#seeing their SISTER turn from a normal & sweet looking child. into a husk of a body.

[orcelito]

hahahaha. you dont say.

in any case i just read chapter 40 of trimax and i am. not the same.

[hysterialevi]

Hjarta | Chapter 15

Fanfic summary: In an AU where Eivor was adopted by Randvi’s family instead, he ends up falling in love with the man his sister has been promised to despite the arranged marriage between their clans.

Point of view: third-person

Pairing: Sigurd Styrbjornson x Male Eivor

This story is also on AO3 | Previous chapter | Next chapter

A FEW HOURS LATER

THE COAST OF BJORNHEIMR

The clouds rumbled with the drums of distant thunder, sending a subtle flash of lightning throughout the sky. Sea mist broke free from the restraints of its majestic waves, and gently tickled the skin of the warriors who sailed across its arctic tides. Meanwhile, the ocean rose and fell underneath their feet like the chest of a sleeping giant, and calmly guided the longship back to its home.

Life solemnly carried on with its infinite cycle despite the numerous souls that had just slipped free from its grasp, and offered no comfort to those left behind. The world remained entangled with the threads of endless stories that had yet to unfold, but even then... Eivor felt as if everything had come to a pause.

In his arms, Thora lay motionless beneath a layer of cloth, wrapped in her brother’s cloak to protect her from the elements. Her body was no more than an empty husk awaiting the fires of a ceremonial pyre, and yet, part of Eivor kept hoping that she wasn’t truly gone.

His mind still couldn’t quite fathom the idea that he would never see his sister again. He had gotten so used to having her company, that a world without her felt completely foreign to him. A fraction of Eivor even tried to convince himself that this was all a dream that would eventually come to an end, but in reality, he knew better. Thora would forever roam the halls of Valhalla from now on, and he’d have to accept it.

He just dreaded delivering the news to his father. Arngeir was already stressed enough due to Thora’s absence, and Eivor didn’t know if he carried the strength to inform him of what happened. His father was one of the most steadfast men in their clan, but even then, Eivor had seen the loss of a child break those he once believed to be invincible.

“...Eivor.” Sigurd whispered, lightly nudging the young man with his elbow. He waited until the Wolf-Kissed broke out of his thoughts, and then pointed to the land before them. “We’re home.”

Eivor peered at the battle-worn village with a deadpan expression on his face, barely shifting his body.

“Eivor?” Sigurd repeated, quickly taking note of the man’s empty nature. He leaned closer to his lover, wrestling with the urge to pull him into a hug. “Are you listening?”

The lifeless viking kept his gaze nailed on the village, swaying softly with the longship’s rhythmic motion. He hadn’t uttered a single word ever since their departure from Kjotve’s Fortress, and yet, Sigurd felt as if he could see his very thoughts etched into his eyes.

“...What am I going to tell my father, Sigurd?” Eivor finally replied. “Or Randvi? What do I do?”

The prince bowed his head in sympathy, unsure of how to answer the question. “I... I wish I knew, Eivor.”

The younger man glanced down at his sister’s veiled body, placing a hand on her arm.

“Thora’s death will destroy them. There’s not much in this world that can rattle my family, but... I have no clue what they’ll do once they realize she’s gone. I don’t even know if I can tell them.”

Sigurd offered his help. “I could do it in your stead, if you wish.”

Eivor shook his head. “No. It should be a family member. I found Thora’s body, so I should be the one to deliver the news. But thank you.” 

The older man nodded in understanding. “Of course. You know I’m here for you. I certainly don’t envy your position, though. You bear the burden of a lifetime. But don’t cast away your hope just yet...” Sigurd took a glimpse over his shoulder, glaring at the new captive sitting on their ship, “...we have Gorm now. And he will tell us what we need to know.”

Gorm struggled in his binds and let out a few muffled grunts, attempting to speak through the cloth that had been tied around his mouth.

“Be still, Kjotvesson!” The prince barked, his voice rough with spite. “Or I’ll hurl you over the edge and leave you to drown. Your cries mean nothing to the men here.”

Ulfar chimed in from the head of the ship, sharing Sigurd’s hostility towards the man.

“Indeed,” he added. “Normally, I’d say you’re fortunate to be alive, Gorm, but after everything you did to Thora, I imagine you’d be better off being swallowed by the ocean. Consider yourself lucky if the jarl doesn’t fashion wings out of your bones.”

The restrained viking tried to reply again, causing Ulfar to become even more irate than he already was.

“Osmund,” he said to one of his men, “silence this yapping dog, will you?”

The raider wasted no time in following Ulfar’s command and turned to Gorm, slapping him with a firm backhand across the cheek. The prisoner instantly fell silent upon the strike, and reluctantly complied with his captors’ wishes.

“...Anyway,” Ulfar said with a fatigued sigh, “we’re finally home, men. I know this has been an onerous journey for everyone, but you lot can rest for now. Tomorrow, we’ll bid farewell to those who have fallen, and raise a horn in their name. In the meantime, tend to your families. Odin knows they’ll need all the support they can get.”

Bringing his attention to the surrounding scenery, Ulfar remained quiet for the rest of their journey and leaned against the ship’s figurehead, doing his best not to linger on the thought of Thora’s death. He hadn’t felt this awful since Linnea first fell to Kjotve’s axe, and he grew increasingly restless as he pondered what to do with the rat hiding amongst them. He was more than positive that he knew who the traitor was by now, but the method he’d use to deal with them was a little less clear.

In the meantime, his men steadily shut the sails and lowered the mast, taking a hold of the oars as they brought the ship to land. Their bodies ached due to hours of huddling in the vessel’s cramped space, and their palms grew callused from the continuous toil of rowing the ship. They were eager to finally set foot on solid ground, and they longed for the warmth of a soft bed.

Eivor, on the other hand, dreaded their upcoming arrival. Much to his dismay, he spotted Arngeir waiting at the docks with Ingrida by his side as they anticipated their return, anxious to hear any news pertaining to Thora’s rescue. A glimmer of hope flickered in the jarl’s lost eyes, but the Wolf-Kissed knew it would soon be snuffed out. And it ruined him.

“Ulfar!” Arngeir called out, approaching the end of the pier. “You’ve returned safely, thank the gods. How do you fare, brother?”

The raider waited for the ship to come to a complete stop before hopping onto the docks, still somewhat wobbly from the ocean’s waves.

“I’m well, Arngeir,” he replied, “but I regret to inform you that Kjotve still lives. The bastard escaped.”

The jarl furrowed his brow in concern. “Escaped? How? Where is he now?”

Ulfar shrugged in annoyance. “No idea. He fled the fortress before we even arrived, the coward. I believe one of our own people warned him beforehand.”

Arngeir let out a breath. “...Is that so? Any ideas on how to track him?”

The other man glanced at the ship. “Yes, actually. Sigurd managed to capture Gorm alive. He claims to be unaware of Kjotve’s whereabouts, but with a blade to his throat, I’m sure he’ll sing soon enough. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Then there’s that, at least.” Arngeir paused for a second. “...And what of my daughter? Where is Thora? Is she with you?”

Ulfar’s expression dimmed at the question, and he found himself at a total loss for words. His silence alone was more than enough to plant a sickening fear in the jarl’s gut, but when the man saw Eivor stepping onto the pier with a blanketed body in his arms, his heart instantly froze inside his chest.

“Eivor...?” Arngeir said, mindlessly pushing Ulfar to the side as he strode towards the anguished boy. He looked down at the unidentified corpse and desperately waited for an answer, terrified by his own suspicion of who it was.

“Eivor,” he urged, gripping him by the shoulders. “Who... who is that?”

The boy met his father’s sturdy gaze, afraid to even speak. A million different thoughts swarmed his mind like voracious insects scouring a battlefield, and he stared at the jarl as if he were peering into the depths of Hel itself.

“...I’m sorry, father.” Eivor whispered plainly. “I couldn’t save her.”

Reaching down to grab his cloak, the young man slowly removed the sea-weathered fabric from Thora’s face and revealed who was hiding underneath, causing Arngeir to plummet into an abysmal pit of dolor. A sense of despair clouded his eyes like frost spreading across a lake, and his aura crumbled within a matter of moments.

It was clear that the jarl was one step away from completely breaking down, but for the sake of his clan’s morale, he simply reached out to Thora’s body and requested the solace of his daughter’s company, unable to fully process what was going on.

“...Give her here.” Arngeir said, gently taking Thora into his arms as if he were cradling a newborn infant. A single teardrop immediately streamed down his cheek upon touching her corpse, and he clenched his jaw in an attempt to stifle his agony. 

“My daughter...” he lamented, “my sweet, sweet daughter.” The jarl glanced at his son. “What... happened, Eivor? How did she die? Did she die with an axe in her hand?”

The young man shook his head without saying a word.

Arngeir shut his eyes in disappointment and sighed, already overwhelmed by grief.

“...I see. Then may her journey across the Gjallarbrú be swift, and may she find her way into her mother’s embrace.” He pulled the cloak back over Thora’s face, bidding his daughter farewell. “Rest easy, skǫrungr. Your battles are over. We shall meet again someday.”

Trying to offer the mournful father some comfort, Ingrida quietly walked over to the man and placed a hand on his shoulder, beckoning him to follow her to the temple. The seeress’ appearance had changed significantly compared to when Eivor last saw her, and it was as if twenty years had been added onto the woman’s face.

“Come, Arngeir,” Ingrida said softly. “Let us bring Thora to the temple. I shall say a final prayer for her, and prepare her body for the funeral. She will not venture the Gjallarbrú alone.”

“...Thank you, my friend.”

Guiding Arngeir away from the docks, the seeress led the melancholic jarl through the village as the rest of his clan settled into their homes, practically falling into the laps of the nearest benches they could find. The ocean’s wintry chill had seeped into the marrow of their battered bones, and their movements had become sluggish with fatigue.

As for Ulfar, the raider simply stayed in place and watched the jarl vanish in the distance, heartbroken to see his old friend in such a state. He couldn’t imagine the man ever being the same again after a loss as great as this, and for the first time in years, even Ulfar himself felt helpless. 

What would they do when they found Kjotve? If they found him? Would the strength of their alliance finally bring them the advantage they needed to win this war, or would they just end up sending more men to their deaths, and darken the shadow that already hung over Bjornheimr?

At this point, Ulfar no longer knew what to think. His ultimate dream was to witness Kjotve draw his dying breath, but he had also grown tired of ordering people into battle, only to never see them return. He may not have been directly responsible for their untimely demise, but he couldn’t deny that the casualties were starting to take a toll on him.

He just wanted this godforsaken war to end, and he knew exactly where to start.

Diverting his focus to Dag, Ulfar watched the man like a lion waiting to pounce and followed him off the docks, finally deciding to put this damned charade to rest. He hadn’t the faintest idea how this confrontation was going to unfold, but he was sick of keeping silent about his thoughts. Even if he didn’t get the outcome he desired, he simply wanted the people of Bjornheimr to be aware of the wolf hiding among their sheep -- and it all started now.

“Dag!” Ulfar blurted out, approaching the warrior as he wandered away from the longship. “Hold a moment.”

Despite having no intentions of doing so, the raider turned a few heads with his thunderous voice and attracted the attention of nearby onlookers, including Eivor and Sigurd themselves. They all stopped what they were doing to see what the commotion was about, and paused out of curiosity.

“Yes, Ulfar?” Dag responded, clearly not reflecting the man’s antagonistic mood. “What is it?”

Ulfar prowled towards the viking, unable to hide the glower now plastered on his face.

“The jarl’s daughter lies dead in a pool of cold blood... and you have the audacity to feign ignorance?”

Dag scoffed in a bewildered tone, shrugging innocently. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The older man halted in his tracks, keeping no more than a couple meters between them. “Do you think me blind and deaf, Dag? You know exactly what I’m talking about.” 

Ulfar began grumbling under his breath, pacing back and forth. “Damn it. I’ve been doubtful of you for a while now, but I never had anything to confirm my suspicions until today. I should’ve done something sooner.”

Dag rested his hands on his hips, growing impatient with their conversation.

“What is this about, old man? What are you getting at?”

Ulfar shot a glare at him. “You’re the rat. You’re the one who’s been feeding Kjotve our secrets, and you’re the one who told him to flee. You betrayed us.”

The blunt accusation caused a wave of murmurs to rush through the crowd around them, igniting a sudden spark of worry among the villagers.

“Is that truly what you think?” Dag questioned casually. “I know you’re short one eye, Ulfar, but even you can see how ridiculous that statement is.”

The raider refused to back down. “Give me one good reason why I should believe you. You sailed with me during the assault, Dag. I sent you as one of the scouts. Your job was to pave the way for us, and then give us the opening we needed to ambush Kjotve’s clan. But instead, you ran off to cower behind the fortress’ walls before our warriors could even reach the shore, and you lit the beacon far before we were ready. You forced what few men we had in the settlement to attack alone, and we lost a handful of people because of it.”

Ulfar’s nose crinkled in anger. “At first, I merely planned to berate you for your incompetence, but now it’s clear to me that you knew exactly what you were doing. You wanted the plan to fail.”

Dag did nothing but chuckle in response to the overwhelming accusations and waved a dismissive hand, reluctant to entertain the other man’s skepticism.

“You’re delusional, Ulfar. There is no traitor. We’ve simply been experiencing the horrible realities of war. People are going to die. Not everything is going to make sense. That’s just how it is, I’m afraid.”

Ulfar’s stare sharpened with wrath. “Oh, no. It all makes sense now. I stood idly by whilst you condemned our men to the pits of Hel because I wanted to find irrefutable evidence, but after what happened today, I’m done waiting for evidence. I’ll not allow you to endanger our clan anymore.”

Yanking out his axe, Ulfar brandished the weapon and raised it high in the air, making sure that everyone could hear his words loud and clear.

“I call a holmgang!” He announced. “Here, against the Raven Prince’s right-hand man.”

Sigurd froze upon hearing the challenge, and a stir of panic awakened inside his heart. Was this what Ingrida warned him about so long ago? Was this the betrayal his vision tried to convey?

The prince made haste to the front of the crowd with Eivor in tow, both of them now frightened to see how this would play out. 

“You wish to duel me?” Dag asked. “Are you certain that’s wise?”

The raider aimed the blade at his opponent. “This is no longer something I can take back. I’ve made the challenge. What happens next depends entirely on you. So, either pick up your axe and face me with what little honor you have left, or scurry off to the snake hissing in your ear.”

Dag laughed at the absurdity of the situation and drew his blade, bowing in a smug manner. “...Very well, Ulfar. If that’s what you wish. You’ve made a foolish choice, but I will accept your challenge. We fight to the death.”

Eivor automatically lurched forward, reaching a hand out for the older man. “Ulfar--!”

Sigurd instantly grabbed his arm and held him back, preventing him from interfering.

“Eivor...” he said in a hushed tone, “there’s nothing we can do now. The holmgang is set in place. They must go through with it.”

The younger man hesitated, flicking his eyes back and forth between Sigurd and the warriors. Out of honor, he knew that Ulfar was compelled to cross swords with Dag in a fight to the death, but he also did not wish to see the man risk his life so soon after their return. 

Eivor was already struggling to cope with the loss of his sister. If Ulfar were to perish as well... he didn’t know what he would do.

“I can’t risk losing him too,” he murmured. “Not after Thora’s just been killed. He’s my family. Sigurd, please.”

The prince kept his grip firm, giving him an apologetic look. “...I’m sorry, my love. But we can’t interfere. You know this.”

Eivor remained silent in response to Sigurd’s words and simply shifted his gaze back to the holmgang, uncertain of whether or not to heed his lover’s advice. Part of him wanted to throw himself between the two warriors and force them apart, but the other half knew that Ulfar’s honor would suffer if he did. The man would be relentlessly shamed if he backed down from his own challenge, and to some, that was a fate worse than death.

“...O-Okay, Sigurd.” He said, sighing in defeat. “I won’t interfere.”

Sigurd gently pulled him back into the crowd, trying to ease his nerves. “Thank you, Eivor. I’m sorry it has to be this way.”

Slinking into the prince’s arms, the Wolf-Kissed watched the holmgang from a distance as more villagers gathered around the scene, intrigued by the deadly spectacle. At this point, Ulfar and Dag were circling around each other like a pair of wolves and patiently waiting for the smallest sign of weakness, hoping to catch their foe off-guard.

Within a few moments though, Ulfar was already leaping at his enemy like a bear charging out of the shadows and swinging his axe with the strength of Fenrir himself, causing Dag to stumble backwards in an attempt to dodge the strike.

Regaining his footing, the bulky warrior countered the initial attack with a slice to the shoulder and thrust his blade forward, only to be blocked when Ulfar swatted it away with his axe. The older man whirled around Dag like a flame dancing in the wind and slammed his weapon downwards, aiming directly for the back of his foe’s skull.

Practically hurling himself out of the way, Dag evaded Ulfar’s attack just in time to save the skin on his scalp and sacrificed no more than a few strands of hair, giving him a second to catch his breath.

Dag had to admit -- he didn’t expect the old raider to be so agile after all these years. He assumed that Ulfar’s bones would have stiffened over time, but the man moved faster than many people half his age. It was clear to Dag that he had underestimated him, and now, he was starting to question just how big his chance of winning this really was.

But still, the man had to have a vulnerability. No one was invincible, after all. There had to be something that he could take advantage of. Something that could give him the upper hand.

Dag paused out of realization, suddenly noticing that Ulfar’s weakness was quite literally staring him in the face.

His wounded eye.

The raider’s vision had been cut in half thanks to his old injury, and Dag imagined that he would be able to slip out of his line of sight if he stayed at the right angle. He just had to be fast.

Flanking his opponent from the left, the dark-haired warrior crept into Ulfar’s blind spot and landed a strike on his upper arm, cutting straight through the sliver of fabric that sat between his layers of armor. Fresh blood instantly soaked the plain cloth hiding underneath, and for just a brief moment, Ulfar lost track of where his enemy had gone.

But a moment was all Dag needed.

In the blink of an eye, the larger warrior had bashed the hilt of his blade into Ulfar’s cheekbone and sent him tumbling to the ground, allowing him to shake the balance of the fight.

He relentlessly battered his way through the raider’s defenses and continued to pummel his weapon against Ulfar’s axe, fervently trying to disarm him before he could return to his feet.

Meanwhile, the older man backed away from Dag and slid across the dirt, desperately trying to put some distance between them before even attempting to get up. His arm was growing increasingly sore from having to endure the sheer impact of his opponent’s strikes, and soon enough, Ulfar found himself on the losing side of the battle.

Skirting around the edge of Dag’s blade, Ulfar just barely missed the last of his attacks and scurried back up to his feet, holding his axe out in front of him in a protective stance. By now, blood had leaked all the way down to his wrist, and a number of droplets even started to trail down his fingers. He was admittedly drained from deflecting the brute strength behind Dag’s swings, and with each passing minute, he could feel the energy fleeing from his body.

Still, in spite of the exhaustion now overtaking his mind, Ulfar refused to give up. This was his only chance to eliminate the rat hiding in their clan, and he had no intentions of wasting it.

Lifting his axe in the air, Ulfar steeled himself and prepared to send a vertical slice down on Dag’s forehead, doing his best to ignore the fatigue now hindering his movements. Before he could do anything however, the other man suddenly swerved to his left again and escaped his field of view, attacking him from the same angle. He heaved his blade into the side of Ulfar’s abdomen, and within seconds, the raider had fallen still.

Coming to an abrupt halt, the old warrior simply stared into the space ahead of him and drifted off into silence, unable to suppress the terror that was now swelling in his chest. His entire mind seemed to be paralyzed with an unfamiliar type of fear, and before he knew it, Dag had buried the axe in his torso.

“Ulfar!” Eivor cried, still struggling against Sigurd’s hold.

The raider let out a pained gasp and clutched his chest in shock, horrified by the numbness that was starting to petrify his limbs. The only thing he could hear was the rasp of his own breath scratching against his throat, and by now, the metallic taste of blood had started to envelop his tongue.

Yet, in spite of all this, Ulfar soon felt his fear fading away from him. The ethereal voices of the Valkyries called to him like the gaze of the moon, and in the bleak grey sky standing above him, he could almost see the feathery strips of the aurora forming a bridge to the Corpse Hall.

He had been chosen by the winged maidens, and would soon join Linnea’s side.

The final challenge he had to face now, was saying farewell.

Collapsing to the ground with a thud, Ulfar fell in the center of the arena and landed on his back, sparking a series of gasps in the spectating crowd. Dag’s blade still protruded from his chest like an axe lodged in a pile of timber, and most of the color had vanished from his skin.

As for Eivor, the young man finally broke free from Sigurd’s grip and rushed over to the fallen warrior, kneeling down by his side as the prince solemnly trailed after him.

“Ulfar!” Eivor exclaimed, reaching for his hand. “Ulfar, can you hear me?”

The other man looked up at him, uttering no more than a few words due to his lack of strength.

“...Oh, forgive me, little cub,” he whispered. “...I’ve been a damned fool.”

Eivor examined the raider’s wounds, knotting his brow in distress. “Shit...! Why did you do it? Why did you have to call a holmgang? We just lost Thora, and now you’re dying too? We need you.”

Ulfar felt a pang of guilt prodding him in the heart. “...I know, Eivor. I know. I never meant to leave you so soon. I’m sorry.”

Catching some movement in the corner of his eye, the old warrior turned away from the young man for just a second when he noticed Sigurd joining them, gazing down in a sorrowful manner. He appeared to share Eivor’s grief over the death of his new friend, and his expression was laden with desolation.

“Sigurd...” Ulfar said, beckoning him with a weak wave of the hand. “Come here.”

The prince knelt down, leaning closer to the man. “Yes?”

Ulfar gestured to Dag with a subtle flick of the eyes, giving Sigurd a regretful look.

“...I hate to pass this burden onto you... but you and I both know what needs to be done.”

Sigurd lowered his head in understanding, reluctant to face the horrid reality of the new task he’d just obtained. He despised the idea of finishing what Ulfar started, but he knew it was necessary to keep the clan safe.

“Yes. I do.”

“...Good. I know Dag is like a brother to you, but I need you to promise me you’ll do everything you can to protect these people.” Ulfar reached out his arm, awaiting Sigurd’s response. “Promise me.”

The prince clenched his jaw in an attempt to maintain his composure, admittedly heartbroken by the idea of turning against his childhood friend. Even though their lifelong relationship had reached the point of war, Sigurd would’ve been lying if he said he was willing to kill Dag.

In fact, part of him had even hoped that Ulfar would’ve done the job for him. He secretly wished that the raider would’ve emerged victorious from the holmgang, and he wanted nothing more than to spare his axe from Dag’s blood. But it seemed the gods felt different.

“Alright,” Sigurd assured, shaking the man’s hand. “I’ll do it. You have my word.

Ulfar nodded in satisfaction, barely clinging on to life at this point. “Then my death will not have been in vain. Thank you.”

Letting go of Sigurd’s arm, the dying vikingr finally decided to let the Valkyries whisk him away and closed his eyes in peace, drawing his last few breaths. The environment around him had become nothing more than a massive haze by now, but even then, he could still recognize the muffled sounds of Eivor’s mournful voice.

Ulfar felt terrible for leaving the boy behind. He didn’t wish to abandon him in his time of need, but alas, the Nornir clearly had other plans. 

Fortunately though, Eivor would not be entirely alone. He still had many people in his life who cared for him, and now, Ulfar would just have to trust that they would stay by his side. He hadn’t forgotten about Sigurd’s affection for the young man, and unlike before, he prayed that the prince wouldn’t shy away from it any longer.

As for Sigurd himself, he had become preoccupied with the new path the gods had lain out in front of him. For the first time in years, the road ahead was not obscured by uncertainty, or hesitance, or even fear. It remained clear as day, and yet, it would be the most difficult one for him to venture in his life thus far.

And so, with a heavy heart, Sigurd stood up from the ground and sulked away from Ulfar’s corpse, making a beeline straight for Dag. He laid a hand on the warrior’s shoulder and ushered him to a more secluded area, ensuring that their conversation stayed private.

“Dag,” he said quietly, “join me for a walk.”

The other man threw him a wary look, confused as to what the prince could want at this time.

“A walk? Now? Where are we going?”

Sigurd pointed to the waterfall in the distance. “The Tears of Ymir. Come with me. We’ll be back shortly.”

Dag clearly wasn’t interested. “Can this not wait, Sigurd? We’ve only--”

“--Just come.” The prince insisted, his tone hardening. “...We need to talk.”

Deciding not to question his friend any further, Dag simply went along with Sigurd’s mysterious plan and followed him into the surrounding wilderness, curious to see what the prince had in mind. 

In the meantime, the rest of Bjornheimr’s villagers dispersed from the scene of the holmgang and left Eivor alone with Ulfar’s body, giving him space to grieve on his own. Neither Arngeir nor Randvi had returned to see what had become of their old friend just yet, but he dreaded the moment when he’d have to show them.

How could this be happening? It wasn’t that long ago that Eivor was holding his deceased sister in his arms, and now, Ulfar had taken her place. Just within a day, they had already lost two of the most important souls in Bjornheimr, and gained nothing in return.

Kjotve was alive. Gorm was alive. But somehow, the gods had deemed it necessary to rob Midgard of its benevolent warriors, and leave no more than a grave of ashes in their name.

They always preached about living a life of honor, and yet, they had stolen it from the few who were willing to try.

Well, no matter what happened in the future, Eivor didn’t plan on watching anymore of his loved ones die. He didn’t care what it took to get Gorm to speak, or how long the interrogation would last. He would find the answers he needed, and track Kjotve down before the bastard had a chance to flee.

He promised himself he would kill the man for good this time, and he wavered not at the thought of death.

[ghostheadcanons]

The Papas and Copia: Vampires

Anonymous said:

The papas and copia as vampires. How do they approach, love and definitely how do they feed ♡

Hee hee hee! You’re in luck, Anon! On my other blog, I actually had a Sims save file with all of them as vampires, so you’re definitely not the only one who’s intrigued by the idea! 8}c

I am a huge vampire nerd, so this is going to be a very long post complete with Lore woven in....bear with me, now! 

+18 Below!

Quick vocabulary lesson before we get started! A scion is a term for a vampire brought into vampirism by another vampire--their sire. The process is an ugly one--the scion spends a day or two in a fevered, nightmare-plagued sleep as their body changes, and they’re going to be very hungry for blood when they wake up. They require the blood of their sire--almost like mother’s milk--in order to grow as a vampire and develop their abilities. In time, they’ll be able to handle others’ blood just fine. The sire drinks from their scion’s neck as a sign of ownership, while the scion drinks from the sire’s wrist as a sign of their submission and devotion. To allow your scion to drink from your neck shows that you see them as an equal and fully-grown, and that they’re ready to head out on their own if they want.  

Also, vampires have super sensitive necks, and getting fed off of is incredibly pleasurable for them. 

Papa Nihil

The head/master vampire of the surrounding territory. All other vampires living there must answer to him, or be cast out. As old as time itself...and yet, he’s still active and has childish sense of humor. That’s led to almost everyone who’s gone after him underestimating him. 

It’s a mistake they can only make once.

He has a great number of abilities--turning into mist, hypnotizing others, commanding animals, turning mortals to Ghouls (animalistic vampiric servants)....and he can fight. 

How they approach: Actually, others come to him! It’s not every day that he goes out and about anymore. But he still does. He uses his elderly appearance and infirmity to prey on your sense of weakness as he knocks on your door in the middle of a snowy night in order to use your phone. Surely you wouldn’t leave an old man out in the cold, would you?

How they feed: His hypnosis is strong enough that he can compel mortals to do just about anything for him. Come here, dear.. And he has them smiling and offering them their necks before they even have the chance to understand what’s happening to them. When he was a young man, he was more cruel to his ‘food’, draining them and leaving them practically husks on the ground. But now he’s much more considerate--he knows just how much he can take from you before it’ll hurt you, and leaves you somewhere nice and soft, like on your couch or bed. 

How they love: He’ll spoil you rotten! Showering you with gifts and trinkets. He’s had many loves in his time, and eventually they all pass. His children are still here because they were born into vampirism. Honestly, he wouldn’t want to Turn you if he’s in love with you--he would rather spend time doting on you than actually teaching you how to be a vampire. 

If you become his scion: You have to convince him to Turn you. Has Sister Imperator (his longtime human assistant) help look after you through your Turning, and holds your hand through the nightmares. He has a lot of lessons to teach, being so old and wise, and getting blood from such a powerful vampire means that you’ll be very powerful in your own right. Be ready to work hard!

Fun fact: Copia is actually another one of Papa Nihil’s scions--back from when Nihil was young. The two of you probably won’t see a lot of eachother; Copia’s a fully grown vampire, and keeping an eye on the surrounding territories is a full-time job for him.

Papa I

Nihil’s firstborn. A very old and very powerful vampire. He isn’t one for socializing and only attends vampire social events out of obligation for his rank. Rather, he’s used his immortality to spend his time in solitude; reading, reflecting, and writing, in the eternal pursuit of knowledge. 

He also has quite a few abilities, but he almost never uses them unless he needs to. His stomach is withered away, so he can’t really process human food anymore. 

How they approach: He doesn’t approach. The man lives in a castle and never leaves it. Should travelers come asking for sanctuary, he’s more than happy to let you stay a night. Don’t mind the masked servants, they prefer to keep their appearance secret. If you’re an intellectual sort, you can engage him in conversation, and he’ll be pleasantly surprised. Don’t be surprised if he invites you to stay another night...

How they feed: Actually doesn’t do the neck-biting thing. He has an arrangement with the local bloodbank and sips from the pouches as he reads the latest tome or writes down his latest thoughts. If you want him to feed from you, though, he would. He’d be very gentle with you, always asking if you’re alright, and letting you tap his shoulder to stop him if he’s taking too much. 

How they love: If you catch his eye, he would want to court you properly. He’s a gentleman--getting you books, offering to paint your portrait, and telling you everything you want to know about any subject in particular. You have a veritable fountain of wisdom at your beck and call! 

If you become his scion: He would bring up the idea of turning you, to be honest. You’re very important to him, and he doesn’t want to lose you, because he knows how fleeting mortal life is. Would coddle you through your Turning and have his wrist ready for you when you wake up. I hope you like being in school, because once you’re ready to start your lessons, that’s exactly what it turns into, with lectures on proper vampire history, techniques, and science. Have fun! 

Papa II

Nihil’s second son. A cruel, domineering vampire, powerful and merciless. He’s a lot like how Nihil used to be, back when Nihil was a younger vampire. Lives in a truly terrifying castle overlooking a little town that he’s broken into fearing him and giving him tribute. His is the castle they warn you not to go to after dark.

He can use hypnosis, transform into mist, turn people into ghouls, and he has a massive amount of vampiric strength and agility. 

How they approach: If you catch his eye, he’s most likely going to attempt to seduce you, with silken words and meaningful glances. He’s gotten quite a few humans this way--he even has a few human ‘toys’ living with him, solely for the bedroom. All consensual, of course. He keeps them well-fed, and they don’t have to do anything other than please him. What’s not to like? 

How they feed: Generally he feeds from his ‘toys’. It’s a privilege he enjoys making them compete for, depending on who can pleasure him the most that night. He has a very low opinion of humanity, and he’s not shy about expressing it. 

How they love: Against all odds, if you as a human manage to charm him to the point where he has feelings for you? He’s honestly unsure how to proceed. It was probably your strong will that won him over, and the way you never break eye contact with him instead of dropping your eyes to the floor like most other humans. He’ll make his feelings and intentions on the matter well-known to you. “Humanity does not suit you, child. Join me in the darkness, that we may be one forever.”

If you become his scion: Good luck. Papa II isn’t going to pull any punches when he Turns you. Will sit back and watch to see if you survive the Turning, and he’ll make you say ‘please, master’ before he lets you drink from his wrist for the very first time. He enforces the master and servant dynamic; after all, that’s what a scion is to a sire. His training is brutal; he’ll push you to your very limits. But that’s because he knows you can go above and beyond. And when your training is complete, you’ll be one of the strongest vampires around. 

Papa III

The youngest of Nihil’s children, and the most charismatic. They based the Bela Lugosi Dracula after him. Charming and witty, elegant and sensual, he’s not one for secluded living. He loves to attend parties, whether for vampires or humans or even a mix of the two! He’s pretty open-minded about humanity, and thinks they’re more adorable than pitiful (unlike his grumpy brother). 

His abilities include vampiric charisma, transforming into a bat (or bats), slight hypnosis, turning people into ghouls, and actually knowing how to talk to humans. 

How they approach: He’ll hit you up in a bar or at a party, and put all that charm to good use. He prefers humans to other vampires because they’re easier to impress. But play cat and mouse, and he’ll definitely be intrigued--more than if you were just a one night stand.

How they feed: He likes to drink from his dates. And he always makes it pleasurable for them, too, usually doing it in the bedroom. 

How they love: If you’ve charmed the youngest Emeritus, he’ll take you out with him when he goes places. Buy you presents, take you to dinners...he’ll show you little nooks and crannies in the city that aren’t well-known to humans, strange and interesting things you don’t see in your normal day-to-day. Sweet little experiences, just between the two of you. 

If you become his scion: Gets very worried about you if he Turns you. He calls on his older brothers for their expertise, which they’ll give him, helping him cool your fevered sleep and soothe your nightmares. Honestly? He’ll let you drink from his neck a lot sooner than any of the others would, tradition be damned. Of course you two are equals...except maybe in the bedroom. You know damn well he’s going to play up the dom/sub nature of the relationship between a sire and their scion when he’s bedding you. It’s just more fun that way. 

Cardinal Copia

A man from 14th century Italy. He used to be a mortal man, but when the plague hit, he was terrified for his life. So he went to Papa Nihil and pledged his service in exchange for immortality. Nowadays, he keeps an eye on Nihil’s affairs and the state of the surrounding territories, scheduling this and keeping track of that. Unlike many of the others, he has a much easier time going out during the day, so he gets sent on a lot of errands and does a lot of travelling. Instead of his canines, his fangs are his two front teeth, sharp and pointy, making him look more like a rat than ever. 

His vampiric abilities include transforming into a rat, command over rats (though he prefers to think of them as friends), turning people into ghouls, and great accounting skills. 

How they approach: You’ll probably be the one to approach him first, let’s be real. After all these years and learning the consequences of being immortal, he doesn’t like interacting much with humans unless he wants a quick fuck. Why bother, when they’re going to be dead the next time you blink? But you can win his heart, with time and persistence! 

How they feed: He bags his own blood, so to speak--he likes to pick a target and research them to make sure they’re a loner or a felon (he doesn’t kill them if they’ve got family or an actual good person, he’s not a complete monster), then kill them and drain them dry. The first drink he takes from their neck, the rest he saves in bags for later in a portable freezer. 

How they love: Would straight up court you. Flowers, dates, dinners.....he’s an old-fashioned gentleman about it. Is terribly frightened of letting you in on his secret...so it’s only when he’s sure you’re The One that he tells you what he is. And that he doesn’t want to ever be without you. Topolino...will you forsake the light and join me in the dark, so we may be together for an eternity?

If you become his scion: You thought Papa III was worried? Hold Copia’s wine. The Cardinal knows what you’re going through, and it’s terrifying for him--because he almost didn’t survive his Turning. What if you die?? He’s there by your side the whole time, putting rags dipped in cool water across your fevered forehead, whispering comfortingly to you as you toss and turn in your nightmares. 

It’s a little strange for him, having someone he could boss around if he wanted, but he’s relatively nice about it. You don’t have to call him ‘Sir’ or anything like that, but if you did, it would make him feel very good. One of the perks about being Copia’s scion is that the man is always on the go--so you’ll have plenty of time to learn the tricks of the trade and watch from his example! 

Oh, and he’d probably start feeding from you instead of just his own supply. And he’ll have you writhing in his arms as he takes his time with your sweet, supple neck.

[fslut]

On a scale of straight to "oh honey..." how repressed/unaware/closeted baby lesbian is this description?

It's under the cut and it's in third person but its should be read like first person, long story. Obviously rough and I'll admit kinda flowery I like writing prose

Catherine couldn't help but sigh wistfully as she gazed over the subjects of Celestia enjoying the blood moon festivities. Beautiful gowns flowing together on the dance floor like some kind of work of art bouncing and just enjoying the prosperity of a healthy powerful kingdom. How Catherine wished she could join the people, watching her sister laugh with the captain mages, a bright easy smile lighting up a face Catherine knew as well as her own.

However, she couldn't rise from her throne because Darius wished to remain seated and all she wanted to do was enjoy her time by her husband's side and bring him joy. Right? Yes of course silly thought.

However Catherine at times felt herself pulled towards the dance floor and she hadn't the faintest clue why. Her heart felt warm and fluttery and sang for something in a language she couldn't understand. It yearned and sang and told her all of its desires but she could do nothing but wonder.

It was not as if her family was there. Little Elizabeth was sneaking sweets from under tables ( oh yes she saw, and was going to give her daughter quite the talking to after all the fun ) her oldest Luna was off blending into the corner the best she could to avoid suitors, oh how that resonated with Catherine she hated to see her daughter subjected to the same dog and pony show but it is what Darius wanted for their daughter and he always knew best.

Her sister had since snuck off with Atrea giggling like two school children up to no good, she was sure this would spell trouble come later in the night. So why? Why then did her heart sing to run to the dance floor and leave her beloved husband behind her.

As if giving an answer that would never be heard to a question never to be spoken a yall figure made his way from the dance floor to the throne. Sei.

Sei was a creature of pure beauty, even a married woman like Catherine could appreciate true stunning women when she saw them. Which was funny, Catherine supposed because Sei was not what one would traditionally see as "beautiful".

Traditional beauty was often seen in Catherine. Long, thick tresses that fell over her shoulders, soft delicate curves draped in the finest of silks and jewels, wide doll like almond eyes, a small red heart shaped mouth, breasts pushed up and at attention for the world to see, waist tiny and stature small.

No Catherine was not a vain woman, she hated these things. On her twin they looked right, she looked happy but on herself she felt they were always off and ugly. However it made her husband look upon her like a prized jewel in his collection and is that not the dream of every woman?

Sei on the other hand was absolute beauty, and very handsome. He stood a startling six foo four since last measured, never once daunted by his own height holding his head high and broad shoulders back. He moved with power and grace all at once, control evident in every flex of his thick muscles well honed over years of combat. While his hands were thin they were in no way delicate like Catherine's marred with scars and callouses that spoke of so much without him having to say a word - they spoke of power, control, safety. His hair shaved at the back and sides with just a small thick curly bundle atop his head a midnight black color. He never wore an ounce of make up and still his dark brown skin glowed whenever Catherine saw him.

If not obvious from the description another large detail stood out about Sei. He proffered to be referred to masculinely. In his romantic life he fell under as a child of venus, a lover of women from the heart of a woman. Not uncommon at all in celestia, Catherine's own sister Milena taking male female and non binary lovers often. However Sei had admitted to a "complicated" relationship with womanhood. While Catherine did not fully understand his motivations she did not need to - it was his business and she only need respect it.

Once, in a soft moment stolen in the middle of the night Sei had confided he sometimes enjoyed terms such as "boy" and "boyfriend" from lovers or those close to his heart in moments of private but would rather just be called a woman in the public's eye to avoid confusion. He did not see himself a boy, he admitted seeing his gender as more defined by his love of women.

Catherine would never forget the intake of breath Sei took, and dilation of his pupils when she asked if they were close enough friends she may call him "her boy" and the way his voice dropped to a gravely husk when he stared into her eyes with intensity and said "Yes. My queen."

She couldnt understand why.

Sei came towards the throne and took a knee, something in Catherine's mind making her reach for and clutch Darius' hand.

"My queen. Lady Lunera has stated she wishes to go to bed early as her "curse" has come upon her suddenly and she feels fatigued." Sei could not hide the smirk on his face or in his voice as he spoke.

Catherine rolled her eyes in amusement "Well I'll be, the fourth time this week alone her menstruation has hit '" something sour in her stomach churned at the disgusted face her husband made at the word, so uncouth in their kingdom. "Very well. Please see to her and make sure she is laid well to rest"

Sei gave a nod and a grin, getting ready to stand and speak when Darius interrupted.

"No future queen or daughter of mine will shirk her responsibilities. Men came from the seven seas to see her and she will entertain the entirety of them. You, sei will tell her right now that for her behavior she will remain at the party until the very last guest has said their goodbyes."

Sei narrowed his eyes, looking to Catherine. Stomach churning harder, Catherine spoke weakly clutching her husband's hand harder. "I am sorry dear, Darius is right it is for the best she learn the responsibilities of being a queen."

Sei growled under his breath as he spoke "yes my lords" though his dark eyes held nothing but concern for Catherine when he looked upon her, bowing and turning to return to Luna.

"That Sei, she spoils that girl I swear."

Catherine twitched, frowning. "Beloved, I have told you Sei wishes to be called he."

Darius scoffed and rolled his eyes, releasing Catherine's hand rising from his throne to go to speak directly to his daughter.

This hole in her heart, it's normal right? It just happens when you give a part of yourself to someone.

[beyondalicerp]

Name: Alistair White Age: 24 Date of Birth: March 3rd Gender: Cis Male Sexuality: Homosexual Residence: Harmony Grove Occupation: Farmhand Species: Wererabbit Affiliation: Neutral Face Claim: William Moseley          Suggested: Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgard, Toby Regbo Played by: Vix

Out of the three of the White Rabbit’s children, they call Alistair their pride because only Alistair has taken on the responsibility of the family name and helped them carry on after their mother’s passing. After watching Whitney’s figure fade into the darkness of Tulgey, Alistair saw their family fall apart. It wasn’t until Alistair fought to put it back, pushing them to get outside and reminding them of the life that awaited them, they finally began to heal. Alistair hasn’t stopped working hard since. They do most of the work on the farm, greet everyone at the market with a perfect smile, and all the while they are the glue that holds their family together - as Whitney once was. The only problem is, while the rest of the White family has had their chance to mourn, the healing never started for Alistair, and every moment they are alone they remember the sorrow weighing on their shoulders, heavier and heavier with each year. One day they may very well find themself crushed under that weight, and no one would even know.

The White Rabbit: As a child, Alistair once looked up to their father as a role model, but now as an adult, whether they realize it or not, Alistair holds a bit of resentment towards Wallace. They know that it was not their father’s fault that their mother died when they were young, but it did seem like Wallace’s fault that the responsibility to keep the family together fell upon Alistair. As they grew up Alistair tended to butt heads with their father, even over some of the smallest things. They know their father loves them and means well, but Alistair can’t help but feel like Wallace could have tried harder to save the childhood their Pride lost after that fateful night.

The Rabbit’s Rebel: Alistair’s believes Cilla’s main goal in life is to scare them into a heart attack; causing trouble at every turn, going off on dangerous expeditions just for the sake of curiosity. The Rebel believes Alistair to be too uptight, but the Rebel wasn’t there the night their mother died. Cilla wasn’t there to watch their mother disappear, never to be seen again. Yes, Alistair can admit to being a bit overprotective, but with Cilla being so similar in personality to their mother, they believe they have plenty reason for being overprotective.

The Rabbit’s Darling: Alistair feels the most protective of the youngest triplet. Having shared the same experience that night in Tulgey, Alistair has had such a close bond with Alyse since the death of their mother. The two siblings find comfort in each other, a kind of comfort they can’t get from Cilla or their father. Alistair loves listening to their stories more than anything; sometimes they find the best comfort in listening to their sibling go on for hours, it brings them enough peace to forget about the tragedy they endured as children, even if just for a moment.

The Rabbit’s Pride is currently TAKEN.

The happiest smiles often hide the deepest sorrows. Alistair White knew true happiness in his mother’s warm smile, playing in the garden with his sisters, and following his father around learning everything he could from the famous White Rabbit. As the first born of the White triplets, Alistair had a expectations to one day be the head of the family and to take over his father’s work. He was his sister’s protector and they were his best friends. Life couldn’t be better. The family’s move to Harmony Grove only made the baby rabbit’s gap tooth smile wider. He loved exploring the farm and nearby market town. The scents of the flower’s in the garden and the feel of dirt under his fingernails brought a calmness to the otherwise excitable and adventurous boy. If he wasn’t exploring with his sister Cilla, or doting on Alyse, he was with his mother in their garden planting vegetables or helping his father with work.

For eight years, the wererabbit had the chance to stay the child he was, but like all things eventually Alistair had to grow up. What he had not expected was the cause to be his mother’s death. Unlike Cilla and Alyse, Alistair saw first-hand what happened. The night in Tulgey was forever imprinted on the back of his eyelids, the ringing in his ears, and every dream since. What started off as a short cut through the woods ended up with bloodstains on the fresh grass and a family torn apart with sorrow. A snarl rang out from the bushes in front of the rabbits that caused Alistair to freeze and cling to his baby sister Alyse. It was only his mother’s frantic scream of “run” that spurred the boy into action. He pulled his sister into a patch of thick bushes where he held her tight as he watched their mother killed and dragged off into the night be a large monster. That one word haunted him in his sleep and for the first years while Alistair was awake.

Those first few weeks after Whitney White’s death passed in a slow blur. Every day felt longer than the last as Alistair had to watch his father fall apart in front of his children. Telling Cilla the news wasn’t any easier. Seeing his sisters cry while burying his own tears was the hardest thing to do. The sweet, excitable rabbit was forced to harden into their family’s glue. It started with Alyse who was there with him that dreadful night. As his sister buried herself in a fantasy world, Alistair followed her down the rabbit hole as he listened to each and every story she wrote. During those times lounging indoors with his sister’s sweet voice distracting him, the wererabbit could almost forget all of his worries. Almost.

His relationship with Cilla suffered the most with their mother’s death. Once upon time they were thick as thieves, but now all Alistair could do was watch as Cilla drifted away from the family and left for her own adventures. Part of the rabbit understood her need to escape the confines of their quiet house, but the majority of his mind worried she would leave never to return. Those days often ended with Alistair lecturing his sister about safety and instead of rebelling, Cilla needed to stay and help around the farm. She never listened.

His father was nothing but an empty husk. Neither of them could hold a conversation together long enough. Still, determination was Alistair’s middle name, so he never gave up no matter how frustrated he became with his father. The day he finally got the White Rabbit outside to the flower garden just to sit in the sunlight and breathe fresh air had Alistair smiling ear to ear. Slowly he watched his family pull themselves back together. “Life is a journey”, he would say. Once the time for mourning was done, he pushed and pushed for them whatever made them feel normal. Or, at least something next to normal. Whitney’s death still lingered on Alistair’s mind even after years passed. The longer he put off mourning his mother the wider the pit in his heart grew. He held his baggage in tight refusing to give into the sorrow he so desperately wanted to leave behind. He was the only one who couldn’t take his own advice.

Nowadays no one would see the pain in his heart. That excitable, brave, determined baby rabbit grew into a strong man who held his shoulder’s back with pride. He can easily make friends with the surliest of people just to see them smile. The farm is flourishing under his careful hands and the vendors at the market sing his praises at the fine man he’s become. Even the gossip of a rebellion don’t seem to phase him. People always ask for his opinion it seems and Alistair always remains neutral despite what he hears.  One day he’ll have to choose a side he just doesn’t want to yet.

[operationrainfall]

Title Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore Developer Atlus, Nintendo Publisher Nintendo Release Date January 17th, 2020 Genre RPG Platform Nintendo Switch Age Rating T for Teen – Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol Official Website

Let me just get this out of the way – I was a big fan of the original Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. I’m well aware of the so called controversy of the original game, and it in no way impacted my enjoyment. So when I saw the original game was getting an upgraded port in Encore, I knew I had to play it. Not only did it feature a revamped build of the original Wii U exclusive, it came packaged with the optional DLC as well as some entirely new content in the EX Story. Thanks to the kind folks at Nintendo providing us the opportunity to review the game, I buckled down and got through as fast as possible. Four years later, am I still a fan of Tokyo Mirage Sessions, or did this Encore fall flat?

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The first thing you should all know about Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is that it’s a game all about the theme of spreading happiness and creativity through art. In the game proper, that art is predominantly split between musical performances and stage acting. It embraces Japanese culture and all its many quirks, while showcasing the glamour of the entertainment industry. Besides that, the game is also a hybrid of two rather different series – Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem. You wouldn’t be faulted for wondering how easily those mesh together, but I can assure you it works shockingly well. Not only does Encore have key elements of both series, such as various character classes, a weapon triangle, exploiting enemy weaknesses and crazed extra-dimensional dungeons, it manages to also stand on its own two feet while inheriting the best aspects of both source materials. That said, for the majority of game, you’re going to see more SMT influence than FE, but once the credits roll, I felt both were well represented. This is also a game that benefits from being a JRPG, for one simple reason – this game’s strong suit isn’t the plot. That’s not to say the story isn’t interesting or entertaining, but after playing it a second time, I couldn’t help but notice several things the plot doesn’t adequately address. Thankfully, the genre is also known for having captivating personalities, and Encore has that in spades. You’ll really grow to love every character in the story, from the main cast to the supporting characters. They’ll all grow and become more fully realized as you play, and if you devote yourself to all the Side Story content (which I highly recommend), you’ll really get rewarded with some touching and hilarious moments.

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While the story (split into several chapters broken up with Intermissions) isn’t the tightest or most complex, it does provide a good structure for how things progress. Tokyo is under assault by invisible forces called Mirages. They are after the distilled creative essence of humanity, called Performa. It’s found in crowds that are inspired by music or theater, so every time some big event happens, Mirages strike. They drain our Performa until we’re just empty husks, and it provides a powerful boost of strength to these Mirages. You’re probably wondering how you fight back against such a threat, at least if you haven’t played a Persona or SMT game before. If you have, you know that it takes fire to fight fire. A small percentage of humans can see Mirages, and by joining forces with heroic ones, they become Mirage Masters. These humans are empowered by their Mirage, granted powerful armor as the Mirage itself turns into their primary weapon, called Carnage. Thus equipped, you and your band of heroes fights back, repelling these otherworldly invaders (portrayed on the map as floating red wraiths) and returning things to normal. Just be wary, since some evil Mirages have possessed prominent humans to do their bidding. There’s other parts to the story, such as the mystery of Tiki’s lost memories and an incident a few years back where a group of people vanished, including Tsubasa’s sister, but I’ll leave those portions for you to discover.

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Speaking of characters, let’s spend some time discussing the main ones. You play as Itsuki Aoi. He’s a mild mannered boy known as the Prince of Denseness, yet his support helps all his friends grow and reach their ultimate potential. He’s not quite an avatar, but he’s also the least fleshed out character in the game. Then there’s Itsuki’s childhood friend, Tsubasa. She suffered some serious trauma as a child, yet has still managed to grow into a loving and strong person. She’s also a ridiculous fangirl, and often gets so perplexed she walks into walls and gets tongue tied, inverting word order. Or take Touma, a hot headed action hero in training that uses confidence to hide his insecurity. There’s the old pro Kiria, entertainer extraordinaire and literal ice queen, at least until you reveal her soft and fluffy side. Then there’s Ellie, a girl of mixed ethnicity with a sharp tongue who has aspirations of Hollywood fame. For those who prefer innocence, there’s the sweet and demure Mamori, a young actress with her own popular cooking show that wants to protect those she loves. Finally, there’s the cold and brutally honest Yashiro. He starts out as a bitter rival to your team, but eventually you convince him to look past his misconceptions and discover the pain he’s hiding.

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But that’s just the main characters. There’s three other important supporting characters, and they’re all tremendous as well. Your boss is the busty and flirtatious Maiko, a one time model that runs the Fortuna agency with iron determination. There’s nothing she won’t do to help her stable of artists prosper, and that especially includes getting completely drunk while making connections. Or there’s Tiki, an ethereal green haired maiden whose name may sound familiar to Fire Emblem fans. Devoid of any physical form, Tiki only exists in the Bloom Palace, a extra-dimensional realm accessible from the Fortuna office. Though she has no memories, that doesn’t prevent her from showing off her loving and helpful side, always willing to help out her Big Brother! And finally there’s my favorite, Barry Goodman. A former metal rocker and Mirage Master, Barry has seen better days, but he’s always willing to train new talent. He’s also a worse fanboy than Tsubasa, and his brash and quirky personality provided some of my biggest laughs.

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Now, none of the plot or character would much matter if the game wasn’t fun, but Encore is a delight. In large part, that’s due to the complex and kinetic combat. You fight with a team of 3, and your goal is to attack the enemy to pinpoint their weaknesses. Once you’ve done that, by using a Skill that exploits it, you’ll initiate the titular Sessions. Essentially, this is a giant chain of attacks that proceeds from a single one, ignoring enemy defenses. Initially this only involves your current team, but eventually you’ll acquire the ability to include your sub cast of characters, leading to massive combos. When you have one foe left, you’ll deal Overkill damage, providing great rewards of cash and Performa. As you level up, your Carnage learn new Skills, and you get to choose which you keep and which you toss. Additionally, you can change out any member of your team whenever you want, other than Itsuki. This allows you to bring in the right character for the task at hand, and manipulate the field of battle to your advantage. Just keep in mind, only the characters in combat level up their Carnage, while everybody levels up their character level regardless.

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You also have at your disposal powerful Special and Ad-lib Performances. Special Performances use energy you’ve filled up in your meter by attacking, and has some tremendously powerful effects. Some of my favorite examples are temporarily increasing enemy weaknesses, healing your entire team, fatally killing enemies and much more. Ad-lib are also quite powerful, but only activate randomly when characters use Skills with the corresponding attack type. For example, if Ellie uses a Bow attack, she may use One-Sided Love, which damages all your foes and charms them to boot. If instead you use a Lightning Skill like Maziodyne with Itsuki, you might activate Back Chorus, zapping the entire field. Last of all are Duo Arts. You won’t have access to these until the latter portion of the game, but once you do, they make a big difference. They often trigger during long Sessions, and have two of your teammates join together for tremendous and powerful attacks. A great example is The Tunnel Home, where Barry, dressed like a giant dog, races to catch Mamori’s axe, and then charges the foe headfirst with it, ripping them to shreds. Keep in mind that while both Ad-lib Performances and Duo Arts are random, having a higher Luck stat seems to trigger them more often, since Ellie, who has very high luck, seemed to trigger these types of attack the most.

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Like any good RPG, you can upgrade your gear, crafting more powerful weapons. This process is called Unity, and it’s done at the Bloom Palace with Performa dropped by defeated foes. When you gather enough, you can have Tiki conduct a Carnage Unity, making a new weapon with enhanced stats and differing weaknesses by fusing the gathered Performa with your Mirage. Eventually you can craft +1 or higher versions of the same Carnage, which is useful when you can’t find the right Performa to make a new weapon. Also, whenever you make a new one, you have a chance to learn a new Special Performance, meaning it’s in your best interest to keep on fighting so you can make stronger weapons and learn more abilities. For the most part, I felt this loop worked very well, and only hit a wall that forced me to grind for parts a couple of times in my near 50 hour experience. Another type of Unity is Radiant Unity, where you use special Performa found only in the many Side Stories to learn new abilities that you don’t have to equip and which are constantly in use. A good example is Open Audition, which lets your sub cast of characters jump into Sessions. An integral one is learned by Itsuki, called Director Itsuki, which lets you switch foes after you kill one and keep the Session going. Finally, like any good Fire Emblem, you can change your class. You do this with (you guessed it) Master Seals, which are either mission rewards or found in hard to reach corners of dungeons. This lets you further customize your experience and changes the look of your Mirage, though I admit I found the starting forms preferable to many of the downright strange looking upgraded classes. But that’s just a matter of personal preference, you might find that you love the look of these new forms.

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Although the plot isn’t Encore’s strong suit, that isn’t the same as saying the writing falls flat. I found most of the dialogue very funny and revealing, whether it be conveyed in some grand speech or in digital messages called Topics. In the original Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Topics were relegated to the Gamepad, and notified you when one of your characters had something to say, or when you could start a new Side Story. Though Topics are alive and well here, instead they’re relegated to the + button. This wasn’t problematic per se, but oftentimes I would open up the main menu, which is separate from the Topic menu. This only cost me a few seconds to close it out and open the right one, but it was far less intuitive than originally on the Wii U. That said, the Topics are often hilarious, showing banter between Itsuki and his friends. The Topic menu also helps keep track of which Side Stories are in progress, and is where you’ll find the dungeon maps. I loved the Side Stories in the game, since not only did they showcase more of the cast’s personalities, but they provided powerful upgrades and Backup Skills for the sub characters. My only issue was when it wasn’t clear how to progress certain missions, such as when Tsubasa is on the hunt for a stray cat, and the clues you’re given are entirely open ended and unnecessarily vague. The missions that involved combat or just progressed like a Visual Novel were much more to my liking, since I get frustrated whenever I get stuck. That said, it occurred to me as I played that if there’s ever a VN made of Encore, it would most definitely be a Harem VN. Itsuki becomes the love interest of ALL the female characters, even though he’s too dense to realize it. Even the men all respect and admire him. In other words, there’s a universe in which Itsuki finally learns the full extent of Maiko’s many charms, and that’s a tale I would definitely read.

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The dungeons in Encore play out very much like a Persona game. Enemies will appear and chase you, though most can be stunned with Itsuki’s sword to gain First Strike during battle. There’s also terrifying Savage enemies, black wraiths that can’t be knocked down and which generally are 10+ levels higher than your team. Though dungeons aren’t littered with traps and false floors, they each have a unique gimmick that makes traversal a challenge. While the very first one is incredibly basic, the one immediately after that is a giant step up in terms of complexity and difficulty. It has you manipulate empty mannequins, raising or lowering their arms, then progressing through the cuffs to reach new areas. There’s another that is full of devious cameras that take your picture and return you to the very beginning, not unlike the Wallmasters in Zelda. Pretty much each dungeon is distinct looking and offers a robust challenge, and none other than the first can be breezed through. Most took me more than 2 hours, and the final one easily took 8 or more. Thankfully, early on Tsubasa acquires the Traport skill, which lets you transport yourself back to Fortuna HQ, where you can heal your team with a soda. Depending on the type of can, you will also increase the luck of certain characters temporarily. I had no issue with this, other than my confusion about the very first dungeon having a heal spot, and none of the others. But so long as you don’t mind a little back and forth teleportation, you shouldn’t have any problems getting through these dungeons. Just put on your thinking cap and get ready to fight back hordes of Mirages.

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It wouldn’t be a satisfying RPG without tough bosses, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore delivers. Every time I thought I was getting overpowered in the game, the next boss would prove me wrong. None of the bosses here are easy, at least on the Normal difficulty I chose. Most of them can wipe you out in a couple turns, especially if your team is weak to any of their attacks. Each boss usually has a posse of minor foes, and while that might seem unfair, since they can summon more, they’re there for a reason. Namely, so you can defeat the minor foes to build up your Session meter and then unleash powerful attacks on the bosses. I enjoyed the challenge provided by these fights, and only found a handful to be a pain. One was a doppleganger of Yashiro that could split himself into clones, and which would go into a counter stance to parry any physical attacks. Another was Excellus, a floating mechanical mage that changed his resistances during the fight, and which could hit my team with unrelenting magical attacks. There’s a couple others, but overall I wasn’t upset with the more difficult bosses. They just required I be willing to grind up my levels and equipment a bit, a skill I gathered recently thanks to games like Persona Q.

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Now, it wouldn’t be fair to talk about Encore without touching upon the new content. First of all, you have a rather silly (yet awesome) ability at the start to choose whether or not Tsubasa wears glasses in the game. As a fan of the sexy librarian trope, I opted for it. Besides that, the DLC which was previously only available to those that paid for it is part of the main package now. It’s essentially free, since this version of the game costs as much as the base version of the original, $59.99. The DLC, which opens up a couple dungeons into the game, includes 3 areas you can tackle. One is full of Savage enemies that reward you with Tomes which help level up faster; another area gives you Skill Books, for learning new Skills much faster; and lastly one has Detritus, which can be traded for stat boosting Incense. While I’m fine with these options, I didn’t use them much. Mostly cause there was no story there, you can’t save in these areas, and frankly Savage foes are a giant pain in the ass. What I would have preferred was an area full of Rare Mirages, which often drop hard to find Performa necessary for powerful Carnage Unity. In my entire playthrough, I maybe encountered 10 of these Mirages, and what’s worse, they aren’t tied to any specific area. That wasn’t a huge problem til later in the game, but it is worth mention.

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However, the real draw for Encore is the EX Story. It all takes place in a new dungeon called the Area of Aspiration, where supposedly your dreams are brought into physical form. I admit I was tentatively very excited about the EX Story, as I hoped it would provide an excuse to spend more time with this world. Unfortunately, I have to confirm it’s rather short and insubstantial. The story tied to the Area of Aspiration only involves Itsuki, Tsubasa and Kiria, and none of the others. While it’s cool you can find new costumes there, and I appreciated unlocking the use of Tiki, Maiko and Barry in Sessions, that’s also not the same as them being playable characters. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for tiny green dragons, busty ninjas and knights clad in dog-armor, but I also don’t feel like the process of unlocking them was fulfilling. In the main story, you progress in Side Stories and learn more about your teammates, and then those revelations empower them. Here, you just open a chest and get new features. Plus, I’m still not clear how Maiko and Barry, who lack Mirages, magically get the ability to fight Mirages, which the game states over and over again is the sole province of a Mirage Master. And though you can’t get through the Area of Aspiration all at once, since parts of it are gated behind other content, it’s still over way too soon. It only has 3 chapters and one boss. I was really hoping for a meaty dungeon to spend hours and hours in after I beat the final boss. Instead, I got maybe a couple hours of extra content that left me wanting more than the one new song, “She Is”, rewarded to you at the very end of the experience. Which isn’t to say I hated the EX Story, I didn’t. I just feel a game of this caliber deserved better.

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As for how the game game looks and plays, both are fantastic. Even though the original Tokyo Mirage Sessions was on the Wii U, and while the limitations of that console are still apparent (reused enemy models, limited draw distance, a seemingly sprawling map that’s only composed of a few areas), it in no way prevents this from being a beautiful game. I love how random passerby are rainbow colored, or how the Fortuna office gets decorated after various performances with posters, or even the neon portraits of your team during battle. Hell, even though they reuse enemy models with a new coat of paint, there’s a good variety of foes, from giant clown heads to winged raiders to hideous giants and top-hat wearing ghosts. Of special note are the game’s bosses, which each are stunning looking and showcase a distinct aesthetic style. And each of the characters’ different Mirages are all full of personality that is matched by their design. Musically, I love the game equally. While the main combat and exploration themes are somewhat laid back, I live for when the music of performances enters the fray of battle. I still tap my feet to the Duo Arts “Dream Catcher” and “Give Me”, and am always impressed by the Kiria’s bad ass tunes, such as her Ad-lib Performance “The Labyrinth.” There’s tons of rocking tunes in Encore, from a wide range of genres. I never thought I liked J-pop, but Tokyo Mirage Sessions may have proven me wrong. Oh and though I am not fluent in Japanese in the slightest, I loved the personality and pop provided by the vocal cast, in and out of combat.

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Now, while I like almost everything about Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore, reviewing games for this many years has trained me to view things critically. As such, the following are minor frustrations that dragged the experience down a bit. One are the bestiary’s enemy locations. These can be viewed from your main menu, and are integral when you need to farm the right Performa for weapons and skills. Unfortunately, the enemy locations found here don’t correspond to the actual area map. Another issue is that I wish that once you see a scene, you can skip it entirely the next time. Often right before a boss fight there’s a ton of dialogue, and while you can speed through it, you can’t skip it, and you definitely can’t skip Topic notifications that are story related. This made the final boss fight all the harder, since there’s a massive scene right before it, and it takes a good minute and a half to speed through it. I also kind of wish the map wasn’t on the Topic menu, but the other huge main menu, since it can be time consuming transitioning between them. It’s also a bit irritating that you’ll get notifications of a side story about to open up, then have to wait til it’s triggered. This is after you level up your Stage Rank, which is in itself a nebulous process, since there’s no counter that tells you when it’s full, unlike character and Carnage level. And one last thing that really irritated me was that I always had tons of money in-game, literally millions, but not enough things to spend it on. The Carabia boutique has a very limited supply of equipment, and none that is really game changing. Even buying all the costumes from Harajuka left me millions in the bank. I almost wish this game took mechanics from a game like Persona Q, letting you farm materials that you trade in to create new equipment regularly. Other than these, I very much enjoyed the game.

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All in all, I’m still very much a fan of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE after beating Encore. It’s basically the same game, just with a bit of extra content thrown in and some minor quality of life improvements such as the Quick Session option and faster load times. While I was ultimately unimpressed with the EX Story, I still appreciate being able to play one of my favorite Wii U exclusives on my Switch portably. If you’re a fan of Japanese culture and love crazy RPGs full of heart, you owe it to yourself to play Encore. Now I just have to cross my fingers and pray we get a true sequel that improves on this already fantastic experience.

[easyreview cat1title=”Overall” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4.5″]

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REVIEW: Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore Title Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore