#i mean they DID get exiled but this is after their journey

[yuridovewing]

doesnt matter much bc idk how much content ill make for it anyways but i am so conflicted on whether i want the hawkleaf au to be in my hypothetical rewrite or not. because like i like the idea for that au because the melodrama gets pumped up even more and i love the whole "oh theyre firestar and tigerstars grandchildren.... but not the ones you think" thing, and how it makes the secret even more devastating, but also like. where the hell does that leave the windclan soap opera

[paimonial-rage]

otome isekai snippets - geo boys

synopsis: in which your favorite characters get dropped into a random stereotypical isekai plot of the author's choosing characters: albedo, gorou, itto, zhongli notes: title, synopsis, then snippet

Albedo - Protecting the Hero With Love

The hero’s journey was met with betrayal from every end, the first of which from his adoptive guardian, Duke Kreideprinz, who experimented on him endlessly as a child in an attempt to use his unique mana to defy the gods. Reborn as the hero’s sibling, there was no way you would be letting your brother go down such a harsh path! First obstacle? You would stop the duke from ever taking notice of your brother! Wait, what do you mean marriage!?

“Goodnight!” You exclaimed as you slammed your bedroom door shut.

You ignored the heat that flooded your cheeks as you fled to the comforting embrace of your bed. Your hands shook as you took your fluffiest pillow, buried your face into it…

And screamed.

Something was wrong. Something was very very wrong. Why in the world was he doing things like… that!? Dining with you every evening, placing his hand upon your waist in public, walking to your room at night and taking your hand to kiss while he looks up at you with those piercing blue–

You screamed into your pillow again. 

What in the world was going on!? He wasn’t supposed to be like this! By saving his sister from her terrible fate, you planned to prevent him from even taking interest in your brother’s mana. He was supposed to thank you with a sum of money and then send you on your way. His offer of a marriage contract as a form of protection for you and your brother came as a surprise, but when he simply stated it would be a benefit to him as well, you agreed. Since it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, he certainly had no reason to take interest in you.

So why in the world was he–

You slammed your fist into the pillow.

You knew the duke! Not only did you know him from the book, but you even heard rumors of him before you even met him in this world! He was supposed to be a loner! He was dismissive of most of his peers! He preferred the company of beakers and potions to actual people! The only person he truly cared about was his sister! So what in the world was that!? Just as his lips brushed against your fingers, he gazed up at you with those seafoam eyes and–

“So you don’t mind if I pursue you seriously then?”

You flopped forward onto your pillow and buried your face into it. Your heart couldn’t take this. Especially not when he looked at you like that. 

--

gorou, itto, and zhongli under the cut!

Gorou - I’m Not the Villainess Anymore!

It was the classic tale told many times past of a beautiful, yet pitiful woman that was saved by a handsome man. Together they overcame jealous villainesses, corrupt politicians, and jealous older siblings to live happily ever after. But that was not your story. You, as the jealous ultimate villainess, were exiled to a lonely monastery at the edge of the kingdom. But you know what? It was about time! Finally, you can live your life unfettered by the chains of the novel! But if that was the case, why does the head knight keep bothering you!? Your job as the villainess is done! It’s about time he left you alone!

You bit your lip as you scrubbed that light spot in the corridor for the fiftieth time. Who would have thought that after months of getting General Gorou to leave, the moment your wish came true you wanted nothing more than to keep him here with you. You knew his strengths and accomplishments. You knew he wouldn’t be taken down easily. But the thought that he’d be going up against the Shogunate…

You gritted your teeth and pressed your scrubber even harder into the spot. 

Who cared? Regardless of what happened, Sangonomiya Kingdom had nothing to do with you. Your job there was done. And once General Gorou left, you’d finally be free. You’d finally be able to live your life the way you wanted to. You would be able to leave the monastery behind, jump on a ship to a land far away, and restart your life there. And–

You froze when you heard the sound of hooves accompanied with a familiar voice. 

“Woah there! Jeez, I know you’re happy to go running again, but this won’t be for fun, boy.”

General Gorou? Was he leaving already?

Your heart caught in your throat as you tossed everything to the side and dashed toward the front doors. Throwing them open, you froze upon seeing the general securing the last of his luggage to his trusted steed. And when his eyes fell upon you, he froze in return. Was he at a loss of what to say just like you? But by the steely expression that soon overtook his face, it seemed he found his words first.

“I’ll return safely to you, I promise.”

You wanted to laugh in response. He’ll return safely? How could he promise such a thing so easily? The Shogun’s army was mighty and the Sangonomiya Kingdom was so small. Sure, he was a mighty warrior. Sure, he proved himself in battle many times over, but that didn’t mean–

He took your hands and squeezed them tightly.

“I’ll come back to you safely. I promise. So…” He then cupped your cheek and smiled that adorable smile of his. “Don’t worry too much, okay? Make sure to eat your vegetables. And don’t get into fights with the priest. Oh! And the children adore you, so I’ll check to see you set a good example for them when I return.”

Disbelief exploded from your chest in the form of a bark of laughter. 

“Don’t scold me right before you march to your death! Don’t worry about me! Just…” You turned away as tears filled your eyes. “Just come back alive.”

--

Itto - My Seventh Round of Life

You lived six lives before this one, each ending in failure. Murder, sickness, betrayal—the list goes on. You did everything right. You fulfilled all the duties of each life, and still each time ended in your early demise. So when you woke up for the seventh time, you decided you had enough. You’ll give life one last chance. This time you’ll make your own decisions! Although… getting caught by a gang of bandits certainly was not one of them!!!

“You can’t just… do this!!! They’re not going to allow it!” You exclaimed as you tried to pull the big burly oni back. 

You had no clue what in the world made him think it was okay to simply set up a stage in the middle of such an illustrious city, but here was this big dope doing so! Didn’t he know what could happen? What if permits were needed? What if everybody was arrested for the fifth time this month!? But much to your dismay, Itto erupted in a big belly laughter at your despair.

“C’mon, First! Why are you getting your obi all tied in a knot? It’s not a big deal. We've done this maaaany times and it always turned out fine. Just trust me! It’s gonna be a riot!”

You wanted to scream. Of course, he wouldn’t see anything wrong with this. Didn’t this guy have any sense of self-preservation? But when you turned to Shinobu for assistance, there she was supervising the setup of the stage. Was literally everyone in this accursed gang insane?

Upon noticing your distressed expression, Itto let out a sigh. Soon you were wincing as a huge hand ruffled your carefully styled hair. 

“Don’t worry, I get it! You’re standing here brought to tears over worrying about your great boss. It’ll be fine!” But when your expression didn’t change, his turned stern. “Look, if you spend all your time racking your brain over hows-its and whats-its, you’ll get all old and pruney before you know it. You only live once. Might as well make it worth it, right?”

You wanted to laugh. If only he knew this was your seventh life. You got killed for less. But… unlike your previous lives, it wasn’t as if the Arataki Gang was involved in anything illegal. Their antics only incurred, not the threat of bows and spears, but the rolling of eyes. You left your old life away too. They didn’t want you anymore. So… perhaps… Perhaps it couldn’t be that bad?

Your shoulders dropped.

“Fine.”

So when he jumped in front of the crowd with fireflies strapped to his horns and the rest of the gang jumping and dancing around him, the audience hooted and hollered with glee. With the music twanging high in the air and the children of the city rushing around you, somewhere along the line you found yourself laughing along too. It felt odd. Weird. Like there was a lightness in your chest you never felt before. 

Was this what it felt like to live?

--

Zhongli - I Didn’t Mean to Sleep With the Celestial Emperor

Every century, the celestial emperor came down to the Kingdom of Liyue to grace his people with the divine knowledge needed to flourish until his return. After enjoying the week-long festival in the harbor to your heart’s content, you were excited for the main event. But as the celestial emperor descended from the heavens, what filled your chest was not awe, but confusion. Wasn’t he the guy you slept with last night?

“It has been said that while the Harbor represents the will of Liyue, Qingce Village represents its heart. It is a joy to see that it has remained just as I remembered.” 

“O-Oh, is that so?” You asked as the corner of your smile twitched slightly.

You didn’t know how it came to this, bringing the celestial emperor around Liyue, that is. When you first saw his face, you nervously assumed you were mistaken. You clearly saw him descend from the heavens, after all. The man you spent a passionate evening with the night before certainly could not be him. But when he locked eyes with you from the parapet, dread filled your stomach. 

You tried. You really did. The moment the procession was over, you upped and headed straight to the inn to pack your belongings to leave and leave to anywhere out of Liyue Harbor. But that would’ve been too easy. No, the moment you rushed downstairs and paid your bill, you turned to run straight into a young adeptus and was therefore whisked over to the man himself. 

Though it would have been weird, you would have been fine if he simply wished to thank you for the evening, but things were never that simple, were they? No, when you were brought before him, he said that you promised to show him the delights of Liyue. You said he could take it as a verbal contract between you both and he wished to cash in on it.

Now, let it be said that you didn’t mean it. After having had a few drinks last night, you were in the mood to flirt and really, could you be held accountable for what came out of your mouth? You didn’t think he’d hold you to it! But at the same time, how could you refuse!? Only a fool would invalidate a contract made with the very being of contracts! 

So here you were bringing the celestial emperor around as if he were some random normal traveler from a foreign land trying to hide from the common folk the divinity that oozed off of him in waves. It certainly did not help that he was handsome to boot and could steal hearts with a simple smile. And when he directed all that at you…?

“To be able to share this view with you…” His amber eyes glowed with warmth. “Your presence makes this trip even more of a delight.”

You couldn’t think straight.

[thesummerestsolstice]

Part two of my series on Rivendell's resident guards. This post is about one of Thingol's old bodyguards and how she came to live in Rivendell. Here's part one, about the Feanorian lieutenant Hrivossa.

Thingol's Old Bodyguard: Celecoll

The name means "Silver Cloak;" she got it as an adult for being basically a shadow for Thingol and stopped using her other name (which she'd never been fond of) after that

She was born a bit after the Journey to Valinor, among the part of the Teleri that stayed behind

Her earliest years were spent being harassed by Morgoth's forces, one of her first memories is the day Thingol and Melian appeared in the Teleri camp to lead them to the peace and safety of Doriath

Ever since that moment, she's wanted to dedicate her life to the Sindarin king

As a young adult, she fought in many battles at Thingol's side before the girdle was ingrained enough to keep Doriath hidden, making her something of a war hero to the Sindar

She's deadly with about half a dozen weapons, and when she wasn't serving as a bodyguard, she often kept her skills sharp by ensuring that none of Morgoth's forces even thought about getting near the girdle

Still, after the girdle was established, she rarely ventured far out of it

She fully trusted Thingol and Melian's judgement on who should and shouldn't be into Doriath, so while she felt some sympathy for those who were turned away, she thought it was for the greater good

Now she had very little sympathy for the Noldor; murderers who showed up in Beleriand after thousands of years only to (in her mind) immediately antagonize Morgoth and start demanding Thingol risk the lives of everyone in Doriath to help them on their borderline insane mission to defeat a literal god

She saw herself as a protector, and was generally a gentle, kind soul with the Iathrim, always happy to spend a day helping some of her people plant that season's crops, or teaching some elflings basic swordplay (safely, of course)

But she had a very binary "us" and "them" view of the world, so the sense of responsibility she felt towards the Iathrim didn't extend to the other peoples of Middle-Earth

She didn't like Thingol asking for the Silmaril, but that was more because she thought Luthien should be able to marry when she wanted than because she had any moral qualms about Thingol taking the Silmaril and not giving it to the Noldor

Though she did notice that the Silmaril had some... worrying effects on him after he got it

Sometimes, he would spend days locked in his vault looking at it, and she'd have to pull him out to get him to eat and sleep

Still, as worried as she was, it was clear to her that Thingol wanted the Silmaril, that it made him happy, and she refused to go behind her king's back, even when some of her fellow guards wanted to

I mean, Doriath is still thriving– what's the problem if he spends more time out of the public eye? What harm could it cause?

Things continued like this right up until Thingol died as a direct result of the Silmaril, shortly followed by Melian forsaking Middle-Earth

This was an earth-shattering event for Celecoll

Her king, who she dedicated her whole life too, just died a pointless death on one of the few days she was not around to protect him, because of something she chose not to do and now the queen she put so much faith in is gone and so is the girdle

Lots of the Iathrim look to her to try and fix things, because she was still a hero for many of them

She handled this about as well as you would expect

By which I mean she packed her weapons and exiles herself out of guilt and the feeling that she'd horribly failed her kind and people and needed to do penance

As for how she eventually meets Elrond and moves to Rivendell, that's a story for part three

[the-common-cowgirl]

Chapter 1 - Intro

Pairings: Aemond Targaryen x OFC (Anikyra Targaryen)

Summary: The Peaceful King Viserys hears word of a Targaryen Princess that resides in the broken stronghold of Valyria; which has since become an immature kingdom after of the doom befell their land. Feeling the tension between his house and believing the long night may soon come, Viserys proposes a betrothal between the Valyrian Princess and his second son, Aemond Targaryen, believing his daughter’s prophetic dream that the child born of this union will become the prince that was promised.

Warnings (Ch. specific): Mentions of murder and usurpation.

Word Count: 1600

A/N: AHA! First chapter of this rework done! Probably going to work on finishing The Lost Children after this unless this gets a lot of attention lol.

Masterlist

Dawn awakened over the vast land that once was the great stronghold of Valyria; now an emerging kingdom over the broken land. The red, hot sun greeted her on the east side of her balcony and the beautiful, bright rays danced along the pale, blue water of the sea that faced her to the south. The large, shiny, black castle, mounted on the side of a great mount of stone and soot, stood tall above the city. She could see the hustle of morning coming and goings of the smallfolk below her who now resembled crawling ants. She often sat high above them on warm dawns with her tea, wondering if, although their lives were harsh and rough, were they simpler? Were those people below her free in the choices they made or were they too, confined to a blind duty born of their station? Did they have autonomy over their beating hearts or were they too a prisoner in their own personal hell? 

She doubted it.

 She heard a door open in the distance behind her and knew her handmaiden was coming to ready her; she also knew the handmaiden would be bearing news in which she dreaded. News of the scheming of the King of Valyria and another King of a distant land. News that would be comparable to news of her own execution; at least, in her mind. She did not want to hear it but she knew it would come regardless of her wishes. So, she decided to muster up her courage, to take her cup with now cool tea and walk into her bedchambers to hear if this was the news her handmaiden would be bearing.

“Princess, a messenger has sent word that the Targaryens of Westeros have embarked on their journey here.”

The ‘False Targaryens’ you mean. 

She all but slammed her cup on a table, nearly breaking the fragile porcelain, angered by the audacity of these Westerosi to come here and believe they have any sort of claim to what was once their homeland. A homeland they were exiled from when Aenar defiled the name “Targaryen '' by gambling his riches awash then trying to make good on his debts by stealing his elder brother’s, Aelys Targaryen, dragon eggs. Aelys should have not only exiled him, but executed him. No, her ancestor, Aelys, allowed his brother to be exiled comfortably with his family, a dragon and a handful of eggs. After the doom befell Valyria,  all the dragons fell from the sky, burning from the outside in, and Aelys’ only daughter requested help from the Westerosi. She asked for Aenar to bring his dragons and help what remained of the dragonlords escape the wrecked ruins of what was their home. Aenar responded with a simple “Nyke ivestragon Aelys hen bisa vejes” [I tell Aelys of this doom].  So, desperate for help and to save the remains of her people, she took it upon herself as the last highborn blood of the dragonlords alive, she turned to head to Asshai…and the Taragryens rose from the ashes…without the help of the last of their kin.

“Princess?” Her handmaiden approached lightly and slowly; holding out her hand as if she were approaching a deadly beast that needed to sniff her first to know she’s not a threat.

“Yes, Tiah. I understand the words you spoke. I know they are coming. I’d be more content today if you chose to not speak of it. Is that understood?” She snapped with an edge to her voice she wasn’t intending upon. Realizing she was staring harshly toward her handmaiden, she softened her stance slightly and turned away to hide the outburst; lip twitching with residual anger.

 Tiah, she thought, only a year older than I but such a meek and foolish girl still. 

Her handmaiden took two steps back briskly. She held her head down and hands clasped behind her back. “Yes, your Grace. I will not speak further about them.” Like an obedient dog. 

The Princess, overcome with emotion of anger she did not want to process nor dim, yet also, feeling the need to apologize to her poor handmaiden who was only doing her duty in informing Princess of the updates that the walls of the castle echoed, decided to walk out to the balcony again instead of apologizing for her misdirected anger. 

Tiah is not the enemy here. Keep your head clear. Breathe. 

 After some time, the Princess decided to walk back into her bedchambers yet again, call upon her handmaiden, and ask for help dressing in a gown. She did not care which gown her handmaiden decided to pick, as long as it was light in this warming daylight and allowed her to breathe unrestrictedly. The day was hot and will grow hotter as the sun crawls higher into the sky. Tiah picked a thin silken gown that would allow her to stroll the castle on this day of summer without becoming faint. Emerald green silk with gold filigree embroidered on the sleeves and either side of her torso. It showed off a hint of her collarbone and she decided that it was an acceptable amount of skin to show to court. The Princess’ left hand slid along her exposed collarbone. Slender fingers caressing her soft skin. 

I will not become some broodmare for a false dragon. She reminded herself in the mirror. I am the true daughter of Valyria. The last true dragon of Valyria and I will not let the false Targaryens of Westeros feast upon my body with their eyes. I will not bend, nor will I break. 

 She thought of her mother and how she did not bend, nor break to her father’s whims. The beautiful “Light of Valyria” remained gentle but firm in her hold of power. How her mother loved her father deeply but it was her who sat the throne. How her father helped raise Valyria from the ruins and strengthened their fledgling kingdom, his duty born purely out of the love he held for her mother. Despite all of their love, duty, and power, they only produced a single child. One daughter. 

Naturally, being the “First Child of Valyria,” she would be the heir uncontended; free to marry whomever she wanted, regardless of status or power. If only the natural order of things were so easy to abide by. 

The day they revolted against her father, the King Consort, she had viewed her mother’s face for the first time for who she truly was: a monster. Only a monster would sentence their true love to death. Only a monster would marry the man who usurped her father’s place and allow him to stand beside her throne as her new King Consort. Only a monster would lie with the man who murdered her only child’s father and only a monster would give birth to the most precious being in this world. 

Her younger sister. Only four years younger but still so very wise and kind. The only person in this world whom Anikyra has ever had to love and cherish. The only one who had ever claimed to love her and didn’t abandon her for the sweet taste of death. The young Princess Scilia was the very image of their mother. Pale hair, purple eyes, touched by the dawn and the light above. She always wore light colors as well; an homage to her mother. The elder sister sometimes even thought that Scilia was the Sun itself; especially when times were dark and cruel. Many referred to the young Princess as “The Light Princess.” 

Those very people had a similar name for the elder Princess. A name she did not care to refute as she knew the truth in it. When she was born, in the month of the Sapphire, her father was so happy his child would carry a reminder of him, regardless how small. The midwives called it “touch of dark.” Her mother called it “soul of the dragon.” But the people of the great castle called her “The Dark Princess,” for the small patch of black hair on the right side of her head, intertwined in her long, thick silver locks.

Those names, those whispers as she walked the slick, black floors of the castle, they gave life to the fire burning within her. Gave life to the rage she felt. Gave life and all that is unholy to the plan she had laid before herself once she heard the news, fourteen years ago, that her mother had been taken out of the castle a month after the birth of the Usurper King’s first child, the child that sealed his place on the throne, and executed in secret by the that very man. By the Usurper, her Father-by-law. She may be the heir to her parent’s murder’s kingdom, but this kingdom will bend the knee to her and her alone. She will take her realm back by blood. 

She found herself in front of the massive iron double doors to the throne room. As they opened, the large crowd of the court turned all eyes toward her and dared not look away for even a moment, as they always had done. The masses watched the predator in the eyes of the Dark Princess at all times for sign of a threat, waiting anxiously for the day she finally snaps and ends the man who murdered the very couple who gave her life.

She began ascending into the throne room, straight toward the Valyrian Throne where the now-King sat and a voice called out before her. 

”Princess Anikyra of the great House Targaryen. First child of Valyria, Heir to the Valyrian throne.”

Likes, comments and reblogs are never necessary but always appreciated!

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[magistralucis]

Actually I'm not done thinking about this post, thank you @ghostinthegallery for the inspiration. 👀 Motives-wise, Lysikor is the most obscure character in TDK; it's not clear what he wants, other than to steal things and watch Rome burn, and something about him makes the people around him act in unusual ways. It shows most obviously in Oltyx, but also with Unnas and Mentep and all the canopteks he keeps on stealing. I mean, there is no way he ought to have gotten away with the disrespect he showed his world, you know?

Oltyx claims Unnas only spared Lysikor because Unnas was more reasonable at the time (Ruin, Chapter 4). But necron lives are expendable, and many have been killed for doing much less than Lysikor. This dude is ridiculously good at surviving. He repeatedly taps into Oltyx's mind without consent, and those intrusions hardly ever have consequences; he almost fucks up the beginnings of Oltyx's kingship entirely by mentioning The Regicide; of course, he also gets off scot-free at the very end, heavily armed and unafflicted. Why?

My theory is that it has to do with reality. Ithakas is cursed because they tore a hole in reality. In the 9th Edition Codex (pg 11), it's stated that 'the C'tan were bound to reality itself, and so could never be destroyed, only splintered into stunted echoes of their former might' - but they did destroy Llandu'gor, and the Flayer-urge spread from the aftermath, and the Twice-Dead King is about Oltyx's journey to heal what was broken. He has to deny, repair, or move past at least three realities to achieve this ending, and each one is represented by a different character:

Djoseras, for the past reality of Ithakas, when the glory of the dynasty belonged to the stones and not its people. This reality is no longer tenable by the end of Ruin, and Djoseras is killed defending it to the last man.

Mentep, for the present reality of Oltyx, in that he helped cause Ithakas's affliction millions of years ago. Throughout TDK he's trying to atone for what he's done, but the problem with what he's done is that he's made Oltyx paranoid and tyrannical, and his good intentions cannot outmatch the other's violence.

Yenekh (and Zultanekh), for the future reality of the Flayed Ones, the transformative one eventually claimed and shaped by Valgûl's heka. Yenekh gives Oltyx the hope to regrow from the ashes, and Zultanekh validates their new world-order by bearing witness to it. Only after this point are they all somebody, instead of vermin, nobodies, or Nobody (Οὖτις).

Where Lysikor comes in, I think, is the fourth reality: metafiction, the realm outside Oltyx, the Bone Kingdom, or necrons as a concept. Literally the fourth wall. Lysikor knows that he's in a book! His idiosyncrasies make so much more sense if you interpret it as his playing around with tropes. The way he signposts Oltyx's actions with literary devices (e.g. 'the bait's been taken' re: the warboss, describing Oltyx's explanation for Yenekh's exile as a 'story', etc.). How he always manages to steal the exact McGuffin they need. The plan he had to kill Oltyx at the figurative eleventh hour. Of course nothing ever touches him! He literally exists above the narrative!

That too is why he can make nonsense of the order of the world. Lysikor already has his own sense of order, if anything he makes everybody else answer to it. His complete dismissal of heka, Oltyx's and others. The insistence that he be called Duke, which is not an Ithakan title, which he somehow gets people to respect. His cavalier attitude towards stealing as well as giving back. My favourite fourth-wall moment has to be when he answers a question literally nobody asked, the one about the Ithakan serapteks: the last we saw of them was Oltyx witnessing their slow deaths in Chapter 19 of Ruin. So what became of them? Yoinked by Lysikor, of course. 👍

But that's the genius of it. Ithakas has only seven serapteks to spare, and they are the most powerful canopteks there are: 'symbols of dynastic might, reserved for only the most apocalyptic conflicts', as Chapter 11 of Ruin puts it. In a significant sense they are the dynasty. When they pass into Lysikor's possession, it means that he becomes a world unto himself! I think that's why he's as secure with Oltyx as he is: they are supreme leaders, capable of world-shaping heka, just that Lysikor is the only one who knows it for most of TDK. He's forbidden from commanding people, he lives with the figurative animals, as canopteks are ranked slightly above C'tan shards and below all necrons. But what fantastic canopteks! What an army!

Canopteks are often simulacra of beasts pre-biotransference. Lysikor is a simulacrum too, not of beasts but a Synaptic Disintegrator, pointed not at people but into the firmament. He's the perfect deathmark, textually and metatextually, sneakiness and treachery and hyperspace nowhere played dastardly straight. I bet he wasn't even that disappointed Oltyx got away. He analysed Oltyx's character arc carefully and liked what he saw, and it wasn't until Oltyx started bending reality himself that Lysikor was bested. Even that won't be for long. The Twice-Dead King better watch out, eat your heart out, Oltyx, here comes the Twice-Troped Duke ��🤪

[snailpastaenjoyer35]

Every snipbit of Soriel in Undertale/Deltarune (spoilers obviously)

This is just a collective post with every “soriel” moment, but I’d like to say first that soriel can just be them being platonic friends or romantically invovled, it’s really up to how you interpret their dynamic. Keep in mind that I could be missing some more obscure things that are outside of the games and such, but I did try to be as extensive as possible. 

-

    - Before anything else, I’d like to mention Toriel’s joke book in the RUINs, which has a joke passage cirlced of skeleton jokes and the game reads you this one:

“Why did the skeleton want a friend? Because she was feeling BONELY.” 

    -   Next thing to talk about is Sans’ dinner story at MTT Diner, where he recalls how a lady answered his knock knock jokes at the RUINs door. Sans talks about how he’d go there all the time after that. Sans also mentions during his talk with Frisk that he gave a promise to Toriel that he’d protect them on their journey, even though he doesn’t really do promises. 

Full scene:

    -   Some one-note remarks are throughout the game as well. For example, it can be implied that Toriel was giving Sans cooking advice to some degree because of 1) the “weird quiche” that Sans out-of-the-blue tried to make at home and 2) the snail pasta that Sans bought.

     - There’s also the fact that Sans “hasn’t been around much” at Grillby’s, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it has to do with Toriel, but it could if Papyrus is anything to go by.

Now to the endings.

    -   Near the end of the true pacifist route, there’s Toriel and Sans’ apparent in-person meeting before Flowey comes in which you can watch below. They recognize each other’s voices and introduce themselves, Toriel says Sans told her a lot about Papyrus while at the door.

    -   After the player beats the game on a true pacifist route, there’s a TON of dialouge with Sans and Toriel, so watch the video below to see all of it:

This video also has all of Toriel’s text messages in it, a lot of with are with Sans as well, some of which I’ll put here but there’s a lot more in the video (they start at 9:15)

    -   There’s also the neutral route with Toriel and Sans ending up living together, or the “Exiled Queen Ending.” To get this ending, you have to kill Papyrus and leave Undyne alive. In the phone call, Sans talks about how Undyne banished Toriel back to the RUINs after Toriel tried inacting a ‘no killing humans’ policy and Sans ended up going with her. Sans brings her books from the library and says she’s a “good roomie.” (Time stamp: 12:56)

    -  In the opposite of that, if you leave Papyrus alive and kill Undyne, Toriel stays ruler and Sans and Papyrus visit her in the castle. He talks about how they play games and read books together, and even convincing her to leave the castle a couple times. (Time stamp: 14:11)

    -  If you kill Toriel in a neutral route, Sans will talk about how he doesn’t get a response when he knocks on the RUINs door anymore and says the she might not be feeling well. If you also kill Papyrus in this route, he’ll say: “Or maybe she’s not feeling anything at all. . .? You’d better watch yourself, kid. . .”

Here’s a video where you can see all of this:

   -   In Deltraune chapter 1, when you talk to Sans about who he should be friends with and pick Toriel, he says: “Too late, I already befriended your mom last night. She’s great, came to the store to buy chocolate kisses. Said she’s gotta lock her door to stop you from eating ‘em.” 

     -  In Deltarune chapter 2, there’s a scene where Toriel goes into Sans’ shop to get eggs she left on the counter and they share a lot of egg puns. Toriel leaves though when Asgore comes in with possibly the funniest joke ever. Also I love Asgore calling Sans bone man. I cannot do the scene justice, it’s one of my favorite things from Deltarune, you can watch it below.

-

  -   Moving on from games, Undertale had a cancelled alarm clock app that had a lot of dialouge from characters, but it can all be found on the undertale website. There’s a lot of moments with Sans and Toriel, but I’ll fit what I can. Here’s the website if you want to look for yourself: https://undertale.com/alarmclock/

 -  In the first winter Undertale newletter, there’s this:

-   In the 5th Anniversy stream, they have a commerical for some Undertale merch and I just thought Toriel wearing Sans merch was pretty cool.

Well I hoped you enjoyed my rambling but that’s it for what I have. okay bye i hope you enjoyed my delusion

[deltadream]

Have a continuation on my thoughts about the What if Akivili Never Died AU, first thought of by @ryn-halo26

This is just what I think Akivili thinks of the people in HSR

The Astral Express

Trailblazer

Their new kid!

They think they're interesting. Considering Akivili had been around a very long time, when something new happens they'll get interested. A human hosting a stellaron? Definitely new and interesting. Akivili probably knows just how much damage stellarons can do, since it had once damaged some of the Astral Express's rails, so considering a person can host one? Yeah they're keeping their eye on them. Other then that though, I'd expect Akivili to treat them like another of their kids (the Express crew). After all, the Trailblazer's on a journey too!

March 7th

March! Precious baby March!!

That's probably it. To Akivili March is the baby. They join March in everything she does, from juice making to shopping, if March asks them to, of course. I think Akivili may or may not have somewhat of an idea of where she came from but they can't really pin point where exactly. Nevertheless, whenever Akivili and March go out to have fun, expect another member of the crew to tag along, if only to make sure the two of them don't get extra chaotic

Dan Heng (leaks + spoilers)

Their quiet child!!

To them Dan Heng is somewhat of a mystery. They are aware that he is a vidyadhara, since they probably knew Long and so knew their progeny. Yes, Dan Heng doesn't look like a vidyadhara but they knew very well what Long felt like, and all of Long's children had that same feeling, albeit fainter, but still there. Akivili doesn't know why Dan Heng was exiled from the Luofu, because that had to be the only reason why he didn't want to go back, and they pressed the reason out of him, but they never said anything. The Astral Express was open to all, even those who were running away from their past.

Welt Yang

The eldest of their kids!!

If Dan Heng was running away from his past, Welt was running towards it. Welt and his strange companion had been their first passengers in a long time, Himeko did not count, and even after the strange companion left without a goodbye, Welt stayed and continued on with Akivili and Himeko. There had been something odd about him, but after some pressing it seemed? to be fine. Well, being able to create anything just by knowing how it worked, including black holes? Welt was a strange man, but a well meaning one. Akivili was still so very curious about his home planet, perhaps when they arrived there they would go around and find out how exactly it worked.

Himeko

Their precious child!!!

Himeko meant a lot to Akivili, as the one who not only fixed their train, but also looked after them while they slowly recovered. She had also been the first person to walk on their Path in such a long time. So yes, Himeko is their favourite, no doubt about it. They still love the rest of their crew though. But as the first person who reignited their drive to Trailblaze across the Universe, Himeko would always have a special place in their train.

Pom Pom

Their little friend!!!

Pom Pom has always been there, but dear Pom Pom was no fixer, so it was no surprise that they'd disappear. Where, Akivili had no idea, but at least the little bunny had been safe. How warm their heart was, when they travelled together again, just like the old times.

Gonna do some more characters later :)

[skyeventide]

bun, your rebirth post got me thinking about the "removal" of Valinor from the World, whatever the hell that means

for one, the concept has always given me such unease. What does it mean to remove an entire land (for Valinor is a land, after all, as you say) from the World? Does it remain tangible if it is no longer governed by the laws of Arda? What even is Arda if it has this liminal "pocket" in time and space where the Aman is now placed?

and more than that, and the thing that's even more disturbing, is what does this all mean for the Elves who are reborn? Coming back to your post and the loneliness that the Halls of Mandos imply, the removal of Aman makes everything all the worse. For the exiles, who fought to the death for Beleriand (say, Fingon), the incapacity to ever reach their old lands would be devastating. Not even to reach them, but not even knowing they are there, that you no longer reside within the same space with all the things you loved more than your own life. The process of healing in that situation would be extremely challenging.

It goes without saying that this feeling would be exasperating for the Avari, who never even wanted to leave the lands of their home. Middle-earth, the lands they could touch, smell and see, are simply there. Wouldn't then, the entirety of Aman become a prison of sorts? An isolation that extends beyond Mandos' domain?

There are so many questions this opens, and I'm likely opening Pandora's box here, but if you're in the mood for it, I'd want to know how you understand this. What even is the removal of Aman?

so it took me a bit to get to this cause... I admit I've thought about all that very little. I don't recall if we get a lot of textual evidence on this but it's a weird situation that you could read in more than one way.

cause iirc the removal of Valinor means that anyone sailing in that direction just finds more sea and eventually reaches the other end of the same continend of Endor. which I guess is a weird Columbus journey theory but actually real? I can't find the passage I recall, but I did find this which is equally haunting:

And tales and rumours arose along the shores of the sea concerning mariners and men forlorn upon the water who, by some fate or grace or favour of the Valar, had entered in upon the Straight Way and seen the face of the world sink below them, and so had come to the lamplit quays of Avallónë, or verily to the last beaches on the margin of Aman, and there had looked upon the White Mountain, dreadful and beautiful, before they died.

I do think however that the elves on Valinor would still perceive it as a "real" place. they can smell it and see it and touch it. though I don't feel as though that would change the potential perception of it as a forever isolation, especially for Avari elves. The bending of the world is certainly intended as a world-altering sundering, as a loss that happens because of catastrophic trauma, so I'm certain a lot of elves would have some Feelings regarding it. Definitely worth exploring imo.

[vulpes-fennec]

@elainweekofficial - Day 6

I would like to see Elain traveling somewhere in her story! So here's a moodboard of her traveling to the continent (read below the cut for a short snippet)

Tomorrow I leave for the Continent. I am pretty nervous, mostly because I’ll be making the journey with Lucien Vanserra, Jurian, and Vassa. I barely know Jurian and Vassa. And let’s not get started on my “relationship” with Lucien.

It’s springtime, which means the tulip fields will be in full bloom. The prospect of facing Koschei, however, taints my excitement for travel. The death lord awakens, and we hope to free Vassa before he calls her back for good. I’m keeping a travel journal…for fun. But if we die, I suppose this will be a record of our last days for Feyre and Nesta to read.

Everybody keeps clamoring me for any visions pertaining to the mission, and all I have to offer are nonsensical flashes and snippets. I don’t think we will die…but what if that is just my wishful thinking interfering with my intuition?

***

We are traveling the old fashioned way, by ship. The sea breeze is salty and strong, and I could stare at the mesmerizing little waves forever. I also saw my first pod of dolphins today, and they are so intelligent and beautiful!

Vassa and I have become fast friends, surprisingly. I suppose having Jurian to tease makes bonding easier. Jurian is a little weird, but if the Inner Circle trusts him to take care of me (after all that happened with the Cauldron, really?) then I hope he will be alright. I sense some strange tension between him and Vassa…

So far barely any interactions with Lucien. The only close contact we’ve had was when he put a glamour on me. Oh, I forgot to mention we are traveling incognito as humans! 

***

Horses! My horse is called Freyda, and she is the sweetest horse I’ve ever met. With all the winnowing that happens in Prythian and walking in Velaris, I’ve forgotten just how much I’ve enjoyed riding horseback. 

The countryside is particularly beautiful, too. We are technically traveling along the coast, as far from Koschei’s reach as possible. The seaside cliffs are a stunning verdant green, the sky a warm blue. So far I have identified four new flower species that we don’t get in Velaris. 

We are also CAMPING. I was excited at first, but then discovered how uncomfortable sleeping on the ground can be. I don’t want to request an extra cushion—what if the others think me spoiled and soft? 

Did I mention that Jurian and Vassa are definitely together? I found that out in the worst way possible by stumbling upon them having sex in the woods (a “quickie” as Nesta likes to say). I was so embarrassed! Thank Cauldron I did not see anything incriminating. Lucien says that someone can now understand how he feels. Apparently, Jurian and Vassa were not very discreet in the Band of Exiles’ Manor. 

I’m trying to remain a cordial distance from my mate (bleh). Greeting him in the morning, assisting with camp duties, answering his questions, but nothing more. 

***

Why did no one tell me that Lucien could catch fish with his bare hands?!? We camped near a small stream yesterday and were hungering for more than just dry rations. So he caught a rainbow trout for each of us…and I’ll admit he looked a bit dashing with his pants rolled off, shirt off (why did no one tell me that Lucien had MUSCLES), and long hair tied up.

I hope he does not find this travel journal…

[teecupangel]

I'm just here to stir drama, so here goes: Temple makes timelines go wroom, so a kid Desmond ends up in Renaissance Italy and gets mistaken for Ezio's bastard. Ends up being raised with Ezio as his father. Fast forward to journey to Constantinople, and using the disks drops both Ezio and Desmond into Crusades era, just after Altaїr becomes a Mentor. Now, the usual Altaїr/Desmond shenanigans start... But Ezio is being an overprotective dad.

Okay, say we have Desmond booted into Renaissance Italy around 10-ish years old. That would make him old enough to understand that he can’t return home and also give us a little leeway as this is a Desmond who probably don’t like training all that much yet still believed that the Templars are out to get them and is doing his best to make Bill go “good job son” at him which would make Ezio being a good father to him crush our hearts. Now, you didn’t specify which time in Ezio’s life we’re going to make him a surprise dad, I will assume we are going for Brotherhood as that is the most stable time of Ezio’s life. He won’t be too focused on his path to vengeance, and he has a good support system with his recruits, Claudia, Machiavelli, and La Volpe. Also, this way, Maria would be more ‘responsive’ than if we kick Desmond in AC2 timeline.

Also, also, making it set during Ezio’s time as a mentor in Rome would ensure that he gets to be with Desmond a lot. If we set this in AC2, Desmond would be left in Monteriggioni for his own protection and, while that would give us more angst moments, we want Desmond and Ezio to ‘grow’ together as father and son. Maybe even make Ezio be an overly protective father because he still sees Desmond as his baby boy no matter how old Desmond gets.

And now!

Here come the maths! (yey, math)

Now, since we want Ezio to have a stable-ish life so he would have time for Desmond, I propose we have them meet in 1503, specifically a few weeks or so after Ezio retrieved the Apple from the Borgias and has been a mentor for a month or so (maybe September-ish?). Anyway, this would mean that, by the time they get to Constantinople, it will be 1511.

If Desmond is 10 years old in 1503, that would make him, 18ish years old by the time they reach 1511 which means we’re safe!

AND! You did specify you want an Altaïr who just became the mentor so we’re placing this right smack in the middle of Bloodlines!

Yeah, let’s give 26-year-old Altaïr a bisexual crisis in a middle of a Templar occupied Cyprus. That sounds fun!

Also, since this is an Altaïr who hasn’t studied the Apple yet, he would be skeptical of Desmond and Ezio explaining to him that they had been transported by a power of an artifact similar to his Apple but he does believe they’re Assassins from another place, especially after seeing how they did not lose their finger even though they could use a Hidden Blade with such mastery (and Ezio DEFINITELY saw the way he held his son’s hand a litttlleee too long just to check the Hidden Blade). Also, since this is set in Bloodlines, Altaïr has no idea where the memory seals that supposedly transported them are from (since Altaïr only learned of them during his exile in Alamut) which means we have an excuse for them not to find the memory seals!

And now the Bloodline storyline gets shaken up because, let’s face it, Ezio would definitely push Altaïr into making a branch in Cyprus and there’s also the budding romance between Altaïr and Desmond that Ezio… Ezio has complicated feelings for.

Unorganized Notes:

Ezio thinks Altaïr is a good man and he can’t help but try to support him (and sometimes gets carried away and act like he’s mentoring his successor) BUT Desmond is his son, his baby, the apple of his eyes… He promised himself that he would be supportive of whoever Desmond wants to be with but, but, but… him? Really? Him? O dio mio, give him strength.

Altaïr starts as a bit cold to them. He’s trying not to be rude since this is an Altaïr that had went thru his AC1 character development but he’s used to working alone so it’s easier for him to lose his cool when Ezio questions his decisions. He also loses his cool whenever Desmond is nearby but for a very different reason.

Also, Altaïr is a bit jealous of Desmond because he sees how easy and happy his father-son relationship is with Ezio and he can’t help but wonder if he and Umar would have had such a relationship if Umar had lived. He can’t hate Desmond though because… it’s Desmond. Altaïr can’t explain it any other way.

Let’s remember that we are going for kid!Desmond so he doesn’t have any memories of the Animus or who Altaïr is. To him, Altaïr is the cool statue back in Villa Auditore. Seeing him in the flesh was pretty cool. Realizing he can be quite adorable is what made Desmond like him.

The first time Ezio heard Desmond call Altaïr adorable, he had to do a doubletake because… what.

Maria is in Cyprus too and she takes one look at Altaïr and Desmond and went “Oh.” When she learned Ezio is Desmond’s father, she looked at him with pitying eyes. Ezio just smiles.

Okay, Ezio isn’t totally against the whole thing (and it is pretty funny seeing Altaïr being incapable of standing against Desmond’s smile) but… well, he also knows how Altaïr’s life goes thanks to the Codex. He knows Altaïr is meant to fall in love with Maria Thorpe (who they’ve met) and he’s worried about how this entire thing would hurt Desmond. At the same time, he couldn’t help but support Desmond because this makes him happy. He’s giving Altaïr a hard time because of that fear and also because, as Desmond’s father, that is his right.

Desmond also knows about the Codex, btw. He’s just been raised with the Auditore audacity and doesn’t give a fuck about it. He’s been raised by Ezio and her Zia Claudia still has a lot of close courtesan friends so Desmond is putting all that ‘observation’ to use to… well… seduce Altaïr. Yeeeaaahhhh. Ezio thinks he’s pure and innocent, nope. Desmond is definitely trying to seduce Altaïr with the subtlety of a high-class courtesan.

Have I talked about how Desmond is Altaïr’s bidisaster awakening? Yeah? Altaïr gets the memo earlier on and, really, it’s more on the side of how he’s unsure how to act around dudes (or, in this specific situation, a specific dude) he likes.

Oh, the tragedy of not having Malik in this one. No one has to suffer thru Altaïr’s bidisaster awakening rambling. I mean, I guess we can go for Maria instead, and Maria’s just “??? Why are you telling me all this??? We’re enemies???” and Altaïr is just “Are we though?”, unintentionally making Maria question if she is even a Templar anymore which Altaïr sorta ignores because he’s having his own crisis at the moment, thanks.

Anyway, AltDes happens, Maria kinda joins the group as more of the reluctant ally, Ezio accidentally starts an Assassin branch in Cyprus and…

Malik gets a headache when he read Altaïr’s report.

Oh! And Ezio gets his retirement as the father of the mentor's lover. Happy ending!

[yuridovewing]

Family Tree Base Used

Razorverse!Sandstorm family tree ! I made Tallstar's family sadder. Info/Changes under the cut

Sandgorse:

-Largely the same as he is in canon, except he's held accountable for being a bad father. He does not reconcile with Tallstar, not even in StarClan. Like Rainstar(flower), he doubles down on his actions and refuses to apologize. Tallstar's arc is about realizing he’s never going to win his father’s approval and focusing on the cats who care about him.

-Did make him kinda worse though. He's transphobic to Tallstar. Sorry for putting transphobia in the warriors universe but uhhh. I mean my take on this world is allll about how restrictive and harmful the clans can be and how they need to acknowledge that and change so. Bigotry naturally kinda comes with that.

-Pressures both of his children to be tunnelers and puts their dying legacy on their shoulders. Tallpaw develops claustrophobia, only made worse by Sandgorse. Finchpaw does much better at it and becomes his golden child for a bit, but gives her a perfectionist complex.

-Might have his prefix changed to separate him from Sandstorm more

Palebird:

-Largely the same as in canon, except she doesn't have a litter with Woolytail. She does not want more children.

-She still has ppd and trouble connecting to her children. This is made worse by Sandgorse not being a very good mate to her and dismissing her mental health.

-Taking a page out of For Roads Untraveled's book here, her arc is about how the characters around her, including her mate, dismiss her declining mental health and how that affects her relationship with her kids. She loves them, but she struggles to care for them and be around them. Her only real supports are Brackenwing and Woolytail. Sandgorse holds every favor he does for the family over her head, and to get back at him, asks Heatherstar to make her kits moor runners. This causes a lot of strife for everyone involved, especially when Sandgorse dies on bad terms with them all. Palebird spends years being estranged from her kits, but they finally talk it out and reconcile later in life. She dies peacefully in her sleep.

-Dates Woolytail soon after Sandgorse's death cause she realized that they had more chemistry and respect for one another than she ever had with Sandgorse, who pressured her to give up moor running to be a tunneler with him "if she cared about him".

Tallstar:

-Trans male and gay. Sandgorse is not a fan. Too bad for him. Very briefly T4T with Jake but it doesn't last long- Jake is a kittypet at heart.

-Has claustrophobia and PTSD from the cave in that killed his father.

-More... politically neutral than anything throughout his leadership. He's leery of "outsiders" but doesn't inherently dislike them. He genuinely didn't have much of an issue with Mudclaw's more conservative thinking when he appointed him deputy.

-However, he is more friendly to ThunderClan because of their history. He trusted them enough to allow his niece to be nursed there, and later let his nephew join. He was deeply grateful for their help when they rescued WindClan from exile.

-He had a big change of heart in old age, realizing he has more kin outside of his clan at this point than inside, and the journey especially opens his eyes that the clans bonding together would be more beneficial than not. But by then, it was too late- he ended up hurting more cats than saving by making Onewhisker deputy against the latter's true wishes.

-Has a strained relationship with Onestar in StarClan. Onestar is very bitter over what Tallstar did, and Tallstar wishes he went about his decision differently every day and wants to reconcile with him.

-Misses his ThunderClan kin a lot. His sister's death hit him quite hard as she was his last remaining family.

Finchsong:

-Rescued dead kit... only to die later whoops.

-Very stubborn molly, both a good and bad thing depending on the time. She was always taking risks to do what she thought was right- for example, running into a blocked off tunnel to try and convince Heatherstar to bring back tunneling. Or running away with her brother to find their father's murderer.

-As a kit and apprentice, she was much more insecure. She was briefly Sandgorse's golden child, because she was less "cowardly" than her brother and "more willing to embrace her future". AKA, do what Sandgorse wanted, give up her apprenticeship with no lip, and not complain cause she was afraid of his reaction. She actually did like to tunnel, but Sandgorse took all the joy out of it for her. She just stressed and stressed and stressed over whether she was digging the way Sandgorse wanted her to (even if it didn't suit her) or if Sandgorse was in a bad mood or not. Her relationship with Tallpaw is fractured over this briefly, as she sides with her father and starts begging Tallpaw to "just go with it" so he could be accepted too.

-She doesn't say it, but Sandgorse's death was a relief. She was devastated, she was angry that it happened... but she felt like she could breathe. This made her feel horribly guilty- how could she feel better with her father buried in the earth rather than besides her? It's a big motivator for her joining Talltail on his quest, and when she finally speaks about these feelings to Talltail, it pushes the two of them to process their feelings about their father and helps them reconcile in the long run.

-However, she is still left as a massive perfectionist, to the detriment of herself.

-Bisexual. Sandgorse was not a fan of this either.

-Bonded with Smokemask later in life, and felt very comfortable around him. She felt she could mess up in front of him and not beat herself up over it. She originally wasn't going to have kittens, in fear of restarting the cycle she experienced with her family, but felt confident about having them with Smokemask.

-Unfortunately, Smokemask was slain in a border skirmish with ShadowClan before their second litter was born. The stress of this, as well as the cold season and sickness, left Finchsong weakened, and she didn't survive her kitting, along with two of her kittens.

Smokemask:

-OC character, his parents are filler characters intended to help the gene pool a bit. Born shortly after Tall and Finch, he was mostly just casual friends with them before growing very close to Finchsong later in life.

-He didn't have a lot going on. Go boy give us nothing

-Also bi probably

-Was a more calm and chilled out character than anything to contrast with Finchsong's stressed and stubborn character.

-Was close to his son Longtail.

-Unfortunately died before meeting his second litter in a border skirmish.

Longtail:

-Finch and Smoke's firstborn, he was a single-kit litter. He's only about seven moons older than Sandstorm.

-Might have been in the skirmish that killed his dad. Whoops!

-More trans swag, also aro ace.

-Was devastated when his mother died, as he was very close to her. He was a worrywart over his baby sister, to the point where he was allowed to visit her in ThunderClan and build a relationship with her. He spent a lot of time in the nursery because of this and ended up becoming very good with children. (Minus Firepaw oops)

-When Sandkit wanted to stay in ThunderClan, he was torn. Deciding that he wanted his sister to be happy, but not wanting to be apart from her, he left WindClan so that she'd have some kin over there.

-This does become a point of insecurity for him, however. ThunderClan doubts his loyalty and the older warriors constantly question him when they're at conflict with WindClan. This makes it very easy for him to get sucked up into Tigerclaw's friend group, where he adapts their harmful mindset. He decides that to be a true ThunderClan warrior, he and Sandkit have to renounce their WindClan relation and prove himself by protecting ThunderClan from treacherous outsiders.

-This is part of why he's so antagonistic to Firepaw. He lashes out because this is his chance to prove that he's not like those outsiders. Plus, he feels pretty humiliated being on equal standing with a kittypet. At least HE'S clanborn.

-This gets worse when Sandstorm gets close to Fireheart, he doubles down, but after Tigerclaw's exile, he's thrown head first into what his life will be like if he keeps up his xenophobic beliefs. Slowly, but surely, he tries to patch things up with Fireheart and really empathize with him, realizing they're not so different and opening up to him. Xenophobia loss.

-He gets put through the wringer hard. It's canon compliant from here on out til Swiftpaw's death, which he takes extremely hard. Fireheart, despite their terrible past, is a shoulder for him to lean on during this time. At this point, Sandstorm is pregnant, and Longtail decides to put his faith in Fireheart and follow him.

-After Whitestorm's death, Fireheart makes Longtail deputy. He makes for a good deputy for most of the year, but steps down when he's blinded in the first book of TNP (there's a smaller time gap between TPB and TNP)

-Dotes on Sandstorm's descendants pretty hard

Sandstorm:

-Was the only surviving kit in Finchsong's second litter.

-There were no other queens in the nursery when Sandkit was born, so no one could feed her. Thinking fast, Barkface remembered that one of ThunderClan's mollies had had a litter very recently, and said that Sandkit should be taken there to be fed.

-Her foster siblings were Dustkit and Ravenkit. She grew very close to Dustkit in particular. Dust and Raven's parents are unnamed ThunderClan cats that also happen to die pretty early in their lives.

-Bluestar had agreed to give her back to WindClan when she was weaned, but Sandkit cried and cried and clung to her foster mother when the time came. She didn't want to leave the forest, not her mother or Dustkit. Tallstar tried to make her come back... but quickly realized that he would just be making her miserable, thinking back to his brief romance with Jake, where the latter was clearly miserable living as a wild cat full time. Knowing that ThunderClan's numbers had been cut down harshly after their recent plague and that Bluestar was worried about their population, Tallstar agreed to allow Sandkit to be a ThunderClan cat.

-Growing up, however, she definitely felt her clanmates' judgement for not being born in ThunderClan. Even her best friend Dustpaw seemed to agree that while she was a good friend, it made sense that not everyone trusted her for not being born there. Similar to Longtail, her hostility to other clan cats and Firepaw stemmed from this insecurity.

-Loved her older brother a lot and admired him. She was very offended that he lost to Firepaw, which made her resent him even more as an apprentice.

-She was horrified when WindClan was driven out, however.

-When Fireheart, Graystripe, Whitestorm, and Tigerclaw are sent to find WindClan, Sandpaw follows them, outraged that the kittypet was sent to find them instead of her. Fireheart and Graystripe bicker with her, asking why she was bothering with the journey. At first, she refuses to tell them the real reason, embarrassed at what Fireheart may say about her heritage. But when Sandpaw nearly gets hit by a monster on the large thunderpath, Fireheart saves her, hurting himself in the process.

-As he's nursed back to health, Sandpaw stiffly thanks him for saving her. The two of them nearly bicker again, but it actually ends up being a nice enough conversation. Sandpaw finally tells Fireheart about her WindClan family, and how she felt out of place in ThunderClan sometimes because of it. And Fireheart... actually finds a bit of comfort in that, knowing that someone else felt the same pressure he did to prove themself. The two of them realize they have far more in common and Sandpaw gives him a thorough apology for how she treated him when he was an apprentice.

-When they find WindClan, she feels very awkward, but Uncle Tallstar is exceedingly happy to see her. He immediately trusts the ThunderClan patrol because of her presence. The two of them bond throughout the journey back home, Sandpaw feeling encouraged by Fireheart to reach out to her uncle and not renounce a relationship with him entirely.

-Despite running away, Whitestorm encourages Bluestar to make Sandpaw a warrior after the journey.

-There's a pretty big shift in the original five apprentice group dynamic after this. Graystripe pulls away due to his relationship with Silverstream, and Fireheart ends up leaning more on Sandstorm. Sandstorm ends up feeling more comfortable around Fireheart than around Dustpelt, who spends more time parroting Tigerstar these days and making her feel like there are strings attached to their friendship. Fireheart never made her feel like she had to pretend to be someone she wasn't, and she ended up loving his thoughtful and determined nature. Her friendship with Dustpelt implodes when she snaps at him for making a cruel joke about WindClan, and though they reconcile later when Dustpelt gets better, they are never that close ever again.

-She and Fireheart get together in Rising Storm, and their first litter (Squirrelkit/Leafkit) is born in The Darkest Hour. A couple of moons after The Last Hope, Sandstorm has their second litter (Sparkkit/Dandelionkit)

[superloves4]

I still taste the past - Chapter 1

Relationships: Curufin/Finrod, Celegorm/Aredhel (background) Summary: Finrod wanted to see Curufin, get his closure after all they had gone through, end things once and for all. What he gets is a journey through the memory of where they've been and the choice of where they will go. TW: none for this chapter A/N: This is connected to "We can always begin again" but it should be able to be read on it's own besides very occasional chapter.

Also on AO3

Finrod took a deep breath. And then another. And then he left.

Perhaps Curufin had been right, his plans were terrible. He tried to walk through his past actions and nothing made sense but that had always been his cycle, no? He was the one burned every time. So he left.

Finrod groaned, it had all started three days ago when he'd found the letter, Mando's letters were not what he had expected the first time he saw them when Angrod was re-embodied, they were sky blue and written in neat blue ink, it was almost too simple, but there it had been, now with the names, Celegorm and Curufin, written on it.

His heart sank.

"Oh, Findaràto, I..." his father had arrived and seen him just staring at the letter.

"You had not planned on telling me". Was his statement, the re-embodiment had been scheduled for the week before, it was rather clear his father was keeping secret. He couldn't blame him, in his place he would have done the same.

"I'm sorry," his father had answered bashful "Your mother and I, we thought it best," then his father's hands were on his shoulders, looking him in the eyes and very seriously said to him "But you have nothing to worry about, we already made all the arrangements, they are strictly forbidden from entering the palace, they shall not disturb you further."

Finrod had no idea of where he'd managed to pull a smile from, but he did, and it must have been convincing enough, seeing as his father visibly relaxed "It was very thoughtful, thank you father."

He had gently placed the letter back on his father's desk and after a brief conversation he had not paid attention to, he left the office that used to belong to his grandfather. Murder in his eyes.

Edrahil must have noticed as he, very resigned, simply said "It won't end well." Alas he'd caved in and delivered him the location of Curufin's new house. He had left the palace soon after, riding for a whole day. Only to stay in the nearby inn, instead.

It had taken him another day to gather the courage to approach the simple house, identical to all houses made for the newly arrived or freshly re-embodied, with it's white walls and delicate window frames it didn't fit Curufin. It didn't even have a forge, he imagined the other must have been going stir crazy in there. He returned to the inn.

Finrod sighed, he had never been so weak, even with his past with Curufin, things had never been so bad before.

He pushed his hood over his hair, not wanting the attention when entering the inn, he asked for a drink and sat at the same booth he'd sat the day before, hoping he'd have better luck the next day.

"Yeah, I saw him, the gull of some!"

Finrod had not meant to eavesdrop but he was forcibly included in the conversation.

"I heard that prince Findaràto has forbidden his presence in the palace. It's rather frustrating they are just thrusting the Fëanorion at us instead."

So was that what they were saying in the streets, huh.

"Can hardly blame them, can you? You heard the returned exiles, he betrayed them, he let our prince die."

Finrod was convinced Curufin would have liked to disagree on that point. He could almost picture his angry face as he proceeded to verbally eviscerate the other person, arguing for his defense. He groaned, eliminating the image from his mind.

"Doesn't mean I now have to buy vegetables with a kinslayer."

He sighed, it was not a good idea to leave Curufin there, he had done much wrong and there was much they still had to talk but he'd rather the other didn't get hurt, no matter how well intended the perpetrator might be.

He made to leave, to pay for the same room and once more spend his time thinking what he'd do when he saw Curufin again, when he felt someone pull on his wrist.

"Hey, mate, you dropped-"

His hood had fallen from his face, his long blond hair unmistakable, he hadn't even dropped anything but the confusion between him and the other elf's companion had now led to the whole inn discovering him. The room was filled with looks of admiration and interest, most had never met him outside of official functions, he knew they were curious but he had nothing to give them.

"My prince! What brings you here? Anything I may do?" the owner of the inn asked, the owner's daughter was quickly adjusting herself behind him, Finrod was exhausted now.

"Just a room for the night will do," he smiled courteously, he didn't want to be rude but that was not a good day for him.

The daughter rapidly chimed in "Is it true that you have ended your betrothal to lady Amarië?"

Finrod's smile twitched "It has been true since my re-embodiment," and while the owner chided his daughter, he made to leave.

"Are you here to get rid of the Fëanorion, prince Findaràto?"

Finrod froze, it was the same elf from before, looking hopeful at him.

"Has my cousin hurt anyone?"

The other patrons looked around in embarrassment when all the elf could answer 

"Well, no."

"Has he offended anyone?"

Finrod could see many of the patrons were looking away and buried in their cups or food instead of continuing to stare at them, the elf answered "No, he doesn't talk to anyone."

"Then I do not know what you'd have me do," Finrod answered, maybe in the morning he'd have a better answer, these people were merely scared, it was not right to take his frustration on them.

"You can't possibly forgive him." The elf said then.

Finrod spared him one last look and a sigh before turning around "This is Aman, everyone can earn their forgiveness."

He left at dawn, better to avoid anyone who might want to ask for him to deal out punishments. Why couldn't Curufin have gone to Formenos? From what he'd heard the Ambarussa and Caranthir were doing perfectly fine in the Fëanorian districts. And if they weren't alone perhaps he might fear their encounter less.

They could be just two cousins again. But that would never be true, wouldn't so? He was back again, staring at that unremarkable white door, when his father had approved of that design it had been with the intent of letting the future owner choose how to decorate however they wished, now it seemed to be a mockery of their past. 

He should just go home at this point.

"You should."

Finrod jumped, he kept staring so long he never considered that Curufin might've not been inside. Or that he'd spoken out loud.

Curufin sighed and Finrod wanted to punch him, what right did he have to feel bothered "Felagund, you are blocking my door."

"We need to talk Curufin."

He turned around just in time to see the other roll his eyes, Finrod wanted to scream but Curufin simply avoided him, taking his keys for that awful door.

"Is that all you'll do now? Ignore me? Haven't you done enough, Atarinkë!"

Curufin gave him a brief look before opening the door. "I rather thought you were the one who didn't want to talk, I wish I had been right, it was much nicer when it was quiet," he shrugged, might've closed the door if Finrod hadn't been faster, blocking the door again.

"I was not told of your return," Finrod admitted, looking into Curufin's gray eyes "Not the first time someone I cared about did so."

Curufin sighed again but let go of the door, resigning himself to whatever Finrod decided to do, stay or leave, he was past caring.

"We already had this conversation, we've already threaded this path, move on Findaràto, it would be best for the both of us," he said, falling into the unremarkable couch, also made for the owner to personalize, Finrod could now see that nothing in there looked like Curufin. An unremarkable house.

"Is that what you want?" he asked, making his way inside "To close yourself any time I want one sincere conversation, one modicum of consideration, I thought the halls helped people!"

"They do," Curufin looked at him, he was pallid and seemed far more tired than the last memory Finrod had of him "I want to move on, Ingoldo."

That killed Finrod's next reply.

"You," Finrod laughed bitterly "You want to move on? You ruined my life, Curufin, and now you want to move on?" He pushed his hair from his eyes "Every time, it's always the same with you! You are a coward, Atarinkë! A thrice cursed coward! You don't have even the decency to look at me and say sorry!"

Curufin got up like stones were trying to drag him back down and said "I'm sorry."

Finrod stared at him, brows furrowed, his breath still heavy from his previous anger, just confused. Curufin look at him as if to say 'Happy now?' but he didn't know how to react.

"It's over, Ingoldo, this is all I can offer," Curufin told him, not an ounce of scorn in his voice "We played our parts, go back to your bride now. I'm going to move on now."

That was it, that was all the closure he was going to receive, all those years and this was what Curufin was willing to leave him at the end. Anger making way for grief. It shouldn't have ended like this.

"I," he tried to say but nothing came out, Curufin gave him a last look and Finrod had to wonder if that was truly the last he'd have of him "You should leave this area, they could come after you."

Curufin smiled, if he knew him less he'd say it was a happy one.

"I'll be alright, they are all afraid of me."

[fluffypotatey]

Hello there! I hope the month is treating you alright. Speaking of impending breakdowns, with a full guarantee of MK having one coming soon, aside from him who else do you think will be getting one amongst the Monkie crew, from earliest to the latest? Macaque is shockingly doing well comparatively because he's been having one the entire show and only started to wind down and process it s4 while the other two monkeys are just piling them up. I am fully biased towards SWK so I'd like to know your thoughts on what an SWK breakdown would look like and what would trigger it, and if we might see it any time soon.

I think the reason on why an MK vs SWK fight makes me full of nervous dread is because i worry it might mean full rejection of MK towards SWK, after all the trials they have been through, and that SWK haven't had someone fully believing in him for so long so i worry he might interpret it as MK finally giving up on him, like the others did. But I'm holding on to the hope that it's not entirely the case, MK still believes in him, he just wants SWK to actually use his words and TALK to him, extreme force needed. But that might just be me.

Regarding the Samadhi Fire incident, do you think the other pilgrims ever find out about the fourth ring, or did Ao Lie and SWK kept it a secret between them only? I've read Dr. Chalk's comic on twitter, and one of their comics headcanon that Ao Lie didn't tell the rest of the pilgrims about the Samadhi fire in him because he's afraid they'll blame SWK for it. What do you think?

That's it for now. Sleep early, eat your meals regularly, and drink plenty of water!

ok 1) lmao true, Macky's spent most of s3 on the brink and s1&2 is just him projecting so yeah lmao (love him tho). and aside from MK, i think Mei is a huge contender for the breakdown category. Or Tang bc he was super anxious throughout s4. (imma go more in-depth about MK & SWK at the end of this post tho)

imma answer your Samadhi Fire question first: tbh i was originally inclined to believe that Ao Lie did try to keep the knowledge of the 4th ring underwraps for a long time (bc the angst is very fun). if he told SWK, he knew the monkey would blame himself. if he told the jttw crew, it would upset all of them. it's like how @lunar-wandering said in their post that Ao Lie is probably someone who would hide his injuries and troubles because if it is known, it is viewed as a weakness others can target.

then again, i doubt Ao Lie would withhold his physical injuries to the jttw gang because he trusts them, so it could be possible that he did tell them, but they all agreed to keep that secret between themselves. the AGAIN, i highly doubt Ao Lie would share his reasons for being exiled by his family, so he never told them until he felt he could no longer keep it together.

however, keep in mind that Wukong was aware of the 4th ring even in his amnesiac state. he was still with the jttw gang by this point, it was after the journey, and Wukong was aware. tbh, he sounded like he thought Pigsy was also aware, like he was reminding his companion that there are 4 rings not 3.

and, with that....imma have to go with Ao Lie did inform his friends but only his friends. was it immediately after the ritual? i doubt that. my opinion is that Ao Lie informed only after everyone in the group noticed a key change in their dragon-horse friend.

now, my beloved sunburst duo <3

i'm going to have to disagree with you, bestie. i don't think the MK vs SWK fight will to any full rejection. rather, i believe it will give both characters some form of understanding for the other. MK, as we have seen, has trouble separating Wukong from the hero pedestal he placed his mentor on. while he is more aware of the fact that Wukong has flaws and isn't perfect, he is still struggling with acknowledging the fact that his mentor did very bad things in his past, that he hurt people, that he is still hurting people (tho not intentionally). we see it with how he fought Ink!MK who unveiled those very dark and reclusive anxieties of his that he never wishes to acknowledge. we even saw it with how defensive MK can be over Wukong with Macaque and Azure.

on the flip side, SWK did not begin their mentorship with the intention of getting attached. he started this because he knew MK's potential and power, and it is very likely that he was aware that MK was a possible replacement for himself. Wukong keeps his distance in s1, only training the kid and taking his time to do so because he while he doesn't want to get close, he does want to ensure that MK will not fall into the same mistakes he did. unfortunately (for Wukong), the monkey grows attached.

Wukong sees MK's drive to train and be better and sees his own self reflected in it. but, again, he doesn't want MK to be like him. he wants MK to be a better version. a version that never thought to extend his life out of fear of losing his usefulness, a version that never tries to push his friends into situations they may not feel comfortable with, a version that does not feel the need to prove himself to Heaven.

honestly, my concept of their fight/breakdown will come to the fact that both MK and SWK fail to communicate their exact fears, anxieties, and intentions towards the other. MK feels like he can't even talk or vent to Wukong because that's his idol, and Wukong has brushed aside MK's anxieties in the past (MK's worries about Spider Queen for example. also i'm not saying Wukong does this with any malice intent; rather, it's his own way of trying to be optimistic. it just doesn't land well for MK unfortunately). Wukong feels like he can't open up because he sees the way MK looks up to him, he is very aware of his public image and reputation because...you know, he's immortal and has seen his and his friend's stories be told over centuries :)

and while Wukong has attempted to open up to MK post-s3, it's very slow and (more irritatingly) the plot isn't allowing them to have those private talks where they can hash out their shit.

(noooOOOOoooooOOO, swk had to be sucked into a cursed scroll and live through his worst memories, distorted or not, and MK had to be told by another old friend of his mentor that Wukong doesn't care enough about his friends to stay)

therefore, it looks like the only way both characters will even get a chance to air-out their issues will be shouting at each other, throwing physical blows, and maybe crying at each other (i hope so :3 i wanna see swk cry on screen please!)

HOWEVER: while this could lead to the 2 of them needing space with each other (which could lead to both or either of them spiraling about how the other person's rejected them and doesn't want them in their lives anymore), i highly doubt that this fight will be the end of their relationship. frankly, i think it will help give both characters some perspective on the other, work on themselves, and come back with new outlooks & healthier minds (maybe)

so yeah, those are my thoughts :)

[gizkasparadise]

Hey,

I just finished 'I loved Rome more'.

I was absolutely blown away by it, if i must confess, it's something I've read again and again over the last 3 years. It's a truly beautifully heart-wrenching pain that amazes in it sweetness.

I wanted to ask how your version of Revan's story ends. How Alek's story ends (obviously he is dead, but what happened between him and Revan after this point? did they talk? reconcile?).

What happens to Revan?

Would you ever see yourself touching this work again?

Thank you for such a kind message! "Rome" is one of my most favorite fics I've written so I'm glad you enjoyed it!!

To answer your questions (going to add the message Qs too!):

1. How does their story end?

I left it open intentionally, since that way readers can interpret their end journey in a way they best feels fit: want a tragedy? Revan keeps trying to achieve something impossible because her pride and her inability to stop moving won't let her rest and attempt to work through the closure of Malak's death and his ghost becomes an albatross around her neck. want something more hopeful? revan finds a way to bring Malak back in the unknown regions and gives the universe a cosmic middle finger.

My personal headcanon, which you definitely don't need to subscribe to because death of the author, is somewhere in the middle: revan finds happiness in having a purpose again, Malak finds peace in no longer having to fight anything and accompanies her, as always, for the ride. There's a kind of simple happy ending in that, I think!

2. Would I see myself coming back to this work?

This particular fic is 100% complete in my mind and I'm happy where it went! I do, one day, want to get back in and finish the story's sister fic about exile and bao-dur, "give place to better," which will follow kotor 2 (and will likely include this version of revan and Malak in flashbacks)

3. What's the title mean?

The title is from the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar, where Anthony says (paraphrase) "it's not that I loved Caesar any less, but that I loved rome more" regarding his decision to assassinate caesar, his close friend. I feel like the statement really sums up their dynamic in the fic--Malak might be the person Revan loves most in the world, but she loved her purpose more than him until it was too late

Thank you again for the message!!

[waterhorseyblues-ao3]

WHB’S Guide To The Loki (616) Comic Canon So You Don’t Have To Slog Through It Like I Did

The chaos, mischief and hijinks Loki gets up to in the Marvel comics run as long and complex as the Thor comics ever did, so for simplicity this starts at the Loki “rebirth” which is where Loki became more of an independent character with his own role to play in the ongoing 616 canon. I will make a separate post for “non-canon” and oneshots and generally good comic Loki content that isn’t part of this arc.

diclaimer: i am Very opinionated and also prone to hyperbolic language so i may insult a comic/arc that you like. it is important that you Deal With It and move on because i cannot and will not be swayed.

“Classic Loki” dies during the Siege (2009) arc, specifically Siege #4. I don’t recommend it as reading personally and if you’re not already reading Marvel, it’ll be confusing and boring to follow. Things to know: Loki cut a deal with Hela to have his name taken from the book of Hel. He caused some Issues and Problems that went way overboard and is killed in the battle.

BEGIN THE KID LOKI STORY:

Thor #617-#619 (2010) - Thor finds the reborn child-aged Loki in Paris using the name “Serrure” (”Lock” in Fench.). Generally recommend this for context reading and understanding Loki’s character “rebranding”

Journey into Mystery #622-645 (2011) - Sometimes referred to as Loki: Journey Into Mystery, this is the bulk of the Kid Loki storyline and spans several story arcs in the Marvel comics at the time. Heavily recommend for understanding of the rest of Loki’s character arc, as well as adorable Thor & Loki sibling stuff and Loki’s goofy little way of talking. The final issues of this storyline are necessary reading for every major Loki storyline after.

 The Mighty Thor vol.2 (2011) - some of this happens in tandem to Journey into Mystery. If you’re not super into the Thor comics, this isn’t that important, but it helps inform the events of JiM while you’re reading it. There’s some good sibling stuff and Loki generally being a bit of a scamp, but there’s a lot going on that ties to other major Marvel story arcs at the time that can make this a bit confusing to read.

Fuck Exiled (2012) it doesn’t fucking matter.

Young Avengers (2013) - THE comic!!!! This is prime Kid Loki into Adult Loki content. This is where we got the contemporary Loki design from. This shits gay as hell, it’s full of friendship and drama and Loki shennanigans and I honestly cannot recommend this comic enough. If you never read another Marvel comic, read Young Avengers.

Loki: Agent of Asgard (2014) - OBVIOUSLY THIS ONE! Lots of people made the mistake of reading this on its own without understanding who Loki is in this comic. So much of Loki’s character development in this story hinges on the last issues of JiM. Read the others first THEN this, and you’ll thank me. This one has GORGEOUS art and completely re-shaped Loki’s character for the future Marvel comics. It also spans several major comic arcs at the time, so prepare for more external reading.

Avengers & X-Men: AXIS (2014) - This is a LOT to cope with if you’re not already into the comics, as it has a HUGE cast and a lot of major plots running at the same time. I honestly skimmed this just for bits of my fav characters. Loki appears on only a few, I believe #6-#8. Only read if you’re really interested in the context of the events in AoA.

Loki & Thor: Original Sin (2014) - I am holding this story arc in my hands. I am kissing it. This is PRIME fem!Loki content. This is ICONIC genderfluid Loki matrial. This is PURE fucked up dysfunctional Asgard-fam content. I love this comic series very much for it’s writing and artwork and beautiful moments and please don’t say a mean thing about it or I will cry.

More Loki content happens in Mighty Thor vol.3 (2016). I personally don’t think it’s relevant or necessary reading.

Fuck Vote Loki. Me and the homies hate Vote Loki. MCU will trick you and make you think Vote Loki might be good. It’s not.

The Infinity Quest arc doesn’t do anything useful for Loki imho. It’s one of the many comics in Loki’s current writing that feels like the writers haven’t read any of his previous arc.

Loki: Sorcerer Supreme (2017) - aka Doctor Strange #381-385. Imho the most wasted potential arc they’ve written so far. There’s like One nugget of very good Loki character content and the rest is just a huge waste of time. Would only recommend if you’re feeling comitted to reading as much of the Loki arc as you can.

Personally I think the entire Final Host arc is a complete misuse of Loki given his character development up until then and it simply doesn’t do anything for him.

Infinity Wars Prime (2018) - this is a bit of a Marmite arc. I think it’s setting up for Loki (2019) but it’s very tedious and bland and once again wastes the potential of the multiverse. Good only for ponytail Loki. It may be relevant in the future.

The War of the Realms (2019) - This has a LOT going on, but Loki’s part of this is very integral to how Loki is currently in the canon. This overlaps a little with Thor vol.5

Loki (2019) - This is.... Probably going to be relevant one day. It’s fun dialogue but honestly I truly do not care for this. It’s very slow paced and adds nothing to Loki’s character arc that AoA hadn’t already done. It’s a bit useful for understanding the way Loki has referred to himself since, but tbh... Meh.

Thor (2020) - This places Loki very much where he is Right Now in the canon and his current role. This is the point from which comics will pick up on his story arc, and also takes us back to the end of AoA.

Defenders (2022) - This picks up IMMEDIATELY after the final page of AoA. This is probably going to patch up a few of the issues I’ve had with previous story arcs, so I’m holding out! So far it is a banger.

[rolorules]

Random Rolo Ramblings 6: Kururugi and Canon

My intention was to write a few lines about the relationship between Rolo and Suzaku and post them around Suzaku's birthday. Well, it did not happen quite like that, but here they are. Admittedly, there is not really much to write about as far as the series canon goes, and here I would already like to digress a little: By '(series) canon' I mean everything that is officially part of the Code Geass story (people, places, events) as it unfolds in the TV series, not the recap films, which divert from the series canon and partly tell a different story. You can consider them a form of Code Geass elseworld or parallel universe/alternate timeline (apparently Genesic Re;CODE did that) or just see them as a separate movie canon which includes Lelouch of the Resurrection. (Correct, 'canon' is the second main topic of this article.)

As far as the Geass series canon goes, it certainly includes R1, R2 and also Akito the Exiled. I would also add the picture dramas, but that is a matter of debate and one could argue that their canonicity is not on the same level as that of the series' episodes. There are also the drama CDs, but, like I wrote before, these are just too far out there to be part of the official story. There may be official books that Sunrise considers canon, but my personal philosophy is that when we talk about films or TV shows, only what's on the screen is canon.

So what about Suzaku and Rolo? If we follow the show's internal chronology, they first meet in the final scene of Akito the Exiled. We get two reaction shots of Suzaku's face, first when Rolo enters the room, accompanied by the two Geass Order guards, then after he tells him that Charles has 'granted' 'Julius Kingsley' another audience. (By the way, look how tall he is in comparison to Suzaku. Must be the boots.) In both cases, Suzaku looks both quite angry and extremely wary. In the first case, Suzaku even makes a hard-to-define moaning sound that sounds both apprehensive and annoyed. In other words, he does not seem happy to see Rolo at all. He might be uncertain at first whether the rescue party are friend or foe, but even after Rolo has made it clear that they are on his side, he looks as happy as an employee who hates his boss and is told that he can go back to work now. This may have nothing to do with Rolo as a person, but with the unpleasantries that await Suzaku and Lelouch, but to me this look also says "Who's that creep they've sent to pick us up?"

Luckily, there are no hard feelings between Suzaku and Rolo in R2 despite this encounter, and this is obviously because R2 was produced before Akito. There is only one conversation between Suzaku and Rolo (and Villetta) in the OSI's secret control room, (which I have covered before, more than once, actually). While Rolo and Villetta have more or less always treated each other as equals, Suzaku clearly acts as the one in charge. Everyone is very polite, but Suzaku seems to be doubtful about the effectiveness of their surveillance, which triggers a response from Roll that makes him appear a little offendes, but secretly he is certainly worried that Suzaku might find out that Lelouch has regained his memories (and that he has changed sides). In a different world, to Star Trek, they may be friends, at least they don't hate each other, but in this situation, Rolo mostly regards Suzaku as a threat, which is why he even offers Lelouch to kill him. When Suzaku arranges a phone call with Nunnally to figure out whether Lelouch has regained his memory, Rolo thwarts his plans with his time-stopping powers. Apart from that, we see him giving Suzaku wary sideways glances, and that, to my knowledge, is about it. Not much, given the fact that older official artwork often shows Lelouch, Suzaku and Rolo as a kind of love-hate-whatever triangle.

What I would really like to know is what happened between the trio's journey home from Euro Britannia and Rolo's/Suzaku's arrival at Ashford. Didn't they have any conversation about 'Julius' resp. Lelouch? It would have made sense for Suzaku to brief Rolo about Lelouch's character traits so that he knows how to handle him and how to play the role of the little brother convincingly. Moreover, the Vincent's design is based on the Lancelot's, would Suzaku not be the perfect tutor for Rolo as a Knightmare Frame pilot? That would also explain Rolo's piloting skills. (Wouldn't it be fun if Lloyd was also involved? Maybe Rolo had a reason to call him "pervy four-eyes" in that infamous sound episode.)

Of couse there is that slightly weird scene in the second recap movie where Bismarck introduces Suzaku to Rolo (who is dressed like an accountant and looks as if he hadn't had any sleep for a week and not seen any daylight for a month, quite the contrast to his Akito outfit and posture) and Villetta. Here it is made more obvious than in R2 that Suzaku is in charge of the operation. In this scene it is also acknowledged that Suzaku and Rolo have met before, and maybe Suzaku's bad memories are the in-story explanation for Suzaku's so bluntly (and rudely) addressing Rolo's faulty Geass, which is one of the things I hated about this scene, the other one being Rolo's new alias ('Nebiros'/'Neblos'). Rolo's resentful look is more than understandable. I know why the writers made Suzaku say that: they needed a quick way to establish Rolo's weakness, but it still seems so out of character for someone like Suzaku. (I like Suzaku thanking Rolo for rescuing them better, even though he did not look particularly grateful when Rolo freed him and Lelouch from prison.) Villetta's defending Rolo and praising his skillfulness, on the other hand, is perfectly in character for her. Anyway, this scene does not contradict series canon, so I can potentially accept it as "this is what happened" to fill a gap in the story, I'm just not sure if I want to.

Which is why I am now turning to the readers. How do you personally deal with the canon problem, in Code Geass and otherwise? After all, reboots, recaps, remakes etc. are a pretty common phenomenon in the world of anime and elsewhere. Do you want to have a rigid canon or do you like to see alternate/new/fresh versions of the same story? What is your personal Code Geass canon, the two seasons of the TV show, Akito, the recap films, Lelouch of the Resurrection, the mobile games? Please let me know and thank you for reading all this, these articles are called "ramblings" for a reason.

P.S. Sorry for mostly using screencaps that I have used before.