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ambria · 4 years

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everytime // Sirius Black

Sweetener x Marauders

play ‘everytime’ by Ariana Grande <3

pairing: sirius black x reader

word count: 2.3k ✨

warnings: angst, fluff at the end, mentions of drinking, under-age drinking, partying, depression?, mentions of drugs and drug use, someone trying to take advantage on the drunk reader, crying? Let me know if I missed something.

This also might have a few time jumps

A/N: I wrote this in 1st person but I feel like I should make these in 3rd so that’s what I’ll start doing. But this is also my first time making a one-shot fic so cut me some slack if it’s trash. But I hope you enjoy!

I get tired of your no-shows

Taking in the warmth through my fingers I look at the door once more before glancing at the clock.

He’s late. Again

I take a deep breath to cool down my nerves and sigh. I sip the rest of my butterbeer before looking at the entrance once more and packing my stuff and walking out. I look around once more before giving up and walking back to the castle.

You get tired of my control

As I’m walking back I start to get more irritated by the step. This isn’t the first time he’s done this. Always too busy to hang out because of him with his friends or too busy because of pranks. The missed dates and the interrupted times. All for his friends. I’m clearly not a priority in his life and that has to change or I’m not going to be in it.

Walking through the castle I collect my thoughts on how I’m gonna approach this situation. But since I’m so pissed off, I’m gonna take an angry approach.

I walk up to the gryffindor common room and say the password before walking in.

As I stepped into the common room, lo and behold, the marauders spread on the couches talking loudly and laughing. Seeing that made my blood boil. As I walk over I catch the attention of the brunet,

“Y/N!!!!! Hey!!!” The Potter boy called out. I gave a weak smile. Which caught the attention of my boyfriend.

“Hey, babe.” He smiled at me. I internally roll my eyes and keep an emotionless face on. At this point all the attention from the boys is on me.

“Hey. Can we talk?” In the corner of my eye I can see Remus and James glance at each other and look worriedly at Sirius. Yeah. They know better.

“Uhh. Sure. About what?” This time I rolled my eyes. I ignore his question and grab his hand before dragging him up to his dorm.

We enter and I close the door before leaning on it. He goes and sits on the foot on his bed.

“What do you want to talk about? We were in the middle of planning.” Bouncing his knee, I can tell he’s getting impatient and just wants this to hurry up and be done with this. I get even more annoyed at this.

“What do you want to talk about? We were in the middle of planning.”- I mocked him- “This is exactly what I’m talking about! You’re always busy! Doing this and doing that!” I start to raise my voice. My face starts to heat up due to my anger. I try to calm down but it doesn’t seem to be working.

He opens his mouth to say something but I cut him off,

“Where were you today?! I was waiting for you! For our date that YOU literally planned!” His eyes widened with realization and looked at me with a guilty face. But I’m too pissed off to care.

My eyes start to water with tears of frustration but I’m nowhere near done,

“Everytime I want to hang out you’re always busy with your friends and pranks! You never have time for me anymore!” At this point tears are streaming down my face and Sirius doesn’t look that far behind.

“This is the third date you missed! Because you forgot! I’m done with being second best. Im probably not even that!” He has his head down, hands on his knees.

“I—I-I” he stutters out what I think is going to be some wack apology. But I’m done. I can’t do it anymore.

“No. I’m done.” As soon as I said those words his head shot up fast and looked at me with wide eyes.

“No-” he goes to protest but I cut him off again.

“No I can’t do this. Not anymore. This has gone on for too long. You need to fix your priorities. I hope you don’t treat another girl like this. I’m breaking up with you, Sirius.” I don’t wait for a reply and I simply walk out of the door and walk back down to the common room, wiping my tears.

They keep telling me to let go

As I make it to the common room I notice the boys are still there. They see me and go to talk but a loud sound cuts them off. Items getting thrown around, is what I guessed it to be.

We all freeze and guilt washes over me. It’s Sirius.

But I don’t really let go when I say so

I turn my head to the staircase with a sad expression before brushing it off.

I had to. I deserve better. I thought to myself.

I look over to the boys to see that they have worried but knowing expressions on their faces. I gave them weak smiles and walked away to my dorm.

I keep giving people blank stares

Drama travels fast around here at Hogwarts. So it wasn’t long until word got out that infamous Sirius Black was single again and back on the market.

My friends are starting to get worried about me because of my reaction to the breakup, or lack thereof. I know how to keep my emotions buried. I know it’s an unhealthy coping mechanism but I refuse to be sad over a boy who treated me like shit.

I’m so different when your not there

What they don’t know is that I cry myself to sleep. Everyday. I close my curtains around my bed and put a silencing spell around it and sob. For hours. It’s pretty sad.

But I keep my neutral face on for everyone else. From what I know Sirius isn’t doing much better. He’s just more open about his broken heart. Lily tells me he mopes around and doesn’t speak much anymore. Let alone prank anyone.

Everytime she tells me about him being sad it makes me want to run out the room and find him to cuddle with him and kiss him and apologize profusely for the break up.

But I remind myself that it’s not my fault and that I deserve better.

It’s like something out of Shakespeare

Because I’m really not here when you’re not there

I tried to fight our energy

It's been three months since the break up and I have developed some pretty bad habits.

I’ve secretly been drinking to numb the pain. I know it’s not healthy but I can’t seem to stop.

Once all my roommates are sleeping I drink by myself on my bed. It helped in the beginning but now I can’t stop.

I’ve perfected my fake smile so no one could tell the difference. Well one person did, but I was unaware.

I’m in a deep depression and I have no one to talk to. None of my friends know, I can’t tell them. They won’t understand.

Meanwhile,

“Pads, you can’t keep moping around. She’s moved on, you should too.”

“No, I can’t. I still love her.” Sirius said but due to him being face first on his pillow it came out muffled.

“Well then you’re going to have to work your way to get her back. Show her you’ve changed.” The werewolf suggested to his friend.

“Really?” He picks his head up to face his friends, red and puffy eyes with a hopeful expression.

They nod.

But everytime I think I’m free

As the weeks pass I start to receive notes and letters with little flowers attached to them. I know they are from Sirius but I can’t seem to open them and read. It’s too hard and I’m not ready yet.

You get high and call on the regular

Once I reach my empty dorm I run to my trunk and collect all the saved letters. I place them on my bed and chuck my shoes off before climbing on my bed while getting comfortable.

I sort the letter from how I received them. I slowly open the first one,

Dear y/n,

Looking at us now I regret a lot of things.

I don’t blame you for not seeing us together in the future.

I was horrible, but for you I am willing to change. No. I will change.

You deserve so much better and if you let me I could be that person.

But I have to fix myself in order for that to happen.

If you're willing I would love to have another chance.

forever yours,

Sirius

As I finish reading my eyes are cloudy with tears. I continue to read all of the letters.

And by the end of it I’m sobbing.

I get weak and fall like a teenager

I knew it was a bad idea to read those letters. Because after that I am ready to run back into his arms and express my love. But I can’t until I know that he’s changed.

I deserve better. I keep telling myself that.

Why, oh why does God keep bringing me back to you?

Everytime I see him now I try to avoid him. Everytime he’s in a room, I leave. Everytime class is over I run out before he gets the chance to talk to me.

Because I know if I take one look into his beautiful stormy gray eyes I will fall all over again. And that can’t happen.

I deserve better.

I get drunk, pretend that I’m over it

It’s Friday night and today is the big Gryffindor party. Being stressed with liquor and drugs is not a good combo but I haven’t been safe these past couple of months.

I’m in my dorm room getting ready. I decide on a natural glam look with a bold red lip and a black satin body con dress with some black heels.

As I’m walking down the stairs, I can hear the music blasting and the red led lights are turned on. I part from my friends and immediately head to the liquor table. As I’m walking I fail to notice the pair of eyes following my every move.

I take a plastic red cup and I fill it up with the hardest liquor I could find on the table. After downing the cup I refill it and make my way over to my friends who are currently in the corner smoking what the muggles call ‘weed’. It’s strong but it helps me relax. Who knew muggle were so helpful.

Self-destruct, show up like an idiot

About an hour into the party everyone was either high, drunk or both. Which I was. Again me with my unhealthy coping mechanisms.

I ended up dancing in the middle of the room with a huge group of people. I feel eyes on me but I’m too drunk to care at the moment.

As I’m dancing I feel someone come up behind me and grab my hips. I turn around to see a random 7th year boy. He begins to trail his hands on my body.

He leans down to whisper in my ear,

“How about we go to my down, sweetheart?” His hot breath makes a shiver run down my spine, and not in a good way.

I began to shake my head while saying no but he clearly didn’t get the message because he gripped my wrists and tried to pull me with him. But because I was too drunk I couldn’t defend myself properly.

As I continue to struggle I see a person step in front of me, glaring at the boy,

“I suggest you let her go. Now.” I heard a familiar voice, I couldn’t tell who from my drunken state. Once the person turned around a smile involuntarily appeared on my face,

“Siri! Hi!” I giggled as he guided me away from everyone.

“Hi. Let’s get you somewhere safe.” He picks me up bridal style and starts to carry me up to the boys dorms and to his room.

I yawned and cuddled up into his chest,

“I’m still mad at you.” I mumbled. He set me down on his bed and goes to his trunk to take out some clothes,

“I know.” He said, sadly. As he’s helping me I go on a mini rant,

“You know you treated me horrible. I just wanted my boyfriend but you never made time for me. You missed dates, you cancelled on me a lot. And whenever we had time together alone you had to leave early. I just wanted you to give me your love and attention. But I was never a priority. I miss you so much, Siri.” After he tucks me into his bed he kisses my forehead and responds,

“I miss you too, baby.” He goes to walk away but I grab his hand. Which makes him turn around and give me a questioning look,

“Please stay.” I pout. He smiles and climbs into the bed with me. I turn to look at him,

“Cuddles?” I ask him with puppy eyes.

“Cuddles.” I snuggle up next to him with my head on his chest and my legs bunched up with his. He puts his chin on top of my head and begins to play with my hair.

“You know, I still love you. And I’m willing to give you a second chance, Siri.” I can’t see him but I can tell he has a huge grin on his face.

“I love you too, pup. Go to sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.” I start to drift off but before I do fully I feel him kiss my forehead again and whisper ‘I love you’ one last time before the darkness engulfed me.

Why, oh why does God keep bringing me back to you?

****

Taglist: @blackpinkdolan

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botwstoriesandsuch · 3 years

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Heya!! Kip here! The @memorabiliazine preorders have just shipped, which means we can share our pieces now! I wrote this piece back in February, after theorizing about the presence of Robbie's Telescope being present in the Royal Tech Lab in Age of Calamity. So without further a do, here be my little essay/fic on some old ruins, or more specifically, its:

Cause of Destruction

The storm had come too late. Thankfully, it was all devastated.

She continued to run from the screaming.

The Sheikah woman headed for the hills, brittle trees littering the eastern side of the Lindor mountain side. If she hurried, she could meet up with the others who had—

A distant crack of thunder melded with the collapse of stone; she makes the mistake of glancing back.

In the greater horizon, the shadow of Hyrule Castle looms over a conquered dusk. A shrill cry—something between a roar and a whine—escapes from the cloudy malice beast that enshrouds the Hylian monument. But that was just the backdrop, the canvas for contrast. Closer still, in the billowing grass of North Hyrule Plain, the stormy winds cut through fog and smoke like a dagger.

In the opened wound, the faint silhouette of a building glows.

Blue.

She keeps running.

The color might have at one point been appealing—the symbol of the Royals, the pleasant hue that cloaked a perfect morning. But tonight it just haunted her...chased her...reminded her of the terrible deed that was done.

A horse came over the hills.

“HEY!” a man shouted, mounted on a grey horse. “MA’AM! HALT, PLEASE!”

Crap. She sucked in a breath through her teeth, clutched her limp, burned arm, and kept moving. I just need to reach the trees.

But the chase seemed over before it had even started. When she had first started running from the blue, some wandering captain had stopped her to ask what was wrong. There was a strange kindness in his striking eyes, a forgein concept in this land now stricken with grief, death, and paranoia. In her haste—and possibly shame of what she had done—she had just pushed the captain away and fled. Very inconspicuous…good job me.

Now it seems he had found her again. Any other day she might have commended him for his kindness in checking with some random Sheikah, during the end of the world no less.

But tonight, well...there’s a sliver of her that might have preferred death.

The woman tripped on a divet in the earth, crashing down on one of her badly burned legs, and hissed at the pain. The rain had muddied the path, and was staining her once white clothes a disgusting marron. The pounding of hooves grew closer, until they halted right next to her ears.

A pair of leather boots crashed into the mud.

“Ma’am, don’t get up. You’re injured. Please.”

The clang of metal armour accompanies the voice. Oh he was a captain alright, equipped well for the apocalypse. His metalspear and armour adorned in—

She looks up.

Blue.

A slight frown.

The man tries to help her to her feet, watching to not clutch on the wounds on her right side. “Whatcha doing all the way out here? The nearest settlement is a ways away.” The captain lifts up one of her arms, and his eyes widen just a bit. “Dammit...those burns look bad. We might getcha some aid...there’s a laboratory place nearby that I’m heading by, just due east and—”

“...Lab?” The woman can’t help but wonder aloud. No...you idiot, you can’t be serious.

The captain smiles again. “See now, that’s why I was so eager to catch your attention. You’re running in the wrong direction.” He points in the direction she was running towards. “Up where you’re going is just mountains. There’s a fancy smancy lab a bit south that could help patch you up better than—”

“If you head to that lab, you’ll die.” She lets the words linger for a moment. “Unless, of course, that was the desired plan for the evening.” The woman laughs to herself, but the sound is empty and dry.

He frowns. “...What?”

She’s silent, gears turning in her head. Goddess...how do I say this without—

She points east, the rain pattering on her outstretched sleeve. “Tell me, Captain. What do you see over there?”

The man pauses, his face contort with confusion. He follows her hand and stares at the blue.

“...North Hyrule Plain. Some building glowing blue over there…I’m assuming that’s the techno-wizz from the L—”

“Lab, yes. That would be the Royal Ancient Lab. Though I’m afraid it’s not glowing from ‘techno-wizz’ or anything of that sort, dear captain.”

She crosses her arms, turning to look away from the blue and hugging her knees. “It’s currently burning to the ground.”

An ugly pause, as the man seems to take a moment to digest this. He flickers his gaze between the Sheikah and the distant blue building.

“I-It’s...It’s raining though—”

“Blue flame, I’m afraid, is a bit more resistant. Plus, it’s been burning long before the storm came through.”

“What...I…” The captain sits next to her, plopping into the mud in disbelief. “I was really thinking that...why would…”

He turns to her, his eyes are stormy grey, with faint specks of blue, like embers. The captain’s tone is gravely serious. “Miss, why was that lab destroyed?”

The question catches her off guard. Her jaw’s clenched, but she breaks their staring contest and hides her surprise with a shrug. “Same reason as every other disaster today. Calamity Ganon destroyed it.”

There’s a crack of thunder, and the ground shudders at her lie.

“...No.” the man mumbles.

“Look, I know it’s a lot to process—”

“No, I mean,” he stands, hand reaching for his back, “that’s not what actually happened, is it ma’am?”

Crap. The Sheikah holds her hands in the air. “If this is about me shoving you earlier, I was just a bit—”

“Aw now don’tcha worry about that, I took no personal offense.” He scratches the blond stubble on his chin.

“Now the thing that I do find some mighty fine offense to, is the fact that there’s a good lick of a chance that I’m currently speaking to an arsonist traitor.”

There’s a BOOM, and in the distance, another large piece of the Royal Lab collapses into the earth. The blue grows brighter.

“Me? What in the name of Hylia are you—”

“Let’s not play dumb, ma’am. Trust me, I’m a sucker for some pleasantries and small talk, though I’m afraid addressing the fact that you burned down the nearest safe haven for miles is gonna take priority here.”

The Sheikah woman just fumes, attempting to get up in the captain’s face. “How DARE you accuse me of—”

She’s cut off by the shing of metal cutting through air. The captain twirls the spear on his back and points the end right at her neck, resting just below her chin. She scowls, but puts her hands in the air.

“You just don’t understan—”

“That’s a mighty fine torch you got there…” He clicks his tongue.

Both hands grip his spear steady, ready to pierce flesh at any moment. The captain gestures with a wink to the torch attached to her waist. It seems to still smolder slightly with faint blue embers.

The captain looks between the torch, and the blue fire in the horizon.

“Yes, a mighty fine torch indeed.” He presses the spear tip a bit further forward.

“And it’s glowing a familiar color.”

Cause of Destruction

An Analysis of the Destruction of the Royal Ancient Lab

By Dr. J Kippers

(But please, Kippers was my father, call me Kip)

So heroes are a thing, huh? Who’da thunk it! One minute, I’m continuing my travels, studying some cool rocks and bricks in Hyrule Field. Then the next, a giant malice pig appears and fights some teenage boy wielding a glowing stick. I definitely wasn’t cowering behind the ruins of a garrison bathroom while that all happened, and I definitely was doing some cool badass fighting moves with my...pen, to help that knight and save the world and stuff. Makes for a pretty cool story, yeah? HA, Traysi would kill for it…

But enough of my daring, slightly exaggerated, exploits. It’s been a few weeks since the world’s settled down from the Calamity’s defeat, which means I had prime time to settle back into my hometown, and put my years of travel and research to paper!

I spent the majority of my life studying the history of Hyrule as it fell to the Calamity 100 years ago...and with the world now revitalizing, it’s just prime time to get myself out there! Research wise, that is!

At first, I didn’t really know what to write, cause WOW there’s just so many topics to choose from. Plus there’s a lot on the line here, gotta make a good impression for whatever new kingdom that Princess Zelda’s got planned. She seems the scholarly type, yeah? I’m thinking I could snag some Hyrule history teach’ position at a rebuilt university or something… Princess has got an awful lot of focus on the reconstruction of different village ruins. Which is fair, cause who better to know how to rebuild these places than the people who were alive to see them in their prime!

And you see, that’s where my journey of knowledge began! People with first hand knowledge of the events of distant past are alive? OH a historian’s dream…my soul swells in happiness. Plus, I also got my researcher brain a-tingling. My dad’s friend’s cousin’s neighbor’s grandma’s dog’s breeder knew Dr. Robbie back in the day, so Sheikah tech is basically in my blood.

With these passions rejuvenated I had my goal! Publish some revolutionary new theory that combined my awesome knowledge for history, archeology, and tech! And what better place to see that than, (duh) the Royal Ancient Lab Ruins.

Now, there doesn’t seem to be much in these ruins…it’s absolutely barren. No weapons or treasures to be seen. Just your run-of-the-mill ruined ruins, destroyed long ago by the Calamity. And that was the end of the story.

At least that’s what I thought until I did a little more digging. See, as I was doing some additional research, I stumbled upon this old history/research book stored in the Kakariko archive. I have no idea where it came from...it’s titled...C-Caa...Creation? Creating? Creating a...Cham...it’s kinda faded and hard to read. But anyhow, this weird little history book was written by some guy named “Nine-tendons.” If someone out there has a copy feel free to hit me up, but for today’s sake title and author don’t really matter. The point is, one of the quotes in that book describes the ruins like this:

Royal Ancient Lab Ruins

It is thought that these ruins represent the ancient relic research facility that was under the direct rule of Hyrule Castle, but only the outer walls remain. There is no trace of the building’s interior, let alone any research materials.

The thoroughness of its destruction feels intentional. [Page 396, Cr_ating a Champ___, Nint__do.]

Now I’m not too familiar with the work of whoever Mr. Nin-Ten-doves is, but I strangely trust their word on the topic wholeheartedly. Call it a feeling from the divine if you must, but they’re right! It seems so much more obvious in hindsight.

My adventures into the other various ruins across Hyrule always gave me something to work with. The world is just crafted for exploration. Old treasure chests, weird rocks with a tiny talking tree fairy underneath. Hell, even a monster or two was always happy to inhabit even the smallest of ruins I’ve entered. Yet, there is absolutely nothing of prominence to be seen at the ruins of the Royal Ancient Lab. And I’ve double, triple, and quintuple-checked!

Why are there no rusted weapons...or treasures...or any records or evidence of anything, other than some crude stone walls and a rock? That kind of destruction is just unnecessarily absolute, even for the Calamity.

According to detailed drawings/notes I have in my records of Historical Works during the Age of Calamity (HW AOC for short), the Royal Ancient Lab was nearly three stories tall, with a royal blue ceiling, complete with a basement level, and an upper telescope! With even the smallest of structures (like simple ranch and village ruins) still standing today with plenty of artifacts, why is as great a structure as the Royal Lab so desolate?

Intentional, intentional, intentional...that word ran through my head for days, weeks, months even. Why would the Royal Ancient Lab be destroyed intentionally? Did the Calamity see it as that major a threat? No, that wouldn’t make sense, the movements of Calamity Ganon that day clearly show his intention to use the Sheikah power against the people of Hyrule. An Ancient Lab would be a major benefit, if anything…

So, surprising as it may be, the current prime suspect for the destruction of this lab would actually be…

The Sheikah just glares. “Well...what gave it away?

He shrugged his shoulders with a half smile. “Deductive reasoning, with a hint of some good ol’ luck perhaps.”

“Listen, I know this looks bad, but you have to understand—”

“Oh I understand quite well alright.” The captain gives a wink. “I try to be humble, but Mama always did say I was the smartest cookie she knew.”

He rests the end of his spear on her collarbone, the threat clearly still present, but it gives him the freedom to pace and wipe rain for his soaked blonde hair.

“See I know that Calamity Ganon’s corrupted every bit of Sheikah tech from here to Lurelin. I know that he’s been targeting Hylian settlements. ‘Seen it myself when some monsters and Guardians destroyed my regiment and post at Maritta Exchange, just a bit north from here. I know that the only reason the other settlements, like the Rito and Zora, are still standing is because Ganon’s focusing all his forces on finding and killing the Hylian Champion and the princess. And finally I know that because of that, there is not a Guardian or monster around for many a mile. I mean, just lookie over there.”

The woman turns her head, and sure enough, the plains are barren of all life. No movement of machine or beast or person.

“And now my assumption was—and do pardon me if my monologue is redundant to your traitor ears—that the nearest place of safety would be this royal laboratory of technology. It’s Sheikah run, so it wouldn’t be immediately targeted. Plus the last thing the Calamity would want is for his personal army of destruction to be...well, destroyed. Ifs I was them evil cloud demon thing, I woulda wanted the lab with all my corrupted techno babble soldiers to be kept in peak condition. However…”

The captain turns to the right, staring at the blazing blue building in the distance. “...That does not seem to be the case.”

The Sheikah opens her mouth to speak, but he holds up the spear again. “Now I’m thinking, the only reason someone would go about destroying that lab, would perhaps be to kill some people, no?”

“We didn’t—”

“Getting rid of the people who could possibly reverse the Guardian corruption...now I suppose that might be a good evil plan.”

“It was for the be—”

“Ma’am I’m all about looking on the bright side of things, but,” the captain flicks his head in the direction of the blue, “This ain’t exactly the light a’ hope I was wanting.”

“Maybe not, but—”

“So,who are ya? Yiga?”

“No, it’s—”

“Solo treason then. You getting revenge on someone ‘round here? A noble? The King? Or perhaps you’re just the sadistic type with the whole—”

“NO!”

The outburst surprises the both of them, and he hold the spear to ner neck firmly. Another crack of thunder reminds them of the silence that’s endured. The Sheikah finally sighs.

“Perhaps by definition I am an arsonist and a traitor, but for one thing, I wasn’t alone.”

The man’s eyes shine curiously, but she continues.

“I will gladly die alongside them, as my actions have only been for the benefit of Hyrule.”

The rain’s tempo quickens as she gets on her feet, but the captain doesn’t strike. She stares him down, eyes hidden behind strands of white hair.

“My name is Atsuko, a devoted researcher at the Royal Lab, and you may kill me if you think it just.”

Ok, now I know what you’re all thinking. You’re thinking “Kip! Why are you writing this official research paper like some drunken bar rant? How the hell are you gonna get noticed at this rate?” or “Kip! The hell are you thinking?? Sheikah destroying the Ancient Lab makes absolutely no sense?!”

So to that I say, firstly, uhhh you’re welcome for not being a boring posh, snobby lecturer.(Learned to value a personality over fancy words; lessons my granddad).

As for the latter, you are quite wrong my dear friend, quite wrong indeed. It makes an absolute butt-load of sense, and I’m gonna prove it was them, here and now! I mean that’s...kinda the whole point of an essay, yeah?

My fellow archeology, history, and tech lovers, not only do I know who is responsible for the Royal Lab’s destruction, but I know the true reason why and how! Let us start at the beginning!

What exactly is the lab, and what was its purpose? Well, as the name implies, it was a Sheikah-run laboratory under the hand of the royal family that researched and experimented with Ancient technology. Again, looking at references in HW AOC, I can place not only Guardian models and Ancient weaponry at the lab, but also the existence of blue flame lamps that seemingly powered the facility.

As we all know, it’s tough to mess around with Ancient parts without blue flame, which is the prime energy source for the Ancient Sheikah. Such are the existence of today’s Hateno and Akkala tech labs, located near blue flame furnaces. However! This brings into question exactly why the Royal Lab was constructed where it was…

There are only three places in all of Hyrule with natural blue flame deposits, or otherwise called “Ancient Furnaces.” That would be in Hateno, Akkala, and within Hyrule Castle itself. So why is the Royal Tech Lab so far from these Ancient Furnaces?

To answer this question, might I direct your attention towards explosions. That’s right folks, I’m talking bombs! (Please take this moment to imagine me creating an accompanying explosive sound effect with my mouth)

Some time ago, as I was analyzing the blue flame lamps in Deep Akkala, I ran into that hero of legend face to face! Nice guy, quiet and charming type. Smelled strangely like apples and burnt guts.

Long story short, I traded my entire supply of Hot-Footed Frogs and arrows for a chance to mess with his Sheikah Slate for a bit.

So during that brief period of research, I discovered that while Sheikah tech is usually well controlled—with bomb runes only going off on command by the push of a button—there is an exception! Bomb runes instantly react with blue flame, just one touch and they’ll instantly explode! Try it out yourself! Er, well. Ok, maybe not. Don’t do that, legally I’m not responsible. Plus, it’s not like any of you folk out there have access to bomb runes or a Sheikah Slate that you can play around and test it out for yourself like it’s some virtual game that you can switch around in your hands.

Bomb runes are giant bundles of compact Sheikah tech. When in contact with a pure blue flame, they go boom. The process with the Sheikah Slate must simplify this process with a remote button, but as I’ve discovered, the process can be hastened by chucking a torch around.

I call this phenomenon of blue flame reacting destructively with Sheikah technology a “blue combustion!” I’m creative, I know.

I imagine, any experimentation with weapons that harness, compress, or just generally mess with Sheikah tech and lasers, must be conducted in an environment that prevents blue combustion. You don’t want pure blue flame touching stuff. Otherwise you go kaboom.

Now I couldn’t get a hold of Dr. Robbie or Director Purah myself, something about how they “don’t know who the heck” I am, and “you’re trespassing please get off it’s private property,” or something of the sort, I’m not really sure. But even without their testimonies, you’ll notice that their large tech labs are constructed a distance away from the actual Ancient Furnace. They aren’t right beside it. If they were, you risk losing a limb to a blue combustion. That is also why blue flame lamps exist: to stagger the distance between the flames. And thus is why the Royal Lab isn’t nearby an Ancient Furnace.

Yet even so, the distance the Royal Lab has from an Ancient Furnace might still stump you, because even compared to the Akkala and Hateno labs, it is very very far. But here’s the kicker, my dear curious readers and poor editor, the reason for this extreme distance is because during its prime, the Royal Ancient Lab housed a large portion of the Guardian army and weaponry. It needed more distance because its contents accumulated a much larger space. I can prove this not only by descriptions shown in HW AOC, but also by notes/drawings shown in the archive called the Backgrounds of Technological Wonders, or BOTW for short.

Both these sources show that while Guardians were tested and stationed in Hyrule Castle, the number of Guardians at the castle was probably only in the one hundred mark or less. Now that may seem like a lot, but remember, hundreds of Guardians were dug up, as especially shown in the famous Sheikah tapestry of 10,000 years ago. Arguably even thousands, considering that tapestry is a simplification.

So if we can only account for only a portion of the Guardian population at Hyrule Castle, where are the rest? Scattered across different garrisons perhaps, sure. But they’d mainly be in the facility where each of the Guardians were constructed and given power, the place full of the most talented Sheikah researchers, a location that would still be in decent proximity, but still a safe distance from the castle should an emergency arise: the Royal Ancient Tech Lab. That’s where most of Guardians are.

Now, why is this important? Why did I just spend a few paragraphs talking about blue flames and Guardians and locations when this is about the lab’s destruction and demise?

It’s because this is my sure fire way to prove to you that the Calamity did not destroy the Royal Lab.

The Royal Ancient Lab was constructed specifically to create the best Guardians and technology to beat the Calamity with.

It would have been constructed specifically to avoid any fatal blue combustion accidents.

And it sure as hell wouldn’t have been purposefully destroyed by the Calamity, the one entity who would benefit from its existence.

The lab was decimated by a blue combustion, no question. There isn’t anything as powerful as it that could destroy a place so completely. And now knowing the factors surrounding the lab itself, we know that if it was destroyed by a combustion, it was not because of an accident.

It could only have been done purposefully, by the only people who would know the Royal Lab’s weaknesses.

It could only have been brought down by the Sheikah researchers.

So now, the questions of exactly how and why remain.

The captain just stands and ponders.

“Ma’am, I must confess that I don’t find the science of the destruction nearly as interesting as exactly what made you decide to do it.”

“It’s like I said,” Atsuko clutches her burned arm, “It wasn’t just me. Really, now, you’re too kind to give me so much credit.”

The spear end moves closer to her neck. “Alright alright alright, sorry, pal. Look I have no idea if you’re even believing all this right now, but you have to trust me that our actions were of the best intentions.”

The captain smirks. “Do tell?”

According to BOTW, the Ancient Arrow was developed by Dr. Robbie as one of the most powerful means of combating the Calamity itself. In fact, according to research I’ve found in that CAC book by Mint-en-do, I can place the exact time for the development of this weapon, which I can use to glean information about it’s properties.

Ancient Arrow

Perhaps forty or fifty years after the day of the Great Calamity Robbie, the lead Guardian researcher, created the first weapon that was effective against the mechanical monsters: the ancient arrow... Flames come out from the burner like bit [of the Ancient Arrow] and form a blade. [Page 388 and 178, Cr_ating a Champ___, Nint__do.]

The arrow instantly vaporizes whatever it comes into contact with, tearing apart the subject by the molecule, and sending them to non-existence. The description of the weapon implies that it is the pure energy of a blue flame, and built quite differently than other Sheikah weapons.

And the difference definitely shows. I’ve handled a few of these puppies myself, and let me tell you, they get the job done. While an Ancient sword or axe will certainly do some damage, a single Ancient Arrow can take out a Guardian, or even a Lynel in one hit. I heard that they could even do major damage to Dark Beast Ganon itself!

Now, why do I bring this up? Because this Ancient Arrow proves that the Sheikah 100 years ago knew about the dangers of blue combustion.

An Ancient Arrow is clearly the result of intensive research into blue combustion, it is literally a pure blue flame on a stick pumped up with some Ancient Tech. It vaporizes whatever matter it touches and it ceases to exist.

Hmm...would be a fine explanation as to why the nearly three stories worth of stone and ceiling in the Royal Lab no longer can be found.

And why wasn’t the Ancient Arrow developed sooner? It’s because no one thought to purposefully cause an event that would destroy everything until they were forced to on the actual day of the Calamity. It’s because it took even the most brilliant of scientists half a century to even contain a feat of destruction into a single arrowtip? Yes...when you lay out the facts like that, it seems to make sense on the timeline.

Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to the question of “why?” Let me rewind to an earlier point. Where are the thousands of Guardians in Hyrule?

Yes, a good hundred or so could be found in Hyrule Castle, and the majority were in the Royal Ancient Lab. But today, where are they? Records in BOTW cite only 157 Guardian remains in all of Hyrule. 157. How? That’s impossible. Witnesses and notes in HW AOC prove that much, much more existed. And what’s more is that we know that the majority of those Guardians were at the Royal Lab, but there are no Guardians, active or otherwise, to be found there. There is nothing.

It’s almost as if all those Guardians were vaporized, they ceased to exist one day.

And you know what.

They did.

(Please take this time to imagine me winking)

There’s some theme or metaphor here about the Royal Ancient Lab, constructed in the blues of the Royal family, ironically being destroyed by the blue combustion—but what do I look like, a writer? Find your own secret to life, here’s the blunt of it.

The Sheikah knew about the dangers a blue combustion could do, but on the day of the Calamity, they used that knowledge for the better. Seeing the corrupted Guardians in the distant castle, it is my belief that the researchers there purposefully brought the blue flames—that they had so carefully separated outside in the lanterns—in contact with Ancient Technology. Things not only went kaboom, but the actual matter ceased to exist. A giant Ancient Arrow.

Thousands of Guardians, hundreds of blades and weapons, and honestly, probably even lives, were gone in an instant. The only remains of the carnage would be the aftermath of blue flames that spread across the remains of the outer walls.

The Sheikah did this because it would save the most lives. That’s hundreds and thousands of Guardians and machines that wouldn’t fall into Ganon’s clutches, hundreds of souls saved. Did you know that today Hyrule Ridge, the home of the Royal Lab, has zero Guardians? Did you know that the lands near it, Hebra and Tabantha, have the lowest Guardian sightings in all of Hyrule? Even less than the Gerudo Desert. And I cite this all based on my hours of research and facts laid out by BOTW, HW AOC, and the divine work by Mr. Nin-ten-do

But even beyond that, how do I know, in absolute 600% certainty that the Sheikah were in complete control of this destruction? How am I so sure that the Sheikah that day had fully planned the intentional obliviation of their lab?

It’s because...I lied earlier.

There is actually one relic that survived. One little monument of the Royal Ancient Lab Ruins. One object giving physical proof of this theory.

One artifact that would have been impossible to preserve if the Sheikah hadn’t planned it all. I mentioned it briefly before, if you paid attention. Yes! This object is present in both the Royal Lab, and a tech lab of today. You could see it for yourself, if you pay a visit to my dad’s friend’s cousin’s neighbor’s grandma’s dog’s breeder’s Sheikah researcher pal...

“Dr. Robbie’s telescope.” Atsuko pointed to the scattered trees in upper Lindor, “Some other scientists took it up there to preserve it. It’s the only reason we were able to see the initial Guardian corrupting in the distant castle, and how we were able to adapt to the situation and act so quickly.”

The captain glanced at the western mountain. “So you were running up there to meet with them?”

“The wilderness is pretty safe at the moment. And we’re hoping eventually we could take the telescope to another lab where we could possibly continue research. I mean just today from the combustion, Dr. Robbie had this idea for some fancy Sheikah dagger to kill Guardians.”

Silence.

“OK listen, that’s...that’s all I’ve got. You can head up there and confirm the story, or just kill me now, take your pick. Waiting for judgement here.”

More silence. The rain falls harder.

“...I’m—”

“You can call me Cian.” The captain does a little bow. “Captain Cian Kippers, at your leisure.”

Atsuko raises an eyebrow. “Like the color—?”

“Sp-Spelled differently! There’s an “i” in there, and perhaps it’s ironic to the situation, but I figured if we’re gonna be traveling up there together you should have the courtesy of knowing my name.”

She just sputters for a moment. “So...you—”

“I trust your heart—I like to think I’m good with character—and I believe you’re a good person doing your best in the world. As unfortunate as circumstances may have been.” He twirls his spear before fitting it on his back. Cian extends a hand to her which she takes. “People like that are getting rarer by the hour, so I don’t think I should be adding to the death count.”

“So…” she gets on her feet, cocking her head, “You...you believe me then?”

He chuckles. “Well, I didn’t kill you did I?”

Atsuko laughs quietly. “Your mistake…”

“...No.” Cian places a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiles, as if to say that somehow everything was gonna be alright.

“My intention.”

#Memorabilia zine #botw zine #botw theory #botw fanfiction #botw #breath of the wild #legend of zelda botw #loz botw

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amostimprobabledream · 3 years

Text

And He Walks With Flames (Dabi x Reader) - Part One

They say humans, in a strange, ironic twist of fate, owe their magic to demons. A thousand years ago, they walked the earth, wreaking destruction and chaos wherever they tread. Humans were no more than meat for the slaughter, or glorified playthings for their amusement. The first generation of humans to fight back against their monstrous oppressors did so by a peculiar, ancient magic. A power that could repel demons and bring hope to all humanity. A terrible war raged for the fate of the world and the humans managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The demons were banished to their land of origin, sealed away in defeat. But seals don't last forever. While historians argue on how literal these legends may be, there is no denying that ancient creature have begun to stir, appearing in our world again with growing frequency. And soon there might- The last paragraph was torn away. "Oh, for god's sake," you tsk. Sunlight pours through the large, high window of your lecture room, dust motes dancing in the golden rays. Though you were engrossed in your book, once you look up, the spell is broken, and the clear sky outside once again has your eyes wandering to it. It seems that you are not the only one getting distracted, either - even the professor keeps tapering off at the promise of an afternoon outside in the gorgeous spring weather. "Well," the professor says, shuffling the papers in front of her. "That's all for today. Please revise over the material and we'll discuss it in further detail next time. You are all free to go." You're only too happy to comply, putting your things away and scrambling to your feet. Everyone else is hurrying to get outside, pouring down the stairs to the doors, chattering to one another as they go. Normally you love going to lectures, but it's just too nice outside to be cooped up indoors. You push open the doors and step outside, a muted sigh of pleasure leaving your mouth. Your university, the Royal Academy of Magic, has the reputation for being tough, but so far, you've been enjoying the work. Learning about the different faces of magic, its uses, and the history of it, it's all so very fascinating to you. You've been able to use magic since you were young, but it's studying it here that will really help you unlock your true potential, and hopefully give you a concrete idea of what to aim for with your career. So far there are so many options a magic-user might do that it's been a little overwhelming trying to decide. As you cross the lawns, grass crunching beneath your feet, you decide to swing by your dorm first to drop off your books - they may contain a lot of knowledge, but damn if they're not heavy - your mother pointed out that you've developed something of a slouch since you started studying here. "I'm back!" you call as you push open the door of your dormitory. "Huh?" Kendou looks up from her bed, where she has a couple of books sprawled out next to her head, notes scribbled in the margins of her notebook as she looks over her textbook. Her red hair spills down her shoulder, coming loose from its signature ponytail. "You're back early!" "Yeah, they let us out sooner than I expected," you reply with a shrug and a small laugh, dropping your bag on your own bed and stretching, wincing as a kink in your shoulder pops. "Oh, well, that's good timing, someone came by earlier with a message for you," Kendou says, pushing herself up into a sitting position, apparently deciding your arrival is a good a reason as any to take a break from studying. "Your mother wants you to go down to the Imperial Research Centre to get your father." "Did she come by here?" you ask in surprise. Normally your mother arranges to meet you after lectures or seminars if she wants to see you during the week, and she's a rather busy woman besides. "No, she left a message at the front desk and someone passed it along," Kendou shrugs. "But she also said you guys are doing something tonight, right?" "Oh, yes, I'd forgotten all about that!" you say, feeling silly that it could

possibly have slipped your mind - you love it when you get to go out for a meal with your parents and often it means one of them has some exciting news to share. "Thanks, Kendou, I'll head over there now." She grins and gives a little wave. “No problem!” You suppose it's fortunate that the Imperial Research Centre is only a short walk from the campus and that you're very familiar with the place, since your father's been working there for so long. Anyway, it's a pleasant walk, the way there is lined with rows of trees that are only a week or two away from growing from dark to light pink and shedding their blossoms. When the street is in full bloom, it's like there's been a wedding. You even find yourself humming as you walk, breathing in the subtle smell of flowers on the breeze, wondering to yourself if the blossom trees were planted before or after the buildings were founded, but either way, whoever was responsible for them made a good call. The Imperial Research Centre is a peculiar building, made of blue stone and with a roof that boasts four conical points, one in each corner, making it resemble a castle from bygone days just plopped in the middle of the city. There's an aura of mystery to it, too, hinting at the all-important, life-changing work that’s always going on inside. If ever cutting-edge technology is released to the public, odds were that the Centre had a hand in making it. The building is cooler on the inside than it is outdoors, powered by a system designed to spread cool or warm air throughout the entire building, depending on the system. You approach the front desk, wishing that you'd thought to bring a jacket, because it’s always cold in here during the warm seasons, and the receptionist glances up on you with a slightly dismissive expression on her face. It's probably because she thinks you're an overeager student or some hapless intern, it's very rare a researcher your age would be able to work here. "May I help you?" the receptionist asks in a cool, professional tone. "Yes, I'm here to see my father," you reply. "He's one of the vice executives here." You give his surname, and the woman pauses. Is that a trace of nervousness you can see? "He's downstairs in Containment Room 1A," she says, checking a sheet of paper on the desk, which is littered with various papers, random pieces of stationary and one of those magitech intercom systems that they use. They have something similar at the Academy too, though of course, the Centre get the most high-tech version of everything. "All right, thanks," you say, turning to head for the elevator. "Wait!" the woman cries out and you glance back, confused. "I'm sorry, but you can't just walk through here, especially to the lower levels! You don't have the clearance and it can be dangerous." You scoff in disbelief. You have visited your father here before, many times, and this has never been a problem for you before. You always just tell them who you are and then get a visitor's pass. You even know some of the codes to the doors, thanks to waiting around for your father to finish work so often. "Well, please can you have someone go fetch him for me?" you ask, going to reluctantly perching on one of the chairs in the waiting area. "Can't it wait?" the receptionist asks impatiently, and maybe it can, but her attitude is starting to piss you off, so you shoot her a frosty smile you've perfected after watching your mother pull a similar face at people who don't meet her standards. "No, it can't." The woman sighs but she dutifully presses a button on the intercom system and speaks quietly into it for a moment or two, while you idly pick at a loose thread on the chair you're sitting on. She then glances back at you, eyebrows raised. "A messenger has been sent down to speak to him. Hopefully he should be upstairs shortly." "Thank you so much." you reply sweetly, the last words with heavy emphasis. After that, the two of you sit in a mutually frosty silence, with the woman sorting through paperwork on her desk and occasionally

directing people who approach her desk to the correct floor (which seems redundant to you - why can't people just read the clearly printed sign on the wall next to her desk ?), while you flick through some glossy magazines without actually taking in a single word. But you're not leaving until you've spoken to your father. Minutes tick by and you start drumming your heel lightly on the floor, leg jiggling with impatience. You wonder if the woman just lied about sending a messenger down to the Containment Room in an effort to pacify you, in the hopes you'll just get bored and leave. You grit your jaw at the thought, ignoring how cold you're getting, sitting here doing nothing. After maybe ten minutes, a man in a lab coat approaches the front desk, leaning over to speak to the woman. "Kino, could you come with me a moment? Hannah can start her shift." "Oh, I'll be right there!" Kino says, flustered, getting out from behind the desk and following the man as he walks briskly down the corridor, without a backwards glance at you. No doubt her replacement will be along any moment - perhaps she's running late? But you don't plan on sticking around. As soon as the receptionist rounds the corner, out of sight, you spring up and walk briskly across the room to the elevators, stabbing the button and stepping through the doors. You don't bother to fight the smile that spreads across your face as the doors slide shut. ~ "Father?" There's always something slightly creepy about the lower floors. The orbs lining the walls that are designed to keep the machinery running in case of a power shortage cast an eerie glow in the corridors, washing everything with a pale blue light that makes it seem far colder than it actually is. It reminds you a bit of walking through a tunnel of ice. Your boots click on the stone floor as you follow the lights to Containment Room A1. Finally, you reach the double doors leading inside, flanked by two windows each side. You can see your father inside, his back to you, so you rap on the windows. Nothing. You try again with more force, hurting your knuckles, but he still doesn't turn around. Perhaps it's soundproofed, so whatever's out here can't disturb whatever's going on in there? You glance at the keypad next to the doors, but you've never been to this particular room before so the code for the doors on the upper level is unlikely to be the same one for down here. Then you see movement, shadows beneath the crack between door and floor, and the doors slide open with a mechanical swish and two scientists in lab coats come out, comparing notes and murmuring together excitedly. You slip inside before they can slam shut again, unwilling to stand outside in the chilly corridor for any longer than necessary. "Father!" you call out as you enter. But then you stop dead in your tracks. Ahead of you, trapped behind some kind of containment field...is a monster. "What-?!" you hear your father say in surprise at his daughter suddenly marching through the doors. "What are you doing in here?!" But you don't answer. You can't look away from what's in front of you, even if you wanted to. You know without being told that this is a demon, but it's certainly not what they looked like in any of your history books. A tall, humanoid being that is undoubtedly male and you can tell from where you’re standing that he’s tall. The demon's huge, black wings arch out from behind him, reminding you of a bat. Two horns jut out from a crown of spiky black hair, but aside from that, you're surprised by how… human he looks. Your cheeks warm up as you notice he is shirtless, peculiar burn marks covering over half of his body and seemingly crudely stitched together like a patchwork doll. Despite that, he's impressively sculpted, sinewy muscles on full display and you know that demons were said to be uncommonly strong. Your eyes drift further down, and you spot a whiplike tail wrapped around one leg, topped with a pointed barb at the end, like a club in a game of cards. His arms are in restraints and so are his

ankles, yet he doesn't seem stressed in any way, leaning against the back wall of his holding cell as though he's waiting for something. "What...is this?" you breathe out, finally turning to your father. "This is our latest research subject," your father replies beside you, also staring at the demon, though his expression is surprisingly somber, considering just how amazing it is that they have been able to capture and contain a demon. You've never seen a live demon before, and something tells you that the one before you certainly isn't any garden variety one. "Director Fuji is very excited about this. It's not every day you see a demon this high ranking." Slowly, the demon stirs, raising his head a little. You're perfectly safe outside the containment field, as well was the multiple other safety measures both inside the cell and out of it, yet the sensation of being watched makes your flesh break out in goosebumps. From beneath spiky fronds of hair, the demon's eyes - so blue they almost don't look real - stare right at you, his gaze alone rooting you to the spot, laying all your defenses bare and leaving you feeling bizarrely naked before that look. Watching you without once blinking or breaking his gaze, his lips part in a sneer to reveal two rows of teeth, the fangs sharp and white as an icicle. You find yourself holding your breath as your father speaks again. "Sweetheart, meet Dabi."

#Dabi #My Hero Academia #Dabi x Reader #my hero academia #Touya Todoroki #Boku No Hero Academia #BHNA #Fanfiction #Reader-Insert #F!Reader #Demon AU #Supernatural AU #Writing

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bonjour-rainycity · 4 years

Text

Odin’s Ward ~ Chapter 6

Link to previous part: https://bonjour-rainycity.tumblr.com/post/630198057513943040/odins-ward-chapter-5

Pairing: Loki x Fem Reader

Word count: 2882

Warnings: None

Y/n: 18 // Loki: 20 // Thor: 24

Y/n’s POV

“It is quite surprising that Prince Thor has not yet gotten serious in his courting habits.” Lady Naerys pushes a lock of copper hair out of her eyes in indignation. “For what it’s worth, I am a wealthy, eligible woman of noble birth.”

Lady Kare nods in solemn agreement. “He will be King in the next hundred years or so. It is time he commits to a wife.”

“I don’t know,” I smirk, thinking back to Thor’s gallivanting. “I think Prince Thor is quite satisfied with his current way of doing things. I’m sure when the time is right, he will settle down.”

Lady Naerys rolls her eyes. “Oh, as if you would know.”

Her easy dismissal of me strikes a nerve I did not know I had. I straighten, my voice quickly becoming tight with annoyance. “I would, actually. He happens to be one of my good friends.”

Lady Naerys lifts her goblet as if to take a sip of her wine, but instead uses it as a ‘cover’ so she can attempt to discreetly gossip with Lady Kare. “It seems as if she has shared his bed also.”

I sputter. “I have not!”

“You’re right, I’m sorry.” A cold, mean smile crosses Lady Naerys’ pinched face, and I know her apology lacks sincerity. “You’re more likely to be spending your nights with his brother.”

“Clearly the lesser of the two,” Lady Kare chimes in with a boldness uncharacteristic of her usually demure demeanor.

I grit my teeth and clench my fists so tightly that spikes of pain shoot up my arm. “That is not true—none of that is true!” We’re standing in a central corridor in the palace, and my voice has grown quite loud, echoing easily off the stone walls. I don’t care. “We have grown up together and friends is all we are. Besides! Even if I was spending my nights with Loki, it would be none of your business!” Their eyebrows shoot up at what they likely hear as an admission. I hasten to clarify. “But I’m not. And Loki is in no way the ‘lesser of the two.’ He is thoughtful, and intelligent, and a great friend and one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, and anyone would be lucky to have him!”

Lady Naerys looks like she’s just won a prize. “Loki? You do not use his proper title? How…familiar.”

“Ugh!” I throw my hands up in frustration. “I guess you lack the intelligence necessary to—”

“Hello, Lady Naerys, Lady Kare, Lady…Y/n.” Loki has materialized behind me and I can hear the barely restrained humor in his voice.

Oh he must be loving this.

I mentally roll my eyes. The two women hastily curtsy, and I do a stilted version of the same.

Loki comes to stand by my side, his hands clasped politely behind his back. “May I borrow Lady Y/n? There is a book I would like to discuss with her.”

Lady Kare curtsies once more and immediately goes to leave, but Lady Naerys is slower to follow. I can see in her eyes that she, like me, suspects Loki’s book explanation to be a ruse. She keeps her gaze locked in our direction until she finally turns the corner.

As soon as the two are gone, Loki throws his head back in laughter. “I could hear you yelling from halfway across the castle! My, my, you do get angry. Best not let anyone else see you behave this way. They’ll resurrect Nanny Idsol and place you back under her care.”

“Ugh.” I close my eyes and look to the ceiling. “Do not bring up that horrible woman. I cannot take any more annoyance today.”

He holds up his hands in mock-surrender. “As you wish. What were you arguing about? I could hear the sounds of yelling but not discern words.”

“Oh, you know….” I try to be nonchalant. “Just little, random things.”

His eyes sparkle. “Ah, yes. You are well-known to be upset by the prickling inconveniences of life.”

I huff. “Fine, if you really want to know.” I lower my voice to a hush, and he leans in to better hear me. “Lady Naerys and Lady Kare are quite vexed that Thor has not chosen a wife—specifically one of them—and when I defended him, they turned on me.”

He knows that’s not all of it. “And then…?”

I huff again for good measure and cross my arms. “And then they first insinuated that I am sleeping with Thor, and when that didn’t work, determined that I am sleeping with you.”

Emotion flickers quickly across his face, disappearing behind a cool mask before I can decipher any specific reaction. I consider telling him the true reason for my anger, that they were talking badly about him, but decide against it. It seems too vulnerable to admit that, and I don’t want to make him aware of people’s dwindling opinions of him. Best to just keep that to myself and let him think I was defending my own honor.

Loki expresses his regret. “My pulling you away probably didn’t help. I shall speak to them at once and get this cleared up.”

“Oh, no.” I throw out an arm before he can get away. “Let me stop you right there. You going to defend me would probably just solidify the idea in their heads that we’re together. Don’t worry about it, anyway.” I shrug. “I’m mostly over it now that they’re gone.”

He chuckles. “Though she be quick to anger, she forgetteth fast.”

I roll my eyes and give him a little shove. “So what did you want me for, anyways?”

His eyes light up, and I can’t help but feel warm at the happiness on his face. “I found a lovely spot in the forest while on my last hunting expedition, and I can’t help but get the feeling that you would adore it. Will you accompany me?”

He thought of me while he was away? My heart gives a little flutter.

I freeze.

Why did it do that?

Loki stiffens, noticing my less-than-enthusiastic reaction. “Of course, given the suspicions of the ladies at Court and what that could do to your reputation, I couldn’t possibly expect—”

“Woah!” Getting over my little episode, I stop him before he can take back his offer. “Forget what everyone else thinks. I would love to go with you. When do we leave?”

He smirks and reaches for me.

“Oh, Loki—wait!” But I’m too late, for his arms have encircled my waist and we are catapulted into a sea of darkness.

I’ve teleported with Loki a few times before, yet it surprises me every time. The complete lack of sound and light, the nothingness. I wrap my arms around Loki’s back to anchor myself and bury my face in his chest in hopes of avoiding the nausea I know is coming. Within the next second, I hear the unsettling woosh of air as we re-enter a place with sound and my closed eyes are assaulted with light. The first true sound I register is Loki’s laugh bubbling from deep in his chest.

“You asshole!” I pull a hand from around his back and smack him in the chest. “Every time!” I go to hit him again, but he catches my wrist.

“Attacking a prince of Asgard and using rude words? You’ll be jailed for this, surely.” The mischief in his eyes betrays the words I already know to be untrue.

I shrug and step away from him. “Your call. Just know that you’ll have to come by every day and entertain me, otherwise, I’ll get destructive.”

He chuckles. “I have no doubt about that.”

“Good then, so we’re agreed. I get to torment you relentlessly with no consequences.”

He shakes his head and rolls his eyes, and I give a toothy grin. “So, where’s this place you wanted to show me?”

“If you would turn around, Lady Y/n.”

Fighting the urge to roll my eyes for the umpteenth time since seeing him five minutes ago, I do as he says.

What I see is so beautiful and personal that it can only be the product of magic.

It’s a lovely meadow. Tall trees stretch to the sky, their leafy branches creating a canopy so the ground is shrouded in dusk. To the right edge of the meadow rests a clear blue pond that is the epitome of relaxation. Even the smell is wonderful—light, airy, and fresh. Yet none of these is the meadow’s most impressive feature, for it is filled with flowers in every pleasing shade of purple and green. It does not escape me that purple is my chosen color and green, his.

I exhale, unable to do anything more than stare.

“Well?”

I turn to see Loki looking oddly shy: hands clasped behind his back and an expectant smile on his face.

“Oh, Loki, this is wonderful!”

He lets out a breath he had apparently been holding and beams. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Like is an understatement. This place is…perfect.” I turn to stare in awe once again at the meadow.

“I—” he clears his throat. “I know you like flowers, so…” He trails off and comes to stand beside me, joining in my admiration of the meadow.

I don’t believe for a second that this place exists naturally, nor that Loki just ‘happened upon it’, but I assume he has his reasons for not wanting to tell me he crafted this place himself, so I let it go for now.

“Can we stay? Or do you have business to attend to?”

He inclines his head towards me in a little bow. “My day is yours.”

My heart does that funny thing again, except this time…I’m not as tempted to ignore it.

“Shall we?” He extends an arm to the entrance of the garden, allowing me to walk in first. I do so slowly so I can take it all in.

My first priority is to examine each individual flower in extensive detail. Loki does not protest and accompanies me to each and every one, promising that before we return to the castle, I shall have a bouquet. After what has surely been nearly an hour, I take a break from admiring the flowers and recline near the pond. With a flourish of his hand, Loki procures a blanket and we sit upon it.

Something unsettling occurs to me, and I look nervously over my shoulder. “Loki, shouldn’t we have guards? What if we were to be attacked?”

He smirks. “Not to worry. I am much better equipped to protect us. The guards would only get in my way. Besides,” his smirk deepens. “I feel quite safe in your presence, what with you being equipped with a dagger and all.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “How did you—”

He shrugs. “A clever guess. Why do you feel the need to keep it on you while inside the castle? You know the guards have been ordered to defend you with their lives.”

A feeling of unease settles upon me. I don’t want anyone to die for me. “It’s just a precaution. And even if I don’t ever use it in battle, perhaps one day I’ll finally snap and cut off Lady Naerys’ pretty blonde hair.”

At this, he throws his head back in laughter, and I can’t help but join in.

I like this, I realize. I like when Loki and I are together, alone, just talking and laughing. I like being in his company. And it seems as though he enjoys being in mine, as well.

“Alright, stand up,” he orders, pushing himself off the ground.

“Why?”

He offers a hand that I take, allowing myself to be pulled up. “If you insist on keeping your dagger on you at all times, you may as well be properly educated in how to use it.”

I beam. “You’re going to teach me again!”

He nods, procuring a dagger of his own from who knows where. “Alright, first you want to get into a stance that will allow you to have the most control.”

The next two hours are spent concentrating on my form and different ways to block and land jabs. I’m not especially good, but Loki says it should be enough to defend myself until someone more skilled than I can come along.

We sit back on the blankets, both a little tired. “Will you teach me again sometime?”

He nods. “Of course, the next time we can both sneak away.”

I take one of his hands in mine. “Thank you, Loki. For everything.”

A smile breaks across his face. It’s one of my favorites of his smiles. No tricks, no hidden emotions, just plain joy. “You’re welcome, Y/n.”

We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes before realizing that it’s time to eat. Loki immediately makes a basket of food appear.

I grin teasingly. “Awe, you packed us a picnic!”

He rolls his eyes. “No, one of the kitchen maids did. I simply brought it with me.”

We distribute the food on the blanket and get to eating, having worked up quite an appetite during our lesson. A feeling nags at me, tugging on my stomach. I try to ignore it, but soon realize that I can do no such thing.

“Loki?” I trail off, losing my confidence.

He eyes me with concern, noticing the somber tone of my voice. “Yes?”

I take a breath, then let it out before forcing myself to ask the question weighing on my heart. “When my father calls me home and I’m married off, will we still be friends?”

Now his mood matches mine. He’s silent for a moment, pursing his lips and looking past my shoulder. Finally he speaks. “It is my truest wish.”

I lower my head to stare at the ground. “That’s not the same as yes.”

He sighs. “Once you’re a married woman, it won’t be proper…” he chuckles, surprising me. “But then again, when has that ever stopped us? Look at us now, sneaking away without chaperones to learn tricks with a dagger. Perhaps we can make it work. I will certainly try my best.”

I nod solemnly. “And I will do the same. I suppose that’s all we can hope for.”

He attempts to lighten the mood. “However, you have not yet been called back, so I say we do not let sadness saturate our evening. In fact, I suggest you look up.”

“Look up?” Confused, I tilt my head towards the sky and gasp as he takes me by surprise once again.

The leafy canopy above is slowly retreating to hug the tree branches, allowing us to see beyond them to the night sky speckled with stars. I can only turn and smile at Loki, who has a mixture of joy and fondness on his face. We lay back on the blanket and stare into the night sky. We don’t say anything. We just lie side by side, arms touching, and take in the majesty that is the night.

{***}

“Y/n….” I feel a hand on my arm, gently shaking me awake. “Y/n.”

I squeeze my eyes tightly before opening them, revealing the amused face of Loki hovering above me.

“Hello.”

I chuckle, pushing him out of the way so I can sit up. “Hi.”

“I contemplated leaving you here since you so rudely fell asleep, but I decided to be gentlemen and merely mess with your hair.”

A jolt of panic burns through my stomach and I bring my hands to my hair, dreading to reveal what he could have done to it. Within seconds, I realize that he’s only joking. My hair is fine.

“You are the worst.”

He throws his head back and laughs with abandon. “Your face was quite entertaining.”

“Mm, I’m sure.” I can’t, however, help from laughing a little myself. “Did I sleep long?”

He shakes his head. “Not really. We should be getting back, though. Dinner is soon and I can’t imagine how it would look if both of us were absent from the high table.”

That sets me into motion, and within a minute I am ready to leave. Loki gives me a little more warning this time, so I’m more prepared for the teleportation back to the palace. We reappear outside my bedroom door and quickly step away from each other, not wanting to look suspicious if anyone were to walk by.

“Lady Y/n, I thank you for a wonderful evening. I shall see you at dinner?”

I curtsy. “Yes, Your Highness, you shall.”

He bows, kisses my hand, smirks at the silly rules of Court we must follow, and walks away.

I glance down the hall to make sure nobody saw any of that, and am satisfied at the lack of people around. I open my door and quietly enter my room. The first thing I see upon entering is a beautiful bouquet sitting on my table, made up of flowers from the meadow. Just as Loki promised. Once again, my heart flutters.

Oh, Y/n. You’re in for it now.

A/n Hello again! Let me know what you thought and if you would like to be added to the tag list :)

Link to next part: https://bonjour-rainycity.tumblr.com/post/632631074124660736/odins-ward-chapter-7

Tag list: @80strashbag @dark-night-sky-99

#loki #loki fanfiction #loki fanfic #loki x reader #loki x reader fanfiction #loki x reader fanfic #thor #marvel #marvel fanfiction #marvel reader-insert #thor fanfiction #loki reader-insert #loki x y/n #loki x yn #loki x remale reader #asgard #loki odinson #loki laufeyson #loki friggason

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strangertheory · 4 years

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Will Byers! :)

I meant to answer this Ask an eternity ago, and you have been so incredibly patient with me! (Thank you!!!)

I think because Will is my favorite character, I started to fuss over my answer too much, and before I knew it we were here: a few months later, and a long while after I offered to answer these specific questions for character Asks. Today, I want to finally answer your Ask for my favorite character: Will Byers.

Will Byers

Favorite thing about them:

Will loves and appreciates his friends so much, and you can tell that he would do absolutely anything for Joyce or Jonathan too. My favorite thing about Will is his love and devotion to others. I think that since Castle Byers symbolically represents a safe place for Will, it also reveals what Will deeply cares about and chooses to protect within that safe place, and one of those things is his friendships. “Castle Byers: All Friends Welcome.” Castle Byers represents Will’s desire to welcome all friends with open arms and unconditional acceptance. While I think that Will would be kindhearted regardless, I think that because Will knows how painful rejection is from facing the bullies at school and his father’s insults, Will puts forth an extra effort to make sure that everyone in his life feels appreciated and loved. Will shares his secret safe-place in the woods with anyone willing to be his friend. Castle Byers is like a secret shrine dedicated to everything Will is passionate about (comics, D&D, art) and is also dedicated to those he loves and to those who love and accept him in return. He has photographs of his friends, drawings on the walls that he made about their D&D campaigns together, and comics that they’ve probably all shared. In spite of his limited means, Will is very generous with what he offers to others: he gave the little girl that was crying in the sandbox his Tonka Truck (even though Joyce cautioned him that they couldn’t afford to get a new one), he’s given Mike dozens of drawings (if Mike’s decorated walls and his binder full of Will’s artworks are any small evidence of this) and Will has given his mom a good number of drawings too that she cherishes. Will wants everyone to feel loved and to be happy, and is grateful to those that are there for him. Undoubtedly some of this stems from his deep insecurities and his lack of self-worth and his desire to be loved and appreciated back, but I think most of it is still rooted in Will’s genuine desire to make sure that other people are happy because their happiness makes him happy too.

Least favorite thing about them:

I appreciate all of the characters for their strengths as well as their flaws because it’s what makes them so very human and relatable. But Will definitely has some traits that I hope, for his own sake, he’ll learn to manage in a healthier way. Will’s weakness is that he often places the wants and needs of others before his own, and he seeks to avoid conflict at all costs. These are arguably admirable traits that are directly related to Will’s love and affection for other people (which I said was my favorite thing about him!), but they can also be self-destructive and unhealthy habits and I think they are, at least in part, the result of Will growing up in a combative and abusive home environment. I admire Will for his selflessness and for his desire to avoid conflict, but I list his excessive selflessness and his excessive desire to keep the peace as two things that make me worry about him. I hope he will learn to balance these two impulses in a healthier way over the next few seasons. I think that learning to deal with these two bad habits in a healthier way will be part of Will’s personal growth over the next two seasons.

Favorite line(s):

“Yea. Crazy together.”

brOTP:

Jonathan and Will, of course! I was sad that we didn’t get more scenes with them together in season 3, but I appreciate every moment in the series that we’ve gotten so far. Jonathan’s effort to reassure Will that it’s ok to be “a freak,” and that being different is preferable to being just like everybody else, was really heartwarming and is probably one of my favorite scenes in the entire series.

OTP:

As you have probably figured out if you have been following my blog for even a few days: I’m convinced that Will and Mike are meant to be together by the end of the series, and I am eager to talk about it some other time in another post.

nOTP:

I cannot bring myself to imagine Will and El ever dating. But I look forward to them hopefully becoming very close, and teaming up platonically!

random headcanon:

Hmmm. So this is actually the part of this post that had me delaying responding to your Ask for so long, because my head-canon for Will is incredibly specific, unconventional, frequently controversial (from what I've noticed when this topic is discussed), and a bit complicated to explain. But I do want to talk about it! And I want to clarify that I actually don’t think of this as a head-canon: I solidly consider it a theory that might account for what is happening to Will, and what also is happening to other characters based on specific evidence within the series so far.

I won’t get into all of the evidence and layers in this post (because there is a lot), but I strongly suspect that Will Byers is being written as a character with dissociative identity disorder and that much of Stranger Things is about alters learning to work together as a System while confronting and resolving trauma that is manifesting itself in internal worlds and dreams various symbolic and fantastical ways (as well as in some very humanly monstrous ways too, unfortunately.) Whether the entire story is taking place within an internal world or whether everything has sprung out of the mind and into the external world is definitely a question I think about a lot, but my current interpretation is that a good amount of the story takes place in a liminal space between our external world / reality and a mental space that the characters are sometimes exploring.

Stranger Things follows characters that are canonically dealing with PTSD, significant levels of memory loss (Will couldn’t remember who Hopper was in season 2 while at the Lab), suddenly shifting from being mentally present in the world to being in a different perceived place (is the Upside Down an internal world?), perceived changes in personality and identity, traumatic visions and experiences (flashbacks? memories?) that often parallel one another in an eerie way, and many other specific details. Add to that Doctor Owens’ preoccupation with Will’s brain scans and Mr. Clarke’s lesson in season 2 in which he discusses Phineas Gage’s changed personality following Gage’s brain injury (which is not an example of DID but is still thematically relevant, and an oddly specific topic to feature in the series) and the clues just continue to add up. Even if this theory isn’t correct I look forward to continuing to discover more about the established rules of the Stranger Things universe and what is going on with Will, El, Hopper, the Numbers, all of these horrible father-figures (notably Dr. Brenner, Lonnie, and Neil) and the mysterious Lab.

(One last important note regarding this theory: please do not base your knowledge of DID on any fictional representation of it in popular media. A lot of misrepresentations of DID exist in Hollywood and pop culture. If you'd like to learn more on this topic, please read about it in medical publications and resources with verifiable authority on the topic.)

unpopular opinion:

I think that the theory I mentioned above is probably my most unpopular opinion/thought regarding what I think Will is dealing with.

songs I associate with them:

The songs that they chose to feature on Will’s official Spotify Playlist are all songs that I associate with Will at this point. I’m so impressed by the attention the creators of Stranger Things devote to the music not only in the show but to the characters’ official playlists. One track that definitely jumps out at me from Will’s official playlist is Afraid by The Neighborhood. The lyrics of the chorus are eerily specific: “When I wake up / I’m afraid / somebody else will take my place / when I wake up / I’m afraid / somebody else will end up being me.”

favorite picture(s) of them:

#will byers #stranger things #stranger things theory

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whoviancumberbunny · 4 years

Text

Mutant & Proud: AU Cherik/X-Men Fan Fic - Chapter One

Tag: @whatcouldgowrong-ohthat

Opening scene 8 Year old Twins, Lucy and Klaus Xavier are in their father's office "Klaus i don't get why you asked me to be lookout Dad is still sick and he hurt his leg last week when he fell down the steps"

"Shut Up Lu. Uncle Erik shows up at random intervals to see if Dad is still alive." it was still unclear if they were aware that that Charles, their father was always hung over he had had been drinking for a little over a year and their had left around 10 months ago. It had been few months since anyone had delivered food to the house so Klaus was trying to open the safe "Got it." as they stood up

"Children. Don't tell me your father scared off the staff now too."

"Uncle Erik!" Lucy ran and hugged him Erik Lensherr was their godfather. "Where is your father?"

"He's sleeping on the couch in the study." Lucy said

"Wait here after i speak with him. i will take you to get something to eat."

In the study a few minutes later, Erik was trying to control his anger because he wasn't sure if the twins knew about mutants yet. "Your Wife left ten months ago you drunk jackass." he still wondered why that woman had left two children alone in the house with a Self pitying &Self destructive alcoholic. "There is still no telling if they will have mutant powers when they are older. but it obvious that Lucero is an empath, and all your putting into the air is negative energy!" he wanted to punch his best friend, things had gotten worse since the last time he was here. "I have spoken to My lawyer and document you had me sign when you made me their god-father says if i judge them as being in danger of any kind. I can become their legal guardian."

"They're my kids Erik!"

"You are not acting like a father. When i got here i found Klaus Opening your safe so they could get money to get food!" the ceiling fan started to shake "I should leave before something regrettable happens."

Two Months later at his house in Bavaria "Lucy, Where is your brother?"

"Lurking somewhere. if we weren’t eight years old. I would assume it is teen angst." she finished eating lunch "Are we taking the tour of the fairy tale castle today. You promised we would after Klaus and I settled in."

Erik sighed "Everyone experiences angst, Lucy. Go change out of your pajamas and I will check the schedule for the tours." while he was looking up the schedules her emailed Hank, to thank him again for watching over Charles. "The next tour is at 2pm. The only way to get there on time is take to take a helicopter."

"I am afraid of heights." she said

Suddenly a small pebble bounces off of Erik's "Nicklaus, I am not leaving you here alone last time i did that i had to replace the glass in my bookshelves."

"But touring Castles is so girly."

Erik "Well grin and bear it i am not leaving you alone in the house. Lucy didn't complain when we went to weaponry exhibit. that you wanted to see."

"that doesn’t count she took the tour of the garden outside the historical society while i was looking at the cool stuff."

"NIcklaus just put your jacket i am not leaving you alone in the house again." he was trying to not yell. But Sometimes the way Klaus acted reminded him of Charles. The last time he gotten into a debate with Charles before Charles started drinking he had looked

Charles "I...don't like you, Erik."

"That Just means you realize i have a point."

He was shaken out of his thoughts "Sorry i was thinking."

"Your face went blank." you almost missed the turn to get to the castle." Lucy said, whishpers to him "It would make him more annoying if you mentioned that you think he's like our father."

He glanced at he as he paused to make the turn, was it possible that the first signs of her X-Gene were appearing. it would be intriguing if she had some form of telepathy like Charles. Only time would tell.

later inside the palace "Wow! It is so big. In the books the dimensions make it hard for me to imagine the actual size of the room. I wish we could sit on the thrown."

"Cool they have an armery, It doesn’t say if it part of the tour."

a fortnight night later..... Charles barges into the house because Erik's assistant forgot the lock the dooor before he left "Where are my children?"

"at School. Because i don't force them into situations where people don;t talk to them because they are your children. You promised when they were born you would never treat them the way your father treated you. Klaus is convinced everyone likes Lucy more than him." he looked at him "You are still not 100 Percent sober who brought you here."

Logan "Sorry Magneto. he jumped out of the car before i completely came to stop."

"It is okay, just call me Erik." he easily dodges Charles as the still unsteady man attempts to punch him in the face. "You are pathetic Human being. You weren’t paying attention to them until after i took them out of hte negative energy you were creating." he forces him to suit down "I stopped to visit Mora McTaggert after i picked them up. You have thirteen year old son who think you abandoned him and favors them over him if i hadn’t left hte same day he probably would have kidnapped Lucy because he was lurking in the forest near Moira's house." he sighed "she helps all those mutants i can see a sadness in her eyes because she can’t help her own son."

"You are lying!"

"Call Moira. Gottverdammt, if you don't believe me charles." hands him letter Moira asked him to give to charles "Leave and don’t return until you are more steady on your feet you sad excuse for human. there are times when i respect but at present i canlt stand looking at you. you are creating the mess you're drowning in and you don't even notice."

"Come on Chuck. Lenscherr has a point though. You need to clean up your life before you can even thing of turning the mansion into a school." as logan took charles back to the car. neither one of them noticed the smirk on Erik's face he knew if he tricked Charles into thinking The Xavier Academy for The gifted was his Idea that it would give him something to focus on. Then they could do something about their dream of helping Mutants maybe by the time school existed they would know if Lucy and Klaus were mutants too.

at the end of the school term there was talent showcase and Lucy had given Erik a ticket and not told him why. When the Music from Dance of the Swans Began. it Soon because Clear, Lucy had managed to get the role of Odette in the Dance of the Swans From Swan Lake. She somehow the most graceful one there and when everyone was taking their bows one of the other dancers lost her balance Lucy grabbed her before she could fall off the stage. Elisabeta "Danke, Lucy." "You are welcome Ellie."

A little While later at Erik's House "Here you Go Lucy. Bacon and Scrambled eggs. You must have worked really hard for lead role in the performance."

"Danke, and yes i did. they said no one has ever learned the routine as fast as i did."

"You two have a birthday comings up what would you like as birthday present."

"Pony!"

"Archery Set!"

"No i donlt trust you with arrows i will get you an archery set when you are older."

"I want to take gymnastics but i am afraid i will get teased for it because the class is mostly girls."

"Klaus, there are four boys in the ballet Class. that is proof that you should at least try gymnastics." Lucy said "Klaus wants an Easel and paints he's just afraid to admit he likes art too."

To Be Continued... ‎Wednesday, ‎March ‎3, ‎2021 1:50:29 AM

#x-men au #cherik au #fan fic #3/2/21 #erik lensherr #charles xavier #ocs

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chibi-mushroom · 4 years

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Hey everyone! Here is day three! The story is based on a show on youtube called Monstrum, I highly suggest it. There will be a picture to go along with it when I get home from work. I figured with her wearing all white and him wearing all black, it would be cute.

*************

Today was the day. Riku had promised that he would take her to other worlds outside their own, and he intended to do it. Sora was safe and at home now, spending his days on the sands of the Destiny Islands with Kairi. However, life had other plans for Riku. He had decided to follow in Aqua’s footsteps and become a full-time keyblade master; protecting the worlds from any remaining darkness. He himself had learned that the darkness wasn’t the enemy they had always been told it was.

Not that he was never home anymore. His mother insisted that he be home as often as he could to visit. After they had lost him for so long, they weren’t intent on losing him again. His family had been so happy that he came home that they had forgiven him for plunging the world into darkness. Now they could ask Sora or Kairi for stories anytime they wanted to hear what kind of adventures their son was getting into. They also begged him to bring Namine home. She lived with the Wayfinder trio in the Land of Departure and kept it while they were away on patrols.

There she was in the courtyard of her new home when he arrived to pick her up. She wore clothes much different now than that she could wear something other than that white slip she had been created in. Now she had a blue plaid skirt and black v neck top that resembled the one he wore. Overtop was a long white jacket with blue plaid on the bottom and a mickey insignia in yellow on her arm. Her hair was tied up as well, which made it easier to keep out of her face while she was casting spells.

With a heavy blush, Riku accepted the soft peck on his cheek before he lead her into the gummi ship. It was such a new sensation to have her holding onto him and presenting him with varied kisses. He enjoyed and treasured each one, but was also glad that they were kept in private, when it was just the two of them and they didn’t need to worry what else anyone thought or said.

“So, where are we going?” Namine questioned as she buckled her seatbelt. Takeoff had been hard on her every other time she had gone through it, despite how much she wanted to sit with him.

“I was hoping you might have a world in mind. I’ll take you anywhere you’d like to go.”

Namine thought to herself for a moment. There were so many worlds in Sora’s memories and even more in the hearts of those tied to him. But one in particular had stuck out to her. She somehow knew the lore that went with the holiday; the spooks and the scares and the way the dead shambled back to life. It wasn’t her first choice of worlds, but the idea of going there with Riku by her side seemed a little easier to bear than dealing with the brunt of it by herself.

“Can we check out Halloween Town?”

“You want to go there?” Riku looked back at her.

“Yes. it might be a little scary, but Jack seemed really nice, and I want to experience the thrill of terror when I know I'm not in any danger. Terra always seemed to like it, so…”

Riku smiled. “Then Halloween town it is. I wonder what your form change will be?”

While neither said it, they were both thinking it. She was likely going to be a witch of some sort. That was what most of the organization had called her as well as DiZ and even herself on occasions, though she was usually repeating the words of others. As for Riku, he could be anything. Sora had seemed to be a vampire of some kind, so maybe the keyblade master would be, too.

When the ship touched down, Namine giggled at the bubbly feeling that always accompanied their form changes to other worlds. As they walked out of the ship together, they took a long look to evaluate the other's change.

Riku was wearing a dark suit and his usually tanned skin had paled to being much lighter than she had ever seen it. She noticed very small fangs in his mouth as well as the fact that his hair had been mussed up. The biggest change though was the addition of bat wings that had grown out of him. It was fitting all things considered.

Her change though was quite a bit different. She reached up to where the brim of a witch's hat should have been only to find none. Her skin had turned a deathly white and her hair had even lost its color as well. She was wearing a long white dress that may have had a couple of rips, but for the most part was quite lovely.

"Are you supposed to be some kind of ghost?" Riku asked simply.

"No, I think I would be a little more...floaty? I don't feel like a ghost." Namine responded.

"That's the thing about form changes. You yourself haven't changed, just your outward appearance."

"Like you did in Twilight town." She spoke and gave a gasp, clapping her hands over her mouth. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"You never saw me like that. To you I was always Riku." He spoke softly.

Namine nodded and gently took one of his large hands in her two smaller ones. She squeezed them lovingly and caught his gaze. The past was the past and she told him so in those very words. He had moved so far forward from that time; there was no need to drag himself back, even if it had been partially her fault that he even thought about it.

He nodded back and turned to lead them into town. He faintly remembered parts of it when he had wandered through the memories in Castle Oblivion, but he had never gotten a chance to go there properly before now. For a moment he was worried they wouldn't have anything to light their way, as it was fairly dark around here in the forest. Thankfully the overly large full moon gave them plenty of light to see by.

Town was easy enough to find, and as they walked through the gates, they were greeted by a small ghostly dog with a little lit pumpkin on its nose. It gave a happy bark and flew close around them, causing a small breeze to ruffle their clothes and hair. Namine had wanted to pet it, but since it was a ghost, she settled for watching the way it observed them.

Coming behind the dog was an unusually tall skeleton in a dark suit and spider bow tie. He looked at them, sizing them up with a smirk on his face. Both recognized him as Jack, the pumpkin king, even though he had never actually met either of them.

"Welcome to Halloween town. And who might you two be?" He bent over to get a better look at them.

"I'm Riku and this is Namine. We're friends of Sora's."

At the mention of the boy's name, Jack's face lit up. "So you found him after all. Good for you. Tell him to stop by sometime if he wants a good scream. I'm Jack, by the way. I help make each Halloween more scary than the last."

"Will do. And nice to meet you, jack." Riku replied. "So, is there anything to do around here?"

"Sure! Lots. Why don't you and your banshee friend head over to Curly hill? It's just down the way, you can't miss it."

A banshee. So that was what Namine had transformed into. As they waved goodbye, something was tugging at the back of Riku's mind. He had heard about banshees from his time on the island. They were monsters with a horrible voice and came to attack from out of nowhere. Maybe the form changes really were random, because that wasn't anything like her. She was usually soft spoken and thoughtful of others.

She must have been thinking about it too, because the look on her face was deep in thought, and perhaps a little troubled. As they walked, he took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. That was enough to bring her out of her thoughts, as she forced a smile at Riku.

"Are you bothered by the form change?" He asked.

"I don't know. I know about the stories you, Sora and Kairi would tell whenever you went camping, but it's like what we said earlier, appearance doesn't equal the heart, right?"

"Yeah, but you should also be comfortable in your own skin. Maybe we could try another world?'

"No, I want to see Curly hill for myself. I've seen it in memory, but this will be different."

They continued to walk, leaves crunching under their feet and a faraway howl rising in the air. Despite what she had said, her brows were still knit close together and she made a face similar to what Kairi did when she was frustrated.

There was a thin gate to their right and it led into a pathway in line with their final destination. Far ahead of them was the iconic hill that they were looking for, the swirl high in the moonlight. As they got closer, they noticed someone walking among the tombstones and pumpkins. She was moving at a leisurely pace, humming softly to herself.

"Oh, that's Sally." Namine smiled. She had always liked the woman from what she had seen.

"Hello there, and who might you be?" Sally asked.

"I'm Namine and this is Riku. It's nice to meet you."

"Yes, I suppose it is. Have I met you before? There's something about you that seems familiar."

Namine shook her head. She must have sensed the small amount of Sora that had been imbued in her upon her creation. Sally really must have been able to sense things others couldn't necessarily see.

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Sally. It's not often we get a banshee around here. Not to say your vampire friend isn't welcome, but banshees are just a sign of good luck."

Riku and Namine looked at each other in slight confusion. They had never heard that version of the story. It had always been death and destruction. Where did the good luck come from?

"Banshees are good luck because they usually arrive to let members of their family know that death is coming so they have a chance to prepare. Which family are you connected to?"

"I'm not sure." Namine admitted.

"That's alright." Sally smiled warmly in the cool moonlight.

From the gate came the same ghostly dog who had greeted them when they entered the town. He zoomed around Riku and Namine before licking Sally and barking at her. The woman bent down and patted the ghost dog on the head before watching him fly off towards the town.

"It looks like doctor Finkelstein needs me for something. I hope you two enjoy your stay!"

With Sally gone, Riku suggyest they head up the hill to get a better view of the area nearby. They sat together for a while, listening to the wind sighing and a small band of vampires playing in the distance. He could tell she was deep in thought again, but this time, she wasn't nearly as frustrated. A contemplative look filled her face.

"Munny for your thoughts?" Riku asked.

"Just thinking about what Sally said. I guess I just got so used to being referred to as a witch that I didn't think there could be any good in monsters outside of this world. To me, a witch was just as much as a monster as any of them."

He listened as she continued.

"But I think….I think that hearing what Sally had to say about the banshees really made me wonder about who I'm going to be and what I'm going to do. They may have called me a witch, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily bad, right?"

"No, it isn't. After all, witch, banshee, nobody; those don't make up who you are. Only you can decide what you're going to be."

"Yeah. Maybe that's the real reason why my heart led us here today. That way I could figure this out." She caught his gaze. "Riku, thank you."

#rikunami week 2020 #rikunami #namiku #halloweentown #day 3 #black and white

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ace-in-a-shopping-cart · 4 years

Text

Soul of the Kingdom

First part

Summary: Roman and Janus journey back and reclaim the kingdom from Remus.

Word Count: 2,729

Roceit can be read as platonic or romantic

Taglist: (Send an ask to be added or removed!) @starlocked01 @spoopy-turtle @lizluvscupcakes @far-too-many-fandoms-to-die

Roman stood, buckling his sword around his waist. “Janus, I know we should be getting to the castle today but is it really necessary to wear the full armor?”

Janus chuckled. “Why, it not fitting the way it used to?”

“No.” Roman pouted. “I just don’t see the point in alerting Remus to our arrival earlier than necessary.”

Janus moved around the rightful king, making sure everything fit right. “Half empty, half full doesn’t really matter. It’s a liquid, just drink it.” He muttered.

“What was that?”

“I said to count your blessings, kingling. Now, come on. We still have to get to the city by noon. If you are really that self-conscious about it, just put a cloak on.”

Roman did just that before they headed off. Just as Janus said, they arrived in the city by noon. Both had hoods up, Janus to hide his scales and Roman to hide his identity. As they walked through the streets, it was clear that the citizens were suffering. Clothing was threadbare, children were still and stared blankly instead of running amok in the streets. Beggars were on every street corner in a way Roman had never seen before. He had a hard time keeping his features schooled beneath the hood.

They approached a vendor and Roman went to pay the normal amount for the bread and cheese being provided. The woman almost cried. “It’s been a few years since I’ve seen that much money in one place, sir. You had best keep that purse well hidden or the street urchins might come after you.”

Roman smiled even as he pressed another coin into her hand. “Thank you for the sage advice. If I might trouble you for a bit more of your time, what happened here? A decade ago this was a flourishing kingdom. Now, it seems to barely be standing. Do you know of the events that lead to this?”

“You really don’t know what has happened?”

Roman shook his head, a sheepish smile crossing his face. “No, madam. I’m afraid I have been living under a literal rock for the past few years.”

She didn’t smile. “The firstborn son disappeared to fight a dragon. The ruling couple passed away upon hearing news of his death. Upon their death, the second son took the throne. King Remus has been ruling with an . . .” She leaned in conspiratorially. “An iron fist and then some. He squeezes the citizen dry of every coin they’ve got just to fund his lavish experiments. He keeps the population weak by forcing the men to serve a mandatory sentence in the fighting pits.”

Roman nodded, sympathy beating in his heart for this woman. “I’m deeply sorry for what you have been put through. I will do everything in my power to make this right.”

Janus sighed from beside him. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Roman shook his head. “I will keep this one or I will die trying.” His voice was as hard as his sword, the determination bolstering it and giving it volume.

Janus nodded. “I do believe you might as well give up the sneak attack then.” He eyed a pair of guards that were coming their way.

Roman turned to follow Janus’ line of sight, moving to stand between the guards and the woman. Making a shooing motion with his hand behind him, he let the woman know it would be best for her to escape now. She took the advice and scurried away. The guards approached, faces masks of stone.

“Lower your hoods!” One said upon arriving.

Roman smirked and moved it just enough to mess with them without actually revealing his face. He cast his voice a few octaves lower than it already was, not wanting his voice to give him away. “What are your views on the current political climate?”

Janus elbowed him. “Ignore my friend, he was the village idiot.”

“Sure in a village of two.” Roman shot back.

The other guard held up her hand. “We serve the throne.”

Roman nodded, throwing his hood all the way off, blocking out Janus’ protests and claims of Roman’s idiocy. “Good. What if you were told I am the rightful heir to the throne.”

The first guard seemed taken aback as they blinked. “Do you have any proof of this?”

Roman sighed, hands going to his hips. “My face is literally identical to the current king’s. Is that proof enough?”

“Sorcery!” The female guard spat the word like it was a shard of glass in her mouth. “Tell us something only royalty would know.”

Roman sighed, hanging his head briefly before giving Janus a look that said can you believe these two. “Are you royalty?” They both shook their heads. “How can I prove something if you don’t even know the answer to that. I can answer it and it’s that the chandelier in the stairwell is very tempting to swing off no matter how old I get.”

The guards exchanged looks. “I mean, no random civilian normally sees that part of the castle so it makes sense.”

Janus sighed, leaning to mutter into Roman’s ear. “These two are idiots. Let’s just keep moving.”

Roman simply patted his arm and stood there, smile still on his face. It was almost ridiculous how easy it was to slip back into the polite mask of stone he hadn’t had to use for almost a decade. After another few minutes of deliberation, the guards reentered the conversation. “So, we have decided to trust you. How can we help, my liege?” They both bowed.

Roman nodded. “The first course of action would be to get into the castle. After that, we can try to turn the rest of the guard to me. With them, we can overthrow the tyrant who calls himself my brother.”

The guards nodded and began leading the way. “Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.” Janus said in a voice low enough that only Roman could hear it.

Roman laughed. “Justice always has a way of prevailing!”

They made their way into the castle easily enough. Soon, Roman realized a key thing but it was too late. Almost as soon as he realized that the guards were not, in fact, leading them toward the guard room or training ground, they were already arriving at the throne room.

Remus’ voice allowed them entry and Janus and Roman were delivered practically into his lap, much to his delight. Roman glared at the guards. “I thought you trusted me! I trusted you!”

Janus pinched his side. “You are not helping your case. Shut up and act your age.” He hissed into his ear.

Roman turned, unsheathing his sword as he ripped off his gauntlet, throwing it to the floor. The whole room went still as the gauntlet skittered across the ground before it came to rest at Remus’ feet. He snarled and looked down at it. “What is the meaning of this?”

Roman bared his teeth. “You know exactly what it is, brother.” He spat the word like a curse. “I challenge you to a fight to the death.”

Remus laughed. “You can’t be serious? You disappear to fight a dragon, have news of your death be brought back by the poor squire, kill our parents, and now you want to be back and take the throne like nothing happened? Come, now, Roman,” his name sounded sour coming from him, as if it had been too long since it had been said. “You honestly can’t be that naive?” He tilted his head as if the answer should be obvious.

Roman shook his head. “You have defiled the kingdom with your greed and hatred. I have had to come to stop you from continuing the destruction.”

Remus’ hands move down to his hips, one hand resting on the handle of his morning star. “We used to be so close, brother. Whatever happened to our bond?”

“You’re stalling for time. Either accept the challenge or turn it down like the coward you are.”

Remus snarled, goaded into snatching up the gauntlet. “Fine. But I get to pick the time and place.” He deliberated with the counselors around him for a minute. “The training yard. High noon tomorrow.”

Roman nodded. “I assume you are willing to house me and my companion for the night, correct?”

“Of course, brother.” His voice was as sickly sweet as honey. “I assume you still remember the way to your room? You will only be requiring one room, yes?”

Roman just nodded as he led Janus away, glaring at Remus over his shoulder until the door shut behind them. He found his room easily enough, having walked the same path for decades of his life. Janus let his cloak drop to the floor as soon as the door was closed behind them. “You could not have been more of an idiot today, Roman.”

Roman moved forward, cupping Janus’ cheeks in his hands. “I’ve finally found something to keep the fire inside me alive. If that means going to my death on some so called pointless venture then so be it.” He released the dragon witch as he spun around, hands gesturing at the room that was kept in the same condition he had left it in. “The only time I felt alive was on the battlefield or training ground before I met you. So,” He turned to Janus, hand held out, “Will you be my dragon?”

Janus chuckled. “So long as you be my knight. You know I would follow you to the ends of the earth.” He placed his hand in Roman’s and let him spin them around the room for a bit before insisting they go to sleep.

As they slept, Roman dreamt. Within the dream, his imagination granted him the chance to control his world. Using it, he puzzled out every outcome of the fight he knew would take place. He knew how Remus fought but Remus also knew how Roman fought. Roman had no idea if Remus had picked up different techniques but knew he himself had. He’d quickly adapted a whole different fighting style out of necessity while sparring with Janus. He knew how to sweep his leg in ways Remus would not see coming, knew how to change his speed and angle faster than the human eye could see.

Confident he had the fight down and knew how to win, his dreams settled into memories of the old times, when his mother still smiled when he brought her his works, even though they were filled with cliches. The times when Remus was still willing to play with him in any game they could come up with. The time their father was willing to climb the tallest elm tree in the courtyard with them just to make sure they didn’t fall. If a tear slipped out in his sleep, neither commented on it the next morning.

Roman strapped himself into his armor, grabbing his sword and shield. Janus stood in front of him, handing him a piece of paper. Roman moved to unfold it but was stopped before he could. “Don’t. There is an ancient prayer written on it. In the case of your success and continued life, you are to open it and read it aloud. If you are to fail and die, it is to be buried with you, never to be opened. The prayer will guide you to the afterlife.”

“Why must I read it aloud if I live?” He stuffed it into a safe crevice in his chest plate.

“It is to release the prayer and the magic it comes with back to the earth.” Roman nodded and shifted to move away but Janus kept a firm hold on him. “Promise me one thing, my knight?”

Roman let his hand cover Janus’. “Anything, my dragon.”

“Do not go quietly into the night, but rage against the dying of the light. Don’t give up easily, fight against your death should it arrive to take you.”

Roman nodded, both ignoring the tears streaming down their cheeks. “I will try to find a way back to you, no matter the cost. I am an unstoppable force, remember?”

“Yes, but your brother seems to be an immovable object. Just be careful out there.”

“Always.” Before he could stop himself, he was heading out the door to the training ground. He stretched as he did before every spar session with Janus but didn’t practice. He simply sat on a bench in the shade and waited for the inevitable thought to hit him. The thought that must not have crossed the minds of many others in history. The thought that he had three outcomes for this. He could be killed by his own brother, he could be forced to kill his own brother, or he could exile the same brother.

He took a deep breath, slipping into a familiar meditation that Janus had taught him a few years back. Before he knew it, a fist was knocking against his knee and he was jolted out of his meditation to be face to face with Remus. “Hiya, brother dear.” Remus grinned.

Roman nodded, not letting his composure slip. “Is it time already, Remus?”

Remus nodded, “Yep. Just like old times, ain’t it?”

Roman stood, hefting his sword into his hand. “As I recall, we were not trying to kill each other the last time we sparred.”

Remus hesitated. “Maybe you weren’t.” He swung his morning star in a wide, sweeping arc.

They fell into battle stance and, at the sound of a horn, they began. They circled for a bit, sizing each other up and seeing how the body language has changed in the past decade. Diving forward, Remus, ever the impatient one, was the first to strike.

Being used to Janus’ tail swipes, Roman jumped the blow with ease as he landed an answering one on the top of Remus’ helmet. He spun, going over his brother’s back until they were facing and circling once again. Roman attacked in quick succession. He used his shield to block Remus’ next strike as he aimed for the unprotected side.

It went high and to the left, striking near Remus’ heart. He dropped to the ground, weapon falling out of his hand. Tears gathered in Roman’s eyes, obscuring his vision. “Remus, do you yield?”

Remus could only groan, even as Roman asked again in a choked voice. “Remus, do you yield?!”

A third time, it was a plea and a prayer, not a question. “Remus, please yield!” His sword was pointed at his brother’s neck, poised ready to plunge forward and end his misery if he did not yield.

After the third time Roman spoke, Remus responded. It was forced, and sounded more painful than anything Roman had ever heard, but it was an answer “Yes.”

Roman dropped his sword, reaching to cradle his younger brother in his arms, screaming for a doctor, screaming for Janus. Soon, the dragon witch was on the scene, magic crackling at his fingertips as he slammed his palms into Remus, knitting the torn flesh together but leaving a scar that went the whole way through the torso. Once the healing was complete, Janus sat back on his heels, exhaustion plaguing his every movement.

Roman reached out a hand to Janus, the other still holding the now unconscious Remus. “Thank you, my friend. Thank you.”

Janus only nodded. “The prayer.”

“Right!” Digging out the sheet of paper, Roman opened it and read aloud, voice ringing across the courtyard. “May the peace of the tallest mountain and the peace of the smallest stone be your peace. May the stillness of the stars watch over you. May the everlasting music of the wave lull you to rest.”

Janus sighed in the way Roman had come to associate with a release of magic back into the environment.

Remus did not wake that day, nor the next. When he did wake, Roman had no choice but to banish him from the kingdom, never to return to the land of his birth. Remus was gone within the week. Janus and Roman transferred the hoard of treasure to the castle, using it to rebuild the kingdom and get the people back to prosperity.

Under the reign of King Roman, the kingdom of Initiomagna prospered for many years to come.

#roceit #roman sanders #Janus sanders #remus sanders #songfic #fanfic #ace writes

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sablesides-writing-corner · 5 years

Note

The Little Mermaid With Royality?

Patton rested his fins on the rocks calmly, dragging his hand through the seaweed as he watched the sun dance in the water. His best friend in the entire ocean, Virgil, was crouched by his side, chewing on his nails.

"Virgil, if you keep knawing on those nails of yours they're going to bleed!" Patton said, batting Virgil's hand away from his mouth.

"Sorry Pat, but are you sure this is a good idea? That ship could be filled with all shirts of traps!" said Virgil, his tail flitted through the water almost enough to cause a hurricane.

Patton laughed "Of course we'll be alright! I wouldnt let anything hurt you!" he ruffled Virgil's hair. Virgil mumbled something Patton couldnt hear and they swam over to the seemingly abandoned ship.

"How could something so beautiful be dangerous?" Patton pondered aloud.

Virgil shrugged "Maybe it's the sharks, maybe the human diseases, who knows, I dont think we should be h- WHY ARE YOU SWIMMING INTO THE BOAT!-" he swam after Patton, who had already made it halfway through the ship at that point.

"Look at all of this stuff! I wonder what it all does?" said Patton, picking up a fork and poking the top of it with his fingers. Virgil sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"We should probably head back shouldn't we?" said Virgil, glancing around the ship like the walls could collapse at any moment.

"Virgil! We've barely even finished exploring!" Patton exclaimed, circling yet another table of seemingly random objects. Patton was so immersed in examining the table of objects that he didnt notice Virgil speeding past him, followed by a giant shark.

"PATTON- A LITTLE HELP HERE!" Patton jolted up from the table and swerved in Virgil's direction, letting out a shocked gasp. He swam after Virgil and pulled him through a hole in the hull of the ship, swimming around the outside until they lost the shark in an anchor.

"Virgil I'm so sorry! I couldnt see it!" Patton wrapped his friend in the tightest hug he could muster until Virgil began tapping the side of his face to get him to let go.

"Its not your fault Pat, you got overexcited," said Virgil, smiling. "Now how about we go ask Remus about the stuff we got from the ship?" Patton nodded and swam to the surface. They reached the bay area where lay a merman with green scales and a moustache.

"Well if it isnt the raccoon and the kitten!" Remus clawed his way over to the edge of the rocks and peered over the edge.

Patton lay the things he'd gathered from the ship in front of him "Can you tell me what all of these do?" he said, tilting his head to the side.

Remus examined the items, he held the fork up to his face "Well, this ones obviously for hair," he said, dragging it through Virgil's bangs. The merman batted him away, annoyed.

Remus continued explaining what he assumed the human artifacts were for, well until sunset. Patton thanked him and swam back to the castle with Virgil, where his father, Deceit, was waiting for them.

"What were you thinking! You could've been killed out there!" Deceit swam back and forth in front of his son.

"But I didn't-" Patton interjected under his breath. Deceit glared at him out of the corner of his eye. "Right, not a good time for jokes, sorry," Patton swam back a bit and looked to the side.

"I've been contemplating it for a while now, I'm quite tired of you swimming off all the time to explore human ships and talk to exiled mermaids, Logan!" Deceit called toward the back of the castle. Yet another merman joined the group, and swam directly next to Patton. "Logan's going to watch you from now on, so you dont risk getting hurt anymore," said Deceit. Patton let out an indignant gasp of protest.

Logan placed a hand on his shoulder, "Its for your own good Prince Patton, he's just doing what's best to protect you,"

"That doesnt make it any better," said Patton, swimming out of the room. Virgil and Logan followed close behind. Patton ducked into a cave and swam as fast as he could through a network of tunnels, hoping to lose the two. He reemerged in a cave covered in what most would label a hoarder's heaven, but to Patton was a museum of priceless treasures.

"I just dont understand all this nonsense about humans being bad bow could a world that makes all this cool stuff be a bad thing!" Patton said, running a hand along the side of a music box.

"Maybe because it's a society of ruthless killers bent on the destruction of all of merperson kind!"said Virgil from behind him. Patton jerked backwards a bit.

"Virgil's right, the human world is in fact an utter disaster, it's best if you stay as far away from it as possible," said Logan.

Patton turned around and averted his eyes "But they've made so many good things. . ." he said under his breath. Virgil and Logan placed a hand on each of his shoulders and pulled him into a hug.

"Good things dont always come from good people, and you dont actually know how they use this stuff as humans Pat," said Virgil. Patton pouted and swam back out of the cave. He surface once more to stare at the sky, Virgil and Logan joining him shortly after. The night sky was covered in gleaming white stars that sparkled in the water like diamonds. Patton continued swimming lazily in circles, watching the stars glimmering above him.

A sudden noise and spark of color above him alerted Patton to an approaching ship. Logan and Virgil called for him to come back to them, but he didnt listen. He swam up to the ship and latched onto a net hanging from the side, climbing up to an opening, where he watched the humans inside with interest.

They were all so different form each other, but one in particular caught his eye, a man with auburn hair and eyes like fire, the way the moonlight caught them it was like watching fireflies dance. A large shaggy dog bounded around him until it raised its snout in the air, and turned its eyes on Patton. Before he'd realized what had happened the dog raced over. Patton lost his grip on the floorboards momentarily, but was caught by the man.

Patton was to stunned to speak. He stayed there in stunned silence for eons. Someone called for the man and he ran off, Patton took the opportunity to flop back into the water.

"Patton what were you thinking!" Virgil swam up to him in a frenzy.

"Boys-" Patton sputtered. Logan facepalmed and dragged the two of them back under water. Only for a flash of light to alert them of debris falling into the water. Patton immeadietly began to panic. He swam through the sinking ship debris and located the fiery-eyed man, sinking toward the bottom of the ocean. Patton dragged him up to the shore as fast as he could, but he'd underestimated just how far such a trip would be. By the time he dragged the man up to the shore the sun was rising. Patton cupped his face in his hands.

"Come on, wake up, I know you can do it," Patton said, he let a few song notes escape his lips, the man blinked. Patton thought about staying until he'd fully woken up, but thought better of it as he realized how his father might react. So before the man could wake up, Patton dove under the water again.He swam back into his grotto, where Virgil and Logan awaited him, staring at a new addition Patton hadnt remembered bringing there. It was a statue of the sailor boy, and it looked so like him Patton half expected it to burst to life at any moment, and he halfway wished it would.

"We found this in the ship rubble, thought you might want it," Virgil smiled. Patton hugged him and swam around the statue, examining its features.

"Its so life-like," Patton said, smiling.

The euphoria was short lived, as the familiar hiss of Patton's father joined the chorus of ooo's and aah's from Patton while he traced the statue.

"Patton, what's all this," said Deceit.

Patton froze and spun around "D-Dad, how did you find me?" he said, backing up against the statue. Logan avoided looking Patton directly in the eyes. "Logan? This was all you?" Patton said, he sounded hurt.

"All this human obsession nonsense stops now, Patton, I'm tired of it." Deceit raised his the trident he always had at his side, and the room was engulfed in a flash of yellow. As the color subsided, Patton took in exactly how much damage had been done to his beloved grotto, and he began to cry. Only when the face of the once beautiful statue floated to the bottom of the chasm, did Patton swim away. He swam so fast that it felt as though he could form a whirlpool. He hid himself away and rested his head on a nearby rock, breaking into choked sobs.

"Poor thing. . ." said a girls voice.

"If only there was a way to help him. . ." said another.

"Oh wait, there is," the girls said simultaneously. Patton looked up. There were two eel-like mermaids wading in front of him.

"You really think you can help me?" Patton said, he dodnt know who these girls were, but at this point he'd do anything to get to the human world, to get to him even if it cost him dearly.

"Of course we can! We know someone very powerful!" said the girl with pink and blue hair.

"Follow us!" said the one with blonde and teal. Patton swam toward them, and followed them to what looked like the skeleton of a sea monster.

"Girls! What have you brought for me today!" a tall man swam out from behind what seemed like a cauldron, Patton noticed that he had many tentacles instead of one single tail, it reminded him a bit of what Remus always said he wished he had instead.

"They said you could- help me," Patton whispered. The man smiled and swam over to him, squinting as though Patton was some sort of insect he was planning to experiment on.

"Of course, a prince in love with a prince, I live for matchmaking games you know, one might say it's my entire purpose," said the man, there was something sinister in his eyes, but Patton took no notice of it. "Of course, love is never meant to be easy, I will need something from you," he said.

"But I have nothing to give you, all I held dear has been destroyed," said Patton. The man held a finger up and shook it.

"I'm not asking for material objects. . . What I require is. . . Your voice," Patton gasped and jolted backwards.

"But without my- how would I- he'd never be able to-" he tripped over the words as they fell out of his mouth.

"You're a cute boy! What more would you need! Humans only care about looks anyways!" said the man, examining his reflection in a nearby mirror. He turned to Patton and held his hand out. "Now, you'll only have three days to get a kiss from your prince, so make it quick, so do we have a deal?" he asked.

Patton looked around, the two mereels nodded at him. He turned back to the strange merman, and shook his hand.

"Good, now all I need you to do, is sing," said the man. Patton opened his mouth and the melody spilled out easier than a wave current. The man began to chant something, and Patton felt his voice begin to waver. His fins seized up in pain as though they were being torn apart with a knife, his lungs- when did he get lungs?- began to fill with water, he felt like he was going to die. Something seized him by the arm and dragged him up to the surface.

When Patton's eyes reopened he was met with the faces of Virgil, Logan, and Remus. He tried to ask what happened, but all that came out was a choked squeak, his voice was entirely gone.

"Alright Sunshine,let's get you some clothes before someone sees you like this," said Remus. Patton noted the glare he was getting from Logan, which suggested his first draft of the sentence was probably something different.

After hours of gathering enough ship sails and seaweed to make a serviceable outfit for Patton, his three friends disappeared back under the water. Patton heard barking and hid behind the nearest rock.

"Cmon boy! What'd you see!" the sailor ran out from behind the cliffs. Patton peaked over the rocks to look at him, only to get a face full of dog slobber and fall backwards.

The sailor helped him up "Oh dear- sorry about. . . that" he paused abruptly, clearly star struck. "May I- have your name?" Patton opened his mouth, before closing it abruptly, remembering his voice yet again. "You cant speak. . . can you," the sailor seemed distraught. "Well, I'm Roman," he said. Patton smiled. "Let's get you somewhere warm shall we?" said Roman, lifting him up and running to the palace. Patton's face flushed, Roman's chest was warm, and his home even warmer.

A man dresses primarily in black with dark sunglasses on approached the two, "Who's this you've brought with you Roman?" he said.

"He doesnt speak, or can't, rather, but he washed up on shore, he seems shaken up so I brought him inside," Roman smiled. Patton waved at the man, hoping he came off as friendly. Roman set him down, "Remy will show you to your room," he said, gesturing to the man in sunglasses. Remy held his hand out and Patton took it, allowing himself to be lead into a room full of the prettiest garments he'd ever seen.

It took him ages to pick out something to wear, but he finally decided on a light blue sundress and a hat that nearly fell over his face. He walked out of the room and back into the entrance way.

Roman's jaw dropped "Wow. . . you look brilliant," he said. He walked over to Patton and placed a hand on his cheek, Patton felt like he might melt on the spot. "I'm going to take us out into town, get to know you a little better I suppose," he said.

The town was the best experience that had happened to Patton. The colors and structures were beautiful. But the best part was carriage ride with Roman, watching the trees pass with his head resting on the prince's shoulder. He didnt want anything about it to change.

Ok, maybe he had lied about the carriage being his favorite part. They'd take a boat ride shortly after, and some familiar faces had helped set a mood for it.

"So, a little angel told me your name was- Patton, I believe?" said Roman. Patton nodded and smiled. "Well, Patton, I want to ask you something," Patton leaned forward in excitement.

Roman leaned forward, and Patton realized he was trying to kiss him. But in his excitement he didnt notice that two tails under the boat, tipping it over so he and Roman collapsed into the water.

Patton was mortified after that, he felt as though Roman would think it was all his fault, and the later morning didnt help much either. A mysterious man had shown up the previous night, the last night Patton had to get that kiss. To Patton's horror, he saw a ring on the man's finger.

Patton ran to his room, utterly distraught. He tried to cry, but no sound came out. He raced to the window and watched the love of his life leave with a stranger that he didnt even recognize, the raced to the docks to watch them leave, collapsing near the shore as tears fell from his eyes.

"Sunshine!!! Sunshine!!!" Patton looked up, the sun had started to set, he saw three familiar faces frantically swimming over to him.

"Its the sea witch!"

"He used your voice to hypnotize the prince!"

"We have to get you there before th wedding starts!"

The sentences jumbled in Patton's brain like a tornado. Remus grabbed him by the arm "Hold onto to me, I'll get you there," he said. Patton didnt argue, he obviously couldn't.

By the time they got to the ship Patton had already given up hope. But nevertheless the quartet ascended the ship. Virgil lunged at the witch with raging speed, an anger burned in his eyes that Patton had never seen before. Fear flickered in the eyes of the attending guests. The witch's eyes narrowed, he was finally distracted. Logan took the opportunity to snatch the necklace away from him. He held it to his ear and his eyes when wide, he slammed it into the ground and Patton felt a tingling sensation in his throat.

Roman whipped around just in time to hear Patton's song return to him, his eyes sparked with realization. "It was you- this whole time it was you-" he attempt to run to him, but the witch used his rapidly forming tentacles to knock him back, he grabbed Patton by the waist and disappeared under the water.

"LUCAN!" Patton heard his father call from below the surface, he had no time to wonder how he'd gotten there.

"Dee! It's been oh so long since I've seen you!" Patton was spun around to face his father, the cold metal of a knife was felt on his throat. "I expect you know why you're here now? Hm?" Patton felt tears falling down his face, his father's face had turned entirely green. He let go of the trident.

"DAD! YOU CA-" Patton felt the knife press further into his throat. Lucan took the trident in his other hand, and Patton watched his father shrink to the size of an eel.

"Poor Dee, he just loves so recklessly doesnt he, if only hed learned sooner when family matters, he could've avoided this whole thing couldnt he have?" Lucan smirked, and Patton realized that they were rising out of the water. He saw Logan and Virgil's faces in the water and tried to reach them, but Lucan had wrapped a tentacle around his entire body, he couldnt move.

"Now isnt this nice, you get to watch everyone you love die because you care more about a stupid obsession than your friends and family!" the words cut Patton worse than even the knife could have. Tears stung his face as he watched the whirlpool's forming in the water drag his friends underneath. He'd given up, resigned to whatever his fate may have been, when Lucan let out a scream. Patton fell, and was caught by someone. Roman had steered a ship into Lucan's side, causing him to drop the trident. The small snake under the water lunged for it, and Patton's father rose out of the water with a streak of lightning, which struck Lucan right as the ship landed another blow. Lucan sunk back into the ocean with a scream.

The skies cleared, and Patton raced through the water to embrace his father once again. "I'm so sorry. . . I never should have made that deal"

"Its not your fault, Pat, I should've known better," Deceit said, wiping the tears off of Patton's face. "I have a surprise for you," he said. Patton felt warmth envelop his body, his fins began to split again, but this time it felt natural.

He opened his eyes again to see a shining blue dress,and a pair of legs. He turned to Roman, he had abandoned the ship and was racing toward him. He embraced Patton and spun him in his arms. Deceit smiled, Virgil, Remus, and Logan resurfaced with broad grins on their faces as well.

"I'm glad we've both found out voices, I dont know what I would've done if I'd lost you forever," said Roman, planting a kiss on Patton's cheek. Patton rested his head on Roman's chest and listened to his heartbeat, and he sung his heart out as they stood there in the now shallow water, lost in their love for each other, reality only a distant memory.

#cori answers #little mermaid au

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atopearth · 4 years

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Chrono Trigger Part 2 - Unity Against Lavos & The Parting of Friends

I kinda wish everyone could talk, it’s kinda annoying that only the ones that are in your party will talk. It’s like, I honestly prefer using Frog and Ayla in battle, but story-wise, I much prefer to hear what Lucca and Marle have to say, sigh, such a dilemma lol. Wow, I love Enhasa already. It’s so awesome how you can interact with the book and it goes on fire! Like whoa did not expect that, how cool! Also love how that yellow NPC near the door just up and disappeared, like it really simply and straightforwardly showed how interestingly crazy this place is haha. Wow, I didn’t realise you actually had to open the water, wind and fire books in that order to open a secret door, I just thought it was fun LOL. Okay, those Nu were frustrating when I had a party of Lucca and Marle lol, had to use Frog and Ayla instead to win hahaha, it’s hard to win, they always take you to one HP! If only Marle could cure all loll. Hmm so Janus is probably the prince of this land that supposedly has no magical powers, and was the one with the cat telling Crono and them that they’re going to lose someone important? Lady Schala is his sister and…she’s the one that Kid from Chrono Cross is supposedly a clone of or something right? And Schala has an abundance of magical power apparently~ Hmm, I wonder if the Queen has become crazy or something ever since this random advisor accurately predicting the future appeared, it also sounds pretty crazy that they’re supposedly harvesting power from the Lavos?! Gotta love how our party just loves to jump headfirst into danger, we literally just enhanced the pendant with that glow and jumped into the Queen’s chambers hahahah. I wonder why Marle’s pendant is so unique though. And why does it look identical to Schala’s? Schala seems to be the only one that wants to actually save the kingdom of Zeal before the Queen leads it to ruin by listening to the evil prophet. That golem was easier to kill than the Nu hahaha. I’m shocked that Schala is capable of sealing the gate of passage between the different times though!

Hmmm okay, so the Lavos fell from the sky and then burrowed itself into the planet’s core to suck up all its energy to grow stronger…I wonder if it does that to lots of planets or something. Magus revealed its form and then now it’s taken Death Peak as its throne with the Lavos miniature spawn flowing from the mountaintop making people unable to go near it. I…feel so sorry for Belthasar though… Not only was he trapped in this time, but he was all alone… It’s great that he left all this knowledge and technology behind and it ends up helping Crono and them stop Lavos, but it’s just saddening to think that he spent all this time by himself until old age and probably even into insanity because he felt the need to write down his knowledge before he lost it all. The Epoch is so cool though! To think there’s a machine that can just zoom through to any era we’ve visited! The contrast between the living standards of the Earthbound ones (that possess no magic) and the others is pretty apparent, it’s basically peasants and royalty. It seems that Janus actually does possess latent power that surpasses Schala though (according to Melchior who has been banished to the mountain of woe by the Queen for disagreeing with her harnessing the power of Lavos through the Mammon machine). Honestly though, since Belthasar was one of the gurus of the Zeal kingdom (Guru of Reason), I’m very interested in what the Guru of Life Melchior would be capable of. And I wonder what the last guru is doing now? Getting to Melchior was pretty easy, but it’s kinda saddening how powerless the party feels against Dalton and the Queen, especially since they keep using either the party’s lives or Schala’s life as a hostage. Prettyyyy crazy that they’re trying to achieve immortality through the power of the Lavos, like wow, are any of these people in the castle sane?

Omg, I never expected Crono to use Luminaire! It’s kinda crazy how many things Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross have in common/referenced. Those Golem sisters/twins were so annoying!! I guess Crono constantly countering them made it so much worse because they just kept countering each other, so I kept dying loll. Well, Lavos just wrecked us badly! Lol! Crono actually survived the first hit though hahaha. Anyway, I’m not sure why I never realised that the Prophet was Magus, like who else could it be?! Hahaha. I wonder why he’s adamant on killing Lavos though. As expected, Magus couldn’t really do anything against him. What was the power Crono showed, was it just his willpower accompanied with something else? Did he really “die” like Janus foresaw? I find it so saddening that so many people died though. I know Schala used her power to get everyone to safety and asked them to not hate her mother or the kingdom and what they had done, but seriously, look at the destruction, look at all the people that had died! They’re literally left with one village worth of people! Her mother was their leader and she led them all to their deaths with her decisions. Lmaoo at what a shit Dalton is. And lmao at the party for getting tricked by him and then getting sent to like a jail or whatever lol. I feel sorry for the rest of the Zeal people though, they’re obviously powerless against Dalton so they probably are forced to listen to him even though they’re so positive about rebuilding… Sigh. Yay, I’m glad we kicked him out for the Zeal kingdom, now they can really properly live in peace! So glad I took Ayla with me since you lose all your equipment, Ayla just uses her fists so it’s all good lolll.

I….honestly didn’t think that the ritual back then where the Gurus were forced by the Queen to activate the Mammon machine (even though they told her it absorbed too much power and could create a dimensional vortex) caused them to be transported to Lavos and then proceedingly sent to different time eras. I didn’t think about that old man in the End of Time to be Gaspar, one of the Gurus! It’s pretty saddening though, everyone basically lived in different worlds after that, but I guess the most innocent one was Magus/Janus who just went to look for his sister, but then got dragged into it, and ended up getting sent to the Middle Ages all alone… It’s kinda ironic isn’t it? The reason he could be a prophet here was because he came from the future, but at the same time, Magus actually belongs in the castle anyway. It’s just saddening that instead of wanting to reunite with his family, he instead survived all this time hoping to summon Lavos again and destroy it for everything that happened. Okay, I didn’t expect to be able to get Magus to join the party! That’s crazy yet cool! I wonder how Frog really feels about it all though, I mean, they’re prioritising saving/reviving Crono right now, but it would be terrible to fight alongside the guy that turned you into a frog and killed your friend… I mean, I understand Magus’ motivations, but it doesn’t change the fact he killed a lot of people in the process of achieving all this. Anyway, I love how Magus flies instead of walking like a peasant lmaooo. Honestly though, I find it kinda sweet how Magus’ accessory is Schala’s amulet, he’s kept it for all these years. I wonder how he felt when he saw her again after all this time…

I’m so glad I can just follow the walkthrough to find all those magic chests we couldn’t open before! I totally forgot where they were hahah. I really liked the idea of the blue vest/plate one though! It’s so cool how it’s like a heirloom or something that the family have kept all this time, so if you get it in 600AD, it’s a blue vest, but if you choose to get it in 1000AD instead, it upgrades into a blue plate! It’s such a cool idea! No idea why it doesn’t downgrade instead but it’s cool! I guess the coolest thing is that Truce Inn survived for 400 years! Ohh wait, you can get both the vest and the plate! Lmaoo, the benefits of time traveling hahahah. I have to admit, it’s kinda weird yet hilarious how when you go to Guardia Castle with Frog and talk to the King and Queen, they praise Frog and thank him blah blah even though Magus is in my party too haha! Why is that Chancellor in Marle/Nadia’s time so dodgy? Is he trying to create a rift between Marle and her father so he can overthrow them or something? Ohhh, Toma the explorer gives you some spirits to pour on his grave if anything were to happen to him! I was wondering who that Toma guy was since he got his own area for a grave but apparently he’s been looking for rainbow shells his whole life. The side quest with Cyrus’ ghost was rather saddening yet nice, I liked how Cyrus really was a true friend and only hoped for the best for Glenn, I’m happy that Frog got to see him and hear that he was proud of the warrior he is today.

Omggg it was honestly so hard to get Crono’s doll clone (as a new body), my buttons are all different and I had no idea what was X and Y etc lol, I ended up having to change the keyboard controls loll. Anyway, aside from that, I also completely forgot where Crono’s house was LOL. Omggg climbing the monster’s shell at Death Peak to climb higher was something I did not expect! Thought the monster was going to revive and attack me lmao. Ohh how interesting, the Chrono Trigger/Time Egg that the Guru of Time aka Gaspar gave to the party allowed them to travel back to right before Crono died?! That’s really cool and interesting though! The fact that they could really just swap his doll for him so that the doll will die instead, and then come back to the present with him. It was honestly so cute to see Lucca hug Crono after getting him back. I loved that moment! Although I didn’t mind a party without Crono (since he doesn’t talk lmao), but walking around and doing stuff without him just felt weird haha.

Gonna do some side quests before the ending so here we go! I love that Ozzie is still alive with his own fort because lmaoo he’s such a silly villain. Loved it when he got some monsters to go against the party and they fell into his own trap because of him lol. They really dislike Magus for joining the humans though lol. LOL at him trying to tempt Crono and them with a treasure chest next to a guillotine hahahaha, the poor imp that got sacrificed though, he just wanted treasure! LMAO at the random cat that came out of nowhere and pressed a switch and caused Ozzie to fall into a hole hahahahaha. Wow, Son of the Sun was so annoying! That stupid roulette to do damage on him lol! It’s really interesting to see and know that you can get the moon stone to get enough Sun by placing it there in Ayla’s time and then just coming back to get it in the present, it’s so crazy loll! Spiced jerky for 9900G?!?! Wow, that is the craziest price ever lol. Okay, wow, that jerky was worth it. I can’t believe we gave it to the family of elders/mayor in 600AD, and because we gave that jerky to the mother for free, she decided that there’s hope and love in sharing with people in this world instead of just believing in money, and because of that, the mayor in 1000AD is now super generous and gives you the moon stone that came into his possession! That’s so crazy but amazing! Lol! I also love the different dialogue by the children and the wife. Previously, the children hated the father and the wife was sad that her husband and the children weren’t getting along at all, but now they love him and she kinda wants him to be just a little less generous lmao. The power of spiced jerky indeed.

Really gotta respect Lucca, like dang, she really knew how to utilise that Sun stone and make something good! Lmao that on her Wondershot, it says play time determines your damage lol! Anyway, I love how Taban is just as crazy amazing as she is and made sunglasses too! It was also really sweet how he made a suit and a helm for Lucca to protect her, he’s such a great dad! The only thing is that the dialogue of the other daughter (LOL, my bad, I realised later that it’s actually Lucca’s mum) seems to still feel kinda left out, I wonder if she’ll be happy later on? It’s saddening that Toma is dead, but I love how his spirit comes to tell them that he found the Rainbow Shell! At least he actually found it!! Now it just comes to Crono and them to actually get it! Okay omg, I didn’t expect to be able to get Crono to sit on the chair and laugh like a maniac at Giant’s Claw LOL, that was so random but awesome. It’s actually kinda amazing that the Chancellor is framing the King (Marle’s dad) for selling off the “royal heirloom” a Rainbow Shell, guess we should be glad we actually do have it when the Chancellor kinda just made it up because he probably thought it would be impossible to find. Lmao, I love Marle. First, she screams and just charges right into the trial, and then when she gets thrown out, she gets evidence of the rainbow shell and then jumps right into the trial through the back hahaha, she’s so cool. The Chancellor was a monster gg! I love how much Leene and them from 600AD revered Crono as a hero, they even made a dish called Crono Special that you can eat here in the present! LOLL I didn’t expect the real Chancellor to be locked up in the treasure chest hahahah! The reconciliation between Marle and her father was pretty heartwarming. They really just never properly communicated and that caused their rift, so I guess it was good that this all happened haha! Gotta give it to Melchior for being able to forge such good weapons and armour in a jiffy with the rainbow shell!

It’s so cool how when you lend Robo to Fiona to make the land green again, you actually see him on the world map grazing stuff hahahah. Wow, Robo literally worked for like 400 years until he practically “died”, at least there’s a nice green forest now, and Lucca has fixed him up! I wonder what exactly these Gates want the party to do, is there some kind of mastermind wanting them to do something throughout the ages? Ohhh Lara is Lucca’s mum! She looks so young! Lol. Anyway, I see, so the reason why Lucca is so obsessed with science, engineering and everything is because her mum nearly got killed by Taban’s contraption when he wasn’t home, so she vowed to learn everything about it all so that it won’t happen ever again. I honestly thought she was just interested because of her Dad, but really, it was because of her mum, she even used to hate it because her dad forgot about promises with her due to research. Oh, so Geno Dome is the actual place Robo is from? His real name is Prometheus? Was Atropos his “partner”? Love how she was a pink robot with a flower lmao, so simple but cute and straightforwardly tells you she’s a girl haha. Kinda sad that this “Mother” overwrote her programs and made her attack Robo and other humans. I wonder who took over them all…or did Atropos and Robo get too “kind” and that didn’t align with their expectations of having these robots befriend humans to get information and knowledge about them to destroy the humans and take over the world? Omg that mother boss was so easy after I learnt my lesson and didn’t use Magus to kill all the panels lmao.

It’s pretty insane how the Queen was the one who caused and allowed Lavos to get enough power in the 999 years to lead to the destruction of the world in 1999AD. Anyway, the Black Omen was kinda long but not hard so I guess that’s okay. The stupid Nu sent me back to the beginning because I pressed the button too fast zzzz, had to walk it again sigh. The Queen is ugly loll. Anyway, Lavos with different attack modes (copying from various monsters and bosses we’ve fought throughout the game) was pretty interesting! I forgot a lot of them but it’s pretty cool to see him utilising the info he gathered from the world to try and kill us. Lavos’ core was not what I thought I needed to kill in the last battle hahaha, I kept thinking it was the middle one I needed to kill but it was actually the thing on the right lmao!

I thought it was really cool of Lucca to bring everyone from the past and the future in one place at Guardia Castle and thank Crono for saving their respective worlds and the whole of time, it felt so wholesome and sweet. I don’t know why I never made the connection, but when Lucca went back and saved her mother Lara from the “accident” that caused her to be bound to her chair, it ended up changing the present, so now she’s running about and seems like a happier person now. It was honestly kind of saddening to see Crono part with everyone. I thought it was so adorable that Ayla and Kino (mostly Ayla trying to get it through his thick head lol) are planning on having lots of kids together to be the proper ancestors of Marle etc haha. It was nice to see Marle the princess kiss Frog hahaha, that was cute! Alike Robo, I’m hopeful that in the future, Robo will still be around, just because 1999AD isn’t destroyed by Lavos anymore doesn’t mean he definitely won’t exist! Lucca crying over it was really cute though. I guess the only one whose journey hasn’t ended would be Magus, since he’s going on a journey to find Schala. I hope he’s successful.

Okay lmao at the ending where Crono’s cat jumps into the gate because Crono never fed him LOL, omg when his mum followed it hahahah. I see why when you talk to the cat at Crono’s house, it says you fed 0 food lolll! I wonder if it’s actually possible to feed it? At least that means Lucca, Marle and Crono will go on another adventure to find his mother haha! Okay, omg, I didn’t expect Crono and Marle to get married, I honestly shipped Crono and Lucca!! I love Lucca much more!! I’m so sad right now. I guess at least Robo got together with Atropos, so cute to see them watch the sky together. Nice to see Frog/Glenn continuing to be a cool knight, and omggg, he looks good as a human! I’m happy that Lucca seems great with her robot friend, but who was that baby she picked up? Omgggg it’s apparently Kid from Chrono Cross who is Schala’s daughter-clone!! Yep, time to play Chrono Cross again, but now with the knowledge of Chrono Trigger so let’s see if it feels any better haha. I know they’re not thaaat connected but they still are since it’s the same world so let’s see!~

Overall, I really enjoyed Chrono Trigger. I think the main reason I liked it was because it was just really fun and enjoyable! Like, it has a lot of the elements that make it a classic JRPG with your party saving the world and going on a cool adventure whilst bonding with the people you find along the way kinda thing, and it does it in a really fun way. Considering the story involves time travel, I honestly thought it would be complicated and a bit crazy, but it was actually really simple and definitely more of an entertaining experience above all else. There were heartwarming moments with the party, serious moments with Magus’ story and fun moments with time travelling, and I think as a whole it really made everything come together in a satisfying way where it delved into a bit of everything. I have my gripes here and there about stuff like silent protagonists, and how I would have liked it if it was a bit longer so it could have more character interactions since the world building was already so great, but I think as a whole, Chrono Trigger was pretty awesome especially considering how old it is! XD

#chrono trigger

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thejackmeister-mongolhistory · 5 years

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Have you read/what are your thoughts on Jack Weatherford's books?

I have indeed read some of Weatherford’s work: Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, and his Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan rescued his Empire. He has another book which is something to do on on the Mongol Empire laid the foundation for modern religious tolerance, I believe, but I have never read it.

Before I go much further, I should state a few things. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World was the first ‘serious’ book I ever read on the Mongol Empire. I had finished reading Conn Iggulden’s Conqueror series, which sparked my interest in the Chinggisid Empire: that I was able to, some time after, pick up a copy of Weatherford’s book is what fanned the flames of my passion for the topic. At the time, I can remember being so impressed by the depth of Weatherford’s description and his own passion in Mongol culture, and I do believe without it, there would be no The Jackmeister: Mongol History. Especially in my own earlier videos, before my skills as a researcher had developed alongside my access to sources, Weatherford’s influence can be seen. I think in a video I did on Chinggis Khan’s sons, I basically called them all failures, as per Weatherford’s depiction of them.

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World was also a huge boon for Weatherford, as it sold magnificently. There is a good chance today if you go into your local bookstore for something on the Mongol Empire, you’ll find a copy of it there, 15 years since its first release. And online, a search for ‘books on the Mongols’ will likely turn it up in the top results. It’s been translated into multiple languages, has brought him honours and awards even in Mongolia. I think it can be created to some extent to assisting in the increase in westerners (i.e., average people, not researchers and historians) to view Chinggis Khan as something other than a blood crazed maniac. That Bodrov’s Mongol came out just a few years afterward contributed as well: before that, probably most North Americans exposure to Chinggis was Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. No disrespect to Al Leong, but it’s not the most accurate depiction.

Weatherford is a skilled writer, and a key to Modern World’s success is that it is a very readable work. The image he presents of Temujin’s flight to Burkhan Khaldun after Borte’s capture, and the choices he faced, I found a poignant image which has stuck with me. Weatherford’s background is as an Anthropologist, and that is apparent in the attention he gives to discussing Mongolian culture. Not an extensive description of steppe tribes and politics, he places Temujin into a cultural context recognizable to modern Mongolians, a focus on his human side, rather than that of the conqueror. Considering that his entire book is on the positive transformative aspects of the Mongol Empire, that shouldn’t be surprising.

Now, that’s a lot of words talking about the books and Weatherford and things about them. My own thoughts on them? Well…

As I have dug deeper into the works of specialists and primary sources, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World has not aged well. Weatherford is a skilled writer and an anthropologist with a deep appreciation for Mongolian culture. But he is not a historian. And when you read it from an historian’s viewpoint, it is a deeply frustrating work. Because there are so many details and facts it gets wrong that it it very distracting. Opening to a random page while I write this, while discussing the opening of conflict between the Mongols and the Jin Dynasty, he writes:

“The unexpected death of the Golden Khan of the Jurched and the ascension of his young son to the throne in 1210 offered the Jurchen court an opportunity to assess Genghis Khan …” (page 82).

A few points just in this line: the Mongols called the Jin Emperor the Altan Khan, so literally the Golden Khan. Unusual to do so in a secondary source though, and rather annoying for a reader who may want something more specific, and to find out who the name of this particular monarch. Likewise, to call them the Jurched is unusual: the -ed is a plural ending in Mongolian which you will see on the end of tribal names. But the Jurchen weren’t Mongolian, and Weatherford’s section on them as a whole emphasis their tribal origins, which is a slight misdirection considering how sincizied they had become over the 12th and early 13th century. Not 100% sinicized, but more than one might expect reading just Weatherford’s work, and enough that the increasing adoption of Chinese culture and customs by the Jurchen Jin court brought friction with the military aspects and particularly those Jurchen who still remained in the homeland, in what we generally call Manchuria. However, the succession changes he described are completely false: from 1208 until 1213 the Jin Emperor was Wei Shao Wang, a man whose reign was so poor he was posthumously demoted from emperor to prince, but was probably similar age to Chinggis himself! He was succeeded by a cousin, the Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, who was again of similar age to Chinggis himself.

The Jin had plenty of difficulties with their emperors, but they never put a child upon the Dragon Throne (I think the third emperor, Xijing of Jin, may have been around 15 when he became Emperor? That was the youngest). This is just one example, but I could flip around the book and find many more (but I don’t want this response to be 20 pages long).

Weatherford is also frustrating in his relative lack of citing his information, especially particularly interesting claims. The importance of footnotes and endnotes in History, is so that others can see where you got your information from. Essentially, so we can see you’re not making it up, or misrepresenting them entirely. For example, on page 235 he says the Mongol conquests led to an increase in tools carpenters in Europe had access too, and that they built new cranes and other devices based off knowledge gained from routes opened by the Mongols. A very interesting point to raise, one I’d love to follow up on, but there is no hint to where this information comes from, or what evidence supports this statement, or if he is even accurately representing what someone said on this matter. Or when he makes those inaccurate statements, we can’t even follow up to see what it was that misled him in the first place.

Finally, while I agree with the general point of his thesis (the Mongol Empire transformed Eurasia) much of his support for this argument I find either unsupported, or just wrong. Page 233, he says literacy increased under the Mongol Empire, presenting Kublai Khan’s construction of a printing office in 1269 so government mandates can be disseminated, as support for this. That isn’t even evidence for increased literacy in China because of the Mongols, let alone the entire Asian continent. And does establishing a printing office offset the destruction of libraries, archives and deaths of learned people in the initial conquests? He presents the Mongol invasions to Europe as ending the Middle Ages, saying at one point.

“European Knighthood never recovered from the blow of losing nearly one hundred thousand soldiers in Hungary and Poland, what the Europeans mounted as the ‘the flower’ of their knighthood and aristocracy. Walled cities and heavily armoured knights were finished, and in the smoke and gunpowder of the Easter Season of 1241, the Mongol triumph portended the coming total destruction of European Feudalism and the Middle Ages.” (page 155)

This is ludicrous. Heavily armoured knights didn’t even end in Hungary, who suffered the worst of the 1241-1242 invasion, let alone in all of Europe. Saying that it portended the end of Feudalism is like saying the death of Augustus portended the end of the Roman Empire. Sure, one occurs before the other, but they’re only tangentially related. As shown in studies by Erik Fügedi, Hungarian castle building actually increased after the Mongol invasion, now largely in stone instead of wood and earthen walls. And of course, European armour making increased in complexity, as the Mongol invasion predated the famous full suits of plate European knights are famous for.

That is in general the problem with much of Weatherford’s evidence for the impact of the Mongol Empire. There is a huge amount of actual effects the Mongols had, both positive and negative. But Weatherford misses much of these in favour of flashier statements like the above. And by trying to prove this point so much, he ends up minimizing the lives lost in the first place: for some regions, that was the entire experience of the Mongols, and the only place they held in those local popular memories after the disintegration of the Khanates. From what I recall of The Secret History of the Mongol Queens, it had many similar problems. That is why I find Weatherford’s work so frustrating: because it ultimately cannot reach the lofty goals it sets for itself, miring the reader down in distracting, inaccurate representations and doing a disservice to a fascinating and important topic for world history.

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buzzesquenews · 5 years

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Hitler and the Holy Grail

It is widely known that the Nazi party was obsessed with ancient history and the paranormal. They even went as far as to create an entire think tank dedicated to finding ancient relics and mounting expeditions all over the world in order to find ancient relics. The most coveted relics were related to Jesus Christ, such as the famous Ghent Altarpiece, the spear of Destiny and, above all, the Holy Grail.

The Ahnenerbe

The Ahnenerbe is the name of the think tank which was in effect from 1935 to the end of World War II in 1945. It was established by Hitler's right hand man, Heinrich Himmler who was in charge of the SS. The purpose of the Ahnerbe was primarily to connect the Nazi party with the mythologized history that Hitler and Himmler believed about the Aryan race and racial superiority.

The Symbol of the Ahnenerbe contains the magic runes of ancient Germanic lore. Himmler recruited a retired soldier turned occultist named Karl Wiligut who was practicing what he considered to be a reconstruction of ancient Aryan religion which he referred to as Irminism. Wiligut believed that there were ancient Germanic settlements in the Black Forest and mounted expeditions to ruins located deep within the woods. He also laid out a series of prophecies which lead to Himmler selecting Wewelsburg Castle as the headquarters for the paranormal wing of the SS.

Wewelsburg became the headquarters of the paranormal division of the SS. Inside Wewelsburg, Himmler dedicated a large room to the Holy Grail with a large crystal as a placeholder.

Ariosophy

Ariosophy or "the wisdom of the Aryans" was an ideological system which flourished in Germany and Austria from the late 19th century into the 1930s. By blending Germanic Romanticism with the concurrent popularity of Theosophy, a few key thinkers formulated Ariosophy as an alternative to Christian history. The two leading thinkers in Ariosophic thought were Guido Von List and Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels. Both of these thinkers focused on resurrecting the Runic Magic used by ancient Germanic people in the area. Runic Magic is actually well documented at the time of the Roman Empire but differs from what we may think of Runic Magic in the Nazi era. According to Tacitus: Followers of Ariosophy believed that the magic of the runes was not in the way they were used as a form of divination by throwing them and reading the tea leaves, as it were. They were focused on intrinsic magic which they thought were part of the runes themselves. This was also true of important artifacts of history, which were seen as containing symbolic information which was magical in and of itself. They attach the highest importance to the taking of auspices and casting lots. Their usual procedure with the lot is simple. They cut off a branch from a nut-bearing tree and slice it into strips these they mark with different signs and throw them at random onto a white cloth. Then the state's priest, if it is an official consultation, or the father of the family, in a private one, offers prayer to the gods and looking up towards heaven picks up three strips, one at a time, and, according to which sign they have previously been marked with, makes his interpretation. If the lots forbid an undertaking, there is no deliberation that day about the matter in question. If they allow it, further confirmation is required by taking auspices.Germania - Tacitus

Irminism

Irminism is not an established religion. Rather, it is a reconstruction of what Nazi occultists believed to be true based on historical evidence they thought they had at the time. Often, they adapted ancient beliefs to fit better with Hitler's own ideology. According to ancient Roman sources, such as Tacitus, Germanic tribes of the North believed in a god named Irmin. Irmin was worshiped at an ancient site called an Irminsul which was a giant wooden pillar, presumably of ancient historical importance. Irminsuls were a type of altar that was made from a large wooden column. Widukind of Corvey describes an Irminsul he observed in 970AD after some Saxons erected a large Irminsul to commemorate their victory in a battle: When morning was come they set up an eagle at the eastern gate, and erecting an altar of victory they celebrated appropriate rites with all due solemnity, according to their ancestral superstition: to the one whom they venerate as their god of Victory they give the name of Mars, and the bodily characteristics of Hercules, imitating his physical proportion by means of wooden columns, and in the hierarchy of their gods he is the Sun, or as the Greeks call him, Apollo. From this fact the opinion of those men appears somewhat probable who hold that the Saxons were descended from the Greeks, because the Greeks call Mars Hirmin or Hermes, a word which we use even to this day, either for blame or praise, without knowing its meaning.Deeds of the Saxons - Widukind of Corvey Among ancient Germanic tribes, one particular Irminsul was more famous than all the others. Believed to be near modern day Heresburg, Germany, this Irminsul was seen as the center of ancient Saxon religion. As such, it was a target for military conquests and was ordered to be destroyed by Charlemagne in 772 AD. The destruction of the most famous Irminsul by Charlemagne. Wiligut was convinced that the true ancient religion of Irminism began in 12,500 BC and was supplanted by inferior religions later. He believed this so strongly that he frequently performed Irministic rites and ceremonies with high ranking SS officers in attendance. Wiligut chose Wewelsburg as the site of the headquarters for the SS's paranormal activities because of an ancient legend known as the Battle of the Birch tree about a Western army defeating an Eastern army in battle. He also chose the site because he believed it was a center of cultic energy based on reading ancient runes. In fact, Wiligut is still considered by many to have been an accomplished rune magician. Despite having common roots, Wiligut did not believe that Ariosophy was the real, true reconstruction of ancient Germanic religion and was key in persecuting followers of the rival ideology.

The Ghent Altarpiece

The Nazi quest for the Holy Grail begins with a perplexing art theft that continues to baffle scholars today. The Ghent Altarpiece, also known as the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb is the first major oil painting in Western Art. It was painted by the famous Belgian artist Jan van Eyck in the 1420s. It is actually a series of paintings which form a rich and bizarre symbolic history of Christianity from Adam and Eve on the outside panels to the sacrifice of the symbol of Christ, a lamb.

The Ghent Alterpiece was full of symbolism. Hitler and his second-in-command, Hermann Göring, coveted the Ghent Altarpiece above all other works of art. It was the primary objective of the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg or Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce. In fact, when it was stolen, the two Nazi soldiers to find it raced to it to see who could grab it first. Göring actually stole the painting from Hitler again and then Hitler ordered the painting to be returned, where it was stored in salt mines until it was discovered after the war. Why was the Ghent Altarpiece so desired by Hitler? The piece of art itself did symbolize the sort of High Germanic Art that the Nazi's wanted to use re-enforce the myth of Aryan superiority. The other reason that Hitler wanted the piece so bad was because he thought it contained a symbolic map for finding the Arma Christi. After all, at the very center of the masterpiece, the lamb is bleeding into the Holy Grail.

The Arma Christi

The Arma Christi, which translates to the Weapons of Christ are also known as the Instruments of the Passion. They consist of the Cross, Crown of Thorns, the Spear of Destiny, the Holy Sponge (used to give Christ gall and vinegar when he was thirsty), the Nails of the Cross, the pillar where Jesus was flailed and the flail itself and, at least for the Nazis, the Holy Grail. The primary focus of Nazi expeditions was to recover the Holy Grail and any of the other Arma Christi which they could find.

This is the earliest depiction of the Arma Christi in Western Art from around 1157 AD. Hitler and the Ahnenerbe believed that acquiring these treasures would lead to supernatural performance by the German army. This included not only the Arma Christi but another of other famous historical objects.

The Expeditions

The first expedition by the Ahnenerbe was to find pagan sorcerers who may hide clues to past religions in their chants. Himmler directed an expedition to Kaleria in Finland in 1935 to study Finnish pagans who were still practicing at the time. He even took along an early sound recorder to record their chants. They also came across a witch by the name of Miron-Aku who claimed to have predicted their arrival.

Miron-Aku was a Finnish soothsayer/psychic and foretold the arrival of Himmler. Miron-Aku was a 93 year old witch who had been living in a small Finnish village. When the Nazis found her, she said: "You came to me in my sleep and wanted to take away my secrets. Since then I have been sick and will die soon. What do you want of me?" Through a series of rituals, she was said to have summoned ancient ancestors in front of them. Over the next 10 years, the Ahnenerbe mounted expeditions around the world including Sweden, Poland, Italy, France, Ukraine, Crimea, Tibet and even to Antarctica. Himmler's interest in the grail took him to look for the ancient cup in France, based on a line from Richard Wagner's Parsifal which stated the grail may be in the "the marvelous castle of Montsalvat in the Pyrenees". Wagner, a classical opera composer from the previous century, was very influential in Nazi thought. Wagner himself based the idea that the grail may be in France based on some lines from a medieval troubadour named Wolfram von Eschenbach. Although Himmler did not find the grail there, he did find that it was mentioned in ancient folk songs from the region.

In Conclusion

There is no evidence that the Nazis ever found the Holy Grail or the other Arma Christi. However, it was not for a lack of trying. Throughout the war, the pace of activity of the Ahnenerbe accelerated until the very end of the war. They did come across impressive archaeological treasures at nearly every turn but they interpreted them through a religious lens that often saw the artefacts in the context of a distorted belief that Aryans were responsible for all of the great developments in human history, often portraying such religious figures as Christ and Buddha as descendants of Aryans. This often blinded them to the true historical nature of their findings. After the war, allies found many of the treasures which were hidden in remote locations and returned them to museums around the world. Read the full article

#Ahnenerbe #ArmaChristi #goring #himmler #hitler #HolyGrail #Miron-Aku #nazi #occultism #runicmagic #ss

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nadziejastar · 5 years

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You know what the retcon of Lea and Isa being apprentices makes really odd? Saix and Axel not being considered founding members of the Organization, despite being around before it became a formal thing. It indicates that they were never seen as equals, which makes more sense if they weren't considered part of the group at any point. Otherwise the distinction loses a lot of meaning.

Lea and Isa Were Not Apprentices

Lea: One day we’re apprentices, the next Ansem the Wise has up and vanished, the day after we’re Nobodies, the day after that we’re doing icky jobs for Xemnas.

Indeed, they’re definitely never treated as equals. The novels really drive that point home. According to Lea, everything apparently happened in a very small window of time. I guess this fact is supposed to account for their outsider status. Sounds like it was only a matter of days between them becoming apprentices, and Ansem the Wise getting banished. Let’s take a look at how ill-conceived this whole scenario is.

Much of my life has been dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. That knowledge has guarded this world well. Not a soul doubts that. I am blessed with people’s smiles and respect. But though I am called a sage, there are things I do not understand. I believe darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure. Given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart. I have witnessed it many times. Darkness…Darkness of the heart. How is it born? How does it come to affect us so? As ruler of this world, I must find the answers. I must find them before the world is lost to those taken by the darkness.

This is the only one of the original reports that Ansem himself wrote. He wants to do everything he can to prevent the spread of darkness.

My efforts these many years have come to fruition, with the world I govern having become a paradise worthy of being called “Radiant Garden.” Nurtured by the pure water that is the source of life, fragrant flowers bloom in abundance, and the people face each day with hopeful smiles. But where there is light, darkness also lurks. As noted in my earlier reports, I must solve the mystery of this “darkness of the heart.” This paradise depends on it.

He seems kinda paranoid about it, honestly. But he’s the ruler of Radiant Garden, so he feels responsible for the welfare of his people. It makes sense. Ansem’s a good guy. He took Terranort in and tried his best to help him.

If I explore Xehanort’s heart with psychological tests, I may be able to recall the past locked away within. My apprentice Even has also shown great interest in Xehanort’s memories. But is he really the right subject? Xehanort does indeed exhibit extraordinary talents…Too extraordinary…Perhaps they are even superhuman.

He was apprehensive about experimenting on Terranort, though. There was something unusual about him, and it unnerved Ansem.

I have made a grave mistake. My study of the “darkness of the heart” began with a simple psychological test and quickly snowballed. Spurred on by my youngest apprentice, Ienzo, I constructed a massive laboratory in the basement of my castle.

But he begins the experiments, anyways. Apparently the results were initially favorable, and he was optimistic enough to build a massive lab in his basement.

After his initial experiments on me, Ansem the Wise ceased his research into the heart, his hand stayed by some fear I cannot fathom.

But after the initial experiments…he stopped his research. He was filled with fear for some reason. This is before he found out about the experiments on darkness. Something was not quite right about Terranort, and Ansem was picking up very negative vibes from him and Braig. He got freaked out and called everything off.

Unbeknownst to me, my six apprentices then began collecting a large number of subjects on which to perform dangerous experiments into the “darkness of the heart.” As soon as I found out, I called my apprentices together and ordered them not only to cease their studies, but to destroy the results of their research thus far.

He finds out later that his apprentices carried on the experiments without him, and they went much further than he ever would have condoned. And feels horrified. There were a large number of subjects who had dangerous experiments performed on them. He orders the destruction of all their research.

Xigbar: The Chamber of Repose. If you recall, that’s where we spent our time researching the darkness that resides within people’s hearts. It’s a graveyard that was sealed by order of Ansem the Wise.

And also seals the basement lab.

What on earth was happening within the hearts of my six beloved apprentices? While pursuing the mystery of the darkness of the heart, could they themselves have strayed into its depths? Yet I remain the most foolish of all, for having begun these experiments. We are not meant to interfere in the depths of another’s heart, no matter what our reasons for doing so…And my error plunged me into despair.

He is in shock and blames himself for interfering with Xehanort’s heart. He takes on all the blame, so he doesn’t have to accept the full extent of his apprentices’ atrocities. He cannot accept that they are capable of such evil. They are his “beloved” apprentices, after all. He wants to think that the power of darkness was to blame.

Upon discovering the tests I’ve been conducting, my master demanded that I cease my work immediately and destroy what research I have compiled. Worse still, he ordered the release of my remaining subjects. She is gone. Where is Subject X now? Has “wise” Master Ansem hidden her away?

But he’s not stupid. He cares for his apprentices, but of course they cannot be trusted right now after everything they did. He takes the girl away from Xehanort, and hides her away someplace safe.

Am I alive? I awoke in a cell, alone until the researchers came with their tests and their prodding to uncover my identity. I had no answer to offer them. Four friends, and a key…that is the sum total of my memory. I could not even recall my name. I was simply called “X” there. My only solace was the time I spent talking with the two boys who would visit from time to time. One day, a man came to take me from the prison. I could not see him for the darkness, save that he wore an eyepatch. Even now, years on, I feel no closer to understanding who or what I am. May my heart be my guiding key.

Presumably, Ansem was trying to rehabilitate her after that. She is lucid enough to talk. And look what was done to her. She was imprisoned in a cell and definitely subjected to torture.

We slipped into the castle that day knowing only that we wanted, with all our hearts, to save her. But we did not find her inside on that day or the next, or any of our subsequent visits. Had she been moved? Had we simply imagined her? Lea and I knew there was only one way to be certain.

After the girl is taken away by Ansem, Lea and Isa notice she’s gone. She isn’t there any of the subsequent times they look for her either. Even at the time this was all taking place, they aren’t sure if they just imagined her. Which is just so…bizarre, considering she was apparently their entire motivation the whole time. But whatever. They wanna find her.

Lea and I knew there was only one way to be certain. And so we stand before the castle gates today, not as trespassing children but in order to become Ansem the Wise’s newest apprentices.

So they show up at Ansem’s front door and ask to become apprentices. How did they get an audience with Ansem, anyways? He’s the ruler of Radiant Garden. He’s like royalty. Isn’t that why they wanted to sneak inside the castle in the first place? Because two random kids would never be allowed anywhere near the castle or Ansem? But all they had to do was knock on the front door? Whatever. Ansem is approached by two random teenagers who ask to be his apprentices. And he says…yes!? Why in God’s name would he say yes!?

A visitor from another world soothed my dejected soul. A tiny king named Mickey came wielding a legendary key — the infamous “Keyblade,” said to bring both chaos and prosperity to the world. He was very knowledgeable on many topics, and we deepened our friendship as we conversed companionably.

Ansem wasn’t in a good state of mind. He was still in shock and looking for answers after everything that happened. During all this chaos, Mickey arrives. They talk about what’s been going on.

Ansem the Wise: The doors that appeared. The place the Heartless seek. I fear my research may have brought this upon us…

Xehanort: Master Ansem. Regarding the experiment I presented the other day…With your permission, I’d like to proceed—

Ansem the Wise: I forbid it!

Ansem the Wise: Forget this talk of doors, and the heart of all worlds. That place must not be defiled!

Xehanort: But, Master Ansem! I’ve been thinking…

Ansem the Wise: Xehanort…Those thoughts are best forgotten.

He still didn’t know what to do at that point. Xehanort was still doing some kind of research at the time Mickey arrived. Ansem knew what they did was terrible…but he still cared about them. He also knew the Heartless had some connection to the experiments, and that they were drawn to the door that appeared in the castle basement. He was very angry that Xehanort still was interested in that door.

Upon his advice, I decided to review the data obtained at my basement lab.That is when I discovered the “Ansem’s Reports.“ Though they bore my name, the only one I had written was number 0. Apparently he had gone on to pen numbers 1 through 8 himself. Yes — the first subject in my foolish experiments.

Upon Mickey’s advice, he checks the data in the basement lab and discovers the original Ansem Reports. Ansem obviously didn’t know the full extent of what happened before finding them. After this, he is banished to the Dark Realm.

In the “Ansem’s Reports” my apprentice Xehanort had written under my name, I found the records of his hideous experiments along with his hypothesis about the door that had appeared out of the darkness in my basement.

It’s simply outrageous that Ansem would have allowed them to be apprentices in the first place. He just found out that his apprentices were kidnapping people and doing inhumane experiments on them. He knew Xehanort opened a mysterious door and Heartless were appearing. He did NOT trust him. He is paranoid about the threat of darkness taking over, because he wants to protect his citizens.

He was wallowing in despair the entire time before his banishment. Yet he would allow two random kids to be his apprentices during this time? He would let them enter a dangerous castle with Heartless roaming around, and let them be around creepy “superhuman” Xehanort? Yeah, right. It also doesn’t explain why Lea and Isa were the only ones wearing the black cloaks at the time of their re-completion.

Subject’s memories have not returned, and our conversations remain less than lucid. What fragments can be gleaned evoke a bygone world, like one out of fairy tales. As improbable as it seems, the question may not be where she has come from, but when. If she truly has crossed through time, the prospect of probing her heart is all the more compelling.

There are some things I found unusual about this report. First of all it contains the word “fragments”, which was supposed to be one of the key words for 0.5 A Fragmentary Passage. Also, it is worded as though Xehanort is monitoring her in the present tense. Subject X has no memories and is not lucid. She is not able to speak coherently as Xehanort writes this report on her. All present tense. And he speaks like he just discovered her or something.

My pilot studies used a handful of subjects, but none possessed the fortitude to endure them. Ultimately, all suffered mental collapse. I knew it would be a heavy blow to lose a subject as unique as she.

Then, in the very next sentence, it switches to the past tense. She was a unique subject and he didn’t want to lose her. But she has already been taken away by Ansem and he wonders what happened to her. It felt like there was a time-skip or something. Like these should have been separate reports. I think these reports were simply plagiarized from Isa’s backstory and rearranged. But most of the wording probably didn’t even change.

Lea and Isa Were Test Subjects

Lea: Then I met Roxas. Couldn’t believe it. The two of ‘em were identical. Oh, I didn’t tell Roxas. Didn’t want him to go vanishing on me, too. The kid’s name was Ventus. He’s one of the lost Keyblade wielders we’re looking for. Think he’s still got me memorized?

Kairi: Oh yeah. Very memorized.

Lea was totally open with Kairi about how much he hoped Ventus still remembered him. He had no problem bringing up the subject on his own. Now compare how he acts when talking about Ven, to when Kairi asked him about changing clothes.

Kairi: So, you gonna try yours on?

Lea: Uh…I dunno. Maybe later.

If he was only wearing the cloak for Roxas, why would he have dodged the subject like that when Kairi asked about it? He didn’t just say he liked the cloak and thought it looked cool. He got visibly agitated when he was asked to change clothes. Is it that big of a deal? It’s not like his friendship with Roxas was a secret. It’s how he met them in KH2. Why would being remembered by Roxas be any different than being remembered by Ven? Besides, it’s not like Roxas wouldn’t remember him without the cloak. Why did that question make him so uncomfortable?

Axel: Hey, I’m not about to tell you ALL my dark secrets. Got it memorized? I bet you keep a thing or two from me.

Roxas: I don’t have any dark secrets.

Axel: Ha ha, relax, would ya? I’m kidding. I just gotta keep my mouth shut about it, or else Saïx will get on my case. You know how he gets.

He acted similar to how he acted in Days whenever his past came up. He always used upbeat humor to deflect from that subject. But you could still tell there was something serious that he wasn’t sharing. That’s exactly how the scene with the black cloak seemed to me. He gave a lighthearted response to avoid talking about his past. It’s a very painful subject for him, so he never opens up too much about it to anyone. Ever. I think Isa being Subject X is the REAL reason Lea refused to change clothes. I’ll explain why.

This is what I think the reports were going to say, if they stuck to telling the story of Isa as Subject X:

Subject was found in the basement shortly after dawn. Male, approximately fifteen years old. After seven days�� observation, he spoke his first words, but could not provide a name.

Simply changed the gender. Ansem discovers what his apprentices were doing and finds Isa. It took seven days for him to become coherent enough to talk.

Roxas: Have to hang onto something, right? It’s not like I have memories from before the Organization. Don’t you remember? I acted like a zombie.

Axel: Right, that first week you could barely form a sentence. But come on, you’re still kind of a zombie.

He has total amnesia due to severe trauma. He’s like Roxas was in the beginning. And yes, I do think that was meant to be a deliberate parallel.

Subject exhibits signs of profound amnesia, and our conversations remain less than lucid. What fragments can be gleaned suggest that he arrived here with another, though he cannot recall the name of his erstwhile companion. All efforts to explore those memories have met with a rejection response.

Replaced “concern for which world” with “concern for a friend”. All efforts are met with a rejection response because his mind is blocking out the that horrors he experienced.

Am I alive? I awoke in a cell, alone until the researchers came with their tests and their prodding to uncover my identity. I had no answer to offer them. A friend…that is the sum total of my memory. I could not even recall my name. I was simply called “X” there.

Replaced “four friends” with “a friend”. Isa vaguely remembers a friend, but that’s it. No names or details to give Ansem.

One day, a man came to take me from the prison. I could not see him for the darkness, save that he wore an eyepatch.

The last thing he remembers is being taken from his cell by Braig. Something very traumatic happened to him after that. Probably involving his friend, which is why it’s the only thing he remembers.

After my initial experiments on Xehanort, I ceased my research into the heart, my hand stayed by some unfathomable fear. Yet this new subject is like him: devoid of memories. He is the perfect subject to benefit from my original work; by traversing the heart, we have a direct path into memory. My apprentice had begun to reclaim his lost past thanks to these very experiments.

Changed this to Ansem speaking instead of Xehanort. Ansem uses his own research on Isa to help him regain his memory, and atone for what his apprentices did. That’s why Saïx has Isa’s memories and orange eyes.

My pilot studies used a handful of subjects, but none possessed the fortitude to endure them. Ultimately, all suffered the collapse of their hearts.

Meanwhile, Xehanort is upset that Ansem took Isa away. Replaced “mental collapse” with “collapse of heart”.

I knew it would be a heavy blow to lose a subject as unique as him. Upon discovering the tests I’ve been conducting, my master demanded that I cease my work immediately and destroy what research I have compiled. Worse still, he ordered the release of my remaining subjects. He is gone. Where is Subject X now? Has “wise” Master Ansem hidden him away? Whatever the case, I will not be deterred.

But he won’t be deterred. He’ll get him back. He doesn’t want to lose such a unique subject because he is the only one he has successfully turned into a vessel.

Sora: What are you saying? That he knew everything that would happen?

Young Xehanort: No, not everything. But remember, Ansem possessed Riku and saw his experiences in real time.

“Ansem” was able to see Riku’s experiences in real time as soon as he possessed him. Isa already had part of Xehanort’s heart in him, so Xehanort could see his experiences in real time, too. That’s how they found out where Ansem was hiding him. Isa was probably kidnapped right around the same time Ansem was experimenting on his heart. Who knows. Xehanort might have banished Ansem during the experiment, while he was diving inside of Isa’s heart. Isa was part Xehanort. If Ansem was inside of Isa’s heart when he was banished, that might explain why Xehanort went bonkers afterwards.

The human form of Xigbar, one of Organization XIII’s members. He became a Nobody during a certain experiment.

He turns everyone into Nobodies soon after. In the journal of KH3D, Braig is said to have become a Nobody during a “certain experiment”.

Braig: Hey! Do you remember now, or… Wait, did you never lose your memory?

Xehanort: That’s not my name. I’m not “Xehanort.” My name… is Ansem.

That would be the one that was shown at the very beginning of the game. Apparently, banishing Ansem caused Xehanort to experience memory loss again. And perhaps the experiment was an attempt by Braig to deal with that. Even and Ienzo were the first ones to lose their hearts. Braig was next. Eventually everyone arrived at the lab where that experiment was taking place, and Terranort steals all their hearts while calling himself “Ansem”.

Lea: We’re people again. But only the ones who joined the Organization here. I guess Xehanort doesn’t count, but where are Braig and…Isa?

Lea and Isa were the only ones wearing the black cloaks when they became Nobodies. There was obviously a reason for that. The cloaks are meant to resist the corruption inflicted upon one’s heart by darkness. They were wearing them because they were NOT apprentices.

They were subjects of the experiments on the darkness of the heart. The cloaks were to prevent the subjects from getting corrupted, which would render them useless. Notice how Lea says the only ones here are the ones who joined the Organization. He’s separating himself from them. He didn’t join the Organization by choice like they did. He doesn’t consider himself to be one of them. He could barely tolerate their presence. The only thing he cared about was finding Isa.

Goofy: Gawrsh, Lea sure hurried back to Radiant Garden, and now Master Yen Sid’s sending Riku away, too, on some mystery errand.

Let’s assume that Lea went back to Radiant Garden after the end of DDD and finally learned the truth about what happened to Isa.

“Where is Lord Xemnas?”

“Where he usually is,” Zexion answered. Vexen frowned.

“The ‘sleeping room’?” Vexen muttered irritably.

“If it’s urgent business, how about you try going there?”

“Stop kidding around!” Vexen snapped, and turned his back on Zexion. “I can’t go there… can’t be helped. I’ll wait for him to return. Yah no, every second is precious… he only does this when I need him! Call it bad timing or call it…” Vexen, simmering and muttering, walked off.

Even is remorseful. He was so traumatized by what happened in that basement, he refused to go there as a Nobody. He was physically ill upon re-completion. He tells Lea the truth about what Xehanort forced him to do. He finds out that Saïx was really just a Xehanort clone with Isa’s memories the whole time. And Lea also has access to the reports.

Isa had Xehanort’s heart implanted in him after he was so badly traumatized, he had amnesia. When Ansem found him, he had no memories except that he was concerned for a friend whose name he couldn’t remember. And then Ansem experimented on his heart, during which he was banished. Soon after Xehanort—who also had those same experiments done to him— went bonkers, started calling himself Ansem, and turned everyone into Nobodies.

Kairi: But you always wear the same thing.

Lea: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This is how you pick me out of a crowd. I make myself easy to remember.

Even if he’s rescued, Lea has no idea if Isa’s memory is going to be screwed up or not. Will Isa even remember him when he wakes up? That experiment was the moment both of them lost their hearts. They were both wearing the black cloaks at the time. As far as Lea is concerned, that was the last time the real Isa has ever seen him.

Lea: I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people’s memories, I can live forever.

Isa: I know I won’t forget you. Believe me, I try all the time.

Lea: See, I’m immortal!

Is it any surprise that Lea refused to change out of his Organization cloak in KH3, and said he wanted to be easy to remember?

#kh meta #anti kh3 #kh lea #kh theories #kh isa #isalea #leaisa #kh akusai #kh ansem

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foamyphilosophy · 5 years

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My Paracosm

"A paracosm is a detailed imaginary world. Paracosms are thought generally to originate in childhood and to have one or numerous creators. The creator of a paracosm has a complex and deeply felt relationship with this subjective universe, which may incorporate real-world or imaginary characters and conventions. Commonly having its own geography, history, and language, it is an experience that is often developed during childhood and continues over a long period of time, months or even years, as a sophisticated reality that can last into adulthood."

I have had one that continues to this day as a a 24 year old man. I had no idea this was an actual thing, I thought it was just normal to create an imaginary universe in your free time. After learning that this is apparently a unique thing I wanted to share a peek into my universe.

It is a land parallel to our own, similar to how Heaven, and Hell exist in tandem with Earth but rest in different realities. I called it Dagorn. Time even ran differently while Adam and Eve existed on Earth without care and Lucifer existed in Heaven not yet fallen hundreds of years pass for each day that passes on Earth. Dagorn held all the magical and mythical creatures we know today. This was also the birth places of The First Ones. Beings that are the byproduct of creation. With each new element of the universe is made so too do the First Ones get born.

The first was a pair of Twins because their existence is intricately tied together. Yin and Yang. Yin looks like a woman dressed in a black formal dress like a womans business suit, with long white hair and red eyes. She's very cold and analytical and is the byproduct of Time's creation. Yang is a man with a white formal suit, with black hair and blue eyes and is very expressive compared to his sister and is the byproduct of Reality. Although they are the eldest and Yin's vast and seemingly endless knowledge and Yangs grounded realism neither of them rule over the other First's they leave that to Volcan the First of the Sun.

Volcan was made with the first star and Volcan's form is difficult to describe. He made the first Phoenix to represent him. He too has a Human shape but every hundred years he "dies" in a very dramatic way (with a lot of fire which typically reduces his room or the room he is in to ash) and rises from the ash in a new body the shape and gender are entirely random. To date he has been a woman 10 times ironically enough despite how long he has existed. Ironically I thought of this before I even knew about Doctor Who but included the firey explosion after witnessing it.

My two favorites, my first favorite was Anarchy the first of Chaos who was a town to the First of War, Pain. Anarchy true to her nature enjoyed pranking people and using her power to sow a little chaos into society. She looked like a woman with long wild red hair, sharp teeth and yellow pupils and the whites of her eyes were black. She could alter reality to a certain degree but couldn't outright change the universe. She was basically a really powerful summoner. She had desperately wanted people to enjoy her company and be respected but her nature was too unstable for many people to trust. Eventually Lucifer decided to take matters into his own hands and decided it was best to just kill her. He convinced her he needed her for a special mission and eager to show she could actually be helpful agreed. It was then he tried stabbing her in the heart and leaving the building she was in to burn to the ground. Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on how you look at it) she managed to survive and was simply in a magical coma reliving her worst moments. Her rage and spite got her to dig herself out of her unmarked grave and tried getting revenge by destroying every form of authority and attempted to destroy Heaven. Recruiting Mepheles (First of Fear) Sun Wu Kong (first of Anger) Miser (first of Sadness) and Pain (First of War) It took The forces of Heaven, Hell and the other good First Ones to take her down. Even then they failed. Putting her soul in her ring, and her spirit in her journal, her body turned to stone and waits for her "pieces" to reunite.

My second Favorite is Cannibal, called Cannie for short, she is the First of Hunger. She resembles an elven woman with wavey blood red hair and typically dresses like a Duke and is oddly skinny despite her affiliation with hunger. She came into existence during the first famine when the First of Destruction Hexus ravaged the land. The more force of nature First simply appear but the more personal First gain form from the first to experience it. Such is the case for Cannibal. When her village was being ravaged, and she was on the verge of starvation she was caught under rubble when trying to steal some food in the chaos. As she started to succumb to her injuries the last thought that crossed her mind was dying while starving. It was at that moment she was reborn as a First and her first action was to use her power to maul and eat Hexus, he escaped but barely. Earning her the name. Her power is similar to Alucard in Hellsing. In fact that is a huge inspiration for her. She lives in near eternal hunger and all living creatures become a part of her after being consumed. She holds the power to summon those she has eaten in the past and has a personal army loyal to her and will let her eat them if the succumb to sickness or crippling injury so they can serve her loyally as a part of her. She is the patron of Revenants, Zombies, and and Vampires. She is also one of the few people that seem themselves as a friend of Anarchy, lives among mortal beings instead of her own and she owns a mountain side castle ran by the undead that willingly serve her. Despite her destructive nature and what she represents she spends as much power as she can to help the world and is considered one of the Seven Pillars of Balance (the heroic First Ones)

I honestly could go on and on but I have struggled to turn this world into a cohesive story. It's such a fleshed out universe for me but maybe the detail is what makes it hard for me to create a story. I could spend chapters upon chapters doing world building but this was a peak into my brain world.

#storytelling #stories #story #imaginary world #paracosm #this was the world that wpuld distract me during school #i became really invested in Anarchy after I made her #i wish my art skills were good enough to make a comic of this land

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