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thebibliomancer · 3 years

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Flames of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 30

Flames of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because the battle is over! ... Now what?

Last times on book: Team Naia completed the work of two books by lighting all the flames of resistance and uniting the seven Gelfling clans. The Emperor responded by attacking the Gelfling Gathering at Stone-in-the-Wood with most of the extant Skeksis. The tide turns towards the Gelfling with reinforcements from all the clans that took longer to arrive and with skekMal the Hunter exploding because of his counterpart sacrificing himself. But the real turn in the battle occurs when all the Gelfling join hands, sing, and dreamfast to harmonize with the Crystal Shard in Rian’s broken legendary sword. And Thra answers by going nuts and writing some new words on the walls of Stone-in-the-Wood, startling the Skeksis into retreat.

It was pretty wild.

Chapter 30

The gathered Gelfling make plans for the future, aided by Thra’s impressive graffiti.

After the Skeksis were gone, Naia and the other Gelfling gazed upon the etchings.

They covered every stone surface in the ruins, interlaced with the etchings that had already been cast by the lighting of the seventh Gelfling fire. In every nook and every toppled Stonewood structure, pictures of stars and suns and moons were emblazoned like brands. Naia traced her fingers over the shapes -- many images, but many words as well -- wandering silently from wall to wall. Every etching was different, bleeding into the next, in a chain of hundreds, if not thousands, of passages and illustrations.

At the beginning of her story, Naia was illiterate as many Gelfling are.

But now, after her journeys and adventures, she’s still mostly illiterate.

Kylan and Amri have been trying to teach her but its been an indeterminate but fairly short length of time. Months maybe. Or unum, as they say on Thra.

But even though she can’t read it, she knows what she’s looking at.

She and her friends and all the Gelfling had asked so many questions. Finally, Thra had answered. She knew without a doubt that the answer to every question was here. Somewhere, scattered among the remains, burned by the fires of prophecy.

Huh! I guess Maudra Mera was right!

Kylan and Rian call Naia over to a particular wall that had been part of Maudra Fara’s meeting chamber. Geez, the Skeksis did a number on Stone-in-the-Wood. And we still don’t know what they did.

But on the wall behind the stone maudra’s chair, Kylan finds and reads a section for everyone present.

“The legacy of the Gelfling race,” Kylan read aloud for all to hear. “What was sundered and undone shall be made whole. The two made one.” He glanced at Naia, then at Rian, before he finished: “By Gelfling hand, or else by none.”

“Look at those below,” Amri said, joining them. Along the bottom of the Gelfling tableau were more familiar shapes, these more ominous: Skeksis. urRu. urSkeks, and the Castle of the Crystal. One thing in particular caught Naia’s eye.

“That looks like the shard,” Gurjin said.

Rian looked at the thing in his hand, a miniature version of the Crystal of Truth that was trapped deep in the heart of the Castle of the Crystal.

“The shard heals the Crystal,” Naia said. “It’s the missing piece. The real way for us to mend the Crystal. Stop the darkening and heal Thra again. It’s telling us what to do.”

OOOOOOOH SNAP, THE PROPHECY!

But more to the point, implied to be the exact prophecy wall that Jen and Kira see in the movie.

I’ve suspected for a while that the ruins that Jen and Kira run into was Stone-in-the-Wood. It makes the most sense on the map we have of Skarith. And the architecture was closest to Stone-in-the-Wood.

Flames leans into it with the meeting hall that lost most of its hall and has a chair. The chair that Kira sat in and became (in Jen’s eyes) maudra.

Plus, the way Kira describes some faint awareness among the Podling that something Bad happened at the ruins of the ancients matches with the Skeksis doing Something that destroyed much of the village.

It can be a problem in prequels to try to explain too many things and set up too much for the established future. Gives the impression that nothing important happens between point A and B.

I don’t think this qualifies for that.

The books have done a good job building up to this point. Naia becoming aware of the extent of the problems on Thra and that defeating the Skeksis won’t solve them by itself. Her desperation to heal the crystal and to resist the Skeksis without killing them. The repat hopes that Thra will provide answers which Thra then provides with gusto!

If I don’t mind something being explained in the prequels, its where the prophecy came from.

(That plus showing the Skeksis were being dicks to the Gelfling before the prophecy. This isn’t a situation where the Skeksis were minding their own business and overreacted to a prophecy by doing a genocide. They were well on their way to that point before Thra dropped a hot prophecy.)

Speaking of prequels, the crystal shard is a weird example. Because in both this and the show, the crystal shard is discovered by the protagonists. And then Something happens between the show/books and the movie and Aughra winds up with a basket of shards and doesn’t know which one is the real one. Could be explained by Aughra jamming it into her junk drawer and forgetting to label it but maybe Something Else happened.

Anyway.

Stone-in-the-Wood! Movie! Thronechair! I’m unreasonably excited about these dots I’ve connected! Moving on!

Onica pops up to offer her oracular two-cents to the wall prophecy. And that is that its not just a list of instructions and a solution. Its a guarantee.

“This wall reveals the future which will come to pass. The Gelfling will heal the Crystal. The Skeksis will be rejoined with the urRu. The urSkeks will return to the world from which they came... and Thra will heal. It is not a suggestion or an instruction.”

Onica’s sea-green eyes passed over the wall once more, a bold smile crossing her lips. Naia shivered at the determination in the Far-Dreamer’s brow as a breeze ruffled her crimson hair.

“It is our future,” she said. “And our legacy.”

That’s reassuring!

I assume that the worst could still come to pass if the Gelfling just sit on their thumbs and don’t try. “By Gelfling hand or else by none.” It won’t get done if they don’t do it.

But if they DO their part, if the heed the instructions of Thra, everything will be set right. It’s nice to have some certainty!

I mean, uh, in the movie it did get done but only after the Gelfling population was maybe dropped down to two. But then a hundred years after THAT the population was doing good again.

I’ll call that a lot better than the worst case scenario.

Aughra then just shows up out of nowhere.

Where have YOU been?

She’s called out as looking disheveled so probably up to something. If she were drunk (drank? Exploded into essence.) then she respawned somewhere else.

Anyway, she tells the Gelfling gathering that the Skeksis have seen the prophecy and now they fear the Gelfling. It gives the Gelfling some breathing room because they’re too afraid to start anything anytime soon. They’re going to go and barricade themselves up in the Castle.

Rian suggests that being the case they should take the night to recover from the battle and everything that’s happened. Treat the wounded, pay respects to the dead.

“For when the Skeksis come after us again, it will be relentless. They have no reason to pretend to love us any longer. They’ll come after us with everything they’ve got.”

Naia took Rian’s hand once more, holding it out so the shard gleamed in the light.

“But the Skeksis saw the prophecy as we did. They know they can no longer divide us. These signs are proof of our unity, the shard a promise. The Gelfling will prevail.”

Woo! Hope!

More extended cast cameos: Periss and Erimon help the Spriton and Vapra repair Landstrider gear. Rian’s sister Mythra shows up again, helping prepare Gelfing bodies for their last rites.

And when night falls, Naia gets invited to the all maudra’s fire, as in all of the maudra are around a fire.

Naia hesitates because she still feels like her mom should be at the maudra drinking circle, not her. And the absence of Laesid, Fara, and Mayrin is felt around the circle.

Also, booze.

What’s the drinking age on Thra, I wonder?

She took the flask Ethri offered her, tasting the sweet pungent wine that smelled of fermented sogflowers. She pushed down a cough and handed it next to Maudra Mera, who was not so succesful.

HA.

Maudra Argot asks Naia how she’s holding up and Maudra Naia admits that its hard not to dwell on all that’s been lost.

“It is important to remember what has been lost,” Seethi said. Naia had never met the Dousan maudra, but the time for first greetings had long past. They had seen battle together, and survived together. Now it felt as though Naia had known the blue-and-gold tattoos across the older maudra’s face forever. “But it is also important not to dwell on it. To dwell is to become attached. And it would not do to become attached to what is in the past.”

The Dousan would make good Jedi, probably.

Also, heh, yeah. It does seem weird that Team Naia did the whole desert questline without running into Maudra Seethi. With so many of the other clans, lighting the fire meant convincing the maudra of something. But with Maudra Seethi, the fact that she never arrived was what clued the team in that they had to book it to Ha’rar.

Missed opportunities.

We just never get the chance to know her like we got to know Mayrin, Seladon, Laesid, Naia, Mera, Fara, Argot, and Ethri. She’s the odd maudra out.

Maudra Mera cleared her throat, waving away the last coughs from the nectarwine. “Precisely, Naia. My soggy dear. In these times, it is more important to value what we have. It is what Mayrin and Fara, and your mother, would have wanted.”

YOU’RE STILL CALLING HER THAT?

Has it transitioned into “soggy (affectionate)”?

It always felt a little condescending before but Naia never specifically objected to it. Aside from confusion that people thought the swamp smelled bad.

The Gelfling are all united now but some prejudices and grudges will take time to fade and I just don’t know if soggy dear is one.

I’ll have to go with Naia not seeming to mind or object or take any notice.

One more person shows up to attend the all maudra fire. Or awkwardly ask if she can.

“May... may I join you?”

The timid request came from a Vapra girl, who stood at the perimeter of the fire just outside the golden light as if she feared what might happen if she stepped within. She looked like Tavra, with long silver hair and pale skin. Naia recognized her from a Far-Dream she’d had long ago. This was Seladon. Tavra’s older sister, and the one who had taken All-Maudra Mayrin’s place after she had been murdered by the Skeksis.

A strange stillness came over the ring of maudra. Seladon had sided with the Skeksis after they had killed Mayrin. But in the end, she had heeded Rian’s call. She bowed deeply, folding her hands across her knees.

“I understand if you do not wish me to sit among you,” she said, voice muffled but no less sincere. “The crown of the All-Maudra was invented by the Skeksis to drive the clans apart. I accepted it when they killed my mother for fear of what they might do to the Vapra. But I know better now. I hope I can earn your trust, even after all that has happened.

Naia took in her tattered robe and bruises, the weary look across her wide, bare brow. No crown rested there. Just the sign of loss and loneliness. She waited for judgement from the others at the fire, and Naia reflected that the last time she had asked for their blessing, it had been Laesid and Fara who had withheld. Two maudra who were no longer with them.

“Maudra meant something long before the Skeksis invented the All-Maudra,” Naia said. “So long as you wish to be true to that, then you are always welcome here.”

The smile that crossed Seladon’s face was brilliant as sunlight on snow. Maudra Argot even moved her cane, making room, and then they were six around the fire. Ethri nudged Naia with an elbow.

“You see? Waves recede, but only for a moment. The tide is ever changing, and yet it beats upon the shore as it has since the beginning of time. We are all part of the world, as it is part of us. We bear in our breast the sparks of the flame that lives in the heart of the world. Things change, but life goes on. We are that life. We are that song.”

Naia’s mother’s words came out of Naia’s mouth, as if Maudra Laesid had been there to say them herself:

“The forest is everlasting.”

Aww, forgiveness.

Helps that what Seladon did or didn’t do has been entirely off-page.

The worst you can say about her is that she was a collaborator. And that’s given the excuse that she was trying to protect the Vapra.

If she sold out her mother, it’s not mentioned. If she tried to sell out as many Gelfling as necessary to protect the rest, it’s not mentioned. If she blamed Brea for everything, it’s not mentioned.

No need for an on-page character arc learning better if you’re never on-page making bad decisions.

If I want Seladon’s story, I’ll just have to watch the show again.

Which I have started doing for reasons of I wanted to.

This bit is just establishing Seladon still exists and that she’s still going to be the Vapra maudra. Which was maybe needed after all the talk in Tides about how Tavra would be a MUCH BETTER maudra then her older sister. Granted, the talk came from people that know and like Tavra so there may have been bias.

Also, I like that the All-Maudra title/role/job is being phased out.

As has been discussed a lot, the Skeksis used it to set one clan above the others, fueling the friction between clans.

Even Brea had to unlearn the idea that the Vapra were Just Better than the rest.

What’s to replace it though? A council of maudras?

The Gelfling are united, more united than they were under an All-Maudra. So probably something.

Questions, questions. Too many questions.

Rian, Gurjin, and Amri show up and sit down at the maudra fire because you can get away with that if you’re protagonists. They’re also probably Naia’s plus three. Rian asks what I’m asking: Now what?

“Recover,” [Naia] said. “Fortify. Realize the prophecy by returning the shard to the Crystal. Fend off the Skeksis until the next Great Conjunction and wait until the light of the triple sun unites them into urSkeks and sends them away.”

Good to have a plan! Or a prophecy.

Maudras Seethi and Ethri have been discussing off-page. They’ve found that the Sifa and Dousan have a lot in common. In terms of sailing ships or things like ships. The Sifan and Dousan outlooks are pretty different.

BUT POINT BEING, they argue that if enduring the Skeksis for the trine between now to the Great Conjunction is one of the goals, maybe the Gelfling should evacuate the areas closer to the castle and move to the desert or aboard Sifan ships.

They’re definitely implying that Ha’rar needs to be abandoned though.

Maudra Mera offers Sami Thicket as another rallying point. But more out of good hospitality. She immediately undermines herself, pointing out that Sami Thicket is small and easy for the Skeksis to get to.

The caves of Domrak are not safe for the Grottan anymore.

And Stone-in-the-Wood definitely isn’t safe for the Stonewood.

“Then come further south,” Naia said. “Only one Skeksis has ever stepped foot in the glade under Great Smerth, and she was defeated. Though the darkening has touched the swamp, as it has touched everywhere, the forest is eternal. Anyone who wishes to come with us is welcome... so long as they can withstand the scent of my beloved swamp.”

Naia winked at Maudra Mera. To her surprise, the wiry Spriton sighed and nodded.

“Thank you, Naia,” she said solemnly.

HEY

This is pretty intriguing.

Sucks that their best plan involves abandoning some of their homelands.

But the plan is for all Gelfling to withdraw to the deep swamp, the deep desert, and the oceans.

Places where it’ll be hard to for the Skeksis to check for them.

I don’t know what the range of Garthim and Crystal Bat patrols will be. But these three areas should be fairly safe from them.

I’ve morbidly commented on how trying to take the moral high ground of not killing the Skeksis or following the prophecy will result in the majority of the Gelfling dying but maybe not!

Maybe most Gelfling managed to hide and try to wait out the Skeksis! Jen and Kira may have been the children of families that didn’t manage to evacuate or chose not to. Maybe the introduction of the Garthim chaosed up the situation enough that people got left behind.

I don’t think evacuating four clans is going to be easy. I don’t think its going to be met with enthusiasm by everyone. Probably some will decide to stay despite the danger. It certainly presents logistical concerns with moving Gelfling from heavy agricultural areas to not very agricultural area. And doing so without giving away what they’re doing. For the Gelfling who do agree to move, there’s going to be a massive adjustment since Gelfling are pretty well-suited for their respective environments and they’re going to be dropped into a new one.

But its intriguing for the hope spot it implies.

The Skeksis assumed all the Gelfling were dead (especially with the Census-Taker/Collector maybe dead with head asplode). Jen and Kira individually assumed that they were the last Gelfling. But once the Crystal was healed, maybe all kinds of survivors popped out of the woodwork. Wham bam there’s your population for the Power of the Dark Crystal comic and Kira and Jen don’t have to work overtime to bring it into existence.

Maybe!

Rian decides that he’s going to take the crystal shard and try to return it to the Crystal. And Gurjin declares he’s going with.

Aw, Gurjin is a bro.

But this sounds a good plan to Naia!

“The two of you know every corner of the castle. The Dark Wood can’t hide an entire clan, but it can hide two. You’ll be safe, and you can make a plan.” Naia faced Gurjin across the fire and felt a resonsance she’d missed for a long time. Face-to-face with their mirrored eyes, reflecting a moment that had separated them once before in their childhood.

“I will return to Sog and protect the Gelfling who go with us there. And you will go with Rian. Take the shard. Heal the Crystal... It’s what Mira would have wanted.”

It does sound like a good plan! I think!

Is it actually desirable to jam the shard back into place early if the Skeksis can see it and knock it loose again?

Like... is that how we get from Point A: The Gelfling have the Crystal Shard and are motivated to jam it back to Point B: Aughra has the Shard but doesn’t know which one it is?

Do they get captured and the Crystal Shard taken by the Skeksis? For Aughra to later retrieve since she does like to steal stuff from the Castle. Do they jam it in and escape giggling into the Dark Forest only for the Skeksis to pry it back out and then Aughra steals it?

Any Dark Crystal prequel has the foregone conclusion of the movie on the horizon. Flames of the Dark Crystal has reduced that a little with the Great Gelfling Relocation Plan. But now it has insinuated a possible bad fate for Rian and Gurjin given that the Shard has to get to where it gets.

Ah well.

(Maybe the reason why no other Gelflings show up in the movie is because they assume the Crystal Shard has been jammed into place and they’re waiting for after the Great Conjunction to start filtering back.)

Hey, with all this talk of Rian and Gurjin and just those two moving into the Woods and maybe sneaking into the Castle... where has Deet gotten to?

If she goes with the Grottan, she’ll probably wind up in the swamp but, like, it seemed like she and Rian had a thing going on. And in this version, it doesn’t seem like she’s going to wander into the woods to be a cryptid.

Anyway.

Naia rose with the others when the deep tone of a Dousan horn rang through the clearing. Erimon was calling. It was time for the final rite, to pay respects to the dead. Under the light of the moons, the Gelfling gathered a final time at the Stonewood hearth. The coals had smoldered, and it blossomed with blue smoke when Onica and Maudra Ethri anointed it with Sifa coral dust. Naia linked hands with the others, their voices in a tri-part lament led by Maudra Seethi.

“We return you to Thra,” Maudra Seethi sang. To the Gelfling who had passed that day and in the days before. “May you sing the song of eternity in the light of the fire in the heart of the world.”

After the rites were finished, an air of relief came across the clearing. As if a breeze had finally blown the last scent of darkness from the ruins, as the moonlight lined every rock and boulder in silver.

Naia hears a Sifa bard play NOT AS GOOD AS KYLAN and it makes her think, hey where’s Kylan? So she decides to go look for Kylan. But first, a talk with Amri.

“You’re coming south with us tomorrow, right?” she asked, anxious about his answer, though she didn’t know why. As if he might not be there when she came back.

He only chuckled, brushing his silver hair over his shoulder.

“Um, obviously. You promised we’d have a soft-talk. Remember?”

Naia felt a blush creep up her neck. “As if I’d forget!”

Then she shoved him away and snorted, pushing past him and his sideways grin and heading toward the wall where she’d last seen Kylan.

Such shameless flirting!

OK so I picked a lot of it apart and this chapter was dense with stuff but dang am I loving this.

If Dark Crystal the franchise is on hiatus for a while, then all of these in-universe Gelfling plans for the future are a good hook to end things on.

(Please make more Dark Crystal though!)

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hallochu · 3 years

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Ternyata tepat satu bulan setelah foto ini, kita pisah lama banget ya.. Status kita udah beda juga,. kalau kata orang, kita sekarang udah beda alam.. Kok di foto ini kita pada cuekin kamu ya? Maaf yaa..

***

***

Di hari kamu pergi, kita semua kaget, tapi makasih udah datang ke mimpi kita. Makasih udah pamitan.

Kita nggak peka, nggak tahu, ternyata kamu sesakit itu. Tugas yang banyak banget, bikin kita semua nggak ngeh sama kondisi kamu.

Kamu emang kuat, di hari-hari terakhir, kamu masih maksa ikut KMD bareng kita. Bahkan di saat auto imun kamu lagi parah-parahnya, masih maksa ngumpul bareng di basecamp, karena nggak mau di kost sendirian. Last day, i see you. Last day, when we are together.

Hari terakhir ngumpul di basecamp, kamu emang drop banget. Tapi masih sempat becandain Ai. Ketawa ketiwi, padahal kalau diingat lagi, muka kamu emang udah merah semua. Oh god, Sok kuat banget sih kamu.

Malam itu kamu minta bikinin nasi goreng ke Ai, tapi di basecamp semua persediaan kosong. Kamu tau kan, kita full seminggu ikut KMD. Dan gak ada satu pun yang ngeh buat nyetok logistik.

I'm so desperate.

Nasi goreng terakhir, kadang juga jadi penyesalan buat Ai. Kenapa gak ai masakin aja sih. Kan kamu suka banget di masakin nasi goreng. Beli bahannya bentar ke depan juga gak lama. Ai pikir, takut kamu nunggu lama. Dan sesimpel ai mikir mending beli jadinya aja, lebih enak.

Dan, ai nyesal banget. Ternyata nasi gorengnya keras, merah, dingin. Buat ai yang sehat aja, gak enak. Apalagi kamu, kan? Pantes, malam itu kamu cuman nyendok satu dua kali aja.

Maaf ya,.

Padahal kamunya udah baik banget, yang selalu memuji tiap pagi dan perhatian banget ke Ai.. Weekend selalu bisa sempatin nemanin kita ke mall Panakukang, nipah, jalan jalan ke unhas.. Atau nangkring di MP lantai atas cuman buat makan pempek, lanjut ashar sampai isya di Masjid Terapung Pantai Losari. Mas daeng, mbak daeng, udah berapa ratus bolu bakar yang kita habisin sama-sama di sana.

Then.. Waktu Festival F8, paling maksa banget nyuruh Ai nyanyi bareng musisi di Losari.. Demi apa? Lagunya "Don't Go Away".. Kenapa sih lagunya pas banget.. Miss you..

Selamat ulang tahun, Amri (alm)..

Sahabatku, Keluargaku..

Seseorang,.

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dkscribe88 · 4 years

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Trapped (An Ode to Tavra)

First was born the one who would grow into the heir

Last was born the one destined for the scholar’s fare

And stuck inside the middle ‘twixt the other’s icy glare

Was born the one, to have soldier’s fun, walking out to meet death’s snare

Her name, Katavra of Ha’rar, a princess and lady knight so strong

First to sneak into the Castle, where things had gone so wrong

Drained, beaten, mocked, then controlled by the Skeksis throng

Such a sad, ancient tune, to Thra’s call, she’s not immune, surprised she held out so long

And suddenly she’s back, alive, safe from Thra’s melodic reach

Stitched into a smaller form that could be food for Neech

Amri needed training, now her new goal was to teach

On her partner’s ship, her tutor’s tongue a whip, has Amri running from her speech

Her voice, so small, po-wer-less now, that her body is not her own

She cannot save her love, nor take Ha’rar’s silent, vacant throne

Inside her spider being, could not feel much more alone

Her heart, it hurts; her life subverts, her soul as cold as stone

She arrives, at long last, up to the journey’s end

Having kept herself alive through the body of her friend

And now she guards the hope for the Gelfling’s future trend

Her lover fair, and Kylan’s there, to help Thra start to mend

And now we come upon the finale of our tale

In the future, work complete, Tavra and Onica set sail

No longer trapped, they’re free, off to find what’s just beyond the veil

To foreign seas, their minds at ease, assured they did not fail

- DK

#poetry #writing #freeform #tavra #onica #tavra x onica #kylan #ha'rar #spiderling #book version of events #spider-tavra #read as if told by a song teller #dark crystal #age of resistance YA novels #brea #seladon

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watchmegetobsessed · 5 years

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If I Can’t Have You // part 3

thank you so much for the love you’ve been showing for this work of mine! i hope you’ll enjoy this part as well, next one is coming soon!

part 1 - part 2

masterlist

The song has been an absolute smash. It’s everywhere, the streams never stop and the views on the video are rocketing to the sky. This is all people have been talking about everywhere Shawn is going and he is extremely thankful this milestone has come in his life, but it’s all bittersweet.

A few days after her visit he kind of started regretting putting the song out because now everything reminds him of her and how it all ended. He mastered his fake smile so he could look like he is genuinely happy for the song every time someone brought it up, while on the inside he was just… empty.

He cut all information off from her, making sure she doesn’t pop up anywhere on his phone. Thought blocking her number felt too much he did delete her messages and changed the settings on Instagram so her posts and stories wouldn’t be shown on his feed. He felt pity for doing all these but he also knew he needed to distance himself if he wanted to get himself over it.

It has been three entire weeks since their last intercourse and he can finally say she is not in his every second thought. Just about the fourth. He figured out he should keep himself busy, so he has been hitting the gym twice as often as he used to and made sure to have a studio session anytime he has free time in his schedule. He leaves home early and doesn’t return at least until midnight, giving himself no time to cry after her.

It’s Friday night, the first day in weeks his friends managed to get him out and just let loose. They all thought he is just busy in a normal way, most of them didn’t think there might be more behind his hectic work days and he intended to keep his struggles to himself.

Cez and Teddy are sitting on each of his sides while Brian arrives with the first round of beers placing down the tray to the table.

“I’m surprised you didn’t spill them,” Shawn teases him, earning a grimace from him. He slides into the booth as well as they all get their drinks.

“Cheers to new music and the millions of streams If I Can’t Have You is getting right now, as we speak!” Cez raises his drink solemnly and soon the glasses clink in the middle.

“Will we ever celebrate something else?” Shawn asks with a nervous laugh taking a sip from the cold brew.

“Once you have another hit we’ll drink to that,” Brian points out making Shawn roll his eyes. “What? I thought it’s a huge thing to you too,” he then adds, getting suspicious of his bitter mood.

“It is.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

He opens his mouth, but Teddy speaks up faster.

“Is it about her?” she asks, making all three of them turn to her, Cez and Brian in confusion while Shawn kind of scared of what she’ll say about it.

“Her? Who are we talking about?” Brian questions, feeling left out.

“Brian, use your brain,” Teddy gives him a look. “The girl the song is about, obviously!”

Brian’s lips form an o shape as he comes to realization, but then he goes back to confusion since he doesn’t know who the girl is.

“Okay, but who is she exactly?”

Shawn hesitates whether if he wants them to know or not. He wanted to keep it low even when things didn’t turn bad, because he kind of wanted her all to himself. Sounds crazy, but he didn’t want to share her just yet.

“You remember Y/N? You met her once at my place,” he finally reveals. Brian furrows his eyebrows searching through his memories before her face pops up in his mind.

“Wait, you hooked up with her?”

“Kind of, yeah.” Shawn rubs his face with his hands, already feeling the painful feeling building up in him talking about her. “But she turned me down, like… multiple times and the last one was kind of final, I guess.”

“Did you have a fight or something?” Cez asks, trying to put the picture together.

“Not really. She just basically told me she can’t return my feelings and she hates that I write songs about her because it shows that I still feel the same way about her.”

“Man, you really did fall in love with the only woman who doesn’t appreciate you writing songs about her,” Brian mumbles shaking his head.

“I get her reasoning and she was fair, she has been telling me since the very beginning that this is nothing serious. But I couldn’t help myself.”

“How is she holding up?” Teddy asks with a sympathetic smile.

“No idea. Haven’t heard from her in three weeks.”

“You know,” Brian starts with a sigh, “if it’s really that hard for you to move on maybe try to reach out to her as a friend. I know it’s hard to push your feelings back, but it’s still better than to completely cut her out and suffer.”

“I don’t think she wants anything to do with me.”

“You can never know,” Cez chimes in joining Brian’s point of view.

“So what, should I text her asking what’s up?” Shawn asks not really knowing what they want him to do.

“Maybe start with telling her that if she wants to talk anytime, you are still here,” Teddy suggests as Shawn pulls his phone out of his pocket opening a fresh conversation since he deleted the previous one. He thinks about it before typing the words in and sending the message.

Things haven’t been well for her either. This last conversation with Shawn threw her off the edge, but she decided to stand her ground and not contact him even though he said he will be always here. It took her a few days to realize how heartbreaking the situation is for her. Though they never really was in contact all day everyday, she knew she could hit him up anytime. To tell him something random, to have a quick coffee or to let him know he can be over at her place later that day. But now her phone was silent, the conversation died weeks ago and it had her wondering if he even deleted her number since then.

She wanted to reach out numerous times, but she just never knew what to tell him. She didn’t want to hurt him even more just because her selfish needs demanded him. She wanted to give him the time to heal and maybe really be friends one day.

But the more days that went by the more she realized it wasn’t about just simply missing him. It started to turn painful, knowing those times are over and she was confused about her own feelings, but there was one thing she knew for sure. She was dying to see him just one more time.

Friday evening did not turn out well for her. This past week work has been extremely overwhelming for her, messed up a lot of her tasks causing her boss to make her stay extra hours in the past three days to catch up on everything. But the more time she is spending at her desk the more disoriented she feels like and the more mistakes she is making in her work.

It’s eight now, basically everyone is long gone and Y/N presses the save button on the files she’s been working on all afternoon. Leaning back in her seat she closes her eyes for a few seconds. Opening them again she sees that the screen is oddly still. She reaches to move the cursor but it’s completely frozen.

“No, no, no, no!” she growls trying to bring the computer back to life, very afraid of losing all of her work.

All goes to nothing when the screen turns black and the whole thing shuts down. She sits there, completely drained and tired, staring at her reflection in the screen. She thinks about screaming and breaking something, but she just doesn’t have the energy anymore. Giving up on her work she packs her stuff and decides to leave. On her way home she thinks about the things her boss will say when he finds out she lost all her work and they all the extra hours she will have to take to catch up with herself the next week.

By the time she gets home she is on the verge of crying. She feels exhausted and her first thought is that she wants to call Shawn and ask if he wants to come over for a drink. But then she realizes that can’t happen and it’s just making her feel even worse.

She decides to take a hot shower, but the steam doesn’t seem to ease her pain, she is just sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the wall as she tries to figure out what to do. Suddenly, her phone buzzes on the night stand making her turn that way. At first she thinks it’s just her mom checking in on her, so she ignores it, but then she finally grabs it and seeing the name on the screen makes her almost drop the phone.

She quickly opens the message from Shawn and reads the lines happily.

“Hey, just wanted to ask how you doing. Hope everything is fine. Remember, I’m still here if you want to talk anytime.”

These words mean more than anything to her in this moment. It feels like a sign from above and she is definitely not letting this chance go. She needs his comfort.

“I could use a talk right now. You busy?”

Reading the text back she feels like she sounds too desperate, but it’s too late, it has already been sent. She sits there, waiting for the answer that comes in about five minutes.

“I can come over if you want. Everything alright?”

Her heart skips a beat typing the response.

“Not really. Please, just come.”

#shawn #mendes #shawn mendes #shawn mendes fanfic #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes fic #shawn mendes fanfics #shawn mendes fanfictions #shawn mendes imagines #Shawn Mendes Imagine #shawn mendes x reader #mendes amry #if i can't have you

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thebibliomancer · 3 years

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Flames of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 24

Flames of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because skekSa is handled but there’s still nine chapters left. Gotta see what that’s about.

Last times on book: Team Naia has gone back to her home in the Swamp of Sog to light the sixth fire of resistance! But they learned that the great tree Great Smerth was dying. And skekSa the Skeksis Mariner showed up in a bad mood and tried to make it everyone else’s problem.

With Maudra Laesid super eager to just stab skekSa a lot until she stopped being a problem but that solution being a problem for urSan who never did nothin’ to no-one, Naia comes up with a different plan for all of the Drenchen healers to grow a tree around skekSa. Maudra Laesid gets in on this plan, sacrifices her entire life, grows that dang tree and then dies. It’s a sad time. Everyone turns to new maudra Naia for guidance but overcome with grief she runs away.

Chapter 24

Maudra Naia lights a fire.

Naia runs and runs and runs and winds up in her mother’s chamber.

Her mother’s chamber. The chamber where the Drenchen maudra kept her medicines and the sacred scrolls, and met with her private council. It was where Naia had always found Laesid before, since she had been a childling. Where she’d run to when she’d gotten hurt exploring the swamp, or when Neech had broken a fin. Where she’d come when she’d first seen Tavra coming through the Swamp of Sog, so many unum ago.

Now it was cold and empty, part of the wall blackened from fire. The wood medallions that bore the ancient symbols carved and dream-etched by elder Drenchen were scorched, some beyond repair. It pained Naia to see, but all of that could be mended, with time. What brought her to her knees in grief was knowing that she would never find her mother waiting for her in the chamber again, no matter how much time passed.

Since Naia is in the kind of mood, she reflects that the suns don’t care about the Gelfling or their conjunction wouldn’t have brought the urSkeks to Thra.

Better to blame the urSkek planet that thinks dumping their exiles on someone else’s world is completely okay.

Very rude of you, the entire urSkek social order.

Mother’s chamber. The thought came to Naia again, dry and brittle like a last leaf clinging to a branch in autumn. She sighed and the leaf blew away. My chamber now.

Ouch.

Gurjin shows up, mostly healed, to check on Naia.

Apparently, someone had to harness Laesid’s muski eel Chapyora and lead her away. Because she kept trying to attack the tree that ate skekSa.

Giant flying eel just wants to kill Skeksis. Like master, like mount.

Naia asks how the tree and urSan are holding up.

“The tree is holding. urSan says she can sense skekSa inside, but she won’t be escaping anytime soon. Great Smerth and Mother saved us, even despite all that’s happened to it.”

Naia shook her head. Great Smerth had endured so much, and with the darkening, still had much left to survive. And if the darkening ever overtook the new tree, its hold on skekSa would weaken. If they didn’t heal the Crystal, it was only a matter of time.

Hmm... This is interesting and explains A Thing.

The Dark Crystal The Adventure Game spoilers to follow:

This apeknot prison with skekSa appears in the Dark Crystal The Adventure Game. But she can communicate with players and also tends to sing sad Sifan sea shanties to herself.

When the tree prison was freshly grown, the Drenchen needed urSan to confirm that skekSa was stuck inside. But the game takes place when the Darkening has advanced further. Despite still being immobile and unseen within the prison, its weakened enough for communication. And, potentially, for someone to break her out.

Anyway.

Now is a time for reconciliation.

Naia apologizes to Gurjin for pulling away from him, for being afraid of growing apart from him. And Gurjin apologizes too. For, y’know, procrastinating on telling her about the Great Smerth darkening. And for, y’know, telling Amri to back off.

Gurjin groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. It was the same thing Naia did when she was distressed. “I couldn’t stop thinking about Rian and Mira. He was so attached to her, and she was attached to him. And after she died, it just... destroyed him. You love so strongly. You love our home and you love your friends. I couldn’t bear to see you break if they were to be taken away. Not when you’re so strong. But now I know that’s why you’re strong. And now I know that’s what you need most to be maudra, both to the Drenchen and the rest of the Gelfling.”

Being called maudra sounds alien to Naia. She hears that and she thinks her momdra, not herself. And she doesn’t know if she’s ready. She’s not Tavra or Ethri.

Gurjin tells her Laesid made sure that Naia was ready. Heck, Naia has been preparing her whole life for the job.

Amri shows up too, with the maudra cloak - an iridescent black garment with ribbons and beads and designed to resemble Drenchen wings.

Naia couldn’t take her eyes off the cloak, feeling as if she might be overcome with grief all over again. She had longed to wear the beautiful thing ever since she had been a childling. She had never thought what it would mean on the day she put it on.

It was light, made of woven fabric that would not weigh her down while gliding or hold water long after swimming -- barely a whisper on her shoulders, yet it felt heavy as the world.

Aww =(

Naia steps out onto the balcony to address the Drenchen as their new maudra. From the balcony and by morning light, the poor state that the battle left things in is left obvious. The fires that skekSa started caused parts of the Great Smerth to break open, exposing the darkened veins within the tree.

Best not look directly at them for too long. Tends to drive the wildlife rabid. Mayyyybe get a giant tarp to put over it.

Anyway. Addressing the Drenchen.

Naia reminds her clan of the Vapran visitor that started all of this off (thanks Tavra!) and how the next day Naia left to go find her brother.

“Since then I’ve traveled across the Skarith Land. Through the Spriton Plains to Stone-in-the-Wood. Climbed the Grottan Mountains, all the way to Ha’rar. I’ve seen the Crystal Sea and the Dousan Wellspring, my toes have tasted the salt waters of Cera-Na on the Sifan Coast. One by one, five of the seven Gelfling clans put down their weapons, their anger, and their fear. One by one, they held one another instead. Each time at the end of a great speech given by an even greater maudra. Yet here I am, standing before you, with no great speech to tell and so much sadness in my heart.”

Apparently, the Drenchen believe in audience participation.

The Drenchen elders pipe up that they miss her mom but believe in Naia.

Quite nice of them.

Dad Bellanji joins her on the balcony (apparently a Drenchen mourning ritual is to remove the ribbons from their locs) and tells Naia that she doesn’t need to make a great speech to light the Drenchen’s fire. Which makes sense, the Drenchen are all about hard talk. A flowery speech isn’t what they’re about. As Bellanji continues on to say, all Naia has to say is who she is and what the Drenchen will do next.

So from the balcony, Naia spots skekSa’s tree and knows what to say.

“I am Naia, new maudra of the Drenchen clan. And on this day we lay down our spears and hold one another --”

She took the dagger from her belt and hurled it over the heads of the Drenchen. All eyes were on it as it twirled, sparkling, before disappearing into the deep water of the lake below the Glenfoot. Fingers spread and palms empty, Naia held her hands aloft so all could see.

“We join the resistance. We will protect Thra. We will heal the Crystal.”

“Blue Flame Naia!” cried Gurjin, throwing his fist in the air. He grabbed Naia’s hand in his other. As their knuckles pierced the sky, glowing blue, the Drenchen roared her name again and again.

“Blue Flame Naia!”

The Drenchen hearth starts sparking so the Drenchen all hold hands and the sixth fire of resistance flares into being and dream-etches The Story Thus Far all over the Glenfoot and Great Smerth.

And like previous fires of resistance, they double as fire skypes.

Maudra Mera starts calling out to Naia from within the fire and when Naia confirms to her that the sixth fire has been lit, Naia hears relief from all across Skarith as Gelfling from every other clan reacts to the news.

Within the fire, the world suddenly seemed safer. The other clans closer.

All that’s left now is also the sign the other clans are waiting on - the seventh fire.

And Maudra Mera starts to tell Naia that Spriton scouts have found a number of Stonewood refugees from the border of the Dark Wood. But something else she was trying to tell Naia gets cut out as the fire skype inconsiderately disconnects.

Fires of Resistance are like the twitter of Thra. You get only a little bit to talk. Not like Fireling fire skype. You can talk all day on that.

Naia announces to the Drenchen that they need to help light the seventh fire.

“We lit the sixth fire here,” she announced, “but there is still a seventh yet to light. A final one to unite the rest, and we know exactly where to go. Anyone who can still fight, prepare to depart. I need half our healers to stay here and try to mend Great Smerth if you can... The rest, come with us. We leave immediately for Stone-in-the-Wood.”

It’s going to be slow-going though because only a few muski are big enough to ride and Chapyora is too distressed from Laesid’s death. The Drenchen will have to go on foot.

Dad Bellanji tries to join the expedition but Naia tells him he needs to stay. To oversee the efforts to heal the Great Smerth. To protect the Drenchen who stay behind.

Naia unclasped her mother’s cloak from her shoulders. With a flourish that caught the afternoon light, she unfurled it until it rested gently across her father’s shoulders, as if Maudra Laesid’s wings embraced him once again.

Aww.

Naia and all the warriors and half of the healers of the Drenchen set off. About a day of travel later, peat has become solid earth and Naia is trying not to worry about how they’ll arrive in time for anything with all the fields between the swamp and Stone-in-the-Wood.

They hear a distant but approaching sound. Naia worries that its Skeksis carriages or an army of armored Arathim or some new invention of the Skeksis (stop foreshadowing, Naia) but its something much friendlier than any of that.

“I guess we’ll be making good time after all,” Amri said with a wide grin.

Dozens of graceful white Landstriders crested the hill, the sun shining off their gauzy fur and lighting the pinks in their wide, pointed ears. Half were mounted, half with saddles bare, all with long, powerful legs that were the swiftest in the Skarith Land. Naia couldn’t help but laugh with relief when she saw Lun and Gereni waving from the shoulders of their Landstriders.

“What are you all waiting for?” Lun called, chest puffed up with pride. “Get on!”

Lun: ‘Get on the landstrider, nerds.’

Love when logistical problems get solved by side characters the protagonists befriended. It’s one of my favorite things.

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #liveblog #Flames of the Dark Crystal #Naia #Kylan #Amri #Gurjin #Bellanji #off to the next plot objective!

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watchmegetobsessed · 6 years

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Shawn Mendes // Boundaries Part 4

soooo thankful for the likes and reblogs and COMMENTS ( i love reading your opinion!) in blown away the first three parts are already so popular and the notes are just comin and coming so... keep em comin! haha here is part 4, enjoy, let me know what you think!

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Something has changed after that party in the penthouse. I guess the bathroom incident had a deep impact on Shawn and his view of my life and job, because for the rest of the week we listened to country music every day on our way to different events. Dinners, brunches, friendly meetups with crew members or just simply strolling through the city. Before all of these we listened to his music and I never saw Grumpy Shawn again.

Well, this is not entirely true. I saw him in his grumpy mood, but his way of approaching me in those times changed. I wasn’t a stupid slut anymore, I felt like an equal partner and this is all I wanted. To be treated like a normal human being.

On Thursday we officially stepped up into the stage where we hold each other’s hand on the street, so obviously the media was blown. Not because of us walking hand in hand, but because we were getting official and they still knew exactly nothing about me. Not even my name and I feel like a super cool undercover agent.

All together, I finally started enjoying work, cause it doesn’t feel like I’m working, it’s like I’m just casually hanging out with a friend. But don’t fear, I’m still keeping my distance keeping my name and real address to myself and it’s not going to change for sure.

“Can you stop shaking your leg?” Shawn asks chuckling as he stuffs another fry into his mouth. I just roll my eyes at him smiling happily.

“I can’t, I’m too excited. I’m seeing Justin Timberlake perform tonight!”

“I know, I bought the tickets.”

“Haha. You know, it’s not an everyday thing for me to see my childhood favorite perform.” I steal a fry from his plate and dip it into ketchup.

“I thought you are not interested in celebrities and the media.”

“I’m not, but I was when I was fifteen,” I shrug my shoulder.

I see him smile at me shaking his head as he turns his face to the side, but his smile slowly fades away and I know he is about to share something with me, he is just trying to phrase it.

“Um, there might be a chance that we meet someone tonight.”

I stop eating, because it sounds like something that’s important to him and I want to give him all my attention.

“Who would that be?”

“Camila,” he quietly says and then quickly adds: “Camila Cabello.”

“Your friend, right?”

He has mentioned Camila before and from what I heard they must have been best friends for a long time, but they don’t see each other that often anymore. He never told me about his feelings about their relationship, but if I had to take a guess he had feelings for her… Or still has? Not sure about that.

“Yes. We talked about the concert, she said she might come with her boyfriend.”

At the mentioning of the boyfriend I see the slightest sign of disgust and anger in his eyes, but it disappears pretty fast. I can tell it matter to him a lot, so my task is to make it easier for him and just be there when he needs me.

“Then, I guess it’ll be a double date!” I say with a grin on my face, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, I guess.” He chuckles softly and I hope he is not too nervous about tonight.

As a part two of today’s date we grab a coffee before heading to the concert, it’s a tea for me, because I’m more of a tea person. The traffic is heavy, but it was expected, everyone is interested in Justin! We are at a red light when I grab my compact mirror and check myself, just to make sure I haven’t turn into a panda just yet.

“What are you doing?” he asks as I’m moving around the mirror, trying to find some light.

“Just making sure your girlfriend looks presentable,” I click my tongue as a car’s headlight aims at us for a few moments and I immediately use the opportunity. My makeup is still good, so I close the mirror and slide it back into my purse.

“You don’t need to check, you always look pretty.”

I stop mid-movement and turn to him smiling and I raise my eyebrows at him.

“Oh, was this a compliment?”

“I guess?” he lets out an awkward chuckle and I imagine his cheeks turning pink, though I can’t see it in the dark and I’ve never seen him blush, I still like the image.

“Well thank you then. It’s nice to know you are satisfied with my look,” I add jokingly.

“I never told you otherwise.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t exactly say it. You just told me my job is to look pretty, how do I know I succeeded?”

I’m totally just joking with this comment, but he gets suspiciously quiet and doesn’t laugh with me, so I glance at him and see that his expressions are quite serious.

“Hey, I was just joking.”

“I know, but… That doesn’t mean I wasn’t an asshole when I said that.”

I can’t reply to that, because it’s true. He was an asshole and I’m not gonna deny it, I hate covering things up.

“I’m sorry for the way I acted, I was just… very concerned about Andrew’s plan.” He sighs as we hit another red light and he turns to me. “I didn’t mean it, I’ve just been very jumpy lately, and the fact that I had to hire an escort to help myself out just…”

“It was a kick to your ego,” I finish for him and he nods.

“Pretty much.”

“Look, I’m not here because you are unable to maintain a normal relationship or because you are a disaster when it comes to dating. I’m mostly here because I can’t be found, I’m not losing anything by becoming a target for a month and this way you’ll be able to finally move on from your failed relationships. And by the way those are totally normal, don’t think you are the only one who gets dumped, you just have to go through it publicly. So don’t feel bad about yourself.”

I can tell my small pep talk helped him, because a wide smile appears on his handsome face as the light turns green and we continue our drive and it makes me feel so much better than we cleared everything up. I wish it didn’t take almost an entire week to do this, but whatever.

For me, attending a concert means crowd, waiting in line and then some waiting in the crowd. I haven’t been to many shows, one, because they are expensive as hell and two… well, I guess it’s just the money. But I should have expected my experience with Shawn would be a whole different one. We go straight to the backstage, Shawn parks the car down and two security guards are already waiting for us, no surprise. At the entrance we get passes with a photo and our name on it. Taking a look at it I see that this is the photo clients get when they get my short info, but it also catches my eyes that my real name is on the pass.

“I’m sorry, they didn’t let us use your fake name,” he whispers as he sees me staring at the pass. I take a look at the center where Naya Duvall is spelled in big blue letters.

“It’s fine. I know the security is strict.” I give him a small smile, but I hide the pass under my hoodie so no one can spot my name. The last thing I need is to have my name out in the public, that would destroy everything. Not just the plan but my whole life.

Shawn reaches for my hand and we lace our fingers together, it’s a natural act by now, but it somehow relaxes me. My anxiety I sometimes get from the crowd and the attention gets easier when I feel his hand holding mine. God, I sound like a teenage girl!

I check the time, we still have like half an hour before the show starts, I’m starting to get really excited and I just want to take our seats finally, but Shawn doesn’t seem to be interested in it just yet.

“I swear, if we miss the first song, I’ll murder you,” I tell him with a serious face, but he just laughs at me.

“Okay, we can leave and take our seats, but then you miss the surprise.” He has a mysterious smile on his face and I don’t really understand what he is talking about.

“Surprise? What surprise?” I ask getting nervous. I hope he didn’t buy me jewelry or something, that would ruin the friendly atmosphere between us and I don’t want that.

He pulls his phone out and the grin on his face just grows bigger before looking back at me.

“Since you’ve been fangirling in the last two days about tonight, I thought I would give you the best experience ever.”

“What are yo-“ I start, but then someone grabs my shoulder and turns me a bit and then I see… I see Justin Timberlake standing right in front of me, in all of his glory and my teenage self would have already peed herself right at this moment. “What the fuck!” I gasp as I shift my gaze back and force between Shawn and Justin.

“Hi Fleur, nice to meet you,” Justin chuckles ignoring my horrible language and he pulls me into a hug that I return more than happily.

“It’s nice to meet you too! I can’t believe I’m finally meeting the man I was in love for so long!”

“Only was?” he gasps pretending to be hurt as we let go of each other and I just shake my head laughing.

“I mean, you are married, I’m grown… I had to let go at one point.”

“Very rational. She is a keeper, man,” he says as he highfives with Shawn and I step back next to my fake boyfriend, because he just made me the happiest girl on the Earth, work or no work.

“I know, right?”

“Do you want to take a picture? I’m sorry, I don’t have much time though I would love to talk with you guys, but it’s just a chaos sometime,” he excuses himself and I already have my phone out, handing it to a guard as I stand next to Justin while I quickly fix my hair. Just before the picture is taken I see that Shawn is standing at the side.

“Hey, come here,” I ask him and his eyebrows raise.

“Me? Oh no, it’s your photo.”

“Yes, and I want the man who made it happen in it.”

I hold my arm out and after a few seconds of hesitation he finally gives in and stands on my other side, putting his arm on my waist. For a moment I think about that two of the most handsome men are holding me right now, and this brings the widest smile to my face as I look into the camera.

“Thank you, I hope you’ll enjoy the concert guys,” Justin hugs me again as he is about to run and do his duty.

“Thank you! Good luck on stage!” I smile at him, watch the guys shake hands and he is already gone.

I turn around and basically throw myself on Shawn hugging his neck so tight for a moment I think I’m suffocating him, but I just can’t hold myself back. He just brought Justin Timberlake out to meet me, and right now Shawn Mendes is my favorite person in the world.

“Thank you so much!” I squeak in his ear as he wraps his arms around me chuckling.

“It was nothing, no problem.”

“It was everything! Thank you so so so much!”

I finally let go of him and as I lean back our faces get extremely close for a moment. I freeze and the thought of kissing him crosses my mind, but as fast as it comes, it leaves immediately and I tell myself I’m stupid and I should pull my shit together. I only feel this way because the guy just brought Justin Timberlake to me and I feel like I have to thank him in a different way.

And the saddest part is that getting physical is the first thing that comes to my mind…

We stand there for a few short seconds before I lean back and turn my head totally breaking the moment and making it even a bit awkward.

“Um, so… Can we go to our seats now?” I ask to somehow cover up the awkwardness of the situation. He scratches the back of his neck nodding.

“Sure, let’s go.”

Can’t help but feel awkward following our movie like moment with our faces almost touching and I just want something happen to make us forget about it. Well, maybe next I’ll be more careful about what I wish…

A guard walks us out of the bactstage to the sector that is, as he said, private, so basically Justin’s guests and other celebrities can have these seats. As we approach this area I totally forget about what we talked about earlier, meeting Camila. So I’m truly surprised when I hear a woman basically scream Shawn’s name and someone throws themselves on him, almost winding me off of my feet too.

“Hey, Camila,” Shawn chuckles hugging the girl tight as I stand behind them, feeling like a total outsider. I look over their shoulders and see a tall, blue eyed man standing there just as awkward as me. He must be the boyfriend.

“I’m so happy you are here, I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages!” She leans back holding onto Shawn’s shoulders. I’m also much shorter than him, but Camila looks so small next to him. To be honest, most people look small next to Shawn and his amazing height.

“Yeah, I guess we both are busy,” he chuckles shrugging his shoulder.

“Sure, but I see you’ve been busier this week!” Her eyes shift to me and suddenly I’m in the middle of her attention. “Strolling around the city with your new lady and you haven’t even mentioned her to me! Hey!” She basically pushes Shawn to the side and stands in front of me holding her hand out that I nicely take. “I’m Camila.”

“Fleur,” I smile at her and I think the handshake is all, but she pulls me into a hug too.

“Beautiful name for a gorgeous girl! Fleur, this is my boyfriend, Matthew.”

I shake hands with the tall guy, still smiling and after the first round of introductions we finally take our seats. I’m sitting next to Shawn, then Camila and on the other end Matthew.

“We almost had to cancel, but Matthew moved his meeting so we could come and I’m so happy, because it’s a double date now!” She genuinely seems happy to see us, but it’s a bit too much for me.

And looking at Shawn he also feels uncomfortable, probably because he is on a double date with the girl he had or has feelings for, her boyfriend, and his own fake girlfriend. Not the dreamiest scenario one would wish for.

He looks tensed, he is holding onto the armrest of the seat and is avoiding eye-contact with Camila as much as possible. I’m surprised she hasn’t noticed it, he changed so fast from the moment we met them, even I can tell the difference.

I put a hand on the hand he has on the armrest between us and lace our fingers together. For anyone it must look like a romantic gesture, just a small couple thing, but for me it means that I’m letting him know he is not here alone and I’m supporting him no matter what. This is not really part of my life, maybe I will never see Camila and Matthew again ever, so if he wants to flip a table, I’m here for it. If he wants to make them think we are disgustingly in love, go for it. If he decides to leave right now I wouldn’t hold a grudge. Okay, that’s not true, I want to see Justin perform at least two songs. But you get the point. The choice is his.

He smiles at me thankfully as he pulls our hands to his lap and covers mine with his other one. I lean closer and now we definitely look like a real couple. Camila notices it too.

“You guys look so cute together! How did you meet?”

We freeze.

It has never been discussed, because we were never really supposed to give any info out about us, so we exchange a look and I see the fear in his eyes, he has no idea what to do.

“We met at… at an art gallery,” I suddenly say and now this is the story we have to go with, I guess.

“And art gallery,” Shawn repeats it, almost like savoring the sound of it.

“Yeah,” I nod. “He and Andrew were there, just wandering around and I happened to check it out the same time with my friend. We stood next to each other at one of the paintings and discussed our opinions. Then he…”

“I asked her out for coffee,” he adds jumping in on the fake story and we smile at each other knowingly. “But she told me that she is more like a tea person. So we ended up drinking green tea,” I can’t help but smile at the fact that he remembered this tiny detail. “We talked and talked and then I saved her from a creep on our way home.”

“Yes you did,” I chuckle and no one knows we are talking about the bathroom incident.

“And I asked for your number and called you immediately for a second date.”

“And I said yes.”

“The rest is history,” he adds almost whispering and I’m starting to get lost in his eyes. This is not the worst fake story, so I’m satisfied with it, I wish this was our real story…

“This is so sweet!”

We break eye-contact hearing Camila’s voice and kind of come back to reality. I shake my head lightly to clear my thoughts. I zoned out on Shawn for the second time tonight, I really should pull my shit together.

“I’m so happy for you guys and I love that you are the mystery girl for everyone. How do you do this? I mean, staying this low-key.”

“I don’t use social media. I don’t really use internet,” I add shrugging and I watch her eyes go wide for a moment. I know, it’s crazy!

“Wow, you are… the coolest person I know. Shawn, keep her.” She pats him on the back and he just chuckles, giving my hand a squeeze.

The concert is… everything I dreamed of. I’m all over the place by the end. I shout, I scream, I chant, I sing and have the time of my life, while Shawn next to me seems amused by how wild I go over Justin. I can’t sit on my ass, I basically jump up the moment he comes on stage and I pull Shawn with me who starts dancing with me, but in a more subtle way.

“I’m not a big dancer,” he shouts into my ear as I’m jumping up and down and pull on his arm to move with me.

“What?” I ask, but I think he could only read it from my mouth over the music. “Come on, you are a musician!”

“I know, but dancing is just not my cup of tea,” he shrugs his shoulder and this is when Camila leans over to us.

“True! Tried to get him to dance for years, he refuses to do more than just moving his shoulders around and stepping from left to right.”

“I’m just not great at dancing!” Shawn exclaims throwing his hands in the air with an awkward smile.

The lights are dancing on his face as he rolls his eyes when Camila just laughs and turns back to his boyfriend shouting to him something. He doesn’t notice, but I see his eyes linger over her with desire as he glances at them shortly. The smile vanishes from his face and then turns his attention back to the stage. The pain in his eyes is just devastating. Must be hard to face the girl you were or still are in love with, especially if you have to witness her happiness with another man.

When the concert is over and the lights come back so I’m not about to get a seizure anymore, I turn to Shawn and the lovey-dovey couple on his right.

“Hey, why don’t we have a late night snack somewhere? This double date is so cool, I would love to hang out with you guys,” Camila offers as Matthew is standing behind her, circling his arms around her tiny figure. I see Shawn getting tensed at the thought of going with them and watching their show for any longer, but I also know that he won’t be able to say no.

Unlike me.

Before he could speak up I step closer to him and take his hand with the sweetest smile on my face.

“I already planned out a surprise for us, I’m sorry. But maybe some other time?” I don’t want to sound rude, because to be honest, Camila didn’t do anything, but I don’t want Shawn to suffer any longer. I had the time of my life tonight, I can’t let him deteriorate in the meanwhile.

He gives me a surprised look, but doesn’t protest against me. Camila seems genuinely sad, but she doesn’t force her will on us accepting that this double date has come to its end now.

“Oh okay. I really hope we meet sometime soon, Fleur.” She hugs me tightly before doing the same with Shawn. Matthew just shakes hand nicely with both of us before we go head to the backstage where they lounge for a while, but we decide it’s better to leave.

A guard walks us out to our car and Shawn turns to me from behind the wheel.

“So, is there really a surprise or you just said that so we didn’t have to spend the rest of the night with them?”

“I do have a surprise. Give me your phone.” I hold out my hand with a proud face. He chuckles, but does as I told him and when I have his phone I type in an address so he knows which way he has to go. I put it into the holder on the dashboard and start the route. “Just follow.”

“Okay?!” He seems confused and was sure I didn’t have anything planned out.

We roll out of the parking lot and pass by a big group of fans, probably waiting for Justin to show up, but then they see Shawn and start screaming as if it was Justin in the car. Shawn waves through the window, but doesn’t stop, just slowly enrolls into the traffic leaving the fans behind.

He reaches for the radio and a smile spreads across my face because one, I know he is about to put on his country music and two, this means his mood is not as bad as I thought it was.

“What?” he asks glancing at me shortly when he sees me smiling.

“Nothing.”

“Why are you so smiley?” he chuckles, his eyes are shifting between me, the phone screen and the road.

“It’s just… I know you are in a good mood when we listen to country music in the car,” I softly say and watch him think about it. I’m sure he hasn’t even noticed, it’s just a habit of his that is totally natural for him, but for me it tells a lot.

“And you don’t like country music?” he asks and I can sense what he really meant by it.

“I like it. I like listening to country music,” I quietly say before turning my head to the window while he turns the music on and we drive through the lively streets of New York.

“So we turned down Camila’s offer to have a late night snack to come all the way to Bronx and… have a late night snack?” Shawn concludes as he turns the car off once we are parked. It’s past midnight and the streets are nothing like the atmosphere was around the stadium. The parking lot is almost empty, there’s only one car in the corner, the street lights aren’t giving enough light to see comfortably, but the small pizzeria’s neon lights are coloring the night, letting the night owls know that Luigi’s is open 0-24.

“No. I ended our awkward double date to come here and show you the place where you can get the best pizza on Earth.”

He shakes his head laughing as we get out of the car. I can’t help but feel weird being here again and especially with Shawn. The last time I walked these streets I was nineteen and in deep trouble. Not that I got rid of all the trouble by now but I’m kind of more in control that I was before.

Shawn doesn’t say a word, he just follows me into the small pizzeria that’s heaven for the young people of the area. It’s a beloved destination after a party filled night or if you have the early shift, nothing is open but you are dying to eat something delicious. Or if you are just roaming the streets deep in thoughts and suddenly feel hungry, but you know there’s no food at home. Luigi is always here for you.

The familiar sound of the small bell above the door greets us as we walk into the lit place, flinching a bit from the sudden light compared to the street. I only see a man eating two slices of margarita pizza at the table next to the window and a tall boy who can’t be older than fifteen is focused on his phone’s screen near the cash register, chewing on a pepperoni pizza. The bell’s sound brings Luigi out from the back and suddenly I feel sixteen again as he smiles at us.

The man barely changed, his almost entirely bald head is shining under the lamps, his mustache is grey bud as proud as ever and his big belly is wrapped in a white apron.

“Welcome, welcome!” he greets us as he steps to the counter that’s full of the most delicious pizza slices. One glimpse and your mouth is already watering up, getting your body ready to get blown away by the taste of Luigi's masterpieces.

“Hi Luigi,” I smile at him stepping to the counter with Shawn right behind me. He is looking around curiously.

“Long time no see. Is everything alright Sweetheart?” he asks.

He doesn’t know my name, or anyone’s in fact, but he remembers the faces. You come here more than three times and Luigi will remember you forever. He calls every girl or woman Sweetheart while all the boys and men are his Brothers.

“Yes. Just brought here a friend to show him the best pizza,” I say glancing at Shawn who has been examining the food in front of him and at the mentioning of him he looks up and smiles at Luigi.

“Good, good. What can I get you?”

“Two slices of the margarita and two from the prosciutto, please.” I barely end my sentence and he is already topping the slices on two plates and hands us them.

“Ten dollars, Sweetheart.”

Shawn immediately reaches for his wallet, but I stop him and hand a ten dollar bill over to Luigi and throwing a few coins into the tip jar earning a thankful smile from Luigi.

“My treat. Come on, grab your plate and let’s sit down,” I tell him with my two slices in my hand as I head to the corner table.

“So, may I ask why you wanted to bring me here?” he asks as we take our seats across from each other.

“I told you, I wanted to show you where you can get the best pizza in Earth.”

“But how do you know about this place?”

“Take a bite first and then I’ll tell you.”

He chuckles taking the margarita in his hand. He eyes the slice for a few seconds before biting into it and I watch him taste Heaven. His eyes widen and looks at that pizza as if he just found his future wife. The proudest smile appears on my face as I lean back in my seat and start eating mine.

“Oh my God. This really is the best I’ve ever tasted.”

“I told you,” I shrug with a grin.

We eat in silence for a few minutes until he finishes the first slice and looks at me.

“So, what’s the story?” I knew he wouldn’t let go of it and I don’t even know why I even brought him here. This is a place from my past, my personal life and I don’t have a second thought when I start talking. I just feel comfortable with sharing it with him.

“I used to come here a lot when I was in high school. My school was ten blocks from here and me and my friends hung out all the time here. And since it’s open 0-24 we often ended up here after a nightout.” Many of my favorite memories from my teenage years happened around here. There’s nothing like hanging out on your usual spot with friends, sharing funny stories and making even more. The worst part was when I was forced to go home and face the reality that my life was.

“You spent a lot of nights out when you were in high school?”

“I guess,” I shrug my shoulder, because I don’t know what is considered much, but I know I spent more time away from home than anyone else I knew. I was always the first one to hit the street and the last one to go home, because I would have rather just wandered around in the middle of the night than to go home. “I didn’t like being home, so I mostly hung out somewhere with my friends or crash at their place. I was pretty much a vagabond, but officially I had a home. But I didn’t look for trouble on purpose may I add.”

“What was the problem with being home?” he asks, but when I look into his eyes he regrets the question. “You don’t have to answer, if you don’t want to.”

“It’s fine,” I smile weakly swallowing the food I was chewing on. “Um, my… I never knew my father and my mom was an alcoholic.”

I’m waiting for the usual “so sorry, must have been hard” talk, but he stays silent and it feels so much better than hearing him pity me.

“You said was,” he speaks up after a while, when he is finished with eating.

“Huh?”

“You said your mom was an alcoholic. What is the past tense for?” He asks and now I understand. He wants to know if she is dead or recovered.

“I haven’t seen her in three years, I don’t know what… she is like now,” I admit and I realize this is the first time I’m talking about my family in two years. The last time was when I just started at the Nook and didn’t cope well with the pressure and the work and broke down in tears to Josie, cried my heart out while she listened. Then she made me a hot-chocolate and told me that the past can’t be changed but you can decide how you want to treat it. I chose to deny it and pretend like it never happened.

I can see the sadness in his eyes at the mention of my poor relationship with my mom and it’s weighting on us heavily as I finish my second slice as well. I regret telling him about my mom as the silence is getting thicker, but then he speaks up and suddenly the weight feels so much lighter.

“I haven’t felt normal in almost two years.” His eyes are playing around with the crust that has fallen off of his pizza, he is moving it around his empty plate.

“What do you mean normal?”

“I’m always on the road, my days are jampacked and by the end of the day I feel numb. I love doing what I do, but I miss just being one person in the crowd and not the person the crowd is here for.”

“Can’t you, I don’t know, take a vacation?” I ask and I’m afraid I said something stupid. I clearly don’t know what it feels like to have all the attention all the time.

“I can’t make people not recognize me.” He sighs looking up at me as he elbows on the table with a sad smile.

We sit there in silence, taking in what was just said and with each passing moment it feels more and more intimate. Somehow through our worries and problems we found a way to connect without a word and at first I don’t even realize what this means. It just feels so refreshing to sit here with him in silence and I forget that I’m still working. It doesn’t feel like a job at this moment, it’s more like two friends sharing some deep secrets in the middle of the night over some pizza somewhere in Bronx.

It’s almost one in the morning when we leave Luigi’s and head back. On the way, sitting in the dark I refuse to think what tonight meant for me, for us. I give myself a break to just enjoy a moment, but at the back of my mind I know I’ve done a mistake. Because at the end of the day Shawn is still paying me after every minute we spend together and I’m still an escort with debts as big as mountains, A very troubled past and an even more complicated present. And I shouldn’t be confusing these moments and think they are real.

Because I can’t make the same mistake again and end up in pieces.

#shawn mendes #shawn #mendes #mendes amry #boundaries #shawn mendes x reader #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes fanfic #shawn mendes fanfictions #shawn mendes fanfics #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes imagines #fanfiction #magcon #magcon fanfiction #magcon fanfic

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thebibliomancer · 3 years

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Flames of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 15

Flames of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because its time for the best boy!

Last times on book: Team Naia continued on their Aughra and Thra given quest to light fires of resistance with all seven Gelfling clans. The Sifa, Dousan, and Vapra fires were lit in the previous book. Tavra and Onica have split off to go handle the Grottan and Stonewood. Naia, Kylan, Amri, and Gurjin have gone to Sami Thicket to light the Spriton fire. They’ve run into a problem that the Spriton were on the verge of war with the Drenchen. Naia solved(?) that problem by setting various things on fire which forestalled an attack but tensions are still high. But Kylan has stepped forward with a song to tell.

Chapter 15

The song teller’s ballad of the Gelfling Gathering.

Naia was waiting for Kylan as he marched past Maudra Mera, toward the hearth that blazed at the center of the pavilion. He climbed up onto the stone wall that kept the fire contained and lifted his firca. The single, piercing note silenced every voice in the pavilion. Even the Landstriders stopped, turning to find the silhouette of the little Spriton song teller standing in front of the fire.

‘HELLO SAMI THICKET! I’m Kylan and the Bone Firca and I am here to ROCK you!’

Actually though he plays with his lute that he definitely has.

I guess the firca is more of an accompanying instrument. ‘Cause you can’t sing and play at the same time and Kylan has lyrics to his song.

Look at this determined Kylan, from this post again. What a good, determined Kylan.

“Let me tell you a song of another time

In a world green and good, in an age of wonder

Three Suns crossed above for a thousand trine

Three Moons in the river flowing under

Then a shaft of light fell from the sky

And eighteen stars descended”

Ah, I see he’s beginning with the beginning.

If someone has recorded themselves singing this or any of the Kylan songs, I’d love to hear them rock the lute.

You hypothetical person are probably a talented musician singer but as a fictional puppet best boy, Kylan is simply next level.

When Kylan sings, he sings and plays so spectacularly that listeners vividly imagine themselves in the song that he’s telling.

Naia can smell the Crystal Chamber when Kylan sings of it. He’s just that good.

“They drank deep of the nectar from the flowers of Thra: The Seven Gelfling Clans

The Skeksis supped on our Gelfling essence

While deep in the castle, o’er a shaft of air and fire

In pain and in need, its light evanescent

The Crystal of Truth dangled blighted and dire

But when the Gelflign learned what had happened: The Seven Clans resisted

Oh yes, the Seven Clans resisted”

Naia notes that all of the Spriton are under the sway of Kylan’s music, even Maudra Mera. And muses that the spell of a song teller may be a kind Gelfling were particularly weak to because “no matter the clan, songs were as close to the hearts of Gelfling as their vliya.”

So Kylan song tells how the Sifa lit the first fire of resistance. How the Dousan lit the second and also resurrected their Great Tree while they were at it. How the Skeksis killed the All-Maudra but the Vapra lit their fire of resistance when Tavra’s message rekindled their hopes.

Naia and Amri feel pride as Kylan tells of these adventures and victories.

This was their story. Where they had entered the unending song of Thra. The resistance of the Seven Clans, the lighters of the Seven Fires. Aughra’s menders.

Naia looks around for Gurjin and spots him looking around for her, the same hope in his eyes that she felt.

I’m sorry, she thought. Said, in her mind. She didn’t know if their dreamfast link was strong enough while there was such a rift between them. A rift she wanted to mend. She didn’t know if he’d heard her until he dipped his head.

I’m sorry, too.

Aww, Kylan sang a song so good he healed the interpersonal rift between twins!

Best boy.

And now Kylan goes from singing about the past to just making up a future. That’s the power of song telling.

“Charged by the Skeksis to raise up their spears

The Spriton were fourth in the rolling green plains

They listened, were wise, cleared the smoke of their fears

Saw the path ahead lit with all seven blue flames

And so four of the seven Gelfling flames were won

More than half where there had been none”

This gets the Spriton talking!

They didn’t realize that the cause of resistance was so far along maybe but what Kylan makes them realize is that the Spriton would be the tipping point. Like the protags made Maudra Ethri realize, their clan is not alone.

Kylan also song tells of the Grottan and Drenchen fires being lit.

And Naia imagines her clan gathered under the Great Smerth and she winds up holding Amri’s hand.

Kylan gets to the seventh fire and the big question mark behind this plan. What happens when all the fires are lit, all the Gelfling clans are united?

“Only one fire remained, till all were lit for good

All eyes turned to the ruins of Stone-in-the-Wood

There the Gelfling clans unite

There the Gelfling fires light

The dream-flames etched on a sacred wall

And there the Skeksis Lords will fall”

She saw it as he sang it, clear as day and night. In the ruins of Stone-in-the-Wood, the Gelfling came together. Kylan’s song told of strife resolved, the flames of the different clans combined into a single fire. One which blazed so brightly that it might drown out the shadows of the Skeksis. Not with weapons and war, but with light and song, in harmony with their world.

The fire was distant, in their future, but Naia could hear it. Feel it, like the presence of loved ones in another room. And she knew that when the time came, the flames would be so bright and pure, their light would reach the Castle itself.

Kylan’s lute rang in the heavy air, reverberating as if the song might be over. Then, with the resolution of a master, he played the last refrain:

“What all started with the Crystal shattering

This song teller’s ballad of the Gelfling Gathering”

All was still, all silent. Until Maudra Mera stepped forward, spear in hand.

“Is this a Far-Dream, or just a song?” she asked, loud voice uncharacteristically awestruck as well. Kylan didn’t answer, breathing too heavily to respond. Wide-eyed, Maudra Mera turned to Naia and asked again in a different way: “Is it true?”

Naia held out her hand, palm up.

“It could be,” she said.

Yoooooooo I love this.

Kylan told a song so well he got Maudra Mera to imagine a brighter future.

She’s still resistant to this uncertain future though.

Naia tries to convince her and the Spriton. Maudra Mera couldn’t imagine a different future other than forever subservience to the Skeksis. So Kylan has shown them a different one.

“I can see a version of the future if we follow a path, but if the Spriton were to turn on the Skeksis and light this -- this fire of resistance -- that would only be one step. The path diverges again and again,” Maudra Mera said.

“So we keep our eyes and ears open,” Kylan said. “And when the path diverges, we look and listen. And choose the path that leads us to the future we seek. For a time, we may walk alone, and in those times it is easy to become lost. But I believe that if we listen and sing the same song, those paths will converge. Become one. Wide enough for us all to walk side by side. Together.”

Maudra Mera is still not convinced. Eesh. This is a lot of convincing.

She tells Kylan that when his mother left to build a homestead with Kylan’s Stonewood dad, Maudra Mera warned her that leaving her clan and mixing with another was dangerous. But they built a home on the border of the Dark Wood, that place filled with horrors, and for many years they lived happily and had a best baby Kylan.

So Maudra Mera wondered if she had been wrong to worry so.

And then the Hunter came and killed Kylan’s parents and Kylan returned to live in Sami Thicket.

Kylan tells her that change is good, actually. He left Sami Thicket himself because he felt he brought shame to the Spriton but he’s returned an expert song teller who has been through so much stuff and stood up to the Hunter.

Unfortunately, the Drenchen are showing up and that’s really putting a time limit on trying to talk the Spriton into joining the resistance.

Kylan urges the Spriton to rebel against the Skeksis by refusing to fight other Gelfling but some guards show up and tell Maudra Mera that Maudra Laesid and about twenty Drenchen warriors have gotten past the first line of defense.

Believe in the future that Kylan sang or take the safe(??) route and go to war...

Even now Maudra Mera is a cautious sort.

“You say we make our futures. I want to be sure of ours. If I call on the Spriton to lay down their weapons against the Drenchen, we will be vulnerable. But you say you can persuade your mother to call off her attack on the Skeksis that will bring their wrath upon us all. Convince her to let go of her call to war and join the other Gelfling in resistance. Do you still think you can?”

“Yes,” Naia said without hesitation.

Madura Mera raised her chin, regal and hardened. She let go of Kylan’s shoulders and faced the entrance of the village. Naia saw the shadows of the warriors coming through the wood and the great, serpentine back of an enormous flying eel.

“All right then,” Maudra Mera said through clenched jaw. “Prove it.”

Ever cautious.

But if Naia can get her mom to back down, joining the resistance becomes the safer path for the Spriton!

They’ll have succeeded in ‘stopping’ the Drenchen attack so they won’t face immediate reprisals by the Skeksis. They’ll have sided with half the other Gelfling clans, so they’ll have allies. And they won’t need to fight this outmatched fight.

Its rare that the shot in the dark seems like a safer bet but our heroes have done it! All it took was a little arson and a lot of singing!

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #liveblog #Flames of the Dark Crystal #Naia #Gurjin #Kylan #Amri #Maudra Mera

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