in the car with me if the crowd’s already happened.” He explained padding over to the lockers where a bag rested on the bench.

She merely shifted a little to see him pulling out a few pieces of clothing.

“Will I have to come to your apartment too because of this inconvenience?” Gaia mused.

Jimin looked over his shoulder as he pulled a T-shirt down his toned torso, tiny laugh passing his lips. “If that’s not too much trouble, butterfly.”

Thankfully the man had pulled his boxers on already so her body could cool down a little more and she focused on his face. Not that it was much help with that stupidly beautiful smirk. “I can live with it for now.”

-

As Kiku said, the crowd was horrendous. Once the doors opened yelling and screaming similar to the kind inside the ring ensued, bodies pressed up against each other trying to get close to Jimin but the security guards easily pushed them back. Jimin pulled one of his hands out of his coat and held onto her hand, guiding her safely to the door.

Gaia could not really make out anything the people were saying which made her scooch close to the male. The only crowd she was used to were the quiet ones during her shows who merely ended it off with a round of applause. Jimin had to deal with near violent people attempting to touch him but he continued to smile through the whole thing.

Finally she saw a car door open and Jimin pressed a hand on her back to lead her inside first. Gaia quickly climbed, shifting to the side where someone tried to open the door but the security guards pressed his back against it.

The door finally slammed shut with the orange haired male letting out a sigh as the sounds of their screaming now muffled against all the doors.

“You deal with this every match?” She asked in a careful tone as the car drove away.

Jimin leaned back into the seat feeling all his limbs a lot cleaner but still exhausted and almost melting through the surface. He met Gaia’s gaze when her question posed, smile stretching on his lips. “When I win, yeah.”

“So every match then?” Gaia smirked, shifting closer to the middle seat so her shoulder pressed against his. “You must have a lot of people who’d love to date you. Especially who condones violence a little more.”

“I could.” He nodded, jutting his bottom lip out. “But then I’d have nothing to work for.”

“Do I make you work?” One of her brows raised up.

Jimin shrugged. “A lot of them just want me to be the same fighting machine as I am in the ring. It takes a lot more work for me to be a person.”

“That’s very deep, Mr. Park.” Gaia muttered, finger tracing down his cheek. “Do you think about stuff like that a lot?”

“Not a lot. Sometimes.”

Eyes searched his expression as her own softened into one of fondness. That was the side of him she could see peeking through. “Well if it helps…a fighting machine would never be so good at kissing.” Gaia gave him a bright grin as the male chuckled.

Jimin smiled down at his fingers before meeting her gaze, tongue darting out to lick his lips while glancing at hers. “That’s good to know.”

-

Car parked at his apartment building in the heart of the city. The couple were led to his penthouse with a crowd of security around them not a gap left between them. Guards dispersed to their different corners of the building to ensure that no one snuck through any door. Two more walked with them on the elevator before they were left alone at the room entrance.

Jimin unlocked the door, glancing back at the security guards before opening and letting Gaia walk in first.

Once the door clicked to a lock and they were both alone, Jimin dropped his keys on the kitchen counter just a few steps ahead. Padding closer to the girl his arms immediately wrapped around her waist and he buried his face into her shoulder.

Gaia couldn’t control the small giggle when she felt his warm embrace from behind as they waddled forward to where the sitting was. The apartment had an open plan, with the kitchen on their left facing the living room area while their right had a space for the gym, punching bag still intact and a clear view of the night city taking most of the wall in front of them. Slowly they moved to the living room still connected by Jimins arms.

“Aren’t you going to show me around the apartment?” She mused pulling away from his embrace and turning around to face him once they reached the couches. Every step he took the girl moved back as if playing a little game. It was strange acting this way in front of someone because Gaia always kept a veil over her, presenting herself as the perfect doll to admire.

“Where did you want to go?” Jimin asked shrugging off his coat and placing it on one of the chairs. “Shower again?” He smirked. “Maybe this time I won’t be the only one naked.”

“Is that what this is?” She smiled unzipping her coat once again as it dropped on the couch behind her. “Have you been trying to get me naked?”

“It’s one of the things.” He scrunched his nose finally halting as he stood over her. “Am I succeeding so far?”

Gaia leaned in a little letting their noses tap one another before giggling. “Aren’t you exhausted?” Hands rubbed up and down his arms, her voice dripping with every inch of mischief in her body.

“Not anymore.” Jimin whispered, hand reaching out to place a loose curl back. “Now I asked you a question, butterfly.”

“All my clothes are still on my body…” She placed her hands behind her back now shifting to the side, away from the couch. “So you’re going to have to work a little harder.” Gaia mused padding towards the kitchen counter with her hair bouncing in the process.

Jimin smirked feeling a fire in his lower belly at her teasing. “Well you seemed to be interested in something last time.” Fingers hooked at the hem of his T-shirt, pulling it over his head and throwing it on the couch before walking over to Gaia as she leaned against the counter.

The girl couldn’t help but bite down her bottom lip, golden torso still glowing a little in the light.

Bare arms now rested on either side of her gripping at the edge of the counter with every intention of preventing her escape. Light scent of water still lingering on both their bodies mixed into a fading remanence of Gaia’s perfume. “It’s your turn now.”

Gaia shook his head. “No, I have a dress on. If I take it off I’ll be in my knickers and you still have your pants on.” Her chin raised in confidence.

Jimin merely licked his lips wanting to desperately to just take them right there and then but she lured him into this play. The one match he could never win. “Fair enough.” His hands on his belt now, pulling at the leather strap while keeping his gaze on Gaia the whole time.

Gaia’s chest began to rise and fall watching the belt being thrown onto the floor then his veiny hands proceeded to unzip his pants before pushing it down to his ankles. Kicking it fabric away she was caged once again by Jimin’s arms.

“I believe it’s officially your turn now.”

Cheeks burning a little, Gaias’ fingers hooked at the hem of her dress before pulling it over her head. Curls covered most of the girls face once the clothing got discarded onto one of the stools.

Jimin couldn’t help but chuckle as he brushed away all the wild hair from Gaias face, a few strands sticking to her glowing cheeks. Lips practically magnetized together in another heated dance previous interrupted. He almost forgot the game being played once his mind drowned into the feeling of her warm kiss calming down every tightened nerve knotted inside him. Except on in particular only grew stronger in his lower belly, blood rushing to his crotch as his hands explored her bare crevices.

Gaia pulled away from the lip lock, letting out a deep shaky breaths as she reached behind and unclasped her bra letting it to the ground between them. Within seconds the male ducked down to press his tongue against the tender skin sliding to her nipple and suckling hungrily.

Arms pushed her up to sit on the counter making the girl gasp as his teeth accidentally sunk into the sensitive area.

Bottom pressed harshly just at the edge of the counter, she spread her legs apart for their distance to be closed completely. Jimin embraced her waist as his lips trailed from the valley of her breasts, to her torso before hovering over the clothed core.

Gaia could already feel pooling between her legs, arousal soaking through the thin fabric. It only ruined more when Jimin pressed his thumb against her clothed clit. Head threw back as her hips leaned into his touch trying to get as much friction as possible but he only lightened the pressure to torture her.

A whine uttered in Gaia’s throat before she grabbed him by the neck and locked their lips together once more, wrapping her legs around his waist. Jimins’ hardening clothed cock pressed her soaking pussy as their tongues danced in a slight battle to somehow express the built up tension.

Jimin grabbed her ass to keep her secure around his waist before carrying her to the bedroom situated on his right.

Sloppily kicking the door open, the man almost stumbled until he finally threw her onto the bed.

Gaia chuckled as she landed on the soft surface, silk sheets gracing her skin while having a gorgeous view of a bothered Jimin pushing his boxers off and kicking them to the side. Her own fingers hooked at her destroyed panties and stripped them down, the thin clothing hung at her ankle.

Jimin hovered over her figure kissing Gaias knees and thighs before brushing his lips towards her puffy pussy. A smirk played on his features as he moved back up watching the girl squirm at the teasing. “Still want to play the game?”

She smiled pushing against Jimin so he could shift onto his back.

Jimin was a little taken aback by the action, breathe hitched in his throat but it quickly dissipated when the gorgeous woman climbed on top.

Both legs on either side of him, wetness rubbed against his hardened member with the same amount of grace as she would in any dance but doused in a little mischief and thousand times stronger dose of passion. Jimin clasped onto her hips almost like his life depended on it. Each rub causing an aching twitch that awakened the warm pool in his lower belly.

Gaia rested her hands on his torso to keep herself balanced. Knees weakened when his cock rubbed against a sensitive spot, her entire body melting more into his touch. Staring down, she watched his tip redden and leak the closer she got to it, pre-cum glistening in the light while dripping onto his torso.

Breathing grew shaky as Gaia kept her movements tantalizingly slow. Nails dug into her thighs, a more impatient side of him wanting to move her body faster but he forced himself to keep control. Instead Jimin filled his mind up to the brim at all surges of pleasure trembling through his veins the moment she rubbed against her tip.

Her slick entrance spewed more and more arousal at every torturous rub. Moving one of her hands behind her body, she kneaded his balls, heavy from his awaiting release making Jimin throw his head back into the pillow.

Gaia pressed her core right against his tip creating a little more friction. She rubbed it on her clit, the heat in her belly tightening but she raised herself up and halted her actions. Both their light whines mixed in with one another in deprivation of their edge.

Slowly she rubbed against the base of his cock and moved her hands back on his torso.

Jimin scoffed out a light moan, digging holes into the skin of her hips from the way he gripped onto them. “Fuck baby I can’t—” He whispered.

“What do you say?” Gaia spoke in such a delicate tone but it exuded so much power, Jimin felt tingles down his entire body.

His rising chest glistened a little from the overwhelming heat huddled around their growing bubble of sin. Eyes lazy and drooping as he watched the faery continue to torture his cock with a brush of her core. “Please—please, please baby…”

“Please what?” She leaned in, a small smirk tugging at her lips. Gaze fixated on the lightly heaving male as her lips pressed wet kisses on his chest.

Jimin growled under his breath. God he could never remember feeling this helpless in the best way possible. The pressure a little heavier when she leaned in but pressed hard enough to make it utterly difficult to come undone. “Please, baby—fuck me…I wanna be inside you, please…”

Accomplishment rushed through Gaia as she moved to her original position, slightly dampened curls falling gracefully over her shoulder and face. Lifting herself up again, one of her hands wrapped around the heavy, hard shaft before positioning it at her entrance. Her soaking core easily swallowed every inch as Gaia slid down.

All his breathing caught in his throat in the few intense moments where he felt his aching cock finally being warmed up by her snug walls. Forehead knitted, pouty lips parted as Jimin’s whole focus fixated on his member disappearing completely inside her.

Gaia had to let out a sigh, almost grabbing at his torso as she tried to adjust to the long awaited feeling. Dull ache quickly faded into a dizzying hot pleasure making her instinctively grind her hips against his. She moved torturously slow allowing him to take every tiny spark and tug at all the right nerves in their writhing bodies.

Jimin bent his knees and carefully met her thrusts, trembling moan mixing in with her whimpering breaths.

Sloshing sounds resonated louder as Gaia increased her pace rubbing at that beautiful spot causing every limb to shake in the new tickles of ecstasy. Jimin’s thrusts grew a little more harsh, balls hitting her ass every time their sweaty skin slapped against each other.

She followed his tingling rhythm, practically bouncing on his cock in a steady heated pattern. Gaia’s head threw back as her moans echoed through the room almost drowned out by the sounds of their sinful pounding.

Jimin almost felt hypnotized by her gorgeous breasts bouncing up and down almost jiggling as their pace into a fast and brutal race. Reddened member drilling into her burning entrance as it clenched around him.

“Oh god—” Gaia whimpered gripping onto Jimin’s shoulders as the warm spot inside her got ravaged by his pulsating cock.

Growling like an animal, he grabbed her by the waist and flipped them around. Legs spread wide Jimin stroked his drenched and glistening shaft before sliding back into her.

Gaia’s wild curls hovered over her eyebrows, wanting to squirm at the sudden empty feeling before her walls were stretched once again with ease. His arms jabbed on either side of her.

Fingers curled around them for a grip as Jimin wasted no time before continuing his thrusts at a brutal pace. “You want me to go slower?” He asked in an extremely shaky tone.

She shook her head frantically, the desperate rolling to the edge coming closer at every burning drill into her core. “Keep going.” Gaia whispered. “Please keep going—” Her free hand slid down to rub at her clit even through his lower belly slapped into it at a beautifully maddening pattern.

Jimin groaned unable to maintain his own fucking sanity watching her take his cock so well and only ask for more. He buried his cock deep inside and paused for a moment, grinding into the back of her hand to give more pressure on her clit. “God you’re so fucking beautiful.” He breathed out.

Toes curled in a little, light aches beating from her healing bruises while he stuffed himself inside her completely. Gaias’ eyes almost rolled to the back of her head but she was allured by his voice. A small chuckle leaving her lips at his words. “So are you.”

The man smiled leaning in to kiss her slightly drying lips from heaving in the heavy midst of pleasure. Hips began a steady pattern once again welcoming back the tumble towards the edge.

In a matter of seconds Jimins’ thrusts turned into an onslaught, mind-numbing pace that caused even the bed to tremble under his movements.

Gaia’s nails raked down his forearm feeling the warmth in her lower belly tighten until the only thought rushing through her mind was reaching that edge. “I’m cumming…” She almost cried out.

“I know, baby…” He could feel her walls clenching around his cock dragging his orgasm to the point of no return.

Whimpering moans flooded out of the woman as the coil in her belly sprung free, warm explosions bursting through and pumping into every veins until she momentarily could only see a flash of white.

Pulling out Jimin immediately spurted out his release onto her stomach, fingers wrapping around the tip making his hips jerk. Eyes flickered down to see Gaia slowly rubbing her sensitive clit to drag out her orgasm. The sight alone caused an extra tingle down his spine. “You should get stuck in the locker rooms with me more often.” He spoke through heavy breaths.

Gaia giggled playfully tapping his chest. “I’ll try to drag my time out in the next match.”

A smirk stretched across Jimin’s lips. “Does that mean you’re coming to the next match?”

“Towards the end.” Her bottom lip pouted out a little. “And less injuries.”

He nodded reaching into a tissue box just to gently wipe off the excess on her stomach. “Less injuries…” Jimin leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Promise.”

-

As the gentle light of the morning flowed in, Gaia wrapped her freshly moisturized body in a thick white robe before she walked out of the bedroom.

Bare feet pattered across the penthouse apartment adorned in nothing but her robe, curls still a little messy and a subtle pink tinge on her lips. Gaia paused in her tracks as the sound of chain clanging and leathery thuds pulsed in the air.

Now on her tiptoes, the woman attempted to be a little quieter as she observes Jimin.

Exposed upper half, back glistening in sweat illuminating all the little crevices that tensed out at every punch and the fading bruise on his shoulder blade. Despite the cool air Jimin still was able to create his own personal radiator around his skin from the constant training.

Painful to admit but Gaia grew a little uncomfortable seeing the quick, hard punches he swung onto the punching bag. Of course she understood why he did it and he was simply hitting an object but it still created an unsettling feeling in her stomach.

Each impact onto the leather made her jump more and more until the girl succumbed to rushing over to the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, Gaia turned on the coffee grinder machine to maybe help drown some of the noises from the other side. This was his job. This was his job. You can’t stop him from training just like he can’t stop you.

Jimin paused mid-swing hearing the grinder turn on, looking over his shoulder but only saw a glimpse of something white peeking out of the corner. He waved out his maroon shirt to cool himself off through thankfully the AC helped him from overheating.

Carefully he walked over to the kitchen corner to see a long waterfall of a curls and an unforgettable figure wrapped in a white robe. Leaning against the kitchen counter, Jimin unwrapped the cloth around his hands. “Morning.”

Gaia jumped with a gasp almost dropping the empty espresso cup in her hand but she quickly hugged it to her chest. She chuckled breathlessly. “Morning.” Gaze stayed focused on the coffee machine even though she could feel his eyes burning through her.

“You okay? Not usually that jumpy.” Jimin squinted placing the cloth on one of the stools before moving closer until he stood right behind the girl. “More than usual anyway aside from the ballerina stuff.”

“I just—” She glanced over her shoulder before facing in front of her. “I don’t usually wake up to…punching. Takes a bit of getting used to.”

Jimin parted his lips as the realization brushed through his mind. “Did my soft butterfly get frightened?” Arms carefully snaked around her waist, face buried into her shoulder.

Gaia whined lightly trying to pull away from his grasp. “Ah don’t, you’re sweaty.”

“You didn’t mind that last night.” His brows furrowed.

“That’s because we were both being dirty, I’ve just showered.” She couldn’t control the smile that ghosted over her lips at the thought of last night’s activities.

Despite her protests, Jimin pressed her closer against his body relishing in her warmth. “That’s too bad now you have to shower again with me.” He chuckled under his breath as his hand snuck into the opening of her robe, feeling the under curve of her breast. “I’ll just do other workouts in the morning. No more punching at this time.”

Gaias’ smile widened seeing Jimin already making compromises without her even asking to do so. “Thank you.”

It was an unlikely match, the elegant dancer and the ruthless fighter but once they cuddled up in their own private bubble, all the hinderance disappeared. It was just wholeheartedly and lovingly them in their rawest forms.

[lovecanbesostrange]

since ouat never really cared about their werewolves, what do you think they can/can't do? I mean, if you could give their condition rules, what it would be like?

UUuuuuuuhhhhh, what a fun and delicious ask. The writers really never thought things through or gave us easy to understand lore. So, if I could have a say and make it all consistent? Here we go.

First up, the superspeed in human form goes. That is too much. Faster than average? For sure. Stronger as seen is fine by me. Let the wolves in humanform have an easy time to break bones, push others around and lift heavy things. Stamina surpassing the average human. And of course all the heightened senses as seen! Very important, everything is louder, smellier, brighter - very sensitive. (Can be used to overwhelm Ruby if need be. harrrrrr)

Something from the comics I'd be okay with is telepathy between wolves. That in their wolf form they can communicate with each other, not just with their animal noises, but telepathy. It's an interesting form of bond. But no communication with humans that way (also not in their human form). It's something that never mattered anyway, since Ruby is alone.

Now, for the most important thing that was glossed over - The Bite (tm). You can be born a wolf or you can be made one, so how does that work? The show tells us that Granny was bitten as a young girl and then the wolf came back and turned her. What does that mean? I propose that a wolf can't just bite anyone and *poof* now they're a wolf. There has to be a deliberate want behind. And let me go further, there has to be a connection between the wolf and the human. I'm not saying it has to be love, but familiarity, a need to add this human to your pack. And some form of willingness from the person being bitten.

Hear me out, outsiders will always talk about the Curse of the Werewolf. Because a person gets bitten, turns into a killing machine with fangs and claws during wolfstime. How horrible! The human family will say that someone was taken from them. But from the perspective of the new wolf, it's finding a new family, a new home, following the call of the wild, joining a pack. It's not easy and it breaks their heart a bit leaving behind what they know, but they will never be accepted in the human world again, right? They will be hunted. But they feel this deeper belonging as a Child of the Moon, it was in them before and when they met a wolf (maybe even in their human form, being drawn to something they couldn't explain)...

From the wolf perspective this is a gift. Marking someone is not be done lightly. And it happens only rarely. But when it does, it's the humans who get to tell the story and this is why werewolves are seen as beasts only. Well that and the unfortunate people being born a wolf, not knowing, having their tragic experiences like Red with Peter. Tragedy!!!

But obviously the bite isn't a curse, because curses can be broken with True Love (tm). Yes, Granny wasn't a fan of wolves, she saw ugly things and hoped her granddaughter would be spared. This is where my need for a Granny-centric episode comes on. Imagine meeting young Granny (imagine her having a canon name). @heartsways wrote something beautiful in her fic that I will now adopt as my headcanon. The reason Granny's wolf faded, apart from a few heightened senses, is that her husband died. So imagine a wolf dying and the ones he bit will not only lose the person, but also this gift. Angst! Layers! More tragedy! It's also why it so rarely happens, because the wolves understand that it is a high price to lose this life again like that. (It's also lifted somewhat from werewolf myths where you need to find the one who bit the person to lift the curse, but again, it's not a curse from the perspective of the wolves here.)

The other obvious thing - silver. Give me wolves that feel like almost indestructable killing machines. The skin so thick a normal sword will barely leave a mark, an arrow won't even stick. (A sharp blade with enough force should do damage, I mean, put a wolf under the guillotine and off that head goes.) But silver is their weakness. And while I am all for faster healing, let silver wounds carry between their forms, always. (Show me scars carry over in transformation.)

The wolf is strong and has many advantages, and since I believe in balance, the weakness against silver is within their human form. (All the jewelry Ruby wears? Lots of material, nothing silver though.) It's how somebody could try to find a wolf, having a silver coin or whatever, letting a suspect hold it and a wolf would react. Like a chemical burn. (Imagine Tamara and Greg doing that trick, that would be an amazing scene.)

Now, in the ideal world Ruby would been around for the whole show and to give her an arc, I'd introduce the concept that there are some werewolves, who master their shapeshifting abilities. Shifting independent of the moon.

Oh right, first I'd set this definite time frame for wolfstime. I'd give it the two nights before the full moon, full moon, and two nights after. So five nights of wolf fun. There.

But anyway, in S5 it's time to get Ruby an upgrade. She's confident in her powers and at peace with her wolf side. Which is key. For most even living in a pack, there is a lifelong struggle of the two sides. But Ruby is an expert now of living different lives, of seeing herself as a whole, made up of so many different ways she ever saw herself. Let there be a cunning shapeshifter around and give her a Big Damn Hero moment. Let her turn into a wolf when our beloved idiots are in dire need of help, give me proud wolf attacking to defend in brought daylight. It's super rare, but so is Ruby. (She should start flashing golden eyes every now and then from S4 onwards to build up to this.)

Other things - wolves are at an disadvantage against magic obviously, and yet maybe some spells don't work as easily against them. The whole strength can depend on the moon phase, like even as a human, they are a bit weaker during the new moon phase, so it's an ebb and flow that helps not being too powerful all the time. Explore that Ruby's sense of loyalty is part of her instinct package. (Girl will follow Snow into hell and back without question. Oh wait...) I'm totally here to add wolfsbane to the weakness list, because that's fun.

( @konako I’m tagging you, because if I’ve forgotten something, I’m sure you will remind me.)

[and-there-were-words]

A Spider Life: You don't belong here (Chapter 03)

Taking place after “Sleep Bug” but before “Dumpling Destruction”.

After a successful mission, there was no time for a long rest. Though, Syntax decided that a little bit of a break didn’t hurt anyone. He was foolish to think that Huntsman would let him be at peace. (Wordcount: around 1300)

---

Blue filled the entire main hall of the Silk Web Cave. The looming forms and shades of their new project towering over all. It was certainly odd to watch these new plans of a mech he hadn't designed himself. Something about it struck the scientist as odd, but he wasn't well versed enough in sorcery and ancient artifacts to really know which item was supposed to do what. It didn't help that basically nobody but the little Miss Mystery knew exactly how any of this was going to work.

But they finally did have a more tangible goal. And one more good thing came out of this whole treasure hunt – Syntax had not to do any research where to find said items, since the girl seemed to already know where they were.

As questionable as this was, his Queen did not raise any concerns about this knowledge, so why should he? Instead, he took the opportunity of free time to work on his own projects. He had to overhaul their Spider Base blueprints, repair some of the Spiderbots and… actually. On second thought, after his successful heist into the Cloud, he deserved an evening of rest. Just leaning back a little, kicking up the feet, maybe coding some new games and programs. When he wasn’t working on machines, he still could experiment with them. It was a blessing when one's job was also their hobby.

Walking deeper into the tunnel system of the lair, Syntax found the little niche that he had claimed for himself. Mostly to sleep and keep a few of his more important items safe. Not that he had many, but it still was a comfort to have a little bit of autonomy, away from all those watchful spider eyes. The scientist hummed, and with the lab coat off, he was officially clocked out for the day.

Sleeves were neatly folded up to the elbows, his utility goggles snapped away. Magic was so handy! He lingered for a moment, holding bright green glasses in hands. Syntax wasn’t entirely sure how or why, but he found himself oddly sentimental over them. Even though one of the lenses had a crack. His eyes were perfectly fine too, so anything looked blurry trough them, rendering them practically useless. With a shrug, he put them back into his little box of trinkets, turning around to his personal computer.

…..

There was not really any sense of time within the Silk Web Cave, not that it mattered much. Hours could’ve pass by and the only indicator that the world was still turning, was that his coffee always grew cold way too fast. Running another test for his current code, Syntax frowned as errors popped up where none had been before. He reached for his cup without looking, first confused about something not being right. It took him a few seconds to notice that he was grabbing into thin air. His cup was not at the spot where he placed it anymore.

“What’cha doing?”, a raspy voice required from his other side, making the scientist jerk violently, nearly falling off his chair. A groan escaped Syntax, slightly turning his head to confirm his apprehension. And indeed, it was Huntsman. With his coffee mug in hands. It was bothersome how he always managed to sneak up unnoticed and seemingly appear out of nowhere. The other spider was not even looking at him directly, just watching the screen displaying an endless amounts of lines with mock interest. It was clear that the hunter had no idea what he was looking at, and Syntax knew that trying to explain any of this to him would be wasted breath. Still, he thought himself better than that.

“Optimizing the behavioral pattern of the Spiderbots. So next time we can spread the Queen’s venom faster.”, he left it at that, starting to tip away on the keyboard again.

“Uh-hu.”, the spider demon mused, but it was clear that this wasn't the focus of his attention at the moment. Instead, he just sniffed at the drink in his hand, nose curling up a little. “...I have no idea how you’re capable of drinking this stuff. Gross.” And with that, the cup was back on the table within Syntax’s reach, but the scientist didn’t dare to touch it. This was obviously a trap, both of them knew. Huntsman never had been subtle about waiting for the other to make a misstep. Syntax wasn't sure what the taller man hoped to achieve, but there was a bitter taste at the back of his throat with how he was watched by this particular spider demon.

Tension filled the room, making the air as thick as butter, as both men were just analyzing each other carefully. It almost felt like a game of chess, one that Syntax didn’t like at all, being forced to play so damn defensively. He still wasn’t sure what he did to upset the hunter, but he clearly was out for his neck in some way or another. It was Huntsman who broke the silence, and to no one's surprise, he just unceremoniously kicked down the metaphorical door.

"You don't belong here.", the spider rasped, stalking awfully close, only to loom over the sitting scientist. Green eyes glimmering in the twilight of the cave, mostly illuminated by just the cold light of the computer screen. Syntax could only swallow, feeling caged like a prey animal under this intense glare.

"You're a disgrace to the clan, human.", the hunter continued his venomous words, "Do you really think you're important to the Queen? Nothing but just a tool, once you've done your purpose, you will be nothing but dinner." The demon cackled, and Syntax could feel his body going into a panic mode. Yet, his mind was still clear, rational. The buzzing crawling up his spine keeping him grounded.

Syntax simply clicked his tongue in a (what he hoped to come off as) unimpressed tsk. "Is that all? I am busy, Huntsman.", he was not going to give in that easily, even though the words were cutting deep, slicing into something that the scientist hadn't even been aware of himself yet.

The hunting spider frowned, letting out a soft growl. Only to grab the coffee mug again, giving it another glance. Apparently, he came to a conclusion in this moment. "You'll never be one of us, freak.", the second that followed felt like an eternity, before ceramic shattered into hundreds of pieces, cold coffee splattering all over the floor. A pang of some emotion shot through Syntax's chest, watching the mess on the ground. Somehow managing to not show a glimpse of this storm of feelings on the outside.

Huntsman almost seemed disappointed, but a breath later, he was showing off fangs in his ugly grin again. A hand reaching for the communicator in his ear as he was surely contacted by the Miss. "Now, this was fun and all.", he mused, crossing arms behind his back as he twirled towards the exit. "It seems that my special skills are needed once again. So long, cyberbug." With that, the hunter was gone, leaving the scientist finally alone.

So much for that rest, Syntax thought bitterly to himself, still staring at the floor. This evening or night had been ruined in every way possible. Now trying to make sense of why his limbs felt so cold and stiff, why his heart was beating in the rhythm of a scared animal while also screaming in anger. His hands clenched into fists, short nails digging into soft palms. Syntax knew all of this already. Knew that this wasn't his place, that he wasn't like the other spider demons. But he was part of this clan, and by the Queen's pride… he will prove that he was a better henchman than Huntsman could ever dream to be.

[justafewsmallsteps]

Okay, with the new series announcement, I’ve finally been inspired to finish off this artwork and story that I’ve been sitting on for years. Call it a goodbye to my headcanon kids because now we have the real deal!!! 

Title: The Golden Girl 

Word Count:

3576

Rating

: G+

Let it be known that Mizuki adored her father. Anyone could tell by the way she followed him around and tried to copy his actions. 

She had his temperament and lack of patience, but in a cuter way (for now). Her big, shiny, golden eyes were just like his, and the black ears atop her head swiveled around just as his did. She loved it. She loved being just like him in every way she could; going around picking up big sticks to swing like her own Tessaiga. 

She looked up to him so much, it made Inuyasha’s heart ache. It did come with some new, dangerous territory though. For instance, he had one hell of a time trying to watch his vocabulary once Mizuki started speaking. He’d never forget the dagger of a glare that Kagome sent his way when their daughter babbled her first, “Damet” after dropping her snack. He thought he would be skinned on the spot. 

“She’s going to copy anything you do, so you have to be more careful!” Kagome chastised. 

“Why me?” Inuyasha asked in a grumbled whine. “She should be looking up to you! You��re her mother, ain’t ya?” 

Kagome frowned. “Mizuki thinks the world of you.” Her expression softened. “That’s what daughters do when they love their dad.” 

A pang of guilt seized his chest. In flashes he remembered another time and place, photographs and a stick of incense at the shrine tucked away in a private room; a young man with Kagome’s eyes. It was something that she didn’t talk about often, but her father’s loss still shook her sometimes. He took in Kagome’s glassy eyes and the pink flooding her nose. He reached around to hold his wife in his arms. “Okay,” Inuyasha mumbled as he kissed the top of her head. “You win. I’ll watch out.” 

So he proceeded with caution, tried to hold his tongue from cursing, and he did his damn best to be more patient than he’d ever thought possible. All for their family, for his wife, for his daughter. 

He never thought of himself as a role model. 

He used to think he was a freak.

But then Kagome came around, and then he had friends. He found a place in the world that accepted him as he was, and he held onto her with a fierce protectiveness. He even let her go once and was forced to find peace within loneliness. He did it for her, because even if he never saw her again, he’d love her. He’d live for her even without her there. 

But then by some miracle Kagome came back. The world was right. He belonged, they got married, and they were a family all on their own.  He didn’t think life could get better honestly. Then they had their first kid. When Mizuki was born, Inuyasha was sure that he’d never seen anything more precious in his life. He loved the dark ears atop her raven-haired head, and he nearly melted the first time she opened her honey-colored eyes. She was an existence made up of his and Kagome’s love. 

He wished she didn’t take so much after him though. She was just shy of passing for normal… 

“So beautiful,” Kagome had whispered, instantly washing away his fears and doubts. “Just like her dad.” 

Beautiful, huh? He hoped that someone would love his daughter like Kagome loved him. He also hoped that day was very far away, he thought warily. For now, he would make sure that his kid felt good about herself. He would never let Mizuki think of herself as a monster or a weirdo. He’d do his damnedest to build her confidence and surround her with love. 

And it worked out pretty well. Maybe too well if her ego was anything like his own. 

Mizuki really did love everything she had in common with her father. When they both heard a sound and turned the same way, she’d puff up with pride. “Mizuki hears it too!” she’d exclaim gleefully, making a point to wiggle her ears. 

It always made him grin. 

He never thought there could be a downside to her adoration. She loved him, she loved herself; everything was good. 

Then Shouya was born. 

Shouya, his son, who did not have his ears or his eyes. He actually looked a lot like Kagome, Inuyasha thought fondly. He had his mother’s nose, her human ears, even her adorable puffy cheeks. The one thing that made Shouya anything like Inuyasha was his distinctly silver colored hair. Yet somehow, despite being almost the opposite of his daughter, he was equally as perfect. Inuyasha had thought it was impossible to love anyone more than Kagome, and then Mizuki, and yet somehow his capacity for love simply grew as soon as he witnessed his son. 

And when Mizuki, at just five years old, laid her pretty, amber eyes on her brother... she burst into tears! Kagome was still bedridden and recovering, so Inuyasha flew into action. He tried to calm her down but she was inconsolable, and her crying triggered Shouya to follow. 

With two wailing children, Inuyasha and Kagome were immediately set to high stress mode. It was not the cute first meeting between new siblings that they had anticipated, dreamt about, planned for when Kagome was still waddling around as she told Mizuki all about being a big sister. 

Instead she cried. A lot. Loudly. 

Inuyasha had to pick up his distraught daughter and take her outside. 

“Kiddo, what’s wrong?” He asked, shifting her a little in his arms. 

Mizuki rubbed at the tears on her face and clutched to her father’s shoulders. Unable to form words past her sobs, she grabbed fistfuls of his hair and tugged, but Inuyasha didn’t pay any attention to the pain. Instead he did his best to soothe her, patting her back until she was reduced to hiccups. That night she cried and sniffled herself to sleep, leaving two very anxious parents. Thankfully Shouya slept soundly. 

It took a week of grouchiness and tantrums before anything productive happened. Inuyasha whined to his recovering wife about his daughter’s poor attitude and lack of communication. Kagome simply laughed at him. “Now you know what it’s like dealing with you.” 

Indignant, he scowled, “She’s a child!” 

“At least she has an excuse,” Kagome retorted cutely. 

Inuyasha would’ve been more upset, but having her humor back was a relief to him. She’d been exhausted and bedrested for the end of her pregnancy. Kaede had assured him that she’d be fine, but it still made him anxious to see her so putout. Shouya came out a fat, healthy baby, but even then Kagome didn’t get much time to relax. The newborn was up at odd hours and constantly hungry. It was the least Inuyasha could do to try taking care of Mizuki, though he hadn’t anticipated her moodiness. 

Whenever they were out of the house and away, she seemed to relax, but otherwise his girl was totally uncooperative. Miroku and Sango figured that she didn’t like sharing the attention. It was something they dealt with in the early days with their own twin girls. They shrugged and gave him their sympathy, but otherwise couldn’t offer much advice except for him to be patient and try to talk to her. 

The problem was Mizuki didn’t want to talk. As soon as he mentioned her brother she’d have a fit. Admittedly, he joked dryly to himself, he felt the same way about his own brother for a long time. The feeling had been mutual, probably. 

But Sesshoumaru was an asshole, and Shouya was barely eight days-old. 

Inuyasha sniffed the air as the wind passed them by. Kagome was waiting for them. “Kiddo, the sun’s getting low. We gotta go home to Mama.” 

Mizuki didn’t look up from her spot on the ground making leaf huts. “I don’t want to.” 

“There’s dinner at home.” 

“I’m okay.” 

He wondered how to persuade her. “Papa’s getting real hungry though. I might fall over if I don’t eat!” 

“Papa can fish,” she replied with no mercy. 

“So we’ll never go home again? I’ll never see Mama again?” 

She seemed to consider that. “Mama can visit us, but leave the baby.” 

Inuyasha folded his arms. “That’s your brother, ‘Zuki.” 

“I don't care. I don’t like him.” 

“So you won’t go home unless we get rid of your brother?” 

“Maybe Mama can put him back in her tummy.” 

He snorted. “That’s probably going to hurt your mother.”

“Then give him away to someone who wants a new baby. Far away.” She seemed set, and if Inuyasha knew anything about his daughter, it was that her stubbornness rivaled her parents’. Yikes. At least that was only half his fault. 

He figured lying would get him farther than arguing for now. It’d get him home at least. “Okay. We’ll tell Mama to leave the baby because you don’t like him. Then you’ll let us go home and eat? I can smell the food. Smells good. Can you smell it, little one?” 

Mizuki wrinkled her nose and sniffed the air. 

“I smell it too, like Papa! It does smell good!” she agreed with enthusiasm, but Inuyasha smirked. She had to be lying. They were far away enough that Inuyasha knew she’d have trouble picking out the scent, but she was always trying so hard to keep up with him. He decided to humor her. 

“You smell the stew?” 

“Yes!” 

“Wow, I’m so impressed. Let’s go get some. I’m starving!” He knelt down and opened his arms wide for her. When she barreled into his arms he was reminded of his great, unending love for her. He spun her around and squeezed her squirmy body as she giggled, then dipped her over to attack her face with kisses. 

“Papa, let’s go!” 

“Okay, okay. Let’s go.” He shot off with his usual pace when carrying his daughter. She liked to feel the bounce of his steps, laughing her way as they went up then down. It was slower than his run, but way more fun. He figured he should put her in the best mood possible when they broke the news that they were going to have to keep her brother around. 

“We’re home,” Inuyasha announced as they entered. 

Kagome was standing near the futon, rocking the baby in her arms gently. 

“Good timing. Shouya just had dinner and just fell asleep.” 

“I’m envious. Sounds like a good life,” he joked. 

Mizuki tugged on his arm. “Papa.” 

Right. 

“So Kagome, I have some bad news.” When she looked at him confused, he made sure to emote that everything was fine. He liked how easily they communicated. 

“Oh yeah?” she goaded. 

“Yup. Looks like we’ll have to get rid of the new baby.” 

“Oh no! That’s so sad. Why’s that?” 

Mizuki squirmed around and pulled her father’s face down. “Papa!” she whispered with urgency. 

He held up a finger, motioning for Kagome to hang on. She gave him a smile to show her amusement. He missed her face today. He hasn’t seen enough of her while he was out distracting their daughter. Speaking of which… 

“What’s up, kiddo?” 

She cupped her small hands around her mouth to relay her secret message. “Tell Mama you don’t want the baby! Don’t tell her I don’t want him.” 

“Mizuki, I’m not going to lie to Mama. You’re the one who wants him gone, so you should tell her,” he whispered back. He lifted his head back to Kagome, assuming she must have at least heard some of their conversation. “Mama, Mizuki has something to tell you,” Inuyasha proclaimed, full-well knowing he was throwing her under the bus. Poor thing. 

The girl seemed to go red in his arms, suddenly panicked as she faced the most intimidating figure in her (and his) life: her mother. 

“Is that so? What do you need to tell me, Mizuki?” 

“I--” She sputtered and her eyes began to water and she looked up at her father, silently pleading for him to take over. He shook his head. Of course he felt bad, but she wasn’t being very cooperative when he asked. Kagome was their best bet at getting some answers. If she could get him to open up, she’d manage a five year-old. 

“You?” she leaded. 

“I want the baby to go away!” she admitted quickly. Her mouth turned itself into a defiant pout, as if she was putting on a brave face. 

Kagome paid it no mind. “You do? Why?” 

She hesitated for a second before supplying, “I don’t like him!” 

“Okay, but why?” 

Mizuki whined; a true, genuine whine that sounded like a puppy. 

Inuyasha would’ve broken, but Kagome seemed unfazed. How could she? Did she have no heart? It amazed him. 

“Do you not like him because he’s a boy?” 

“No.” 

“You don’t like how he smells?” 

“No…” 

“Are you jealous?” 

Bingo. 

Mizuki ruffled and got even redder in the face. Inuyasha gave his daughter a reassuring pat. They already figured that was the problem, but it was a new feeling for her to navigate. 

“Mizuki, are you jealous that Mama spends so much time with Shouya?” Kagome asked softly. 

“No!” she yelped back.  

“Don’t yell at your mother,” Inuyasha chastised. 

She shrunk down, her ears flattening. It must have felt like they were ganging up on her, but the time had come for her unexplained tantrums to end. With pent up frustration and embarrassment, pools of tears began to stream down her face and she cried, “I hate him!” 

“You don’t have to be jealous, kiddo.” 

She wailed, and Shouya finally took notice of the volume, beginning to wiggle and fuss in his mother’s arms. Kagome motioned for Inuyasha to take her away so she could calm him down before he had his own fit. The baby was a heavy sleeper and not a huge crier, but he was cranky when woken up. They’d both be miserable with the two of them crying up a storm, especially Inuyasha with his sensitive hearing. 

As soon as he got out the door, he went into comforting mode. There was no use trying to talk to his little girl in this state. He bounced her up and down, shushing her and rubbing her back as she got out her tears and hiccuped. 

Inuyasha wracked his brain for the right approach. He had only recently come to terms with expressing his emotions. How was he supposed to tell a child to handle hers? “It’s okay to have feelings, you know.” 

Exhausted from crying, she slumped against his shoulder. 

“Papa gets jealous too sometimes. Is that what’s happening? You’re jealous?” 

She sniffled and slowly nodded. He could feel the heat and moisture of her tears seeping into his firerat. Probably snot too. 

Gross, he thought affectionately. 

“That’s alright. Do you want to tell me why?” 

He felt her shake her head. 

“And it’s not because Mama’s busy taking care of him?” 

Another no.

He was kind of at a dead end. She was jealous without much reason behind it. Was she capable of having a good reason? He searched the recesses of his mind, channeling the nurturing care of his wife. 

“Even if I love your brother, you know I don’t love you less, right?” 

“Okay,” she replied in a small voice. 

“Does that make it better?” 

Negative. 

Inuyasha sighed, feeling impatient and hopeless. 

Kagome emerged from the hut just then; Shouya once again soundlessly asleep and swaddled against her chest. She smiled at him sympathetically, knowing that crying was never his wheelhouse. He’d always hated when women cried, but Mizuki’s tears were a whole other level of unbearable. 

“The weather is nice. The sunset looks like it’ll be pretty,” she stated in a soft, even tone. 

“Wanna take a look, kiddo?” 

“The colors are pretty. The clouds are getting pink! Our favorite.” 

Mizuki shuffled a little as her father angled himself so that she could see from her place on his shoulder. She turned to rest her cheek on him, but otherwise kept sniffling. 

“Are you feeling any better now?” Kagome asked her daughter, placing a quick kiss to her swollen face. 

Instead of replying, she tugged at her father’s hair again, using it to cover her face. It was a strange, new behavior. Usually when she wanted to hide she’d simply turn her head into his shoulder. Maybe it comforted her though. 

“Not sure why she’s doing that,” Inuyasha murmured. “She does it whenever she has one of her fits now.” 

Kagome stared for a while before she let out the lightest gasp. When the hanyou looked down at her curiously, he saw the familiar expression of her coming to some kind of understanding. 

“Oh, Mizuki…” she cooed with sympathy. “You poor baby.” 

Inuyasha raised a brow and Kagome pulled away to laugh. Whatever it was, he knew she’d explain, but it was killing him to be out of the loop. 

“She just wants to be like her Papa,” she said with soothing empathy threading her tone. Kagome looked up at her husband fondly, taking her hand to cup his cheek. “From his golden eyes,” she ran her thumb across his eyebrow. Then she reached up towards his ears to stroke one until it flicked in response, “To his fuzzy ears…” she smiled brightly, “to his pretty, silver hair…” Kagome finished, loosely twirling a strand around her finger before turning her gaze to their son. 

It clicked for him then. 

“You’re jealous of your brother because of his hair?” 

Mizuki whimpered, the scent of collecting salty tears assaulting Inuyasha once more as she grabbed more of his locks to cascade down over her own head. 

Mystery solved! 

It was so cute and so stupid that Inuyasha wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. 

“Is that really it, ‘Zuki?” 

“I told you, she wants to be just like you,” Kagome reiterates, placing a soothing set of fingers to touch her daughter affectionately. 

“Keh!” Yet somehow he was blushing. Maybe it had to do with the way Kagome was beaming at him, prettier than any sunset. “That’s stu--silly. What a silly reason to be upset.” 

Mizuki huffed in anger. 

“I mean,” he faltered. “It’s sweet. It’s very sweet.” Finally feeling like he had a hold on things and the world made sense again, he mindfully moved back his daughter’s sagging body from his shoulder, some of the hair getting pulled along with her. “But you don’t have to be jealous, little one. You’re great just the way you are, you know that?” He nuzzled their noses together. 

“B-But I want to be like Papa!” she sobbed, pushing back. Not even her snotty nose or blotchy crying face could detract from how wretchedly adorable she was. 

Kagome thought her heart would melt. “Papa is pretty great, but baby, you are so much like him! You don’t have to have everything be the same.” 

It didn’t seem to matter. “Why does the baby have Papa’s hair and I don’t? It’s not fair!” 

Both Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged looks. It was clear that Mizuki wasn’t going to get much consolation from her mother on this issue. 

Finally, an idea popped into Inuyasha’s head. 

“You got my eyes though, don’t ya?” He asked, looking right into her honey colored irises. They were even more intense at this golden hour. 

“Yeah…” her ear twitched along with her sniffle. 

He grinned. “Then you see the same way I do. You see everything I do, right?” 

“Right,” she agreed. 

“When I look at you, I see the most perfect little girl in the world. Beautiful eyes, cute little ears and nose, pretty hair like her mother, and the best smile. I see all that. You see it too?” 

Mizuki’s eyes watered again, but she nodded. Kagome took the time to brush back the hair stuck to her face. 

Inuyasha prodded his daughter more. “You see it, kiddo? Just like me?” 

“Yeah.” 

“That’s what I want to hear!” He pulled her from his body and hoisted her into the air. It was one of their favorite things to do. He spun her around and tossed her until she was nothing but an exhausted heap of smiles, and the stars began to twinkle in the early evening sky. 

Later that night when she was about to sleep, Mizuki looked at her brother for a long time before turning away with a curt, “Goodnight baby. We won’t give you away.” 

Kagome snorted back a laugh and had her husband put her to bed. Crying, laughing, and letting go of a grudge all in one day really took it out of their poor toddler. Still, seeing Inuyasha fumble through feelings and childrearing-- it all felt so surreal. It felt like home, and she’d never been more content with her life. 

Once the kids were both asleep and tucked away, Inuyasha sat behind his wife and finally held her close, his head sitting on her shoulder. He inhaled her scent to re-center himself. 

“Tough to be a dad?” she asked teasingly. 

“She’s a lot to handle.” 

“She’s just like her father.” 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes but let them fall shut as he nuzzled into the crook of her neck. 

Kagome turned her cheek and pressed her lips against his bangs. 

“Perfect to me,” she added. 

Embarrassed but happy, he simply tightened his arms around her. “Yeah, yeah.” 

[onecanonlife]

careful son (you got dreamer's plans)

Wilbur gasps back to life with mud between his fingers and rain in his eyes.

Wilbur was dead. Now, he is not. He can't say that he's particularly happy about it.

Unfortunately, the server is still as tumultuous as ever, even with Dream locked away, so it seems that his involvement in things isn't a matter of if, but when.

(Alternatively: the prodigal son returns, and a broken family finally begins to heal. If, that is, the egg doesn't get them all killed first.)

Chapter Word Count: 4,369

Chapter Warnings: swearing, references to past child abuse (regarding c!Tommy)

Chapter Summary: In which Schlatt is his own brand of irritating, Wilbur and Tommy talk a bit but not about everything, and they make their way to Dream’s prison cell.

(masterlist w/ ao3 links)

(first chapter) (previous chapter) (next chapter)

Chapter Five: hide your soul out of his reach (i)

“You’re stalling.”

“I’m what?”

His response is automatic, comes spilling out before he truly registers that someone has spoken to him, much less who it is. So when he looks up and locks gazes with Schlatt, the annoyance bubbles up quickly. He’d been sitting quietly, in a relatively secluded area near Tommy’s house, thinking about nothing in particular and everything all at once, and he’d felt settled. Peaceful. His mind quiet.

So much for that.

“I thought you’d fucked off somewhere,” he says.

“And deprive you of my company?” Schlatt shoots back. “You wound me.”

“I wish I could,” he mutters. He glances away, staring off into middle space, hoping that maybe, Schlatt will go away if he pretends very hard that he doesn’t see him. No such luck, and he sighs. “What am I stalling about?”

“Dream,” Schlatt supplies. He strides closer, then kicks off into the air, drifting aimlessly in a seated position. The sweater still looks odd. Too soft, when the man in front of him is anything but. “You said you were gonna go see him.”

“And I am. Just not yet.”

Schlatt snorts. “What’s keeping you?”

He frowns. Meets Schlatt’s eyes again, and finds no sympathy there. A bit of hard amusement, at best. Not that he was expecting anything else.

“Tommy’s going to want to come with me, when I go,” he says. “But I don’t want him near Dream.”

Schlatt makes a sound that’s more mocking than understanding. “Right, Tommy,” he says. “Where is the kid? I’m surprised he left you alone in the first place.”

“Tubbo went back to his town. Snowchester, I think they said it was called.” There is an undefinable melancholy that fills him at the thought. Even now, after everything, they are still trying to make a home. Still trying to carve some corner out of the world and make it theirs. Or Tubbo is, at least. He’s no longer quite sure what Tommy wants. “Tommy went with him.”

“But you didn’t.”

He shakes his head. Tubbo said that there were other people who lived in Snowchester, when he asked. Jack Manifold, for one. Maybe a couple of others. Captain Puffy, maybe? Either way, to go with them would have been to invite the possibility of meeting people, and every cell in his body cringes away from that idea. He’s not ready for that just yet. If ever.

(you’ll have to face them eventually, will have to stand your ground against the hatred in their eyes, burning and so well-deserved, shattered fractals of a people you used to belong to and did your best to destroy)

(you’ll have to face them eventually, and yet you hide)

“Tommy said he’d be back later,” he says. “He doesn’t live there. In Snowchester.”

“So here you are, waiting for him.”

“I suppose.” He frowns, shifting in place where he’s sitting on the ground. He brushes his fingers against the grass, absently pulling up a flower or two. “It’s not as if there’s not time. We can wait until Tommy’s not quite so—” He trails off here, not quite sure how to finish the sentence. Not quite so what? Not quite so traumatized? Trauma doesn’t work like that, doesn’t go away within the span of a few days or weeks. He knows as much, though he used to be content enough to ignore it

(when he was the one causing it)

back in the old days, when there was no choice otherwise, when there was no chance of rest.

“Well, aren’t you considerate,” Schlatt says, and Wilbur looks at him sharply, because that was definitely snide. Schlatt stares right back, brows lifted, smirking. “Waiting for your little brother to be a little less broken. How kind of you.”

He bristles. “Don’t talk about him like that.”

“I’ll talk about him however I want,” Schlatt says. “What are you gonna do, shout at me? Play some shitty music? Please. But all I’m saying is that a few days isn’t gonna make a difference, and you know it. You’re stalling to make yourself feel better, to try and convince yourself that you’re better now, that you’re not gonna hurt him anymore.”

His mouth goes dry. “I’m not—” He shakes his head again, as if trying to dislodge the idea. “It doesn’t matter right now, anyway,” he says. “He’s in Snowchester. He’s not here. There’s nothing to do until he gets back.”

“Oh my god, just comm him,” Schlatt says. “Tell him you’re going over to the prison. Do it now, and you can leave before he decides to go with. Win win.”

“I don’t—” He furrows his brow. He doesn’t have his comm. He’s not sure where his comm is. Except—

For the first time, he thinks to check the pockets of his coat. The first couple turn up nothing, but then, in the third, his fingers wrap around a sheet of thin, hard plastic. He freezes for a moment, and then draws the communicator out, holding it loosely in his hand. A tap on the screen, and it lights up, just the way he’s used to.

It doesn’t make sense for him to have this.

Schlatt leans over his shoulder and whistles.

“Daddy’s worried about you,” he says, and Wilbur blinks, pulling up his unread messages. There shouldn’t be any, shouldn’t be any at all, because he can count the number of people who knows that he’s back on one hand. And yet, there is one, and perhaps he shouldn’t be surprised at the identity of the sender, but he is.

Philza whispers to you: don’t mean to be pushy but could you let me know you made it to smp lands safe?

He has to read the message several times before its meaning sinks in, and once it does, he’s not sure how to feel about it. It doesn’t particularly read like Phil wrote it; it’s too hesitant, too apologetic. But Wilbur remembers what Phil looked like, standing in that kitchen, wingless and so very cautious, flinching away from his words as if they were physical blows. And in the end, letting him go, even though it was plain as day that he would have liked nothing more than to keep him there.

He’s angry with Phil. For a lot of reasons. But then, he’s angry at the world, too. Angry at himself, most of all.

(and there is so much of him that just wants someone else to swoop in and fix things, just wants his dad to make everything better in a way that he hasn’t since he was a kid and the first fracture formed, splitting their family apart, and as much as he is angry there is a large part of him that just wants to go back to that house and sink into his father’s arms and learn how to call a place home again)

“You gonna answer?” Schlatt asks.

He ignores him, checking the timestamp. It was sent a few hours after he left the tundra. So, a couple of days ago, now, and there have been no messages since. Perhaps it’s no longer relevant.

He hesitates, eyes tracing over don’t mean to be pushy.

It feels so strange, for Phil to qualify a sentence like that. Like he’s unsure of his welcome. And perhaps he’s right to be.

You whisper to Philza: I’m safe.

“Touching,” Schlatt says dryly. He scowls, trying to bat him on the arm or push him away or do something, but his hand goes through, and Schlatt just smirks some more for his efforts. “Now do Tommy.”

He puts the comm down on his lap, turning to face Schlatt fully. “Why are you being so fucking insistent?” he demands. “You’re a ghost, you can go by yourself. Through the walls and shit, since apparently you get actual ghost powers.” Ghostbur didn’t get ghost powers. He recalls that very clearly, because Ghostbur was immensely disappointed by this. For once, he agrees with the shade.

“And do what, look at him? Like it’s a fucking zoo? Watch him twiddle his thumbs and chuckle evilly to himself? Not exactly my idea of a good time,” Schlatt says. “I don’t know if you forgot, but nobody can see me. Hell, for all you know, I’m not even real. You could be making me up.”

He tries to brush the comment off. It hits just a bit too close to home

(whispers in shadows and enemies around every corner, people watching and staring and plotting against him, and no one else can see, Tommy can’t see, but that’s alright, he sees enough for both of them, and he will have his victory, and if he cannot have that, then nobody can and there is laughter, laughter, laughter)

for his comfort.

“If I were making you up,” he says, “I would simply stop.”

“Cute,” Schlatt says. “Do you wanna know what your problem is? Your problem is that you’re scared of people seeing you for what you really are.”

His hands clench.

“You say you don’t want to hurt Tommy? Fine. I even believe you,” Schlatt continues. “But don’t act like you’ve come back to life and suddenly you’re some saint. You’re fooling yourself, Wilbur. People like us don’t change. You can put on as much of a shine on the outside as you want, but scratch that paint off, and you’re still the power-hungry asshole who blew up a city as a hissy fit.”

His mouth works for a second, wordless.

“Fuck you,” he snarls, and scoops up his comm again.

You whisper to TommyInnit: I’d like to visit the prison today

“Was that so hard?” Schlatt asks.

“Fuck you,” he says again. “And fuck off. Or I swear to god I’ll figure out a way to exorcise you.”

“Please do,” Schlatt says. “I’d thank you for it. But sure, have it your way.” He shrugs, looking completely unconcerned. “I’m never too far.” Then, he disappears, and there is a shimmer of blue in the air, and even that fades away, and Wilbur is left alone and feeling no better for it.

“It wasn’t a fucking hissy fit,” he says to the empty space. There’s no one left to hear him, no one left to justify himself to, but

(it wasn’t a hissy fit it was desperation and fear and wild abandon and a surging, terrible victory and a fire in his chest driving him onward and he relished in it, relished in the freedom and the power and the control and he was the villain, he was the villain and he was good at it, he was the villain and he loved it, he was the villain and everyone else paid the price and he didn’t pay at all so what happens now, what happens to the villain back from the grave what happens)

he’s not wrong. Not about this.

TommyInnit whispers to you: ok

TommyInnit whispers to you: i’ll be back soon

TommyInnit whispers to you: dont leave without me or your a bitch

He doesn’t leave without him.

He should. Should venture on to the prison by himself, to spare his brother the effort. But in the end, he can’t bring himself to do it. Can’t bring himself to go it alone. Perhaps it really is pathetic, but he wants to have someone by his side when he starts revealing himself to the rest of the server.

It’s certainly selfish. But he’s never claimed not to be.

They don’t meet anyone on the way. Wilbur doesn’t understand why, not when the sun is shining brightly and they’re walking the established path, matching each other stride for stride,

(there was a time when he would have walked behind you, would have trailed on your coattails, would have looked to you for direction and guidance and look at him now, look at who he has been made into, a child who should not have to be as grown as he is but there is no changing it now and he really is someone to be proud of, isn’t he?)

but they run into nobody, and those vines are fucking everywhere.

“Why hasn’t anyone cleared these?” he asks, more to himself than anyone else. “They’re a fucking eyesore.”

Tommy snorts. “You don’t need to tell me,” he says. “They’re ugly as hell. But there’s this Egg thing, see, that BadBoyHalo and a couple of others are all constantly going on about, and those vines come from it, I think. I don’t see what all the fuss is about, personally. I mean, it’s just an Egg. Can’t be all that great. But BadBoyHalo swears by it.” He pauses. “Well, he doesn’t swear. He says muffin by it, I suppose. Still can’t get him to swear.”

“An egg,” he says, and then frowns. “An Egg,” he repeats, and there’s a difference in the way he’s saying it, in the strange emphasis that implies the capital letter. “That’s—vines don’t come out of eggs. They’re not—vines don’t hatch, and eggs aren’t fucking plants.” And then, he remembers— “Techno told me about an egg. Said he thought it was some kind of cult. He didn’t know much else.”

Too late, he realizes what he’s said, and catches the way that Tommy stiffens.

“You’ve been to see Technoblade, then,” he says, and his voice is far too casual to actually be casual. He winces.

“When I—woke up,” he says, “I was really near the tundra. And I remembered where he lived, from when Ghostbur would visit. And I thought that maybe—”

“I mean, you don’t need to explain it,” Tommy interrupts, but his tone of voice tells Wilbur that actually, he really does need to explain it, because there is undoubtedly a note of hurt there, and that won’t do.

“No, no, I do,” he says. “I know you’re not exactly good with each other right now. I’m not really good with him either. But I woke up and it was raining and I didn’t know what the fuck was going on, and I made a list, see? And number one on that list was to get to you. But I was cold and wet and I had no idea what was happening in the SMP because Ghostbur’s memories are patchy as hell, so I thought that Techno could tell me some things so I wouldn’t go in blind and walk into—I don’t know, a nuclear war or something.”

Tommy makes an odd sound at that, like a cross between a cat having a hairball and someone choking on water gone down the wrong pipe. “Nuclear war,” he repeats, in a voice that’s a bit strangled, and his words seem to trip over each other in his rush to get them out. “Right. Yeah, no, none of that here. Nope. No way that could ever happen. Uh, yeah, no, that makes perfect sense.” He stops, and Wilbur is about to ask what the actual hell that was about, when he speaks up again. “Is he—I mean, how is he? Still a fucking crazy arsehole?”

Wilbur looks at him. Tommy does not look back. In fact, he seems to be making a point of looking straight ahead, avoiding eye contact.

“Yeah,” he says softly. “Still an arsehole. Same old Techno, you know him. Phil, too.”

He doesn’t think he imagines the way Tommy’s shoulders relax at that, just fractionally.

“Right, yeah,” he says. “Good to hear.”

“Tommy—” he starts, and is saved from having to figure out what he’s going to say, because suddenly, he sees it. The prison. There’s no way that it could be anything else. And he has to stop and stare for a long moment, because he’s never seen a build like that before. Not on any server he’s ever lived on. He’s seen some impressive buildings in his life, and he’d like to think that he’s made a few himself,

(walls to keep them safe to protect them and hold them dear and he hasn’t seen Fundy yet, has he?)

but nothing compares to this.

“Who built this?” he breathes. He feels claustrophobic just looking at it, dark walls towering over them, looming, intimidating.

“Sam did,” Tommy says. “He’s the warden, too. But Dream commissioned him, which is what makes it so fucking funny.”

He feels a grin spread across his face.

“Wait,” he says, “Dream’s locked in his own fucking prison?”

“Dream’s locked in his own fucking prison!” Tommy whoops, and just like that, he’s laughing, and they both are, and maybe he can do this after all. He follows Tommy’s footsteps as he leads him to the doorway, to an empty room with a portal frame, and he’s sizing it up, trying to figure out how they’re supposed to get through, when Tommy steps forward.

“Sam?” he calls out. “You here?” And then, to Wilbur: “Sam’s kind of a dick when he’s got the whole warden thing going on, but he’s pretty nice when he’s not working. He’s been a good friend, you’ll like him. Later, I mean. When he’s not being a dick.” And then again: “Sam? Sam, we want to visit Dream!”

“You don’t need to yell, Tommy. I’m right here,” someone says, and there is another person in the room, and every muscle in Wilbur’s body tense because he didn’t see him come in. “I wasn’t expecting—” And then the man stops, staring right at Wilbur, and Wilbur is left to size him up and rack his brain as to whether or not he’s formally met Awesamdude before. He’s been on the server for a while, he knows. Was around for L’Manberg, was a part of the Badlands, was neutral. He’s met him before. He’s almost certain he’s met him before. But there’s no spark of recognition in him, looking at this man, with his full netherite armor and the mask covering the lower half of his face and the green patches that dot his skin.

“Wilbur Soot,” Sam eventually says. “I would assume? Not Ghostbur?”

He regains himself. Inclines his head. “You’d be right,” he says, and then he steps forward, taking his place at Tommy’s side, and he extends a hand. “Sorry, I’m not sure that we ever really got the chance to meet.”

Sam takes his hand, showing only a bit of hesitance. His grip is firm.

“I’d say it’s a pleasure,” Sam says. “I’m not sure if it is or not.”

“You know what?” Wilbur says. “That’s fair.”

“Hm,” Sam says, and it’s hardly approval. But Wilbur is very aware of the fact that they’re standing in the entrance of a prison, a prison that is supposedly inescapable, and that he has definitely, by the standards of the server, committed at least one crime. And what’s more than that, he doesn’t particularly regret it. Not the act itself. The effects it had, maybe. The pain it brought. But in his heart of hearts, he is glad that L’Manberg is gone.

So really, the fact that he isn’t being arrested is a win.

(he thinks, he wonders, what would he do if he was, if he was locked away in the dark and the walls loomed all around him and the sun was a distant memory and ah, he thinks, no, I would rather die, and then the imagined prison becomes Pogtopia, shadowy and dank and every sound echoing off the stone, melancholy and abandoned, and he wonders what it looks like now, now that there is no life in it at all, and he wonders if it is haunted with the ghost of who he used to be, if he left some important part of him behind to shrivel into dust)

“So, I assume this is a recent development?” Sam asks. He’s being very calm about this, which Wilbur appreciates. But then, they were never close. Were never connected personally. The real tests still lie ahead.

“Couple of days,” Tommy says cheerily. “We’re taking it slow.”

“I didn’t know you knew how to do that,” Sam says, and Wilbur blinks, because it’s a joke. Someone feels familiar enough with Tommy to make the comment, and likes him well enough to make it playful.

That’s—good? He thinks it’s good? Probably? Yes. Good. Tommy has friends. Good.

(he doesn’t need you. not really. he wants you, for some godforsaken reason. but he doesn’t need you)

“Oi, I can be slow,” Tommy says. “I can be the very slowest. I am excellent at being slow, I’ll have you know.”

“Well, that explains a lot,” Wilbur says, and Tommy gapes at him, looking back and forth between them with a dawning expression of betrayal.

“Oh no you don’t,” he says, stabbing a finger at both of them. “I didn’t introduce you so that you could go ganging up on me. That’s just not right. I changed my mind, Wilbur, you’re not allowed to like Sam. None of this bullshit.”

Wilbur laughs, and for a moment, it’s like nothing has changed at all. He’s ribbing his little brother, and there’s even someone else here for support, and it’s not Techno, but that doesn’t seem to matter so much. The motions are familiar, the words an old pattern.

“You’re here to see Dream, right?” Sam says, and just like that, the illusion shatters. And the smile is gone from Tommy’s face.

“Yeah,” he says. “Yeah, we are.” He hesitates. “We can both go in together, right? Because I’ll tell you right now, nothing else is going to work. We’re a package deal, me and Wil are.”

Sam tilts his head. “No one’s ever tried to visit with someone else,” he says. “I don’t see an issue with it, as long as you both pass security.”

This is relieving. But Wilbur’s a bit more concerned with the way that Tommy’s hands have begun to shake. Just slightly, barely enough to see.

“Good,” Tommy says. “Wilbur, there’s so much security, it’s honestly ridiculous. There’s a bunch of checkpoints and lava and you have to put all your stuff in a locker and get splashed with potions, and oh! There’s wavers, too, you’re going to have to sign a bunch of shit.”

“Great,” he says. It’s not great. It sounds nerve-wracking, in fact. But if Tommy can do it, so can he; he’s just a bit worried that Tommy can’t do it. Or rather, not that he can’t do it, since he’s done it before, apparently. Just that maybe, he really, really doesn’t want to do it. That maybe, it will not be very good for him to do it. That maybe, he’s putting himself through this for Wilbur’s sake, and hasn’t Wilbur just established that he doesn’t want to hurt Tommy anymore?

(but the past echoes forward into the future and there’s no way around it now)

But they’re here, and he’s not going to be able to get Tommy to turn back, and he’s not sure that he would even if he could, because his nerves are all shot and he doesn’t want to be in this dark prison without an ally. So Sam guides them through the checkpoints, and there are indeed a lot of wavers, and a lot of splash potions, and Tommy has to put all of his things in a locker. Wilbur pulls up his inventory, certain that he doesn’t have anything on him, still, but he’s not entirely right about that; he must have kept the flowers he was pulling up earlier, because he’s got about five cornflowers in one of the slots.

He puts them in a chest, and ignores the startled look that Tommy shoots him when he sees. He’s not sure what that’s about. They’re just flowers.

The walls are too close. The shadows too dark. The crackle of lava too near. Tommy is putting on a front, chatting at Sam more than he is with him, and to his credit, Sam puts up with it with easy acceptance. But Wilbur knows that a front is all it is, because his smiles don’t reach his eyes, and he knows how Tommy sounds when he’s talking for the sake of hearing his own voice.

This may, perhaps, be a mistake.

(you can’t let him near Tommy don’t let him near Tommy not after what he did to Tommy don’t you know can’t you remember how can you be letting this happen after what he did Tommy shouldn’t be anywhere near here but now he is and you brought him and what kind of a brother are you)

But he has questions he needs to ask. And he hasn’t forgotten his list. His goals.

If there is anything he can do on this server to make it better, after everything he’s done, let it be this.

“Alright,” Sam says, “call for me when you want to leave. Make sure to walk with the bridge.”

And then the curtain of lava falls, and there is a moving platform, and Tommy is deathly still by his side, and there is the cell, and there, in the cell—

Dream.

He’s wearing an orange jumpsuit. A prisoner’s outfit. But he’s kept his mask, stark-white and smiling and laced with spiderweb-thin cracks. His mouth is visible, canting upward into a slight smile, one that mimics the black paint. He stands at their approach, and then they’re stepping into the cell, and Wilbur lets his hand land on Tommy’s shoulder, to steady him and to steady himself.

“Oh, fuck,” someone says, and it’s not him, and it’s not Tommy, and it’s not Dream, and it sounds faint and far away. The living aren’t the only ones in this cell, then. He hopes that Schlatt has the good sense not to be too distracting.

Dream takes a step forward. Under his hand, Tommy stiffens.

“Hi, Tommy,” Dream says. “It’s good to see you.” It’s directed at Tommy and Tommy alone, like Wilbur’s not even there at all, Dream’s mask tilted toward toward him, toward the kid that he manipulated and abused, and Tommy is trembling and Dream has no fucking right to address him like that, so soft and friendly, and Wilbur—

—sees red.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

TWDG: The Final Season | Character Discussion | 1/2

Part 1 | Part 2

“Everyone’s counting on me to step up. Be the leader they need me to be... I really want to be that for them.”  

So.... let’s talk about Marlon. 

I mean, let’s really talk about him. Ever since I started this blog, some common questions I get revolve around Marlon- “How do you feel about Marlon?” “Do you think he deserved a redemption arc?” “Why do you think he was sent to Ericson?” “In your opinion, is Marlon a bad person?” and many others. 

Some ask with expectations that I’ll express a distaste or hatred for him, while others ask with a more sympathetic approach. If you know me, if you’ve been here for a while, then you know that I do indeed like Marlon as a character, and today I want to talk about him from my perspective while playing this game. 

And with that comes a seemingly unnecessary disclaimer, but one I feel I need to add in order to make it abundantly clear: I will be discussing MY thoughts, experiences, and feelings about Marlon within TFS and give my take on his character. Because we’re not the same person, you may have a different opinion or perspective on his character, you may disagree with something I say, and that’s perfectly okay. You’re entitled to your opinion as I am mine, and I do encourage you to join in on the discussion and express your thoughts about Marlon, but I also want to let you know that you can do that without attacking me or anyone else. 

Really, this is pretty much me looking at Marlon’s role and arc within TFS, discussing points of his character that I find interesting, exploring the why’s and how’s of his actions, maybe coming up with a couple theories as to why he was sent to Ericson, and basically giving a lot of personal opinions of him. It’s a discussion meant in good fun, that’s all I’m saying. 

Before we dive right in, I do want to thank @pi-creates​ for providing me with most of the screenshots used in this. I appreciate the help! If you haven’t already, go check out Pi’s blog for some of the best screenshots and model swaps in the TWDG community! Thank you, thank you!

[First and foremost, y’all are sleeping on Ray Chase’s performance as Marlon and it really shows]

“Looks like I was announced as Marlon, the central focus in this first episode of The Walking Dead Season 4 coming in a few weeks. I've been playing this series since the beginning, and it was a real honor to be a part of the canon. I hope you enjoy!“ - Ray Chase’s Twitter account | July 26, 2018

I want to start this off with praising Marlon’s voice actor, Ray Chase, for doing such a perfect job of bringing Marlon’s character to life. Every emotion and infliction feels genuine, and there’s isn’t a single moment where I don’t “see” Marlon, y’know? I mean that in the sense that every line delivered is believable and doesn’t break my immersion with, “Oof, they really used that take?” 

I know we throw praise upon Melissa, Tayla, Sterling, and Gideon [and for good reason, they’re all fantastic, too!] but even with them there are a couple of lines that I notice have a lack of flow or sound just a bit off. I’ve played TFS how many times? And not once have I had that issue with Ray Chase as Marlon, so bravo to this man. Credit where credit is due, his performance is damn near flawless.

Especially in the confrontation scene at the end of Done Running. I’ll get into that scene as a whole later, but just looking at the performance and the intense, impactful emotion brought to that scene, just..... *chef kiss*

Thank you, Ray Chase. 

[What’s up with your haircut, Marlon?]

“Uh, I look cool... I say, I look cool.”

Lemme talk a little bit about Marlon’s design- I think he looks great. 

I love the little details in the Ericson varsity jacket he wears... including the fact that it looks just a tad bit too snug on him. Like, either the boy doesn’t have another jacket or he’s grown so attached to this one that he’s not willing to admit that he’s outgrown it a bit. 

I’ve had a lot of people point out that it’s nice to see a teenage character in these games with actual acne since most media pretends that acne just doesn’t exist, and I agree. We all know that if this were more realistic, then everyone would have terrible, greasy, dirty skin but... y’know. 

And y’know what? I like the mullet! It’s unique! And I choose to believe it’s a representation of Marlon’s past with bad decisions he’s too stubborn to admit were bad decisions... I mean, he’s had it since he was a kid and hadn’t grown it out or cut it off [to our knowledge, I suppose] sooo... there’s that. 

Or maybe he does actually think it looks badass. Either way. 

Hell, my biggest complaint about Marlon’s design is that I wish they kept more to this concept art attire:

Because Marlon looks super good in this concept art. I love the headband with the mullet and his clothes actually look more comfortable... but like, it’s fine. He still looks great in the game, his little jacket’s cool, bringing back the mullet...its fine. I’m just sayin’. He looks great. 

[Marlon’s introduction in TFS]

“It's our little kingdom. I just do what I can to keep the peace. Wasn't always like this, though. There used to be a lot of us, but...you know how it goes.”

Let’s talk about how Marlon’s introduced. 

We get our first look at him after Clementine and AJ crash their car during the walker attack. A bunch of arrows come flying, hitting walkers attempting to get ahold of them, and as Clementine glances over she sees a figure pulling AJ out of the car. And even though you can tell it’s Marlon, this closer shot from Pi-

-100% confirms that it’s him. Not that you had any doubt, but still.

What’s interesting, though, is that while snooping around for some insight about Marlon from the writers/devs, wandering around reddit, replaying the game myself, and even glancing over the all-knowing wiki that’s never wrong ever, it seems agreed upon that Marlon wasn’t alone, despite no one else being specifically mentioned to have helped Clementine and AJ. 

Which makes sense that that’d be the case, but I did come across a handful of people who are pretty adamant that he was alone, which is an interesting take, though I disagree.

I’m pretty sure most people do, too. I mean, Marlon says, “It's good we found you when we did. It wasn't easy getting you two out of that wreck, and walkers were on the way.” So I don’t even think that was the writers’ intention of it being solely Marlon who saved them.

What’s funny is I came across a post Instagram [I know, the most legitimate source for info and thoughtful opinions] that was surprisingly trying to redeem/defend Marlon rather than chastise him by claiming he’s a hero who saved Clementine and AJ by himself. 

The thing is, they’re both unconscious after the wreck, so unless Marlon has super-human speed to grab AJ, zip around the car to grab Clementine, and then uses super-human strength to carry both of them AND their belongings all while killing any threatening walkers coming after them with his bow... I’m gonna have to press [X] Doubt. 

Besides, I like the idea of it being vague. I like to think that was the intention. “Who was Marlon with? A hunting party! You fill in the blanks!” That sort of deal.

With everything that we know about Marlon and the safe-zone, it does lead to questions about why he and whoever felt they had to go outside it to see what was happening. Marlon points out in his conversation with Clementine that they “had to work fast. I don't know what would've happened if we hadn't seen the smoke...” And later Violet mentions an explosion, so I think it’s safe to say that they heard the explosion and followed the smoke to the location. 

If you don’t know about the raiders and the twins [like it’s your first time playing] then you probably assume that Marlon and his group were being kind in rescuing them, which I don’t doubt but it does make you wonder about things from Marlon’s perspective, y’know?

This is one of those “shhh, don’t think, just go with it” moments. If I had to give a reason, I’d say that the group he was with didn’t think twice about checking it out and even if Marlon did protest, he didn’t have much choice but to follow. Then, seeing that it’s Clementine and AJ, I believe he genuinely wanted to save them. 

“All alone with the kid? Not a pleasant thought. I've seen some rough scenes. But that one would've been up there.”

We get our second and more official introduction to Marlon after Clementine escapes her dorm and confronts Tenn... and it’s pretty fucking good. I mean, everything from him being hidden in the shadows with his bow drawn, to the clear concern yet sternness in his voice as he assures Clementine they’re not going to hurt her and to put the knife down, to his sympathetic apology for scaring her is just an A+. 

One thing this season does exceptionally well is introducing its characters. Marlon has such a confident yet chill way about him when you first meet that it’s actually disheartening to think that in two hours he’s gonna be pulling a gun and MURDER....

Sigh. 

Let’s not jump that far ahead yet. I’m not ready. 

What I find appealing about this next part is Clementine’s reaction to seeing the inside of Ericson for the first time and how taken aback she seems by it. I also love how easy and comfortable it is to talk with Marlon as they’re walking through the yard even though we just met him. 

I enjoy that you can tell he’s trying to get a better idea of who she is without pressuring or overwhelming her and doing his best not to offend. And even when Clementine questions if he doesn’t think she can handle herself, he’s decent about apologizing and explaining that’s not what he meant. But he’s also not afraid to be upfront about AJ’s behavior since they brought him here, either.

He does come off as annoyed when talking about AJ being a handful. We don’t know how long Clementine’s been passed out or how long they had to deal with AJ after he woke up, so who knows how much of a little terror AJ was before they either dumped him with Louis or Louis decided to take him to the music room to chill... where he then bit Ruby. 

Anyway, the first impression I got of Marlon is that he’s genuinely friendly, trying to help Clementine and AJ even if AJ’s been a nuisance, and he’s confident in the system he has in place for them. He is rather forward and proud about being the school’s leader when first telling Clementine. 

Having played through the whole season several times and knowing how Done Running ends, it’s interesting to look at Clementine’s first conversation with Marlon with that all knowing perspective- knowing what he did to the twins, knowing that Brody’s involved and that Marlon’s going to eventually kill her, going to try and frame Clementine for the murder, knowing that he was planning on giving Clementine and AJ away...

I can definitely look at this conversation with a more skeptical lens and say he’s more so trying to sell the idea that he has everything under control in this kingdom for kids and he’s a proper leader with a system in place despite being so young with no adults around. But hey, that’s the natural progression- Ericson is a perfectly chill safe haven and the Ericson crew get along swell... except no, the cracks slowly begin to surface as the episode goes on until all hell breaks loose with Marlon at the center. 

[Rosie is best girl]

“You said dogs brought back bad memories. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were so scared of them. But I swear, Rosie's not as frightening as she seems...See? She's harmless. She just needs to get to know you, is all. Here. I'll show you. Do you trust me? “

I’ll be completely honest- the thing that initially sold me on trusting Marlon the first time I ever played this episode was his relationship with Rosie. 

If you know me, then you know that I love dogs. I have a pup named Piglet that I adore, I’ve grown up with dogs my whole life, and I have a huge appreciation and soft spot for animals.  I’m one of those people that can’t stand others who are mean or cruel to harmless animals. It’s different if you’re hunting for food or if an animal attacks you and you’re defending yourself... but I’ve known people who have gone out of their way to hurt animals. I’m out in a country area with a lot of dangerous roads for wandering animals, and the amount of people I’ve driven with who’ll swerve to hit a squirrel, a cat, a dog because they enjoy it is too many. After those incidents, I cut those people out of my life.  If you don’t have that love and appreciation in your heart, then I want nothing to do with you. 

So when I saw that Rosie, while the school’s dog, is more portrayed to be Marlon’s dog above everyone else, I remember thinking to myself, “Okay, I trust him. He clearly loves this dog, wouldn’t mistreat her, and that’s a step in the right direction.”  

While I wasn’t skeptical of him and his intentions before, it really was that natural relationship he held with Rosie that kind of sealed the deal for me- “I like Marlon! He’s probably going to die because he’s the leader and they never last but when it does happen, I’m gonna be super upset about it.” 

And well, to be fair... I was super upset when he died, just more so than I originally planned because there was also that element of betrayal mixed into the pain, y’know? 

Speaking of trust and Rosie- My second favorite Marlon scene is the office scene. But let’s talk about the Rosie bit specifically. After Tenn leaves and Rosie comes in, she scares Clementine and brings back those traumatic memories of when Sam attacked her. 

Marlon comes in and cools the situation, and I love the way he talks to Clementine in this moment. 

I love that he doesn’t immediately turn to Clementine like, “What’d you do?” but recognizes that she’s afraid of Rosie due to her previous experience, one that he remembers her mentioning. He also knows how well trained Rosie is to recognize scents and people, which explains why she’s behaving that way- she doesn’t know Clementine. 

I feel like I’m using this word a lot, but Marlon’s approach to helping Clementine with her fear of dogs feels so genuine. He holds his hand out and waits for her to accept, and if she does, he walks Clementine through what to do, beginning Clementine’s bond with Rosie. 

“Get down on her level. Let her get your scent. It's okay. She's not gonna hurt you.”

It’s incredibly sweet and humanizing to see Marlon like this. 

The best part about this scene, though, is that you can reject Marlon’s offer and he won’t be upset. 

“No problem. I'm not gonna pressure you.”

And he doesn’t. He doesn’t get annoyed, he doesn’t press, no questions asked, and he doesn’t say anything to make Clementine feel bad for her decision. He respects that she isn’t ready to get close with Rosie.

The reason I love this is because how many times have we made decisions in this game, big and small, and had the other characters get annoyed or try to guilt us? “Oh, you don’t want to bond with the dog? Rosie’s the best, everyone loves dogs! What’s wrong with you?” None of that here. That’s something I appreciate about Marlon in this moment. 

It shows that when he wants to, he can listen and understand those around him... something he clearly struggles with when it comes to certain members of Ericson.

I’ll swing back around and talk about that entire scene in a bit, but one last thing about Rosie... can I just say how heart breaking it is to hear her whine at Marlon’s funeral? Solidifying that she was definitely Marlon’s dog more than anyone else’s? And the way Rosie lays on his grave several times in episode 2? 

Oof. 

[Ericson’s perception of Marlon prior to the final confrontation and after]

“...when the world went to shit, he bailed. All the other adults did. Left us behind to fend for ourselves...  Now it's just us kids left.”

I want to touch on how the Ericson crew seem to view Marlon as a leader before and after the final confrontation.

When looking at and discussing a character, it’s important to not just focus solely on them. You can gather a lot about a character based on how others respond and perceive them.

Not everyone expresses something towards Marlon within Done Running. Y’know, like Omar or Ruby, for example. Though we do get a bit more from them after Marlon’s death, their perception of him is different now that they’ve learned what he’s done and witnessed his murder.

So we don’t know how Ruby, Omar, Willy or Mitch viewed his leadership prior to those events, y’know? It’s safe to assume that they’re fine following him as a leader since they’re background characters at this point and make no objections to his leadership at any time before the confrontation. But, after learning the truth, they turned against him. 

Then things get complicated when Marlon’s murder traumatizes them. 

What a mess.

But for this section, there are two characters I want to get into specifics about. They’re worth talking about because they further Marlon’s character, but they’re not the most important, y’know? Characters like Louis, Tenn, and Brody will get their own sections. 

The one I find most interesting among side characters is Aasim. Right off the bat, you get a feel for what his relationship is like with Marlon:

Marlon: “How'd it go out there?”

Aasim: “How do you think it went?”

Brody: “Be nice, Aasim.”

Aasim: “The safe zone's nearly dry. I could barely find enough for tonight. We're gonna have to scout out further if we want food for the winter.”

Marlon: “We'll talk about it later.”

Aasim: “Bullshit, we should talk about this right now-”

Marlon: “I said later, damn it!”

So... they’re not exactly besties. The game makes a clear point that Aasim is more vocal in his disagreements and concerns towards Marlon than the others. They even reiterate it when you talk with him later:

“He keeps pulling back the safe zone. We have fewer and fewer places to hunt. Which means we're gonna have fewer and fewer things to eat.”

No one else opposes Marlon like he does, not counting Brody in the basement since that’s a whole other thing and Brody will get an entire segment to herself later.

It’s pretty clear that this isn’t the first time they’ve had this conversation, but because Marlon’s in a place of power, Aasim doesn’t have much choice but to go along with it. Because no one else is speaking up, he doesn’t have anyone to back him up, and you can tell he goes with it reluctantly. He also voices annoyances when it comes to how Marlon treats Louis if you go hunting.

Knowing this, you can infer that Marlon doesn’t want to hear what Aasim has to say, and he doesn’t appreciate someone questioning his leadership. When Aasim steps in Marlon’s path and says, “Bullshit, we should talk about this right now-” what does Marlon do?

He shoves his shoulder into Aasim’s as he pushes past, and in a louder, commanding tone, replies, “I said later, damn it!” which leads to Aasim glaring after him... but he doesn’t pursue. Marlon has a hard time with someone like Aasim and his response is to shut him down rather than stop, listen to his concerns, and address them.

That’s something Marlon struggles with as a leader- control and listening. Control over his temper and anger, listening and addressing the concerns of the people he swears to protect.

The reason I bring this up is because Aasim is our first indication that the image Marlon was giving off previously isn’t as spotless as he wants us to believe. Aasim plants a seed of doubt, y’know? He gives an argument that the player can get behind.

“Yeah, why not extend the safe zone? If food is really as bad as you say it is, then what other choice is there? Just be extra cautious so no one gets hurt,” which can then lead to thinking, “Why is Marlon so insistent about the safe zone? Is he hiding something?”

Once that seed is there, it grows.

Now as for how Aasim’s view of Marlon changes during and after the confrontation, you can see that he’s one of the few that wants to hear Clementine’s side to things, and he steps forward after Louis/Violet intervenes.

Then after Marlon dies, Aasim is... well, he’s rather neutral? And I say that meaning he’s more in a middle ground between Louis and Violet, who are on extreme opposite ends. Aasim isn’t okay with Marlon’s death, nor is he okay with AJ killing him, but he can see that kicking Clementine and AJ out isn’t the best solution. Hence why he voted for them to stay.

You can see he’s still angry at Marlon for what he did during the funeral scene, but the game doesn’t care to show more beyond that. Which, in my opinion, was a missed opportunity on their part.  

And because I’m me, I also want to add that this perfectly sets up the idea of Aasim taking over once Marlon died and the writers shot themselves in the foot for wasting him like that. Good job.

Now let’s talk about Violet. People love when I do that.

Marlon and Violet don’t interact too much prior to the confrontation. The most we see them together is during the card game, and they’re chill. Violet makes fun of his hair, he says he looks cool, they’re decent to each other, it’s all good. They’re on friendly terms. 

Which I do find it interesting that she seems like she’s chill with Marlon, but she has such a hard time with Brody. Granted, that’s because she was supposed to go with them but asked Brody to cover her, and then when the twins died, she felt guilty. But you’d think that she’d also have some issues with Marlon, given that he was also there and, like Brody, unable to save them.

You could argue that because Violet and Brody were friends before it had a stronger effect, whereas she and Marlon weren’t ever that close, so it didn’t strike as bad, y’know? 

Though this does kind of get explained later if you choose to stick with Violet through ep4. Well, sort of? A little? She tells you:

Violet: “...I remember how Marlon described it, what we were gonna turn Ericson into. It's not the way any of us pictured it.”

Clementine: “How did you picture it?”

Violet: “I guess I couldn't. I just listened to what Marlon said. How it would be a home, a real one. But I couldn't really wrap my head around it.”

And when she talks about people who cared about her that she pushed away, she does list Marlon as one of those people, which is super interesting given all the loathing she’s done towards him after the truth came out.

It could be that in the past, she saw Marlon as the leader and why would he lie? He’s the one who stepped up, promised that they’d made Ericson into something special, into a brand new home... what reason does she have to distrust him?

So when she finds out the truth... well, that betrayal completely shatters everything she has for Marlon, going as far as for her to believe that AJ was justified in what he did and shit talking Marlon in front of his mourning best friend. 

So her reaction to Marlon after this makes sense, but what does this tell us about Marlon himself?

Again, depending on how you view him, you can look at this idea of Marlon being kind to Violet and them being on friendly terms after what happened to the twins a few different ways- Marlon was manipulating Violet solely for his sake, or Marlon felt guilty that something he did hurt her this bad and tried to make Violet feel better, or both.

I think it was both. After the twins died, we all know the amount of guilt Marlon carried with him, so having to be confronted with the fallout of that in the form of someone like Violet... he had to be careful. I don’t doubt that he cared about Violet or that he tried to reach out to her, but he also had to protect himself for the sake of maintaining his leadership and control of Ericson. So, of course, he had to lie to her which manipulated her feelings about him and the situation. 

I believe Violet recognized it, too. When she says they should’ve asked more questions about what happened, I think that’s her being more pissed with herself for trusting Marlon and not questioning him further, for taking his word for it. 

I’ve come across theories suggesting that Marlon actually manipulated Violet into placing blame onto Brody rather than him, which is why she is on friendly terms with him but not so much Brody. And that’s a valid interpretation. There isn’t any solid evidence of this within the game to suggest either way, but I can definitely see how someone would come to that conclusion. Especially after the confrontation.

Now let’s touch on Violet if you appeal to her, because Marlon does something that makes me go “Hmmmm...”

Clementine, when she appeals to Violet, say, “Violet you have to believe me.”

To which, Marlon immediately steps in and says, “You don't. You met her, like, two days ago!”

He doesn’t even give her a chance to speak. 

With Louis, he’s so overly confident that he has him completely wrapped around his finger that he doesn’t feel the need to say anything. He feels he has control over Louis. But with Violet, he feels his control might not be as strong, so he needs to remind her that she just met Clementine, whereas she’s known him for years- something he uses against the whole group.

And when Clementine tries to talk to her, Marlon takes a low blow and it’s super shitty.

“Don't let her get in your head. Hey, what would Minnie want you to do? She was my friend, too. So was Brody.”

He’s desperate to crawl out of the grave this situation has put him in that he’s willing to go this low, doing everything he can to make sure Violet doubts Clementine... and y’know, whose to say this is the first time Marlon is using Minnie to manipulate her? And when it doesn’t work, he gets frustrated like “Violet being difficult. Why am I not surprised?” which could suggest that it hasn’t always worked. 

It goes back to what I was saying- Marlon tried to get close to Violet and she never let him. She was difficult to be around after the twins died due to her grief and Marlon struggled with that. 

When he finally comes clean, this is where the real shift happens with him and Violet. You can see the hatred burning on her face every time the camera pans over to her now that she’s felt betrayed by him and his actions. 

Right before Marlon dies, if you choose to say nothing, Violet will step forward and start saying that he doesn’t get to stay, but gets cut off when AJ shoots him. 

All in all, Violet is a big case against Marlon and a showcase of how far his manipulation as gone within Ericson.

[Marlon’s office and foreshadowing of motivations]

“Whenever someone goes outside the safe zone, bad shit happens. People die or disappear. I just... I could really use the help, Clementine. Taking care of these kids, it's not easy. I'm worried that if I don't figure something out, if...if I don't fix our food situation... I can't lose anyone else. We've already lost so much. Friends, siblings... I can't let another kid die. It could break us.”

Swinging back around, let’s talk about the rest of the scene in the office. 

First off- it’s implied that Marlon uses the office as a bedroom given the mattress on the floor and some of his personal belongs laying about. Like the photo he keeps of him and Louis. 

The bed isn’t for Rosie, we assume, since we later see her sleeping outside while chained up. This might be just because they wanted Rosie present for the confrontation scene but didn’t want her loose, so they put her outside when you’d think that she’d sleep inside with everyone else. 

Or, maybe she just prefers to be outside when the weather’s nice, or they keep her as a guard in case something were to happen, that way she can alarm them. 

Anyway, why does Marlon potentially sleep in his office rather than in a dorm? Or does he have a dorm that he’ll sleep in, but keeps the mattress there just in case? 

Well, a show of authority, for one. Even if he does keep a dorm room, it’s likely that he made the office his own as a way to be like “The headmaster is gone, this is my office now. I’m in charge.” 

Which makes sense. 

And when you think about what Louis tells us about Marlon having all these sleepless nights and tough calls, it’s not hard to imagine him spending late nights in his chair going over different plans and stressing over the food situation/safe zone, as well as letting the guilt of the twins weigh on him to the point were he’s too exhausted to even leave.

Moving on to the actual conversation between him and Clementine. He does show a vulnerable side to her, which I like. He can feel the pressure he’s under and sense the loss he’s suffered. But...like before, looking at this knowing what I know, it’s not hard to see certain things in a different light opposed to what you’d see as a new player.

What’s interesting, though, is while I do enjoy this conversation and the bits of insight it gives to Marlon’s character, there is this subtle, slightly off undertone of the whole scene after the Rosie bit. 

At this point, we’ve talked with Aasim and he’s planted the seed of doubt.

We’ve heard the story about the twins. Violet came and talked to us about it, we could visit their graves and learn that they died at this time last year. Anyone who has played any game or heard any story can pick up on that the twins are important. They’re not going to use these girls as some throw away lines. They’re going to come back one way or another. 

We’re literally living in their dorm. The dorm that Marlon put us in. They’re heavily connected to Tenn and Violet, two important characters I previously discussed. Then, Violet comes barging into our room and talks about them some more. 

It makes the gears turn, y’know? 

And with Marlon being very insistent that they stay in the safe zone, it’s not hard to question the story about the twins. I went through and skimmed a couple play throughs on youtube to this scene and a lot of them were theorizing that the twins weren’t actually dead or something wasn’t right, some cracks are starting to show. Why else bring it up? Marlon being the one to push the dangers of the safe zone and everything with Aasim... it’s not hard to pick up that he might be hiding something.  

The thing I find fascinating about people’s perception of Marlon is how they interpret his motivations when it comes to Clementine and AJ, and that can be tracked back to this scene. 

We all know that he’s planning on giving them to the raiders if they come back. It’s a hard fact. Brody warned us before she died, and dialogue during the basement scene backs it up. 

But the question I’m curious about is... when did this motivation begin? 

When did Marlon decide that he would give Clementine and AJ to the raiders if they ever came back? 

Because the text doesn’t tell us anything until Brody’s death, I feel like we all have a different moment where we believe that became Marlon’s secret motive, y’know? 

In all my digging, I’ve read posts about this idea, people giving their thoughts on when they think Marlon secretly turned on us, or if he was ever really on our side. 

One has people theorizing that Marlon saved Clementine and AJ with the intention of giving them away from the beginning. 

So he saw taking these two in and earning their trust as an opportunity to save everyone else at the school [the people he cares about] rather than have to sacrifice anyone else like they did with the twins. Clementine and AJ were just a means to an end if the raiders came back. 

Which is a rather sinister way to look at it and puts quite a negative spin on Marlon’s actions towards them - like how he’s willing to let them stay at the school not out of kindness but out of bad intentions, and every kind thing he ever did was to win over their trust so he could lure them out into the woods and do a trade if necessary. 

The line “Take this. I don't want you gettin' lost.” gets pointed at a lot due to how Marlon says it, the infliction of it, and it’s theorized that the hidden meaning behind it is “Take this, if you get lost then I can’t make the trade.”

Same thing with “Just remember to stay in the safe zone. We need you to come back home in one piece.”

Which isn’t a wrong interpretation of this. You can totally look at this conversation between Marlon and Clementine as Marlon subtly foreshadowing his turn, or betrayal, at the end of the episode.  

“...It's how we've kept ourselves from unwanted attention for so long. Well... For the most part, anyway.”

“I can't lose anyone else. We've already lost so much. Friends, siblings... I can't let another kid die. It could break us. Sorry. I'm just... There's a lot of pressure.” 

“What, did you think I was gonna throw you out?“

Then there are the middle ground people who believe Marlon didn’t save Clementine and AJ with that intention in mind, but it started to appear as an option to him either a bit before or during the office scene. Y’know, it came as a passing thought that ended up lingering until he acknowledged it as a solution to a potential problem. 

Again, pointing at the dialogue from before- him suggesting that he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his community alive... just like he did before. 

And while he gets along with Clementine and AJ [or as some would suggest, he appears to be friendly], they’re not his family. He isn’t close to them the same way he is the rest of the school. and if he has to give anyone away, it’s going to be them, whether he wants to or not. 

Marlon didn’t want to give Sophie and Minerva away, and he’s carried that with him up until this point. We see it manifest to a breaking point that lead to Brody’s death and, eventually, his own. 

Finally, there are the people who believe that the idea of giving Clementine and AJ away didn’t occur to him until after the incident with Abel. After Brody panicked and told him about getting robbed, then Clementine claiming they met a man with different colored eyes who wanted food, and the realization that the raiders could be back. 

This is where I personally stand when it comes to this idea. I believe that Marlon didn’t decide on this until he heard about Abel, and solidified it during the fight with Brody down in the basement. 

But what about the dialogue in this scene that potentially has double meanings? Well, I believe that’s the writers suggesting Marlon’s turn and motivations rather than Marlon himself, if that makes sense. Like I said before, you could take nearly everything Marlon says as some sort of foreshadowing or suggestion of what happened to the twins, what his true intentions are with Clementine and AJ, and what will happen to him at the end of the episode. 

That’s the thing- Marlon doesn’t ever go on a mustache-twirling monologue about how he knew he could use Clementine and AJ as trade if the raiders came back and that’s the real reason why he saved them, nor do we see him come up with the idea on the spot. 

Hell, Marlon never admits to the player that he was going to do that. The most he says is, “Shut your fucking mouth! I made the right call. I saved the lives of everyone in this fucking school! If they came back... I'd do it again!”  

Brody is the one who told us everything, and every time Clementine throws it back in his face, he tells her to shut up and threatens her with the gun. 

But from what I’ve tried to gather about what Marlon and Brody talk about in the basement before Clementine gets down there...

Marlon: “Why can't you just do what I ask you to do?”

Brody: “Because we caused all this, and now we have to deal with it!”

Marlon: “I am dealing with it!”

Brody: “By tradin' more of us away? That's not fixin' the problem, that's runnin' away from it!”

[I’ll come back to this full conversation later when I go over the basement scene by itself. It gets pretty dark.]

Which.... yeah. So, I’m not trying to say Brody was lying or anything just because Marlon never flat out admitted it to us the player, I’m just saying that we don’t know for sure when he made up his mind about this since the game never gives a clear suggestion for the sake of his dramatic turn from friend to antagonist. 

Did he have this idea from the start or did he come up with it during this conversation? 

We don’t know, but it’s interesting to look at the different views surrounding this question and how it applies to Marlon’s character. Because yeah, if you truly believe that Marlon had this intention from the start, it makes all of his actions in this episode pretty scummy. And again, that’s not wrong because there isn’t an answer here. 

I choose to believe that maybe the idea came as an unwanted thought in the beginning, but manifested into something real when he heard about Abel. He shared his plan with Brody, who didn’t want to go along with it. 

And y’know what... let’s finally get into the basement scene and Brody...

Continued in Part 2/2

[ladylouoflothlorien]

Hello! May I please request a Spirit! Thorin x Female! Human! Reader where Erebor is in the process of being rebuilt after the events of BOTFA. R, who is helping overlook the construction, often goes to Thorin's tomb at the end of the day and often just talks and falls asleep there. Thorin has always been present, and R discovers this when Thorin figures out a way to speak to R. Maybe a bit of fluff/comedy to help the bittersweet angst, if you can. Thank you so much! Sry if it is too specific!

I’m so sorry this took so long to get up!! But here it is!! It’s probably a little angstier than you were hoping for as I couldn’t really find a way to insert any comedy in it, but still I hope you like it anon :)

Lay Your Ghosts to Rest

word count: 2684

“Honestly I thought they wouldn’t actually let me come down here.”

It was the first thing Thoin heard when he woke up. A woman’s voice, too high to belong to any of his kin, but not irritating enough to belong to an elf. A human woman, then. Thorin sat up. When he saw his hands and - horrified - looked through them, everything came flooding back. Ravenhill, his nephews, Azog, himself…

“I thought dwarves were supposed to be secretive. Then again, I suppose you were a public figure. Still, the grave of a King…”

Thorin looked at the woman finally as her voice trailed off and saw she was kneeling beside a solid stone coffin that, after a moment, he realised was his own. The sick feeling in his gut was not at all alleviated by the two similar coffins on either side of him. As exalted as he knew the company would now be, the only two members who would ever be buried beside him would be his sister-sons.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m here.”

The woman laughed quietly, presumably at herself, and then slouched. Her whole body seemed to deflate. When she spoke again her voice was much quieter, and Thorin had to strain his ears to make out the words.

“This is stupid, I’m talking to a corpse.”

Well, it was the truth, but that didn’t make it any less difficult to hear. The woman pulled herself up off the floor and seemed to collect herself.

“Well, I hope you’re resting in peace.”

He wasn’t.

With that, the woman appeared to be done. She turned and left the room without a second thought, completely oblivious to the ghost of the King she left behind.

-

Thorin could not leave the burial chamber. He could walk right through the stone of his own coffin, but he could not walk through the carved stone archway despite the fact that the only thing in his way was air. So far his afterlife had been long periods of boredom interspersed with brief periods of intense guilt and self-loathing.

A week had passed since the woman had first appeared, and he had not seen her since, but he’d had other visitors. Balin and Dwalin had visited together, and whilst the older of the two brothers had barely stepped foot into the room, Dwalin had made it a little further before all but falling to his knees as his strength left him and his whole body was wracked with sobs. Thorin had done his best to comfort his bâheluh, but just as the woman before them neither Dwalin or his older brother had even known he was there.

Bilbo had come too, a visit that was particularly difficult for Thorin, as he knew that where the others might visit him from time to time he would likely never see his little friend again. Mahal knew he had a lot to make up for where the Hobbit was concerned, and now he’d never get the chance. The burglar had tearfully promised - though no doubt didn’t truly believe Thorin could hear - to plant the acorn in his garden, that it would have pride of place, and when it grew into a tree he would name it Oakenshield after him. Apparently Hobbits were in the habit of giving names to the more established and important plants in their gardens.

Perhaps the strangest visit of all was the elf who came and cried over Kili’s coffin for the better part of an hour, closely watched by none other than Thranduil himself who hovered at the entrance of the room. Thorin had been able to make out bits and pieces of their conversation, though it had been in Sindarin - he’d been forced to take lessons before the fall of Erebor - and it had been something of a surprise to him to learn that Elves, though immortal, could die of heartbreak. It seemed that this elf would soon be leaving the shores of Middle Earth to escape that same fate.

-

The woman came to see him again, eventually. He watched her enter. She seemed unsure of herself, as someone who had been given access to an area normally off limits and still felt like they shouldn’t be there. Thorin was left to wonder how many people had free access to his grave, and how many had to ask permission every time they wished to enter.

She came and settled beside his coffin in the same position she’d been in when Thorin had first awoken.

“I... uh... I’m back.”

Well that was one way of starting what would be a very one-sided conversation, though clearly she was more trying to psych herself up to actually talk out loud rather than keeping her thoughts hidden inside her head.

“You know, it seems unfair. You risked everything to get Erebor back for your people, and now you don’t even get to see it being restored.”

The pause that followed stretched out far longer than was comfortable, but she seemed lost in her thoughts all of a sudden. Thorin found himself genuinely curious as to what she had to say, and he wished he had some way of prompting her back to reality. As it was, he simply had to wait. Patience was never a trait he’d been known for.

“I don’t really know why I feel the need to do this but… I want to come and tell you about how the reconstruction is going.”

She paused and rested a delicate hand on the edge of Thorin’s coffin, seemingly drawing strength from the cold stone. Still, Thorin’s attention was caught. He couldn’t think of a reason why a human woman would be so involved in Erebor’s reconstruction that she would feel the need to seek out the kingdom’s dead monarch and tell his corpse how it was going. Then again, he wouldn’t have turned his nose up at information, even if he could communicate with her in some way.

“I’m helping to organise it, the reconstruction I mean… It’s a big job, and there aren’t enough dwarv- dwarrow here to do both the building and the organisational work. There are some humans who are helping with the menial labour, but for the most part, anyone actually doing the task of building is a ‘child of mahal’, as you say…”

That was highly unexpected. Thorin hadn’t thought his cousin Dain capable of letting anyone but a dwarf within a mile of the lonely mountain, and here he was allowing humans to aid in its reconstruction? He strongly suspected that Balin had been an influence on that decision, pragmatic as he was.

-

She came back often, multiple times a week after her tasks for the day were done, and there were some days where she would fall asleep beside his coffin in what looked to be the most uncomfortable of positions. It made Thorin wish - as had almost become a habit - that he could have some kind of physical impact on the world around him, if only to spare her neck. He supposed that, as a ghost, incorporealism came with the territory.

Less and less people visited him. He didn’t blame them, not really. He could see the pain and guilt in his friends eyes every time they came to look upon the stone coffin. Visiting his last place of ‘rest’ naturally opened up wounds his friends were trying to heal from. Besides, it wasn’t as if they expected him to actually know they were visiting. What it did mean was that he clung to the woman’s visits more than ever, and rather surprisingly she had actually kept up visiting rather regularly even when all his other visitors slowly slipped away from him.

Again she was at his side, and he had settled on top of his coffin - how exactly he could sit on top of the blasted thing and yet also pass through it when he chose to completely eluded him, but he chose not to think on it too hard. The dead King had grown very fond of her. She was his only link to the world outside the stone walls of his burial chamber, and hearing about how Erebor was progressing towards its former glory filled him with a sense of satisfaction that he’d rarely felt when he was alive and an exile from his own kingdom. Normally the woman came and left alone, but this time was different.

After she’d been down with him for a few hours, Balin suddenly appeared at the entrance to the chamber. Thorin was surprised; the advisor hadn’t been down more than a handful of times. Balin had known and been close to Thorin and Thorin’s family for practically his entire life, Thorin understood that he would take his death especially hard, though perhaps not as hard as Dwalin, who had only been to him once since the funeral.

“Lass…” Balin began, and Thorin felt like crying when he heard that voice again. He hadn’t realised how much he’d missed his company.

The woman sleepily turned and smiled at him.

“Hello Balin.”

Balin took a hesitant step into the chamber, and then paused to surreptitiously dab at his eyes.

“You should not speak to the dead, lass… they cannot hear you, and they cannot reply…”

It was clear that the words pained him to say, but that he believed them. The woman smiled sadly.

“Oh, I know that, dear advisor… but… I don’t know why, I just feel like this is something I need to do.”

Balin moved to where she was sitting on the floor and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder now that he had regained control of his own emotions once again.

“I was there, you know? I heard his speech to the people and the old master… he had so much passion. It doesn’t seem fair…”

The woman cut herself off and bit her lip, glancing furtively towards the snow-haired dwarf when she suddenly realised that her words could upset him, but he merely squeezed her shoulder and hung his head. It wasn’t as if he could disagree with her sentiment, after all.

“It’s not fair, lass, but Thorin… he knew the dangers this journey would bring. He was the best of us, and he died to give us back our home. Aye, I don’t think any dwarf could ask for a more honorable death.”

Thorin felt like crying to hear Balin say those words, to know that despite his spell of madness his friends still looked upon him with kindness and love, but though he truly wished to cry, the tears just would not come. Perhaps that was just another thing ghosts could not do.

“Perhaps you’re right Balin. Maybe this isn’t healthy… feeling like I have a friendship with a dead dwarf I never properly met…”

She did not visit him for two weeks.

The dead King thought she wasn’t going back, and he cursed his never-ending loneliness. Thorin raged in his burial chamber, trying beyond hope to have any impact on the physical world around him and failing. His muscles felt tense and ready to break anything he could get his hands on, but when he tried to ram himself against his coffin he merely stumbled right through it. Eventually, Thorin collapsed to the floor of the room and screamed till his lungs and throat hurt. When he finally stopped, panting, he noticed something wonderful.

With all the construction work happening around Erebor, the mountain had become rather dusty, and with no one other than the human woman coming to visit him, a layer of dust had slowly been settling on the floor without him noticing. As he sat crumpled on the floor, his eyes picked up on particles of dust dancing around him in the air before settling. Tentatively, Thorin reached out his finger and dragged it across the floor. The finger left a clean line behind it.

-

You knew you shouldn’t go back to Thorin’s chamber, but there was something inside you pulling you down towards the cold stone room. When you entered, you exhaled shakily and felt almost as if you were betraying Balin’s trust - he had spoken to you since finding you down there to kindly and sincerely ask that you not continue to visit Thorin’s chamber, not because he didn’t want you down there per se, but he was worried about your mental health. Despite your conversation with Balin, and a two week detox period, you hadn’t been able to get rid of your strange need to ‘talk’ to Thorin Oakenshield.

You settled beside the coffin once again, and for a moment you weren’t entirely sure what to say. It had been so long since you were down there… you almost felt like an apology was the first thing that needed to be said, even though that was ridiculous.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been visiting you lately…”

It really was such an odd compulsion to speak.

“Apparently people were getting worried about me…”

Having not done this for a while, the more you spoke, the more self conscious you began to feel. You felt stupid, like a child believing there was a monster under their bed or a fairy at the end of their garden. There was no need to speak; Balin was right, it wasn’t as if anyone was listening. You suddenly felt like crying. You had wasted so many evenings coming down to speak to a chunk of stone when you could have been spending time among your newly found dwarven friends. A tear rolled down your cheek and fell to the floor, but when you hung your head in shame at yourself, you froze. There on the floor you could see words drawn in the dust.

I am here, and I am listening.

-

The reconstruction of Erebor took many years, and with your strong work ethic combined with the obvious emotional attachment you had to seeing the mountain restored, you had been promoted several times and eventually reached a level of recognition in the mountain equal to that of the surviving members of the company. The dwarves of the Lonely Mountain had wholeheartedly embraced the human woman who seemed to care just as much about their home as they did, and your organisational expertise meant that the mountain’s restoration had proceeded at a pace even some of the more optimistic dwarves could not have anticipated.

However,  whilst work proceeded quickly in comparison to the lifespan of a dwarf, it was not so fast from a human perspective. Your joints ached as you climbed down to the burial chamber that you had come to know as well as your own home, for today was a very special journey. By rights you should have retired years ago, but you couldn’t. Not until today.

No longer did you kneel by the side of the coffin - Balin had seen to that once he’d discovered you’d started going there again - and there was a chair in the room permanently for your use. In recent years, it had become especially useful. You weren’t sure you could actually get up off the cold stone floor by yourself anymore.

Despite how your bones protested, there was a smile on your face when you finally reached the room and sat down, for today was a day to deliver a very special message to the ghost king. Erebor’s reconstruction was finally completed. The dragon’s wholesale destruction of his ancestral home had been completely erased. You closed your eyes as you delivered your message, and you as you did you could have sworn that, for the first time since you’d heard his speech in laketown, you heard the voice of Thorin Oakenshield himself saying thank you.

A chill settled on the room for a moment, and when it was gone, you no longer felt the pull to the room nor the compulsion to talk. Thorin Oakenshield would finally be allowed to rest in peace and go to the halls of mahal, and you knew you would not be coming back to his burial chamber again.

The end.

-

bâheluh – my friend of all friends

Forever Tags: @sweeticedtea @cd1242 @strongandfreedc @pixierox101 @jotink78 @luna-xial @underthemoon-n

[buckyodinson]

Forbidden (Mandalorian x Reader)

Request from @londelle​ : Reader is a jedi who ends up joining Mando. They didn't get along at first because of the Mandalorian and Jedi conflict, but eventually they fall for each other, and it's after the reader saves Din. It freaks them both out about their feelings.

A/N: Thank you for requesting! This is set during the first few episode of the season, I struggled a little to find a place that it would fit (I rewrote this like 3 times trying to find the best way to fit the story together), so there’s a little divergence from the actual episodes themselves. I hope you enjoy! As always, feedback (good or bad) is appreciated!!

Word Count: 2k

Much like the Mandalorian, you traveled the galaxy looking for jobs. Whatever you could get your hands and were paid well for, you were happy to commit to for a while, before moving to another town, another planet, another system. You’d worked in cantinas, you’d worked in casinos, and even briefly as a Queen’s aide on a remote planet you’d already forgotten the name of.

Currently though, you were on Arvala-7, helping Kuill on his moisture farm. It was pretty easy work, and he paid you well. It was the longest you’d kept a job in recent years, and you weren’t rushing to move on anytime soon. You were very helpful to have around the moisture farm, as Kuill had discovered very soon after hiring you. Jawas were a known nuisance on Arvala-7, especially in the areas surrounding Kuill’s farm. One night, you awoke suddenly, hyper-aware something was wrong, and when you ran outside, you saw a Jawa ship, and a group of Jawas attempting to steal one of the farm’s vaporators. You held out an arm, took a deep breath and channeled all your energy, and struck the Jawas with a large wooden beam you’d been using to build a pen for Kuiil’s blurgs. 

The Jawas scarpered after that, seemingly terrified, and had yet to return to the farm. Kuiil was extremely grateful, and in awe at watching your power. He had been stunned when you admitted you were a Jedi, recalling the stories he read as a child, in disbelief that he had a Jedi working for him. That night, you dug through all your belongings to show him your lightsaber, which you hadn’t touched, or even looked at, in years. It was a dangerous living in recent times, so you kept your powers to yourself unless absolutely necessary.

Fast forward to a year later, and you’re still working on Kuill’s farm. Throughout your time there, many mercenaries and bounty hunters have come and gone, most seemingly unsuccessful in their endeavours. Kuiil offers to help where he can, lending them a blurg if they need it, or simply pointing them in the right direction.

You’re sure rumours of a Jedi floating about in the bounty hunter community would do no good, and Kuill was very good at keeping your secret. When a Mandalorian turned up at the farm with Kuill, however, you knew your history could definitely not be brought up. There is a long history of hostility between the Jedi and the Mandalorians, and you wanted no part in furthering the conflict. But when Kuiil was offering to take the Mandalorian part way to his bounty, he offhandedly mentioned how you should travel with him the whole way because of how skilled you were, which was likely due to your force-sensitivity. Kuiil immediately realised his mistake, but it was too late. The Mandalorian’s posture shifted, and he told Kuill that you were not to join them.

Kuill, a true gentleman, and advocate for your skill, refused to help unless you came with him, and the Mandalorian eventually caved. You proved immense help when he was locating the Child. You were covering him at the compound, while he and the IG droid attempted to break into it and capture the bounty. The Mandalorian had given you a gun, and you were supposed to stay back and shoot from a distance, but you realised there were too may Nikto mercenaries, and you were admittedly a bad shot, so you joined the field. The mercenaries were pretty distracted once they witnessed you walk into the entrance, lightsaber drawn. This allows the Mandalorian and the IG unit to enter the compound and collect the bounty.

You’d made light work of killing all the mercenaries, and was about to sit for a minute’s rest when you heard a blaster shot. Assuming the droid had betrayed the Mandalorian, you burst into the room, lightsaber in hand, ready to strike it down. You were met, however, by The Mandalorian staring into a crib. You holstered your lightsaber and moved to his side, peering into the crib, where your eyes met those of a small creature. The Mandalorian reached a hand out to it, and it raised one of it’s own in response. You studied the creature, a vague sense of recognition stirred somewhere deep in your mind, but you couldn’t place the feeling. 

Knowing others would come, the Mandalorian closed the crib, and the pair of you left the compound with it, starting your long journey back to the farm. Mando was quietly impressed underneath his helmet when he saw the scene you’d left behind after you’d joined the fight. He thought that perhaps Jedi aren’t as bad as they’re made out to be. After all, why would one help him, after all the conflict their two kinds had gone through?

He questions the Jedi again, when he’s faced with a Mudhorn. You’re about to use the force to try and hold the creature off, but you’re beaten to it by the small creature in the crib. You gawk in amazement at the raw power it possess, giving the Mandalorian a chance to kill the Mudhorn. You run over to him and give him a hand up, and he seems dazed.

“The Child has the force. Like me.” you marvel, and he turns to look at you.

“You mean that thing is a Jedi?” he asks incredulously.

“It would seem so. I assume it is untrained, because of it’s age, but I’ve never seen such power, especially from one so young.” 

He looks down into the crib, where the Child is now sleeping, and for the second time in a few days, he’s wondering if the Jedi are truly his enemy.

After all this, you decide to move on from Kuiil’s farm, knowing news of a Jedi in these parts would reach unfriendly ears, and the Mandalorian offers to fly you to Nevarro with him, and you gladly accept. You wish him good luck with the hand-off and go your seperate ways on Nevarro, but not much time passes before you find yourself leaping into action again to help the Mandalorian, and before you know it, you’re in the midst of a stand-off with The Guild.

Everything goes by so quickly, and all of a sudden, you’re back in the Mandalorian’s ship, laying on the ground, with a blaster shot to your side. You stir, and observe the Mandalorian climb down from the cockpit, med-kit in hand. As he administers some bacta spray, he can’t help but ask a question that’s been bothering him.

“Why did you help me? Why did you put yourself in the firing line for me and the child?”

“It’s the Jedi way. Really, we’re supposed to be peacekeepers, and while none of that was remotely peaceful, I can tell you care deeply for the Child, and it was simply the right thing to do. Who knows what they were going to do to it back there... I don’t want to think about it. It can use the force too, it is in my nature to protect my own kind, as I am sure is in your nature to do the same. We’re not as different as our ancestors seemed to think.” you rambled to distract yourself from the pain.

“Do you think you could help the child?”

“In what way?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. But having you around could show the kid how to control it’s powers. And maybe show me why the Jedi aren’t as bad as my people make you out to be?”

“I am curious about the child. I remember one like him when I was just a youngling, and I was first training. Perhaps the more time I spend with him. the more I will remember, and maybe we can find his people?”

“Finding his real home would be ideal, travelling with me is no life for a child.” he spoke sadly, and you wondered how lonely life must be for him. You wondered maybe if he needed the company more than he was letting on.

You stuck around, and helped the little one grow stronger, and The Mandalorian (or as he now let you call him, Mando) grew to enjoy your company. You were certainly useful to have around. If someone didn’t go running at the sight of a Mandalorian, they certainly did when he was joined by you wielding a lightsaber. You made a pretty great pair, both on and off the battlefield. Mando found himself craving your company, and although he wasn’t much of a talker, would try to have conversations with you about anything and everything. 

He realised fairly quickly that perhaps he was having romantic feelings towards you. He dismissed them, as it was against the Creed, and after having learned about the way of the Jedi from you, learned that Jedi were not supposed to have romantic attachments. He buried his feelings deep within the Beskar, but that didn’t stop him stealing glances at you and smiling as you sat with the child and praised him for lifting small objects.

Little did he know, you were struggling against your own code too. You knew attachments were forbidden to your people, but you’d never felt this way before. It was almost exhilarating, because it was forbidden - both in the Jedi code, but also in terms of ancestry and the dealings of those who came before you. A Jedi and a Mandalorian joining together was something that had never happened before. Could you be the first?

You were both fiercely protective of the child, and of one another too. As time grew on, you both became less adept at hiding your feeling. You could never tell what he was looking at through his visor but you were frequently caught staring at Mando, and it’s a surprise you didn’t get whiplash from the speed you would look away when he caught you. What you didn’t know was that he was smirking in those moments, and wondering if he should make a move. He desperately wanted to, but didn’t know how. 

One night, he awoke in the middle of the night and stumbled upon you sat in the cockpit rocking the Child in your arms, softly singing it a song. The Child was sleeping by this point, but you found it peaceful, just to watch the stars go by as you sang quietly. Mando startled you slightly by placing a hand on your shoulder, and your wide eyes scanned the Child, but you relaxed when you noticed he was still sleeping. 

“Mando, you scared me!” you whispered at him, as he turned the pilot’s seat around and sat himself down in it.

“I’m sorry,” he chuckled, and your heart leaped in your chest at the sound. “You have a lovely voice, by the way.”

You blushed profusely at the compliment and whispered a thank you. Mando sat in contemplation for a minute before reaching a hand out to stroke the Child’s ear. He cooed in response but did not stir, and Mando’s heart leaped at the small chuckle that left your lips. He slowly moved his hand to find yours, and hold it tightly. You looked up into the slits in the Beskar, confusion painting your features.

“I truly enjoy having you around, you know that right?” he asked slowly and you smiled and nodded in response. “Good.” came his curt reply.

“I enjoy being here too, Mando. Since leaving the Jedi all those years ago, it’s been lonely. But you and the Child are like a little family to me now.” you smiled down at the Child, and then your eyes lingered on your linked hands, and you blushed again. This is probably the most physical contact the two of you had shared.

You fell into a comfortable silence, Mando’s thumb tracing your knuckles while he was deep in thought, trying to work out what to say. Before he could say anything, you let out a small yawn, and slowly withdrew your hand from his. The loss of warmth made him sigh, and he hopes you didn’t catch it (you did). You stand up, and announce your retirement to sleep. Before you turn to leave though, you lean down and place a chaste kiss to the top of Mando’s helmet before scurrying away. You’re blushing like never before, and Mando has the biggest grin smacked on his face, which is equally flushed.

Maybe this could work out...

[politicalmamaduck]

Reylo Fic Recs: Canonverse

Across the Stars by @rapturousaurora

Hugging Rey close, desperate to feel something of her, her skin against his, a lingering tendril of their once vibrant Force bond—anything—Ben only felt cold silence. Her vacant gaze stared up at the ceiling of the Sith’s Exegol stronghold.And still he felt no anger. No hate. His emotions were dominated by the almost childlike desire to fix what his lifetime of mistakes had broken—Ben wanted to fix her.

With You by @politicalpadme

Ben Solo finds the will to rise.

the shadows are whispering (again) by @thewayofthetrashcompactor

The Force has always had it out for the Skywalkers. Ben feels like he knows that better than most. Why else would it have saddled him with another curse to add to his legacy? (From birth to death and back again.)

Phantasm by @forcebondedreylo

Rey thought that she was finished with Ben Solo after Crait. She was proven otherwise when she crash-landed on a strange and dangerous planet with no way to contact the Resistance. Now Ben Solo might be her only hope of survival, if the deadly inhabitants don't get her first.

The Weight of a Soul by @ceallaigheirinn

“If he is condemned, then his soul shall be cast into oblivion,” the Mother answered. “It will cease to be. Oblivion is beyond the veil that the Force encompasses. His soul would be consumed by nothingness, and Ben Solo would exist on neither the mortal plane or the World Beyond.”

linger in the doorway (of my field of paper flowers) by @mnemehoshiko

She can't tell if she got the better deal or not. Foolish. Did you truly want to waste away in this sand-ridden hell? a voice whispers, low and soft.  No, she thinks, but it would be a familiar hell, at least.

destruction makes the world burn brighter by @cosmicforces

When he was nearly within reach, he extended the blade—or was it his hand?—but everything faded to black before she was certain. Panting, she bolted upright in her bed and wiped away the sweat clinging to her forehead. She’d dreamt of Jakku again.

A New Generation by @aionimica

Ben glances at Rey and quietly asks, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life with a twice-fallen former warlord who doesn’t know what place he has in this galaxy except as a porg-mother?”

In Our Silence, Volumes by @roamingbadger

When Rey senses through their Force Bond that Ben is in trouble, she'll stop at nothing to get to him. But what if he's not ready to be rescued - from himself? 

I Choose You by @shelikespretties

In the throne room, Rey proposes a counter offer.

Breakout by @leofgyth

In which Rey, Finn, and Ben break Ransolm Casterfo out of prison... for reasons.

Oh the Glory of Tenderness by @ann3onymous

Leia Organa taught her little boy how to weave stories with hair. Years later, Ben Solo weaves Rey's hair with promises.

Slipping Off Course by @fingertipstrembling

Between the birth and death of every star stretches a wide expanse of space, a thirsty maw that drinks up all the light it sees and spits back darkness. In the bowels of a star destroyer deep in that darkness, they find each other—the Supreme Leader’s apprentice and a fledgling pilot recruit who outflies and outwits him at every opportunity. Though he fights the pull of the Force, Kylo Ren finds himself reaching for Rey with nothing to stop his fall.

Like This by @kylo-wouldnt-like-those-chips

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Peace reigns in the galaxy.  Seriously. The Imperial Remnant fizzled out. There is no First Order. There is no Snoke. The worst thing Ben Solo's ever done was some light brawling. The kids are, as they say, more or less alright.Still, the Force has plans for Ben and Rey, which is how they find themselves working for the same civil rights firm, thrown together in a stakeout van.

temptations of grey by @lasthopesolo

Nightmares filled with the ghostly voice of a woman haunt Supreme Leader Kylo Ren; a constant reminder of the discord within. Terrifying dreams plague Rey, casting doubt on choices she’s made. Both find themselves stranded on a humid jungle planet in unknown territory, captured and forced to participate in a strange mystical ceremony. Rey and Kylo must work together in their journey through the jungle, facing themselves and each other in the pursuit of balance.

Wish Upon a Star by @shelikespretties

When Ben Solo exiles himself on a random planet in order to atone, he finds his mother packed him a calligraphy set. He keeps a diary of his existence, while Rey, cut off from him in the Force, tracks him down the only way she can.

Only If for a Night by @reylotrashcompactor and @southsidestory

The night the war ends is a time for victories and change. Maybe, if Rey is lucky, she can win where Ben Solo is concerned. There’s something between them, more than friendship or battle-forged camaraderie, a need that she’s felt threaded along their bond, and she’s tired of ignoring it.

Above us, stars. Beneath us, constellations. by @shmisolo

Ben woke, but Luke’s saber wasn’t ignited.  Instead, he saw a master who had shattered his trust, who thought he was a monster, and—worse—he was probably right.So he fled Yavin IV, to Skywalker’s dismay, and no one heard from him since.Years later, on a wasteland planet, a girl and a fugitive stormtrooper board a Corellian YT-1300 light freighter in desperation to find they are not the only ones trying to steal it.

In the Footsteps of Giants by @aionimica

Post-Sequel Trilogy; Ben Solo is off in exile, accompanied by Rey. In desperate need of fuel, they stop on Naboo, but their pit stop doesn’t quite go as planned.

build a ladder to the stars by @redbelles

Kylo Ren's heart is a desert.

these violent delights (have violent ends) by @luminoustico

The news runs like a wildfire through the galaxy.Kylo Ren found something, someone, else to believe in. He gutted his master for her life. In return, vestiges of Snoke's power delivered a punishment greater than anything either the fallen Knight or the last Jedi could imagine. Together forever, eternally apart.

Luminous Beings by @hauscrashburn

In order to become a Jedi, Rey must do one thing: Kill Kylo Ren. But how can she when her heart belongs--and has belonged to him--for years now?

Midsummer Night's Shared Dream by @shelikespretties

“We’re not on an approved airfield, but look,” she held out her datapad with the map of the crash location. “Xa-Tla City is on the other side of this forest. We can make it there on foot, and, if we start now, we’ll get there before the solstice celebration begins.” Kylo lifted a mocking eyebrow. “You’d risk the spirits of the forest?”Rey scoffed. “I don’t believe in ghosts. Let’s start walking.”

Spillikin by @ceallaigheirinn

“Forgiving yourself doesn’t mean you have to forget what happened, Ben,” his mother said. “It just means you can finally let go and move forward.”

The Way to Tomorrow by @the-reylo-void

Kylo Ren faces his sentence at the hands of the Resistance: a year of off-world solitary confinement, no communication with the outside world. But it's never that easy to leave old wounds behind. Or such deeply-forged bonds.

Porgs by @tehanufromearthsea

Porgs think of Luke Skywalker as the eccentric but harmless giant who lives on their island. Life on Ahch-To can be pretty dull, so at least Luke gives the Porgs something to watch. Then another of his kind arrives, with her friends, and life on Ahch-To gets a lot more entertaining for the porgs.Then comes the invader...

The Jedi Path by @southsidestory

She’s Ben's world: the only thing he cares about, the only thing he needs, the only one who matters. That interest used to be focused on Rey's power, her talent, her fierce, uncompromising will. Platonic, if not innocent, but now—now he still loves her like a protege, but he wants her too. He wants her, and he can’t keep lying to himself about it.

Yub Nub, and a Celebration Song by @luminoustico

It starts with a forest moon, a destined clash between a scavenger and a knight, and some Very Determined Ewoks.

The Visions That Connect Us by @lariren-shadow

They've seen each other for years before they even meet. Kylo Ren and Rey have visions of the other through out their lives.

Reflektor by @reylotrashcompactor

Kylo Ren isn’t fool enough to believe that her capture was a happy accident. He didn’t believe it was good fortune, and he believed least of all that it had anything to do with the reconnaissance skills of Hux’s half-wit stormtroopers. If they have The Girl Called Rey in custody, it is because she meant for it to happen. It was because she had a plan and this was a step in executing it.

Paper Minds by @kuresoto

At the age of five, Ben Solo built his first droid. At the age of ten, he manifested and started to see her everywhere. At the age of eleven, he was sent to train with Luke. He still saw her. When he was fifteen, she disappeared. He was twenty-three when he left Ben Solo behind and became someone who wouldn’t trust blindly ever again. He became Kylo Ren. He meets her for the first time when he’s on the cusp of turning thirty. These were the events that shaped Ben Solo and in turn, Kylo Ren.

Just A Little Crush by @lariren-shadow

Ben Solo has been away from the Jedi Academy for a few years.  Now that he's back he's developed a little problem his brother is keen on goading him about.

Retrouvailles by @luminoustico

Six months ago, Ben Solo was removed from Rey's side and his uncle's Jedi Academy to take up his mother's mantle as Senator, and to act representative of the Resistance. He has already claimed the reputation of a troublemaker. After Han Solo requests Luke and Rey act as Ben's security intel at a ball in Coruscant, it is underneath the pressure of galactic politics that her world and his new world collide.

Convergence by @the-reylo-void

Whatever the next steps are, I want to take them with you.

let the silver arrow fly by @solikerez

Leia plays cupid, and fires a few misshots before getting it right.

What We Do in the Snow by @reylotrashcompactor

The first time she dreamed of Starkiller, not much was different.

The Gamble by @nightsofreylo

Whenever you gamble, eventually you lose...

Matchmaker by @lariren-shadow

Bored with being a Force Ghost Anakin decides that his grandson needs some help in the relationship department.  Kylo Ren isn't too thrilled at the prospect but, then again, neither is Rey.

here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true by @the-reylo-void

Here is the place where I love you.

People Will Say by @reylotrashcompactor

In a ditch effort to coax the wary members of the Resistance into accepting the prodigal son Ben Solo back into their fold, General Leia Organa requests a hefty favor from Rey. "Behind every good man is a great woman" is how the saying goes, but the man formerly known as Kylo Ren isn't good, and Rey isn't sure that any manner of hand-holding is going to change people's minds about that.

crave my heart (it's bleeding in your hand) by @mnemehoshiko

She wakes with the taste of salt on her lips and screams in her head.

Dark Matter by @arcticelves

Rey is never really alone. Even on Ahch-To, beginning her training with Luke Skywalker, she is frequently interrupted by an uninvited visitor. But is he truly unwelcome?

kept in the dark (but you were there in front of me) by @mnemehoshiko

Ben Solo is nine when he dreams of sand and darkness.

Peace and Purpose by @the-reylo-void

Across the stars, Rey and Ben yearn for each other, neither able to move on, both facing the unending nights alone. But the Force longs for balance as surely as they long for each other.

Laid To Rest by @khaleesa

Ben wants to show Rey the galaxy, to see it with her. First, they have business on Naboo.

Endings and Beginnings by @shelikespretties

Rey’s hand cradles Ben’s head before it can hit the stone floor. He’s ridiculously heavy, all dead weight, and Rey’s entire body cramps in horror before she sees the faint rise and fall of his chest. He’s not dead. He hasn’t left her. Yet. She cradles his face with both hands and sobs in relief.

What Was Lost Is Now Found by @ceallaigheirinn​

With no memories of the past, his mind was nothing more than a void of vast emptiness. He couldn’t remember how he got there. It sounded insane, but he even wondered if he was actually there the moment before. When he closed his eyes, fleeting images of a metallic mask, a world collapsing on itself, the touch of a weathered hand across his cheek and a beautiful woman dressed in white flickered from the dark recesses of his mind. But none of it made sense. He had no idea what those images represented or who that woman was. Did she mean something to him? Was she an enemy, friend or lover?

a million miles (cross the ocean) by @mnemehoshiko

in which the Force tries to pay back some of the debt it owes the Skywalkers.

gift to me forever by LonelyLavenderBones, @luminoustico, TazWren, @thewayofthetrashcompactor

Palpatine has remained dead. Ben Solo followed in his mother’s footsteps and became the Senator of Chandrila, his mother training him in the Force instead of sending him to Luke. And, instead of being left on Jakku, Rey has been trained in the Force from childhood to help redeem the Palpatine name in the eyes of the galaxy's highest social circles.Now the princess of the ultimate Sith is due to make her debut, on the arm of her betrothed, Armitage Hux. But, the Force still has plans for Rey Palpatine and Ben Solo.

My own canonverse Reylo fics:

Rise

Ben Solo and Rey fake their deaths after Exegol and live their lives.

It was not Death, for I stood up

Emperor Palpatine lied on Exegol; Rey is not his granddaughter. Rey sets off on a journey, led by Obi-Wan Kenobi, to bring Ben Solo back from the World Between Worlds.

luminous beings are we

Rey and Ben survive Exegol.

the healing balance

The battle was over; the war was won. The Finalizer was a smoking ruin; General Hux’s attempted mutiny had backfired as the Resistance attacked and finally incapacitated the First Order leadership. Kylo Ren was missing, presumed dead at the hands of the last Jedi, who must have succumbed to her own injuries. Neither body was found. So said the initial official report of the aftermath.

Aggressive Negotiations

It was a shame, really, that Rey did not want her new assignment, did not want to be tempted by Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala’s grandson.

Calligraphy and Atonement

Ben Solo spends his time in exile trying not to think of Rey and keeps failing.

beam that lights the way home

The star lit their path to each other, and lit their way home together.

food for the soul

Rey struggles with new food and the knowledge that Kylo Ren is her soulmate.

you burn with me

Rey's soulmark burns when she meets Kylo Ren for the first time.

light brings forth hidden truths

Light brings forth hidden truths, and demonstrates the Force's balance.

Falling Embers

Rey takes Kylo Ren's hand after they have killed Snoke and his Praetorian Guards.

Force of Light

After celebrating the end of the war and Wookiee Life Day on the Resistance base, Rey heads out into the snow to meditate. Kylo Ren goes out after her...and learns the true reason for the season.

Wanting

Kylo Ren has wanted things his whole life.

My other fic rec lists:

Fic Recs Under 100 Kudos | Historical AU | Fantasy, Fae, Magic, Fairy Tale, and Mythology | Modern AU | Smuggler Ben Solo | Dark Side Rey | Smut |

[secretsofthedarkestkind-arch]

@storieswrittcn from here

My Dearest Heart, Chicago, truly there of all places Katerina? I have never, however, I do hear the stories and rumors of what this war is causing. Whether it be in passing of Father’s acquaintances or discussion among those in town. Chicago is near the front lines. You do love chasing the danger don’t you? Though with everything happening in the city, it would be a place easy enough to hide among others without someone questioning your presence. 

Feeding from the lower end of the food chain is not one I thought I would ever see you do. Even if it does keep you safe and the suspicion of who you are low, I am not completely agreeable to that. But as you have said, you must do what you have to. Do the drugs affect you after you have drank from them? I have only ever seen a few under the influence, only a small number made me laugh at the way their minds were altered. Soon enough you will have the blood of something cleaner, purer, and one that, if by your own reactions tell me, has become your favorite. 

A witch? To have you seeking her out she must be powerful. I hope she can show you what you seek to learn. It warms my soul knowing part of the reason you wish to continue your knowledge in the art of magic is to protect me. I cannot wait to see what you are able to do or the beauty of which you speak. Concepts of light and dark are ones I do not fully believe in. I understand them and begrudgingly admit are there but who has the right to deem what is light or dark? Both can cause harm can they not? Both can provide protection when needed just as well correct? So when then do we always have to label items or actions in categories of ‘good’ or ‘evil’. Actions as people move between the two. Though that is simply my opinion and I may admittedly be naive. 

Though I do not possess the abilities you do, I feel the same way about you. Harper, though a fallen soldier so possibly not the best teacher, has offered to give me a few lessons in self defense when we can slip away. I’ve learned to fire a rifle and small pistol as well. My aim continues to improve and I dare say it’s better than Damon’s. One day I will be able to protect you as you protect me. You may be Katherine Pierce, a survivor and fighter, but everyone needs someone at times to be there in a time of need. I will be that person.

Please, my heart, do not taunt your enemies. I know they are a necessary downfall of the life you are forced to live and they are to be expected. But that does not mean you need to make a situation worse. Tie up the ends you must, do what you need to do, but come back to me unharmed. 

Parties? Hm, I do not envy you in the least. You are correct, dresses and corsets make my skin itch---they made me feel suffocated and trapped. Being forced into them, keeping up appearances and appearing as society states I must...it kills a part inside of me each time, Katerina. I want to scream, break things, tear the dresses to shreds just to be free. But I cannot. I must continue to lie, to kill my soul, and hide a part of myself away just to avoid the wrath and closed mindedness of my family as well as society. My only freedom you, my aunt, and now those you have deemed worthy of our family. 

But for you? I would try. There might be a day when I can go as myself, dressed in a suit only made of the best linens that are appropriate to be seen beside your beauty. That is a dream I will hold on to. That we will find a time, within our eternity, where I can be myself with you on my arm attending events that please you.

My type of food or yours, my heart? I am smirking as I write that question. For with you, it might be both or just yours.

I will not try to pull you here sooner than you see fit. Even if I wish I could. Part of me believes if I set my mind to doing just that I could succeed. I know you have your reasons, that there are things that need to be done before you are here with me. As I have told you before, I will always wait for you and be patient with what you must do. As before, do what you must for I will be here when the time is right. I trust you, Katerina. Which means if you say this wait and your planned time here in Mystic Falls is needed or the only way...then it is. 

Pearl and Annabelle have become people I can see one day as the only family, outside of you, that I will ever need or wish for. I had thoughts that you had sent them here partly for my benefit as I mentioned in my last letter, but knowing those thoughts were correct? I continue to fall more and more in love with you. Constantly, you show me in actions how much you do love me and care for me, that I am wanted. To know my love, loyalty, and feelings are returned just as deeply means more than you will ever know. All I can hope is that I can do the same for you.

You tell me not to worry about vervain but as you say it can harm you if you feed on someone who has consumed it. My Heart, if a vampire ingests vervain, the vampire's throat and digestive tract will be burned. You would become feverish and extremely weak. I have seen what it does to the flesh of your kind if even the plant comes into contact with your skin. You cannot tell me to not worry when it exists in this world. The amount in this town turns my stomach. I have asked Pearl to help me do my best to avoid it for your sake. Though it seems the council here has plans for it, plans my father is a part of as a way to try and get back into the community's good graces. He has no idea that I am aware of that or my knowledge of those that walk among us. Something I plan to always keep from him, it may come in our favor one day. 

I am not certain if it only grows here. It is a plant that grows at the base of white oak trees, we have a higher concentration of those trees but surely it grows elsewhere? If I can I will see what I can learn. I feel that research may have to wait until we are free of this town. But I will still try until then. 

You have never broken a promise to me yet nor given me reason to doubt you, so I will believe in the promise that you will be safe. 

Lavender will now be a smell that I always associate with you, once more you take control of something small in my life. You do consume me and are always in my mind--always a part of everything I do. My anxieties, worries, and darker thoughts are all rooted in this town. They have created them, fed them, and caused their growth as the years have gone by. This town has taken much of me, I just do not wish for it to either take you or harm you. The idea of Vervain is not my only concern but you know that. My worries are always far away when I am with you, however. As silly as it might sound, you chase the demons away. You make me stronger and braver. Or at the very least you show me who I could be, who I could grow to be with your helping hand and love.

The Falls much like my favorite oak tree--not white oak I have checked-- is a place no one ever searches for me. They are peaceful and beautiful. A part of nature that has been untouched and left alone. The sound of the water going over the cliff soothes me. The fall is from what I can guess is at least fifteen foot drop, it’s highest point as tall as some of the trees below it. The pool of water below it is just as deep, if not more. Though I have not swum to the bottom since meeting you or jumped from it’s peak, though Annabelle did try to convince me. I was tempted to jump once more but I know you would not be pleased if something happened when you were not with me or if something more ill fated than being harmed happened. It leads into a river, wide and long. After it rains, the water is too dangerous to get in or be near as it then flows so much quicker. But I do love to watch it. Harper will bring you a few of my sketches of the area so you may see it. I still plan to take you there, my dearest heart. It will be one of our adventures. 

I promise you, there is nothing to be jealous of. No one should ever cause jealousy within you. My heart belongs to you and no how close I become with another--such as Annabelle--that will never change. Some say jealousy is a darker emotion, one that can lead a person to become controlling. I do not believe that. Jealousy, to a point, is healthy. It shows the depth of your love. Others would argue it shows insecurity. Maybe we are both correct. But it just means one does not wish to lose another. I know I will become jealous of others near you, I will not deny it as something that will happen. But I hope you will see it as I do when it happens. I never wish for you to change--dare I say the jealousy you admit to makes me feel ways I didn’t know I could. I enjoy it.

Stefan has never seen me truly be friends with another before, female especially. You know the tale of my first kiss, how Father reacted when Damon told him of catching myself with Abigail Sommers. She had been my only friend, only allowed by both our parents because of our families connections. The view of being me being demonic or a punishment to my parents for the way I was born made it hard to find friends. Now with the town's knowledge of my alignment, makes it even harder. So Stefan simply believes every woman I talk to or try to befriend is someone I seek to have more with. 

His mind believes the way of the church, Katerina. His words and actions over the years showing that. So there is no possible way his mind will ever be able to wrap around the fact two women could be together. It makes me laugh to picture his face when he learns of our love---especially once he has seen your beauty and met you. How could someone as posed, beautiful, and a true lady in the world's eye ever be so sinful and dark as to love me? A question that will no doubt be his as it is no longer one of mine. I will behave how you ask of me in front of the town and do as you ask regarding my brothers, but I will not go as far as to not spend time with you or appear as your friend. Part of your reason for being here is for me, I intend to take advantage of that. Not to mention, could you truly be so close to me and deny yourself my heart? I could not and I will not.

My father’s life is to do with as you please. I know many would recoil from you for those words or thoughts of murder, but I will not. The act of you killing him, torturing him, may actually give me pleasure and peace as well. I am not strong enough, physically, to do it myself. He does not deserve to be a part of this world but yet he acts as if this life is God given right and his actions have no consequences. He is vile and the scum of this earth truly.

Your possessiveness is showing my love. It thrills me. Others might disrespect that claim, but not Pearl nor I. There is nothing in this world that could ever make me drink the blood of a vampire that is not you. I know the offer would only come either at the dire need for me to heal, a situation that is not what we have planned for my time to turn, or if you knew you would be able to insure I was not going to die shortly after. I know to deny any that tries to give me some, you’ve made sure of that. Your friendship and trust in Pearl is well founded and centuries old, she knows better my love.

Speaking of Pearl, she has mentioned the thought of possibly having me wear something with Vervain within it to keep the vampires in this town--one’s that she is unsure of their loyalty to you as the number seems to grow each time we speak-- away from me. I do not know if I agree with this. Could it harm you and is it something that you would want? Only a gift from you will ever find a way to my skin that is potentially dangerous to you.

Enjoy the sketches and I will wait for your reply as always.

Eternally yours, Lee

[jackdawyt]

Given that Tevinter Nights is just over one month old, and the majority of you have had a decent chance to pick it up and give it a good read, I want to share my full-spoiler predications for Dragon Age 4 based on many new aspects Tevinter Nights brings to the ever-so expanding universe of Dragon Age. As a quick preface, this sort of video is definitely going to be more of an opinion piece, sharing my own thoughts and marvels on everything Tevinter Nights foreshadows for the future game.

I encourage all of your thoughts and theories too, so share them down below! But, without further ado, I’ll start by sharing my predictions on the main tone of Dragon Age 4.

Tone:

The Dragon Age games have always followed a Dark Fantasy approach to storytelling with morally grey choices, excessive gore and truly twisted plot-beats like ravenous Broodmothers, and Hawke’s mother’s macabre death, which was oh so gruesome and a pinnacle example of Dragon Age’s dark fantasy tone.  

While some may argue Dragon Age: Inquisition was the weakest in this dark fantasy department, Tevinter Nights revitalises any hope for the return of deeper and darker themes in the next Dragon Age game.  

Y’see Tevinter Nights, acting as a prologue for Dragon Age 4, introduces a bounty of dark fantasy storytelling that will certainly push the future plots in a most diabolical way.  

Introduced in this book, we had plenty of things that would give even a darkspawn the heebie jeebies!

From: evil twisted human/centipedal/insectoid monstrosities, demon worshipping cults, ancient wicked beings, (“Cekorax”), death and blood magic, murder machinations, eldritch horrors, domestic abuse, inhumane treatment, ghastly apparitions, demonic possession, and plenty more hard-hitting themes that are paving the way for Dragon Age 4’s story.  

And if none of those themes satiated your own dark desires for the next Dragon Age game, well, don’t forget about the main narrative focusing on stopping a prideful and powerful elven mage who can take shape into the wicked Dread Wolf attempting to commit mass-genocide for the sake of his long-lost people. Oh, not to mention the fact that this elf could’ve broken up with you too, causing your heart to ache every single second as he tears down Thedas, and the love you once shared together...

With that said, Dragon Age 4’s tone should certainly take the franchise back to its dark fantasy roots if it follows the layout Tevinter Nights has laid ahead. Let’s move on to the next game’s potential locations.

Locations:

First up, The Tevinter Imperium.

From the Capital City Minrathous, home to the Magisterium to Elven tombs lurking in The Silent Planes. There are many prominent locations that could make for a worthy visit within the Imperium. However, with the ongoing Qunari Antaam invasion ransacking many of Tevinter’s northern cities, many of the Imperium’s major holdings will be torn by the current war and preparing for a siege.  

Not to mention the other major epidemic on the Imperium and its people  - the scheme Solas has to destroy the veil. Not that this pain will be exclusive to the Imperium, as by gum, it will hurt all of Thedas.  

But, the entirety of Tevinter’s land was once in possession of the ancient elves during the elvhen times. Solas’s scheme seeks a redemption of his people, and so a reclamation of the land is merely inevitable.  

The people of Tevinter are not only evading a brutal religious conquest against their homes, but an elven God’s conflict too.  

With so much contention impending, the Tevinter Imperium is critically endangered. Can Tevinter’s most contrived government save its very people, or will we see this once great Empire stumble into chaos?  

Next up, Nevarra.

The main ongoing conflict in Nevarra regards the Van Markham, Pentagasht and many other nobles fighting for their own right to the throne, as King Marcus’s reign will soon end with no heir to rule after him.  

However, just outside of the Capital; Nevarra City, lies the Mortalitasi’s Grand Necropolis, a stronghold and morgue built into the side of a mountain to hold Neverra’s elite family tombs.  

In a very recent catastrophic ritual held in the Grand Necropolis caverns, the Dread Wolf attacked the Mortalitasi, sending demons to stop the ritual and kill the rest of the mages. In a desperate effort, the surviving mages sealed the caverns with no trace of the invading demons.  

Investigating the Dread Wolf’s movements may play a huge part in the next plot, and having the Mortalitasi as allies could change the tide of battle. So, Nevarra’s Grand Necropolis would certainly make for a grand visit.  

And then there’s Hunter Fell, a small town just west of Nevarra City, where a tavern called ‘The Teahouse’ appeared to be the last known location that Solas had made a physical appearance. Another worthy place to investigate further plot ties.

Throughout the lands of Nevarra, there are at least elven more ancient elven/dwarven thaigs that are built into Nevarran mountains, to our knowledge, only one has been opened and it contained horrific mutilated creatures followed by a gas that had a stench of the ocean.  

Nevarra and its surrounding areas are ripe with plot lines and narrative potential that will need to have a huge impact in the next Dragon Age game.

Following that, we’ve got Antiva.

Just like Tevinter, the majority of Nothern Antiva is under widespread invasion by the Qunari Antaam. However, quite unlike Tevinter, Antiva doesn’t exactly have their own dedicated military forces, instead the country relies on the Anitvan Crows to take action.  

The leaders of the Antivan Crows have their own inner conflict as one of the eight major houses leading the crows decided to sign a contract with the Qunari for a peaceful invasion, in which Antiva would be ‘spared’ in exchange for the deaths of every other talon.  

The talons discovered this treachery and put the situation to bed with the death of the Kortez family talon. With the peaceful conflict in shambles, a very much hostile Qunari invasion lingers on the horizon for Antiva.

Although the Anitvan Crows may make for a worthwhile trip to Antiva, who can say what will remain of the country when Dragon Age 4 arrives.  

Lastly, we have The Anderfels.

To my knowledge, the most outstanding location The Anderfels has to offer is Fortress Weisshaupt, the headquarters of the Grey Wardens.  

There’s been a lot of talk regarding the Anderfels Wardens, that they have a secret, or they’ve discovered something, or they’re all dead. henceforth, Fortress Weisshaupt has cut communications to the other Wardens across Thedas, remaining silent and alone.  

Could this sworn secret silencing the Wardens from the other groups be the return of Griffons? Have they discovered even more intelligent darkspawn, perhaps another Magister of old, or are the Warden leaders fighting amongst themselves?

The search for this truth could make for a notable quest line in Dragon Age 4.  

I’ll shuffle away from Rivan as a prominent location because I believe this country is intentionally neutral for many reasons that I’ll uncover in the next category.

With that, let’s talk about one of the biggest aspects that is going to make or break the next Dragon Age game.  

The Protagonist:

Spy.

We’ve known for a fair while that Dragon Age 4’s previous iteration had the player prance around Tevinter as a spy, partaking in high risk, high reward heists. However, before major development picked up, the project was canned and the majority of its ideas were too.  

It’s unknown if any of that previous work will make its way into the latest iteration, or if it’s all been scrapped.  

But, before we shed a tear thinking about what Dragon Age 4 might’ve been based on the original iteration... If Tevinter Nights has taught me one thing, it’s that this spy role for our new protagonist still has plenty of potential. So, keep your daggers at the ready because I wouldn’t call playing as a spy off the table just yet.

As it stands, a spy is the biggest and best contender we have for our next character - chasing every lead after Solas, attempting to find a crack in his grand scheme, recovering intel and ancient artefacts, all the while being someone completely different than The Inquisitor. We’re a nobody, someone who can slip between the seams without garnering any attention.  

Which is the perfect role to defeat Solas because he doesn’t know of both our existence, and weaknesses.

Tevintet Nights builds up a lot of espionage plotlines, introducing brand new factions in Thedas that are particularly interested in subterfuge and trickery. Or as I like to call it hankey-pankey. Each attempting to gather information to defeat Solas before he set’s Thedas ablaze.  

So, because many major factions throughout Thedas operate a sole spy network, we have plenty of race origin stories for our next spy, conceptually.  

Say we play as a human; we can be a member of the Tevinter Siccari. If we’re a dwarf, we can belong to the Carta. If we choose an elf, we could be an Ex-Fen'Harel Agent, and if we played as a Qunari, we could be a member of the Ben-Hassrath.  

Satisfying each race with their own reconnaissance background, allowing the protagonist to have an already established understanding of Solas and his plan, so they can begin their journey of attempting to stop him.  

Through heists and other risky missions, we could embark on a fast pace, tense narrative that’s more akin to a suicide mission. Very much different to the previous Dragon Age entries, however, completely logically given the tone of the predicted narrative.  

And, Maker’s arse, I could go on with many more ideas for a spy protagonist, but we’ve got other concepts to move on to. If that doesn’t quench your thirst for potential spy dynamics in the next Dragon Age game, well I did create a dedicated video to this topic that you can check out.  

Lord of Fortune (Treasure Hunter).

In the same direction as a stealthy spy, but rather quite different and certainly stricter, but has its own unique appeal (..) we could potentially play as a Rivani Lord of Fortune! More apropos, a distinct Treasure Hunter seeking fortune, wealth and any opportunity that pays well enough.

And perhaps the gig that pays well enough is to, without question, recover certain artefacts and idols that may be required in stopping an Elven God that wants to destroy the veil. However, that information is beyond our pay grade, and were not one to question a paid job.  

And then, as things escalate, our Treasure Hunter finds themselves in a perilous situation, and they decide to take the hunt against the Dread Wolf, with more reason than just coin, but to fight for Thedas and their new family.  

What marks a Lord of Fortune as significant is the fact that they’re from Rivan, a country we’ve not yet seen much of in Dragon Age, and somewhat of a neutral location for our next protagonist. As they make choices that may affect Tevinter or Nevarra, they won’t have a bias based on that being their home, they will be able to make a neutral choice based on the context given, and none other.  

There were plenty of nods to the Lords of Fortune in Tevinter Nights. Regardless, if we’re not playing as one, we’ll certainly encounter one or two in the next game.  

Executor.

And in a completely obscure, but necessary direction... how about playing as an Executor? A being, or person, or whatever the heck they are, from “beyond the sea.” This character style would grant the players with a new perspective on Thedas, and would allow new players to pick up the series, as you’d slowly learn about the narrative piece by piece, playing as someone who probably doesn’t know much about the world of Thedas, and would need somewhat of an education on the events of this world.

We don’t know much about the Executors at all, so what’s better way to discover them then actually playing as one?  

The Inquisitor (Dual?).

As my final protagonist concept for Dragon Age 4, I feel it necessary as an Inquisitor fanboy to reiterate the ancient method many fans would like to see, and that is the dual protagonist mechanic. Allowing the next game to have two protagonists. As a TLDR, because I’ve talked about this before, but let's say we play as the returning Inquisitor for 20% of the game as they find loose ends on Solas, deal with diplomatic and political matters, and have more of a conversational style to gameplay. Then, we switch to our new protagonist who spends the rest of the game exploring Tevinter, building allies and attempting to stop Solas.

Putting this topic to bed, the Inquisitor needs to witness the end to Solas, whether peacefully or vengefully, he’s the Inquisitor’s friend, rival or romance. So, they need to be there to deal with him.  

Potential Allies:

Anyhow, we’ve talked about the next protagonist, let’s explore some plot threads and briefly run through the factions we may, or may not have on our side depending on our choices in Dragon Age 4.  

The Mortalitasi

Nevarra’s own death mages who’re responsible for mummifying the bodies of elite families using powerful necromancy and binding magic. It is said that the Mortalitasi are so powerful, they influence and sway the king’s decrees and decisions over the kingdom.  

The Tevinter Siccari

The Imperium’s best shadow network, made of highly skilled and secretive agents who each come from slave families, they are formidable and honourable warriors.  

The Qunari Ben Hassrath

The Qun’s dedicated spies and enforcers, they’re responsible for re-educating those not familiar with the Qun, however, the group are currently fixated on Solas’s movements. Reportedly The Ben Hassrath have the most knowledge about the Wolf than anyone else on Thedas, because of this, they remain a neutral party in Thedas’s war effort.  

The Inquisition

Remnants of the Inquisition army continue the mission of their Inquisitor, with many agents enlisting to fight against an opposing threat.  

The Carta

This crime syndicate has been investigating all matters concerning the blight that has become ‘bad for business’ in the dwarven kingdom, like the red lyriun idol.  

The Executors  

Mysterious beings who come from beyond the sea, they would rather not see this world come to an end, and so they too seek a demise to the Wolf.  

The Antivan Crows

Antiva’s best and brightest hired assassins, who’ve recently denied the Qunari Antaam’s ‘peaceful’ contract for invasion. Now, they will fight for their country and its people.  

The Grey Wardens

The legendary heroes of old are long gone, the group continues with incompetent leaders who stain the title Grey Warden. However, those who linger in Fortress Weishaupt have a secret, one that has not yet left the premise. Whatever that may be...  

And I’m sure plenty more factions will arise; however, these were my main hot takes based on Tevinter Nights. With that, let’s discus the rivalling factions that will most likely be out for our blood in the next game.  

Enemies:  

The Qunari Antaam

The Qun, under the leadership of Sten as Arishock, stands divided. The Antaam, the Qun’s dedicated military branch has decided for themselves to invade Thedas without authorisation from the rest of the Qun. The zealot army sieges cities across Northern Tevinter and Antiva, continuing to rampage all of Thedas’s land until the people either kneel to the Qun or pay the price with their own blood. They will not stop until their mission is complete, and no one will get in their way, not even their own people.  

Solas/Dread Wolf

Solas seeks to destroy the veil, destroying Thedas. He’s absorbed Mythal’s essence so he can rise as the horrific Dread Wolf, a creature who has taken residence in the Fade, with his own demon army whom serve him willingly.  

Ancient Elves

Ancient and Dalish Elves have joined Solas’s ranks, known as the Cult of Fen’Harel, they abide by Solas’s every scheme and have begun to cause chaos for Thedas, like attempting to set up a calamity feud between the Qunari Ben Hassrath and Tevinter Kinsman. Who knows what they may do next?  

Venatori Remnants

They tried to summon an ancient demon in Tevinter’s capital city, surely, they aren't over that plan just yet.  

Main Story/Plot Points:

Now we get to the juicy story predications, where I get to speculate the heck out of many key plot aspects of Dragon Age 4’s narrative. So, hold on tight to your tinfoil hats!  

The Red Lyrium Idol

The whereabouts of the Red Lyrium Idol are still quite the mystery, we’ve learned a great deal about this device, however, we still don’t know what it represents, and how significant it will be regarding Solas’s plan to destroy the veil. So, will we be embarking on a McGuffin style questline to find this idol before Solas gets it?  

Let’s say we’re a spy journeying into epic heists, attempting to beat Solas to the finish line and destroy this idol before he gets it. Or, maybe this idol plot-point may be wrapped up by the time of Dragon Age 4’s launch, and we’ll be doing something else?

The point is, this idol is still a mystery and it needs solving, so by that measure, it’s probably going to have some involvement in Dragon Age 4.  

Solas/Dread Wolf Antagonist  

Based on what we know about the story going forward, Solas will most certainly be the next antagonist, that’s a given at this point unless the plot drastically changes and Mythal or The Titans, or a new evil takes that position. As it stands though, Solas seemingly is the big bad of Dragon Age 4.  

And, he’s has already risen as the Dread Wolf, so that’s just grand, we’re already doomed! The plot will most likely focus around stopping Solas before he destroys the veil... if there even is a way to stop him.

As another obvious predication, I believe we may follow between two main choices throughout every action in the next game, those choices are: do we want to redeem Solas, or stop him. If our intention is to redeem Solas, then perhaps he’ll listen to what we’ve got to say, however, if we pursuit his death, then perhaps we’ll only be greeted by The Dread Wolf.

Allies  

Regarding the main plot of defeating Solas, I believe we’ll be gathering more intel on the Dread Wolf by teaming up with many dedicated factions across Nothern Thedas. While some groups may join our ranks more willingly like the Mortalitasi, I believe we may have a few decisions between choosing one faction over another because of their own quarrels. Like choosing between the Tevinter Siccari and Qunari Ben Hassrath, each providing agents and intelligence in their own way against Solas, however, completely hostile to the other faction.  

We’re going to need allies to stop Solas, there’s no way around that. Not every faction is going to get along, and magically unifying every divisive faction under one banner would be unrealistic and feel cheap in my opinion. If we can choose between key factions, there’d be a sense of contention throughout every single choice we could make.  

As well as gathering and helping as many allies as possible who support our cause against the Dread Wolf, I have a few more main mission predictions like embarking on epic heists stealing and claiming Elven artefacts and Evanuris runes. And stopping key agents of Fen’Harel and their destructive plans for Thedas.

Side Plots:

Alongside our main story content, we’ve got plenty of side plots and threads that need to be explored. So, here’s a rapid list of some extra conflicts I think we’ll see in the next game.  

The Grey Warden’s sudden silence at Fortress Weishaupt.

Aiding the Mortalitasi.

The Qunari Antaam’s invasion against Northern Thedas.

Uncovering Ghilinan’s Creations, Pre-Veil Monsters and Ancient Thaigs.

The Remnant Venatori Cult threat.

The mysteries concerning the Titans.  

Companions:

And, now we get to the most subjective list, the roster of companions we may share this journey against Solas with.  

Rogues:

I want to see Vaea, she’s my favourite character in the comics and she appeared in ‘Harold Had The Plan’. I know I speak for even the comic writers that she deserves a spotlight in the next game. The only problem is, she doesn’t kill, but heck, she could perform a support role in the group.

Next up, Scout Lace Harding. She’s been teased, but she deserves a comeback as a bigger role, and she can serve as a reminder of the Inquisition, filling the new protagonist in on previous events correlating to Solas.  

And, Lucanis Dellamorte, an Antivan Crow assassin introduced in ‘The Wigmaker Job’.  Although he has no interest in becoming First Talon, he’s said to be his grandmother’s favourite, and she intends on making him her heir.

Mages:

Vadis, an Altus Thief introduced in ‘Half Up Front’. She was disowned by her father because of her relationship with an elf. As of which, she’s a wayward traveller who came across a calamity scheme of Fen’Harel’s which would’ve caused an incredible feud between the Qun and Tevinter. Since stopping those responsible, and making herself known to the Dread Wolf, she’s headed to Kirkwall to meet Varric Tethras so she and her partner can strike back.  

A Female Qunari. Patrick Weekes tweeted back in 2017 that this sort of character style would be a biggie because it’s someone they haven’t done before. I don’t have any character in mind because there were no significant female Qunari’s in Tevinter Nights, however, that doesn’t mean we can’t have a guess. We’ve had two previous warrior Qunari, and I think we’d all love to see an ex-sarrabas, wielding powerful Fade magic.  

Philliam, a Bard! Is a scholar responsible for collecting and curating many texts in Thedas. His knowledge and penmanship would certainly be a large help, not to mention his dashing personality, he’s a Bard for Andraste’s sake!  

Warriors:

Fenris, as a returning character from Dragon Age 2, I think Fenris is one of the most viable characters to return as a companion. His lyrium tattoos provide for a very unique combat style, and he’s got plenty of substance in Tevinter as he continues his blood trail of magisters. Not only that, he’s been setting slaves free and is personally involved in a red lyrium plot conducted by the Venatori remnants.  

Grey Warden Ramesh is a man who has seen some true horrors in his life. Introduced in ‘The Horror of Hormak’, Ramesh has seen one of the many ancient thaigs that contain ancient elven nightmares, as he witnessed his partner sacrifice her life so he could escape. His mission stands to warn the rest of the Wardens of the remaining eleven thaigs.  

“Hollix” is a Lord of Fortune introduced in “Luck in the Gardens”. They defeated a great tentacle monster lurking in the gardens of Minrathous, with the assistance of Dorian Pavus and Maevaris Tilani. Not only can they perfect the fine arts of theft, but “Hollix” makes for a great hunter and tracker.  

Silly:

As for some sillier, but very much necessary companion predictions, I have a few more that I need to share:  

A Nevarran Mortalitasi Skeleton, in the Grand Necropolis, the death mages have actual skeleton servants who do pretty much anything for their masters, being bound by a spell to serve for the rest of your days will do that to you. I say, if they’re already bound, why not have one too?  

In the opposite direction, I’d like to see my Mabari Dog return. That is all.  

How about an Executor? They’re such a mystery, if we’re not going to find out what’s behind their vyrantium robes any other way, then we may need to take a gander and see for ourselves.  

And, lastly, I’d be silly not to ask for an Elven God companion.  

In truth, these are just a few of my companion predications very much based on Tevinter Nights, I believe the next game will have a variety of different companions. The main takeaway from this section going forward is to expect the sort of character we haven’t already had, as Patrick Weekes stated.  

Let me know your predictions down below, what you think we can predict for Dragon Age 4!

[selectedhq]

oh  ,  wonderful  !  welcome  welcome  ,  let’s  get  this  show  on  the  road  ,  shall  we  ?  not  like  we  have  the  rest  of  our  afterlife  to  dwell  upon  ,  am  i  right  ?

well  ,  i  would  like  to  officially  welcome  you  to  the  good  place  .  i’m  sure  you  are  all  wondering  why  you  are  here  ,  but  we  will  get  more  into  that  later  as  we  experience  the  afterlife  as  a  whole  .  take  a  look  around  ,  these  are  your  neighbours  ,  friends  ,  significant  others  &  your  community  members  .  during  your  time  on  earth  ,  all  of  us  here  at  the  good  place  ,  had  taken  it  upon  ourselves  to  watch  you  carefully  &  take  careful  consideration  in  picking  you  ,  specifically  .  we  have  our  own  point  system  ,  which  you  will  see  on  the  screen  behind  us  ,  where  you  would  gain  simple  points  such  as  holding  a  door  for  someone  or  handing  some  money  to  someone  that  was  less  fortunate  as  you  .  we  did  track  some  of  the  negative  things  that  you  have  done  in  your  life  ,  but  they  ----  usually  balanced  out  the  good  .  the  overall  existence  of  this  place  was  built  with  you  and  for  you  ,  you  were  chosen  for  a  purpose  &  we  hope  that  purpose  will  become  clear  to  you  during  your  stay  here  .  now  ,  we  shall  begin  with  the  briefings  .

LOCATIONS

i’m  sure  that  you  have  noticed  that  this  place  is  quite  large  !  we  have  many  establishments  throughout  this  town  &  they  were  all  made  to  fit  the  likings  of  our  fellow  community  members  .

𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓  𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄

where  you  will  find  a  lot  of  marine  life  and  water  .  i’m  sure  that  many  of  you  who  have  enjoyed  water  during  your  time  on  earth  have  found  yourselves  situated  in  a  home  directed  that  way  .  you  will  find  canoes  and  row  boats  that  will  allow  you  to  enjoy  some  peace  on  the  lake  ,  as  well  as  a  beautiful  waterfall  just  around  the  bend  .  while  here  ,  we  encourage  you  to  take  a  look  around  the  ponds  ,  we  have  some  amazing  fish  that  would  love  to  have  some  of  the  food  that  is  sold  in  the  downtown  area  .  we  also  encourage  you  to  take  a  nice  hike  up  the  waterfall  ,  with  a  cliff  right  off  to  the  right  .  once  you  hit  the  destination  ,  maybe  have  a  wonderful  picnic  with  a  loved  one  or  try  some  cliff  diving  if  you  were  much  too  frightened  before  on  earth  .

𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓  𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄  

the  wooden  area  that  many  people  enjoy  when  they  need  some  peace  and  quiet  .  there  are  a  few  households  within  this  neighbourhood  ,  usually  selected  for  people  who  enjoyed  the  seclusion  and  warmth  of  being  connected  to  nature  .  our  local  greenhouses  are  kept  up  there  ,  you  can  find  some  wonderful  plants  that  you  could  take  home  or  take  a  few  selfies  with  the  help  of  kimmy  to  hang  up  in  your  home  .  we  also  have  the  community  garden  out  that  way  ,  where  you  can  grow  your  own  vegetables  or  even  help  gather  some  ingredients  for  the  restaurants  as  some  extra  credit  options  towards  gaining  more  points  (  yes  ,  you  can  still  gain  them  here  !  )  .  we  have  a  few  trails  within  this  area  as  well  ,  where  you  can  feel  one  on  one  with  nature  once  again  ,  where  the  sun  will  beat  on  your  face  ;  you  can  practically  hear  the  bugs  buzzing  around  you  !

𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇  𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄

where  many  of  you  may  usually  find  yourselves  ,  it  allows  itself  to  be  integrated  with  the  downtown  area  just  behind  you  .  you’ll  be  able  to  see  the  large  households  that  are  within  that  area  ,  where  many  of  our  community  members  are  staying  ,  either  by  their  lonesome  or  with  someone  they  believe  to  be  close  to  them  .  in  the  north  side  ,  you’ll  find  a  lot  of  educational  things  ,  including  our  school  for  the  afterlife  .  the  school  is  still  working  out  some  last  minute  kinks  alongside  our  trusty  kimmy  ,  but  will  be  up  &  running  within  the  next  week  ,  so  make  sure  that  you  take  some  time  to  visit  the  campus  &  take  a  good  look  at  the  classes  that  will  be  offered  .  we  would  love  to  keep  you  educated  on  things  around  the  good  place  during  your  stay  here  .  while  school  can  be  quite  boring  ,  i’m  sure  we  can  rope  you  all  into  attending  with  the  small  bribery  of  flying  !  you  have  all  witnessed  it  briefly  during  our  halloween  event  ,  but  we  will  be  having  mandatory  flying  lessons  for  everyone  who  joins  the  school  in  the  beautiful  courtyard  out  back  .  you  like  gymnastics  ?  well  we  can  find  you  some  balance  beams  .  football  ?  well  what  is  the  afterlife  without  some  tackling  ?  cheerleading  ?  well  you’re  in  for  a  treat  because  i  sure  would  love  to  hear  some  fun  rhymes  !  you  name  it  ,  we  got  it  .

𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇  𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄

is  currently  under  construction  ,  so  we  do  ask  that  you  avoid  that  area  at  this  moment  .  the  weather  is  not  corresponding  correctly  to  the  systems  we  have  put  into  place  &  we  definitely  do  not  want  a  mix  up  with  any  of  you  .  so  please  ,  we  ask  that  you  do  not  move  past  the  colourful  rainbow  tape  that  is  surrounding  the  south  side  until  the  construction  of  that  area  is  done  .  we  are  working  very  diligently  to  get  it  up  &  running  as  i  am  sure  many  of  you  are  hoping  to  find  yourself  located  in  that  wing  !

𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍  

the  place  that  you  will  always  find  yourself  wanting  to  come  !  we  have  a  little  bit  of  this  &  a  little  bit  of  that  for  everyones  liking  .  there  are  local  restaurants  around  town  that  will  serve  you  anything  that  you  could  dream  of  !  many  of  which  could  be  your  favourite  meals  ,  favourite  drinks  ----  oh  &  did  we  mention  the  endless  options  for  desserts  ?  if  you  look  around  ,  we  also  have  endless  froyo  stations  ;  many  of  which  will  have  flavours  that  create  a  very  similar  feeling  to  joy  &  happiness  .  ever  wonderful  what  it  would  taste  like  after  getting  straight  a’s  on  your  exams  ?  what  about  the  feeling  of  warmth  after  being  outside  in  the  cold  all  day  ?  well  i’m  sure  we  can  mix  up  something  for  you  !  we  also  have  entertainment  sectors  such  as  bars  ,  clubs  ,  even  a  movie  theater  to  play  your  favourite  movies  from  when  you  were  on  earth  !  bookstores  ,  florists  ,  clothing  stores  ,  you  name  it  !  it  may  look  a  bit  confusing  on  the  outside  ,  with  you  questioning  our  tastes  but  we  have  never  questioned  you  &  i  cross  my  heart  that  the  moment  you  walk  into  any  of  our  stores  ,  you  will  always  find  something  tailored  to  your  specific  tastes  !

i  am  sure  that  you  all  have  many  questions  ,  we  are  here  to  always  help  you  !  we  shall  go  over  the  wonderful  rules  that  we  have  in  the  good  place  &  what  is  deemed  appropriate  .

RULES

there  will  be  a  zero  tolerance  violence  policy  .  although  we  do  not  have  the  jurisdiction  within  the  good  place  to  arrest  ,  but  you  will  be  losing  points  with  violence  .  

you  are  free  to  ask  kimmy  any  questions  that  you  deem  necessary  ,  but  they  must  be  appropriate  .  kimmy  will  refuse  to  answer  anything  that  is  not  needed  .

as  stated  earlier  ,  we  will  not  allow  anyone  in  the  south  side  of  the  good  place  at  the  moment  .  if  found  there  ,  you  will  be  brought  into  my  (  michael’s  )  office  &  punishments  will  be  discussed  between  the  architects  .  

WHAT  IS  THERE  TO  DO  ?

well  good  question  !  you  are  able  to  sign  up  for  the  local  school  classes  that  kimmy  will  listen  later  in  the  weekend  ,  we  do  hope  that  we  get  some  good  responses  !  we’ve  worked  hard  to  coordinate  the  classes  !  we  also  allow  you  to  work  in  the  local  agencies  ,  but  please  be  aware  that  money  is  not  a  thing  in  the  good  place  !  you  do  receive  points  towards  your  community  involvement  &  that  will  boost  you  up  on  the  scale  in  the  architects  system  .  we  welcome  you  to  join  the  local  clean  up  group  that  dedicates  themselves  to  cleaning  up  any  possible  garbage  that  is  fluttering  on  the  streets  ,  or  maybe  you  are  interested  in  the  party  planning  committee  ,  which  is  usually  run  by  tahani  but  we  would  love  to  have  more  people  join  &  put  in  their  ideas  !

LITTLE  THINGS  TO  NOTE  

be  aware  that  the  good  place  is  tactical  to  your  needs  &  wants  .  if  you  don’t  enjoy  someone  using  a  curse  word  ,  then  your  mind  will  blank  it  out  &  possibly  replace  it  with  a  new  word  .  if  you  are  fluent  in  another  language  ,  we  have  all  implanted  a  translator  in  your  mind  .  although  someone  might  be  speaking  english  to  you  ,  they  could  actually  be  speaking  french  or  spanish  but  you  are  able  to  translate  it  instantly  .  

housing  units  are  there  for  your  liking  ,  if  you  would  like  to  move  in  with  someone  ,  we  will  allow  that  but  please  run  it  by  kimmy  or  myself  (  michael  )  to  let  us  know  that  you  will  be  moving  so  we  can  use  your  old  home  for  something  enjoyable  for  other  community  members  or  reinvent  it  into  a  new  home  for  someone  that  will  be  joining  us  .

lastly  ,  we  do  not  want  to  overwhelm  you  today  ,  so  if  you  ever  have  any  questions  please  let  kimmy  know  !  kimmy  is  programmed  to  know  every  answer  in  the  universe  &  she  will  be  at  your  beck  &  call  .  all  you  have  to  do  is  call  her  &  she  will  appear  to  answer  anything  that  you  need  .  the  architects  are  quite  busy  making  sure  that  this  place  is  designed  properly  ,  which  allows  kimmy  to  answer  questions  for  us  .  anyways  ,  without  further  ado  ,  please  !  explore  all  the  fun  things  that  are  surrounding  you  ,  we  can’t  wait  to  begin  planning  more  things  !

SOME  OOC  DETAILS

this  plotdrop  isn’t  as  dramatic  as  the  future  ones  will  be  ,  but  we  tried  to  answer  most  of  the  questions  that  have  been  floating  around  !

this  plotdrop  is  to  show  you  the  amount  of  things  that  your  character  can  do  around  town  &  the  jobs  that  they  could  do  if  they  want  to  boost  their  points  (  like  characters  that  don’t  believe  that  they  belong  here  -  they  might  want  to  boost  their  rating  by  helping  around  the  community  )

as  said  !  if  any  characters  or  muns  have  questions  --  ask  kimmy  !  make  sure  that  you  follow  the  blog  for  kimmy  ,  where  you  can  send  messages  to  ask  her  about  things  around  the  good  place  or  questions  about  anything  you  need  to  be  answered  !  she  will  definitely  answer  to  the  best  of  her  ability  ,  it  will  allow  the  architects  to  start  fixing  up  that  nasty  south  side  . 

if  asking  kimmy  a  question  ,  make  sure  that  you  start  the  question  with  ‘hey  kimmy  !’  so  that  she  knows  to  appear  to  answer  the  question  you  type  in  the  askbox.

you  are  welcome  to  continue  your  event  threads  ,  we  just  ask  that  you  don’t  make  any  new  starters  at  the  moment  for  it  .

we  will  also  be  introducing  meme  days  this  weekend  ,  so  definitely  keep  an  eye  out  for  that  one  !

if  you  have  any  questions  that  kimmy  can’t  answer  (  something  ooc  that  could  be  bothering  you  )  then  don’t  hesitate  to  message  the  main  admins  ,  we  will  make  sure  to  help  you  out  !