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umbry-fic · 1 year

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Shadow to Shadows

Summary: Tabatha has never had a Dæmon.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Tabatha, Summon Spirit Martel Rating: G Word Count: 2313 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 26/08/2023

Notes: Another entry in the Dæmon AU. Mostly for me to write more Tabatha and squeeze in a bit of lore. Highly recommend that you read at least the first fic before reading this one. I didn't edit this one too much so apologies if it's messy. Was listening to Ashes of Dreams while writing this.

~~~

Tabatha did not have a Dæmon. Ever since she had first awoken in the vast emptiness of Welgaia atop a dwarf’s worktable, she had not known the companionship of a Dæmon - the constant tug at one’s essence that people leaned towards categorised as comforting. Neither, however, had she been alone. Altessa had been there to place a gentle hand on her back to help her sit up, her joints shifting smoothly with nary a protest, exquisitely crafted eyes snapping open to survey her surroundings.

A small animal that her memory banks identified as a bilby clung to the dwarf’s shoulders, both their eyes shining with pride. Aimed at her, their wonderful creation, perfect in handiwork.

His Dæmon.

Later, they would answer her halting questions as she tripped over her consonants and vowels, mouth yet unused to forming any sound. She would come to conclude that she didn’t have a Dæmon because she lacked a soul. There was none of that bright light that seemed to seep out of her creator, shared by his counterpart, both of whom were endlessly kind to her.

Perhaps that was why it was always so cold, no matter where she went or what she did. A ball of frost permanently lodged in her chest, that she assumed could only be removed when she accepted the Goddess’ soul. The radiance of Martel Yggdrasill would chase away the remnants of winter, until there was only spring.

But for now, as she wandered Welgaia, patiently awaiting her fate, it was endlessly cold.

~~~

The angels that flew about this momentous fortress with the silent flapping of wings lacked any warmth as well, even though they were alive. Despite the gold they wore and the blinding white of their wings, they seemed almost grey, much like the endless walls that twisted and turned and led in circles. They navigated the corridors with ease, as if they had the layout of the place imprinted on their minds. There was not a spark in their eyes, and she didn’t spot any Dæmons following them either.

Idly, she wondered if they were like her. But from what she’d heard, that wasn’t the case. So where was the very incarnation of their souls, which it should have been unbearable to be parted from?

Mirabelle clung to Altessa’s shoulders, always, claws digging in just a little tighter. The two were inseparable, here in Welgaia.

Little shadows flitted about in the inky darkness that wrapped around corners and stretched across ceilings, encompassing all. They disappeared when she got too close, but something within her bid her to follow them, even if more often than not she ended up losing the trail.

Eventually, after days, she stumbled into an expansive, circular room, tucked away in a forgotten corner of this comet that lay still among the stars.

If she could gasp, perhaps she would have.

The room was filled to the brim with animals of all shapes and sizes. Birds, mammals, reptiles… Any creature that one could name could be found here.

It was also utterly silent. Not a single growl, screech, or croak. No scratching of claws or talons against metal. The animals remained quiet at her entry, producing not a sound, though many had turned their gaze upon her. Yet, even more were unmoving, staring into emptiness and seeing nothing at all.

Dæmons. Something told her they must all be Dæmons, as grey as the angels they had once been bonded to. Forgotten, abandoned and left to rot. All alone, they had gathered, hoping for any semblance of the warmth they had once felt, clinging viciously to the last dregs of life even as they continued to drain. Many had lost the ability to maintain a coherent form, their bodies flickering ever so often, resembling wavering shadows. Those, she guessed, would soon disappear, their flames fully snuffed out.

Alone. She could understand that.

She sat within that silent place, the only spot of colour among monochrome, joining the room of ghosts in their vigil as they waited for death.

She said not a word, for she had nothing to offer.

~~~

“Lord Kratos,” Tabatha said, no longer stumbling over her words as she had a month ago, though her voice did not rise and fall as a person’s would.

She’d taken to visiting the lost Dæmons when she could, for reasons she was unable to elucidate. Altessa never asked where she wandered off to, only ever warned her to be careful, even if there were explicit orders not to touch her, the vessel. “There are so many forgotten corners on this blasted comet,” he’d grunted once, shaking his head, Mirabelle hidden in a pocket. “Who knows what they could be hiding.”

She’d never visited the room to find someone else already there, and certainly not one of the Four Seraphim. It had always been her, and the multitude of lost souls.

Out of the three, Lord Kratos was the one she was most familiar with. Lord Yuan slipped away the instant he could when faced with her, and she’d never met Lord Yggdrasill. Kratos had always treated her with something akin to kindness, even if he was still incredibly stiff around her.

Kratos coughed, cutting off the gentle melody that suffused every corner, his gaze searching hers. His Dæmon was nowhere to be found, but she knew Lyra could go anywhere she pleased. Perhaps she didn’t want to be here, surrounded by the reminder of what she could have been, and what she could still become. “Tabatha. I didn’t think anyone else knew this place existed.”

“What are you doing?”

He hesitated, mulling over his words. “Just humming.”

“It… was nice.”

She stayed silent after that, finding her usual spot in the room to sit, fold her hands in her lap and close her eyes. After a while, the humming started again. Steadfast but soothing - a lullaby, perhaps. It grounded the lost souls that had fled here. For just an instant, they appeared more solid, more present. And it chased away the cold mired in her chest, until she was resting in a sea of warmth.

How nice, indeed.

~~~

When one day in the future, Altessa grabbed her hand and bid her hurry, smuggling her out of Welgaia, she lost that lullaby. She traded the grey for colour, for the whites and browns of the humble home Altessa and Mirabelle built for the three of them. Instead of wandering empty halls, she learned to cook, learned how to manipulate her joints to slice apples and dice potatoes. Learned to listen to the thoughts that spilt from both Dwarf and Dæmon, an endless well of creativity that could not be stopped. Learned how to entertain the rare guests, though they were more often than not put off by the robotic girl with no Dæmon.

Sometimes, as the idyllic time stretched into decades, her thoughts returned to that grey room, She would wonder how many of those souls, shattered to the brink of no return, had slipped beyond the reach of this world.

She wondered if one day, the same would happen to her. Dwarves could live long lives as well, but Altessa would not last forever. Once he was gone, and Mirabelle crumbled to dust with him, who would take care of her? Who would gently hold her hands still and replace a part that was beginning to rust? Who would tie up her hair when it got loose so she didn’t accidentally break another knife on a stray strand? Who would teach her the way of people, so she could approximate their behaviour as best she could?

Even now, down in the world below, she was nothing more than a shadow. Most likely, she would be abandoned as well. Left to rust in the elements, until her voicebox broke down and her limbs stopped functioning, until she became nothing more than a doll.

Would her mind - or the algorithms that approximated them - survive past that point? Or would she suffer the same fate? Doomed to be unable to fade away, even as the world moved on?

~~~

The lullaby reached her ear again, decades in the future. It would likely have slipped a mortal’s mind by now, but her memory was perfect. She could still picture the corridors of Welgaia perfectly, and could paint the lifeless angels that called it home. She could recall, with perfect clarity, the scorching inferno that had been Martel Yggdrasill’s soul as it had descended into her body, and the withering blizzard it had left behind when it refused to take hold.

Lloyd hummed it as he did the dishes, Arielle weaving between his legs until she tired and rolled onto her back. He didn’t even seem to realise he was doing it, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

It put Colette at ease, some of the tension leaking from her shoulders even as she raised her hand to touch the scales that had begun to creep out of her neck and towards her cheek. A tired Pan rested on the edge of the sink, his eyes gradually closing as his body sunk into the melody.

She could still describe it only as “nice”. She told Lloyd as much, his cheeks flushing upon realising what he was doing. Colette giggled and told him to continue, while Genis, who had just emerged from the shower, wet hair dripping water onto the wooden floor, grinned and jumped right into teasing his best friend.

She didn’t question why one of the Four Seraphim and a human boy would know the same lullaby. A tune lost to time, forgotten in the same manner as the fleeting shadows that clung to the final rays of light had been.

~~~

Summon Spirits did not have Dæmons. They were not conventional creatures and did not have the same understanding of the soul. The closest may have been Fenrir, but the relationship between the hulking wolf and the Summon Spirit of Ice was difficult to quantify - it certainly didn’t seem to match whatever bond tied mortal and Dæmon together.

Martel did not have a Dæmon either. She walked the ruins of the Tower of Salvation, a tower of lies and broken dreams that had been torn down to make way for a new world of hope, and watched a sapling grow. Buds poked out from tiny brown branches, and in time, would gently unfurl into pale green leaves. A fragile tree that was trying its best to grow in a world that was still trying to find its way. She would guide and protect it as best she could, as was her role in this world.

She did not have a Dæmon, yet grey shadows gathered at the edge of the clearing that housed the Tree. Wolves padded around the perimeter, canaries roosted on the trees, and snakes slithered through the ankle-high grass.

It took them some time to gather the courage to close the distance between them until they were close enough for her to touch. For her to reach out a hand and run it through fur that had lost all shade, or feathers that were dull and lifeless. She didn’t, for even if she was a Summon Spirit, she would abide by the mortal’s laws.

These were lost souls, just like the ghosts that had viciously clung to life atop Welgaia. Likely remnants from the Human Ranches, the final screams of violent experiments that violated the very fabric of the soul.

They would fade away one day, but until then, she would tend to them, to the shadows she had once been among. They deserved that much.

So she sat on a log and told them stories sourced from the millions of spirits that resided within her. Of festivals held across both worlds, children running through the streets in joy with frosted treats in their hands. Of a sister grinning as her younger brother splashed water at her from a river, his golden hair drenched and his blue eyes sparkling. Of a mother’s gentle laughter as she bounced her son in her lap, her husband telling story after story about the stars that watched over them.

The other stories, she kept carefully hidden away. Of screaming that never left metal walls that reeked of sweat and blood. Of regret, bitter as poison. Of guilt, twisted beyond recognition and capable of reshaping the entire world.

Pain would do ghosts no good.

Others would join her, when they could, bringing little treats for the Dæmons. Wrapped matcha cakes from Mizuho, fancy candy from Meltokio, baked cookies… Sometimes, they would tell their own stories. Their happiest memories from childhood, the tiny moments of peace they had stolen on their journey, the acts of kindness that had meant the world to them.

Their Dæmons would mingle among the crowd, hoping to give comfort. They would groom, and lick, and soothe.

Over time, the oldest ones would fade, flicker, and finally disappear. Voyaging to a world beyond, one where they could no longer be hurt. Where hopefully, the mortal they had been separated from was waiting for them with open arms.

Before they vanished, Martel would ask them their name. For just as before, her memory was perfect - nothing could escape its bounds, held together by mana instead of code.

They would not be forgotten. Never again.

~~~

Sometimes, in the midst of telling another story to the lost souls milling at her feet, she would spot colour out of the corner of her eye. Almost as if light was refracting through the membrane that stretched across a butterfly’s rainbow wings, beating strongly through the air.

When she turned her head, there was always nothing there but the vast blue sky.

With a tiny smile on her face, she would drop her gaze and return to her story, melodic voice washing over the clearing.

#fanfiction #one shot #tales of symphonia #tabatha #summon spirit martel #i haven't made a twitter post but i'll do it after i stop flooding your timelines with mizuki birthday art #the dashboard fixer gave me back my beloved legacy editor

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mannatea · 1 year

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Break Open the Sky, a Tales of Symphonia ‘fic (Chapter 9)

Current Word Count: 65,066 Summary: What kind of “Hero” of Regeneration would she be to leave an infant to fend for itself? Someone had to have left it here for a reason. The question was, of course, why? But as she lifted the little thing carefully into her arms, the motion reminding her of nights so far in the past, now, the why seemed almost tragically clear: this baby was of mixed blood. Chapter Summary: Raine, Regal, and the children head to the Crestfield Orphanage. Pairing/Characters: Raine, Original Characters, will also feature Genis, Regal, and Sheena. Endgame is Regal/Raine. Extra Info: This is technically an Accidental Baby Acquisition story, but I liken it more to “Doorstep Baby” literature because it sure ain’t cute. Rating: Mature, for themes. Genre: Eventual romance, gen, family, character study.

The title is the link to Ao3 for Chapter 9! Please enjoy! 🤍

Notes are under the cut!

Reminder that Crestfield is somewhere around here on the map:

If you're wondering why I'm using the separate Tethe'alla and Sylvarant maps btw, it's because DotNW doesn't exist in my brain and I refuse to acknowledge the map used there or in Phantasia in relation to this story.

I have eventual intentions of making a nice pretty map in Photoshop someday for the way I imagine things but like, who has the time for that.

I decided to marry the words tech-birds and rheiards because I thought it might be cool that the name they started out as ends up obsolete as a desire rises up to manufacture them with a catchier name. Yuan would be sooo so big brain if he did that. I went feral imagining Regal sending a yearly note to Yuan like "sell me one plz" and Yuan just always says no (and not always politely).

This chapter gives us a bit better of a peek at Regal as an empath. At least, that was my intention.

Sorry to put you on another boat, Raine, but at least Regal is trying to reassure you a bit.

I don't know what to say about Crestfield. I wanted to paint it as a place that feels quite opposite to Hima but not necessarily for the reasons you might have expected.

I couldn't model George after his drama CD personality because he's SUCH AN ASSHOLE THERE. I like the idea of George being a bit of an asshole, like it's fine if he's classist and racist the way he was in the drama CD, but it still has to make sense that Regal would value George's opinion and trust him to run the company in his absence after everything that happened.

I know a lot of people let Regal blame George for Alicia's death, and plenty of folks wonder why Regal doesn't take his anger/etc out on George, but the point of Regal's character is not the guilt he feels but rather his capacity for caring and for feeling things. Literally everything about this man screaaaams "empath" to me and I think he was too busy bearing the brunt of the responsibility of Alicia's death himself to ever fully blame George (who did apologize most sincerely in the game).

Also, Regal isn't stupid. George might have helped the tragedy along in the game, but that's all he did. To compare, in the drama CD he's outright a scumbag about it, saying things like Alicia poisoned Regal's mind and he had to fire her for it (+ outright hating poor people and helping Regal's father pay off/put pressure on voters). We also can't really forget that, completely separate of George, Presea's experiment was a success. You know they were going to get their hands on Alicia one way or another. George wasn't that big of a player in the event happening and I think Regal would know that, especially after the game events.

(Someday I might give my thoughts on the drama CD alone, but for now just trust me on it if you haven't listened to it.)

Anyway, George mostly means well in this one. He doesn't understand everything but he does want Regal to be happy.

I really felt compelled to make it clear that Regal knows Raine can't really take advantage of him (because he's the privileged one in their relationship and she's got a good heart), but understands fully that he could take advantage of her easily and feels yucky about it.

It kind of goes back to George, who so easily assumes Raine would be the one taking advantage in this scenario (because he is a racist and classist little shit, but in this house people are allowed to Grow) even though Regal is the one with the power.

Two and a half weeks it is. Will Raine reach a decision by then? Stay tuned next week to fiiiind outtttt.

#tales of symphonia #regal bryant #raine sage #regal x raine #mannafics

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kitkatt0430 · 1 year

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i have officially been sucked into Tears of the Kingdom. Any willpower to finish out Symphonia first died the moment I had the chance to save and quit to 'test it out'. That said, I'm just gonna have to swap between the two games because I do want to finish my Symphonia replay.

TotK spoilers next

So I like that TotK gives a reason why Link's been nerfed once the game 'really' begins. So after the prologue beneath the castle, it makes sense why Link's down to his three hearts/default stamina ring when he wakes up again. Admittedly, there are other things not making sense but I'm going with 'Zelda stole Link's clothes' and 'Rauru's hand flew Link up to the sky before merging with him'.

I did kind of feel like the awakening in the sky was a little too much of a parallel to his awakening in Breath of the Wild. I guess this Link just does that now. It's his thing. Waking up naked but for his underwear in strange, ancient temples and then hanging out with a ghost who is mostly non judgmental about Link's state of undress. *snicker*

I like the new powers. Fusing is super useful, rewind is also super useful, and the ascend power is pretty awesome too. I am wondering why we've got a knock off Sheikah Slate - the Purah Pad - but hopefully if I seek out Purah later that'll get explained. And despite not having the Sheikah Slate's special abilities, the Purah Pad seems like it's still pretty useful - still has the map, camera, and warp abilities, I'm assuming I'll unlock a sensor and item glossary later - so it compliments the new source of Link's special abilities quite well.

I've done 4 shrines thus far - I was hopeful that maybe the Temple of Time would be a starter dungeon, but nope. I'm hoping for more actual non-shrine dungeons as I get further into the game and that they're bigger and more complicated than what BotW had. The shrines are interesting mini-dungeons and I do enjoy having lots of those. But there's something really satisfying about a proper Zelda dungeon that the shrines don't quite manage to embody.

Anyway, I only really went as far as completing the training ground and then making a splashdown in Hyrule. So tomorrow I'll start checking out my old BotW stomping grounds and, hopefully, starting to re-fill in that map.

There have been a lot of references to previous games in the series already. Rauru has shown up in the past, previously as the Sage of Light in Ocarina of Time. Now he's a Zonai ,the previous, uh... owner... of Link's new hand, and our latest ghost friend who apparently got to know Zelda during Link's most recent long nap. Zelda geeked out over the Zonai ruins beneath the castle which included depictions of the Imprisoning War, which has been mentioned in previous games though unless it's Skyward Sword (i don't really think so) i can't remember which (so many wars as backstory in these games). The Demon King is depicted as well - Ganondorf, of course, who shows up just a little further down in the caves.

The ruins in the sky is itself a reference both to Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess, where people lived on floating islands. The bird shaped gliders remind me a bit of the Loftwings - miss those guys, such loyal and kind birds...

As far as old enemies made new go, Like Likes are back and as unsettling as ever. I'm just glad they don't make the weird squelching noise I associate with the OoT/MM version of these things.

#tears of the kingdom #totk spoilers #kitkatt0430 rambles #just talking about the game a bit

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siverwrites · 2 years

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Game Log 2022

And here's how that game log for 2022 went. I had changed things up from previous years with three lists. The main To Play, knock 5 off my To Play itch.io collection and continuing with my journey through Dragon Quest.

To Play:

Disco Elysium (PC, GOG)*

The Messenger (PC, Epic)*

Ara Fell (PC, Steam)

Forgotton Anne (PC, Steam)

Machinarium (PC, Steam)

Moon: Remix RPG Adventure (Switch)

The Night of the Rabbit (PC, Steam)

Persona 4 Golden (PC, Steam)

Primordia (PC, Steam)

Wandersong (PC, Steam)

Book of Travels (PC, Steam)*

Metroid Dread (Switch)

Toem (Switch)

Tangle Tower (PC, Steam)

Later Alligator (PC, Steam)

Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch)

FAR: Changing Tides (Switch)

Sea of Stars (PC or Switch) (Removed for delay)

Return to Monkey Island (Switch)

Knock at least 5 10 games off the To Play collection on itch.io (complete or retire)

10mg: SNAAAK

A Bird’s Tale

a garden on the sea

A Good Snowman is Hard to Build

Anodyne

Astrologaster

ᗢ

Baba is You

Backbone

Beasts of Maravilla Island

Book of Eos

Button City

Bug Favor

by constellation

Celeste (Removed)

Chalk Gardens

Chook & Sosig: Walk the Plank

Cloud Gardens

Coffee Talk

Cookie’s Bakery

CrossCode

Eselmir and the Five Magical Gifts

Fairy Song

Falling Awake

Friendly Fire

Get In The Car, Loser!

Hidden Folks

How We Got Here

inbento

Little Mouse’s Encyclopedia

Lonely People Potion Shop

Mable And The Wood

miniNATURA

Minit

Momodora II

Monkey Warp

Moon Hunters

Night in the Woods

Nonsense at Nightfall

OneShot

Papersaurus

Panmorphia

Pendula Swing – The Complete Journey

Pillars of Dust

Quench

Rusty Lake Hotel

Satan Loves Cake

Semblance

shrubnaut

Signs of the Sojourner

Spring Falls

Star Surveyor

Symphonia

Tales Across Time

Tales from Windy Meadow

Tenderfoot Tactics

the bell shrine

The King’s Bird

The Old City of High Walls

The Search

The Stillness of the Wind

The Sweater Thief

The Tale of the Cartographer

Underhero

Where the Snow Settles

Wonderflower

Ynglet

Dragon Quest:

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation (DS)*

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS)*

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (3DS)*

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)**

*Has been started before or currently playing (note I have played DQ VIII before but on PS2) **Replay

Currently Playing:

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS)

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN, emulated)

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (PC, Steam)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 3rd (Steam)

Pokémon Violet (Switch)

Chained Echoes (Steam)

–

Finished:

January:

Later Alligator (PC, Steam)

TOEM (Switch)

Disco Elysium (PC, GOG)

Nonsense at Nightfall (PC, itch.io)

February:

shrubnaut (PC, itch.io)

the bell shrine (browser, itch.io)

The Sweater Thief (browser, itch.io)

a garden on the sea (PC/browser, itch.io)

Papersaurus (PC/browser, itch.io)

Bug Favor (browser, itch.io)

March:

Cloud Gardens (PC, itch.io)

inbento (PC, itch.io)

Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster (PC, Steam)

10mg: SNAAAK (PC, itch.io)

Disco Elysium (PC, GOG)**

April:

The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition (PC, Steam)

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge (PC, Steam)

The Curse of Monkey Island (PC)

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation (DS)

May:

Tangle Tower (PC, Steam)

Pokémon Snap 64 (N64, emulated)

FAR: Changing Tides (Switch)

June:

Chrono Trigger (SNES, emulated)

She and the Lightbearer (PC, Steam)

Sorcery! Part 1 (PC, Steam)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC (PC, Steam)

July:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

This is a black parallelepipedon in a yellow field (browser, itch.io)

Tales of Monkey Island (PC, Steam)

The Secret of Monkey Island (PC, Steam)

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge (PC, Steam)

The Curse of Monkey Island (PC)

Hidden Folks (PC, itch.io)

A Bird’s Tale (PC, itch.io)

Crash/Impact/Contact (browser, itch.io)

August:

Everything is Garbage (PC, itch.io)

Trapped with Jester (browser, itch.io)

Late Night Talks (browser, itch.io)

Celeste 2 Classic: Lani’s Trek (PC, itch.io)

Satan Loves Cake (PC, itch.io)

Sort the Court (browser, itch.io)

ᗢ (PC, itch.io)

Wonderflower (PC, itch.io)

Mimi’s Delivery Dash (PC, itch.io)

Burly Men at Sea (PC, Steam)

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (PC, Steam)

September:

Return to Monkey Island (Switch)

Persona 4 Golden (PC, Steam)

October:

Final Fantasy X (PS2)

November:

Donkey Kong Country (SNES, 3DS Virtual Console)

Baba Is You (PC, itch.io)

Symphonia (PC, itch.io)

Live A Live (Switch)

King’s Quest: Quest for the Crown (PC, GOG)

December:

Hot Pot Panic (PC, itch.io)

◫ (browser, itch.io)

Solomon’s Box (browser, itch.io)

King’s Quest II: Romancing the Thrown (PC, GOG)

Sisão (browser, itch.io)

beachcombing (browser, itch.io)

King’s Quest III: To Heir is Human (PC, GOG)

Nothing to Say (browser, itch.io)

Cookie’s Bakery (gameboy emu, itch.io)

Resonance of the Ocean (PC, itch.io)

Towerbag (browser, itch.io)

Mario Party 2 (NSO)

King’s Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella (PC, GOG)

2023 Log

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thorinoakenbutt · 9 months

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I've talked about this a little on Twitter but it made me SO happy to unlock Temperance back in ShB days. I use a lot of wind/bird imagery with my WoL, E'andhris, so to suddenly have an ability that makes him sprout BIG, SHINY MAGIC WINGS was a delight (not least of all because I was obsessed with Tales of Symphonia as a teenager lol)

I've been rotating a WIP fic in my head lately about how nicely WHM's ability progression ties into ShB as well. Like we already had Holy and the Lost City of Amdapor (Hard) especially hammered home that white mage's holy magic is heavily Light aspected. But unless you're overleveled, which is easy to do, you probably hit level 72 and unlock Dia and Glare during the first ShB dungeon which is also when the WoL absorbs their first Lightwarden.

ShB was also when the job teachers were dropped so it could be argued that all lvl 71+ abilities are ones that the WoL figures out all on their own. It was such a brilliant move to have a WHM WoL lean more heavily into Light magic in a world where the overwhelming element would be Light since they draw their magic from the environment/nature spirits.

The peak of this was, in my opinion, Temperance. I hit level 80 before Mt Gulg while running around with the Exarch and IMAGINE how he may have felt watching the WoL pop their wings for the very first time. He's pinned his entire plan around the WoL being able to contain the Light until the very last one but he knows they're struggling. Imagine how terrified he'd be watching them sprout wings of Light and assume the worst before realizing oh. No, that's just magic. What the fuck

#ffxiv #shadowbringers #Olivia plays ffxiv #E'andhris Tia #white mage

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petit-cottage · 5 years

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Symphonia of Birds: nyan19cat

#Symphonia of Birds #Little Birds Symphonia #Angelic Pretty #Lolita #Lolita Fashion

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lolly-prince · 6 years

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°･* Little Symphonia of Birds *･°

#angelic pretty #lolita fashion #lolita style #dress #little symphonia of birds #blue #pink #white #my gifs

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flamingredanon · 3 years

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Welcome to my little Tumblr blog here, my name is FlamingRedAnon but you can call me Lizzy as well. I'm autistic, go by she/her, am a panromantic ace and my B-Day is May 30th.

My main fandom is The Henry Stickmin Collection currently, but I also enjoy Megaman (especially the X series including Command Mission), Castlevania, Shovel Knight, Mario especially the various RPG series, the Tales of series but especially Symphonia, Vesperia, Abyss and the two Xillias, lots of older animes and I enjoy things like birds, wings, vampires and some musicals like Cats and Phantom of the Opera.

I can also be found on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, and AO3 going by FlamingRedAnon as well, and I currently have a comic blog about my Fantasy AU over at @thscfantasyau and my multi ship blog is @lizzysthscshipsblog and when writing requests open back up they will be found on a side blog for everyone's sanity (aka this will be edited to show said blog when the time comes)

I am not currently taking THSC art requests.

Also proshippers can kindly go elsewhere as you are not welcomed here.

Anyone can take any ideas, AUs or ramblings you see on my blog and make your own stuff with it, I am ok with comic/content dubs as long as credit is given and my ask box is always open.

My art and writing however are off limits to any type of AI.

---

And here is a list of some (not ship focused) AUs I have, which are written underneath here so the pinned post isn't too long, and apologies in advance for some of the AUs not having names

(WIP at the moment)

Toppat Galeforce AU, a story where Galeforce was a spy in the Toppat Clan during Terrence's reign, but decides to stay with the Toppats and become leader after dethroning Reginald, who had just dethroned Terrence minutes before.

Galeforce ropes in Dmitri Petrov (and maybe even Misha) as his second and now has to deal with a pissed off Government because of the betrayal and the duo of Reginald and Terrence (think Team Rocket shenanigans)

Vampire Trio AU, formally known as the Vampire AU, stories about the Toppat Coven and the current vampire lord and his lovers, Lord Reginald Copperbottom, Right Handman Galeforce and Henry Stickmin, dealing with balancing peace with the Red Mesa village, Dmitri Petrov and his Vampire Hunters and keeping their fellow vampires safe.

There is a darker bad end of the AU featuring Reginald going by Fallen Reginald, getting revenge on anyone that could be held responsible for the deaths of Henry and Right while trying to find some way to go back in time to try to save them.

A Darkened Left Hand AU or ADLH for short, a darker story about Revenged going wrong for Henry and him getting rewired to becoming a Toppat weapon known as Left Hand Man, the story bouncing between Left and the Toppats, Charles Calvin and his band of comrades known as the Rescue Team who want to save Henry, and the Government who want to stop the Toppats at any cost.

(note that any posts that deal with the weapon Left will also be tagged with the ADLH AU tag while the OC Left will not have such tags)

Timeline Wilford AU, a story of Sir Wilford IV having timeline powers but things going wrong because of trying to force a new choice, leaving him void bound untill a chance meeting with a young man named Henry Stickmin with his own timeline powers lets him be able to go back and forth from the void.

Now Wilford tries his best to teach Henry about what he knows so that Henry avoids making the same mistake that left him void bound, slowly catching up with what he had missed after disappearing and hoping that one day he would be free from his punishment.

Wall Ellie AU, a story about Ellie Rose Petrov, daughter of Dmitri Petrov, who sets up the whole event of Toppat Civil War and has almost the entirety of the Toppats locked up after sabotaging the rocket launch, minus Henry and the Good Gents and technically Reginald and Right.

Henry now has to figure out a way to rescue everyone from the Wall and deal with the frozen rose herself.

(Currently has multiple paths which includes Ellie dying, Dmitri dying in Ellie's place and Henry needing to come up with a plan with just his Good Gents)

Unknown AU name yet, but the story is about a Toppat King Henry with timeline powers, currently being haunted by the ghosts from three past bad timelines, a Jewel Baron Henry who goes by The Baron or JB, Free Man Right Hand Man who goes by Fright, and Revenged Reginald or just Rev.

Ruby Wilford AU, a smaller story about Sir Wilford IV getting his strength from the cursed Romanian Ruby, with Terrence and Reginald accidentally finding out this secret one night and the chaos that happens afterwards.

Henry is Terrence AU, multiple ideas and stories about Henry Stickmin actually being Terrence Suave himself, sometimes because of amnesia or just making a new identity for himself, with his paths either helping the Toppats and atoning for his bad leadership, joining the Government and carving out a new path in life, or getting revenge on the Toppats or even Reginald for being dethroned.

Right Hand Man Green AUs based off of RHMG, darker stories featuring Charles Calvin's failed attempt at trying to run off with evidence about Right being Green, getting turned into a fellow Toppat Killer cyborg called Charlie and the reverb that has with the story, or of Toppat Killer Copper, formally known as Reginald Copperbottom who fell for Galeforce's and Dr. V's trick and was promptly captured without most other Toppat not knowing what happened.

(I may expand on those later and give both stories a happier ending)

Breaking the Cycle AU, an Ending the Cycle AU that features Henry getting tired of all the loops and deciding to take over the mysterious Pocket Watch Clan, with some help from Charles and Right.

After Henry becomes the new Father Time and explains everything to Right and Charles, the three friends work to not just end the timeline cycle, but break it and each creating their own timelines, not knowing that power can corrupt goals and cause even more trouble.

Not quite a complete Adventure Time AU but has a few of the same themes, a story of Terrence Suave slowly losing himself to his timeline powers and becoming Gadget Gabe and of Randy Radman joining the CCC to try to save Terrence from his chaos no matter the cost.

Sword Henry AU, a story about Henry wielding the Biggol Sword and getting revenge on Reginald Copperbottom and the Toppat Elites on behalf of his father, Terrence Suave. Lots of sword fighting ensues.

CCC Experiments AU, an AU that features Terrence, Right and Reginald being escaped CCC experiments with different types of chaos powers, joining the Toppat Clan and figuring out things while hiding their abilities so that they aren't found out.

Henry Petrov AU, a story that was originally about Henry being Dmitri's son that was kidnapped as a child and the two reuniting after Special Brovert Ops but then changed to Henry growing up in the Wall and eventually teaming up with the Government (with Dmitri's cautious permission) to find out the person that killed his mother years ago.

Wall Revenged AU (not the exact title) is an AU where Dmitri and the Wall staff save Henry after Betrayed instead of Dr V, offering him, Wilhelm Krieghaus, Sureshot Sherman and Ahnoldt Schwarz a place among the Wall as bounty hunters, as long as they help the Wall take down the Toppats.

With Reginald having betrayed everyone in some way, they all accept, leading to quite the different face off at the Dogobogo Jungle.

Government Reginald AU, a story of Reginald Copperbottom being a Government spy

#mod lizzy speaks #pinned post #because a clearer one needed to be done for awhile

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darkhymns-fic · 3 years

Text

With the Morning Light (07)

Lloyd and Colette get caught in a storm - and Colette's angel senses gets the best of her.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Lloyd Irving/Colette Brunel Rating: G Word Count: 1332 Mirror Link: AO3 Notes: Part of a series of short stories about Lloyd and Colette’s journey to gather the Exspheres.

-Storm and Sound-

The rain had been a sudden thing - a low crashing of thunder across what had been a sunbeam-streaked sky, the very sound making them both stop in their tracks on the dirt road. Lloyd craned his head, shadowing his eyes with his right hand. "A storm already?"

As an answer, the raindrops fell into his open mouth.

Colette felt a little guilty that she giggled at the sight, seeing Lloyd's face scrunch up as the rain hit his throat. But then there was the downpour, as if they had gone underneath a waterfall. She shivered, her now damp hair sticking to both her cheeks and her neck. Another crash of thunder, making the birds within the bushes nearby flutter out in fright.

She blinked in realization. “Oh no, our food!” Then reaching behind her back to tighten up her satchel a bit more. It wasn’t the worst to eat a soggy sandwich, but also not the most pleasant. The last time there had been such heavy rain, both their maps and gels had stuck together, the water having snuck inside their packs. A sharp gust of wind blew, making her squeak.

"Agh, just when there's no inns nearby," Lloyd complained. He tried covering his head, but the rain had already soaked his hair, dragging down the ribbons of his jacket, so drenched they were. His own satchel was already double-knotted, though its weight on him was heavy, she knew. "That lady said it was supposed to be sunny today, too!"

Colette paused. “You mean the fortune teller? But we left Triet two weeks ago…”

It was getting harder to speak, the rain so constant that she could only see Lloyd as if he was just behind some warped glass. But then he reached for her hand, his glove damp and water-logged. But she held back, all as she kept her pack to her chest.

“She said that we would have really nice days for this week! Or… did she mean last week?” Another thunderclap drowned him out, and so he hurried them out of the field, away from the roads that turned to mud and muck. The boughs of thick trees lowered from the pouring rain, leaves dripping the water even more onto their heads.

No inns, no Houses of Salvation, the next town miles off, and she knew that trying to fly a Rheaird through such weather would be dangerous. They were fully caught in the storm.

Colette saw the clouds gather, but still the sun shone bright through a break in-between them. She watched their travel, hearing the drops fall against the branches in intricate patterns, hearing the shuffling of a fox darting across the tree roots to reach its burrow beneath. How its paws made soft, whispered hushes against the wet wood. How the rain plunked against a fallen log far to her right. How Lloyd’s boots crunched the grass beneath, making imprints in them, but still leaving them whole.

Oh. She had raised her hearing without meaning to.

The soft fall of a raindrop hitting their shoulders, the tree branches creaking above them as they tried to hurry out from under them. She even picked up the flapping of a dove’s wings, flying away from the cliffside that they were heading for, the outcropping of rock promising them a bit of shelter from the rain. The sounds were everywhere, and she kept reaching for it, to be surrounded in this storm with Lloyd beside her.

Sometimes, Colette continued to make mistakes.

Another loud crash of thunder – and Colette fell to her knees, the sound so painful it made her forget her steps, made her head just ache terribly. Her bones thrummed from the noise.

“Colette!” Lloyd knelt beside her. His hand brushed aside the hair from her ear. “Is it…?”

“Y-yeah,” Colette admitted with shame. “I forgot…again.”

If there was any scolding in his eyes, she couldn’t see – literally. Lloyd’s hair was so thoroughly soaked that it fell across the top of his face. He tried to shake his hair away, reminding her of a wet dog, and just the thought of that made the pain go away, slightly.

“Here, careful,” he told her, hands on her arms, guiding her steps as she tried to keep herself from swaying. “If you need to, you can turn it all the way down, can’t you?”

She could. Kratos had told her how to control her hearing with her Exsphere. It had been just before he left, admitting to her the tricks of shutting off his hearing when he did not want to hear a certain conversation.

But, even so, she liked the sounds of the rain.

The shelter by the cliff was small, but they could finally set their packs aside. Colette’s own was tucked further against the rock wall, so that no more rain could sneak in and soak what was left of their bread. Lloyd simply placed his own by a corner. The top had finally opened slightly from the tangled drawstrings, and she could see the shiny surfaces of what they collected inside. Perhaps the Exspheres were also experiencing rain for the very first time.

Lloyd was beside her again, hands placed gently over her ears, having taken off his soaked gloves. “Here, how about this?” he asked her. “Since I know you still haven’t turned it down.”

His palms were a little damp, and through them, she could feel him shiver from the chill. She smiled. “Sorry. I still want to be able to hear you.”

“Well… I don’t wanna talk too loud and it hurts you, you know?”

Oh, how she wanted to tell him that his voice, even in the worst of her angel affliction, had never pained her, had been the only thing to calm her. But she was distracted, seeing how he tried once again to move his sopping wet hair away from his face with a head shake. Still, it stayed over his eyes.

She giggled. He sighed. “The rain always does this to me.”

Colette reached out with her own hands, moving a few wet locks away. “Your hair is so fuzzy. It probably just likes having a bath.”

“You make it sound like I don’t wash my hair…”

She laughed again, leaning into his touch. “But a shower from the rain is different.” A finger tugged away another brown lock, and finally she could see the eyes hiding away. Familiar. Had there been as much rain in the previous year? Would she have seen the resemblance then? “And it feels nice, doesn’t it?”

In their journey, there had always been little surprises like this from the weather. But there was something about now, with the rain still falling through the trees. The bravery in doing this for him, seeing how the rain tugged at his jacket to nearly fall away at his neck. Her own touch against the shell of his ear, and-

Well, if she hadn’t kept her hearing up, she might have not heard the soft sound in his throat just then.

But like that, it quickly passed. If she had seen his flush, she kindly kept it to herself. If she had seen the nearly imperceptible way he leaned towards her, she didn’t say a word. Because some things would just occur, and she didn’t want to question their occurrences or their meanings. She wanted to accept them as they were; like the rain, the ache in her ears, and the texture of his hair against her hands.

Lloyd smiled with her, letting one hand fall away, but only one. His thumb brushed against her ear too. “Only a dork like you would like getting caught in the rain.”

She tilted her head. “So you don’t like that then?”

“Hm, didn’t say that.” His grin was wide, a few stray hairs still over his face. She liked that he kept them there. “But, it’s fun with you.”

She could hear the rain whisper as it fell.

#tales of symphonia #colette brunel #lloyd irving #colloyd #fanfiction #multi chap

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yggdrasil-mith0s · 4 years

Text

Tales of Symphonia is one of the most common answers I get when I ask "What was your first Tales of game?"

It's usually followed by "I didn't finish it my first time" or "I finished it but kind of forgot about it and didn't realize how good the story was."

Most of those people fell in love with the Tales of series through a different game than Symphonia even though Symphonia was their first Tales of game.

While this is okay, a lot of them also state that Symphonia is one of their favorite games in the series.

I have a theory on this and I want to lay it out. So... I will. Here is why I think Symphonia was a lot of people's first Tales game but wasnt the one that made them love the series.

First off, age. Destiny and Eternia (Tales of Destiny 2 in NA) were the only western releases before Symphonia. Destiny was released in 1998 and a lot of people weren't quite old enough to fully play through it all grasp the seriousness of the game and story. Those that were old enough probably weren't too excited about the gameplay and battle system which was mostly turn base at that time. It seemed weird, a little stiff, and a bit clunky at times. A lot of people didnt like that and the challenge it brought. It was also the first in the series (second ever) to reach the west. It had no fanbase and the internet wasn't exactly there like it is now.

Tales of Destiny II came out Seltember 10, 2001. That's right. One day before the Twin Towers fell, Tales of Destiny II was released.

Okay, I have to stop. It's Eternia. I hate they called it Destiny 2 in the west. Lol. I am going to say Eternia from now on.

Tales of Eternia had almost no good advertising for it's western release and the status of 9/11 brought about some weird thing where people only remember the towers and not much else going on. That being said, Eternia wasn't all that great and there were other things to be hyped about.

Namco thought that naming it Tales of Destiny II would be enough advertising since Destiny did pretty good in the west. The only problem is... they literally didn't do almost any advertising. They kind of just threw it out there to the west with minimal effort. A big mistake in my opinion but it sold enough to try the western market at least one more time.

Now it's on to Symphonia' release!!!

So here is the main part to my theory on why a lot of people begin with Symphonia but never finish or it takes a different game to love the series. This whole theory is more based on people 32ish and under.

It's because the beginning of Symphonianis bright, vibrant, and childish. I think people started it expecting some awesome adventure with a darker undertone than what we got in the first hour or the game. It takes a long time to get to the boss in the fire temple. There is one fight with humans. After that you fight bunnies and birds. Yep. You're supposed to be on a big adventure to regenerate the world and you fight bunnies, birds, and snakes at the start lol.

Also, your protagonists are children with two adults. Raine does make the situation better with her history enthusiasm but Kratos is kind of boring tbh. The cast is kind of dull at the start. They are immature (naturally) and fight bunnies lol. I digress when it comes to their decisions with the start to an otherwise epic, monumental game.

Symphonia was released in North Amarica July 13, 2004. Also, Final Fantasy was dominating the JRPG market and FFX was released a year prior and FF X came out just before 2002 and that's is arguably one of it's best games, mainly among FF/JRPG newbies. FF X-2 entering NA during December the same year (2004). Final Fantasy XI was kind of a disaster but it was there as well. Crystal Chronicles was a Final Fantasy game released in 2004 that was a multiplayer and kind of a 3D battle system (in a weird, "step outside the circle and you will die" kind of way).

There are a few other games that took attention away from Symphonia such as Drakengard. Drakengard got a bunch of advertisements that year. It was everywhere. I bought it abs remember thinking how amazing the gameplay and graphics were. It was one of those "test the limits, build an amazing story, and show off current gen capabilities" games.

Drakengard took up time. People had both saved to the memory card. A lot of people played both and sometimes never finished Symphonia or half assed paid attention.

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time was released. Star Ocean was a hit in the west and everyone waited forever for the new Star Ocean (TEOT). It finally came that year and Square Enix knew the west had been waiting forever for a new Star Ocean. Square Enix had the big name in the JRPG and did a beautiful advertising job.

All that being said, Tales of Symphonia is finally released. The gameplay and story were amazing. Word of mouth helped out. Couch co op existed and the 2 player option was actually fun. The second player felt way more involved and could move around during battle and at the time, a co op JRPG of that caliber didnt really exist. It drew some people in. Siblings could play an RPG together and it was actually a really good game with an amazing story and combat system.

Namco also advertised Symphonia and learned their lesson that name alone wasn't enough in the west. They had full page ads in Nintendo Power. They advertised it in EB Games (Electronic Boutique, AKA, Gamestop before Gamestop bought them). They actually advertised it very well. I think it was because Star Ocean advertisements were out there and that was their big competitor for that release (they had to beat that before they could step to FF even though SO and FF are both owned by SE).

So... I think the flurry of all these things created one of the best games of all times. However, all the other games surrounding it and what led up to it created a storm.

A storm that had almost everyone play it at some point.... but not realize it's a series. Having played it they eventually come across another Tales game and buy it or play it. Quickly they think "oh... that's a series? I played that. Oh... this looks good actually."

Thus.... we have a reason why so many people have ToS as their first Tales game, admit it's one of the best in the series, but then tell you it's not why they love the series lol.

Thanks for reading my essay. There is more but tbh I spent way too much time as it is and wrote out way too much. I highly doubt anyone is even going to read all this or be interested but here it is. My stupid, useless theory.

#tales of #tales of series #jrpg #tales of games #tales games #bamco #tales series #tales #rpg #bandai namco

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umbry-fic · 2 years

Text

Twilight Skies

Summary: Wtih Zelos' kind help, Colette takes Lloyd on a Corviknight taxi ride.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Colette Brunel, Lloyd Irving, Noishe Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving Rating: G Word Count: 3463 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 13/06/2022

Notes: Written for Colloyd Week Day 5: AU/Crossover. A Pokémon AU fluff fic! Noishe is a Stoutland and this takes place in Galar.

Corviknight taxi date :)

~~~

“Tada!” Bouncing up and down on Noishe’s back, Colette gestured at the attraction they’d be riding for the evening - a Corviknight taxi, the titular bird standing beside the vehicle. Wings tucked neatly by its side, head proudly raised towards the sky, curved beak pointing towards the canopy, its metallic body catching the light of the luminescent mushrooms that lit up Ballonlea, sprouting up all around them. Ready to carry the carriage in its talons and take off into the skies, giving its passengers the best of experiences.

Comfey agreed with her enthusiasm, showing its support by lifting off her head to do a merry spin, the tufts atop its head wobbling from the motion. It settled back into its favourite position on her head with a small chirp, lazily sideways and so still that most wouldn’t even know it was alive, perfectly camouflaging as a colourful flower crown, permanently adorning her hair. Even Yamper, safely hugged in her arms and fast asleep, opened one eye to give a yip of assent and wiggle its limbs in the air, before promptly falling back into slumber.

“We’re going… in that?” Lloyd muttered, sitting in front of her with his hand resting between Noishe’s ears, eyeing the carriage warily. With a rough bark, the Stoutland began to run a circle around it, allowing them to take in every detail. The glass windshield, the headlights and license plate, the plush violet seats, the massive spotlights of the nearby Ballonlea gym illuminating it all. And the driver, wearing the usual aviator’s outfit with his goggles pushed up on his forehead, standing still as a statue alongside his Pokémon, saying not a word under Lloyd’s scrutiny. A carbon copy of every other driver she’d seen. Perhaps they were somehow all… in the same family?

“I don’t see what’s wrong. You ride Charizards in Alola, don’t you? And we rode Noishe to get here!” she replied, turning so her side was pressed against Lloyd’s back. Kicking her feet in the air, the bracelet of sea glass, blue and green and white jagged shapes, jangling against each other. He’d mentioned countless times, in the letters he’d sent to her over the years, the various shenanigans he’d gotten up to while riding a Pokémon.

“But that’s when you’re on a Pokémon’s back,” he protested, waving wildly, his Z-Ring sliding against his wrist, the white Normalium-Z set into its centre. “Not being carried around like fruit in a basket! What if it drops us?”

What was the difference, between sitting on a Pokémon’s back and riding in a carriage carried by Pokémon? She didn’t quite get it, but she supposed Lloyd had only ever done the first, having spent so many years in Alola completing the Island Challenge, where Ride Pokémon were the norm. He likely wasn’t used to the idea of the second.

“It’s perfectly safe!” she explained, hoping to assuage his fears. “I’ve ridden these for years, sometimes across the entirety of Galar, and I’ve never even heard of anyone being dropped. The drivers are all really nice, and so are the Corviknights! Have a little more faith in them, won’t you?”

The driver flashed a grin, snapping to attention and giving them a thumbs up.

“And Zelos was so kind to organise all of this for us. I don’t want his efforts to go to waste. So please, Lloyd?” she pleaded, clasping her hands together, imploring.

Zelos had sought her out after a day of fulfilling work taking care of the Pokémon in the nursery. Telling her all about what he’d organised, a mischievous grin playing on his face while Sheena had groaned in the background and hidden her face behind the counter. Apart from the spectacle of their gym battles and the Dynamax Pokémon that decimated the field, Corviknight taxis were the speciality of Galar. Everyone should experience them at least once in their life, and since Lloyd was new here, this was the perfect opportunity!

Zelos had done so much for them, and she didn’t want to disappoint him. Or Sheena. The two of them would surely corner her tomorrow when she reported for her shift, asking how things had gone. For some reason, they’d been really interested in everything she and Lloyd did, ever since he’d arrived in Galar.

She didn’t want to have to tell them that the plan had fallen through…

“Well,” Lloyd sighed, folding his hands behind his head, having lost the battle long before it had even begun, the tips of his ears flushed. “If you say it’s safe, then I trust you.”

“Thanks!” She hugged him from behind, smiling against his shoulder, happiness warming her heart. Comfey hummed, procuring a flower out of nowhere in its usual mysterious ways, tucking it behind Lloyd’s ear and making him sputter as the driver’s jovial laughter filled the air behind them.

It took a while for them to actually get into the carriage, for Noishe had to be returned to his Pokeball. There was no way the bulky Stoutland would be able to fit in the carriage - at least, not without squashing the both of them and leaving his head to hang out of the window. A shame, for she knew the view from up in the sky was incredible. With many an apology from Lloyd and hugs around the neck from her, Noishe was consumed in a beam of red light that disappeared into a Pokeball, the lid snapping shut.

Once that was done, there was nothing left to do but head for the skies.

“Come on!” She grabbed his hand and ran towards the carriage, the two of them tumbling into the backseat with Lloyd nearly falling atop her, their fingers threaded together.

She stared up at him, Yamper hugged to her chest, Comfey having been dislodged to float next to her, chirping in amusement. This close, she could count each individual eyelash, his eyelids fluttering open and closed, silence growing between them. His skin tanned from the Alolan sun, having not yet faded in foggy Galar, the soft light of the mushrooms filtering in through the window of the carriage and falling upon the both of them, breaking up the gloom. Heat crept up her neck, her voice dying in her throat as her fingers tightened on Yamper’s yellow fur, a soft whine escaping it.

“Off we go!”

The upbeat voice of the driver, the shake of the carriage and the clunk of the Corviknight’s talons hooking into the bar attached to the top of the carriage snapped the two of them back into action. Quickly untangling herself, she scrambled to the far side of the taxi, heart thudding away, gaze fixed on the floor as they took off with a screech from the Corviknight.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, not knowing what else to say, depositing Yamper onto the seat next to her and nervously rubbing her knees.

The inside of the carriage smelled like Roselia petals and the ever familiar scent of Comfeys and Floettes, floating about happily in the fields of spring. The seat cushions were so soft she sunk into them.

“Come on!” The tug of Lloyd’s fingers on her sleeve drew her over to his side of the carriage, the infectious excitement in his voice washing over her and erasing all remnants of awkwardness.

She eagerly squeezed in next to him, letting her arms hang out of the window and feeling the wind’s caress, smiling at the view.

The wooden cottages of Ballonlea passed below them, the massive trunks of trees, steady and strong, sometimes so close that she was convinced she could reach out her hand and let her fingers brush the bark. She could guess what had caught Lloyd’s eye. The gym, which they now had a bird’s eye view of, erupting into sparkly pink light, bursts of fairy dust and dirt exploding into the sky in short intervals. Certainly a spectacle, and one that told her the night’s matches had begun.

“Wanna catch the midnight battles later?” she offered.

Lloyd would surely love that - he was always trying to improve as a Trainer, and observing the battle tactics of those from another region would do him wonders. That, and the excitement of the gym battles here - of becoming one with the crowd and the wave of cheers, watching attacks fly just centimetres past one’s cheek, igniting the air itself with passion - it was an incredible experience.

As predicted, Lloyd’s eyes glittered in glee at the prospect, a grin splitting his face. “That’d be great!”

She giggled, turning her head to glance at the fast-approaching exit, the light of the evening sun spilling through. “Then it’s settled.”

With a rustle of leaves, they burst through into the world beyond, their vision suddenly flooded with bright colours.

Behind them was the labyrinth that was the forest of Glimwood Tangle, stuffed to the full with critters hiding in every nook and cranny, the fluffy rainbow tails of Ponyta slinking out of sight to be lost in the dancing shadows of its surroundings.

And before them were the rolling plains of the Wild Area, stretching further beyond what one could see, Pokémon roaming free upon the land. Onix resting next to a lake, coiled up, flocks of Combee buzzing around beneath groves of trees, Lotads hiding within a pond and occasionally surfacing. And even some people, camping out with their Pokémon with pots of curry simmering, engaging in ferocious battles, or simply traversing the area in hopes of reaching their location.

She sneaked a glance at Lloyd, whose hands were tight on the windowsill, mouth having fallen open in shock, eyes wide as saucers, all the breath leaving him in one exhale. Leaning further out of the window, she laughed, the wind whipping her hair around and stealing her voice away. A wonderful, freeing feeling.

“It really is like you said,” he whispered in awe. “The view is incredible.”

This was all scenery she’d seen before, on her various trips through Galar over the years. It was nothing new, no longer capable of flooding her heart with wonder. Yet with Lloyd beside her, his hand slowly finding hers in the space between them, their fingers interlacing, every sight seemed brand new. Brighter. Bursting with colour.

Magical, even.

And her heart couldn’t help but soar, together with their ride, through the skies.

~~~

With a bump, the Corviknight taxi landed on the craggy surface of the cliff, signalling the end of the ride and the end of the game they’d been playing, trying to correctly name as many Pokémon as they could.

“We’re gonna stop here for a bit before I send you back,” the driver called out from the front seat, having manoeuvred a steady descent, hopping out of the carriage with something bundled in his arms.

Lloyd laughed, warm and sweet, as she tripped over the step and stumbled into his arms, already raised to catch her and hold her close. The sound reverberated through her as she wondered, for just a moment, if they could stay like this for a little while longer. Behind them, Yamper scampered down the step, finally awake with its tail wagging, Comfey drifting right after. “You really do have to be more careful, you know,” he chided, pulling away and guiding her towards the edge of the cliff, where the item the driver was carrying was revealed.

Set neatly down was a checkered picnic blanket, each edge pulled to the exact distance needed to remove any wrinkles. The perfect spot to enjoy the setting sun, saying goodbye to another day.

“Enjoy the view!” The driver waved, this time flashing two thumbs-ups as he ran back to the carriage to tend to his beloved Corviknight.

Settling down on the surprisingly thick picnic blanket, through which she couldn’t feel the sharpness of the rocks, they retrieved all the Pokeballs from their bags, and with a quick, practised flick of the wrist, released all of their Pokémon into the world.

Lloyd’s entire team of Pokémon - Furfrou, Granbull, Mightyena, Arcanine, Lycanroc - were quick to start playing with each other, playfully batting paws at each other and rolling around with a cacophony of yips. Noishe, meanwhile, barrelled straight for Lloyd, pouncing and pushing him to the ground, making him disappear under a mound of blue and brown fur. She watched all the while, barely holding back laughter as Lloyd’s arm occasionally reappeared, waving desperately for assistance.

He’d never answered her, when she’d asked him why all of his Pokémon were dogs. He’d only flushed a rather deep shade of red and changed the topic immediately.

Her Eevee yawned, stretching its limbs before hopping into her lap. She gladly rubbed its long ears and petted it on the head, eliciting satisfied purrs.

“Ugh!” Lloyd emerged, his face a lot wetter with saliva, successfully wrestling Noishe to the ground. “I’ve told you before, Noishe, you’re not a Lillipup anymore!”

She couldn’t hold back the laughter anymore, erupting from within her like a geyser as she doubled over. “He just wants to show you how much he likes you!”

Lloyd scowled, wiping the saliva off with the tissues he had ready for this purpose. But he couldn’t stay angry for long, a smile soon replacing the downturned corners of his mouth.

The chaos of the situation having dissolved, she turned her attention to her surroundings. A waterfall nearby thundered down, throwing up spray that floated for just a moment before falling back to earth. Sometimes close enough for her to reach her hand out and catch, when the wind blew in their direction. Fluffy clouds resembling Swirlix swam through the sky, flicking their tails. The sun was halfway below the horizon by now, seemingly larger than it was when it was far away in the heavens, painting the canvas of the sky in dashes of orange and pink. A flock of Wingulls flew in the direction of the sun, becoming dark blots that slowly disappeared.

Noishe lay down, its body longer than the picnic blanket, the matching necklace of sea glass around its neck glinting under the sun’s dying light. Yamper snoozed on its back, having somehow made its way up with its stubby limbs. Comfey frantically dashed through the air, to and fro, collecting the vibrant wildflowers that grew on the sides of the cliff and threading them together expertly to form flower crowns that it dropped on the heads of everyone present. Finally, it gently placed one down on Lloyd’s head - a ring of pale red carnations.

Pretty. She couldn’t help but think that, staring at him, at the way he caught the last of the sun’s rays as he raised his hand towards the sun.

“This reminds me of when we used to watch the sunrise in Alola,” he said, reaching an arm out to wrap around her shoulder. She obliged, snuggling close to rest her head on his shoulder, enjoying his steady presence, Eevee hopping over to Lloyd’s lap.

It did feel like they were back on the beach of Hau’oli city, having snuck out of their homes to sit in the pitch darkness on the sand, waiting for the shy sun to announce its return. A lot smaller than they were now, his hand laying atop hers, having only Comfey and Noishe, still a Lillipup, for company. Back then, there wasn’t this strange feeling in her heart, that she couldn’t identify, that scared her, a little.

But…

“I’m just glad I could see it with you again.” He stole the words from her, his head leaning on hers, warmth spreading from where he touched her, to embrace every part of her with a fuzzy feeling.

They’d been living in two separate regions, an entire ocean between them, for so long, their only reminder that they’d once spent every day exploring the beaches hand-in-hand being the memories they cherished and the letters they’d exchanged, every single one stashed in a box on her bedside table. Now that they were reunited, she wasn’t planning to ever part again. She would make a thousand new memories together, to carve into the surface of her heart.

“It’s just as beautiful,” she whispered, not wanting to break the approaching silence of the night.

“Not the…”

“Hm? Did you say something?” She could have sworn…

“Heh. Nothing.” Lloyd stared off in some far-away direction, a soft smile on his face. Comfey tugged slightly at her hair, as if to tell her something itself.

“No, you definitely said something!” she protested, pouting. “I managed to name more Pokémon correctly just now, so you have to tell me!”

“That’s not fair,” he grumbled, his previous expression completely wiped off his face. It was like she had imagined it, but somehow, she knew she hadn’t. “You’ve been living here for ten years. I just arrived last month.”

“But the rules are the rules!”

“Alright.” He poked her puffed up cheeks, making her reel back. “I’ll tell you… Someday.”

“Promise?” There was a niggling thought in the back of her mind, that told her that she already knew what it was he wanted to say. That, really, it was the same thing she wanted to say, though she couldn’t yet find the words for it.

And she was willing to wait, for as long as was needed.

“Promise.”

~~~

“How’d it go?” Zelos asked, feet propped on the counter as he leaned back in the swivel chair with a can of lemonade, freshly bought from the vending machine in the corner, droplets still condensing on the sides.

“If you don’t get your feet off the counter by the time Martel gets back, you’re going to get murdered by her Trevenant,” Sheena said dryly, not looking up from where she was crouched in the corner, checking the recently delivered goods. Their three Eevees frolicked about in the centre of the nursery, chasing each other’s tails around the carpet. “I hope you enjoy wandering the forest forever in the afterlife.”

“Cold,” Zelos grumbled, but heeded her advice, swinging his legs off the counter and leaning his elbows on it instead.

“It was incredible!” she replied, leaving her bag on the chair and picking up the clipboard, a sheet of paper attached that held all the Pokémon she had to check in on today. “So much fun. And we even got to catch the last gym match of the night.”

It’d been such a close battle, an electrifying close to the night that had made it rather difficult to fall asleep as the flashy moves had replayed in the darkness behind her eyelids.

“That’s great.”

So why was Zelos still staring at her, as if expecting her to have more to say? His gaze burning into her as she turned her back on him and headed towards the backdoor, which swang out into the pasture.

“I’ll be heading in now!” She waved goodbye to her two coworkers and friends and stepped out into the glaring sunshine, eager to make her escape.

“Everyone really is acting weird…” she muttered to herself, scurrying along.

~~~

“This is hopeless,” Zelos groaned, sliding his hands down his face.

“I told you this wasn’t going to work. But when do you ever listen to me?” Sheena shot back, pulling out a feather toy from a pile of toys and waving it about in the air, sending all three Eevees scampering after her, raring for a good chase.

“Yeah, yeah. Then what do you suggest? Watching them dance around each other any longer is going to drive me insane!”

“I think it’s just you, Zelos.” Sheena waved her hand dismissively, expertly dodging one Eevee’s pounce as another threaded between her legs. “They’ve practically been sending each other love letters for the past ten years. I don’t think things are going to change any time soon. So why not just leave them to it?”

“But -”

“Oh, what fun you two seem to be having. Perchance, is it your day off today?”

They both froze at once, stiffly turning towards the entrance, where the cold voice had originated from - one that could strike terror into even the most courageous hearts. In the doorway, her arms crossed against her chest, was Martel, wearing a very unimpressed expression, eyes shooting a glare that could kill on sight.

“N - no, ma’am!” they both squeaked, dropping everything and scrambling out the backdoor after Colette.

Martel shook her head, sighing as she and Trevenant filed into the nursery. Did the two of them truly think all of their meddling and shenanigans were going undetected beneath her nose? At this rate, they were going to be far more obvious than Lloyd and Colette, and that was an achievement in its own right.

“Honestly. Kids these days. Don’t they know that love takes its own course…?”

#fanfiction #one shot #colloydweek2022 #day 5: au/crossover #tales of symphonia #colette brunel #lloyd irving #noishe #colloyd

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