#i really enjoyed every chapter regis had

[tiny-huts]

I finished the companions! Drizzt half dead on a mountain seeing his friends like hey guys I think Dahlia gave me more concussions than I thought she did or I am dead

[reflectionsofacreator]

I swear I’m not trying to like, harp endlessly on FFXV’s negative traits and narrative failings (of which there are many) because that’s not exactly the best of times for anyone, let alone me who’s trying to enjoy this piece of media. I am, however, trying to figure out and articulate just why certain plot beats/narrative elements just don’t work, either for me or as a wholeass experience.

I’m willing to give XV the benefit of a lot of doubt. I’m willing to buy a lot of the stuff it tries to sell me, because all stories work on some sort of suspension of disbelief. Ripping into every single plot hole for the sake of it just doesn’t appeal to me (like why the nights didn’t get longer if Luna wasn’t Oracle until she was 16, or whatever), because a lot of them aren’t really plotholes they’re just... story elements. A story can have things not be explicitly laid out or even have some holes in it and be fine. XV just.... has a lot of them, and some are a lot bigger than others.

This post specifically though, is about Insomnia, and its lack of importance to the wider XV plot/world. From the get go, we have almost no reason to care why Insomnia was destroyed in chapter 1.

If you haven’t watched Kingsglaive (the prequel film that explains the Fall and King Regis’ death) you’d be forgiven for thinking that Insomnia is like, a regular city. It’s not -- it’s a massive metroplex of probably 25+ million people, due to it being based off of Tokyo and NYC. Probably a good 70% of Lucis’ people live there, and it just got obliterated overnight by daemons and Imperial airships. Granted, a city that size probably isn’t completely decimated, and there was a shot of refugees leaving at the end of KG, but we don’t know because the game literally doesn’t talk about it.

Did you know that Ravus was supposed to be the interim governor of Insomnia after the attack? I only knew because one of the in-game radios in chapter 10 was playing a broadcast. Which I almost missed. (And yet he was in Altissia in chapter 9??? For some reason? Instead of actually governing the city he helped conquer?) The radio broadcast also says he was taken back to Galrea to be executed for high treason and the Imperial airship losses above Altissia, which why was he there, but also that’s a major detail for his character that’s given by a clickable dialogue.

Ravus aside, there’s no people from Insomnia save for Iris and Cor, and a handful of Crownsguard. We have no reason to care about any of the people that lived there -- of the boys, only Noctis had family that he mentions losing in Insomnia, which is undercut by his family being King Regis. Ignis supposedly had parents in Insomnia, and an uncle. Prompto’s parents were supposedly still inside Insomnia when it fell, yet neither express worry about their family members. Even Gladio, who did have family inside in the form of Iris, barely expressed any concern over her or the state of the city.

The end of Kingsglaive had refugees pouring out of the city gates -- where are they in the game? (Granted, I know that’s because KG was handled by a completely different team than the people who made the game, and according to lead character designer Roberto Ferrari the XV writers changed plot every three months. Just see this post about how Lunafreya’s character was completely different in the movie’s development.) Aside from Cindy lamenting that “crown city goods are hard to come by” no one in the open world seems to care that Insomnia was totaled and that potentially millions of people are dead. Only a few people in Lestallum really seem to care that Nifleheim has taken over, or that the royal line and cabinet are completely dead.

The narrative makes some overtures about Noctis claiming the weapons of his ancestors and building up his arsenal in order to take back Insomnia, but that’s dropped for the “Covenants with the Astrals” plot as early as chapter 4. Worse, we don’t know anything about the state of Insomnia, nor do the boys, and the boys don’t care. None of them really wonder what’s going on in the city, how many people were still alive, etc, it’s more a concept that hangs over their heads, only to get shoved to the side.

And all of this is compounded by the fact that the big “homecoming” in Chapter 14... isn’t. We have no reason to care about the destroyed city, or the fact that it’s infested with daemons. For all the care that the characters show in the events preceding it, the city might as well have been just another town they walked through.

And like, don’t get me wrong. I can buy that the boys care about the city, or the people in it. I can think to myself “oh, if my city were suddenly destroyed and most of the people dead, I’d be upset and angry too”. But I shouldn’t have to try and relate it back to myself for some version of empathy in order to care about this place. The trope of “ruined hometown” is as old as dirt, and it can be used pretty well. But the problem is that when all you do is go “oh, these characters have a ruined hometown that meant a lot to them!” and do nothing to extrapolate on that, it falls apart.

Kingsglaive really did make me care about Insomnia. It’s a shame that the game actively worked against that.

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 14

FIRST TIME READER, click here

TWs / Summary: Petrolhead dorks! Just Rich People Things. Car sex with daddy Tony! Poor cop LMAO. Snark snark snark. Unsafe driving - don't drive like that unless you know what you're doing! As for the inspiration for this chapter, thanks to @persephonehemingway and her deliciously filthy fic on AO3. Y'know, the one with Beck and Tony and stuff... 😏

@miscmarvelwritings is a lovely beta. Baby gay 🥺✨

Soft, steady rumbling of the engine; it reminded me of a lion's purr. I could feel it under me, reverberating through the driver's seat, whirring beneath my hand as I put the car in drive. It was such a shame Royce had an automatic transmission. Unlike most people, I actually enjoyed driving stick, the option of controlling the speed one gear by one gear was exhilarating.

My face felt hot. I pulled out of the parking lot evenly, driving through the city streets at a moderate pace, not the speed limit-because in a car like this it would be a crime-but not dashing around madly either. The beast under me was to be savoured and savour I did.

"You're enjoying this," Tony quipped cheekily, having made himself comfortable with his feet on the dash. His sneakers laid in a haphazard heap halfway under his seat. A picture of lavish comfort. "Take a left, go on the highway. We can afford to go a little crazy."

Not the one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I followed his instructions, accelerating in excitement. A little past ten o'clock, the cars on that particular stretch of road were few and in-between. The streetlights blinked their greetings, the speedometer surely and steadily climbing over the 80MPH mark.

I laughed. I couldn't keep it in even if I tried; with a car of this size, this weight, such a relatively low speed felt twice as exciting.

"Go faster," Tony ordered, sitting up straighter. "Faster."

"Yes, daddy," I snarked, flooring it. The g-force took hold of us briefly, flattening our backs with the seat. I laughed again, adrenaline pumping throughout my body, giving me that extra attention boost. I easily maneuvered around a couple of minivans around the 110 MPH mark. The engine sang and roared. "Wanna see something cool?"

Tony's pupils were blown wide, the amber irises nearly invisible in the sea of black. He was turned on, incredibly so. "Yes, baby girl," He groaned.

I was familiar with the road just enough to pull off a stunt with the barest bit of luck. Karma was on my side that evening, I wasn't going to waste any more time. My blood sang, demanding a release of the pent-up tension. Another two miles and I spied the dimly lit exit on my right side; not a soul in sight but Tony's wide-eyed wonder, I went in for the kill.

Tires squealed, obscuring my happy little noise and Tony's shocked exhale as I steered into the narrow opening, missing the railings by a mere few inches. The Royce went into full drift, it's wheels automatically locking, and I had no doubt the tires would need a change after this - but we pulled through, the car evening out just as a straight stretch of road appeared again.

The multiple lights flashing were disregarded by me along with quiet angry beeping, I was overtaken by my own bravado. Not once I hesitated but my hands still shook, tiny little tremors. Tony saw it, too, I noticed - gaze hungry, he eyed my left wrist nonchalantly hanging over the steering wheel. We were still going steadily at 100 MPH.

"Tony?" I asked, proud and happy.

"Princess," He answered, breathless. "Pull over, over there," pointing somewhere to my right.

Confused by his sudden change of attitude, I nonetheless, complied, parking on a small patch of concrete. It looked like an abandoned gas station or some creepy shit.

"Come here," As soon as I shut down the car, I felt myself roughly pulled into his lap.

Tony's hands were everywhere, on my hips, on my tits, under my dress. His own arousal in constraints, he positioned me right on top of it, grinding slowly and desperately into my center. I was right there with him, hungry for the way his mouth immediately attached itself to mine, tongue plunging straight into my throat without finesse.

Agile fingers toyed with my breasts and I raked my nails down his throat in retaliation; neither of us knew who moaned first into the kiss. We swallowed the breathy sound, shared it between us. The smell of adrenaline and arousal seeped into the space between us, thick, foggy.

Fumbling around his pants was, probably, not very sexy, but neither of us cared about the article of clothing after pushing it down his hips. There wasn't much space to work with. We managed just fine, the brief moment of discomfort paying off with the delicious stretch of his cock inside me.

"Oh, fu-u-uck, so-o go-o-od," I was ready to pray to any God, as long as I could keep riding the tidal waves of pleasure.

"Yes, fuck me, Princess," Tony parroted the sentiment. His narrow hips stuttered, blunt rip of his cock brushing inside of me, hitting a sensitive spot. Sparks burst from within, urging me to move.

Bracing my knees on the outside of his thighs, I gripped Tony - his shoulders, his hair - for leverage. He loved the tug of war I played with his locks as evidenced by the immediate groan and the tightening of his hands on my ass. He squeezed the flesh without mercy, pulling, sheathing himself as deep as he could within me.

The grinding, the drag of my clit against the soft happy trail on his tummy did it for me. Uncharacteristically quickly, I was coming, arching my back and pushing my tits right into his face where the wet heat of his mouth sloppily, greedily made a trail of hickeys and left the tender flesh stinging in between whispering dirty praises.

Tony's girth felt that much thicker as my inner muscles spasmed. I began bouncing rapidly, chasing that fleeting feeling that turned me into an incoherent, babbling mess and made my spine feel liquid. The man under me matched the vigour, meeting me halfway, fucking up into me as much as the position allowed him to.

"Fuck, Tony, so big," The angle changed as I bent down to devour his mouth once again. The silky tresses between my fingers became a tangled mess.

One of his arms slid under my dress, holding it up and wrapping around me, pressing me close. Tony was getting under my skin. I felt the slick of him through his shirt. The faint glow and scratch of the arc reactor solidified the experience for me - it was so Tony, the most obvious part of him, perhaps, when he wasn't smiling.

His mouth was occupied with ravenously consuming every noise that left me. I was loud, always have been, and there wasn't a situation where it's been as blatantly on display as then - in a dark car, in the middle of nowhere. We shared those noises like a gourmet meal.

"Baby, baby girl," The tell-tale tightening of his abs was an obvious signal to his incoming orgasm. "Fu-u-uck". He seemed beyond words.

"Tony, please, I'm so close," I begged him to hold on, just a moment more, my own release a glimpse on the horizon. He moaned, deep and low in his chest and I felt it - right there, burying my face in the crook of his neck.

Suddenly, a sharp sting blossomed on my backside. My pace stuttered at the sudden pain; and the following thrill had me increase my pace, pussy squeezing around his cock, clutching at it in hopes of finding release. The need ached.

"Baby girl, come for me," Tony ordered, winded and stuttering, causing me to grip his shoulders, nails digging into taut, tan skin. I was nearly there, the fall approaching inevitably. How did the man manage to sound so cheeky whilst being ridden to near-death, I didn't know, but his next words had me muffling a scream into the pristine, expensive fabric of his blazer. "Come for Daddy."

I wasn't sure of the sound that I made while my body involuntarily obeyed his orders. I shuddered momentarily, following with another curl of my toes as I felt the hot seed of his release spill right into me, curses being muttered in my ear and his arms, his hands, him bodily holding himself as close to me as humanly possible. We stayed like that - maybe it was an hour, or maybe it was just five minutes. It felt heavenly.

"My jeans are FUBAR," Tony suddenly snorted.

"I think one of the straps on my dress is somewhere in the backseat," I parroted him. "Good times."

"Indeed," He stretched under me, gently, as to not dislodge me too much.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the driver's side window. A faint outline of a flashlight shining behind the glass - I was very much grateful for the fact that all the glass on Tony's car was tinted.

Of course, both of us were unprepared: startled, we jumped, spreading the mess from between my thighs all over the place. Groaning, I climbed over the console and rolled down the window a couple of inches, noting how Tony had one of his gauntlets shining - and a police officer's equally shiny badge greeted me. Grumbling, I rolled the window the whole way down.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask your license and regi-whoa, um, I'm- good evening, Mr. Stark," The cop was young and very obviously hadn't slept very well. The words he mumbled on autopilot and stopped only when Tony's face popped up somewhere around my lap.

"Hello, officer," Tony smiled, bright and shiny public smile. "Don't mind us, just enjoying a quiet evening." The engineer's smile was cheeky. His pants weren't even done fully up and I, no doubt, spouted some serious case of sex hair, not mentioning the torn dress. I had to discreetly check if I didn't accidentally flash the poor cop.

"Uh, umm, sorry Mr. Stark," The cop - officer Charles, I checked - nervously stammered, obviously privy to the situation at hand. "Is everything alright here?"

"Absolutely. We were just about to leave."

"Well then. Uh. Can I ask - a picture?"

Really, dude? REALLY??? I was about this much away from just starting the car and driving the fuck off. But Tony was calm.

"Sure," He looked at me mischievously. "Let's swap, I'll drive us home."

His penchant for trouble knew no limits. I rolled my eyes, but it was just for show, really. The littlest worm of malicious compliance had already started squirming in me. My coat lay forgotten in the back seat - I proudly displayed the torn dress strap and the array of lovemarks leading up to my throat as I stepped out of the car. The crisp autumn air barely affected my sex-heated body outside of the warm car, doing only as much as to stiffen my nipples.

The way officer Charles did a double-take, I'm sure he understood my and Tony's previous activities and re-evaluated his own life choices. Let the boy learn a lesson. "Bye-bye, officer," I smiled my biggest, girliest smile and made a point at slowly turning around and sashaying to the other side of the car where Tony stood, discreetly checking his belt.

He met me with a smirk, chivalrously holding the door open and making a show at helping me into the car. We shared a muted chuckle.

"Ugh, I gotta go home, all my school shit is there," I rolled my eyes to the skies. Tony drove. AC/DC sung sultry tunes in the background quietly.

"Pack a bag, I'll wait," The engineer's warm hand found my own. He said what he said without even missing a beat. Such an unexplainable circumstance, all these new feelings I was feeling. It was a lot to process.

And I was cock-drunk. Packing my bag was an absolute ten minute disaster. I was pretty sure my socks didn't match and I had forgotten my make-up, but I triple checked for the most important - homework.

"I'm starving," I announced, hanging off Tony in the elevator. For all purposes, we were a perfectly poised domestic portrait. Disheveled, my coat and Tony's blazer loosely draped over my left arm, my backpack hanging off his right shoulder. He hadn't bothered with putting on his shoes and my neck, face and hair looked like a crime scene.

The elevator doors opened at the same time Tony gathered his wits: "Bye-bye officer? Really?"

A dozen confused eyes stared at us from the common room couch. Surprised for the second time that evening, all we were capable of was owlishly blink in their general direction, words dying before they could have made it to the surface.

I snorted first, towing Tony in the direction of the kitchen. "What was I supposed to do, pray tell? Flash him?"

Behind us, I heard a thud. Then Steve's voice cursing. Then Bucky's.

"You could've. If you wanted to," Tony mused. "You have great tits."

"Aw, thanks. You have a nice dick. It's got a great curve."

"Aren't you the nicest?" Tony kissed my cheek, hiding the upcoming laughter as we both heard more swearing and moaning coming from the living room.

"I need a broom," Bucky appeared in the doorway just as I was pulling out some pizza slices to reheat. The super-soldier made no move for the supply closet, however, instead openly staring at my state of dress. His face bore the tell-tale signs of a person trying to hold in their cackling.

"Did you see a ghost, Elsa?" Tony quirked from the coffee machine.

"Can I flash this one, then?" I suddenly had an Idea. And when I had an Idea, I was unstoppable. "He might not be an officer but technically he's a Sargent, so..."

"Okay," Bucky began to inch backwards, step by step in the direction of the living room, holding his hands up. "Y'all crazy. I'mma head out."

"Good call," Tony saluted Barnes' retreating back. "As for you? You're in so much trouble, Princess," The arm that wasn't occupied by a coffee cup wrapped itself around my waist, grip firm and unyielding. Blindly groping for a moment, it found my boob, squeezing it twice for good measure as Tony slurped his holy bean juice. "Mine."

"Yours," I agreed simply. Meaning it. Then, I leaned backwards to whisper into the shell of his ear with a snicker: "Daddy."

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[extremelyblackandwhite]

handmaid - 11

PAIRING: mob!sebastian stan x ingenue!reader

WARNINGS: age gap, mentions of violence, gun mentioning

A/N: i watched endings, begginings again solely because of the scene we get a close up of seb making out with shailene and that scene will forever make me want him in unholy ways. hope you enjoy this chapter xxx

NEXT CHAPTER

    - What? - Y/N stared at him, not because she hadn’t heard what he had said but because her brain seemed to have stopped mid synapse. She wondered if this was the hopeless romantic in her mixed with the lack of sleep that were making her hear things. But no. That confirmation came to her through his actions as he stepped close enough to her she could feel his breathe on her cheekbone. His hand cradled her face, looking at her with the uttermost adoration, almost like a scene straight off Springtime by Pierre-Auguste Cot. 

   - I’m here, nothing and no one can harm you. I don’t think you understand the things I would do for you. - he traced her bottom lip with his calloused thumb causing her small hairs to raise up as a shiver rolled down her spine. 

   - I ... You shouldn’t. - she was too immobile to even try and step back, but in all honesty, even if her nerves weren’t stopping her from moving, she herself would’ve stopped herself from moving. It felt nice. - You make me very nervous, Mr. Stan.

She took a step forward, hearing the shift of the gravel as her sock covered feet moved so her toes touched the point of his shoes. She wasn’t entirely sure what to do but there was an overwhelming need to be close to him. As so, she stretched her arms to him, wrapping them around his neck and burying her head in his pyjama shirt. It was a very baggy shirt with the logo of Regis High School. She guessed it had probably been his during his high school years and the little holes and slight thin patches of fabric spread across the tee contributed to that guess of hers. Sebastian sighed at this motion, his hand coming to rest upon the small of her back while his lips pressed against the crown of her head, slightly inhaling the faint scent of her lavender shampoo.

They remained in that same position as the bird slowly awaked as the very first sun rays broke through the night sky, the sounds of nature making them both forget they had just escaped a crossfire. They continued in that embrace until his phone loudly rang from the backseat where he had thrown it before. 

With much regret, he broke the embrace, hand taking slightly longer to her waist as he grabbed his phone, angrily answering it. Y/N just stood there, hand hoovering over his like someone who really wanted to hold his hand but was too shy to do so. Of course she was to shy to do so, this was her friend’s future husband. The same future husband who she would have to kiss and some day give a child to and here she was fully considering the idea of entering some sort of Anna/Vronsky relationship minus the opium and suicide.

   - I’ll be there in a few. - his words as the phone beeped off took her off her thought pattern.

   - Is everything alright? - she questioned, worry laced into her sleepy sounding voice. It was 4 AM after all, Y/N guessed that all in all, she’d probably gotten about an hour or two of sleep. 

   - Yeah. - he sighed, rubbing the side of his neck out of tiredness. - We need to go. 

   - Where are we going? - what was she doing? she asked herself as she noticed she was already sat in the shotgun seat without getting an answer. Was she that enamoured that she would get in the car without any response? Maybe, yet he did let this particular sight of safety. 

  - Airport.

She watched as his eyes were kept on the brightening road. Y/N didn’t know exactly what to say, all she knew exactly was that he made her feel warm and nervous but not in the way that being next to a mob boss. You should fear contact with one not crave one. 

Things were rather silent until the crash of noise from the airport made her look at something rather than the side of his face, watching as various airplanes landed a bit closer than she’d ever seen them land. He just drove as if a plane couldn’t misdirect or mislead and hit them, he drove with that sort of confidence that made you want to throw your arms in the air in great Taylor Swift music video fashion. He drove with the confidence she wished she had. 

The car slowly yet surely came to halt and as she turned her face to the window she could see the airplane from a few days before. She guessed they were going home for safety and despite her love for Paris, right now she wanted to go somewhere familiar. 

   - Gwen’s already inside. - he put his hand on the glove compartment, picking the music box and handing it to her. - Make sure you don’t lose this one too.

   - Are you not coming? - she noticed his hand was still very much gripping the wheel of the car. 

   - After this, I think I have some matters that need resolving. 

   - Why won’t you come with us? Surely it is Mr. Williams’ job to look over the Paris affairs. 

   - He’s very useless, angel. If I leave him to do anything, I’ll have to fly back and fix it. Besides, I’m sending him to New York for a bit after his disastrous deal.

   - Oh ... - she cradled the music box closer to her chest. - Are you gonna be alright?

   - Are you worried about me, angel? - he smirked at her, immediately causing her cheeks to heat up. - I will be just fine, you need only worry about Gwen.

   - That’s not what I meant. - Y/N faintly smiled at him, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek which took Sebastian off guard. It was so sweet and so young that half the rage he had accumulated towards whoever shot at his hotel. She just stared at her lap, lightly tracing the golden details of the box. - I don’t exactly want to go to your funeral.

   - I think I’ll be fine, angel. 

He is a mob boss, he will be fine. One does not become notorious by being easy to wound or easy to kill. Nevertheless, so had been the man who raised her and Gwen and he had still gotten a pretty bad wound shot every once in a while. No one is invisible. Achilles had his heel and Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus all had a lot more and they were all heroes who were eventually defeated. Dynasties fall and Y/N had seen it plenty of times.

She opened the door of the car, her sock covered feet reminding her that she was about to walk into a private jet in her pyjamas and socks. Gwen surely had thrown her into some wild situations yet none seemed to quite match up to this one. 

Closing the door behind her, she walked to the stairs that led to the door of the plane, turning around to briefly wave at Sebastian before he took off. Maybe it was best they were separated for a bit, maybe it was just a little crush that would vanish with a bit of time. What she wasn’t expecting was to walk into Gwen having her neck peppered and sucked by one of the bodyguards, Christian. 

    - Morning, Y/N. - she pushed the man away, giving her an enthusiastic smile as Y/N sat in the leathered seat in front of her. - Where have you been? Elias said Sebastian took you during the crossfire.

    - Yeah, are you okay? Sebastian said you were, I’m really sorry I didn’t come to find you.

    -  You two are sure buddying up. - she opened one of the magazines that were on the stand as the plane prepared to take off. 

    -  Oh, it’s not that. - she bite her lip looking at her feet.

    - Of course it is. You better not tell him about any of the boys or Christian, the last thing I need is to have someone dead because my fiancée is jealous. 

    - I’ve told you I’ll never tell on you besides he’s not jealous, he’s just worried about you. 

   - Well ... - she smirked, lowering the magazine. - He does employ some very fine men, specially at the art of bedding.

   - See, this is why your dad didn’t want you to watch Sex and the City when you were younger. - Y/N laughed, remembering when a teenage Gwen would sneak in at night along with her to watch Sex and the City reruns on the TV which would constantly annoy Mr. Forrest. 

   - You can’t be such a prude, you must have someone on your radar. Seriously, has there never been a guy who made you want to take a cold shower just from looking at him?

   - Guys don’t tend to look at me Gwen, they look at you. 

   - Bullshit. I could just bet you have someone and you’re just not telling me. 

Y/N just laughed it off, leaning against her pillows and the sleep finally won her over, throwing her for a nice slumber. She was awoken by the faint sound of rain hitting glass and as she slowly opened her eyes, she came to see the airport of what she called home for now. 

Rather quickly and wearing one of the bodyguards jacket in order to not look like a public threat to society in her pyjamas and socks, both her and Gwen were hushed into the limo which drove them back to their penthouse. The building looked darker and the weather was even darker. She prepared to go inside the bed and sleep more, despite having slept for 9 hours on the plane from Paris to NY. 

   - You look terrible. - Y/N heard a familiar voice as the lift doors opened. A big smile stretched on her face as she saw Dan standing there. - Are you even wearing any shoes?

  - You’re here! - she jumped into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck before stepping away for a bit. - I wasn’t expecting you to be here this soon.

  - After the crossfire, I decided to spend some time with you and Gwen at least until Mr. Stan returns

  - Oh great. - Gwen rolled her eyes. - Another babysitter. 

  - It’s good to see you too, Gwen. - he turned his gaze back to Y/N. - You look unharmed. Survived your first crossfire

  - Yeah, it’s been a crazy few days. Enough about me, did you bring Sophie? 

  - No, she’s staying at her mum’s for a while but we can go and visit I’m sure she’ll love to see you. 

  - Just set the date. 

  - So ... - Daniel took a seat on the living room’s coach while Gwen returned to her room, Christian in her foot. Y/N guessed she would be better sat by Dan’s side than in her room where she would possibly hear sounds of things she didn’t really feel like hearing right now. - I heard from Gwen that Sebastian was the one who took you during the crossfire. 

  - Yeah, his room was closer to mine ... - it wasn’t, it was as further from hers as it was from Gwen’s but she didn’t exactly felt like telling Dan that she had kissed his sister’s fiancé. - He’s not as bad as you think, Dan. 

  - You always try and see the good in people, Y/N. It is remarkable but please be careful. Seriously, there are things in this whole world that you are not used to. 

  - I’m not exactly clueless, Dan. He hasn’t been rude to me, he’s treated me as well as he treats Gwen. Besides until he mistreats any of us, I refuse to have such a deep dislike for him. 

  - Y/N, c’mon. I know you don’t get to see it but his kill count? It’s high even when compared to my dad and grandfather’s count all together. You step out of the line, you get erased. 

  - That’s not true. Mr. Williams stepped out the line in France and he’s still not dead.

  - Mr. Williams? When have you even met Thompson Williams?

  - At Gwen’s engagement party. What I mean is, I’m safe here, Dan. I would love if you stopped treating me like I’m the most clueless thing ever.

  - But you are clueless, Y/N. We’ve sheltered you and Gwen for most of it, you don’t ...

  - Oh ... - Y/N interrupted, getting up. - Since I’m that clueless, I think our conversation is over.

  - Y/N, don’t take it personally. 

  - I’m going to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow, Daniel.

tag list: @lilya-petrichor @xoxohannahlee @irespostthingsiwanttoseelater @nikkipea @madisonpillstrom @cevans98 @thelostallycat @sideeffectsofyou @anxiousdreamersworld​ @sarge-barnes-sir​

[mevekagvain]

Chapter 338 - Cool that Muzaka can recognise Frankenstein's aura or footsteps or whatever.

- Just sitting on a bench, watching the sunset, as bros do. Muzaka's totally ruining the mood though.

- Never understood why Frankenstein brought a can of cola on a plate. You have a hand that can wrap around it just fine. Love his petty revenge though. 100% approval here.

Chapter 339 - Yeah be more considerate M-21. Karias is bored sparring with a half naked guy who's way weaker than him for the whole day.

- Grui and Gaitan!!! 🥺 But how tf did ppl mistake Grui for woman? Like I can kinda get it for some characters even if I think it means you have bad pattern recognition but him? You can literally see the male muscle anatomy through his clothes.

- Gonna pretend they both have eyebrows because it upsets me otherwise.

Chapter 340 - Kentas and Lunark's hair really makes them look like siblings or cousins in every scene yeesh.

- Not Dark Spear trying to get Tao to exchange his soul for a higher salary ajjsksksk. And Tao calling it stupid,,, yeah me too.

Chapter 341 - "It's not like you really hate M-21, you're just a tsundere" Takeo says to Regis.

- Wonder how Karias would have felt if M-21 had died lol. Just an oopsie I suppose. Came with the job.

Chapter 342 - Ikhan knowing Shinwoo is gonna say something stupid... that's just what having friends is like. Not that he's wrong since I'm pretty sure this is where Shinwoo goes "he must miss Raskreia!" And Seira believing he knows the truth... baby girl no.

- Her confusion when he says it ajsjksososo. He's just stupid sweetheart. Also Yuna, Suyi, I expected better of you two smh.

- Raizel was zoning out the entire time so he's super confused too lmao.

Chapter 343 - First, Third and Crombel having a meeting is hilarious because the former two say it's a shame that they couldn't get Muzaka for Crombel to experiment on. Except Crombel does have him so he says it's fine lying out of his ass. Except we know from future chapters that First was completely aware of Crombel's actions so this itself was a lie to gauge his reaction and and and-

- And now even Regis is being fooled by Shinwoo's dumbness... 🙃

- Why would you call a guy known for being horrible after Seira rejected him... Like from a comedic standpoint I do enjoy it, but as an actual event I disapprove heavily. Don't associate with Rael, kids.

Chapter 344 - Lunark's annoyed because she just wants to get the job over with while Kentas is the rare werewolf that doesn't want to genocide humans. Not that he's a good guy. He's still willing to kill innocents lol. There's like 0 named/somewhat significant wws who haven't committed a warcrime or some other extremely morally or ethically fucked up thing that can't be forgiven.

- Oh okay Rajak. You can postpone orders to train Regis but not to spend time with your own brother... I get that circumstances are different but it's still super grating.

Chapter 346 - Suyi bullying Shinwoo is my favourite part of the friend group tbh. Queen

Chapter 347- Cool pose. How long did you practice it?

Chapter 348 - Your clothes were cool Grui, why you gotta flex 'em off? I also think the noblesse characters just need to value clothes more in general too. Unless they're picking shirts from the bargain bin of a fast fashion shop worth only a buck, they should strip before fighting so they don't destroy them. I'd honestly get mad at them about it.

- Also his multi colour red and blue is nice.

- Is your face that important bro? You'd think werewolves would find face scars cool.

Chapter 349 - And Regasus went to Regis. Good for him. Fascinating to note that even if Regasus reacted to Regis, it was Gechutel who had to actually send it off. Regasus wouldn't have left if Gechutel didn't let it and if he didn't will it away. I do think there are soul weapons who would leave even if the current wielder didn't want it to but a situation like this is extremely rare so it's likely never happened. Also yeah, only soul weapon to talk to its wielder upon arrival so far lol.

- Anyway Regasus upgraded Regis into Monokuma <3

- On a more serious note I think nobles should do weird eye things more. Gradeus does it most and then Rael and then Regis with this moment. Obviously I think most of these eye things are momentary since Gradeus has his being so long since berserker mode, but there’s a whole sports team worth of nobles. All of them doing it for a few panels is a lot and I deserve it I think.

Chapter 350 - And the trio arrives to face Gaitan.

[secret-engima]

*kicks down door* WHO WANTS TO READ ME RAMBLE/RANT ABOUT THE GRALEA LEVEL IN FFXV AND WHY IT ACTUALLY WAS A GOOD LEVEL AND EVERYONE SHOULD PLAY THE NOCTIS ROUTE AT LEAST ONCE RATHER THAN THE GLADIO ROUTE EVEN THOUGH IT’S TERRIFYING AND FRUSTRATING.

No one?

WELL TOO BAD.

(Unless you haven’t played or watched the game yet and don’t want spoilers in which case TURN AWAY NOW).

...Ahem. *deep breath* Okay so I will forever stand by my opinion that chapter 13 of the game (the one that takes place on the train and then in Gralea) is Good™ and does exactly what it's supposed to in the narrative. That is not to say I don't hate it with a passion and didn't cheer when they added the Gladiolus route for those of us (like me) who didn't want to replay the Noctis route again, but I will stubbornly insist to anyone that wants to listen that the chapter's difficulty and wildly different tone and pacing was THE POINT of the darn thing and deserves some respect for it.

See, the game up to that point is, if not always lighthearted (because it's not), has still been something of an Adventure Story™. Yes there's horrible tragic things like Insomnia falling and Regis dying, but for the most part the gameplay is exploration and cool combat mechanics and the relationship between the four brothers. It's ... happy for a good chunk of it. There's this light at the end of the tunnel, this comfy assurance that there can be a happy ending, that this can all be fixed and tied up in a neat little bow somehow.

Then Altissia happens. Luna dies, Ignis is blinded, and the game puts you on literal rails, forcing you to go hurtling toward A Different Tone. Everyone is stressed, everyone is scared or angry. You’d THINK that this is the lowest point of the story and that surely there’s going to be an emotional reconciliation between Noctis and Gladio and then we’ll get back to exploring and saving the world and all that jazz.

Except we don’t.

The train scene with Ardyn and Shiva happens, and the entire heartbreak with Prompto happens, and that’s when things start to seriously crack. You lose all access to your magic while stuck in this narrow train, then you lose the Regalia, your symbol of freedom, your main way to travel through the game (even when you fast travel, the animation of arrival shows you getting out of the Regalia). You are now trapped in Gralea. In dark, hostile territory with one of your party missing, one of them blind, the other angry at you, and still no magic. Then a few minutes later you are forcibly separated from the rest of your party, the characters you’ve spent all game getting attached to, and leaning on, and laughing with. They are your last anchor points to the brother dynamic that has kept the whole game on a lighter note and now they are GONE. You have none of your weapons or skills, you have no idea where the others are (first time playing the game without spoilers anyway), you have NOTHING. No hope. No backup. No distractions from the fact that, oh yeah, this is a story where the Bad. Guys. Win. Are winning, have won, and all Noctis (all you) can do is take out the Ring that slowly killed Regis, that Luna died for, the thing that represents everything going wrong and all NOCTIS must do to fix it even when he is painfully, woefully unprepared ... and finally put it on. 

Noctis (and by extension you, the player) MUST shoulder the responsibility of being the king of a lost kingdom, of acknowledging that he IS the king, his dad was MURDERED, and Luna was killed for the thing you are now wearing and everything it means. It’s your only option until you eventually find the dead Ravus and take back Regis’s sword toward the middle/end of the level, which you can’t use recklessly because every swing drains your very life-force, forcing the Ring to still be your “best” option in many cases.

Most of that level is spent running, and hiding, and praying that the MT Units on the floor don’t leap up and try to murder you, or that the daemons don’t notice you, or that the teleporting daemon doesn’t find you, or that Ardyn will just SHUT UP because his taunts are really unhelpful right now.

The only hope you have left in this level is to grit your teeth and get through it with the Ring until you can reunite with your brothers and get magic back and go get the Crystal, the mcguffin of this whole game, and put the game back on the normal track of brotherly dynamics and fun quests. Just get to the Crystal, and everything will somehow start going back to normal.

And then that turns out to be a trap too.

Welcome to the final act of a tragedy, and your character is the one living through it. There will be no restoration of the norm until you’ve seen this to its final conclusion. There will be no light save for the one Noctis dies for.

Even when I first played that level (vanilla, not even a day one patch version btw because I was an idiot like that) and hated it because it was terrifying, I never thought it didn't belong in the story like ... quite a few comments I saw on the internet later insisted it didn’t. This is Noctis's story. This is Noctis's tragedy. THIS is the level that strips every last distraction and security blanket and shelter away from him and makes him put on the Ring and thus shoulder everything it represents. There is- terror here, there is trauma, there is GRIEF. This is practically Noctis's headspace without his brothers, because let's not forget that while we the players are having fun fishing and catching frogs for a silly scientist lady, Noctis is a refugee from an empire that MURDERED HIS FATHER and the FATHER OF HIS SHIELD-BROTHER, destroyed his HOME and then, right before Gralea, murdered Luna, the girl who he's known and talked to and confided in via letter for twelve years. This is a world falling into literal darkness (and if the player hadn’t noticed how the daytime cycle in the game kept getting shorter and shorter before this point YOU CERTAINLY NOTICE NOW) and it's up to Noctis- JUST Noctis, ONLY NOCTIS thanks to a Prophecy made long before he was ever born, to somehow Fix It™.

One person. Just one.

And he has to fix ... all of this.

How?

He doesn’t know. During the Gralea level he DOESN’T KNOW. All he (all we) know is that the Crystal is the key, but since the Crystal only answers to Lucis Caelums, that means Noctis is the key, and Noctis (and you the player) is painfully aware of how Not Ready he is.

And the weight of that is enough to render you helpless in the face of it. The fear of that is a maze. The terror of it is a monster following you down the halls that you cannot escape from and cannot kill while it laughs at your misery.

All of that is GRALEA. The capital city of the people who overthrew his home, killed his father, killed his fiancé, and isolated him from the last safety nets he had.

The entirety of chapter 13 isn’t meant to be enjoyed. It’s meant to make you scared. It’s meant to frustrate you and make you feel helpless. It’s meant to make you feel sick when you learn what the daemons and MTs you’ve been killing really are. It’s meant to make you RAGE against Ardyn, and the Empire, and this entire situation because you’re one person and you’re not prepared for this and it’s NOT FAIR and you just want things to go BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS AND ALL OF THIS SUCKS.

Yeah. It does.

And who else do you think feels like that?

Noctis.

Chapter 13 isn’t meant to be fun. It’s meant to make you feel like Noctis does.

And what emotions would you expect from someone who has just lost everything and is expected to fix everything for everyone else, and now has no distractions or shields between him and his grief?

I remember reading an article about “why this chapter failed” and it was basically to the order of “this game is about a fun road trip with your bros and reuniting with your fiancé and chapter 13 breaks away from that too hard” and I respectfully have to disagree.

This story isn’t about a “fun road trip” and it isn’t just about “reuniting with your fiancé”. From the very first cutscene we are told that it’s not in Regis’s desperate (and soon revealed as last) words to his son about setting forth on a journey and not being able to go back. We are told it’s not in the first hour or so when Insomnia burns and Noctis cries and Cor tells us that “in his last moments together he didn’t want to be your king, he wanted to be your father”. How is that a “fun story about a road trip?”. Yes the road trip IS fun for us, and it IS about the brother relationship, but in a large, LARGE part-

Final Fantasy XV is about a young man setting out into the world and facing the hardships of it. It’s about loss. It’s about regrets. It’s about how no matter how much you want them to, some things can never go back to the way they were yet you must keep going anyway. It’s about how the darkness of the world will just keep taking-taking-taking until someone is willing to pay the price to make it stop, and that sometimes a happy ending for the people you love most means giving up your own personal happy ending on their behalf.

Final Fantasy XV never really hid the fact that it was a tragic, bittersweet story.

But it’s in chapter 13 that the story refuses to let you mistake it for anything else any longer.

Could the chapter have been structured a little better so that the gameplay itself wasn’t so frustrating? Probably. I know almost nothing about game design so that’s not really my call. But does the chapter, for all its frustration and anger-inducing inversion of pacing and tone, brutally get the point across?

Maybe it’s just my opinion, but I’d say yes. Yes it does. Because this video game was the one that fully 100% convinced me, in a way that no other video game had before, that the platform could tell heart wrenching stories, could give me characters I would care for, cry over, rage on the behalf of.

And a big part of that clicked for me at the ending, but it likely wouldn’t have if I hadn’t first struggled my way through chapter 13 and all the emotions it causes and represents just like Noctis did.

...

There. I’m done. Thanks for reading my long-suppressed rant on the most hated chapter of FFXV.

[pluto-art]

Syncytium - Chapter 1

Title: Syncytium Words: 3,311 Rating: T Summary: Teacher AU. Takes place in a fictional universe in which Professor Ronald Pinkus and Dr. Brian T. Globetrotter (played by Pinky and Brain, respectively) are college professors at an esteemed school for mice that focuses on science and the arts. Mainly told from Brain's point of view; sometimes from Pinky's. He's too egotistical for his own good. Pinky is too happy-go-lucky for his own good. The two clash. High jinks ensue. Dr. Globetrotter gets more than he bargained for. Way more than he bargained for...

Fan fiction link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13712482/1/Syncytium

This was 100% inspired by the drawings I did of Brain and Pinky as professors. It’s planned to be a multi-chapter story, and I already have the major points of the entire story outlined. Here be chapter one. Enjoy.

Syncytium - n. a single cell or cytoplasmic mass containing several nuclei, formed by fusion of cells or by division of nuclei.

\/\/\/\/\/\/

January 17, 1994 - 4:35 AM

Darkness.

All around them was dark, it's impenetrable cloak cut only by the crimson beat of the emergency lights.

No one could see them. No one could hear them. No one even knew they were there. But if they could see them, by way of those steady emergency flashes, they'd make out an aging mouse struggling to carry his blue-eyed comrade to safety, light reflecting off his broken glasses. And if they could hear them, all they'd pick up, aside from a distant alarm, would be a heavy, breathless panting.

Brian paused in his efforts to set down the taller, much lankier mouse on the concrete below, an arm coming 'round to support his friend's head. Heavy lids threatened to close their curtains on a pair of periwinkle eyes, their owner barely managing to stay awake.

"Pinky... Pinky, wake up!"

Nothing.

"Pinky!"

He tapped his cheek sharply.

Slowly, surely, the other mouse awakened.

"Brain...?"

"Yes, Pinky. I'm here. I'm here."

"Brain...," Pinky whispered, a paw coming up to grasp his arm tightly before his head fell back into Brain's palm.

"It's all right," cooed Brian. "It's all right, Pinky. I've got you. Shhh. Shhh. I've got you. Shhhhhh shhh shhh shhh..."

\/\/\/\/\/\/

September 10th, 1993 - 7:30 AM

Darkness.

"Sh sh sh! Quiet! Everyone calm down! Quiet!"

A pencil sharpened. A ruler placed just so on a dated, mahogany table. Half-moon violet glasses were pushed square up against a pair of pink, deadpan eyes by a delicate, nail-bitten finger.

"Good evening, class," droned Dr. Brian T. Globetrotter. "Today we shall be delving into the fascinating subject of cellular mitosis..."

Sunlight, warm and bright and quite the opposite of the teacher it poured the morning's blessing onto, shone through the dark, wooden blinds of the university classroom, the better to illuminate the scene. Rows and rows of mahogany benches, arranged in a stadium format, and each with a polished table set in front of it, could barely be seen thanks to the sheer number of students adorning every bit of space available. It wasn't cramped, per say, but it was filled. Not a seat was left, and not for reason of enthusiasm. The countenance of those in attendance told all: no one was here because they wanted to be, but because they needed to be. Required classes were always the least interesting, and the occasional passed note or whispered joke barely managed to keep the atmosphere animated, provided one was even able to communicate such messages without getting caught. It was common knowledge that this particular professor had no room for flippancy. Detentions were a standard affair. Not being spoken to or called upon was considered a kindness.

Said teacher continued his sunrise spiel, seemingly oblivious to the complete lack of interest permeating the room as he droned on and on about the fascinating life of the cell.

Fascinating, indeed. If he at all harbored any excitement about the subject his profile certainly failed to project it, his demure expression reflected on the faces of practically every student in the room. Only one outlier remained: a golden-furred girl mouse, glasses a little askew, cheek resting against her paw as she sighed dreamily. An equally amber-tinted mouse beside her rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"The intricacies of such a seemingly primitive topic are much more complex and absorbing than might first be assumed, and although I don't expect any of you to give a Heterocephalus Glaber's crotch about an ounce of it, we are henceforth going to engage in the undoubtedly invaluable study regardless."

Somewhere in the back, a student scribbled "Heterocephalus Glaber's crotch" on a page of his journal labeled "The Globular List of Insults", sniggering to his freckled companion.

"Please turn your attention to page seventy-five of your textbooks. We will begin with the genesis of the process, in which a single cell divides into..."

But whatever that cell was going to divide into had to be put on hold, for at that moment the classroom door flung open to reveal a completely new fascination entirely.

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Judson!" blurted out the newcomer, one foot in the door and the other still sticking outside the classroom, a loaded box of paraphernalia nestled precariously in his arms. "I'll never forget this! I promise to pay you back with a whoooooole bouquet of flowers! Nya-ha-ha-ha!"

In he tumbled, paraphernalia and all, right onto Brian T. Globetrotter's desk, knocking an ink pen, two calculators, and his name sign off the table in the process.

"Whoops! Eheh. Sorry! I'll get that for you!" offered the mouse, hastening to clean up his mess, albeit rather haphazardly.

"Wha-... What are you doing here?! I am in the middle of a very important session!" growled Globetrotter.

"Oh, yes, and I'm sure it's a very lovely session, too! But... if you don't mind my asking...," and he got right up to the other's ear and whispered: "Isn't this, ummm, my room?"

"Wha-? Puh... It most certainly is not! This is my classroom and you're intruding!" Globetrotter spluttered, poking a finger into the newcomer's chest for greater emphasis.

Three rows up, a student typed furiously on his phone: New teacher about to get ROASTED by Mr. B.

"Well, how do you figure that one?" the other mouse questioned.

"Maybe you should read the fine print?!"

And with the starkest finality he could muster, he picked up his name sign and slammed it down in front of the other mouse, turning it so that the name BRIAN T. GLOBETROTTER on the front flashed out proud as anything. The new teacher didn't seem at all perturbed by such harsh behavior. Indeed, he put his face right up to the sign, tipped down his own pair of half-moon glasses, and carefully read each word, muttering them to himself softly.

"Oh! Well, that's different then, isn't it?" he declared, straightening up to smile brightly at his fellow colleague. "But, umm, you might want to change the name there, don't you think? I mean, it says "globe trotter", but I don't see you trotting around any globes. No. Not at all. More like globe sitter. Ha-ha-ha!"

Globetrotter stared at the newcomer, mouth agape. It was all he could do at the moment, taken aback by the sheer audacity of this... figure and the pure chaos he had caused. Half the room was already in hysterics, for his buck-toothed make and slight slur, coupled with a lightly pronounced Cockney accent, made his proclamation of "sitter" sound like a different word entirely.

Everything about this mouse was... off. Compared to Globetrotter he was exceptionally tall and lanky, all the more exacerbated by the fact that Brian was quite a short mouse to begin with; he had to crane his neck to look up at him. His laugh was prominent, and his eyes were an astonishing robin's egg blue. Never in his lifetime had Globetrotter ever seen a mouse with eyes that color; he hazarded to guess they were contacts. He wore a lab coat, but only out of necessity, it seemed, for it clashed with the rest of his outfit: a pink polo-style shirt with some band's logo slapped on the front, striped corduroy pants that sported every color of the rainbow, and what looked to be black and white bowling shoes. It was as if a Goofy cartoon had vomited all over him. The heavy cardboard box he'd unceremoniously deposited on Globetrotter's table seemed to carry all assortment of bits and bobs - a globe, several petri dishes, a bag of chips, a baseball cap, some notepads and pens, a small keyboard, a roll of Gouda, some tape, a framed photograph, a book on Regis Philbin, two VHS tapes of The Honeymooners, and not one... but three Bunsen Burners, as if he had packed them in a feeble attempt to complete the look of someone who was supposedly intelligent. Every eye in the room had turned towards him as he entered, and every eye had stayed on him since. Golden-haired girl had actually dropped her pencil, grabbed her brother by the shirt sleeve, and clutched at her heart, a light whisper of, "Oh my gosh, he's hot...," fluttering past her lips. Her brother facepalmed. To complete the effect, he carried under his arm a pad hosting a number of rather childish stickers, which Globetrotter grabbed from him.

"Shut up!" he snapped at his students, who were still chuckling. They all quieted down at once. "Dr. Ronald Pinkus, Professor of Trozology," Globetrotter read aloud, disgust painting every syllable. "What in the bloody hell is 'Trozology'?"

"Oh, well, it's very simple, really. It's-," Ronald began, but at that moment, a wee mouse popped in, her eyes nearly covered by a pudgy blue tam o' shanter.

"Excuse me? Mr. Pinkus?" she squeaked, thick Scottish accent nearly muffled by the gray scarf swathed about her.

"Please, call me Pinky!" Ronald squeaked back.

The girl smiled and giggled.

"Pinky. Mrs. Judson told me to tell you that you're actually in two ten, not three nineteen."

"Hm? Ohhhhhh!" the one named Pinky exclaimed, peeking at the front of Globetrotter's classroom door. A giant number '319' was painted on its front. "That does explain things, doesn't it?"

"Yes. Now, would you kindly disencumber my desk and plant your quixotic accoutrements elsewhere?" Globetrotter fronted, already pushing Pinky's possessions towards him, and would have thrust it clear off the desk had it not been for Pinky's quick reflexes. He grabbed his loaded box, that ridiculous grin still plastered on his face.

"Thank you, Mr. Brain! And thank you, Ms... errrr...?"

"Flaversham. Olivia Flaversham," piped the girl, beaming from head to toe.

"Thank you, Olivia!"

And he waved at her, as best he could anyway, nearly losing the box as Olivia waved back and skipped off. Shifting his grip so as to take better hold of his possessions, Pinky turned to Globetrotter, panting a little.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for barging in on your class, Mr. Brain. It won't happen again!"

"It's Brian. And see to it that you don't," retorted Globetrotter, flicking stray dust off his precious desk. "You may leave at your earliest convenience, which I hope will be immediately."

"Right-o, Brain!" Pinky saluted, and with that... he trotted off, slipping a little under the weight of the box, and doing his best to close the door behind him with his long, pink tail.

For five whole seconds Globetrotter stared at the closed door, as if attempting to retrieve what little bearings he had left. Despite the poisonous nature of their teacher, many of the students couldn't help but exchange excited mutters, babbling in haste about what had just transpired. Already, Globetrotter, with his exceptional hearing, could catch such questions as, "Did you see how many burners he had?", "Do you think he's single?", and, worst of all, "Is his class full?".

In a rare move, no one was punished for such comments. If anything, for the rest of the class, Globetrotter aimed to be a bit more... amiable than usual, which only fueled the chatter. The session was a long one - three hours, to be exact - and it was with great relief that the bell rang, for if there was anything more "exciting" than cellular mitosis, it was gossip.

"Homework is due on the twenty-first. I want a count of three-thousand words at least and no exceptions!" Globetrotter rattled as the entire class practically flew out of the room in a flurry.

Many paired up with friends; some hitched up their bags and backpacks, running in haste to their next class. Three of the girls, two mice and a shrew, banded together, all a-flutter.

"Oh. My gosh. Did you see that guy? Ugh. My heart is still beating a mile a minute," one of them crooned. It was the golden-furred gal, whiskers shining as she licked her fingers and smoothed them out one-by-one.

"Gosh, Maisy, you're so superficial. One minute it's Globetrotter. Now it's this Pinky guy," mused a mouse to her left, a pair of goggles resting atop her blonde hair. "You need to pick a side."

"I am! I'm picking the cuter of the two," Maisy stated, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"He looked like Pee-wee Herman walked into Dexter's Lab or something..."

"Dexter's Lab is more fun," voiced Tillie the shrew, who adjusted the tightness of the little cloth draped over her head. "What did Globetrotter mean by giving us only five pages of homework? Usually it's at least ten..."

"I have a theory for that," said the goggle-adorned mouse, biting her fingernails.

"Would you stop doing that?" Maisy bit, slapping at the other mouse's wrist playfully. "It's so gross."

"What? They get gnarly. You know I don't wear gloves when I work."

"You should."

Goggle-mouse sighed.

"Anyway, you wanna hear my theory?"

"I do," piped the shrew.

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead," droned Maisy, not at all enthused.

"Okay. So... my theory is that he's jealous. He doesn't want this Pinky guy to suddenly snatch up all his students, so he's trying to be extra nice to us to get us to stay."

Maisy snorted at this.

"As if we could leave. It's a required class."

"Yeah, but we could always drop it and take it next semester at a different time with a different teacher."

"But why would anybody go through the trouble of that?" said Tillie. "We'd all rather get it over with sooner than later."

"Exactly," "Goggles" said as they turned a corner, heading for the cafeteria. "Anyway, I'll see you guys later."

"Where are you going?" Maisy asked.

"It's Wednesday. I have Engineering on Wednesdays. Duh. Bye, guys!"

And off she went.

"Bye, Gadget!" Maisy waved, then said, under her breath, "She's so weird."

"Yeah, but we love her," Tillie said.

"Yeah, I know," smiled Maisy, as they walked into the cafeteria together.

Running past them went little tammie-headed girl. She practically flew past the throng of students milling in and trudging down the hallways, deftly weaving in and out of them like a snake in the grass. It was a wonder she didn't bump into anyone even once.

Down the maze of hallways she flew, finally stopping at a dividing lane to peer down a path at a familiar figure.

"Mr. Pinky!" she called out, desperately trying to catch her breath as she sprinted up to him.

Pinky smiled down at her, one paw resting on a handle on a door labeled 'Professor Ronald Pinkus, PhD Trozology, 210", his other arm still balancing the heavy box.

"I forgot to give you this!" Olivia panted, stretching out a sweaty hand to proffer him a little white note.

He took it, not without some difficulty, and tucked it into his box.

"Thank you, Olivia! Here..."

And he extracted from the box the bag of chips and handed it to her. She took it, puzzled.

"Tuppence for your trouble," he said, winking at her.

"Thank you, Sir! Good-bye!" Olivia waved, practically glowing as she ran back down the hallway, ripping open the bag and popping a chip in her mouth in the process.

Grinning sweetly, Dr. Ronald Pinkus opened the door and stepped inside.

It was dark, and it took a moment for him to find the light. When he finally flipped a switch, it revealed to him his new abode. It wasn't the most spacious area. In fact, as compared to Dr. Brain's (or... was it Brian's?) classroom this one was visibly a tad more... cramped. Only twenty seats lay stacked in a corner, their blue paint a little chipped and their legs a mite bent. They looked more like middle-school chairs than the nicer seats found throughout most of the school. The light was dim - perhaps a little too much so. He'd need to fix that. There was a fairly solid-looking desk, at least, as well as a small waste bin, some pencils, a large chalkboard behind the desk, and one of those roll-around televisions in another corner. By all accounts, this room was trash as compared to the rest of the university, but where anyone else would have turned their nose up at it... Pinky beamed.

Setting his box down upon the desk, he hung his lab attire up on a nearby coat hanger and inhaled, breathing in the smell of old glue, old chalk, and a very slight tinge of old bubblegum. The glue smell tickled his nose and he giggled. He rather liked that scent. It reminded him of something. Something sweet...

Quietly, he relieved the poor box of its contents, placing everything in the best places he figured they should go, and set the empty box down in a corner.

"There you go, old box. Sorry for all the trouble!" he apologized. The box said nothing.

He turned back to his desk, smiling at a job well done. The three Bunsen Burners stood proudly on one corner of the desk, looking very professional indeed. The notepads and pens looked quite nice on the desk, along with the roll of tape, and there was even a little shelf under the roll-away tv that he was able to put his Honeymooners tapes on! It was perfect. Well, almost.

From his lab coat, he pulled out a handkerchief, which he carried with him to an empty bathroom across the hall. Wetting it and wringing it out, he stepped back into his classroom, shut the door behind him, and carefully, gently, wiped down the picture frame, a smile kissing his lips as he did so. Four little figures beamed up at him: two older mice, himself as a child, and, curiously, a spool of thread, which he was hugging in the photo. Having cleaned the little glass and frame, Pinky brought it up to his face... and kissed it... before setting it back down on his desk, right there in front, where he could always look at it.

There was only one thing left to attend to: the note that Olivia had given him. He picked it up from the desk, unfolded it, and read:

Mr. Pinky,

My sincere apologies for directing you to the wrong classroom. I hope that old bat didn't give you too much trouble. Please, alert me if you need anything.

- Mrs. Judson

Pinky grinned, chuckling a little as he set the note back down on the table and stepped out from behind the desk.

He sighed happily and looked around the room, gaze glistening.

"I made it, Mum. I made it."

[thethousandyearwitch]

The Show Must Go On! - A Youtuber AU you didn’t want and didn’t need

Hisoka Morrow, italian Makeup Youtuber, enjoys his life in the comfort and occasional drama of his profession. But nothing brings more drama into his life than the eldest son of the Zoldyck fashion magazine empire.

Meanwhile, aspiring australian Twitch Streamer Gon Freecs forms a special bond to a Speedrunner commonly going by "Kil".

Chapter 2

FF.net link - AO3 link

Gon Freecs had started his twitch account mostly for fun. After he had saved enough of his money from summer jobs to afford a computer for himself, the young boy had discovered the vast world of video games, diving headfirst into whatever flash games or free steam games he could (Until Mito caved and gave him some redeemable online gift cards as a present). Pretty quickly he started making connections over some of those games, getting invited to discord groupchats, and developing friendships with people he’d frequently play with.

One Day, his friend Leorio, a medical student from France who Gon had met through one of those groupchats, asked if he wanted to join his Sunday Stream. He explained that they’d just team up for a couple of rounds of Fortnite, and Gon could leave whenever he wanted to if he ended up not liking the Twitch experience. Leorio did not admit to the fact that he only asked Gon because his usual partner bailed due to a bad hangover, and he himself was too hungover to manage a stream by himself. This resulted in a lively evening filled with banter, excited yelling, and only minor technical difficulties considering Gons location further out in the country. Leorio ended the stream, thanking his viewers, signing off, but he stayed on call with Gon.

“Thanks so much for jumping in today, I owe you!” His French accent wasn’t too thick, but it still curled around his words.  

“Its no problem! It was actually pretty fun, so if you ever need another stream-pal...” The young boy trailed off as he started to feel faint traces of sleepiness creeping up on him. His computer screen was the only light on in the room, and it wasn’t exactly gentle on his eyes.

“About that actually; Have you thought about trying to stream for yourself?”

“Huh?” Gon could hear the tell-tale creaking of Leorios chair as he reclined back. “I mean, you’ve definitely got the energy for it, you’re not half bad at playing video games; Though that’s not really a requirement...Point is, I think you’d have fun with it.” Gon let the thought of it roll around his mind like a marble. He did have a lot of fun livestreaming this once, and there wasn’t anything that exactly spoke against it, except maybe that his sleep schedule could suffer under it. But that may as well be expected of a boy his age.

“Do you think people would really come to watch me play video games?” He finally asked, voice lined more with curiosity rather than insecurity. “Are you kidding? My chat loved you! Everyone loves a cute kid whose always one victory royale away from changing his legal name into his gamer tag and develop an addiction to monster energy.” Gon giggled in reply, “I’m not even allowed to drink those.” “Thank God you aren’t, if you had any more energy than you already have, you’d probably explode on the spot. Those things are loaded with junk anyways.” Gon decided not to bring up the infamous Redbull-pyramid that always lingered in the corner of Leorios videos. He could always use that another time if Leorio tried to lecture him about healthy living habits.

“Well, I guess I could try it out this week…But I think I’d need a guide to help me set the whole thing up…” Gon grinned to himself, hearing the familiar creaking again as Leorio sat up straight on the other end.

“I mean, I did say I owe you, and who would I be to leave a kid struggling with modern technology. And since my chat seemed to love you, I may even host your first stream, get you some exposure, y’know?” Mission success, Gon fed into Leorios ego and ensured that he wouldn’t have to struggle with stream setup by himself. He was quite thankful for the older mans (by stretch of that word) help and friendship, almost like an older brother, switching between caring protectiveness and friendly torment.

“Now, isn’t it time for you to get some shut-eye?” Busted. Gon glanced at the clock in the corner of his screen, 12:13 am. They said their Goodbyes, and the young boy settled into bed almost as quickly as he fell asleep.

The coming week, as promised, Leorio had helped Gon figure out his stream setup, settling for his channel name ‘Foxbeargaming’. With each passing day and conversation about the topic, Gon felt the static inside him build up, excitement and anticipation mixing in his bloodstream, until that long-awaited Friday.

And it was worth that wait. Gon spend a good 3 hours that day streaming Fortnite, at first in Teams with Leorio and his usual stream-pal Zepile, and later a few single matches. He hadn’t even realized how easy it came to him to interact with chat, leisurely talking about what came to mind, joking about events in the game, and just basking in this new way of releasing his bubbly energy. Leorio had warned him that he may feel exhausted after the first stream, but that’s not at all what the young boy experienced; After turning everything off, he was still beaming with joy. When he nestled into bed, he curled to his side, trying to repress his smile, though it would still take a good hour before he had calmed down enough to drift to sleep.

That joy he had experienced was enough to drive him to continue to stream at least once every 5 days, not consistent enough to build a schedule, but often enough to slowly gather a fanbase, loyal viewers who started tuning in whenever he announced a stream. It took a couple of months before people started posting his stream highlights to YouTube, and after that only a few weeks before someone offered to do official edits for him, on his own YouTube channel. A YouTube channel ended up drawing even more attention to him, people in Twitch-chat mentioning they found him through compilations and highlights.

Of the people whose attention was caught by the bright faced boy, one appeared for the first time in chat while he was streaming Super Mario 64, a palate cleanser from his usual Fortnite streams. The first message had been inconspicuous enough, provoking, but not too much out of the ordinary.

“KilCat666: try a BLJ lol”  

This however prompted Gon's entire chat to egg him on to try various speedrun tactics, until the rest of the stream was spent attempting (and failing) a “Lobby Backwards Long Jump”. Gon took it well and promised chat that if they wanted to he’d try to practice again on the next stream, asking for tips in his Discord chat. Speedrunning wasn’t really his way of playing games, he was too impatient and would rather experience the game as intended, but it shook things up, and was a surprisingly great way to regain focus after playing a different game for too long. Soon enough, the Server started bubbling with tutorials, tips, and heated discussions about optimal routes. Gon read through the chat, enjoying how everyone seemed to get into the topic, while also mourning his dwindling attention span as more and more messages came in. With the overflow of information, his brain felt like it was thrown into a deep fryer (Though maybe he was just hungry). Defeated, he dropped his head on his desk. Maybe he bit off more than he could chew. How was he supposed to take all this information in and actually learn it in time for the next stream? This was worse than school. Maybe he should ju-

Bloop.

Gon raised his head from his desk, greeted by a new private message. It wasn’t anyone from his friends-list, but that wasn’t too unusual, a lot of people from his Server would DM him, and he didn’t mind talking with anyone who had something to say to him.

“Kil: Yo.”

“Kil: do you need like help with SM64 lol”

The young boy adjusted his tired eyes to the screen, trying to find recognition into the profile picture of a white cat, but not finding it.

“GON: Hi!! :^D I’m taking tips right now if you have any!”

“Kil: your inputs were really sloppy lol”

Ouch, though true.

“Kil: but you’ve got morale at least”

“Kil: I made a short guide on my channel, if u wanna check it out?”

Attached to the last message was a link to a YouTube video, and just as announced, it was a eight minute tutorial on “LBLJ”, with text overlay explaining the various steps. What stood out more to Gon however, was the view and subscriber count to the Channel ‘Kilcat666’. After scrolling through the channel a bit more, and following another link to an adjacent Twitch channel with the same name, it dawned on him; This guy was a pro.

“GON: WOW :^O you are really good at this!!!!”

For a while, Gon thought that’s it. He browsed through a couple more of this kid’s videos. He was usually just referred to as ‘Kil’ or in rare instances ‘Killu’, and there wasn’t much on him as a person, just a short bio: “Kil, 14, him/his, Yorkshire area. SM64 0 Star contender.”. His streams of attempting to break the World record for any given game got a reasonable amount of viewers, with a steady fanbase that would spam inside jokes and cat emojis in chat. And in no single video did he ever show his face, or even speak. The only real communication he seemed to do with his audience was the occasional answer in chat, or text-overlays in his YouTube videos. Gon thought about how he was a little honoured to have another well known streamer actually give him advice and watch his stuff, though obviously it seemed that Kil wasn’t interested in keeping more in conta-

Bloop.

“Kil: Thanks uh, if you’d want to, we could like make a deal?”

“GON: What kind of deal? :^O”

“Kil: I could show you some tricks for casual speedrunning”

“Kil: And maybe if you want to you could show me how to get better at fortnite lol”

Gon was beaming. He wasn’t sure why, but he was grinning from ear to ear, and it didn’t even register to himself that he was already typing up a response until he hit the enter button.

“GON: Sure!!!!!! :^D!!!! Have you ever played before? We can team up with a friend of mine for the first couple rounds!”

  Killua was never a child with many friends. Or any friends. Growing up sheltered by his family, with the mindset of one day inheriting a multimillion-dollar company, it was taught to him that acquaintances were convenient, friends were distractions.

When he got pulled out of school and put into home-schooling, it was because his friends at school were distractions.

When he snuck out to play with other kids in the country, he was placed on supervised house arrest, because he had been too distracted.

When he noticed his brother appearing in some weirdos YouTube video, he had to be told “That man is not my friend, he is a work associate.”

And like a drop of water can gradually tear through stone, the constant echoing of this rule tore through Killuas head. He still didn’t want to overtake the family legacy, but he knew better than to endanger others with his efforts of finding friendship. Instead, he decided to find solitary distractions, and found those in video games he first borrowed (or rather, took without being noticed) from his older brother. Gradually, he got more and more invested in video games, how they work, and the cultures surrounding them. That is how he found out about Speedrunning and streaming. Speedrunning was fascinating to the young boy. The effort to clear a game as fast as possible, faster than anyone else, past all supposed limitations a game would present casual players with. Specific tricks would look messy and incoherent to untrained eyes, but the hidden inputs were mechanical and exact. This is a distraction worth investing in.

At first, he didn’t care much about streaming or even recording his attempts. However, as he was slowly approaching Regional and World Records, there was hardly a way around it if he wanted to get verified records published. So, he started a Twitch Account, opting to go for his shortened name “Kil”, a half-assed attempt at keeping his family off of his tail. And as his collection of Top-3 Records grew, so did his audience when he was streaming attempts. When he got used enough to a game, he learned how to read chat while playing, even occasionally taking the time to answer questions, followed by a wave of excited cat emotes.

These are not friends, they are fans.

If he could continue to justify this, keep these people at a distance from him, it would be fine. Minimal interaction. No attachment. Easy enough.

It should have been easy enough.

But when he went through active play sessions of Super Mario 64 on Twitch, and he chose to tune into the first stream that popped up, it stopped being easy. It stopped being easy when he found himself laughing along with the cheery voice of the young streamer.

He wasn’t sure what he expected when he sent that first discord message. A small part of him hoped that this Gon kid wouldn’t reply. That way he could have just written him off as some vain lowtier streamer who isn’t worth Killuas time.

But of course he replied. And of course he would reply so kindly despite being contacted by a random stranger. Killua could feel something pull in his chest writing back and forth with Gon. This was just friendly- no. This was normal banter between two streamers who were exchanging helpful information. Two young, up-and-coming professionals in video game streaming, who can communicate like professionals.

Like work associates.

Work associates help each other out. They make deals. So, it would be okay if Killua would make a deal with Gon. Maybe get to know him in the progress, just a little, just enough to get a sense of his personality.

The pull in Killuas chest subsided when Gon agreed to his deal. But it would come back the first time they were on a call together, the first time Killua let someone else online hear his voice, hushed through a shitty in-ear cable headset, careful that he wouldn’t draw attention if someone were to walk past his room. And it subsided again when he heard Gon laugh at every bad joke he’d tell, loosened even more when he let himself laugh with him. Gon would try his best to follow any instructions he’d been given to learn speedrun strategies, and in turn Killua would let himself be guided through fortnite battles and aim-lessons. They worked well together, as if they had known each other for years, falling into a natural rhythm of jokes and casual conversation. This rhythm would continue for weeks, always coordinating when to call, taking turns with the games they would play.

Slowly, they started branching out to more games to play with each other. Slowly, Gon introduced Killua to his friends. Slowly, Killua got used to speaking on stream, just so Gon and he could guest-star on each other’s streams.

Through this gradual process, Killua felt like he was trapped in a pot of water, and the heat was being turned up just slow enough that he wouldn’t notice until its too late. Until the pull in his chest would threaten to tear him apart.

And then it did, as his mother raised her voice at the breakfast table, “You’ve been spending an awful lot of time on your Computer, Killua.”

“So is Milluki.” He tried to keep his voice unwavering, desperately trying to keep all of these gathered secrets behind it.

“We are just concerned of what you are doing on there; The internet has a lot of dangerous sides..” Kikyo Zoldyck was awfully good at turning her voice into a wail at any given time. Killua could feel his phone in his pocket vibrate from what he was sure was a message from Gon.

“..Maybe we should put some restriction on your use of it. Before it can start distracting you.”

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book One: Death (Noctis x Reader) Chapter Two

A/n:

⚠️MENTIONS OF SUICIDE⚠️

If this is a sensitive subject, do not read! I also wanna say that I am not trying to push my beliefs onto anyone with what I typed up in this chapter! Besides that, I hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!! ••••••••••••••••••••

Exiting the tomb with their new companion, the boys found themselves enveloped in darkness. The moon loomed overhead, casting an eerie glow upon them as they halted in their tracks at the sound of a familiar wail. Noctis summoned his engine blade, but (Y/n) placed her hand on his and forced him to lower his weapon. "No need for that."

Curious, the prince dispelled his blade as the Iron Giant walked towards them while dragging its heavy blade across the ground. Gladio was the only one who wasn't going to risk the daemon from trapping them. "You're out of your damn mind if you think it'll just ignore us."

The (e/c)-eyed girl smirked at the shield. "Trust me. It will." She crossed her arms and directed her gaze to the incoming daemon. The Iron Giant took a few more steps before it froze in its tracks, shocking everyone except Death. When (Y/n) took a step forward, the daemon backed away as if it were frightened by her presence. She turned and faced the boys with an innocent but frightening smile. "Where to, gentlemen?"

"Are we seriously not gonna discuss what just happened?!" Prompto wailed, pointing to the retreating Iron Giant.

"We can chat while we walk."

Noctis led the way to the Regalia as (Y/n) walked beside him. As they waltzed to the car, every daemon that set their sights on them immediately turned away and kept their distance. The raven-haired boy glanced at the shorter girl next to him. "What's going on here?"

"The daemons that plague your world fear the presence of those from the Inner Sanctum. They even avoid the monsters from my domain. No daemons will attack as long as I'm around," (Y/n) explained, sparing a glance towards the prince.

"Talk about a much needed break from daemon attacks," the boy sighed contently at the revelation.

Prompto sauntered over and walked beside (Y/n) when he heard about why daemons weren't attacking them. "I'll say! Now we don't have to worry about daemons as long as (Y/n)'s around!"

"Indeed. Quite an intriguing revelation," Ignis commented.

"So much for the extra training," Gladio scoffed, but he didn't mind one bit if it would keep them safe from random encounters at night.

Once they reached the car, (Y/n) slid in the backseat and into the middle with Noctis and Gladio on either side. Even though she was smaller than both boys, it was still cramped. "Y'know, I do have a steed and could simply follow from behind."

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it. It's easier if we all ride together," Noctis explained.

"Even though I'm a complete stranger?" (Y/n) raised a brow, glancing at the boy to her left.

"I seriously doubt you're gonna stab us to death in the car," he chuckled with a small smile.

"Like I would stab the next King of Lucis."

"How much do you know?"

(Y/n) nodded sadly, her (e/c) eyes casted downward. "I know about the Crown City. I heard of the fall a few days after the incident. I'm sorry for your lost. Regis was an honorable King and father."

The boy didn't respond as Ignis started the engine and drove away from the abandoned tomb. His thoughts immediately went to the memories of his father and narrowed his eyes, feeling the same pain as the day he lost him. (Y/n) saw the expression on Noctis' face and bit her bottom lip. She felt remorse for what she said, but she knew her apology would only be met with silence. She leaned back in her seat, watching the stars above as the car sped down the road.

<-----<<<<<<

Once the five arrived at Wiz Chocobo Post, they rented the caravan and entered the small, temporary abode. When Noctis realized (Y/n) didn't follow them inside, he exited the warmth of the caravan and searched for the girl. "(Y/n)?" Looking around, he called her name gently. Receiving no response, the raven-haired boy walked around the outpost until he spotted Death by a Chocobo pen. The luminosity of the lamps above casted down, bouncing off (Y/n)'s sable locks.

Taking a closer look, Noctis saw she was petting a Chocobo that was nuzzling its cheek against hers. A smile graced her features as she stroked the bird's yellow plumage. He was surprised to see the Chocobo wasn't frightened as the daemons were of her presence. Noctis walked over to (Y/n) and called out to her. "What're you doin' out here?"

"I don't think the caravan is big enough for five people," Death said, not tearing her eyes off the Chocobo and continuing to thread her fingers through its feathers. The bird chirped softly as it closed its eyes and leaned further into (Y/n)'s touch.

Noctis leaned against the vacant pen beside the occupied one, crossing his arms as he admired the sight before him. "There's plenty of space for a fifth person." The young boy couldn't help but wonder as to why Death didn't scare the Chocobo.

(Y/n) saw the look in Noctis' sapphire eyes. She giggled lightly and knew the question that was buzzing through his head. "I may be "Death", but I do cherish life. I only scare those who are a threat to the living. Morosely, the monsters from the Inner Sanctum have built a tolerance of the Horsemen's auras and no longer fear me or my sisters."

"These "Wendigos"... what do they look like?" Ever since hearing the strange creatures' name from (Y/n), Noctis tried to imagine what they looked like. Unfortunately, he couldn't picture them no matter how hard he tried.

"They're monsters with gleaming red eyes, antlers, and decaying bodies. You'd smell them before seeing them. It's a horrid odor that makes your eyes water."

Noctis imagined a rather tall and lanky figure with antlers but refused to conjure what the scent smelt like. It was a creepy image and he quickly pushed it aside. "Really don't wanna stumble upon them."

"I want the opposite. That way, your people will be safe. If we do encounter them, I will fight alone."

Noctis' eyes widened a fraction at (Y/n)'s words. "You can't be serious. You really think we're gonna let you face those things on your own?"

Death released her hold on the Chocobo and clasped her hands together. "Yes, I do." Hearing her monotone response, Noctis couldn't rebuttal. He scratched the back of his neck, pulling his azure gaze away from her (e/c) one.

The cold air whipped around the two as silence filled the space between them. A few black strands fell in front of (Y/n)'s face as the wind picked up. A shiver shot down Noctis' spine, causing goosebumps to sprout on his arms. "Damn, it's cold out here." He rubbed his arms, creating friction and hoping the small amount of warmth would ward off the cold. Taking note of (Y/n)'s appearance, he saw she was fine. "Aren't you cold?"

The Horseman placed a hand over her heart. "Who? Me? I'm Death. I'm as cold as anyone could get. This chilly weather doesn't bother me one bit."

Reaching out towards her, Noctis placed a hand on her naked shoulder. He had touched her earlier, but he wasn't paying attention to the temperature or feel of her skin. When his hand made contact with her skin, it was cold to the touch. "Damn, you're freezing."

Death snickered as she messed with a strand of her hair. "Surprised you didn't notice when you poked me earlier." (Y/n) poked Noctis' cheek, who didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah, well, I had something else in mind," he said.

(Y/n) stopped poking the prince's cheek and smiled. "Let's go inside. You'll catch a cold if we stay out here too long." Noctis nodded and followed a few paces behind Death as they headed to the caravan.

Inside the small abode, Prompto was sprawled out across the sofa playing on his phone and Ignis was sitting at the table. Gladio was laying down on the bed, reading a book while Noctis and (Y/n) decided to sit across from the tactician. As they sat down, the Horseman placed her hand out with her palm upwards. In the blink of an eye, something appeared in her hand.

"What's that?" Noctis inquired.

"It's a summoning orb. My sisters and I usually keep them in the Inner Sanctum, but we brought them to Eos for safekeeping. While it does as the name states, it also enhances my powers in this world. It also will grant the holder to control Death. That is why I am giving it to you." (Y/n) places the orb in Noctis' hand, shocking the prince as he watched the strange object glow with a warm aura.

"You really trust me with this?" The boy examined the orb closely as he questioned the Horseman.

(Y/n) nodded, placing both her hands on the table and intertwining her fingers. "Yes. I believe it will be safe in your hands."

Before Noctis responded, a loud and obnoxious yawn escaped Prompto. The blonde adjusted his body and sighed. He spotted (Y/n) sitting beside Noctis and one question popped into mind. "Where's (Y/n) gonna sleep?"

"Oh," (Y/n) said. "Don't worry about me. I don't require sleep."

"Seriously?" The young boy gasped.

Death leaned back in her seat with a small nod. "There's no need for you to make space for me to sleep. I used to be human and I no longer require the same necessities."

"Wait, you said the Four Horsemen were souls pulled from the four corners of Hell. How'd you end up there?" Noctis asked.

"I did something unforgivable in the eyes of the Astrals, resulting in my soul being delivered to Aeshema. The Daemon King rules over Hell and I just happened to be one of the souls he chose to watch over the Inner Sanctum."

"What was so unforgivable that your soul was sent to to the Daemon King?" Gladio asked as he overheard the conversation.

(Y/n) inhaled deeply before exhaling with a heavy sigh. "I committed suicide when I was nineteen."

Noctis nearly dropped the sable orb at hearing the reason behind her soul being handed to Aeshema. Prompto gasped while Gladio's and Ignis' eyes widened in shock. No once could believe what they just heard and stared at (Y/n). The girl frowned, realizing how she dampened the mood. She quickly excused herself and left the caravan. Noctis went to follow her, but Ignis stopped him. "Leave her be, Noct."

The boy sat back down and slid the orb into his pocket. Prompto was now sitting up on the couch with his eyes glued to the door. His sapphire eyes were brimming with melancholy as he replayed (Y/n)'s word in his head. "What would lead her to suicide?"

Gladio closed his book and sat up on the edge of the bed. "Who knows? Just don't pry, alright?"

"Yes. Such an answer should not be coerced," Ignis added.

"Yeah, I know. But, (Y/n) seems kind and sweet. Maybe she'll tell us eventually," Prompto said with a light shrug.

Noctis nodded in agreement. "Like Specs said-we shouldn't force her to tell us the reason why."

"For now, we must rest." Ignis moves from the table to the bed, where he and Gladio would sleep for the night. Prompto and Noctis claimed the pull-out couch and grabbed a few blankets before heading to sleep. As the blonde snores lightly beside Noctis, the prince kept glancing towards the door. His mind was running through all that happened today and finally was able to fall asleep a few minutes after his head hit the pillow.

[midwinter-fox]

Heartache

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

So, a quick note because I wanna. I've gotten way more people following me and liking my stuff than I thought I would!! It seriously fills me with so many good feels, I cry a little inside with each notification I get. I've been having a rough time keeping up with writing thanks to Life, the Universe, and Everything (not the book, but still a great read) so I was wondering if it'd be too much to ask for some kind of review..? It can be in the form of an anonymous ask, or a comment, or even a private message. I'd really like some motivation to keep going, or I might end up burning out.. Anyway, y'all didn't come to hear me complain, but I might be encouraged to pump out more fic if I can get some kind words. c: My bitching and moaning aside, here is the next chapter!

It was late into the night - or perhaps it was very early the next morning - before the lovers laid in pleasurable bliss, content with the extent to which they'd explored each other. Leonore's head rested on her lover's chest while her fingers tenderly stroked the coarse hair beginning to sprout from his jaw. She allowed her thumb to brush across his lips every so often, and each time she did, he would press a light kiss to it. Though he thoroughly enjoyed their time together, Dettlaff couldn't help the feeling of remorse that began creeping up in him.

He was there to care for her, not rut into the next day.

Eventually the hand that gently pet him stopped moving, her breathing slowed, and her eyes fluttered closed. She was thoroughly spent, especially considering she'd only barely managed to keep up with her vampiric lover and his seemingly endless stamina. She fidgeted only once when he kissed the top of her head, but then snuggled into him as well as she could. The way she cuddled was like she was trying to almost completely consume him, but it pleased him to no end. Were her bed big enough to accommodate both of them, he'd have attempted to embrace her in kind.

This was perfect, he thought. She was perfect. She wasn't Rhena, but he wouldn't have her any other way. The never-ending praise, constant smiles, and perpetual kindness made his heart feel full again - he’d received some when he had Rhena, but never to this extent and never to the point where he almost had to convince her to stop lest she overwhelm him. Though, now that he thought about it, was Rhena's affection ever truly genuine? He'd never know, but he sorely wished she'd have just told him when she had the chance. It would save him the torturous thoughts that still plagued him two years after he killed her. Then again, he did bring this upon himself.

Alone to his thoughts now that Leonore slumbered peacefully atop him, he began to feel the ever familiar aching in his chest that brought the ill twisting in his gut. Hatred for Syanna and what she did to him began welling to the surface, but who he hated most was himself. He didn't know what he'd done to drive his lover away, but whatever it was, he only had himself to blame; it was only about time before that same fatal flaw forced his current beloved to flee him too, was it not? The beast inside him wanted to pace and snarl and lash out, but when he looked down at the mess of brunette hair and the woman it belonged to splayed across his chest, it resorted to sulking and fuming instead. He dared not wake her up with his often violent temper, but his intrusive thoughts persisted.

Why had Syanna used him? Why the betrayal? Why the heartbreak? Why him? If all she wanted was an assassin, she could've had one of her brutes do it or found one for hire. Instead, she took his heart and cruelly toyed with it until she had effectively turned it black. She knew he would go to the ends of the earth for her - and still would though she lay in a crypt - so why would she give him such hope and love only to discard him then come back years later to take advantage of him? Pain unlike any he'd felt before choked him, but still he remained quiet in his mental torture.

The smell of blood hit the air, but Dettlaff recognized it as his own. He'd dug his claws into his palm deeply and could feel the crimson liquid oozing out to drip onto the bedding. Just as quickly as the wound was made, it stitched itself back together. What he wouldn't give to feel a prolonged physical pain to counterbalance the emotional one. He could just as easily rip his own still-beating heart from his rib cage and crush it beneath his heel, but it would regenerate back in his chest where it belonged only moments later.

Unable to lie still any longer, he decided to use his vampiric abilities to his advantage. With a sigh, he let himself fade into his incorporeal form and slip from beneath his lover, allowing her to gently plop down onto the bed that was beneath them. She stirred only slightly, but quickly settled back into a restful sleep. Dettlaff, on the other hand, stood in the center of the room and gathered his clothing from the floor.

Now that he was up and about, he could survey all of the damage he'd done to her room. Feathers from her pillows were everywhere, including the clothing he now gathered. Her headboard was cracked and there were skid marks on the floor where the bed had been forcefully pushed to the side. Holes littered her bedding and now there was blood thanks to his hurting his own hand.

Despite the destruction, he did not regret a single thing they had done that night. In fact, that particular memory would be burned into his mind. He was especially proud of himself for having not harmed Leonore save for a potential hickey or two, but it was hard to resist when presented with such delectable thighs. It was a trial trying to refrain from claiming her like his instincts roared for him to do, but if memory served, that very well could've been what pushed Rhena away. He was too bestial, too monstrous to be considered a conventional lover. He loved like an animal - he knew that much to be true. This fact was the very reason why he tried so hard to show restraint, for he greatly feared that he would drive Leonore to leave him too. Should that happen, he knew not what he'd do.

After dusting as much downy feathers out of his clothes as he could, he put them back on. Buttons and buckles fastened, he sat on the edge of the bed to slip on his boots. The shifting of weight on the bed made Leonore stir, her eyes ever so faintly opening as she tried to fight wakefulness.

"Dettlaff..?"

"Hush, liefje. Sleep."

"Where're you goin'..?"

"I am going out for some air and to speak with Regis. I will return shortly."

"Please don't go.." The pitiful way she whimpered for him made him hesitate in his decision to step out, but he wanted to clear his head before he did something he'd regret.

"I promise to return," he said softly before kissing her forehead. She hummed in sleepy defiance. Then, he remembered what she had done for him when he'd woken from his nightmare and ran his claws through her matted hair. His fingertips gently rubbed at her scalp while he avoided scratching her with his nails, making her groan softly then close her eyes once more. Soon, she was fast asleep again, so he took the chance to finish putting on his boots and stand carefully from the bed so as not to wake her again.

With one last glance to make sure she still slept, he left.

---

Regis was tending to an ill patient when Dettlaff returned to his home, but they elected to simply ignore each other until the mortal was gone. It was simply how Dettlaff preferred it - it brought less attention to him when humans were around. It was odd that someone be there at this ungodly hour, but mortals were wont to demand services when it best suited them and them alone - something he learned the hard way. Since he was there for Regis, he went to his room to wait for the stranger to leave before speaking with his friend.

The room was as he left it when Leonore slept there last. Her scent still lingered in his sheets, so he opened the window to allow for some air. It wasn't that the smell was repelling for him, but it didn't make his internal pain hurt any less. He seated himself on the bed as he waited, but before he could begin his downward spiral into his own thoughts again, Regis stepped into the room.

"How did everything go? I didn't expect you to be gone as long as you were, so when the raven told me of bandits on the farmstead, I daresay I began imagining the worst. How is Leonore faring? Was she unharmed?"

"She is well. A few scrapes and bruises, but she recovered quickly in regards to her emotional and mental state."

"I take it you got there just in time then." Dettlaff nodded in response, so Regis continued. "She's home asleep? Did she at least get to eat the food you brought her?"

Ah.

Damn.

Dettlaff groaned and covered his face with a hand - he couldn't believe that in all that time with her, he still forgot to get her some sort of sustenance.

"I'll take that as a no."

"Her horse ate it."

"Well. That is.. unfortunate. Were you not so disinclined to lie, I'd say that is possibly the worst excuse I’ve ever heard. As is not the case, I sincerely hope the horse enjoyed it at the least."

"She seemed pleased."

"Leonore?"

"Lola."

"I'll assume that's the horse." There was a faint smile on Regis' face, but judging by the way Dettlaff still rested his face in his hands, there was clearly something bothering him. "Is everything alright, my friend?"

"No," Dettlaff sighed, but he didn't move so much as a fraction. Depression was weighing him down, making him feel heavier than even he could carry. "I needed air, so I left Leonore in her bed. I.. need to sort out my thoughts."

Concern now found its way into Regis' expression, and had he been wearing his satchel, he'd be clutching the strap. As such, his arms crossed as he leaned a shoulder against the door frame.

"What happened after the two of you left the farm? I'd like to know everything that transpired."

"It.. Mh.. I dispatched the bandits without difficulty. The farmer and his children sustained minor injuries, but I instructed them to find you if need be."

"I know that much. They came to see me earlier in the day, told me about how a dark stranger came and saved them without demanding so much as a thanks. When I informed them that you were a friend of mine, they all but threw themselves at my feet and begged me to thank you in their stead. I patched them up and sent them on their way, but not before the farmer saw fit to leave me a few extra coins for both my services and yours."

"I do not want it."

"I know, but they refused to take it with them, so I've set it aside for the time being. Now, what else happened? After the farm nearly being ransacked."

Dettlaff was slow to answer, almost as though he was nearly embarrassed to divulge such information - after all, it was his private life that Regis was prying into, and it was not how he'd intended for his day to go. Really, he'd have been happy to simply spend the next few hours in her arms again, but to have been in, on, and around her had been a pleasant alteration to his plans.

"I told her I love her. Then we returned to her home and laid together until less than an hour ago."

"It's about damned time. I'm assuming you two went back to her house to have sex then."

As loathe as he was to admit it aloud, Dettlaff nodded. He didn't regret their intimate night together, but he wished he hadn't been so rash. There was nothing tender about their mindless rutting; it was two years that he'd secluded himself, but he was so miserable in that entire time that he'd never really thought about his body's sexual needs. The pent up frustration had burst forth as soon as Leonore's lips touched his neck.

"I had a moment of weakness."

"That moment lasted for nearly ten hours, Dettlaff. Is she still intact?"

"Yes, and I did not take her nonstop for that entire time, Regis." He didn't mean to snap, but he felt bad as it is. Even to him though, his excuses sounded terrible - like a child coming up with reasons for naughty behavior. "We.. did other things within that time. Talked, held each other, slept."

"So sex and aftercare. Then more sex." To say Regis was amused was an understatement. He was having too much fun teasing his companion like this, for he was elated to know that his dearest friend finally found someone to fill the holes in his heart.

With a growl, Dettlaff stood and turned to face the window so he didn't have to face the other. The ruthless jesting grated on his already tender nerves, but Regis was the only one he could and would speak to about matters such as this. They'd both seen each other at their most vulnerable, and Regis had a wisdom that he valued deeply. Sensing only his companion's growing unease, the mirth left Regis promptly.

"I still find myself thinking of Rhen-" Dettlaff paused to correct himself, "Syanna, when I am left to my thoughts. Now I am.. unsure of whether I acted too rashly. I cannot deny my feelings for Leonore, but Syanna still holds pieces of my heart. I both long for what once was and hate her so strongly." He all but snarled, his fists clenching at his sides. Anger was rising in him again, and he was prepared to leap out the window and take out his fury anywhere that wasn't his friend's home.

A hand rested on his shoulder, squeezing to provide reassurance that he wasn't alone to deal with his worries and frustrations.

"It's not going to be overnight that you heal from such trials. You are perfectly justified in your feelings, though I do wish I could take that heartache from you and bear it myself. It pains me to see you suffering like this, especially when I once knew a time when you were almost happy. Please, Dettlaff, let me know should there be anything I can do to help you."

"I..." For a moment, Dettlaff was overcome with emotion. There was hurt, sadness, anger, hatred, and yet, he also felt the love and compassion of his beloved friend. Were he not also so empty inside, he might feel the faintest bit of the happiness he was once capable of. "I think I need to be alone."

They stood silent momentarily before Regis sighed and gave Dettlaff's shoulder another squeeze.

"So be it. What should I tell Leonore if she comes by?"

"I told her I would return to her, but should that not be the case, tell her I will be back soon. I simply need time to think.”

With that, he let himself fade, his body becoming nothing more than a fine mist. He needed to escape, and so he left for the Brokilon Forest where his kin resided.

---

With the dryads being a constant threat to any who entered the Brokilon, there were few who dared venture into its depths. After so many warning arrows, however, Dettlaff knew where their boundaries lay. His kin was permitted to cross it so long as they strayed from the dryads' settlements and did not disrupt the natural balance of the forest. As such, they were limited in how much they could hunt, but with how much game there was, he doubted that would ever become an issue.

When he entered the forest and the domain of his pack, he was greeted with enthusiasm. The juveniles he'd spoken fondly of were among the first to approach, the three lamb-sized young ekimma bounding up to him with excited chittering. It was hard not to smile when they brushed against him with their soft, downy bodies and demanded his attention with playful nips.

"I missed you, as well," he mumbled affectionately as he ran a hand through the fur of one. They weren't sentient like the higher varieties, but they were still intelligent in their own respects. They understood him just as he understood them, though they were incapable of speech.

After petting one, the other two grew jealous quickly and either tried shoving their sibling out of the way to receive attention or nudging his hand to demand he move on to them. This was what he'd sought when leaving to sort out his thoughts. There was something soothing about being around his own kind, surrounded by those who were not bothered by the trivialities of mankind nor the devastation it brought in its wake. They lived simplistically, and he wished he were not so complex a being so he too could live without worries or cares.

How could humans think such beings to be monsters? In all of his experience, he'd never known them to attack unless their territory is encroached upon, and even then it was in self defense. The stories in which his kind were depicted as hungry, vicious creatures with only the capacity to kill always filled him with dread. Were mortals not so ignorant, so close-minded, they would see that there is so much more to them. Never had he thought himself a monster before Syanna's betrayal, but what she made him do turned him into the very thing he swore not to be. Leonore was right, monsters killed without cause, and while he felt his reasons were justified at the time, they clearly were not once Syanna's plot was revealed. He killed innocent people, some of which had shown him selfless kindness, and he laid waste to them like a monster truly would.

It was a fitting name for him now, he supposed. Dettlaff truly could be a Beast if he wanted to be, and he made that blatantly clear when he ordered the attack on Beauclair. Guilt still wracked him, but he did what he could to make up for his misdeeds by caring for those of his flock that survived.

He shed his coat so he could avoid having it torn, but once set aside, he gave the young ekimma a playful growl, provoking them into a game. They pounced on him, and though he could easily throw them off, he allowed them to overpower him at times then knock them off easily and nip right back. It amused him to no end how they tried to dominate him, but it also gave him a chance to teach them how to use their claws and teeth to their best advantage. Rarely did they learn, but he took the time to both lead and play. It was better than taking his anger out violently on the environment, for he got plenty of exercise and was content to have the chance away from polite society.

Dettlaff spent the better part of the morning letting loose and allowing his feral nature take him where it may. He hunted and cavorted, wrestled and nurtured; he did what a leader should when in command of a flock of beings the world would otherwise deem horrifying and dangerous. By dawn, his body was coated in a sheen of sweat and his remaining clothing was tattered and torn. His overcoat remained intact at least, which was all he could ask for, really.

All too soon, he knew he had to return to civilization to at least make good on his promise to Leonore. She probably wouldn't even be awake by the time he got back, but he wanted to be there when she woke. He knew how it felt to wake to an empty bed when only a few hours prior someone had shared it with you.

---

Sleep evaded Leonore almost as soon as Dettlaff left. The warmth he had been sharing with her was gone, leaving her feeling cold and alone. Why had he left her..? Surely it wasn't something she'd done? Regardless of how much she tried to rationalize everything, her heart still ached. He was gone for only a few hours, but it felt much longer to her. Rather than try to reclaim lost sleep, she sat in bed and sighed in the dark.

Creaking brought her head up from where it rested on her knees, her body curled up and legs to her chest while she waited to see if he'd really return. Booted feet across the wooden floor, nearly silent, brought him into her room. Dawn peaked in through her window, allowing her to see his blue eyes despite the darkness. Without a word, she stood and went to him, her arms enveloping him just as his automatically did her.

"Why are you awake?" his deep voice rumbled through her, and for some reason she felt it sounded like he'd recently been crying. Yet, when she looked up and met his gaze, there wasn't any sign of tears.

"I waited for you. Something didn't feel right and I.. I waited for you to come back."

Heart clenching painfully, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I am fine. You need your rest."

"No, you're not. Don't take me for a fool, Dettlaff. I know when you're hurting."

Rather than give her an answer, he gently led her back to her bed. When he sat down, she crawled into his lap and hugged him close before he could even try to so much as remove his boots. Her tenderness was soothing to his worn heart, but now he had the growing suspicion that she was feeling his heartache. After all, he left her to wake alone, and though he'd expressed that he would return, it was hours before he came back. As such, his arms found their way around her again, but he had to grit his teeth against the rising lump in his throat.

"I apologize for having brought you concern. I needed to sort out my thoughts."

"And have they been sorted?" she asked, her head not rising from his shoulder.

"No." The admission almost broke his resolve, but he stayed strong. He had to - for her.

Her head rose from its resting place so she may press her forehead to his. The loving gesture was not one he felt he deserved, but he held her close despite his feelings.

"I'm here for you. No matter what happens, no matter what plagues you, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, no matter your weakness or sorrow. Please, do what you must to try to heal, but do not forget me. I wish to be your balm when your hurt still burns you so."

For but a brief moment, he was grateful she'd closed her eyes. He couldn't stand to let her see his silent tears. His face was buried into her shoulder, arms tightening almost painfully as he fought to stop the pathetic quivering in his chest. Tears spilled down her still naked skin, but she said nothing, did nothing besides hold him close.

"I love you, Leonore."

"Hush, love. I know, and I love you too."

[tarotdeckshuffle]

Four Suns: Chapter Three

Taglist: @idiotflowerex, @laststory1013, @sayaoqueen, @jophinabean, @mysme-already

If you like what you read, please consider supporting me on Patreon or buying me a Ko-fi!

Tags: SFW, Cuddles, actually getting scifi-y.

Word Count: 3,000

<==Previous Next⇒

Chapter Three: Afternoon Warmth

In the following days, you all continued to look for the Sword of the Father. You learned more about the sword, just so you had a better understanding of what you were after. Like the fact that the sword used to belong to Noct’s father, King Regis! Now, it held a small fragment of the king’s soul, giving the sword the ability to change its shape. It would be a tremendously powerful weapon, once Noctis found it.

The fact that it was missing royally perturbed the prince. He had always expected to have his father grant him the sword when he ascended to the throne, as had been Regis’s wish. Instead, Ardyn had murdered his father to take Lucis and banished the blade to the farthest reaches of space, knowing full well what he was doing. To Noctis, this sword was more than a weapon, it was one of the last pieces of his father.

You searched all the places you could think of, from coastal caves to the nearby forests. You even stopped in a costume shop or two, as per Prompto’s request. You at least agreed that it’d be logical to find the blade hidden amongst fakes.

The longer you spent together, the more perfect everything became. Gladio enjoyed sweeping you off of the ground first thing in the morning, waking you with giggles, before placing you back down where Ignis spooned today’s breakfast into your mouth for your approval. Then Prompto would be draped across your shoulders from behind, spinning you around to the waiting Noctis who would kiss your forehead good morning. They were a very...touchy group, you thought.

This particular morning, the routine was interrupted by your phone ringing. It was Cindy saying that your “science project” was working again! With a muried of hesitation, doubt, and curiosity, the five of you set out to see the Regalia.

Sitting outside Cindy’s shop you saw her: sleek, black, and glistening in the sunlight. “I got ‘er workin’ again! She should be good as new!” The men thanked her profusely, not believing their eyes.

You watched as the boys walked around the small ship. It truly did resemble a futuristic car.

“She looks just like new,” Prompto exclaimed, hugging the vehicle.

“Let’s test it out,” Noctis said with excitement.

You stood back, hoping your questions would be answered as you watched. And your patience was rewarded!

Noctis reached out to open what you considered the driver’s side door. Slipping into his seat, the door almost immediately closed. You looked on, shocked.

Ignis took the backseat of the drivers side and Gladio the back passenger side. Similar instances followed.

“Well, you coming,” Prompto asked, holding out a hand to you. You took it, not knowing what was happening.

“C’mere. You’ll have to sit on my lap. If that’s ok,” he hastily added. You smiled and nodded.

He opened the passenger door and sat down on a black leather seat, legs hanging out of the car.

“Ok, c’mere,” he held his arms open to you. Carefully, you sat down on his lap.

He wrapped one strong and slender arm around your waist as he spun around in the chair.

You faced darkness as the door closed. Panic set in around you, you body remembering it’s last fight with the shadows. But almost instantly, everything lit up.

You were suddenly sitting in a large, round room surrounded by monitors. In front of you was one large window that stretched half of the wall.

You were still sitting on Prompto’s lap, in front of the great window. Ignis sat to your left while Gladio was at a monitor towards the back of the room. Noctis sat in a great chair in the middle of the room.

“Huh, it’s bigger on the inside…” you remarked, thinking yourself madly clever.

“Doctor Who! Pay up,” Gladio shouted. Ignis frowned.

“I really thought it’d be an Enterprise joke,” he said, pulling out his wallet.

You got up to look around. “What do you say? Pick a planet! Let’s go visit it!” Noctis said, raising one eyebrow.

“PLUTO!” Prompto shouted.

“That’s...that’s so far away!” You exclaimed, fearing you were being swept away so suddenly.

“Nonsense. We’ll have you back before supper,” Ignis said nonchalantly, punching in coordinates.

“Just wait till you see this.” Gladio added.

Noctis pulled you down into his lap, as the ship took off into the sky. You lay, face pressed against his warm chest, the soft fabrics of his shirt tickling your cheek, as the ship met the clouds. Breaking through the white, you watched as the sky cycled through every shade of blue before breaking into darkness.

Every star and satellite in the galaxy glowed before you. Staring into the vastness of space, you couldn’t find your breath. You barely felt yourself move from Noct’s lap as you made your way to the window. Fingers stretched hesitantly towards the glass, making contact with a screen. Suddenly, the view changed, zooming in on the point you touched. Before you stretched new galaxies, swirling blues and purples surrounding red giants with black holes in the distance.

Catching on, you flicked your wrist, letting the scene before you swirl. Suddenly you were zoomed in on a closer view: Saturn.  Watching debis circle the planet in a silent dance. Everything was so silent, so dark, and yet, so freeing. You could go in any direction and just keep going...forever.

The whole situation would feel overwhelming if it wasn’t for the best people in your life sitting right next to you. You turned around, seeing all of them smiling at you.

“Beautiful, isn’t it,” Ignis asked. Everyone agreed, but for different reasons.

The ship arrived at your destination. You stared out in awe at the little planet. It’s blue beauty reminded you of Prompto’s eyes.

“Huh, smaller than I thought it’d be.” he seemed to sense your thoughts in his timing. Noctis snickered.

“Well, you all can admire the little thing if you want. I’m going to go take a nap,” Gladio said, stretching as he stood.

“That is a capital idea,” Ignis added.

“I’m in,” Noctis agreed.

“Wait up,” Prompto yelled, following them down a hall on the side of the room.

You lingered at the window. “There’s a view in the other room, too,” Gladio was at the doorway, smiling at you. That’s all you needed to hear. You smiled at him, springing forward.

You followed the Shield down a rounded hallway, lit with yellow lights. You passed by various doors on your way, all of which had labels done in some strong font that was just barely legible.

Gladio turned left, disappearing into a room you would have not otherwise known was there. The door slid open for you, revealing another round room.

You had been promised a window, but you couldn’t have imagined something like this! Every wall was a window, giving you a 360 degree view. Stars sparkled around a giant bed, likely the size of two put together, that sat in the middle of the room. Noctis and Prompto were already cuddling Ignis in the middle of the bed. You were fairly sure the prince was asleep.

Gladio leapt into the bed, causing the other men to bounce. He wrapped an arm around Prompto, joining the cuddle puddle. Looking on, the moment seemed serene and intimate. You weren’t sure if you wanted to intervene.

“There’s room for one more,” the almost asleep prince commented, smiling with closed eyes.

“You sure,” you asked. They looked so snug. You had to wonder if this intimacy was normal for aliens or…

“Are we sure, loves?” Prompto asked the room. Gladio grunted and Ignis hummed in response. “Then it’s settled. Get your butt over here.”

You hesitantly made your way over to the bed, laying down beside Noctis. Almost instinctively, he wrapped an arm around you and pulled you in.

Suddenly, he snapped away. “Oh! Ah, is this ok? Do you want cuddles? I didn’t mean to…” You laughed, snuggling into him. “Oh...good.” The half asleep prince was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

You laid awake for some moments, watching the stars outside, wondering about everything going on. Where exactly were you? Why were the guys doing all this for you? What was Ardyn? The questions kept coming, but the stars seemed to sing you to sleep. No, it wasn’t the stars, it was the steady breathing of the men beside you. Soon, your eyes closed and you drifted off to the warmth around you.

There was no way to know what time it was when you awoke. You slipped from Noctis’s loose grip. Sitting up, you found only one other person awake with you: Gladio.

“Mornin’,” he said, rubbing his eyes.

“How long have we been asleep,” you asked. You feared being gone from Earth too long, although you couldn’t exactly say why.

Gladio shrugged. “Maybe, a couple of hours...hard to tell. Can’t say I want to get up.” He smiled down at your bedmates.

“Gladio, may I ask you a question…” “Uh oh, whenever someone asks permission for information it’s never good.”

“I just...on Earth, you don’t call someone love, okay well maybe you do in some places, but most people don’t call other people ‘love’ unless they’re...you know…”

The shield gave you a long and quizzical look. “What?”

“Most people don’t share beds unless they’re...together.”

“Together?” This man was dense.

“Yeah...you know like...dating.” Were you going to have to spell it out for him?

Gladio looked confused. He pulled out a device from his pocket. He seemed to hit buttons and scroll for awhile before understanding. “Oh! Like if they’re bonded.”

“Like what?” “Bonded. What you call marriage, we call bonding.” The shield explained like it all made sense.

“Wait! So...are you married? All of you?”

You heard a small laugh from the bed. Your head snapped down to see Ignis smiling.

“Let me explain to them, Gladio.” He sat up and adjusted his glasses.

“Yes, we are all bonded. It’s like being married, but without so much pomp and circumstance. Bonds are considered links between everything that makes us who we are as people: connections between sexuality, emotions, values, and identities. On Lucis, it’s quite normal to be bonded to multiple people, regardless of gender. While the vast majority of bonds have sexual components to them, not all do. Many bonds are based more on personality and value connections and little on sex.

“One becomes bonded through individual promises under the six sacred suns of our world. To become bonded is considered a private and emotional affair. Typically, celebrations are held afterwards with family and friends.”

“So...it’s like a more private version of what we call marriage,” you asked.

“I suppose so.” Ignis responded. “Admittedly, we place a higher value on individual connections than what I’ve seen of human weddings. And we don’t share this concept you have of ‘dating’.”

You nodded. “And...all of you...are bonded?”

Gladio and Ignis nodded as Prompto rolled over in his sleep to cuddle Gladio’s leg.

You thought for a moment before shrugging. “Makes as much sense as anything. In fact, it may be better.” Gladio let out a held breath while Ignis laughed.

You played with Noct’s hair. “Should we get them up? Don’t we have to get back to Earth?”

It was Ignis’s turn to look shocked. “Why?”

“We’ve been asleep for hours! I should get back!”

Prompto was now awake, as you could tell by his giggle. “They don’t know we’re in the knotty room,” he sang. He was still very much asleep.

“The what?”

“This room.” It was Gladio’s turn to teach. “Basically, this room can replicate the minutes upon which you entered and keeps repeating them the whole time you’re inside. When we leave, maybe five minutes will have passed.”

“The place has some super technical name like…” Prompto began.

“Transitional Time and Momentum Replication Chamber,” Gladio finished.

“But who can remember that? So we call it the knotty room,” Prompto has a mischievous smile on his face.

“Oh…” what sort of bed where you laying in?

“We primarily use it for sleeping,” Ignis finished, sighing.

You nodded. Your tired mind started to come up with...unnecessary thoughts. You thought of the many uses this room could have. You shook your head, not wanting to go too far down that route, as tantalizing as it may be.

The four of you got Noctis up with much effort. Making your way back to the bridge, you saw on your phone that five minutes were all that had passed! The room had really worked! You really would be home in time for supper.

You were the first off of the ship upon your return, due to sitting on Prompto’s lap, again.

“Hey, [Y/N], could you meet us inside? We need to finish...er, docking...the ship.” Noctis called. You nodded, not knowing what was going on, but heading into your house.

Noctis motioned for the other men to meet him back on the ship. Upon reentry, they all looked towards him, wondering what this was about.

The prince took a deep breath. “[Y/N] is incredible.”

There was a moment of shocked silence, broken by Prompto’s laughter. “Well, duh!” He replied.

Noctis cleared his throat to continue. “I’m glad we all think so. I was wondering what...all of you, thought about...asking them about bonding.” His eyes were closed as he tried to keep his wits.

“You mean...if they want to?” Gladio asked.

“Inviting them into the bond?” Ignis clarified.

“Yes…” Noctis finished. Silence followed. He feared he had really messed up. “We all love them. We all think they’re amazing and we all want to protect them…”

“And we all don’t want them to leave…” Prompto finished.

“They’d be a natural fit,” Gladio added.

“Is there really a question?” Ignis finished.

Noctis smiled out at his loves. “Then it’s settled! We’ll ask if they want to join us!” The widest smile graced his lips as he thought of the happiness you brought him.

“Dude! Yeah!” Prompto punched the air, happy at the thought of spending more time with you.

“Yeah!” Gladio couldn’t imagine this journey without you.

“Absolutely.” Ignis was giddy at the thought of seeing your smile along with his other loves each day. But a thought crossed his ever cautious mind. “But...Will they accept it? We are quite…different.”

The ever present company of silence followed.

Gladio sighed, ready to voice what everyone’s heart felt. “Even if we can’t bond with them, we can be near. Maybe it’s for the best if we don’t ask.”

“We have to leave, eventually…we can’t ask them to leave their home.” Prompto was staring sadly at his feet, tears welling in his eyes.

“Or get involved in this.” Noctis added, the image of you under pink lights flashing before his eyes.

“Then...we keep our silence. We’ll hold them close to our hearts, but...not get them involved.” Ignis trailed off, hope leaving his voice.

The men left the Regalia with dampened spirits, but looking forward to seeing your face. The few moments apart had felt like eternity.

But your home put all of them on edge. Upon entering, they found the power cut. Furniture was overturned.

Weapons at the ready, each man called out your name. Silence answered. As a weaponized unit, they made their way into the living room.

“How nice of you to join us, Prince Noctis,” a velvety voice cooed. Under the moonlight streaming in stood Ardyn. You stood beside him, his arm wrapped around you with a knife at your throat. In his other hand, an ornate sword.

“Ardyn…” Noctis’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the Usurper.

“Let them go!” Prompto yelled, aiming straight at the man’s head.

“Tsk tsk. Is that how you greet someone? No...oh, well. If you want to get to business, then I guess we shall.” The knife edged closer to your neck, but the darkness had you paralyzed.

Blood trickled down your neck as the blade pressed tighter. Terror ran through your blood. Either this man would slit your throat or make you a daemon. Neither option sounded good.

Prompto watched, terrified at your position. He lowered his gun, ready to bargain for your life if that’s what it took.

The knife eased from your throat ever so little. “You have a choice: either your beloved ‘ambassador’ or...this,” Ardyn held the sword up to the moonlight.

“The Sword of the Father…” Gladio gasped as light reflected off of the many details of it’s hilt.

“It’s your choice…” Ardyn twirled the blade in his hand.

Noctis had no idea what to do. There was no way he wanted to let you go, but Lucis needed him to have that blade. His entire world was in the balance, but he wouldn’t sacrifice you for it…

Gladio and Ignis were ready to strike, but neither knew how to keep you safe. Ardyn had complete control over the situation. Your life was in the hands of a madman.

It only took moments before Ardyn had made up his mind. He laughed, a cold and gravelly sound. “Well, luckily for you, I’m a generous soul. So...HERE,” he threw the blade. It flew through the air, straight and true, just like Noctis’s. It would have hit the prince had the three other men not tackled him, each trying to protect him. The blade hit the wall, dissolving into shadowy sludge.

As the men got to their feet, ready to fight, empty moonlight met them. Both you and Ardyn were gone.

Last Chapter==> 

[ragewerthers]

Do You Dare Risk All?

Summary: 

How could he have let this happen?

He was always so vigilant! He was a hardened soldier damn it!

How could he have allowed himself to develop feelings for someone?!

It was ridiculous and bothersome and… and… how dare Cartus waltz in one day and just take his heart like that!

How dare he ensnare Cor’s heart without even noticing!

A/n: This has been bubbling in my head for a couple weeks now and I was finally able to bring forth my creation! 

Cartus Solus Scientia, Uncle to Ignis, is making his debut and I hope all who read can enjoy him as much as I have in creating him and bringing him to life! :D

You can also read this at:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18612211/chapters/44128414

Word Count: 3,790

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

Cartus Solus Scientia.

Advisor to King Regis and feared by many on the Citadels Council, at the young age of 23 he had already earned a reputation as a man not to be taken lightly by any stretch of the imagination.  If one were fool enough to try it was seen as a suicide mission and there were few and far between who wanted to go toe to toe with the man.

He was brilliant, quick witted and considered one of the best strategist’s the Crown City had ever seen.  With a gaze that made all who fell under it feel like they were being weighed and measured he could easily break down any opposition he faced.

The King and his Shield liked to joke that it came with the territory of being from House Scientia, though Cartus would often scoff at the idea that mere bloodlines could account for his successes.

However, there was no mistaking which line he indeed came from.  If his accent didn’t already give him away then his appearance would.  Like most of House Scientia he was tall, stalwart, with piercing green eyes and a quick mind that could both cause trouble for some and solutions for others.  There were some aspects that he did differ in when it came to his appearance and attitude.  Unlike his younger brother Magnus he had the dark brown hair of their Lucian mother rather than the fair hair of their Tenebrean father.  He also had acquired her fiery spirit, his temper not exactly exemplary though he’d learned to tone it down from his earlier years on the Council.

But for as intimidating a presence as he carried in the Citadel he was not without his little quirks and shortcomings.

Poor eyesight meant he had to wear glasses… and he loathed them with a passion he generally kept for certain members at court.  He was more apt to either have the things tucked into a vest pocket or pushed up on top of his head, squinting and holding documents almost to his nose before giving in and putting the bloody things on.

He also wasn’t one for combat or physical training.  He knew enough to hold his own in a battle and be a decoy to allow Regis to get to safety, but apart from that, trying to get him to come to his regularly scheduled training sessions was like pulling teeth.

This was something Cor Leonis definitely had first hand experience with, even calling Cartus out on it on countless occasions much to the mans chagrin.  And yet, regardless of the advisors reputation and all his shortcomings Cor was without a doubt absolutely and irrevocably… smitten.

To the 24 year old marshal this was a problem.  Sadly it was a problem he couldn’t fix with blade and muscle alone and so this was completely new territory for him as well.  It wasn’t something he could go to Clarus or Regis about either, though he had a feeling they both knew something was going on with him.  The fact they hadn’t started giving him advice on the matter was a godsend, but it also meant that he could make absolutely no progress.  So now he was left with only one thing to do… lament over his situation.

How could he have let this happen?

He was always so vigilant!  He was a hardened soldier damn it!

How could he have allowed himself to develop feelings for someone?!

It was ridiculous and bothersome and… and… how dare Cartus waltz in one day and just take his heart like that!.

How dare he ensnare Cor’s heart without even noticing!

The only thing worse than Cartus not realizing that Cor now held affections for him was the way in which Cor was now attempting to show him that he held those damned affections!

Being in the Crownsguard at such a young age, his mind had been honed for one thing over the years.  Learning combat and war maneuvers didn’t really leave a lot of time for dating or developing relationships at any sort of intimate level.  Thus this was an area in which he was rather stunted and it showed.

Oh how it showed.

Most would express their feelings with kind words, perhaps a bouquet of flowers or a sweet note.

Cor was not like most.

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

Sitting in one of the far corners of the library at his favourite table, Cartus continued to thumb his way through one of the newest reports coming out of Duscae in regards to their continued endeavors to open up new trading opportunities between them.  Not to mention what it would do with their relationships with Cleigne and Leide.  A mountain of books was stacked to his left with three or four open before him to different pages.  Statistical analysis books ranging from crops to monetary value of goods lay before him and he was in his element.

He was focused, in the zone, jotting down tidbits of useful information that would show Romearlus from the Council that he was a blithering idiot and needed to broaden his mind before outrightly declining to the newest trade agreements.

Cartus’ little smile of self satisfaction as he finished up his most recent thought on paper turned to a frown as he noticed a shadow falling over the table.  A shadow he knew all too well and had come to dread.

“Marshal,” he spoke up first, leaning back in his seat to look up and be met with that annoying little smirk adorning the man’s lips.  “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company this evening?”

Cor snorted at that and let his eyes rove over the multitude of books that were scattered around the poor man before crossing his arms.

“I was asked to come check on you by his Highness.  You’ve been in the library for almost seven hours now.  Had to make sure you hadn’t been crushed to death under this tower of books you’ve collected,” he teased, making the other man scowl slightly as he crouched back over his work.

“Well I’m fine as you can see.  And I’m more than capable of pushing a pile of books off myself.  I’m not some dainty waif of a human,” he grumbled to which Cor couldn’t help chuckling, the sound rumbling deep in his chest.

“I’d believe you more if you ever bothered turning up for training.  At this point in time my assessment of your strength is that a mayfly could pin you down,” Cor continued to needle, taking a seat in one of the empty chairs and ignoring the glare he received.

“Well I hate to inform you that your assessment of me is rather lacking.  I can hold my own well enough and my brain is more important to the Crown then my brawn.  Isn’t that why they have you skulking around here anyway?,” the advisor snipped back, feeling the tips of his ears already heating up from the exchange.

Cor always had a way of hitting him right on the last nerve.  He didn’t know why he was a favourite target of the man, he only knew that he hated it and that the man always seemed to get his goat one way or another when these little exchanges occurred which only irked him more.

As it was, his comment to Cor had only made the marshal snort, leaning forward onto the table and obscuring most of the information on his book of crop reports out of Cleigne.

“Is that all I am to you then?  You just see me for my brawn?” Cor asked with a cheeky smile making Cartus narrow his eyes all the more at his report and picking it up so he could block out the man sitting beside him.

“Of course not!  I was… only saying that my strengths lie elsewhere to yours,” he shot back, hating how of all the times for him to lose his renowned sharp wit it was always around this insufferable idiot!  Hating himself a little bit more, Cartus attempted to start reading his paperwork again, squinting at the far too tiny print and slowly drawing the paper closer and closer without realizing.

Until he felt something shift from his head and pop down onto the bridge of his nose, the text instantly becoming clear before him.

At some point, Cor had stood again, reaching over to gently tap the man’s glasses from atop his head to settle down on his nose, a smug little grin playing across his features.

“For all the brains you say you have, I didn’t think it would take a genius to realize he needed to wear his glasses to read,” Cor said nonchalantly, noticing how Cartus’ ears had started to turn from a light pink to a darker red.

“I don’t need these bloody things to read!” he shot back, standing up as well to come eye to eye with the marshal who only smiled in return.

“Could’ve fooled me.  You were squinting so hard I thought your eyes were closed.  I thought I would simply use my brawn to help lower your glasses for you.  I think most people would say ‘thank you’ after such a chivalrous display.”

“Perhaps most people would if the help was asked for or wanted or… or… appreciated!” Cartus shot back.

“What’s not to appreciate?  I just saved you from getting those lines on your forehead… and around your eyes… and near your nose… and just really all in this area,” he said, waving a hand in front of his own face.

This was the final straw for the advisor.  With a growl he instantly picked up a few of the books and reports he’d been pouring over before moving past the other man, not even giving him so much as a clipped goodbye as he made his way toward the exit.

“What?  I was being helpful!” Cor called after him, chuckling as he saw Cartus start to walk faster before disappearing around a bookcase.

As soon as the man was out of sight Cors smug expression morphed into one of disgust and chagrin.

Why did he always do this?!

Every time he came into contact with the man he always had this innate urge to tease him and bother him and it was the antithesis of what he actually wanted to do!

This was what children did!  Teasing and bothering the ones they liked to show affection.

He groaned as he thought about what he’d just said.  About alluding to the fact that Cartus was going to get worry lines from not using his glasses… glasses that Cor knew he loathed to the stars and back.

Running a hand over his face he glanced down at the table and seen that in his haste to leave, Cartus had inadvertently left behind the notebook he’d been writing in.

Obviously this meant there were two choices available.

Wait for Cartus to realize that he’d left the book and leave it here for him to find or…

Try to act like a goddamned adult, take it to him and apologize for always acting like a five year old around him.

A few minutes later found Cor exiting the library with the mans notebook tucked away inside his jacket, heading for the advisors office.

He was going to make things right!

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

Cor did not make things right.

In fact, things now seemed to be far worse if his bleeding nose was anything to go by.

Upon reaching Cartus’ office he’d found the door closed, but the shadows shifting under the door told Cor the man was definitely inside, pacing like he usually did when his mind was working overtime.

He had knocked and after waiting a moment the door had opened to reveal the advisor who’s expression had turned from slightly annoyed to full anger in a nanosecond upon seeing the marshal again.

Cors mistake had been attempting to step into the office in the same moment that the man had gone to slam it shut in his face.

To be fair… slam it shut in his face he did.

The door bouncing back from the force of hitting Cor’s nose and the shout were enough to alert Cartus to the rather ridiculous series of events that had unfolded and he’d instantly opened the door once more to find Cor kneeling on the floor in front of him, hands covering his face as blood began to drip onto the carpet.

Currently Cor was sat on a small sofa on the side of the man’s office, a trash can under him as he sat forward with his head bowed low and fingers pinching the tender spot of his nose to keep the blood from running down the back of his throat.

The door slammer could be found rummaging around in his desk to try and find some sort of potion or remedy he could use on the marshal, grumbling the entire time in what sounded like equal parts apologies and insults.

“Ib you didn’ wanna dee me you coulda jud daid,” Cor tried to joke and mentally kicked himself for it as the sound of rummaging stopped and he heard the agitated huff coming from the otherside of the room.

“I literally stormed away from you in the library.  What more did you need?  A note?!” Cartus groused before finally finding a small potion and taking it over to him.  He took the marshal’s free hand and pressed it against his palm, his expression turning from annoyance to contrition in an instant.  “I… do apologize for doing this to you, however.  Children slam doors like that and I shouldn’t be acting like a child.”

Upon feeling the cold glass of the potion pressed to his hand, Cor crushed the bottle, feeling the chill of magic moving through his veins and soon the pain of his nose was little more than a dull ache.  As he listened to the apology he shook his head slowly, giving a small sigh and looking up at the other.

“You don’t have to apologize.  Actually… if anything… I’m the one who’s been acting like a child,” he began slowly, already feeling that uncomfortable prickly feeling one gets when venturing into territory completely unknown to them.  “If anything I had this comin’ with as much as I tease and harass you.”

Cartus was momentarily struck for words at hearing that and blinked a few times to try and see if perhaps he hadn’t been the one to be hit by a door.  “Come again?”

Cor groaned and ran a hand through his hair, still dabbing a tissue the advisor had given him against his nose as a few remaining droplets of blood made their way out.

“What I’m trying to say is… I’m sorry.  I’ve been acting like a child and bothering you the way I have because…,” Cor paused, his neck feeling like it was possibly catching fire as that uncomfortable feeling from earlier began to grow.

“Because?” Cartus carefully prompted.

Glancing up, bright blue eyes met questioning green ones and the Immortal gave an embarrassed little smile.

“Because… I like you.”

The two men stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.

Cor looking up at Cartus and waiting for a reply.

Cartus looking down at Cor with an absolutely unreadable expression on his face as his mind went over every word he’d just heard out of the others mouth.

It was around the three minute mark that Cor began to shift nervously under the gaze he was under.  Not something he was exactly used to considering he was normally the one staring others down.

“Cartus?” he asked quietly, unsure if he was allowed to break the silence between them.

He realized a moment later he probably shouldn’t have.

Cartus’ face instantly went red and he looked every definition of irate.

“You are an absolute child, Leonis!” he shouted, making the Immortal actually cringe a bit at the use of his name like that.  

“You have been making my life a living hell because you like me?!  What sort of immature, unfeeling idiot does that?!  Don’t you dare answer, I’m not done!” Cartus warned as Cor had opened his mouth to probably give his two cents and Cartus was going to smack him if he heard him utter a single syllable right now.  “Do you know how much time you’ve made me waste trying to avoid you?  How much extra work you’ve caused me by chasing me around the Citadel needling me until I thought there was nowhere safe from you and your… your…,”

“... childish?”

“Yes!  Childish theatrics!  And what did I say about speaking?!”

Cartus was absolutely furious and Cor could see that he may have made a bit of an error in judgement here.  Granted, he knew he deserved all of what was being shouted at him, but that didn’t make it any easier to listen to the person you held feelings for tearing you down.

“I’m sorry?” Cor tried as it sounded like the man had lost a bit of momentum and fallen silent.  “Truly.  I… know I haven’t made life easy for you… what with the name calling…,”

“Half the Glaives call me Smarty Carty now because of you!  Some of which have taken it upon themselves to get poetic with it and make all sorts of rhymes about me!  Do you know how difficult it is to be taken seriously when someone is calling you ‘Fartus’?!”

Cor frowned at that and felt the guilt build a bit more.  “I’ll talk to them.  I’m also sorry about all the um… teasing.”

“You told me I was getting lines on my face only half an hour ago!  Not to mention the cracks about my accent, my hair, my bloody glasses!” Cartus growled out, pointing to his face and the glasses he was still wearing because he was far more angry at Cor then at his need for spectacles at the moment.

“I shouldn’t have done that.  I know how much you hate that you have to wear them, but… I do think that it’s helpful for you.  You’ll strain your eyes if you keep squinting like that.  Your weapon of choice is duelers pistols, right?  If you keep it up… your marksmanship will go down even if you are farsighted,” Cor said quietly, looking down at the floor and missing the slight look of surprise that passed over the advisors face.

“Oh.  I… didn’t realize,” Cartus said quietly, the anger almost entirely gone from his voice now as he looked over the marshal.  Sighing slightly he ran a hand through his hair and looked to the clock above his desk and back to Cor.  “You realize you’ve cost me almost an entire days worth of work, don’t you?”

Cor nodded before snapping his head up with a little ‘oh’ of remembrance.

“Here.  You left this in the library after I… kinda chased you out.  I was only coming here to bring it back and apologize.  I swear I wasn’t going to… I don’t know… burn it in front you or anything awful like that, though I really haven’t cast myself in the best light in front of you,” Cor said with a little smile, pulling the notebook out of his jacket and handing it over to Cartus.

The advisor took it with a little smile in return, looking it over to make sure nothing had been written on it or damaged, his mind still not entirely made up on whether Cor was being genuine.  Still… he would be the childish one if he didn’t at least try to take the olive branch that Cor seemed to be trying to offer.

“Thank you, Cor.  That still doesn’t excuse your behaviour towards me, but… it’s a nice start,” Cartus said with a nod as he made his way back over to his desk to set the notebook amongst his other texts.

“I know it doesn’t.  But… if it takes you slamming the door in my face to forgive me I’ll gladly do it again,” Cor said with another small smile, even making Cartus chuckle, a noise the young marshal had never heard before, though really he’d tormented the poor man for so long it was no wonder why he hadn’t.

“There will be none of that, though I did tell you I could hold my own, didn’t I?” the advisor asked, turning back around to look at the marshal with a slight teasing expression of his own now on his face.

This time Cor was the one to chuckle and he nodded.  “You did warn me.  Remind me to never question you again… and to start a training regime for the new recruits that involves doors.  They’re quite effective,” he said with a little wince as he touched his nose, hearing Cartus laugh again and deciding that he much preferred this then to making the man scowl and run away.

“I don’t think there will be any need for that,” Cartus promised, his smile bordering genuine now as he leaned back against his desk.  “Well… seeing as you’ve ruined my progress for the day, bled on my carpet and put a dent in my door… I would say that the least you could do is buy me dinner.”

Cor instantly perked up at this, but Cartus caught the look and raised a hand to halt his train of thought.

“We are going as friends, Leonis.  You’ve been a thorn in my side for ages now and I’d like us to work on a friendship before all else.  Are you amenable to that?” Cartus asked as he took his glasses off and tucked them into his vest before grabbing his suit jacket and briefcase.

Cor nodded at the request, standing and giving the man a light smile.  “Understood.  Friends first,” he said lightly as he walked with the advisor to the office door, stepping ahead of him quickly to open it.  “If you don’t mind I’ll have you go first.  I don’t think I quite trust a door in your hands at the moment,” he joked, getting a smile out of the other man.

“I don’t blame you though I will endeavor to not hit you with any more.  Provided you behave yourself,” Cartus teased back as he passed by the man, making Cor smile all the more.

 “Yes, Sir,” he joked back, following Cartus out the door before closing it behind them.

The day definitely hadn’t gone to either mans plans or expectations, but both left the office that evening hoping that whatever was to come would be far better than they could hope for.

[yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy]

Magic and Miracles and Beyond Chapter 8

Ya’ll I have STRUGGLED with this chapter for MONTHS because I couldn’t figure out how to connect the first scene of this chapter with the rest of it. But as you can see, I powered through and all the puzzle peices are coming together nicely and I felt like I just slapped things together but that’s only because I AM DESPERATE to show you chapter 9 that’s been sitting in my documents for a while. And I was listening to ‘Let the bodies hit the floor.’ while writing 9. so if that’s any indication. And this chapter I had “What Side of Love?” by Parachute going on. And yes Sylva is a BAMF because she plays all the angles and all the sides. And Tredd really doesn’t get enough credit for being as observant as he is. He’s still much smarter than he looks. 

So here it is on AO3 or if you want, read below. 

@the-immortal-marshal, enjoy girl. 

Chapter 8

“Hey, Sylva?” Tredd asked as he came up to her in the hot tub.

“Yes?” Sylva asked curiously.

“Hey, is it just me or is Ada preggers?” Tredd put to her as Sylva cut her eyes to Ada and watched her very carefully for a few minutes.

“Who have you told that to?” Sylva asked nonchalantly as she looked around to see if anyone was close enough to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Just Stella, she told me to ask you since you’re The Oracle and the expert.” Tredd shrugged as Sylva hummed and nodded in agreement.

“You’re very perceptive and observant aren’t you?” Sylva put to him.

“Yeah, I guess.” Tredd nodded with a shrug.

“Ok, so here’s the deal...

I will pay you five thousand dollars to be Luche’s shadow over the next two weeks, let Luche and Ada get close and bond emotionally but the moment your instincts tell you they’re gonna fuck, intervene and ruin their moment and remind Ada that she’s dating Cor. They’re both going to hate you for the next two weeks but in a month, they’re both going to thank you in a really big way.” Sylva put to him.

“Make it ten grand and only if you tell me why.” Tredd returned with a smug grin as Sylva and Tredd had a stare off for a few long moments.

“Fifteen if I don’t have to tell you anything and you be a good guy and do me and Luche and Ada a solid by doing this.” Sylva countered.

“Twenty grand, in cash. You tell me why or I announce right now that she’s preggers.” Tredd grinned smugly before they had another stare off before Sylva took his hand and brought him face to face, close enough to kiss her but it was so that what Sylva would say, she could say quietly and softly so that no one could overhear her.

“Fine, when we get back, shit’s gonna hit the fan and there will be a war delivered to all of our doorsteps courtesy of Gilgamesh and everyone is going to be divided and pick sides and everyone is going to choose the wrong side except for you and for me because you are going to be on my side. Ada has a 95-99% chance of loosing that baby because Gilgamesh will go after her first and all of us will be scrambling to protect her and if we’re lucky, we’re all gonna get through it with our lives. I have a plan that’s already in motion to keep us all safe. But in order for that plan to work, I need Luche and Ada to not fuck it up by fucking each other because you and me caught this early. But by the time everyone else will catch it, if they fuck, Cor and Luche will both think that they lost a baby and that will lead to a whole different war that will destroy them both and Ada will get crushed with guilt because she couldn’t keep her legs closed. So you and me we’re gonna protect them by ruining their romantic moments. But part of this deal is you- Will. Keep. Your. Mouth. Shut. You don’t tell anyone, not even Stella, that we had this conversation or that Ada is expecting, you’re not even going to hint at it, in fact when we’re done talking, you’re going to go up to Stella and you’re going to tell her that I said that ‘Ada is not pregnant and that you’re seeing things and that your ego at being the first to see that Crowe was pregnant has you thinking every girl is’ but you’re going to be reluctant to say that, let her push you to get that answer, and you’re going to do your best to avoid the subject and you’re going to let her think she has this victory but when Ada looses that baby, and Stella comes back to you, you’re going to take her apology with grace and I’ll even publicly apologize for seeing what you saw and not realizing you were right and then when Luche asks, tell him that it was just a hunch but that I told you- you were wrong and to forget about it. So in the meantime when Luche asks why you’re being a dick, you’re going to remind him of the night of my wedding and how broken and betrayed he felt when Ada flirted with Cor while she was still with him and how it’s not right. He’s gonna glare, but he’s gonna see that you’re right and then he’s going to thank you and you’re going to keep it up and even by the end of the week and even next week, all you’re going to have to do is give them a look and that will be enough. Now, give me your cell phone number so we can keep in touch, when I text you or call you, you will not ignore me, you will answer me immediately because our lives could be on the line.” Sylva explained.

“Deal.” Tredd grinned before they shook on it and Sylva put his phone number in her phone that was sitting next to her.

“Now go, Regis is coming back,” Sylva urged him as she saw her husband coming back with her drink in hand.

“Yup, when am I going to get my money?” Tredd asked.

“Half tonight, half at the end of next week, I don’t want you blowing all of it while on the boat at the casino.” Sylva answered.

“Sounds good to me.” Tredd beamed happily as he got out of the hot tub.

“Oh and Tredd?” Sylva called after him.

“Congrats on having the gift.” Sylva grinned as Tredd offered her a bashful smile before he left and went back to Stella.

“So? What did she say?” Stella insisted.

“It doesn’t matter,” Tredd shook his head no as he grabbed his pop from her.

“Yes it does, come on, what did she say?” Stella narrowed her eyes playfully as she poked him in the rib cage as he moved to keep her from tickling him.

“Tell me, tell me now.” Stella insisted before she pinned him to his chair and pretended she was about to tickle him.

“Fine, fine, she said I was seeing things.” Tredd told her reluctantly.

“Ha! I knew it, see? You just got super lucky with Crowe, quit thinking you have the magical ability to see things that aren’t there. Now, let’s just enjoy this expense free vacation from aunt Sylva.” Stella beamed as she kissed him before Tredd hiked his hips up to grind his hardening cock at her center.

“Care to enjoy something else?” Tredd hinted with a mischievous grin as he did it again and watched her reaction with delight.

“Yeah, come on,” Stella nodded as the two slipped away.

Meanwhile Selena and Ravus were both lying under a cabana, putting sunscreen on the twins next to the pool after Selena had applied two layers of it to Ravus so he wouldn’t burn.

“Your hair has gotten lighter.” Selena noted as she watched him out of the corner of her eye as he made sure to get every nook and cranny of Izzy.

“It does that. When I was a kid, my mom complained it used to turn white. It nearly did when my dad died.” Ravus answered as he fed Izzy another handful of blueberries to keep her sated and still.

“Really?” Selena asked as she did a double take and imagined his hair white.

“Yup. Marie Antoinette syndrome. I actually colored my hair darker blonde for a year or two to keep it normal.” Ravus revealed.

“Huh,” Selena hummed as she finished getting Gabby covered in sunscreen and proceeded to feed her a few of the blueberries too before she let Gabby rest on her chest and stroked her little back lovingly as she watched Tredd and Sylva talk with curiosity.

“Rae?” Selena asked.

“Hmm?” Ravus looked up from Izzy to her before he followed Selena’s finger to see Tredd talking to his mother.

“What the hell is going on there?” Ravus frowned in confusion as he watched Tredd and his mother have a stare off.

“I don’t know. Something to do with Stella I would think.” Selena ventured.

“Maybe.” Ravus tilted his head curiously before he finished up with Izzy and had her sit on his lap and dig into the rest of the blueberries.

“That’s a negotiation if I ever saw one.” Selena noted as she watched Tredd and Sylva talk.

“Yeah it is.” Ravus agreed. “Whatever it is, has her hackles up.” Ravus noted as he read his mother’s body language.

“I wonder what it’s about.” Selena mused aloud.

“Me too.” Ravus hummed.

“I hope it’s not us.” Selena muttered under her breath.

“No, it’s not us.” Ravus shook his head as he watched Tredd and his mother continue to talk before they seemed to reach an agreement, wishing he could read lips better than he could.

“Nyx and Luna?” Selena wondered as she cut her eyes over to them swimming in the pool with Dani.

“I don’t think so.” Ravus shook his head as he wouldn’t take his eyes off of them.

“Something ‘half’, she’s hired him for something.” Ravus realized as he watched his mother’s mouth intensely.

“What would your mother hire Tredd for?” Selena asked.

“I don’t know, let’s just watch him and see what he does,” Ravus urged as they both watched Tredd go back to Stella before they talked and slipped away.

“That’s just weird.” Selena shrugged as she turned her attention back to Gabby, who was trying to eat most of the blueberries and eating them by the heaping handful.

“Yeah it is,” Ravus nodded in agreement before he saw Dani swim up to Craig and plead to get yeeted into the pool which he obliged as Selena and Ravus both snickered at the squealing screeching Dani made as she got some impressive air before the other kids came up to him and got yeeted too.  

For the next two weeks, Tredd did as Sylva asked and let Ada and Luche draw close and have all kinds of time to reconnect but the moment either one of them got that ‘look’ he was there to ruin it. Tredd, to keep from getting suspicious however, had to do it with some of the other couples too and play it off as him just being a dick. Even Stella was at a loss as to what had gotten into him.

Meanwhile Cor used the break in not having Ada around to worry about him to throw himself completely into his work and he got dangerously close. So close he could practically feel Gilgamesh’s wrists in his cuffs and saw him when he closed his eyes and had dream after dream of killing him and ending it while Hazel, Titus and Sylva could only pray he succeeded.

The last night of the last week of the cruise was the last formal night and Sylva was perhaps extra evil in that she had the DJ play ‘‘What Side Of Love” by Parachute and watched Luche dance with Ada as she and Tredd both grinned at each other as they watched Luche dance with Ada before Tredd’s phone dinged and was notified of an electronic deposit into his account and grinned wider.

“Job well done.” Sylva toasted casually as she clinked her glass with his.

“So how fast are things going to go to shit when we get back?” Tredd murmured quietly.

“Relatively quickly I would think, Cor’s probably been throwing himself completely into pursuing Gilgamesh quite hard. Judging by how much Clarus has been texting Regis and how tense Regis has been the last two weeks.” Sylva revealed. “Could be hours, could be days, possibly weeks, although if it takes more than a month, I’ll be surprised, probably just about the time everyone’s guard is down.” Sylva added as Tredd nodded.

“So basically wait until Hazel gets the warning.” Tredd offered lowly.

“Good for you figuring that out.” Sylva congratulated proudly.

“Yeah, it wasn’t rocket science, she at the drop of a hat decided to come on a three week vacation with us? She’s ordered in Mandarin at the asian restaurants on both ships and she’s been checking her own phone just as much as Regis has been checking his. I mean both of their last names are Stevens for crying out loud and she does have you know, the same accent that Charlotte has and their speech patterns are the same, the same way sisters or mothers and daughters have the same speech patterns, like you and Luna do. And the way she looks at Ada is kind of a dead giveaway.” Tredd murmured.

“Yeah,” Sylva had to admit.

“But I take it since I’m the only one who’s been around Charlotte and Hazel, that I’m the one who knows half of that.” Tredd furthered.

“Correct.” Sylva nodded. “Remember, lips sealed Dearest.” Sylva reminded him before Tredd gestured that his lips were zipped closed.  

When they all did disembark on the boats and finish up the rock tour and Luna and her group finish looking at all the houses in Colorado and Montana before coming home just in time to go back to school, Ada was the first one to be dropped off, Crowe helped cart all of her things inside and Ada was actually disappointed that Cor wasn’t even home and the place looked haphazard. Like all he had done was eat and sleep here while she was gone. She tidied up and freshened up the place as she waited for him to come home before she got irritated and just called him.

“Yeah?” Cor asked when he answered his phone.

“Hey, long time no see, guess who’s home?” Ada asked as she sat on the couch and let Baxter lay on her lap.

“Oh shit, you’re home already?” Cor realized as he looked at the time and realized it was like 8 in the evening.

“Yeah, did you miss me?” Ada asked hopefully.

“Yeah, yeah, of course I missed you, been missing you like crazy.” Cor reassured her as he quickly and busily shoved things into his bag to go home for the night. “Um, have you had dinner?” He asked as he realized he hadn’t eaten anything in the last….8 hours, maybe 9.

“Yeah, Sylva made sure I ate before she dropped me off.” Ada answered. “Kind of been starving for something else though Love.” Ada confessed, maybe she just needed to reconnect with Cor physically to feel right again. Because the last month on the road with all her friends and especially being with Luche again, it had her feeling off in a way she couldn’t define.

“I’ll be home as fast as I can, don’t go anywhere Love.” Cor grinned happily as he came home as fast as he could, but not before grabbing a burger through a drive through to wolf that down on the way home too.

“Ok, I won’t.” Ada giggled.

Cor came home and fucked Ada good and hard, but just...a little too quickly since Cor hadn’t even had a chance to please himself while she was on the cruises and after two rounds and for Ada, one disappointing orgasm later, Cor was out like a light and Ada could only lay in bed and look up at the ceiling as her mind wandered back to the cruises and the few weeks of being on the road with the band. Luche had changed in all the right ways but was still the same in all the ways that mattered and were important. Even though he didn’t say it, he showed it a thousand times over that he still loved her, he still respected her and cherished her and made her feel so special. All Cor cared about is making sure she didn’t cheat on him. Which honestly was a little off putting because his main concern should have been that she had fun and had a good time and missed him. And honestly, being away from him for so long, was sex with Cor always that...lackluster? Like it got some kinks out of the pipes but that was it. Since when was sex with Cor that... disappointing? She would have thought he would have been ticking down the hours until she was home, had a meal ready and waiting for her, had rose petals and candles all over the house and been overly romantic and charming and would have been waiting at Sylva’s house for her… but now all she could feel was disappointment. Had he even missed her that much? At all? He even had new scratches and bruises and new stitches, he had gotten hurt while she was gone and he didn’t tell her. Here she was hoping for a reconnection and she felt even more disconnected now than she did before she came home. Here she thought he would have just wanted to romance her right and then hear every little detail about her trip and her time away from him and it was like, he didn’t want that at all, he wanted to get his rocks off, made sure she was “good” and didn’t stray and then came back in one piece. What the fuck?!

The next morning, Cor outright refused to let Ada leave the house to walk the dog and honestly tried to even keep her away from the windows. Ada felt like she was on house arrest.

“Why?! Why can’t I just take Baxter on a fucking walk?!” Ada demanded angrily.

“Because it’s not safe!” Cor finally snapped.

“I was halfway across the country on a road trip of all things and on two cruises with thousands of strangers but walking the dog in your neighborhood isn’t safe?” Ada questioned. “I need to go grocery shopping, I should be going back to work, I…”

“You can’t, not without me.” Cor cut her off. “Just wait until I get home tonight.” Cor placated as he got ready for work. “Don’t worry about going back to work, we’re ok. You don’t need to work. There’s still plenty of food in the house, you’ll be fine, just stay away from the windows and don’t leave the house.” Cor commanded before he left for work leaving Ada to growl in frustration as she stared at the daggers into his back. This was ridiculous.

She didn’t listen, she still went to the store and got groceries and brought Baxter with her at least as she idly wondered what Luche was up to before she texted him.

‘Hey, what are you up to?’ She texted him as she waited in line at the grocery store.

‘Choosing an apartment. Lol’ he texted back immediately.

‘Really? Where?’ Ada blinked in surprise.

‘Oak Gardens,’ Luche answered. ‘I’m actually looking at different apartments now, wanna help me pick one out?’ He offered hopefully, hoping that didn’t come off weird.

‘I’ll be there in fifteen.’ Ada instantly agreed as she put her groceries on the conveyer belt to be checked out.

She put the perishables into the cold bag and drove straight there and wasn’t surprised to see most of their friends already there picking out different apartments too. Pelna and Yasmine had gotten one and surprisingly Gladio and Pashmina had gotten the one next to that and Craig and Iris had gotten one across the street and even Ravus and Selena had gotten one since Selena had adopted one of Craig’s newfoundland puppies, Bunny since these were townhouse apartments that allowed pets for an extra charge a month and Luche had a hard time deciding if his apartment should be on the left or on the right of Ravus because he liked both, but they were different in their own ways and thankfully Ada was able to look at both and Luche went with the one she liked best which was to the right of Ravus because it had a nicer more easy set up and the color scheme she liked better as she realized, this townhouse was way nicer than the house Cor had and she couldn’t help but feel jealous and wishing she could live here. It had brand new appliances and state of the art this and that and even Baxter liked the apartment really well which Luche took as a good sign. And even though it was a townhouse, it was huge, it had three big bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full kitchen, living room, dining area that was pretty open floor plan and even a basement that had washer, dryer hook ups and brand new appliances otherwise. It was gorgeous.  

Ada decided to stay with them and go out to lunch with them and sat next to Luche and poured over the furniture websites at different furniture and helped him choose what furniture he wanted in each room and in each space using the dimensions she helped him gather of all the rooms in the apartment to make sure they would all fit good as well as picking out a great washer and dryer combo and the apartment complex was in it’s own community that had a pool and a playground and was really close to a nice shopping center and tons of restaurants. It was amazing.

Ada got home in time to put her groceries away, grateful she didn’t get ice cream because it would have melted. But Cor came home pissed at her.

“Why did you leave the house and why did you ignore my calls?!” Cor boomed when he came home as Baxter barked at him for raising his voice before Cor kicked Baxter outside so he couldn’t interfere.

“Because I texted you instead.” Ada answered as she continued to cook dinner. “You knew exactly where I was and who I was with. I was safe, I was fine. Because I was careful.” Ada argued as she paused and turned to face him, her arms crossed over her chest defensively.

“You can’t be too careful Ada!” Cor growled angrily.

“Oh my God, I was gone half the summer and was fine and now that I’m back you’re treating me like I’m a child like you can’t trust me to take care of myself! I’m an adult Cor!” Ada argued.

“You don’t understand! It’s very dangerous right now, I’m just trying to protect you, when Gilgamesh is no longer a threat, I won’t care what you do, because I’ll know then that you’ll be fine but right now, it’s like there’s a bear loose in the neighborhood and all I’m asking is for you to stay in the goddamn house, why can’t you do that?! Why can’t you just listen to me?!” Cor demanded.

“Because that bear wouldn’t be a threat if you didn’t keep poking it with a stick! Just shoot the damn thing and be done with it!” Ada snapped.

“I’ve been trying to! It won’t get into my damn sights!” Cor growled in frustration. “And what’s the deal with you hanging out with Luche all day? According to Gladio, you never left his side.” Cor accused angrily.

“Because he’s been my body guard all summer and is still on body guard duty and will be on body guard duty until you take Gilgamesh down, Sylva fucking hired him to do that. Nothing happened between us all summer, it’s not like that’s going to change over night now that we’re back home. He’s a friend and he trusts my judgement and simply asked for my opinion on stuff, which is something I wish you would do.” Ada defended before the two had a stare off before they both gave each other the silent treatment the rest of the night.

The next day Ada went shopping with Luche again for things to decorate his apartment with as they filled two carts up with stuff since his furniture would be delivered the next day since he was already starting to move his stuff into the place, although he was mindful to leave plenty of room for her things as well since he hoped she’d be moving in sooner than later, but in the meantime he tried to include her in everything apartment wise because he wanted her to feel like she was at home at his place and part of that included having things in his apartment she liked and would use so now both of them were comparing dishes both online and in the stores before they found a set they both loved and adored and afterwords, Luche took her to a tea room for lunch. Ada hadn’t gotten high tea since she came to the states and while Luche’s didn’t love tea, he didn’t hate it either and was open to trying a few varieties before he found one he liked, it was a hibiscus and berry blend that they both liked but Ada’s favorite was still that Irish Breakfast blend.

Ada was torn because for the second time, all over again, she was happiest when she was with Luche because he just talked with her, valued her opinion and input and trusted her judgement on everything, like she was his equal in every way, if anything, like she was more precious than him and more important than him and she was once again the center of his world. God, she had missed that. She missed his sense of humor and his ability to make her forget that anything happening outside the bubble of his presence mattered or existed. She had missed his handsome face and his bright smile and how warm and friendly and at ease he was and how he had all the time in the world to spend on her and how he wasn’t in a rush at all and how every moment spent with her was precious to him. Why had she ever left him? Had Cor really been worth it?

That night she came home and looked around at Cor’s house and realized how little of her was here. That day had been the best day of his career because he had just gotten done arresting Charlotte Stevens and had her in custody, but he couldn’t enjoy it because Ada had been with Luche all day again. The fight with Cor that night was more than she could take and she left with Baxter to take a walk to cool off. It was sunset and she was so angry with Cor she didn’t notice the car following her, and she didn’t notice until it was too late how Baxter seemed to freeze, every hair on his spine standing on end as he started growling and barking ferociously and she barely had a chance to scream before a bag was thrown over her head, she was picked up and she heard a gunshot and Baxter yelping in pain before she was hit over the head and became unconscious.  

[darth-salem-emperor-of-earth]

My Top Ten Favorite Characters: Fandom/Character Meme!

I got tagged by @tessa1972 months and months ago for this and figured I stalled on this meme long enough. So finally, I’m getting around to posting this. None of these characters are in particular order and none of the gifs belong to me. 

Dorian Pavus:

There were way too many possible gifs for him to show how awesome, witty, clever, expressive and beautiful he is. I love his character and backstory, he’s a great companion to have around in battles and his romance with M!Inquisitor overloads me with feels. Dorian never fails to amuse me with his wit and comebacks.

Carth Onasi:

So much sass, humor, fight, and emotion all wrapped up in this angstmuffin of trust issues, accompanied by a sexy voice. He was my first video game love ever, I will never forget how his voice made me melt and simply wanted to listen him talk forever. I like his romance with Revan (F!Revan in the game but I like the idea of him falling for Revan of both genders because their interactions and the story behind them falling in love are just so beautiful). They say you’ll never forget your first. They’re right, I’ll never forget Carth Onasi. 

Éowyn of Rohan:

You tell them, Eowyn. I loved her character both in the books and the movie and when my dad always told me the whole story of the Lord of Rings (way before the movies came out), I was always fascinated with Eowyn and wanted to be just like her, to slay the Witch King, continue to kick ass, and be a warrior. She is my baby, I’ll defend her ‘til the very end. 

King Gangrel:

Where do I begin with this ginger trash king? He was such a riot and so unapologetically terrible while enjoying every minute of it. His history and reasoning behind his motives (at least, what small amounts the game shared with us) were fascinating and I was soooo glad we could recruit him later. And he totally shoved my plan to support/romance Walhart out the door (I’ll wait for my fourth playthrough) because his conversations and general personality were such a pleasure to read and laugh over. I love chaotic, goofy characters like him and it sweetened the deal where one of my Avatars could romance him. XD

Varric Tethras:

He stole my heart the moment he made his first appearance in Dragon Age 2. Stupid swagger, chest hair, charming grin and wit, and crafty mind ruining my life! A wonderful, faithful friend, a successful writer and storyteller, and a wicked shot with a crossbow--he has it all and so much more! Bioware let me romance him or dwarves again, I need this.

Garrus Vakarian:

Garrus, my man, you are a wonderful friend and romance option, you keep stealing my heart every time I read your lines to Shepard. XD

I loved his growth from ME1 to ME2 and then, ME3, showing how far he has come and how much he has achieved. I loved his loyalty to Shepard no matter how difficult or harrowing things became and was such a reliable, supportive comrade-in-arms. He had those moments were he could one smooth operator and then turn around to be an adorkable cutie pie. And still be a badass sniper no matter what. 

Catelyn Stark:

She is one of my favorite characters in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Catelyn is a flawed character, and her story, her journey, and overall character gripped every time I read her chapters. This woman as underwent through so much, even as a young girl, and lost even more as well. She is such a strong character who tries to keep her family safe, balance multiple roles as mother, wife, protector, emissary, sister, etc., recognize and point out the unfairness of the patriarchy in Westeros’s society, and is one of the few voices of reason in this whole series. I know she has made some mistakes and isn’t perfect and that’s what I want. Favorite characters of mine are never perfect, they struggle and don’t always do the right thing according to a modern perspective, but their overall character psyche compels me regardless. And Catelyn Stark is one of those characters and because of her complexity, she gets a lot of hate for it. But not here, not on my blog. I love Catelyn Stark, who was such a force in life that now, in her undead life, she wreaking havoc on those who betrayed her, her son, and the House Stark and Tully. I just hope she can find some peace at the series (yeah, fuck you, Game of Thrones, I won’t forget your crappy depiction of her and Stannis). 

Vernon Roche:

One of these days I will actually play The Witcher 2 in its entirety and read the books but that won’t stop me from basking in the glory that is Vernon Roche. His complex, flawed character fascinated me and I really liked how his friendship with Geralt grows in the game, even if you pick Iorveth’s route, he still goes out of his way to help Geralt out. I also liked how he immediately suspected Geralt was innocent of Foltest’s death and his training, care, and relationship with Ves, his most trusted soldier. I just love what a BAMF he is and his route was my JAM! I loved how little Anais trusts him and how he will do everything in his power to keep her safe and win her crown and throne back for her. Uggh, so many feels!

Also, if you want to know when I realized how much I loved this character, I’ll tell you. It was near the end of the second game, where Vernon Roche brutally castrates Dethmold with his bare hands and then gives him a bloody end. I kid you not, my mind whispered, “I think I’m in love.” XD

Dettlaff:

Apparently in the Witcher universe, I like the hot tempered men. XD

Oh how I love this broody, tormented, and romantic High vampire so much that I can’t even imagine going through the endings where he dies and Regis is an outcast among his own kind, doomed to be hunted. Nope, nope, nope!

Anyway, I loved watching his struggles, his friendship with Regis and how he saved him from being a pile of goo, how deep and far he loves go for love or to protect those he cherishes--even for a woman who clearly doesn’t deserve him--, and down the little things, like his creativity (like his toy shops) or how fond he is with kids and they to them. I just want my high vampire to happy, okay? 

Haruno Sakura

Canon screwed her over so hard and she deserved better than what Kishi gave her (I’m sorry I will never not be over this and will be salty even when I’m dead). Her character arc and development in the beginning was interesting to watch, especially when Shippuden came around and we saw the fruits of her labor under the apprenticeship of Tsunade. I’m amazed how hard Sakura had to work be seen and treated as a shinobi, especially when her training was neglected when she was young and a mere genin. I really liked her personality, how far she came since the first volume, and Sakura could have had the proper story and ending if Kishi knew how to write women and actually cared about his main heroine in Naruto. Will I be bitter about this like 100 percent dark chocolate and revel in fanfictions and fanon ideas? You betcha!

I’m tagging anyone who wants to do this!

[pikachumaniac]

Faustian Bargain - Deleted Scene

A deleted scene from the beginning of chapter 12. I had to go to one of my back-ups to find it, and was honestly amazed by just how much I had written of it. There was just something about it that wasn’t really working for me though, which is why it got thrown out, although it is a lot more coherent than I remembered it being. I didn’t do too much clean-up on it, beyond cutting out the repetitive parts and changing some bits to be consistent (originally Nyx was supposed to be in this scene, rather than Cor, but that got changed when Nyx was written out of chapter 11).

He knows that he is being irrational, to be bitter about this.

There is, after all, so much else to resent, not least of which being how quickly they will return him to his owner. But for the sake of a country, that is at least understandable, whereas this is not. He does not need to be awake for this, for being herded into the throne room like the proverbial lamb to slaughter (except he is not quite so lucky because he knows what awaits him, and it is not anything as merciful as death). Regis could easily have offered him a sleep spell, the same he had used against his son without hesitation, so why hadn’t he?

He knows the answer to that, although he is less certain if it makes it better or worse. Because it is not cruelty or even negligence that stopped Regis, but kindness. To offer him some measure of dignity by letting him stand on his own two feet, but Regis severely misjudges the situation if he thinks that pride has any meaning to him now. Besides, the man should know better by now, than to think that Niflheim would let any of them escape the consequences of Noct’s desperate actions unscathed.

The throne room is not large, designed for security rather than ostentatious displays. But Niflheim has made the best of it, filling it with every diplomat who had come to bear witness to the historic signing, or more correctly, to bear witness to this latest humbling of Lucis. Most of the diplomats look uncomfortable, but some look satisfied. They remember how they had asked Lucis for its help, only to be abandoned as their lands were taken and homes burned to the ground. That’s why they enjoy this, even if this is a fraction of the human cost that they have suffered, but anything is something to those who have lost everything.

Even to those who enjoy his suffering, it is not about him. It has never been. Drautos may have asked for him, but the Empire’s interests were never about rewarding the general for his services, valuable as they are. To demand something (someone) so personal yet utterly unimportant, clearly the only aim was to hurt the royal family itself, and he is merely a means to an end for that.

The emperor sits at the end of the room, the chancellor on one side and Drautos on the other, while others lurk behind. Drautos is no longer hiding, of course. He stands at the emperor’s side in that molten armor, but does not bother hiding his face. Although they all know of his betrayal now, he can feel Leonis stiffen at his back, like a part of him did not want to believe that they could all have been fooled so easily.

Regis does not acknowledge him though, focusing on the emperor instead.

“Emperor Aldercapt,” one ruler greets the other, his words ringing loudly over the room. “I had hoped for a private audience.”

“Did you?” The man’s smile is as cold as his voice, and it is a wonder that his people could have ever loved him, when he so clearly revels in the suffering of others. “Perhaps you should have specified. Still, I assume it does not change the reason for your visit?”

He says it as if it is a minor inconvenience, that he has summoned what seems to be every diplomat between Niflheim and Lucis for the express purpose of bearing witness to Lucis’s humbling. Some do seem amused, having no lost love for a kingdom who left them to the mercy of the Empire, but most seem uncomfortable with the situation. They want to be here even less than he does, but despite being summoned by the emperor, they still have more choice in the matter than him.

“Of course not,” Regis replies because it is the truth. Whether before one person or the rest of the world, this is nothing compared to the choices he has already made. “As I stated in my message, we wish to correct past mistakes. Please accept our apologies, and a return of what is yours.”

“An apology?” Verstael Besithia sneers. “You think that is enough?”

“What more could you possibly want?” Clarus demands angrily.

The old man can clearly think of something, but before he can say anything, Izunia intercedes.

“We are reasonable men,” the chancellor says, despite all of the evidence to the contrary. “At least the princeling did not kill a few men on his way, which is more than can be said of the general’s pet.”

Regis flinches at that term of art, but says nothing even as Izunia and Besithia resume their bickering, something about that MT. It fascinates most of the observers, but is largely ignored by those who actually matter. The emperor looks bored, apparently used to the internal dissent to the point that he does not care that it is spilling over to the rest of the world, and why should he when he is so assured of his power over the rest of the world? Regis seems even less amused. As for himself, their words are meaningless because he has eyes only for one person as Drautos leaves his post, his approach marked by the heavy footsteps that haunt both his nightmares and waking hours, far louder than any human voices.

No, a part of him thinks, and he wonders why it bothers, when it was always so clear what would happen. But it is less about inevitability and more about Drautos, the fact that although he cannot fight it, he cannot stand it either. He cannot do this, not again, not for the rest of his life, and it is so hard not to break down crying. He can’t quite stop the soft whine that escapes from him, and the sound is enough to catch the attention of the onlookers. More than a few people laugh, his desperate fear something amusing, another example of Lucis’s weaknesses.

But he doesn’t care about Lucis, and Drautos doesn’t care about his terror because the only thing that matters to the man is taking back what an entire world has deemed his. It is worse than the last time, although he has no idea how that would be possible. The last time, at least, he was able to walk on his own. Now he has to rely on Leonis for support because he can barely breathe, let alone stand. The last time, only the guards had been witness to his humiliation. Now, every eye is on him. The last time, he hadn’t known what awaited him. Now, he can only stare at Drautos. Stand tall and push forward, Regis had told him all those years ago, but right now the only thing that stands before him is Drautos, and the thought of going to him again makes him choke on a desperate, involuntary sob.

He should be better than this, a part of him thinks. He should try to represent Lucis, or at the very least show them what they have given up. But in the end, none of those things really matter. Just as Lucis doesn’t care about him, he doesn’t care about it. The only thing that matters is that Drautos has lost his patience and is coming towards them, grabbing him by the arm, and he cannot help the terrified sound that escapes him.

“Let go,” the man snaps, and it takes him a moment to realize that Drautos is speaking to the Marshal. There has always been a rivalry between the Crownsguard and the Kingsglaive, but this goes far beyond that now, as Leonis glares at Drautos with open hatred. He also doesn’t let go, although he doubts it is for his sake, rather than anger at the man he had trusted to protect the king. But a tired nod from Regis makes him let go reluctantly, and then once again, the only touch he knows and may ever know is Drautos’s.

As Drautos pulls him away, he honestly doesn’t know how he manages to stay on his feet, rather than fall to his knees, screaming until he runs out of air. He doesn’t know what’s stopping him because it’s certainly not pride; perhaps it is the numbing effect of fear that blocks out everything right now.

(Or maybe it is the fact that he had always known it would come to this, that his time with the others would be temporary at best.)

“If I may plead mercy,” he can hear Regis say quietly as he is dragged away. “My son and his friends were responsible for what happened. Not Scientia. I request that you do not punish him for the actions of others.”

The Emperor shrugs, all of this so beneath his attention now that he has gotten the humiliation he needed that he does not care one way or the other. “It is not my decision, Caelum. The general is his keeper, so you should direct your request to him.”

For a split-second, Regis looks like he would rather bite off his own tongue than address the man who had betrayed them.

“Titus,” he says, choking ever so slightly on the name of the man he thought he could trust, the man he had trusted for so long. “Please.”

It is not clear what he is pleading for. For mercy, as he claimed earlier? For an explanation? Or for something far deeper than that?

Drautos, however, has no such qualms, as he turns to face his once king. “I see no problem with that,” he says coolly, as if he is being magnanimous. “In fact, I may even have to thank your son. Thanks to this, I believe Scientia will no longer harbor any delusions that he was ever anything other than disposable to your family.”

Regis starts to retort, but stops, looking defeated. It is difficult to deny the truth, after all.

[angeltriestoblog]

Second sem (and freshman year) recap

It’s pretty hard to believe, but another chapter of my college journey is finally over and done with. Since I had ended the first half of the school year in such high spirits, I didn’t really believe upperclassmen when they warned that things were only going to get harder from there. In fact, I even thought I’d be the one to prove them wrong! I mean, with a class schedule that looked like this, how would I run out of time for all the things I both needed and wanted to do? My Tuesdays and Thursdays were practically free, save for that one Math class I had to attend in the morning that I surprisingly never cut.

For the most part of the semester, I was in a chill state compared to everyone else. I claimed that I had successfully adjusted to the demands of higher education to the point where I found what once was an unreasonable workload to be manageable. I was able to make time for my home org’s activities and devote enough attention to the only project I was deployed to, which I touched on a bit in my first recap blog post (linked here in case you want to jog your memory). As previously mentioned, I was assigned as one of the Documentations Heads under the Information Management department of the Career Building Program, a three-phase event that gives its participants a glimpse into the corporate world. We kicked things off with a resume writing workshop that I was lucky enough to join. The facilitator assigned to me gave useful insights that I was able to apply in the creation of my own curriculum vitae, which I am keen on using when it’s my turn to apply for internships and jobs in the future. I obviously don’t have much on it yet, seeing as I’m just a freshman, but the idea of filling it up with more experiences over the years is exciting me in ways I cannot explain.

Our group was even given the opportunity to explore the studio of the country’s biggest network, where we were briefed by executives in communications and IT and toured around the sets of our favorite shows. We even ran into Luis Manzano while he was filming Minute to Win It! Unfortunately, I wasn’t scouted by any representative from Star Magic and spontaneously put in a love team with Donny Pangilinan, but I guess that’s alright.

I also went to Talent Night with some friends (not in pictures: Gela's boyfriend and ICA barkada), which is shocking since I’m honestly not the type to attend parties like this. I’ve always been the girl who stayed home and binge watched YouTube videos on a Friday night. But, I guess the drunk confidence of those I was with rubbed off on me and I managed to pull through! It was also a plus that Timmy Albert was one of the performers: I do pass him by along the corridors quite frequently, but it’s just different seeing him sing and play an instrument in front of a crowd, especially since I’ve loved Roses and Sunflowers even before I got into Ateneo.

One surprise that I definitely did not see coming was participating in Daloy, our annual program that revolves around corporate social responsibility. This year, we decided to shed a light on how this could be seen in the Philippine clothing industry, so it seemed fitting to hold some talks featuring prominent figures in this field, as well as a fashion show to exhibit the collections of local brands that advocated sustainability. I was really interested in the concept when I first heard of it, and initially wanted to go as a mere audience member - little did I know that I would be tapped by the committee to model! To this day, I don’t know how or why I was chosen: from what I know, there were even screenings held a week prior to the event to determine who would get to walk the runway. But, I was messaged three days before and in that short span of time, I had to fit clothes, find pieces in my closet to match them and perfect my walk (which took several tries on my part, given the fact that when shy, I’m stiff as a board).

Agreeing to join was a huge step out of my comfort zone - the closest I’ve ever come to strutting on a catwalk was back when family members would ask me to “walk like a fashion model” as a kid during reunions. So, the fact that it had all paid off in the end, and that I was even complimented for the way I looked and performed beyond what was probably expected, was definitely a huge confidence boost for me. I couldn’t have done it without Nelly, Daloy’s project head who patiently guided me through the entire process before the show.

Shoutout as well to the other ACTM upperclassmen who were so friendly to me this school year. We may not have any pictures together, but you deserve a spot on this post nevertheless: Gella, my "boss" (hehe) who was always so patient when I asked questions and even went out of her way to say such kind words about my writing; Sam Que who made me feel like we had already known each other for so long even if we had just talked for the first time, and Ysagab who constantly reassured me that I was doing a good job even if I was looking like such a rookie.

My presence in events wasn’t limited to those of ACTM, though. I also went to the Loyola Film Circle’s Under the Stars, where I was able to see the live performances of OPM acts and watch one of my favorite chick flicks beneath the beautiful night sky. Since it took place the day after Valentine’s, I was surrounded by Ateneans and their significant others (who didn’t hold back at all when it came to publicly displaying their affection), but I didn’t even mind since I was content in the company of both my college constants and high school friends.

I dropped by Sulyap as well, which was the culminating activity of the Ateneo Heights Writers Workshop and the launch of the chapbook of their fellows. It was one of the busiest Fridays of the school year, but I still made it a point to go, because I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to be a part of something organized by my dream org, Ateneo’s premier literary publication. As much as I love my course and the people in it, I have to admit that I haven’t been able to exercise much of my creative side. So being in a room full of like-minded individuals and hearing them speak lengthily about their works and the process that brought them to life was a refreshing experience, a much-needed break from the usual routine. My personal favorite was Unica Hijas by Mikaela Regis, which revolved around a lesbian couple trying to make their relationship work despite the fact that they study in a conservative, all-girls high school - a setting which is all too familliar to me.

It’s also worth noting that I was sorta able to tick a particular item off my freshman year bucket list. And I say sorta, because… well, you’ll see. It’s been a dream of mine ever since to watch a UAAP basketball game live, show up to the arena in a bright blue shirt, cheer as loud as I can when a player makes a point and raise my fist in the air while Song for Mary plays in the background. But, even if I’m consistently in school by 6am, I was never able to get tickets - I couldn’t match the efforts of some fans, who would camp overnight just to get their hands on them. But, just when I thought there was no more chance for me to show my school pride at a match, my friend Mika offered me a free ticket to the Ateneo Lady Eagles’ volleyball match against FEU at the Filoil Arena one Wednesday. We weren’t really on speaking terms before because we were from different cliques, but after bonding over K-Pop, I saw how nice and chill of a person she actually is. So, I didn’t want to turn her down even if I was hesitant to go at first. You see, I was never a fan - in fact, I didn’t know how the game went despite the PE lessons I had back in Grade 5. (Ms. Abella, if you see this, I’m sorry.) But, it didn’t take a lot of convincing for me to agree and I ended up enjoying way more than I thought I would. Fortunately, I was able to catch on when it came to the rules of the sport: the energy of the crowd was contagious as well, and the performance of the players was way too good it was impossible not to shout either out of triumph or frustration. Once we made it to the finals against UST, I even found myself waiting for announcements on where to buy tickets. I didn’t get any though, because they were either sold out due to the ever-increasing demand (ALE fans don’t play around) or there was a conflict in schedule (hi, Enlit play).

Despite this, I streamed the last game and screamed like I was actually in the venue myself. Apologies to all our neighbors, who probably thought someone was getting killed in the house beside theirs. I was so proud when they brought home the championship after three years, I even bought a Team Ateneo shirt (it’s not that hard to guess whose name is on the back) and went to the bonfire with my friends Gwen, Julia and Lou. I had hoped to meet and take a picture with the players, but they were already far too wasted when I arrived. Like, seriously. I saw Maddie Madayag chug a whole bottle of Mule right before my eyes.

So, you could say that it was all fun and games (quite literally) for me until hell weeks eventually rolled in. Plural form intended. I found out that all my professors were just holding back every major requirement until the very last stretch of the semester. Suddenly, my schedule was chock full of presentations and final papers, comprehensive exams and extra classes that put my time management and endurance to the test. I spent many days in Matteo Down just like before, but also started going to the floor above it in case I wanted to suffer in the company of more people. The studying would only continue once I got home: I’d pull all-nighters despite my brain’s and skin’s desperate cries for help, as manifested in my worsening acne. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that stressed in my life, and it’s scary to think that that’s only the tip of the iceberg in the Ateneo.

Coping mechanisms I’ve picked up to help me deal with these unavoidable circumstances would be trying every restaurant along the Katipunan area whenever I had free time (which I will elaborate on more extensively in another blog post, so do watch out for that!) and eventually discovering Pancake House’s corned beef hash, which I love so much I once had it thrice in the span of a week. Another one would be the addition of yet another emotional support K-Pop boy to my collection. After watching My ID is Gangnam Beauty over Holy Week break, I fell in love with Cha Eunwoo and his god-tier visuals, mild demeanor, impressive English skills and heartfelt determination. This led me to binge watching reality show episodes and furiously putting the entire discography of Astro on loop. If you look at my Last.fm, you could see how Crazy Sexy Cool easily climbed to the top of my most played songs, sitting prettily at the #1 spot with over 300 plays in just a little over two months.

Although I constantly had to bear the pressure and stress on my shoulders over the past academic year, I am eternally grateful to Ateneo for equipping me with lessons both within and beyond the realm of academics that have helped me grow into someone I never imagined, but am happy to have turned into anyway. When my naive and starry-eyed self first entered college, I had such high hopes for what my experience would be and proceeded to map out the next four years of my life in accordance with the vision I had in my head. Having just broken free from the metaphorical chains of my previous school, I found it to be the perfect time to transform into a student who excelled academically, had a long and winding list of extracurricular activities and easily built a vast network of connections thanks to her pleasing and magnetic personality. If I got lucky, maybe I’d have one of those so-called “college blooms” and even get myself an actual boyfriend!

This isn’t something unique to me, I bet a lot of people entered this new stage of their lives with the same mindset so I wasn’t the only one in shock upon realizing that it doesn’t always play out that way in real life. Because of these ridiculous expectations we have implanted in our heads, that basically state that we have to be successful in everything we do and fast, we subconsciously keep ourselves from enjoying the process. In our desire to aim high and aspire for perfection in all that we do, we could end up failing to acknowledge the small yet equally important wins we gain along the way: the friend we make outside of our block despite the sheer discomfort we experience in meeting new people, or the answer we gave in class that impressed our most intimidating professor could appear minuscule when placed beside our goal of being straight-A student who’s active in seven orgs. In addition, we deprive ourselves of the allowance to make mistakes, stray from taking the detours and breaks we need to remain functional human beings and often drive ourselves to the point of fatigue and burnout. And when we are still not flourishing and thriving as planned, we fall prey to toxic comparison: we pit ourselves against others who don’t have the same background or circumstances as we do and question why our progress doesn’t match with theirs.

This is obviously such a toxic way to go about things. Talk about sucking the fun out of what’s supposed to be the four most enjoyable years of our lives. Thankfully, over time, I did some growing up, if you will, and channeled the power of acceptance - both of what I am and what I am not, and the will of God (or whichever supreme being you've placed your faith in) who meticulously planned out what’s ahead of me before I was even old enough to know what school was. I now work to the best of my ability, confident that all I have to do is put in my share of the hard work and see where it takes me, and am also more gentle with myself when I make mistakes.

On a somewhat lighter note, I’ve also been able to form my own opinions about very controversial issues on campus: an example of which would be what I think is the best CR - the answer is definitely Arete. You can’t go wrong with its triple killer combo of aircon, bidet and strong WiFi connection. The only possible downside could be the fact that there are usually a lot of people, so it’s not the best option if you’re planning on being loud and… um, smelly. The secluded and fragrant Leong Hall and ever-reliable New Lib restrooms come in second and third place respectively, while honorable mentions include the 2F Kostka CR (but only from 6:00-7:00am, when no one else is around) and this one specific stall in the Socsci building that's spacious enough that I can bring all my belongings inside with me.

Another point for discussion would be the superior place to eat on school grounds: this might cause an uproar, I’m aware, but I still believe it’s JSEC, despite the stark price difference compared to other cafeterias on campus. I was set on trying something from every stall before the school year ended, but I was too fixated on my top picks: I don’t have any regrets though. In fact, I wish I had more of the beef salpicao with calamares on the side from Casa Paella, the Superbowl from Blendabowls and The Coop fries with garlic aioli served on the side. Besides the fact that the food served is satisfying beyond measure, I enjoy the chit-chats I have with the ates and kuyas manning the stalls, who never fail to ask me how I am and tell me about the cute chinito boys they see on campus that they think I might like.

Although I can’t completely rule out Gonzaga, because of this particular stall with quality liempo and a kuya who always gives me a five peso discount. (I’ve been told he does this with girls he finds cute, but I have yet to confirm that). Also, it’s the only place on campus that I know of that sells fresh fruits by the kilo - perfect for those days when I try to convince myself to go on a diet before I relapse and binge eat at Pancake House.

A lot of people do say that ISO sisig is worth the cross-campus walk it’ll take to get there (e-jeep rides are more recommended! An experience in itself! Especially if you’re seated in the back, where there’s a constant feeling of being sucked in a vacuum! But, I digress) - it might just be a matter of preference, but I think it’s overrated. A destination that deserves more attention is the Cervini Hall cafeteria just by the university dormitories. I’ve only been there a grand total of two times so I don’t exactly have any specific favorites on the menu that I recommend, but I’d definitely still go for the homey ambience.

As for superior study places, Matteo Down has been tried and tested several times: I do prefer getting a place opposite to the entrance though, because it does get distracting having to see people enter and go out the door so often. What was supposed to be a study session often ends up becoming a game to see how many people are wearing a striped shirt today. I usually spend time on the fourth floor of the Rizal Library, and get the couch as often as I can because of the comfort (and charger) it provides.

Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to power through this year without the help of my closest friends: Sevi, Gwen, Raya and Christine. I always had this nagging fear in the back of my head that I wouldn’t be able to find a tight-knit group once I got to college, but thank you for proving me wrong. Thank you for letting me be my true self, for entertaining even my most random thoughts and for accepting all the kalat that comes with being my friend. I sincerely hope that we stay together and have more Gino’s dates in the future along with Chloe!

To Gela, Jill, Shar (and Dom, but we don’t have any pictures together except for the last one HAHAHA) - I didn’t expect at all that I’d be writing about you guys. I was so intimidated by all of you at first, because I felt like we were so different in terms of our upbringing and environment. But after getting to know you, I came to realize that you are seriously some of the most down-to-earth, chill people ever. Thank you for always providing quality chismis, volunteering to find me chinito boys to date and giving me apps to make my IG stories look cuter.

To the rest of X1, we weren’t exactly the most united and we knew that - it’s just that we were probably the most diverse out of all the groups in our batch, and with that comes clashing personalities and differing opinions and interests. But, nevertheless, I am content with the time we managed to spend together, where I was able to get to know all of you!

To the friends that I made outside of my block (and even my course), thank you for laughing at my jokes and telling me that I'm fun to talk to. Hopefully, we get to hang out more and maybe even have common classes in the future hehe

To my Enlit section, we barely spoke to one another during the first semester so I fell under the impression that you were all stoic and no fun to be with. But, I was proven wrong eventually. I wish I was able to talk to more people in LL, but to the classmates I was closest to (Dootie, Cyrah, Czarina, She and Jessa), I will never forget our side comments and mini-rant sessions. I heard we’re having another English subject come sophomore year, and I really hope I end up with you guys again.

All in all, there is no other word that could sum up the experience that was my freshman year in college better than “adventure”. It was every single emotion on the spectrum All At Once, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world - in fact, during the first half of the semester, I admit that I’d entertain thoughts of alternate universes where I’d be an Iska/Lasallista/Tomasino out of sheer curiosity, but now I just can’t imagine myself anywhere else. Anyway, enough with all that drama. I’m going back to school in three weeks to start my summer term, which we fondly (lmao) refer to as intersession. So, there’s technically nothing to miss.

Hope the rest of you enjoy the summer break that I unfortunately will not be able to experience until I graduate from college! Wishing you nothing but love and light, always.

Angel