#personal tag aka eden needs to get a life

[weast-of-eden]

god i can’t remember which book i read it in but i remember reading a philosophy book that said something along the line of “deduction and diagnosis are essentially one in the same; this is why dr watson is the perfect companion for sherlock holmes” and i nearly wept. scientifically proven soulmates for real

[vivi-the-sky-kid]

Sowing the Seeds (of Love), Chapter 1

Aka the Resh/OC Fix-It Fic Nobody Asked for but I'm Inflicting on All of You Anyways as Punishment for Kai's Your Hubris

The King has always been a mysterious figure in the annals of the Sky Kingdom's history, generating both awe and fear within the hearts of the sky spirits. Few can claim to have met them in person; certainly not Tav, a researcher of light creatures for the Vault of Knowledge. But when they discover their research may be used to harm the very creatures they know and love, Tav knows they cannot allow this to happen.

Somehow, they must change the King's mind. If that means throwing butterflies at their royal face, then so be it.

-<◇>-

Warnings: Will be added to each chapter when necessary, but there's not gonna be anything graphic in this (do send me an ask if you think there's something I should warn about tho)

Rating: T (just to be on the safe side)

Pairing(s): Resh/OC

Tag(s): Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies

Additional Tag(s): Resh and Alef are twins, Resh and Tav are both nonbinary, Resh uses he/they, Tav uses she/they, Resh is demiromantic and pansexual, Tav is biromantic and demisexual, no beta we die like moths in eden

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

-<◇>-

Chapter 1

Word Count: 2,477

Warning(s): None

-<◇>-

Fury powered her strides as Tav marched towards the elevator leading to Elder Lamed's level of the Vault. What they had overheard... it was unthinkable! Outrageous! And they intended to let Lamed know exactly that! She couldn't let her research be used like this. Not to harm the very creatures they had spent their life studying.

Onwards and upwards she went, a lone figure on the elevator. Scholars sorting memory cubes and acolytes tending to the spiritual residue of the Kingdom's history flew past her vision. Finally, the elevator came to a stop, its power diamond moving to rest over the Elder statues, and Tav mustered their psychokinetic powers to fly the short distance to the grassy island. That had been a trick the mantas had helped her master; if not for them, she would still struggle to get around Vault's upper levels like before. They took a breath to steady themself, adjusted the prairie lily clipped to their hair, and moved forward.

As they crested the structure bearing the Elder statues, Tav looked around. She could see no sign of Elder Lamed, which meant, more likely than not, the Elder had withdrawn into their private domain. There was nothing for it but to light the altar candles, sit before their statue, and pray.

Their legs had started to fall asleep when they finally felt the brush against their mind that meant Lamed had heard their prayer, and was ready to listen. She relaxed and let the Elder pull their consciousness into that dreamy world. When they next opened their eyes, they knelt in the same spot, although the elevator diamond was now gone, casting the area in comfortable shadows. In the statue's place stood Lamed, gazing down at her with an unreadable look.

“Ah, so you are the one who prayed. Tav, was it? Head of the light creature research effort?”

“That's correct, Elder Lamed. I've come to you regarding a decision involving my research.”

“Is that so?” Their eyes flickered beneath the mask, before they dipped their head. “Very well. Speak.”

Tav jumped to their feet, hands clenching the fabric of their robe. “Elder Lamed, I cannot permit my research to be used to develop these 'dark weapons' R&D is proposing! Light creatures are beautiful, wonderful creatures that share a great deal in common with us. They are intelligent, gentle, and loving beings. To turn them into weapons is... is... is out of the question!”

The Elder's eyes had grown wide at her outburst, but soon closed as they pressed a hand to their forehead. “Really, Tav, you're being unreasonable. R&D has already gained permission from the King to go forth with this project. Are you saying you doubt His Majesty's judgment regarding the good of the kingdom?”

“Yes!”

Silence filled the domain. Sweat began running down Tav's back as a great pressure weighed down on them. When they almost gave in and knelt once more, it lifted, and Lamed turned away.

“I expect your research to be turned in to the Vault at the appropriate deadline. Is that understood?”

Tav was silent.

“I said, is that understood, Tav?”

“...It is, Elder Lamed.”

“Good. You are dismissed.”

With that, their vision swam, and they closed their eyes to ward off the nausea. Upon opening them, she found herself back at the summit, the power diamond shining coldly overhead. They looked up at the statue and sighed.

Resolve filled them once more, and they stood and walked back to the elevator. Lamed may not have listened, but there was one more person she could try to convince. All reports of the King had them as a kind and benevolent ruler who listened to the people, yet these latest projects said otherwise. Which was the truth, and which was a lie? There was only one way to find out.

Tav swallowed the lump of fear in her throat. This was no time to get cold feet. The light creatures were counting on them.

First things first, however. She needed to keep her research out of the wrong hands.

-<◇>-

Another day, another round of paperwork. Resh sighed inwardly as he dipped his manta quill into the inkwell to sign the latest report from the Golden Land's biggest sunsteel refinery. Production was holding steady due to the shipment of light from Daylight Prairie, and they would likely have enough in reserve for the little project Vault R&D had recently proposed.

A soft call from the doorway caught their attention, and they lifted their head. One of the guards—a new recruit, if their nervous demeanor was any indication—was standing there somewhat awkwardly, but snapped to attention once his gaze was upon them.

Yes, definitely new. That salute was just a little bit too sloppy to be one of the older members.

“What is it?” he said, fixing his gaze on them.

They stiffened. “Y-Your Majesty, there is... a researcher from the Vault demanding to speak with you. They refuse to leave otherwise.”

“Return them to the Vault. We have no time for a meeting, let alone with some unknown researcher,” they replied, returning to their paperwork.

“What do they want?” said a new voice, chiming up from the door leading further into the royal quarters.

Resh blinked and slowly turned towards it. Watching the exchange was their twin, Alef, still dressed in the formal wear of the golden mask, yellow-painted pizaine, and midnight-blue cloak they used for being the public face of the King. They must have returned a short time ago from their trip to the Valley.

“Your Majesty, they have requested you withdraw your support for the Dark Matter Bioweapon project.”

“Have they, now?” Resh shook his head. “Unfortunately, it is too late. The proposal has been signed and delivered to the Vault. To withdraw it now would be equivalent to saying We have made a mistake.”

They let the implications of that statement hang in the air like a sword above the guard's head. With a stammered response of, “Of course, Your Majesty,” they left, and soon only Alef and Resh remained in the office. The latter ignored the former's pointed look, turning back to the stack of paperwork that had yet to be completed with another sigh.

“You've been doing that a lot lately. Perhaps you should take a break.”

Resh shot them a glare out of the corner of his eye, but did not stop his work. Only when they had signed a petition to expand the Valley of Triumph, a tally of candle production in the Isle of Dawn, and a request for more light shipments to the Hidden Forest, did they gesture with their free hand to the desk's contents.

“As you can see, Alef, I am kept busy with the affairs of the kingdom. I am King, after all. My guidance is needed to ensure the kingdom's prosperity.” He dipped the quill into the inkwell once more and grabbed another piece of paper—this time, a request from the Valley to provide them with more boats, as some had broken recently.

“I cannot rest until I have dealt with these matters” —and they said this last bit under their breath— “even if they are incredibly dull.”

Alef hummed and moved closer, cloak swishing softly around his body. They picked up one of the papers in the discarded stack, scanned it, and then looked to Resh. “Surely you can rest from these for a short time? All work and no play makes one a dull star.”

“How rich, coming from the one who only concerns themself with attending celebrations and avoiding any work here,” they replied.

Alef narrowed his eyes, then shook his head and shrugged.

“You want me to do some work here? Very well.” They went up to the switch next to the desk, which would summon a guard when activated (not that Resh had ever used it), and called forth their inner flame in one hand to light it. Soon enough, the same guard from before came to the office. They gave the salute again, a little more firmly this time.

“You called, Your Majesty?”

“Is the researcher still here?”

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty. I was on my way to relay your wishes when you summoned me back.”

“I have decided to grant them an audience. Please have them escorted to the throne room.”

“Oh, uh...” They cleared their throat. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

“What are you doing?” Resh said, eyeing their sibling with suspicion.

“Work. You said you were too busy to meet with them, didn't you? Well, it just so happens that I am remarkably free. As your dear elder sibling, it is the least I can do for you, Resh.”

With that, they glided from the office before Resh could stop them, leaving him standing with his hand grasping at air.

They sighed.

-<◇>-

The throne room was easily the largest chamber of the Palace, with a throne built to match—a deliberate choice on Resh's part, during its construction all those years ago. Looking the part was half the battle, and what better way to show your kingliness than by being five times the size of Elder Tsadi, he had said. Which Alef now was, having shifted in size to full height as they approached the throne room. The guards at the entrance snapped to attention, and he nodded in greeting as he passed through.

Near the far wall was the diminutive figure of the researcher, their head craned back to take in the full view of the mural displayed there. Two guards flanked them, ensuring they didn't go anywhere they weren't supposed to be. Alef cleared their throat, the sound echoing to every nook and cranny due to the chamber's acoustics, and every person in the room jumped. The guards soon lined up and stood at attention, and the rogue researcher turned to look at him as he took his place on the throne. One guard said something quietly to them, and the researcher nodded, brushed out their robe, and walked forward beside the guards.

“So this is the spirit who requested an audience with Us?” Alef intoned, glancing down at the guard who escorted them, and they nodded timidly. His eyes returned to the spirit, noting that, even with the crest typical of the Vault's senior members, they barely surpassed most of the guards in height. Despite this huge difference in size between them and himself, they barely trembled.

How interesting.

“We permit you to speak, spirit.”

They bowed in acknowledgment, and upon straightening, called out, “Your Majesty, I must urge you to reconsider this Dark Matter Bioweapon project! Light creatures are our friends. They do not deserve to be treated like mere tools, to be used up and cast aside!”

Alef tilted their head to the side thoughtfully, taking their chin between their thumb and index finger.

“...What is your name, star?”

“My name is Tav, Your Majesty. Head of the Vault's research into light creatures.”

“I see.” They leaned forward, casting their shadow over Tav. “Tell Us, Tav. This project is intended to better the kingdom's future. If light creatures are our friends, do they not owe this kingdom their aid, in whatever form we require?”

Tav stepped forward, their hands balling up at their sides.

“There must be a better way than this! Whatever future that project holds is worse than one where we treat the light creatures as our allies. I know it! Please, Your Majesty, let me show you.”

How very interesting.

And exactly what they needed.

Alef steepled their fingers before them, resting their elbows on the armrests of the throne. A sly grin formed on his face. Though it was hidden by their mask, Tav seemed to sense its presence, because they took an involuntary step back.

“We have an offer for you, Tav.”

At the same time, they called out to their sibling and requested their presence in the throne room.

-<◇>-

Resh sighed as they walked.

At one point, the magnificent tapestries and luminous murals decorating the walls of the throne room had brought him such joy. But that had been many, many years ago—too many to count. Now they were just another feature of the brilliant, intricate, boringthrone room, easily ignored in favor of dealing with the unwelcome researcher currently standing before the throne. The reason they had been called away from their work by their sibling.

“Ah, there you are,” Alef said from their spot on the throne. They turned back to the spirit. “Resh is Our Will, you see. They are the one who approved the project. Now, We will send a message to the Vault requesting that they do not proceed with the project until We permit. You have until then to persuade Resh of the truth of your words.”

...What?

The two of them turned, and Resh winced when he realized he had spoken aloud.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I was just wondering what this task you have given me is.”

“Ah, of course. You see, Resh, Tav here would like to show Us that light creatures should not be used in the Dark Matter Bioweapon project. However, We have our duties to contend with, and so cannot leave the Palace for such a matter. You, on the other hand, are Our Will, and so We have decided that you shall go in Our stead.”

Even from this distance, and even with the mask hiding their face, Resh could feel the gleeful smugness radiating from Alef like heat from a flame. Their most venomous thoughts, directed like psychic arrows at their twin, only increased the smugness, and so, narrowing their eyes, they bowed courteously to the researcher—Tav, was it?

“As you wish, Your Majesty. When shall we be departing?”

“I assume Tav here needs some time to prepare their case. We shall permit them a day to do so. On the morrow, you shall follow after them to...?”

“Oh, uh, Daylight Prairie, Your Majesty.”

“Daylight Prairie. I can see why you chose to do your research there.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Tav said, bowing deeply before leaving with their escorts.

When they were gone, Resh unleashed the full force of their glare at Alef, folding their arms before their chest.

“What are you plotting?”

“Why, nothing! Simply giving you the rest you deserve,” they said, rising from the throne. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I do believe there is paperwork with my name on it. Don't be late for the boat tomorrow, Resh. It would reflect poorly on Us.”

With that, they waved and left, shrinking back down to a more manageable size as they went. Resh watched them go, scowling and boring holes into the back of their head.

Then he sighed and returned to the royal quarters to rest and prepare appropriate clothing for this farce.

Alef would pay for this.

-<◇>-

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

[bloodysteel]

I’m so sorry I’m so late on this - I’m working part time bc of the quarantine and my work decided to block our computers when we are not supposed to be working (at least they don’t pretend we’re not working haha), so it took me forever to do it (bc I don’t like doing it on my phone)

Sooo I was tagged by the very talented @katersann​ and @natassakar​, thank you so much I love that kind of game :D

1. Which character are you most excited to learn the endgame of: My delinquents, I love them all (Raven looking to you to redeem yourself a bit to my Clarkey). if i’m being completely honest, BELLARKE. 

2. Which character are you most excited to learn the backstory of: Hope and Octavia - but let’s make it a 5min short story and let’s focus on our delinquents, their feelings and mending their wounds, pretty please?

3. One character who deserves a new look: Clarke, definitely Clarke. My girl needs to dress up a bit, like those beautiful dresses she wore !!

4. Two locations you want to revisit: Eden - I’d like Clarke to show Bellamy her world, her drawings and all she did while he was in space. The Dropship - bc I want my delinquents to reflect on everything that happened to them, everything they went through and then find peace (ALIVE. ALL OF THEM)

5. Three brotps you hope get more screentime: I’m a CLURPHY Brotp bitch, so CLURPHY

I’d like more Madi/Jordan too (that scene was just too cute), and I want him to be happy too. 

And maybe some Murphamy or Emori/Raven brotp

6. Who will get the happiest ending: Bellarke, Bellarke, Bellarke (although I fear someone might kill off my baby Bellamy, please don’t. Please, my heart wouldn’t bear it)

7. Which minor or new characters you want to see more of: No new character please (or maybe flashbacks of super smart grandpa Blake being a history nerd like his grandson, something like that). Let’s focus on our main cast, it’s out last season. 

8. Who will eventually snap Jordan out of the funk we see him in, at the end of 6x13: Bellamy. I’d like to hear him talk about mourning the person he loved (aka Clarke) when he was on the Ark, how hard it was, how he thought he would die, etc.. And Jordan just says at the end “But Clarke is alive, right?” and of course Clarke listened to it all - or Murphy and he just goes to his fellow cockroach to provoke Bellarke.

9. Who will be the first to tell Bellamy he can’t immediately run into the Anomaly after Octavia: Hope or Gabriel.

10. To reference Monty’s ‘do better’ mantra: Raven, when she eventually makes things right with Clarke.

11. To say ‘go float yourself’: Bellamy

12. Random object or prop you would bring back for Season 7 if you could:  Clarke’s pink hair

13. Book One storyline/reference you want to see back for Season 7: The Princess nickname (that would be too good to be true actually) or the Drink they were supposed to have or Clarke proving Bellamy she can be fun - alright it’s all S1-2 references

14. Dead character you would like mentioned: Anyone but Lexa, please. I really liked her but she’s dead, she’s already been mentioned and used like a thousand times. Let’s remember my handsome man Roan kom Azgeda.

15. How do you think Hope and Octavia know each other (from season 6): From the anomaly I guess where they lived a life we will discover in s7

16. How do you think it all will end?: Bellarke, baby Bellarke, Bellarke living happy ever after (a girl can dream), maybe a bit of Murven?, I know he proposed to Emori but hey, who knows? She could die instead of Bellamy to create drama.. 

 i will tag (nothing compulsory here, if you don’t feel like it you don’t have to do it :)) @stydialarke​; @iishallbelieve​, @calypezo​ and @dealingdreams​

[ladyfawkes]

What Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure Means to Me aka Welcoming Ghosts of my Past

“When Eugene called Rapunzel Sunshine, I felt that...”

Confession: I feel this each and every time Eugene says this. Especially since Sunshine is an actual nickname of mine. My heart skips a beat because….it’s what my fiancé used to call me. And I say “used to” because he passed away before we could get married. It’s high time I explained to everybody the reason why I glommed onto Tangled the Series for dear life…since I’ve been putting it off for the past 4 months. Got less than a week left til the series finale….. and this series came along right when I needed it. When I began getting deeper into Tangled fandom, it wasn’t until around later October 2019. I was feeling a real hankering for more of Eugene Fitzherbert’s singing voice. Confession 2: Until Autumn 2019, I had NO IDEA that Zachary Levi had voiced Flynn Rider, both speaking AND singing!! At the time, the main thing that drew me to Flynn was his singing voice. I never forgot that. Like so many others, I fell in love with Tangled’s soundtrack and specially with “I See the Light” and “I’ve Got a Dream”, etc. Confession 3: I’ve had a crush on Zachary Levi ever since the first episode of Chuck. Even though Chuck’s social and emotional insecurities are a rather enormously huge humorous part of the plot, the way Zach portrayed that anxiety and other types of raw emotions were real. He possesses a markedly rare ability to elicit laughter and tears within the same scene, and sometimes within the very same moment of a scene. While it’s an exceptional gift to exhibit that ability, it nearly always means that underneath it all, the reason why you can perceive this type of emotion so plainly from any given actor is because they’ve experienced those feelings on a personal level in their private lives. Nobody ever told me this, it’s something I learned through observation. It’s true of writers too…and composers. The best way to telegraph emotion through a given medium to someone else is often by having initially having experienced those emotions for yourself. It wouldn’t be until years after Chuck began that Zach would feel comfortable enough to share his mental health history with his fans…and we’d begin to learn just how deep he truly is. With all of this in mind, I was perusing YouTube with the intent of finding more of “Flynn Rider’s singing voice” and imagine my shock & delight when a whole bunch of Tangled the Series and Tangled Before Ever After songs showed up in my search!!! Then I Looked up the fan wikia only to discover that it was none other than our dear Zachary Levi who had voiced Eugene Fitzherbert!!! I got positively thrilled and was already on Cloud Nine before I’d even begun watching it. Despite Disney’s, uh, thorny history with spinoffs, I couldn’t help but be excited as I learned most of the original cast had returned as well!! I queued up Tangled Before Ever After and was instantly transported, instantly fell in love. I truly did not expect to be as drawn to Eugene as I was….in the film version, I wasn’t so sure about him….but I gravitated toward him immediately in the series. At first, I really didn’t know why. The feeling seemed familiar somehow and again….I didn’t know why. I couldn’t figure it out. As I watched the first few episodes, I was constantly live-gushing (that’s akin to live-tweeting, only over Messenger instead) about the show with my friend Samara as I watched; Sammeh is also a Tangled superfan. I was continually talking about how it was the Disney’s best spinoff I had ever seen, how I was shocked that they cast SO MANY original cast members, original songwriters, etc. I can unequivocally state I haven’t loved an animated series this much in my life, even as a child. Then I was describing how much I could not get over the healthy, loving relationship portrayed between Eugene and Rapunzel. As I sat describing it, I suddenly said, “Oh my gosh. Sammeh…..”  And it caused me to freeze. Even though Sam had known my former fiancé just as long as we’d known each other, I didn’t know if Sam would think I was nuts for suggesting that certain aspects of Eugene’s personality reminded me of Anthony. After a long pause, I typed as much to her, “I don’t know if I should say this to you…..” yet I needn’t have worried, because Sam completed my thought for me: “You’re gonna say he’s like Anthony.” I was so surprised I said, “YES!!! How did you know I was gonna say that?!” ”Easy. Because I’ve seen it too.” In spite of myself, I wept after she said that. So it wasn’t just imaging it. I’m getting teary-eyed now just thinking about it. The love between Eugene and Rapunzel reminds me of the love I had with my Anthony. Anthony was not intimidated by my inner strength, we took turns rescuing each other, he was willing to listen to me talk for hours and hours and hours and I did the same with him, we took turns forever teasing one another, we couldn’t ever stay angry with each other, we always talked things out. He was forever encouraging my talents and dreams. We hung out with an unlikely, rag-tag group of friends. And especially the way Eugene caresses Rapunzel’s face, kisses her forehead….and spontaneously says the most heart-melting romantic things…..that was just like my Anthony. And of course, he called me “The light in my life….My Sunshine.” Now….while Anthony didn’t die while rescuing me from an enemy, his was a sacrifice of a different kind….for shortly before he passed, he was experiencing far too much mental strife….never once did he self-disclose this, though….and unfortunately, we didn’t learn until after the fact. It became apparent he felt his only way out was to take his own life. Needless to say, I crawled into a very dark place after he died. I tried very hard not to….but over the prior 18 months I’d already lost so very much. I’d lost a job, loss of place to live, for months, I was being literally starved by my abusive-prior-ex-boyfriend ….I just shriveled up inside due to self-doubt, self-hatred, and I couldn’t speak about anything. Even from 1800 miles away at the time, Anthony managed to be the one person to draw it all out of me. (I was estranged from most family at the time – with good reason) and I told him everything….and he listened to all of it, never interrupting, never judging, never being anything but his amazing self. Somehow, after two years of friendship and listening to one another, Anthony had fallen in love with me….even though all of the garbage I told him. To this day, I do not know what he saw in me. But something inside knew that if I could just strive to put good things surrounding that fateful date, its anniversary would lose its sting and I could heal and live the way Anthony would’ve wanted me to live. Although I’d described some of the lowlights, I’ve definitely had moments in my life that have filled me with much love and light. I’ve been so very scared to type all of this out, put it all out there, for fear of being…..judged. Ridiculed. You know how the internet can be……naturally there’s a lot more to this story that I would like to share with you yet this has already become prohibitively lengthy. The whole point is to say that it’s been nearly 14 long years since I last heard Anthony’s light sweet southern drawl. And through the magical medium of Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, this show effectively allowed me the heartwarming and bittersweet chance to feel a small part of his love within my life again. I don’t know quite how it happened….but happen it did….right when I needed it. Anthony and I were very flirty and silly and ridiculous as a couple, just the way you would expect two twitter-pated people to be….the way Eugene calls Rapunzel “Sunshine” and caresses her cheek….the way he looks at her ….with his heart is full of so much love that it touches his warm brown eyes….those things remind me most of Anthony. Hopefully you can see why it’s been so difficult to, ah, self-disclose this information about myself. So…..thank you for that from the bottom of my heart, Disney, Chris Sonnenburg, Shane Prigmore, Tara Nicole Whitaker, Tom Caulfield, Stephen Sandoval, Zachary Levi, Mandy Moore, Eden Espinoza, James Iglehart, Jeremy Jordan, Kevin Kleisch, Alan Menken, Glenn Slater, Anna Lencioni, and anybody else whom I’ve missed…..though I’ve only been a superfan for 4 months, I don’t know what I’m gonna do without this singularly unique show in my life!!

[immortalcockroach]

guess who’s finally participating in bfsn? hell yeah, this gal who is also a day late because she can’t deal with technological difficulties

for me, this week has been a whirlwind of theories and emotions and honestly, just dread for when i get my final results from high school aka knowing whether i got into uni or not, on thursday.

but! julia and i finally brought our baby to life, so @the100undiscovered is now live! there are so many amazing fics on there already, and it’ll be up to 240 of them in total, all pairings imaginable.

i’ve also taken part in another ‘project’ ha it’s just dumb fun where a group of us have a crack blog (@the100crackmachine ) and write a crack fic, which, by the way, is hilarious.

this week has also been about conquering my fears. i’m finally getting comfortable talking to my crush and really putting myself out there (messaging people! making friends!). i’ve posted the first chapter of my bellarke fic which is literally my favourite thing i’ve done all my life and the biggest challenge at the same time and i will pour my soul into it. mainly because it’s such angst and so much heartbreak it literally requires my soul.

putting my face on the internet is also a part of conquering my fears. not even my instagram (personal, on private) has my face. but here it is! time to not be afraid anymore! but i could smile a little more and not take half-face selfies, though. i totally didn’t put the quote just so i wouldn’t need to have my face so big

julia and i have a theory i’m murphamy’s lovechild. you can’t see it that much in the picture, but trust me, my personality is a perfect fit.

tagging/tagged by (i don’t know anymore):  @clarkegriffintitties@halfbloodduchess @mommabeargriffin @bellofthesky @sunnyemori@ivegotyoufor-that @diyozaa @the-most-beautiful-broom @clarkgriffon@mehmori @ghelikblack @clarke-kom-eden @octannibal-blake@nvermindiseeyou @emorikomspacekru @bellarke-stydia-olicity @heshidinginthewoods @cometsnitesky @great-wanheda @bellamybb  

[gwynbleiddyn]

n7 headcanons;

i’ve been sitting on these for a while, developing them for my own canon and thanks to a recent discussion regarding certain N7s, i decided it’s about time to share ‘em! tagging @omegastation ;) 

ftr, these are purely headcanons made up based on my own interpretations and i’m not imposing these on anyone!! just wanted to share.

what do we know?

N7 is a vocational code within the Systems Alliance Military. aka training directed towards a specific set of skills that significantly enhance an individual’s performance in their field. Interplanetary Combatives Training (ICT) essentially cherry picks officers from every branch of the Alliance military and packs ‘em off to The Villa for what appears to be the training course from hell.

simple stuff, right? best of the best. nothing more, nothing less. 

what do i assume?

to keep it simple, I’m a fan of the idea that N7s are perhaps more morally grey than we’re led to believe. they aren’t the cut and dry soldiers that are the bricks and mortar of the Alliance, there’s something special about them and I believe that’s something up for interpretation in a lot of different ways. this is just my take on it ;)

1. N7 vs Spectre Operatives

N7 is the pinnacle of achievement within the Alliance. N-designation refers to the Alliance Special Forces, and the numbers 1-7 denote the rank. N7 is the cream of the crop, and everybody knows it. 

To that end, those who attain the rank are permitted to wear it on dress blues and armour - the only ICT designation that may be worn. It’s a status symbol, without a doubt. Is it meant to intimidate or impress? Depends on the bearer. But this brings me to my first point: N7s are permitted to distinguish themselves in the same way council Spectres can, even if they express it differently. If we pretend that Bioware are capable of utilizing symbolism for a second, there’s a link there and it’s something that captures my interest. We need to acknowledge the history of the council here too: the fact that Shepard is the first human Spectre makes the link a little more defined - outside of the council, humanity relied on its N7 operatives to get the hard stuff done, just like the council relies on their Spectres. Shepard is the first to bridge that gap, and for me, the first to highlight just how similar these two factions are.

Alliance acting beyond the law in humanity’s best interests i.e Alpha Relay? Send an N7 operative in.

Council dealing with a fragile situation that could potentially break the delicately brokered peace i.e Prothean Beacon / Eden Prime? Send a Spectre operative in.

2. N7 vs Alliance 

Okay, this might seem contradictory, but for me personally, I feel there’s a distinction between the Alliance as a whole and N7 operatives. Kind of like an island within an island, lol. 

It’s very obvious that N7 missions are kept separate from the general Alliance docket, and there has to be some way of sorting out those missions from the standard patrols and recon runs. To me, that distinction lies in whether the mission is mostly legit, or whether it’s a little more grey than they’d like to admit. I keep going back to the Alpha Relay assignment because it’s a perfect example of something that Hackett (and presumably the Committee) wants to keep quiet, b/c it inevitably carries a potentially disastrous fallout if the mission goes wrong.

This is the kind of stuff that makes me wonder how much of a divide there is between a bona-fide Alliance marine and a marine-turned-N7.  Kaidan’s line about acting with integrity comes to mind here, especially in the context of what’s just transpired w/ Udina. I feel like he’s realizing what Shepard’s known all along. Duty conflicts with morality a lot more than it should.

3. N7 dossiers

This point is completely and utterly made up for my own universe purposes, but it’s a headcanon I’m thoroughly enjoying so I’m gonna share it.

Given the risk each N7 undertakes on their assignments, I like to think each N7 operative would have some sort of failsafe in case the mission goes FUBAR and they’re KIA/MIA. This is something I had to think of a solution for in my main fic, and it led me to the idea of each soldier having a dossier which could be unlocked only by other N7s with a shared passcode and specific protocol parameters i.e the operative in question must be formally listed as KIA/MIA before it can be activated. The dossiers contain basic biometric data as well as mission info / past assignments / leads, all condensed down into an encrypted file. Keeps the secret stuff secret, but also allows for another N7 to step in and take over from where the last left off. 

4. Alec Ryder as an N7

Okay, I have so many damn questions about this guy! For now, I’ve managed to headcanon my way through some of his mess. We know Alec was discharged from the Alliance after his illegal AI research in council space, but there is a huge focus on his N7 rank in Andromeda. Most would probably agree that a discharge from service means you lose the right to display your rank, so why is he still toting it around? Even Ellen calls Alec an ex-N7. 

So, again, pretending Bioware didn’t just royally fuck themselves over with plotholes, this leads me to think that N7 rank takes on its own separate ‘meaning’ even after being released from service. It’s (well, in real life terms at least) illegal to display a rank you haven’t earned, but Alec (and even Shepard during ME2 when they’re an Alliance defector) still wears the armour. He earned the rank. He knows it gives him a certain degree of status in Andromeda too; people rely on him for leadership, even outside of his Pathfinder role. We see that much on Habitat 7.

And given what Alec’s done as we find out through the course of the game, I feel like that rank gave him a lot more than just a front to hide behind. 

tl;dr N7s maybe aren’t as morally straightforward as we thought and I fuckin’ dig that idea.

[nickireadstfc]

The Raven King, Chapter 14 – A Few Cheerful ‘Hell Yeah‘s, Followed By A Swift ’Hell Fucking Nope’

In which I am too invested in Orange Cheerleading, Neil is an Oblivious Gay™, the Foxy Team Spirit gains bonus XP, we meet the awesomeness that is Fearless Neil Josten and everything goes so pleasantly well that I really should have seen the bone-chilling fuckery at the end coming.

Sounds good? Then it’s time for Nicki to read The Raven King.

I am prefacing this by saying that this is probably my second favourite chapter of this book so far. It may even be on a par with my previous favourite chapter, the Neil Sassing Riko To Hell And Back At The Fall Banquet chapter.

There is GOOD SHIT HAPPENING!! Finally!! And when the bad shit happens it’s still SASSY!! And AWESOME!! And then it’s fucking terrifying but like – what else is new.

I really, really liked this one. And I feel like I’m going to need that bit of love for the next two chapters, which are promising to be 50 Shades of Fucked Up.

Let’s go.

           “When Andrew finds out you’ve stolen his car,” Matt started, but left the rest of the threat unspoken.

           “Andrew knows,” Neil said. “He left me his key.”

           Matt stared at him, startled. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Homeboy can’t believe it I am HOLLERING.

The Foxes slowly realizing that Neil is starting to get through Andrew’s shell is such, such a delight.

Neil being entirely oblivious about it is an even greater one.

Also, Matt is going to start teaching Neil how to fight! Yay for self-defense! <3

Now that Katelyn is kind of not a secret anymore, she starts hanging around with the Foxes, apparently. Will I start liking this character, finally?

           Katelyn seemed nervous at first, but she warmed up quickly and chatted almost nonstop through dinner. She was so enthusiastic about apparently everything in the world it was a little exhausting listening to her, but Aaron looked so alive in her presence Neil couldn’t hold it against her.

FUCK YES I WILL.

This is such a small detail, but I actually had to put the book down at that part and just silently contemplate life for a bit because honestly – few sentences have described me as well as “She was so enthusiastic about apparently everything in the world it was a little exhausting listening to her.”

I feel this so much, you have no idea.

Of course, that means I have adopted this character now, she’s in my heart and there are no take-backs. <3

Being newly invested in Katelyn also means being newly invested in Orange Cheerleading, and this is the point where all the info I have soaked up via my cheer-loving best friends really comes in handy.

This is a very good visual for what the Vixens would look like at a Fox game – the squad in the video is Clemson University which is TFC is based on!

And this is Clemson’s cheer championship routine from last year, which is infinitely more awesome than a game routine because it’s made for their own championship, not for someone else’s game, and it really shows off what a team can do.

Keep in mind though that this team is co-ed (meaning both men and women), and as far as we know the Vixens are an all-girl team, which means they’d have considerably less partner stunts (one person on one person) and more group stunts (one person on four, three or two people).

Also, this is their uniform and now one can tell me otherwise.

Brb making an orange bow to wear to our next cheer event.

Info dump done! Let’s move on!

           “We should celebrate,” [Dan said.] (…)

           Aaron looked at [her] as if she’d grown three heads. “We don’t socialize with you.”

           “You do tonight,” Matt said. “Tell Katelyn to come. (…) The Vixens can come too.”

HELL FUCKIN YEAH, BONUS XP FOR THE FOXY TEAM SPIRIT.

I am so for all of them having fun party times together that a) don’t involve going to Eden’s Twilight and b) involve all of them.

Also, I am so, so for the Foxes and the Vixens finally being friends.

Seriously, there are few things as shitty as ignoring the people who cheer on you every night no matter how bad you are, and I can’t believe we’ve never addressed this until now.

BE NICE TO YOUR CHEERLEADERS, FUCKERS.

           “Thanks for taking one for the team, Neil,” [Nicky said.] “You’re a real friend.” (…)

           “Are we?”, he asked. (…) Tonight it almost meant something, though what, Neil didn’t know. “Friends?”

Oh my goooooooooooood literally HOW.

“It almost meant something” I am going to punch this idiot so hard his angst will finally come shooting out of his oblivious ass.

           “You’re going to be the absolute death of me,” Nicky said. “Yeah, kid. We’re friends. You’re stuck with us, like it or not.”

Nicky, my man, my sunshine, thank you for finally saying this to Sir Angstlord McDramatic, also I’m crying a lil.

I was already so happy about that scene, I thought we were done with our quota of good things for this chapter, but no – Thanksgiving happens somewhere along the way, and it’s not The Thanksgiving That Shall Not Be Named, but Happy And Sappy Abby Thanskgiving, where the food and the feels are plentiful.

           “It’s not really about the food. It’s about family. Not necessarily the one we were born with, but the one we chose. This one,” Nicky emphasized, gesturing between them. “The people we trust to be part of our lives. The people we care about.”

           “I’m trying to eat here,” Wymack said.

Wymack <3

Also, NICKY <333333333333

Brb, crying a lot.

Kevin later offers to not drink wine after dinner so Neil can have some, which neil declines, but which still makes me grin like a sappy motherfucker because Kevin offered to do something nice for Neil.

I feel like I’m in a happy fanservice episode of an anime. Is this real, am I witnessing this shit with my own two eyes?

           Somehow [the Foxes] all ended up at the dining hall at the same time. (…) On Tuesday Katelyn tagged along, and on Wednesday they went downtown together as a large group: all eight remaining Foxes and four of the Vixens.

👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀 good shit go౦ԁ sHit👌 thats ✔ some good👌👌shit right👌👌there👌👌👌 right✔there ✔✔if i do ƽaү so my self 💯 i say so 💯 thats what im talking about right there right there (chorus: ʳᶦᵍʰᵗ ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ) mMMMMᎷМ💯 👌👌 👌НO0ОଠOOOOOОଠଠOoooᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒ👌 👌👌 👌 💯 👌 👀 👀 👀 👌👌Good shit

At the restaurant, this girl Marissa starts hounding Neil, and absolute hilarity ensues as Neil tries to not talk to her or at least talk to her about Exy, and she wants to talk about everything but Exy.

Absolute lack of chemistry nonwithstanding, she still chats him up after dinner:

           “I can give you my number,” Marissa said.

           Neil didn’t remember asking for it at any point that night. “What for?”

How is this boy real. HOW.

           “I would like to get to know you better. I think we could have a lot of fun together, just the two of us. You’re very interesting, Neil.”

           She wasn’t the first to say that, but Neil wondered if Andrew’s opinion of him would change when he was off his medication.

OH MY GOD.

I AM HOWLING.

Neil: gets blatantly obviously hit on by pretty girl Neil:…………………….. Neil: hmm I wonder what Andrew would think about this

Honestly………………. This is the most I C O N I C Andreil scene to this point, and 50% of Andreil aren’t even present.

           “There’s a way to let girls down gently, you know.” (…)

           “Do girls need kid-glove treatment? I thought they were tougher than that.”

           Dan’s grin was approving. “Most of us are. Some of us are like boys, though, and have delicate egos.”

Shoutout to Dan for coming around to remind me how much of a flawless sass queen she is whenever I dare to forget it.

Also: Renee is going to be Neil’s platonic winter banquet date! Dan and Matt are getting each other cute shit for Christmas! Matt invited Neil and the cousins to his home over Christmas!

I am currently bathing in a golden pool of my own happy tears, please leave me here for all eternity and supply food occasionally.

However, if anyone thought it would all stay happy and banter-y now they must have been reading  than me, because Nora is waiting right around the corner to snatch me the fuck out of my happy pool:

It’s time for another Fancy Orange Sportsball Banquet, including our friends from Tall, Dark and Dramatic University.

Thankfully, our boy Neil has one thing in common with fandom by now, and that is being ready to protect Kevin at all costs.

           “Neil” might be an easily-spooked runaway, and “Nathaniel” was a hunted young man, but “Abram” was the one shielded from and untouched by his father’s bloody business. Neil would pull on every murder he’d ever seen and every endless, desperate night, and he’d face Riko unflinching.

This is yet another wonderful, wonderful development in Neil where I cannot begin to tell you how much I like it. But more on that in a minute.

First, another point on the list of Things That Absolutely No One Saw Coming, and By No One I Mean Everyone.

           “The following four teams have qualified to represent the southeastern district in spring championship games. I will list them in order of ranking, first to fourth. Edgar Allan, Palmetto State, Breckenridge, Belmonte.”

Aka the only teams we have seen the Foxes play against so far. What a surprise.

Also, I did mention that Neil and Renee are going as platonic dates, right?

Did I also mention how much I love Renee for going on platonic dates with people?? Bc same?? Also I love her??

           “Sorry,” Neil said.

           Renee sent him a curious look. “Why?”

           “I’m no trying to ignore you.”

           “It’s all right if you do,” Renee said. “Kevin needs you more than I do.”

I love you :( <333

Also, hate to say this, but homegirl is right.

           “Your lack of survival instincts is supremely distressing,” Riko said. “Take that look off your face before I carve it off.”

That Fucker™ is back, everyone, and as always ready to supply us all with shitty input exactly no one asked for.

           Neil hadn’t realized he was smiling, too, a cruel look he’d inherited from his father. Neil lowered his cup so Riko could get a better look at it. “I would love to see you try. You think I’m afraid of your knife? I’m the Butcher’s son.”

HELL FUCKIN YEAH.

After having met Angsty Dramatic Runaway Neil Josten, Sassy Lil Shit Neil Josten, and recently Responsibly Neil Josten, may I now introduce you to my newest favourite Neil Josten:

Fearless Neil Josten.

           “I am the family your father was afraid of.” (…)

           “Not of you,” Neil said, with fierce emphasis. “You’re not part of that family, remember? You’re the cast-off.”

Oh yeah, also Fearless Neil Josten is Sassy Lil Shit Neil Josten’s meaner twin brother.

GET FUCKED, RIKO.

           He hoped it would hit, but he didn’t realize how deep it would cut. He’d never seen that look on Riko’s face but he knew he’d signed his death warrant.

Oops.

           “A dog who bites his master’s hand deserves to be slaughtered.” (…)

           “I am not a dog. I’m a Fox.”

           “You are nothing but what I tell you to be.”

           “We talked about your delusions.”

Neil, as much as I am enjoying your witty comebacks At All Times, I sagely advise you to shut the fuck up right about now.

           “Let go of me, King.”

           “I am King,” Riko agreed, “and you are going to spend Christmas at my castle. You’re coming to Evermore for winter break.”

I would have loved to dish out a few amused comments here in the style of lol, dream on Mr Fuckface Dramatic – however thanks to y’all I have been told time and time again that there was absolute shit going down on Christmas.

Which means that now I am not amused. I am incredibly scared.

           “Drake was an interesting man, wasn’t he? I should thank the police for leading me straight to him. I might not have discovered him otherwise. Did you know, Nathaniel? Oakland lawyers are some of the cheapest to buy off.”

He set Andrew up. He set. Andrew. Up.

That FUCKER. I knew there was going to be a reason why Drake was there at that point exactly.

THAT FUCKER.

           “Did you know I’ve bought one of the doctors at Eastaven, too? Unless you want these little therapy sessions of his to turn into therapeutic reenactments, you will be on a  plane to West Virginia tomorrow morning.”

THAT FUCKING FUCKER.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

I will personally punch him in his shit-eating face – no, wait.

           Neil didn’t have words, so he answered with his fist. He didn’t have a lot of room to swing but he made do and caught Riko right in his vulgar mouth.

NEIL will punch him in his shit-eating face.                    

I have been waiting for this since we first bloody met That Fucker™. I am living.

A short brawl ensues, which Neil would have totally won imo if the Coaches wouldn’t have separated them.

As it is, though, the Raven Posse is out of sight, though definitely not out of mind.

          “What happened?”

          “Neil hit Riko,” Matt said. “It was beautiful.”

          “What?” Nicky squawked. “Not fair! I missed it! Go do it again.”

I am actually laughing so hard. Nicky, you are the best.

Neil explains the situation to the team – how Riko used the promise of getting Drake’s charges dismissed as bait for him to come see Andrew one more time – and then continues being unexpectedly and brilliantly badass.

          “I’m going to kill him,” Nicky said.

          “No,” Neil said, with a ferocity that had even Matt eyeing him warily. “We’ve got to break him first. If Exy is the only thing he cares about we’re going to take it away from him. First we destroy his reputation, then we destroy him.”

Have I mentioned how Fearless Neil Josten is my fucking FAVE.

          “I don’t want us to lose a single game this spring. Can we do that?”

          “Not a single damn game,” Dan said in a hard voice.

Hell yeah.

          “I don’t have a choice. I have to go. You have to trust me.”

          “He will break you.”

          “He wishes he knew how,” Neil said. “Trust me. I promise I’ll come back, and when I do I’ll bring Andrew back with me. It’s going to be fine. So do you have my ticket or not?”

Hell fucking nope.

Is this happening?

This is the fuck happening.

Oh dear.

If you like this and you wanna help me continue writing, please consider buying me a coffee! Thank you so much <3

[shan282-ao3]

Joseph and His Judge

Originally posted on Archive of Our Own [x]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Far Cry 5, Far Cry: New Dawn Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Female Deputy | Judge & Joseph Seed Characters: Joseph Seed, John Seed, Jacob Seed, Faith Seed, Female Deputy (Far Cry), Deputy (Far Cry) Additional Tags: joseph/deputy hinted at, a touch of my thirst for john, minor spoilers for new dawn, i rewrote their deaths, my timeline is way off, i havent actually played new dawn yet, Oops, Slight mentions of torture, joseph is a dick, barely joseph/deputy, its there if you squint past the torture and manipulation, oof

Summary: Nora was the new junior deputy when she met Joseph Seed and all chaos broke free. The Judge wasn't a person anymore. They were a shadow, a puppet, a plaything, and completely devoted to the Father.

Aka my take on how the deputy became the judge.

I actually submitted this for an English assignment and my professor actually liked it.

The Judge hadn’t always been a mute figure who flinched at silence and thrived on violence. Years ago, before the world was lost and reborn, she’d been full of life and happiness, dancing through blissful fields, exploring the mountains and singing as she walked through empty vineyards and orchards. Before the bombs fell and the life in her chest was smothered, her name had been Nora. She was beautiful with eyes that reflected the sea and red hair that burned hotter than any fire.

She’d met Joseph on her third night as the new junior deputy. Joseph Seed was the charismatic leader of Eden’s Gate, the cult of Hope County that promised salvation when the Great Collapse occurred. What she knew of them was only from a video she’d seen on the internet, she had only just moved to the county and hadn’t even heard of them until a US Marshal arrived that morning to arrest him.

When Nora had stepped through his church doors alongside her colleagues to arrest him, he’d held out his hands and beckoned her to him with his violent ideas and apocalyptic premonitions. He’d unnerved her, his eyes masked by yellow glass showed no ill intent, yet still she could tell he was hiding something behind that facade. Intrigued and terrified of the pull she felt towards him, she’d cuffed him and escorted him to the helicopter. Her eyes, now darkened with worry, stayed fixed ahead and she did her best not to pay attention to the members of Eden’s Gate who screamed threats.

The helicopter crash had been something none of them had seen coming but should have all expected. Nora groaned and opened her eyes, awakened by the frantic sounds of their dispatch and eerie singing. When she’d reached for the headset to radio for help she was grabbed by Joseph, bloodied but seemingly unharmed, and froze in his gaze as he quietly sang before exiting the wreck. The next weeks were a blur, Nora had been rescued by a man named Dutch who’d pulled her from the river after she’d narrowly avoided capture by Joseph’s followers. She was introduced to the Resistance, people from all over the county who were fighting to keep the cult from destroying them all. She soon found herself fighting alongside them, liberating farms and family homes, rescuing kidnapped citizens, and causing mayhem for Joseph and his followers.

She’d just finished freeing a farm from Eden’s Gate when her radio buzzed alive and a voice she’d heard only a handful of times before in cult propaganda spoke directly to her. John Seed, Joseph’s youngest brother who was regarded by the county’s citizen’s as the most sadistic of the three brothers.

“My dear deputy,” John called to her, his voice, smooth like honey, would have made her melt if things were different. “You’ve been causing quite a commotion. I think it’s time we officially met. I’m coming for you.”

And like that her radio fell back into silence and she felt a shiver of fear run up her spine. She’d been marked and soon his chosen had found her and shot her full of tranquilizer and waking up being held up in a river. John smiled at her as she came too and clicked his tongue.

“This one’s not clean.” He’d said to the man holding Nora up and took her weight from him. His eyes were soft for a second before growing cold and his fingers closed around her neck as she shoved her backward into the ice-cold water. Drowning, she thrashed around until his grip loosened enough for her to reach the surface and get air. She’d managed to escape and the two played a game of cat and mouse for weeks until she finally caught him. Mimicking his actions when they first met, her hands closed around his throat and she choked him until he stopped struggling, the tears streaming down her face hot with disgust and rage.

Not long after, she’d met Faith Seed, Joseph’s adored sister and the woman happily drugging up members of the cult who fought back. She was the overseer of manufacturing the bliss they supplied members of the cult, a drug that left most in a euphoric and easily suggestible state. She’d caught Nora easily and the two had spent almost three weeks walking in and out of the bliss together before Nora and finally managed to break free. With pain stabbing at her heart, she’d drowned Faith in her own supply of bliss and retreated to the mountains, as far away from Joseph and his anguish and rage at the loss of his brother and sister as she could get.

Yet still, she wasn’t safe, after weeks of helping liberate the people in the mountains Joseph’s last surviving brother, Jacob, caught her. Nora was with him for nearly four months, he tortured, manipulated, and brainwashed her as he ran her through trial after trial training her to be one of his soldiers. She became his most effective killing machine, the song that tortured her and his gentle words of encouragement as she unknowingly gunned down people she’d once thought of as friends were something that she now craved. The morning he died, he’d played her song and she’d reverted into his killing machine and fought through a bunker of the Resistance. Once she’d come to, snapped out of her trance by the only two survivors, she was horrified and had spilled his entrails on the mountain peak.

It was finally over, she had thought. Nora had gone to the Eden’s Gate compound and confronted Joseph. Without his brothers and Faith’s bliss to protect him, she was able to take him down easy. She finally arrested him and drove towards civilization and safety. She’d had won, Hope County was finally safe. Then the bombs fell, the apocalypse Joseph had been preaching had finally come true and according to him, it was her fault. They’d both ended up in Dutch’s bunker after the blast flipped the car. He’d dragged Nora inside, swiftly killed Dutch and handcuffed her to a metal pipe. When Nora finally came to, he was sat in front of her, his eyes haunted as they both listened to the sounds of death above them.

“I finally understand.” Joseph had said after what seemed like hours of silence. “I prepared my family for the prophecy that God whispered in my ear, but you took them from me. I should kill you, but I won’t. You’re all I have left now, you’re my family.”

Nora shuddered and tried to move back but found herself trapped, he leaned closer until their faces were inches apart and continued speaking. “When the world is ready for us, we will step into the light. I am yours and you are mine and together we will march through Eden’s Gate just as God planned.”

He never stopped speaking after that, it wasn’t always directed at her but she could always hear him. Even when he slept, Nora still heard his voice in her head. It took him 7 years to break her will and another 3 to mold her into the perfect object for his affections. It wasn’t until he had plucked her tongue from her mouth to stop the constant blasphemies that streamed from her lips that she finally gave up the last of her fight and accept that she truly was meant to be his. The last 7 years of their confinement was spent in each other’s company, every now and then a spark of resistance would flicker in her eyes, but each time Joseph was quick to drown it.

By the time the world was ready for them, Nora was dead and the Judge had been born. When they stepped out into the sun just as he had prophesied 17 years ago, him in all his glory and her as his shadow, they were met with a new world. She could finally shed the remnants of her old self and embrace the Judge: a cross painted across her face in the blood of a sinner, a wolf’s skull hiding her own face, and a halo of bliss to mask her tracks. Joseph had been satisfied as she quickly took to this new world, judging the unworthy, showing them the path to safety, helping them atone for their sins just as his brothers and sister had. She was all the best of them now, a judge like a Jacob, a guide like Faith, and an inquisitor like John. He had tried to transform her into his shadow and it had worked, she was never far from his side, his ever-faithful shadow, puppet, companion, and personal executioner should the need arise.

The universe had finally been returned to its balance and the Judge came to realize that Joseph had been her savior all along.

[vivi-the-sky-kid]

Sowing the Seeds (of Love), Chapter 2

Aka the Resh/OC Fix-It Fic Nobody Asked for but I'm Inflicting on All of You Anyways as Punishment for Kai's Your Hubris

The King has always been a mysterious figure in the annals of the Sky Kingdom's history, generating both awe and fear within the hearts of the sky spirits. Few can claim to have met them in person; certainly not Tav, a researcher of light creatures for the Vault of Knowledge. But when they discover their research may be used to harm the very creatures they know and love, Tav knows they cannot allow this to happen.

Somehow, they must change the King's mind. If that means throwing butterflies at their royal face, then so be it.

-<◇>-

Warnings: Will be added to each chapter when necessary, but there's not gonna be anything graphic in this (do send me an ask if you think there's something I should warn about tho)

Rating: T (just to be on the safe side)

Pairing(s): Resh/OC

Tag(s): Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies

Additional Tag(s): Resh and Alef are twins, Resh and Tav are both nonbinary, Resh uses he/they, Tav uses she/they, Resh is demiromantic and pansexual, Tav is biromantic and demisexual, no beta we die like moths in eden

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

-<◇>-

Chapter 2

Word Count: 3,464

Warning(s): Some swearing

-<◇>-

How had this happened again? Tav's mind was still reeling the next day, even as she sat amongst a flock of birds near one of the rookeries of the Bird's Nest. Normally, their chirps would soothe them, even as they reminded them of a different life. Unfortunately, the events of yesterday kept playing through their mind like a broken memory cube.

Now the King's Will—they refused to use his name—was coming to Daylight Prairie, and all Tav's courage had run out. In the time it had taken to travel to Prairie, her false bravado had melted away like snow in the bright sun. Panicked thoughts now ran through their mind, and not even the cheerful chirps of birds, or the soft squeaks of butterflies, or the whimsical whoops of mantas, could help. Most of them were because of the Will, if she was honest with herself.

Their gray gaze had been so cold. So... empty. Like any warmth and life had faded away long ago. Like they could no longer care about anything.

And now they had to convince him to care about light creatures?

It was impossible. There was a better chance of becoming King herself and killing the project that way.

A chirp from the bird perched on their knee caught their attention. She reached up and tugged on one of the flat locks sticking out of her hair, mouth tightening.

Yes, it was impossible. But they had to try.

-<◇>-

Kumibir hummed as ey left the solar altar, the morning's prayer putting a spring in eir step. With the Megabird's blessing, the Prairie was sure to flourish with light and life. Now ey just needed to get to work tending to the prairie lilies...

“...from Eden, you say? How fascinating!”

A conversation nearby caught eir attention, and ey slowed.

“Isn't it? From what Omifiti told me, the spirit that arrived went into Elder Ayin's temple right away! I wonder what business they could have.”

A spirit from Eden? Could it be...?

Kumibir smiled to emself, taking hold of eir chin. Then ey turned away from the boat that would take em to the Butterfly Fields, and instead made for the next boat bearing a shipment to the temple for processing. The lilies could wait a little longer. Ey had a spirit to catch.

-<◇>-

Feeding time at the Bird's Nest was a sight to behold. As the caretakers spread seed across the grass and stone, flurries of white would descend from the sky to feast. A cacophony of chirps filled the air as the countless birds flocked to their meal. It was a welcome distraction from the thoughts racing through Tav's head.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

“Are you Tav, from the Vault?”

They turned to look at the speaker. A messenger fresh off their boat, by the looks of it. She nodded. “That's me. Do you need something?”

“A spirit from Eden is asking after you at the temple. If you would please come with me...”

From Eden?

Tav swallowed the lump in their throat. With the help of the messenger's proffered hand, she got to her feet. Together, they went to the nearby empty boat, and set off for the temple. The ride was quiet. They would have preferred the agony of small talk with a stranger. At least it would have distracted her from the feeling of going to her own execution.

Tav disembarked a short distance from the pond outside the temple, and the messenger got off to load nearby pots. They took a deep breath and moved toward a very tall spirit standing on the bridge arching over the pond. With the warrior's garb and spear slung across their back—two things nearly unheard of in the peaceful realm of Daylight Prairie—it was clear they were the spirit from Eden.

The King's Will had arrived.

As if sensing their eyes upon him, the Will turned. She gaped at them, thankful her mask hid her look of surprise. An elegantly patterned cape draped from beneath the stone pizaine resting on their shoulders. Long, silky hair drifted in the wind from beneath the diamond-shaped crest of his mask. She had to admit, it was all rather striking, except for one thing...

Tav shuddered slightly when they saw the Will's stony gray skin—as chilling as his gaze.

Then they froze as another spirit peeked out from behind him. An impish grin broke out across eir face when ey caught sight of her.

“Oh, and look who it is!”

Kumibir walked up to Tav, wrapping them in a tight hug. She hugged em back, a little numbly, and tried to ignore the piercing look the Will was shooting her. Thankfully, Kumibir soon released them, though ey kept an arm slung about Tav as they walked back to the Will.

“We were just talking about you!”

“Y-You were?” she said, beads of sweat forming on her back.

“You know, when you said you were expecting someone from Eden, I didn't think you meant your partner! You should have told me. I would have gone to stay with one of my own so you two could have some space.” Kumibir grinned and added, in a conspiratorial whisper, “I can see why you like them. So polite! And so tall! They're just your type!”

Tav blinked. Then blinked again. And then a third time for good measure.

“My wha—?”

“You really are so generous, Kumibir,” the Will cut in smoothly, wrapping an arm around Tav's shoulders and pulling them against his side. His other hand curled by the side of their face, gloved fingers brushing against their mask.

What.

With a squeeze of her shoulders, they continued, “We've been wanting to spend more time together, but sadly, Tav's work has kept them so busy I could rarely see their darling face.”

What.

“Oh, I know how that is. Sometimes the others' work keeps them away for almost the entire day,” Kumibir said, nodding solemnly. Then ey glanced at the sky and squeaked in surprise. “Speaking of work, I have some prairie lilies to tend to. Have fun, you two!”

Ey waved and ran off to the boat Tav came in on. Tav themself remained frozen, trying very, very hard to wrap their head around what just happened. It wasn't until the Will was pulling her around the walls of the temple and out of sight of the boat that she regained her senses. They wriggled out of his grasp and folded their arms in front of them.

“What was that?”

The King's Will scoffed. “You tell me, little researcher. You're the one who told that spirit we were partners.”

“I never did that! I just told Kumibir that you were coming so ey wouldn't be surprised. It's not my fault ey jumped to conclusions.” They turned away, eyes squinting in confusion. “Also what did ey mean, my type...?”

“And why would you not tell them my purpose for being here? I doubt one of your position would be very familiar with a soldier.”

Tav glanced back to him balefully, but they could not deny it. Although the midnight blue and electrum threads of the Will's cape would fit right in amongst the Vault's denizens, soldiers were a less likely story. The Golden Land's lack of light creatures near its dunes meant she was even less likely to go near it. The odds of them and the Will chancing to meet were slim enough to be unbelievable.

But they couldn't tell Kumibir the truth. It would break eir heart.

Ey couldn't know about the Dark Matter Bioweapon project.

Taking a deep breath, Tav said, “The people here love light creatures. If they found out you were here because of a plan to turn them into weapons, it would ruin any chance of cooperation to get you to not want to do that. So I told them you were just here to confirm my research. That's all.”

The King's Will studied them, arms crossed in front of him. Then their demeanor changed, and a shiver ran down Tav's spine.

That wasn't good.

“Very well. In the spirit of cooperation, I will not speak of my reason for being here. But” —and he held up one finger— “you have to pretend I am your partner for the duration of my stay.”

“What?!” Tav said, clapping a hand over their mouth at their volume. She scowled and lowered both her hand and her voice to add, “Why?!”

“Despite what you may think, I too would prefer my identity remain a secret. They don't need to know of my connection to the King. As far as these spirits are concerned, I am Resh, a high-ranking member of the Sky Kingdom's army, and nothing more.”

“Why do you care if these spirits know about your connection to the King?”

They turned away. “I have my reasons.”

“And those are...?”

“None of your concern. Now, do we have a deal?”

She stared at them incredulously, then threw her hands in the air and marched off, much to their surprise.

“Where are you going?”

“To the butterfly fields. It's time for your first lesson on light creatures, darling,” Tav replied, jerking their thumb towards a nearby boat.

-<◇>-

The boat to the edge of Prairie had arrived before any further stilted conversation could occur, and the two had spent the ride in relative silence. That had been a mercy. Now, however, she wanted to scream in frustration. The butterflies were acting strange and uncooperative today. They were fine with Tav themself; it was the King's Will they had a problem with. They flew away squeaking as soon as he approached. Even those she could coax to her hand fled as soon as she beckoned the Will forward.

So things were going just fine.

In the end, as the sun began to set and the butterflies flew off to the nearby sphere they slept within, they had decided to call it a day.

Of course, that didn't mean their bickering had ended. Even when they passed other spirits, the two kept it quiet, making it seem more like two partners sharing private thoughts than opponents exchanging barbed words.

“For a creature claimed to be 'loving' and 'kind,' these butterflies were rather standoffish today.”

“Maybe they sense you're a terrible person who wants to use them as weapons. They're perceptive like that.”

“And yet they cannot perceive the bitter heart inside you, my dear.”

“They can't perceive what isn't there, darling.”

“Ah, of course. How could I have been so blind? You don't have a heart.”

So caught up in their verbal battle was Tav that they didn't realize they had boarded the same boat as the Will until the two were standing outside the elder's temple.

“Good night, my dear. I look forward to tomorrow's efforts,” the King's Will said, pressing a masked kiss to the back of her hand.

Tav narrowed their eyes, but nodded and managed to hold back a shudder as their hand was released. “Until tomorrow, darling.”

The Will nodded back and entered the temple, leaving them to sigh heavily and wait for another boat.

-<◇>-

“So... how did it go?” Ayin asked, a hint of nervousness in their voice.

“Oh, horribly. The butterflies refused to go near me. But that Tav... I must admit, they're a stubborn one. Either they're planning to assassinate me, or they really believe they'll be able to change my mind over this matter. This may be the most entertaining thing I've done in... I can't remember how long. I'll have to thank Alef when I return. After punishing him for enabling this nonsense in the first place, of course,” Resh responded casually, lifting the stone pizaine from their shoulders to lounge more comfortably across the bed provided. For a moment, they thought his skin seemed a little less gray, but it was likely just a trick of the light, nothing more.

“I see.” Ayin turned to leave, but lingered in the doorway long enough to say, “Rest well, Resh. You have a busy day tomorrow.”

Resh grunted in acknowledgment, and the room fell dark.

-<◇>-

The smell of fresh bread greeted Tav's nose the next morning, as well as Kumibir singing a cheerful song praising the sun. It was a welcome start to a day that would doubtless be a strain on her patience. They'd try again with the butterflies, and hope that somehow Resh would be... more cooperative.

Perhaps a vain hope, but she'd hold fast to it.

Tav managed to answer Kumibir's excited questions (“Where did the two of you meet?” “They're so tall! Is that why you like them?” “Do they have a sibling?”) with vague replies that technically weren't lies (“Oh, we met because of my work.” “What? Why would that be a factor?” “Oh, they might. We haven't talked about our families yet.”). Eventually, Kumibir left to attend the morning's prayer to the sun, and Tav was free... for now. As they sat there, idly munching on a slice of bread and listening to the soft whoops of mantas in the distance, irritation rose once more. The sooner they got this over with, the sooner they could escape this miniature hell.

With that thought, she stuffed the rest of the slice into her mouth and left, slinging a light staff across her back. At the very least, it might help in coaxing a butterfly within reach of Resh.

-<◇>-

Resh waited at the dock for Tav, arms folded before him. Ayin had suggested being a bit more agreeable when they awoke, and despite their better judgment, they had agreed. Unfortunately, it was hard to be agreeable when the person in question was late.

...All right, maybe not late, but later than he liked. Too many locals had gawked at them while they waited, muffling their voices with their hands. Too many had giggled in his direction, and all had avoided eye contact when he turned to glare at the offenders. The same nonsense had happened many years ago, when they had first grown into an adult under the watchful care of the Elders. He could still remember some of those that commented on how handsome they had become.

They were all dead by now.

“Good, you're here.”

Thankfully, a familiar voice drew him from that unfortunate reverie. Tav was now approaching... with some kind of staff across her back for some reason. Resh huffed and placed their hands on their hips.

“You're late.”

She shrugged. “I was eating breakfast. You know, since it's morning? What, too good to eat breakfast like the rest of us? Or are you too used to the fancier fare of Eden?”

Ah, yes, such fancy fare as standing near a blazing fire long enough to push back the ache deep within. Too long, and a different pain began. But they didn't need to know that. They were just some too-bold researcher.

“Something like that,” he said curtly.

They continued to stare at him, eyes narrowed, before shrugging again and gesturing to the boat. “Well, whatever. Come on. The butterflies should be waking up now.”

-<◇>-

Just as they had said, the butterflies were starting to pour out of the sphere and head towards their typical spots for the day as the two of them stepped off the boat. It was a beautiful sight, although she doubted Resh appreciated it. Still, it meant they could start for the day.

Like before, the butterflies came willingly to them, as long as they stayed away from the King's Will. At one point, six were perched on her hands, which she then promptly, and smugly, showed them. Their response was to turn away with a grunt. Tav snickered and lifted their hands, releasing the butterflies to return to fluttering about the flowers of the field.

“Here. Let's try this,” they said, drawing the light staff from their back. She held it out, and soon enough, a butterfly perched delicately at the diamond-shaped tip. Then they slowly moved their end towards him, holding it out for Resh to take.

Instead of grabbing it, however, they stared at it. Tav's arm began to ache as the seconds dragged on. When Resh showed no sign of accepting it, they snapped and said, “Would you take the staff already?”

“And just why should I do that? For all I know, you're planning to attack me as soon as I try.”

“It's a light staff. The only thing it can do is bruise that thick skull of yours. Now take it.”

He glared at them, but begrudgingly took hold just below their hand. With her hand on the staff, the butterfly remained even as they grasped it. When they removed their hand, however, and left only his, it squeaked, quivered, and flew off. Tav watched in bewilderment as it returned to its flock.

“...Well, then. I can't say I've seen that happen before.”

“And here I thought you were the expert on light creatures, my dear.”

“And I thought you were someone who could be reasoned with, darling. Looks like we were both wrong, hm?”

She turned away to study the butterflies, wondering just what exactly was driving them away. They were normally such friendly creatures, often taking a break from basking in the sun's rays and pollinating the prairie lilies to loop around nearby spirits. To have them avoid a person like this...

Something must be very, very wrong.

That niggling discomfort over the coldness of Resh's skin and eyes rose up once more, and Tav avoided his gaze as they called for a lunch break.

-<◇>-

As she chewed on a piece of crab meat, Tav considered the issue with the butterflies. Like any other light creature, they were drawn to flame and light. It was their bread and butter, so to speak. As spirits had an inner flame granted by Megabird when they were born, a light creature could simply be near them and feed on the warmth given off. It wasn't much compared to the innate light of another creature, but it was enough that spirits were often accepted as members of the flock, so to speak.

Was something wrong with Resh's inner flame?

It would explain the unusual color of their skin, and the butterflies' behavior. Then again, was such a thing even possible?

Their inner researcher burned to figure out more, but Tav beat it back down. There wasn't time to travel to the Vault, let alone search its archives, and Resh was too irritating and evasive to hope for an actual answer. It was bad enough they had to put up with his dour attitude. Trying to pry information from them would be a nightmare.

Tav swallowed and stood up, stretching with a soft groan. The hill they had chosen to take lunch on was near the butterfly sphere, with a small cave underneath that where Resh was currently skulking. And... talking to someone?

Someone actually wanted to talk to them?

They knelt and leaned closer to the edge of the hill, straining their ears to catch a snippet or two of the conversation.

“...so lucky to have a partner like you. With someone like you around, I'm sure they'll have much less trouble getting things off high shelves.”

The spirit chuckled, and Tav had the sudden urge to throw something. Or scream. Either worked.

“I shall, of course, do my best to assist them with any high shelves they may encounter,” Resh replied. She could practically feel the smirk on their face.

Bastard.

The spirit laughed again, and Tav crouched a bit lower as they left the cave, the puff of the two buns atop their head bouncing slightly with each step. More footsteps sounded, and soon Resh was also leaving the cave. Unlike the spirit, however, they stopped and turned to look up at her.

“Do you need help getting down from there? I've heard you have difficulty with heights,” he said, eyes crinkled in amusement.

Tav glared back. She stood up and walked down the side of the hill, then past Resh, making sure to whack their shoulder with the light staff as they went.

“Come on. The butterflies don't have all day.”

-<◇>-

Butterflies are curious light creatures. While birds and jellyfish are content to keep to themselves when it comes to spirits, butterflies (and mantas) possess a kind of empathic sensitivity that, more often than not, draws them towards spirits. Whether it was a sad spirit in need of comfort or a spirit blazing bright with joy, they would soon find themselves with a squeaking companion looping about their body before flying off into the distance. The only spirits they tended to avoid were those with a great deal of aggression.

They avoided both Tav and Resh this time.

-<◇>-

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

[shan282-ao3]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Far Cry 5, Far Cry: New Dawn Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Female Deputy | Judge & Joseph Seed Characters: Joseph Seed, John Seed, Jacob Seed, Faith Seed, Female Deputy (Far Cry), Deputy (Far Cry) Additional Tags: joseph/deputy hinted at, a touch of my thirst for john, minor spoilers for new dawn, i rewrote their deaths, my timeline is way off, i havent actually played new dawn yet, Oops, Slight mentions of torture, joseph is a dick, barely joseph/deputy, its there if you squint past the torture and manipulation, oof

Summary: Nora was the new junior deputy when she met Joseph Seed and all chaos broke free. The Judge wasn't a person anymore. They were a shadow, a puppet, a plaything, and completely devoted to the Father.

Aka my take on how the deputy became the judge.

I actually submitted this for an English assignment and my professor actually liked it.

Read Below:

The Judge hadn’t always been a mute figure who flinched at silence and thrived on violence. Years ago, before the world was lost and reborn, she’d been full of life and happiness, dancing through blissful fields, exploring the mountains and singing as she walked through empty vineyards and orchards. Before the bombs fell and the life in her chest was smothered, her name had been Nora. She was beautiful with eyes that reflected the sea and red hair that burned hotter than any fire.

She’d met Joseph on her third night as the new junior deputy. Joseph Seed was the charismatic leader of Eden’s Gate, the cult of Hope County that promised salvation when the Great Collapse occurred. What she knew of them was only from a video she’d seen on the internet, she had only just moved to the county and hadn’t even heard of them until a US Marshal arrived that morning to arrest him.

When Nora had stepped through his church doors alongside her colleagues to arrest him, he’d held out his hands and beckoned her to him with his violent ideas and apocalyptic premonitions. He’d unnerved her, his eyes masked by yellow glass showed no ill intent, yet still she could tell he was hiding something behind that facade. Intrigued and terrified of the pull she felt towards him, she’d cuffed him and escorted him to the helicopter. Her eyes, now darkened with worry, stayed fixed ahead and she did her best not to pay attention to the members of Eden’s Gate who screamed threats.

The helicopter crash had been something none of them had seen coming but should have all expected. Nora groaned and opened her eyes, awakened by the frantic sounds of their dispatch and eerie singing. When she’d reached for the headset to radio for help she was grabbed by Joseph, bloodied but seemingly unharmed, and froze in his gaze as he quietly sang before exiting the wreck. The next weeks were a blur, Nora had been rescued by a man named Dutch who’d pulled her from the river after she’d narrowly avoided capture by Joseph’s followers. She was introduced to the Resistance, people from all over the county who were fighting to keep the cult from destroying them all. She soon found herself fighting alongside them, liberating farms and family homes, rescuing kidnapped citizens, and causing mayhem for Joseph and his followers.

She’d just finished freeing a farm from Eden’s Gate when her radio buzzed alive and a voice she’d heard only a handful of times before in cult propaganda spoke directly to her. John Seed, Joseph’s youngest brother who was regarded by the county’s citizen’s as the most sadistic of the three brothers.

“My dear deputy,” John called to her, his voice, smooth like honey, would have made her melt if things were different. “You’ve been causing quite a commotion. I think it’s time we officially met. I’m coming for you.”

And like that her radio fell back into silence and she felt a shiver of fear run up her spine. She’d been marked and soon his chosen had found her and shot her full of tranquilizer and waking up being held up in a river. John smiled at her as she came too and clicked his tongue.

“This one’s not clean.” He’d said to the man holding Nora up and took her weight from him. His eyes were soft for a second before growing cold and his fingers closed around her neck as she shoved her backward into the ice-cold water. Drowning, she thrashed around until his grip loosened enough for her to reach the surface and get air. She’d managed to escape and the two played a game of cat and mouse for weeks until she finally caught him. Mimicking his actions when they first met, her hands closed around his throat and she choked him until he stopped struggling, the tears streaming down her face hot with disgust and rage.

Not long after, she’d met Faith Seed, Joseph’s adored sister and the woman happily drugging up members of the cult who fought back. She was the overseer of manufacturing the bliss they supplied members of the cult, a drug that left most in a euphoric and easily suggestible state. She’d caught Nora easily and the two had spent almost three weeks walking in and out of the bliss together before Nora and finally managed to break free. With pain stabbing at her heart, she’d drowned Faith in her own supply of bliss and retreated to the mountains, as far away from Joseph and his anguish and rage at the loss of his brother and sister as she could get.

Yet still, she wasn’t safe, after weeks of helping liberate the people in the mountains Joseph’s last surviving brother, Jacob, caught her. Nora was with him for nearly four months, he tortured, manipulated, and brainwashed her as he ran her through trial after trial training her to be one of his soldiers. She became his most effective killing machine, the song that tortured her and his gentle words of encouragement as she unknowingly gunned down people she’d once thought of as friends were something that she now craved. The morning he died, he’d played her song and she’d reverted into his killing machine and fought through a bunker of the Resistance. Once she’d come to, snapped out of her trance by the only two survivors, she was horrified and had spilled his entrails on the mountain peak.

It was finally over, she had thought. Nora had gone to the Eden’s Gate compound and confronted Joseph. Without his brothers and Faith’s bliss to protect him, she was able to take him down easy. She finally arrested him and drove towards civilization and safety. She’d had won, Hope County was finally safe. Then the bombs fell, the apocalypse Joseph had been preaching had finally come true and according to him, it was her fault. They’d both ended up in Dutch’s bunker after the blast flipped the car. He’d dragged Nora inside, swiftly killed Dutch and handcuffed her to a metal pipe. When Nora finally came to, he was sat in front of her, his eyes haunted as they both listened to the sounds of death above them.

“I finally understand.” Joseph had said after what seemed like hours of silence. “I prepared my family for the prophecy that God whispered in my ear, but you took them from me. I should kill you, but I won’t. You’re all I have left now, you’re my family.”

Nora shuddered and tried to move back but found herself trapped, he leaned closer until their faces were inches apart and continued speaking. “When the world is ready for us, we will step into the light. I am yours and you are mine and together we will march through Eden’s Gate just as God planned.”

He never stopped speaking after that, it wasn’t always directed at her but she could always hear him. Even when he slept, Nora still heard his voice in her head. It took him 7 years to break her will and another 3 to mold her into the perfect object for his affections. It wasn’t until he had plucked her tongue from her mouth to stop the constant blasphemies that streamed from her lips that she finally gave up the last of her fight and accept that she truly was meant to be his. The last 7 years of their confinement was spent in each other’s company, every now and then a spark of resistance would flicker in her eyes, but each time Joseph was quick to drown it.

By the time the world was ready for them, Nora was dead and the Judge had been born. When they stepped out into the sun just as he had prophesied 17 years ago, him in all his glory and her as his shadow, they were met with a new world. She could finally shed the remnants of her old self and embrace the Judge: a cross painted across her face in the blood of a sinner, a wolf’s skull hiding her own face, and a halo of bliss to mask her tracks. Joseph had been satisfied as she quickly took to this new world, judging the unworthy, showing them the path to safety, helping them atone for their sins just as his brothers and sister had. She was all the best of them now, a judge like a Jacob, a guide like Faith, and an inquisitor like John. He had tried to transform her into his shadow and it had worked, she was never far from his side, his ever-faithful shadow, puppet, companion, and personal executioner should the need arise.

The universe had finally been returned to its balance and the Judge came to realize that Joseph had been her savior all along.