#so i ended up a lot balder than planned

[butchviking]

Hal describe the worst haircut you've ever had pretty please

i havent had any particularly bad haircuts tbh.. i dont really care abt hair i just get it cut once every year or two and then it grows out until i can b bothered cutting it again. only one that comes 2 mind is one time when i was in my late teens i was determined i wanted my hair short (like PROPERLY short not a shortish womens cut) and my mother had clippers bc she used 2 cut my fathers hair but she refused to cut mine. it was a few days before christmas i think so i walked into her room with a pair of scissors in my hand and hacked a big chunk of my hair off in front of her and was like. ok so now you can either cut my hair properly or go out with the whole family on christmas day with me looking like this :) and she huffed & puffed and agreed that yeah she was going to HAVE to cut it when she got back. then went shopping & while she was gone i hacked the rest of it off w the scissors. n then she came home and was like fine whatever it looks passable actually. so i just lived like that

[hellionsheart]

general #7, story #6, romance #11 for Mila!

sorry for taking a while to answer!

this ended up longer than I planned so answers are under the cut

General 7# Do they have their own personal quest that spans the course of the game?  Can it take different branching paths depending on the choices the Player Character makes?

In act 1 Mila is lying about pretty much everything, making up stories of past adventures to make herself seem more impressive. She wants the player to believe she is a useful member of the team, but she is a sheltered, rich girl who's never been in a fight. She doesn't have the experience the rest of the party has and is dealing with a bit of imposter syndrome as a result. The player can confront her about this early with a good enough insight roll or wait until her approval is high enough for her to confess on her own. The player can react in anger, which will cause Mila to beg to be allowed to stay with the group, or they can reassure her that she is a valued member of the team.

Over the rest of acts 1&2 she will gradually reveal more information about her family (unless her approval of the player character is low). They are nobles from Balder's Gate, and her parents have always been very strict about where she could go and who she could talk to. They did not support her dreams of adventure; it would be far too dangerous, and would do nothing to maintain the family's status that they worked so hard to achieve. She will come to the conclusion that she needs to talk to her family. The player can either encourage her to listen to her parents or confront them.

The exciting part of her quest comes in act 3. Once she is reunited with her family, she mentions that something is off; they're acting different. Is this related to The Absolute or a different problem entirely? The only way to find out is to get dressed up and attend the party they're throwing to celebrate the safe return of their youngest daughter!

Story #6 Will they stay with the Player Character regardless of siding with the goblins or the tieflings, or is it possible for them to leave the party permanently?

Siding with the goblins will lower her approval a lot, but she will stay because she's not an experienced fighter and doesn't believe she'd make it far on her own. However, if her approval is low when you get to Balder's gate (either because you sided with the goblins or for other reasons), she will leave permanently. If you meet her family they will mention their daughter is still missing; she never made it home.

Romance #11 What are Tav’s plans for the future?  Do they propose to the PC, or is marriage not something they’re interested in?

She wants to keep traveling and spread the story of the adventure through her music. She would not suggest marriage exactly but would ask the player to come along as her "muse".

https://sssnerson.tumblr.com/post/735272764943073280

[robbiedaymonds]

3x04 madwife analysis (aka freakout)

So when I started watching s3, I decided to only watch Laura’s scenes for many reasons. I didn’t exactly like any Madwife references beyond the first episode and I wasn’t expecting anything big.

But boy was I wrong as fuck!

I realized, before I started writing this, that we’ve gotten a lot of Madwife in s1 and s2, but almost all of it was from Sweeney’s PoV right? His feelings, his yearnings, his puppy-dog eyes. And now, we’re seeing Madwife from Laura’s point of view and the angst is overwhelming.

Let’s begin.

First off, it seems like Laura gave up the coin and went to purgatory/hell to try to find Sweeney right? At least, once she realized in 3x03 what was going on, she changed her tune. She talked to that old lady about Sweeney. She hilariously brushed off any sort of “relationship” between the two of them in a laughable, memeable way. 

And then my friends.....

the old lady says “You were just talking like maybe he’s someone special.”

And what happens? We see Laura, looking mournful and guilty even, and then...AND THEN! 

A MOTHER FUCKING MADWIFE MONTAGE OVER A ROMANTIC/ANGSTY SONG!!

I’m not even joking, I almost died. I was like “Am I really seeing this?! Is this really happening?!” And lord when I rewatched that part and listened to the lyrics, it hurt my god damn soul.

And then, Laura quickly changes her tune and tells the lady that no, he’s just the guy who killed her, but her face says otherwise.

Okay, BREATHE. Take a moment if you need to.

Second off, a small moment. Laura’s humming this tune that we heard in 3x03. Laura figures out the title is “Requiem of Balder”. !!! For those who don’t remember, Baldr is Odin’s son and briefly was mentioned in connection with Sweeney when he was doing his big battle as Lugh near the end of his life where he killed Baldr (or Odin), when he was talking to Mr. Ibis. This is cool because it not only links Laura with Odin and her destiny to kill him, but also Laura and Sweeney in a roundabout way.

Third, let’s just say, the moment I screamed and paused the show: the blood. Laura’s dust on the ground and some guys find Sweeney’s mutilated :( corpse. They take him away and the tomb he was laying on was covered in blood. His blood. One dude stays to clean it up and starts hosing it off which makes the blood start to slide down the sides of the tomb and what happens? The guy steps on the grigri potion that Samedi gave her to give her life.

And my friends, we watch with held breath as MAD SWEENEY’S BLOOD mixes with LAURA’S POTION and starts to glow with golden veins. And wouldn’t you know it, Laura gets yeeted out of purgatory and winds up, naked and alive, lying on the floor where the mixture had...mixed.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!!

I know most of the fandom had this idea from s2 onward. Sweeney’s blood was the key to Laura’s potion. But the implications is that Sweeney had LOVE IN HIS VEINS because, remember Samedi said the final potion ingredient was two drops of blood infused with love. *SCREAMS* I can’t even eloquently say how much this destroyed me in a good and bad way. The fact that it meant Sweeney kept up his bargain: he was paramount in making Laura live again. T___T His love (whether it be specifically for her, or just his ability to love in general) was paramount in making her potion work.

The poetry of it is just unparalleled.

Okay so Laura wakes up and asks where Sweeney is (she uses his GOD DAMN NAME and let me tell you I just about ascended to the pearly gates myself) and is told he’s gone. Like...gone gone. The subtle emotions on her face are indescribable. She’s guilty and sad, there is grief and confusion there. She says it’s “her fault” that he’s dead and that she should have been able to bring him back, but couldn’t. She’s so damn sad, you can’t help but feel for her. I don’t know if “her fault” was because she ran him away after they had magic~sex~ with the Lao or because she couldn’t save him...maybe it was both. 

In any case, Laura facing her feelings and dealing with consequences of her actions and decisions is a big step for her. (Also can we celebrate that she’s alive again?! I hope she doesn’t squander this second chance, but I doubt she will. She has a plan and it’s to kill Wednesday so thank god.)

Also, we have Laura picking up Sweeney’s coin, which is, for once, covered in his blood rather than tucked away in her chest. That moment was sort of sweet and understated and I think will have something to do with Doyle finding her, but we’re not here to talk about that. The fact is, she didn’t leave it. She still has Sweeney’s coin, even after she willingly gave it to him.

Lastly, we find Laura eating, sitting in a cemetery. I feel like she’s at home in places of the dead now, even though she’s alive. I love the motif and the implications of what that means. Anyway, the guy brings over a box and in it is Sweeney’s ashes. Laura takes it almost delicately and we get some gorgeously  heartbreaking shots of her hands stroking the sides and we get the line “Somehow all of him fits in here.” RIP MY HEART OUT WHY DON’T YOU. And then, as if I’m not in enough pain, they show another snippet of a flashback with that same ghostly romantic song, a shot of Sweeney sitting in that field. I think that’s important to note...THAT is the moment she thought of. When she was at her lowest and Sweeney told her to suck it up and keep fucking fighting, no matter what.

I think that says a lot in that moment. Now that Laura’s alive, she could easily return to a normal life, but that moment spoke a lot into her future. She’s going to keep on with her mission to kill Wednesday. Sweeney died trying to do the same and since she couldn’t save him, she’s going to kill the god instead.

And of course, there’s the symbolism of Laura being dropped off in the dark near a glowing hill. We know Laura always saw Shadow as a glow in her B&W dead vision right? So she’s standing there, glow in the distance....HUGGING THE BOX TO HER CHEST. She’s hugging Mad Sweeney to her chest, looking a little lost, just one sad girl trying to kill the Allfather, and she’s walking toward the light. OOF. It hurt big time, y’all. I can’t even.

Anyway, I feel like there may be a moment where Laura buries the box and officially says goodbye to Sweeney, but I also can’t help but think of all the emotional connection there is with the simple fact of her holding onto it. She could have dumped it into a river after she left the cemetery, but no she took it with her, her sole possession besides a golden god-coin, a box of ashes.

There’s a lot to unpack, and I haven’t even scratched the surface. I’m still digesting and I need time to process! Feel free to add your thoughts, let me know how y’all are doing. 

[freddieslater]

Twelve Days of Rarepairs: Allydia | Allison Argent x Lydia Martin (Teen Wolf)

Requested by @wonderdoves

Hosting a Christmas party is not something Allison ever really planned to do. She just figured that if parties happened to be going on, and she got an invite, she'd go. But throwing one herself? Absolutely not, for many levels of reasons.

Then again, she supposes she isn't throwing it herself. Technically it's not even her party, really—Lydia wanted to throw one, but her mom said no, so she asked to borrow Allison's house. Her dad's out of town with Melissa and won't be back until Christmas day, and her aunt Kate's flight was delayed, so she's still stuck in the airport for the next twenty-four hours or so. Leaving tonight totally free.

For the best, too. Right now, Allison can't even find her way through her own house. She knew it was big, but she didn't realize just how big until nearly a hundred people were crammed inside of it. And that's just a guess.

"Oh—sorry, excuse me," Allison apologizes as she knocks into someone with her shoulder while trying to wind her way past without spilling the cup in her hand. 

The person ignores her. She just hurries on, taking a drink. Honestly, she isn't that thirsty, but she needed something to do to feel less awkward and out of place. Plus, Lydia made the punch, and it's surprisingly good when it doesn't have the secret ingredient of wolfsbane. 

She narrowly avoids tripping over someone else's foot, stumbling slightly. When she turns back around, she spots Lydia quickly approaching. 

Allison breathes a sigh of relief and stops in front of a rather annoyed looking Lydia. 

"So, I've not only lost all of our friends in here somewhere, but I'm also ninety percent sure I've lost control of this thing entirely," Lydia tells her. 

"Fantastic." 

Allison moves a strand of hair away from her face, blowing out a breath. 

"Well," she starts, letting her hand swing back to her side, "it could be worse, right? I mean, nothing is totally out of control, and everyone's having fun?"

Lydia raises an eyebrow. "Except you. And now me."

Allison rolls her eyes. "I'm not… not having fun. It is kind of nice to be able to relax a little. At least compared to what we're usually dealing with."

Lydia just gives a little hum in agreement, still not looking entirely sure as she surveys the shouting group hovering near them in the kitchen. 

"Here—" Allison holds out her cup, nodding her head at it, "—have a drink. It might help."

"I'm stressed, not dehydrated," Lydia replies, but she still accepts the offer and takes a drink. "Though maybe a little bit of that, too. Thanks. I'm just glad I found you."

A small smile curves Allison's mouth. She tries to ignore the slight flush of warmth in her face. She knows Lydia just means because she's worried about the party getting out of control and she doesn't want to be separated with strangers. But it still makes her a little bit happier to think she brings her some comfort. That feeling of safety that Allison gets every time she catches a glimpse of strawberry blond hair or that smile or their eyes lock across a room. 

The eyes she quickly realizes she's been gazing at for a moment too long. 

Snapping out of it, she quickly looks away, swallowing. Her heart thumps against her ribs accusingly. It's silenced when her eyes dart up.

Oh. 

"What?" Lydia asks, spotting her expression, now fixed on the doorway above them. Frowning, she follows her line of sight before Allison can stop her. 

She sees the sprig of mistletoe. One of many that they hung throughout the house, as insisted upon by Stiles when he and Scott came over to help them get the party ready.

"Oh," Lydia says.

Allison's gaze drops back to Lydia. She just stares up at the mistletoe with wide eyes, her lips parted as if to speak, but the words are getting lost on the way out. 

"I guess we should have expected something like this," Allison jokes, giving a half shrug and a forced chuckle. Trying to disguise how pink her face must be right now and keep the butterflies in her stomach calm. 

Lydia shifts her eyes from their captor to meet Allison's gaze. She presses her lips together, chewing on her lower lip. For a second, Allison thinks she's going to say how it's just some dumb, old tradition, and that she is not going to be a part of keeping something so pointless alive.

But she doesn't say that. She doesn't say anything. Doesn't make a getaway excuse. Her throat shifts as she swallows and takes a deep breath.

Then in a rushed exhale, she says, "You know, hanging mistletoe in a doorway comes from a Norse legend."

Allison's heart sinks. She nods, and smiles. She promised herself that if Lydia didn't show any sign of sharing her feeling by the end of the night, she'd let it go and move on. And reciting a Norse myth seems like a desperate attempt to get out of kissing her without just rejecting her. Even if it would be unknowingly. 

"Yeah," Allison says. "The, uh… the legend of Balder. Loki tricked Balder's twin brother into murdering him with mistletoe wood."

Lydia looks startled that she already knows. But surely that gives her an easy out then, right? 

"Yeah! Yeah, um…" Lydia doesn't move. She still stands there, glued to the spot, back to chewing at her bottom lip. Her face lights up, and she quickly says, "Well, uh, there are other legends, of course! People tend to mix them up with holly, because they look so similar, so people think that red berries mean mistletoe when, actually, they're quite different. And everyone knows that mistletoe is usually extremely toxic, to both humans and animals. As we know… from past experience."

Allison's just staring at Lydia, her eyebrows raised. She thought she knew where this was going. This? This is not it. Before she can say anything, Lydia's continuing her rambling, at such high speeds it's almost hard to keep up.

"It's toxicity actually varies quite a bit based on region, though, which—"

"Lydia," Allison starts. "We don't—"

"—can actually be really interesting!"

"Lydia."

"There are many different types of mistletoe, with different scientific names. Viscum album, viscum cruciatum, even Phoradendron leucarpum, which is native to North America!"

"That's—that's really interesting, but—"

"Viscum album—the European mistletoe—is more toxic than Phoradendron serotinum, which is the kind that we're most familiar with."

"Oh, that's—I mean—"

"And, despite the fact that all one-thousand-five-hundred types of mistletoe are toxic in most situations, it used to be used for medicinal purposes to treat things like arthritis, epilepsy! It's still used in parts of South Asia, because the effects aren't fatal. Disturbing and, frankly, unpleasant, but not fatal! In fact, the effects tend to be more prominent in animals. Which, wouldn't be good for any of our friends. But—"

"Lydia," Allison finally cuts her off. Her eyebrows are as far as they can be on her forehead. "You're rambling a bunch of scientific facts to me, and honestly, it's a little scary."

Lydia nods, pressing her lips together again. "Yeaaah. Sorry."

Allison pauses, thinking, this is her one opportunity, there will never be a better time, and—Lydia isn't running away. She's nervous rambling science to her. But she's not using her usual methods of getting out of something she doesn't want to do. 

Shutting her brain off before she can overthink it, she goes for it.

"I want to kiss you," she tells Lydia. "If you don't want to kiss me, that's fine, we can ignore the mistletoe entirely and move on. Okay?"

The blunt confessions throws Lydia off her usually perfect guard. She blinks those wide eyes, her lips parting but nothing coming out. 

"Uh, y-yeah," she fumbles out, then shakes her head, "I mean—I'm okay with it. Kissing you, I'm okay with kissing you—that sounds so lame, oh my god—I want to kiss you, too!"

"Okay," Allison laughs, and leans in. 

Her skin is on fire before her lips find Lydia's, and her stomach is doing olympic style flips when she does kiss her, and Lydia's kissing back with an eagerness she definitely wasn't expecting. 

If anything, she was certain it'd be a quick, funny peck on the lips, and that's it over and done with, just a fun little moment to laugh about. But Lydia doesn't pull away, and Allison is not going to be the one to pull away first. 

Instead, they keep kissing. Lips moving together, Lydia's hands on the sides of Allison's neck, holding her closer. 

Next second, someone bumps into them. They break apart out of surprise, Lydia trying not to spill Allison's drink. The person's already stumbled away.

They both look back at each other, Allison's heart in her throat, and Lydia's eyes widening again. She draws her tongue across her bottom lip as she clearly falters for what to say now, but it's actually incredibly distracting.

"So…" Lydia starts, uncertain. Then a small smile forms at the corners of her mouth. "You wanted to kiss me? Any particular reason? Is it because of my lipgloss? It is especially appealing tonight, extra shiny."

Allison can't help but smile at Lydia's teasing tone. It appears her nerves have fluttered off and left behind her usual cool, calm composure.

"That is one reason," Allison says, nodding, and Lydia gives a curious little hum, arching an eyebrow. "But also… because I've wanted to kiss you for a while. Because I really like you. A lot."

"Yeah, I think I got that," Lydia says, barely containing the shake of laughter in her voice and absolutely failing at disguising the sparkle of delight in her eyes. "I just cannot believe that you confessed before I did. And under the mistletoe."

Allison can't even begin to comprehend the "before I did" part. She just laughs as well, shaking her head and faking a wince.

"Wow, of all the cliches," she jokes. 

"Well, personally, I don't mind a cliche here and there," Lydia says, with a smile that makes Allison's breath catch in her throat.

She pushes it out and quickly draws in another, returning her smile as she says, "Neither do I."

[twoidiotwriters1]

Pure Blood 34 (Sirius Black x F!Oc)

Words: 2, 299

Warnings: Injuries. Domestic violence. Pain. Trauma

Masterlist:

Chapter 33. chapter 35

The voices are far away. I feel my body shiver from time to time and several hands touch me. I try to open my eyes, but the light hurts. I want to speak, but only a groan comes out of my mouth. My throat burns, my lungs are desperate for air.

I move my hand, a stabbing pain runs through my body, like lightning, spreading from my legs all the way up to my head. I complain again, I hear voices more clearly.

"Persephone, stay still, please…”

That's Jane. I'm with Jane. Why?

"Persephone, stop moving, you will hurt yourself more,” I feel hands on my arms and I growl. "If you listen to me, squeeze my hand,” I feel her hand on mine. I obey her orders. "Good girl. I know you have questions, your body has gone through a lot. I'll give you a potion so you can sleep. But I need you to stop fighting. You’re safe…”

Her tone sounds desperate, so I stopped moving. Then a liquid passes my lips and travels down my throat.

***

The second time I woke up, I was able to open my eyes. I find myself in an unfamiliar room, the curtains are closed and it is only me, lying on a bed.

I sigh now feeling that my lungs can work better, but with every minute that it takes, the pain keeps coming back, especially in my left arm. I stir by letting out a groan, it doesn't take long for the door to open, illuminating the room a bit for a few seconds.

“How nice that you are awake. I was already worrying, ”says Jane.

I hear him drag a chair to get closer to the bed.

"Jane" I say hoarsely.

"No, don't talk yet" she scolds me. "I will explain everything to you, but first I will heal your wounds"

***

My left arm is broken, I have two broken ribs, almost and that affects my lungs. Many bruises all over my body, my right cheekbone is swollen, I have a cut on my left ear, and several displaced cuts everywhere.

That is the diagnosis or the "simplest" way in which Jane could explain it to me. The healing is horrible and with every salve, potion and bandage change I feel like my bones are about to shatter into a thousand pieces. My screams echo through the room, only when Jane is done do I feel the burning in my throat.

The worst fight against my father happened at my house on the same day that I returned for Christmas holidays. That has been a week. Juno and my mother were on the side of Ares. They helped him, they agreed that I deserved something like that. Balder was another accomplice, he was responsible for various injuries.

I don't remember every detail, until now, in my dreams, green flashes arrive, screams, curses, and pain.

Apollo arrived just before they could assassinate me. My own family.

I’m with Apollo, Jane and Atlas. My parents don't know where I am and they don't want to know. To them, I am dead. Just like Sirius, but worse.

***

1

"You must walk a bit.”

"I've already done it.”

"Not just to go to the bathroom, Persephone."

“It hurts every time I breathe. I can't walk, Jane,” I growl looking at the ceiling.

She sighs.

"I know it hurts, but if you don't start moving, it’ll be worse.”

"This could not be worse.”

“Persephone…”

"Leave me alone.”

***

2

“Sirius wrote to me. Actually, all your friends have,” says Apollo. He’s sitting next to my bed with a book in hand. I don't respond and continue eating. “They’re worried about you. You should answer them.”

"They wrote to you,” I reply.

"If you keep sulking in your misery, you won't be able to go back to school."

"Maybe I don't want to go back…”

"That's a lie and you know it,” I shrug. He shakes his head. "Listen," he leans and takes the tray away from me. “You know I'm not like Jane and maybe I'm not the right person to encourage you to keep going. But you know the consequences very well. You’re not stupid and you’re no longer a kid. Go out, play with Atlas, write to your friends, do something. You are free, Persephone, although it may not feel like it.”

***

3

“I spoke to Dumbledore, you’re allowed to miss the first week. I told him that your body needs more time.”

"What if I don't return?"

Jane sighs.

"Your friends would miss you.”

"Forget the other people. What would happen to me? What if I don't finish school?"

"I can't see the future.”

“Try."

“No,” She answers raising her voice. “What you’re doing is not right. You demand answers that you know already. You cannot hide forever. Neither your brother nor I will allow it. Allow your head to think of someone other than you, Persephone. Think that a war is coming, and that we need every wizard and witch to be able to stop it.”

"Do you know about that?" She nods. "The order of the phoenix?" She nods again. "You said you talked to Dumbledore…”

“Yes, he came yesterday. I don't know how he found out. Your parents tried to hide any scandal…”

"He knew," I whisper.

"What?"

“Before the holidays, he said that he would help me with whatever I needed. He knew something was going to happen. That's why he called me to be part of the Order.”

It would be pretty stupid to tell the whole plan to a girl with parents involved on the wrong side.

I make a face.

"Crafty old man.”

"Persephone!"

“What?"

***

4

In the early morning, I sit up in bed and crawl to the end, I raise my hand and move the curtain. I see the huge garden outside my brother's house, the plants and flowers are illuminated by the dark sky

Today I would be waiting for the train to return to Hogwarts with my friends, with Sirius. But I'm still in bed with my left arm bandaged. Some cuts have closed and the swelling went down.

Physically I am improving and I want to believe that mentally too. My brother and his wife are right, I know they are. It's different from the last time things got tense between my family. This time I fought back, I was strong, but there is something that stops me.

Fear.

Although I’m no longer part of the family, I had never thought to leave them, not even when the whole show started. All my life I admired my father, I admired the loyalty and the dedication that other generations had for me to be in that place.

But now I know it was all a sham. Unnecessary sacrifices, death, murderers, the purity of blood and hatred.

I am free.

It doesn't feel good, but I don't see it as a bad thing either. It was necessary. This is all very complicated for a 17-year-old girl.

Someone cries and interrupts my thoughts. I sigh and get up slowly. My weak body slides towards the door and I open it. I walk until I get to the blue door next to mine.

Atlas is sitting on his bed, holding the railing. He's over a year old, but he still can't get out of the children's prison. Even though the bars are lower.

"What is it, nephew?"

“Monsters," He whispers between hiccups.

"Where?" He points to his closet. I nod and limping a bit I go towards it. I open the two doors and check every corner in detail.

“There's nothing here,” I inform him.

"O’tside?"

I lean out of his window and shook my head.

He sighs in relief. I move the railing so I can sit on the mattress.

"Better?" He nods with a smile. He takes off the covers and crawls over to me. He looks at my bandaged arm.

"It hurt?" He asks pointing at it.

“Yes.”

He pouts, with the help of my good arm he gets up on the bed and kisses my cheek leaving a trail of drool. That makes me laugh.

"Bettur?"

"Yes, thank you, darling.”

He nods, sits down again, but it doesn't last long. He carefully sits on my lap, wraps his arms around my neck and rests his head on my chest.

"Buv u, aunti phony,” He whispers into my chest.

"I love you too, Atlas.”

***

5

"Are you sure this block doesn't go here?" I ask him not very sure of the construction of the castle.

"Mine!" He squeals.

"Yes, I understood that, but it will fall if you put it like that.”

"Yes?" I nod. “Okay.”

“It'll be a problem to share his toys, right?" Jane says sitting down on the grass in front of me.

“So far, he’s only lend me the green blocks. I don't think it's his favorite color. But if he's with other kids, maybe he'll change,” I shrug.

"Well, he’ll have to get used to it soon.”

I turn to see her and she smiles at me.

“You're pregnant?"

"Two months.”

I raise my eyebrows.

"Don't you have anything else to do?" I tease and she nudges my leg lightly. "Does the selfish midget already know?" I ask pointing to the blond castle maker.

"We told him, but I don't think he cares."

I laugh.

“Atlas," I call. "Do you want a brother or sister?"

"I don’ know.”

"Another baby in the house so you can play?”

"With aunti phony!” He points out laughing.

"It's progress,” I nod.

Atlas turns to his blocks.

Jane takes my hand, I return my gaze to her.

"You have visitors," She points out.

I lift my gaze and my breath catches at the sight of Sirius leaning against the frame of the door. His hands inside the pockets of his school pants.

"How long has he been there?" I ask Jane.

"Couple of minutes,” She gets up and walks into the house, not before saying something to Sirius. He nods and takes the blonde's place. Atlas feels the change and turns to look at him closely.

"Did you run away from school?" I ask.

“No, James's parents brought us. Dumbledore agreed.”

I nod.

He looks at me, smiles sideways and takes my hand.

“You'll come back?"

"I should,” I stroke his hand. “Yes, I’ll go back. It’ll be very strange, but I have to finish. Apollo told me that he'll send me off if I don't come back.”

Sirius laughs.

"No," says Atlas trying to remove Sirius's hand.

“Hey, selfish. Don't be rude,” I let go of Sirius and stroke my nephew's blond hair. “Greet the visitor! Atlas, this is my boyfriend, Sirius. Sirius, this is my nephew Atlas.”

Sirius smiles and tries to touch the baby's hand, but he pulls away a bit.

“Mine," he says pointing at me.

"Great, I have competition.”

"Better come in,” I turn to the baby. "I can't carry you, buddy. You'll have to trust Sirius,” I stand up and the baby looks at me confused. "Tomorrow we continue with the castle.”

Atlas pulls on my pants to get up, but he has a hard time. Sirius kneels in front of him. He searches through his pockets and pulls a figure out of them.

A black dog carved out of wood. He shows it to my nephew.

"How about a peace offering?"

Atlas looks at the figure and smiles. He takes it and Sirius takes the opportunity to carry him in his arms.

"Well played. Did you really bring the figure for him?" I ask him walking towards the house.

"It's not much, but since we planned this trip, I wanted to give him something.”

We both walked in.

Apollo and Jane are sitting in an armchair in front of another couple, and in another chair I ese James.

Jane takes her son to his room.

"You can do this if you really want to, Persephone,” says Apollo without deviating.

I sigh and nod. He smiles and gets up to hug me.

"Thank you," I whisper against his chest.

When we part, he kisses my forehead, then he leaves me in full view of the other guests.

“Normally, I wouldn't be so cheesy, but you look terrible and I'm a new man now,” says James hugging me. "You're pretty tough for a Slytherin,” I laugh and we part.

"Percy, these are Fleamont and Euphemia. James's parents,” Sirius introduces us. He puts a hand on my waist.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," I shook hands with them.

"The pleasure is all ours, darling,” says Fleamont

"They have told us much about you," continues Eufemia. "And I must say that you are more beautiful than I could imagine, even with all that our Sirius told us…”

I look at the aforementioned who is now blushing.

"Thank you, Mrs. Potter," I say laughing.

“It's true, although sometimes h exaggerated. Sometimes I wondered if we were talking about the same girl,” adds James.

"James!" His mother scolds him.

Apollo laughs.

"What did I miss?" says Jane.

Suddenly I feel a strong dizziness. I take Sirius's hand for support.

"You're good?" Sirius asks. I shake my head.

The laughter ends and Apollo approaches. They both lead me to an armchair. Sirius sits on the armrest.

"I'm sorry. It was just a dizziness and nausea, something common lately,” I comment.

“Dizziness and nausea?" James asks. "Anything you want to say, Padfoot?" He points out.

"Don't be an idiot, Prongs.”

"They act like children," says Eufemia. "Behave yourselves, boys!”

"He started," Sirius mumbles.

"He called me an idiot, mum!” James replies.

"I can't believe I actually missed this,” I say laughing.

Taglist: 

@treestarrrrrrrr​   @siriuslysirius1107​   @madmaiden2890​ @ren-ela​  @avipshamitra​   @auroraawrites​ @findzelda​  @lizlil​ @siriusmuch​   @chloe-geoghegan1​ @reverse-hxlland​  @may-rapp​ @the-specific-oceans​ @eveft​  @secret-obsessions​

@xkonpinkx​​    @inkandpen22​  @thagreenmoon​​​

@littledeadgirlwalking​​

@yunloyal

@bloodorangemoonlight​

[fanficfreekmcu]

And Balder Makes Three (41)

ᚳᚻᚫᛈᛏᛖᚱ ᛚᛁᛋᛏ, ᛋᚢᛗᛗᚫᚱᚣ, & ᚹᚫᚱᚾᛁᚾᚷᛋ

Finna ducked in time to miss taking an arrow to the head as Thor swung his hammer over her and killed the marauder she had been fending off. She turned and nodded to him with a smiled before thrusting her right hand into the air and zapping two more that were running straight for him.

They worked quite well as a team, they discovered, on the field as well as in bed. The longer the recapture of Alfheim took, the closer they became. Weeks turned into months and soon it was winter, but still they fought; each day winning a little more ground in the name of Asgard.

Finna had just thrown her dagger into the heart of a particularly evil looking being when the heavens opened and the Bifrost appeared. She shielded her face before looking over to Thor.

“I’m sure he figured we were having too much fun to keep to ourselves!” he elbowed an attacker in the throat.

Balder stepped out and immediately went to work on marauders.

“Looks like you two might need a hand!”

“We are doing fine without you!” she screeched as a cottage exploded behind them.

“I see that!” he smiled.

.

It took only an hour to reach victory, to which Finna replied by punching Balder in the side and grinning.

“I missed you too, Finn,” he kissed her forehead before looking her over. “You look like hell.”

“I am fine,” she growled before grabbing onto a marauder and pushing him toward the line in which to shackle them.

He frowned and turned to his brother.

“She’s determined to kill herself,” he answered matter-of-factly. “But then again, what’s new?”

.

That night, Thor took food and drink with two of his Deputy Commanders for the first time in two seasons.

“Nidavellir is secure. Volstagg is in Niflheim helping Sif and Hogun to wrap things up. I’m here to help you finish up and then, my siblings, we can officially announce that the Nine Realms are secure,” Balder explained

Thor bit into his meat and chewed. “We’ve won most of the outlying areas and are planning to move into the capitol by the end of winter.”

“You’ve arrived just in time to take all the glory,” Finna smarted as the table quieted.

“That is not my intention, Finn.”

“We’ve done all the hard work and now you show up?”

“If you’d rather I sit this one out…”

“No, no… we can’t have a Prince of Asgard sitting out on a battle, can we?” she threw her food down and walked off to her tent.

Thor stared at his plate as Balder watched her walk off.

“What was that about?” Balder took a drink of his wine.

“Honestly? I’m not sure she wants to go home.”

He waited for him to elaborate.

“She feels responsible for Loki’s imprisonment.”

“Loki is the only one responsible for his situation,” he shook his head.

“Yes, but she’s the only reason I caught him,” he nodded.

“What are you saying, Brother? That she supports him? Does she agree with the madness that Loki should be King of Earth?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure she cares either way so long as they’re together.”

He rubbed his finger across his bottom lip while thinking. “I know you’ve become lovers once more.”

He slowly nodded his head. “We’re not exactly keeping it hidden.”

“And what happens once we return home? Legally, she is our sister.”

“We haven’t discussed it,” he frowned before taking a drink.

He smacked the table and nodded before walking off to Finna’s tent.

.

Finna sat at her desk and looked over scouting reports as Balder arrived at the opening of her tent.

“Come in,” she growled.

He walked in and looked around. “You know, Sif wasn’t exactly happy about this either.”

“Mmmm hmmmm,” she kept her back to him.

“You’re sounding a lot like him, you know. It’s almost like he’s possessed you.”

“No. Loki has not possessed me,” she answered.

“Then talk to me, Finna.”

“I’m tired, Balder.”

“Go home, I’ll take care of this.”

“No,” she laughed before turning to face him. “Not of battle.”

“What of then?”

“Of hiding.”

He stared her down for a moment.

“If Odin knew that I was more than ready to become the Queen of Earth… if he knew that I’d concocted the perfect plan to break him from the dungeons… how many times I’ve defied his direct orders not to visit him…”

“He knows, Finn,” he whispered.

Horror filled her eyes.

“He adopted you to keep you close, to keep you in the palace.”

She felt as though her guts were ready to fall out.

“You’re here… away from your son for months… for a purpose. A purpose with which Mother and I do not agree.”

“I’m to join my husband in imprisonment, aren’t I?”

“You’re to be tried for treason and executed,” he dropped his eyes. “He has no evidence, but the first time he does…”

“And you?”

“I don’t agree with my father.”

She shook her head and looked around. “I thought that when I married Loki that I was somehow taking control of my life,” she closed her eyes and laughed. “I left an arranged marriage for… this.”

“If father were to find out about your affair with Thor…”

“Odin’s in the midst of a dozen or more affairs this very minute.”

“Aye, but you’re not the King of Asgard, you’re their Princess… and despite your relationship before, you are now our sister.”

“So let’s add incest to it just to spice it up,” she spat.

“What can I do?”

“Nothing.”

He dropped to his knees and pleaded with his eyes.

“We will finish our task here and return home. I will do better to be the Princess Asgard deserves,” she placed her hand on his shoulder.

“You could do so much better than Loki, you know.”

“The choices I’ve made have led me to where I am today. He is my husband,” she nodded. “We can’t change the past.”

“No,” he agreed. “We can’t.” He rose to his feet. “I’ll let you prepare for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” she nodded.

As he turned to walk away, she reached for his wrist. He stopped and turned to her.

“Thank you.”

“Be safe tomorrow,” he nodded before walking off.

➵➵➵➵➵➵➵❂➵➵➵➵➵➵➵ 42

[imagine-loki]

Gifted

Title: Gifted (Sequel to Giftless)

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 59/?

AUTHOR: nekoamamori ORIGINAL IMAGINE: 

Imagine that you are Stark’s niece and you secretly share a strong relationship with Loki since he entered the crew. One day you get hurt so bad during a mission that you are about to die.  Loki knows a spell that will save you and share his immortality with you but you and he will be linked forever sharing thoughts, pain, emotions…

RATING: T NOTES/WARNINGS:  Also on AO3 click here

You escaped back to ‘your’ suite and Loki the second you were able without flatly running away. You couldn’t let Balder see that you were afraid.  And you were afraid, afraid of him, afraid of what he was going to do, and damn afraid of whatever he meant by ‘our work begins tomorrow’.  

You had to get out of there before Balder decided to block your powers, or worse. You were actually surprised that he hadn’t blocked them already, only your ability to teleport out of the mansion. There was probably also something keeping you from outright killing him, and you were sure it had to do with Loki’s safety, which is why you hadn’t tried it yet.  

Loki was standing by the door waiting for you. You were glad he was doing better enough to be standing there waiting for you. You rushed to him and wrapped your arms around him the second you were inside, clutching him tightly, probably too tightly. You were scared and you were both in a really bad situation without a lot of hope that you could see. Your wits weren’t helping you come up with a plan to get you out of there either.

You had one partial plan and it was really stupid, so you were saving that for desperation or a last resort, so you was really hoping to avoid using it.

“Shh, it’s ok, darling,” Loki soothed while you held on to him too tightly.  He stroked your hair and held you in his safe embrace. “It will be alright. Whatever he’s planning, he’s not going to hurt you.” You wasn’t quite sure you believed him on that point. Balder wasn’t exactly logical all the time, and he was more than a little crazy. “Come, darling, let’s get you out of those awful clothes and into something more comfortable,” he bid gently. Had anyone else said that to you, they would have gotten slapped, or worse, but this was Loki, and he meant what he said. He wanted you in actually more comfortable clothes and knew you were uncomfortable being dressed up sexily for Balder.  

You were soon back in the pajamas that were supposed to be Loki’s, cuddled in his arms in the bed.

“By the way, why are both of our arms decorated now?” you asked him. You hadn’t gotten a chance to ask yet, but both of your arms had soulbond marks, as did both of Loki’s. “Also, they did bring you dinner, right?” you demanded, remembering that too. They were supposed to bring him something to eat. You didn’t quite believe that they actually would.

“Yes, love. I ate,” he chuckled at your willingness to defend him. Despite that you were at a disadvantage, you would defend Loki.  “And you reforged the soulbond between us. This is the first I’ve ever heard of that a soulbond has been reforged. I do not know how it happened either. We will have to ask Mother when we return to Asgard,” he answered, sounding just as perplexed as you felt.  You didn’t mind the new marks, though it felt strange and more powerful? More deeply powerful? You couldn’t quite tell.

“I was hoping you’d know. I don’t mind, but it is weird. And the marks seem like they’re… etched in deeper or something,”

He nodded. “Yes, I feel it too, but I do not know how or why,”

You tried again that night to reach someone via telepathy, or reach past the shields with your magic at all, but it just wasn’t happening, not without a lot more power than you had at your disposal. 

You spent a long while more talking with Loki that evening about soul bonds, but neither of you came up with anything new and eventually you fell asleep wrapped in each others’ arms.

*

You were woken early by the servant the next morning. She had another skimpy outfit for you to wear that day with her. You tried to protest, but she insisted that Balder had requested it specifically. It was nearly identical to the ‘dress’ from the previous night. You hated wearing such a thing, and hated even more leaving the safety of ‘you’ bedroom. You had to let her drag you from the room, though you did get her promise that she would make sure Loki ate something. She didn’t seem like she was lying to you, either, which was reassuring.  You were good at spotting lies thanks to Loki’s abilities. You didn’t want to have to worry about Loki. You had enough to worry about for yourself.

You were led to a room that was a clone of the vault from Balder’s last mansion. “Good morning, pet. You are intelligent enough not to fight me, are you not?” Balder asked pleasantly. You wanted to strangle him just for that pleasant greeting.  It was too early for this shit.  “I would hate to have to have these strong men force you to behave,” the room held four huge bulking men, besides Balder. You didn’t have enough magic to fight all of them, not when your power was still healing and strengthening Loki.  

“What do you want?” you asked, warily, though you had a good idea what he wanted, and what he had brought you here for.

“I want you to lie down on the table and be quiet while I gift you with all of these powers,” Balder replied pleasantly. That sounded like a terrible idea. No, a stupid-ass idea.  You couldn’t help backing a step away, terrified. You remembered how much the first power had hurt.  “Pet, you don’t want to fight me. I will win, and your lover will suffer,” he reminded you, his voice still pleasant.  You loathed that he was threatening your Loki, but you knew you were outmatched at the moment.  

You had to bide more time.

“I’m not fighting,” you told him, letting him hear the fear in your voice.

“There is no need to be afraid, kitten. You’re perfectly safe. Come on,” he bid, offering you his hand and waving the hulking men away. You didn’t have a choice. You hated not having a choice, but Loki’s safety was on the line, even moreso than your own. You took his hand and let him lead you to the table in the middle of the room, though you loathed every moment of it. The table was set at about his waist height. Balder lifted you by the waist and set you on the table effortlessly, though you flinched at his touch.  You hated being touched without permission, hated strange men touching you, especially after you’d been raped. “Lie down, pet.” You did what you was told, hating every second of it, and hating it worse when he used chains on your wrists and ankles to secure you in place. You panicked, fighting and crying from terror and PTSD, screaming as you pulled at your bonds, shrieking and you powers flaring. “Shh,” Balder said. “You’re ok. This is just so you remain still while you place the powers. No harm will come to you,” he promised. Still, you screamed and cried, and fought, your mind remembering that terrible party, the terrible night when you’d been drugged and your powers reawakened by force. Balder’s only response was to shove a wad of cloth in your mouth. “None of that. I haven’t hurt you.” You couldn’t even think enough to contact Loki, to get his support in this hell.

Balder left the side of the table briefly, but came back with a giant basket of the power spheres. You just stared at it in shock and horror. That was a lot of powers.  A lot of powers. One by one, Balder held the spheres to your chest and said the word that put the power inside of you. You screamed at each and every one, long past the point where your voice gave out and your tears were spent. They all hurt like hell. You weren’t supposed to have any of those powers. They weren’t yours and your body knew it. You felt fevered and sick after the third or fourth one, and were a helpless wreck long before the end of that torture.

You were nearly unconscious from it all before the end. That wasn’t the worst part. The very worst part was Balder taking your right hand in his and reciting words that were familiar, but he had changed them. You couldn’t pay attention to the changes, you could barely register the words at all. You couldn’t move as he yanked the gag from your mouth and forced a kiss upon you, and couldn’t fight the magic that burned into your arm

“Take her back to my brother, let’s see if the consort still claims to love her after this,” Balder demanded once he was done. One of the men lifted your limp body from the table. It took one on each side of you to hold you on your feet and drag you back to your suite, your limbs too heavy for you to walk on your own. They shoved you roughly inside where you collapsed into Loki’s waiting arms.

“Loki-” you murmured in a whispered croak too weak and tortured, too hoarse to be from anything from torture.

“Hush, darling. You’re safe now,” Loki soothed.  

You collapsed in his arms with a whimper and remembered no more.

[rabidfirefoxfan]

Thor 1966 - Vol (207) - Loki Comic Read Through

Classic Loki Masterpost:    Rating: Mod (great)

Plot: Loki takes over a Halloween party and tries to destroy Thor.

Favorite Moments:

At the beginning of this Comic, it Halloween. The local town decides to celebrate Halloween with a parade float.

OMG, it’s the Avengers. When did Thor and Cap grow perfect stashes. (Superman and Batman are second compared to Avengers)

The cosplayers and some locals go to house in the middle of the woods to party. Loki has controlled the host but continues to party so he can blend in and prepare for Thor.

Thor, Sif, and Valkyrie arrive in the local woods in pursuit of Absorbing Man. While looking, the Absorbing Man ambushes Thor and throws Thor into a pond. Sif tries to help, but Valkyrie stops her.

(Oh, that‘s where the Sif x Valkyrie ship start. Eh, better chemistry than Sif and Thor and these two spend more time with each other.)

Valkyrie carries Sif away like a purse letting Thor fight Absorbing Man. Thor throws his hammer at Absorbing Man, knocking him over. However, this attack also allows Absorbing Man to gain the power of the Hammer. Absorbing Man, or Crusher Creel, uses this power to attack which results in the Earth to shattering and Rocks to fall of top of both of them. This leaves Thor half buried in rock and Creel only shunned.

Back to the Fight, Creel is about to use his ball and chain to finish Thor off. Thor is able to grab Creel’s leg and throw him up in the air. This gives Thor enough Time to grab Mjolnir to free himself and fly up to meet Creel. Thor gets the upper hand and Throws Creel in the Water, causing him to dissolve.

See, this is why I thing Absorbing Man is a dumb villain. He’s strength is just as much his weakness. Couldn’t you just pour Water on him and he would be instantly defeated? I guess this means he’s dead, but if begin a gas blob in space didn’t get him, I’d doubt this would either.

Thor is upset about Creel’s “Death” but then hears This.

The slow realization of Thor face, just perfect.

Thor: No, it can’’t Be!!!!

Ah, I love that build-up and pay-off. Also, Loki sitting on the tree with two cute Dogs at his heels makes him look really impressive.

Loki: See Thor, I’m back. And Look, I got puppies. Get him Boys.

The Dogs attack Thor, but Thor is able to blow them away a Whirlwind.

Then Loki and Thor start talking, with usual results. Well, its something.

I think Loki is a bit Salty about Thor and Odin. Not that I’d blame him, seem like a lot of BS to deal. It’s already been established that Asgard did expect Loki to become Evil so is it any wonder that he only fulfilled their expectations.

Loki has Mind-controlled the entire Cosplayer party and will use their Souls to power his plan.

And Plans to use this sword to Kill Thor.

Sif and Valkyrie see Loki and Thor’s Fight. Sif wants to join, but Valkyrie stops her. Suddenly, Karnilla appears. Karnilla offers that she’ll help Thor because he wants to help Balder in return for Sif’s help.

Sif refuses because she doesn’t want Karnilla to turn Thor into a puppet.

Loki’s sword has been enhanced by Magnog, which causes injury to Thor when it touches his skin.

During his onslaught with Loki starts complain that Odin gave all of his affection to Thor and how Loki wanted more Love while Thor responds that Loki did get Love and all of this is in Loki head.

With what we have seen in the Comics, I do lean towards Loki’s side. In a previous Issue, when Loki was growing up Asgard did show a strong preference for Thor and disdain for Loki. Loki was strong in Magic and Thor and great physical strength. However, Loki has said that Odin specifically has favored Thor and .... sort of. Perhaps it was different while Thor and Loki were growing up. However, in the comics before this issue, Odin has mostly been a D**k and banishes Thor and whoever over the dumbest shit. Say ANYTHING against Odin and he’ll banish you and send all of Asgard to fight you. Odin once banished Thor because he couldn’t be bother to explain the top-secret mission to Thor and instead was like “Your Banished. Do this thing and don’t come back till your done” “What Thing” “Shut Up and Get.” Thor, with his Strong ideals, has had many arguments with Odin. Most of Thor’s and Odin interactions to this point have been ... Tense. The times where Odin was nicest to Thor was when Odin held Thor while Thor Died due to Hela’s contract and When Odin Forgot that Thor was there and was reminiscing about the Good-old days. So, Loki may have a point that Odin was nicer to Thor, but it’s not Like Odin was ever a good dad to either of them. So, Thor might have some point that Loki was imagining some of those “Good days” because they may have not been as Rosy for Thor and Loki might think.

Back to the Comic. Loki has separated Thor from his hammer for 30 seconds and in another 30 seconds Thor will turn into Blake allowing Loki to kill Blake.

Sif panics, agrees with Karnilla’s bargain to save Thor. 

Karnilla summons a Rainstorm which revives Thor’s strength. This allows Thor to summon Mjolnir and continue their fight. (I’d like to think that Karnilla knows that Loki is weak when wet, as established in J.I.M. 85, and just throws a water on Loki whenever she wants to momentarily stun him.)

Thor and Loki fight during the storm. With Thor’s revived Strength, Thor uses a Thunderbolt to attack Loki’s sword. This does free all the people trapped under Loki’s spell, However....

The attack has Left Loki Blind!!!

Loki flees and runs off a cliff. Thor and Valkyrie meet up where Valkyrie informs Thor and Karnilla has taken Sif, never to return.

Thoughts on Comic:

OMG, I love Loki’s intro in this comics. The slow build-up tease and then the epic scene with Loki setting on a tree with Two Dogs. Just great. Also, this is one of the first comics where Loki also talks with Thor about some of his issues. None of them are addressed and Loki is in a worse situation by the end of this issue, but it’s something.

I didn’t like how the comic resolved. Thor is saved by his girlfriend but then needs to save her in another issue. The solution wasn’t something Thor did/ though up/ earned. It’s because Karnilla bothered to help. Somehow, it takes away a lot of Thor’s agency.

Sif/ Valkyrie and Karnilla don’t really do anything besides talk about how awesome Thor is and saving him last second. It’s not really any worse than what the Warriors’ Three usually do but it’s not really that interesting.

[darthlorddiamond]

The Dunes

This is the fifth episode of the Black Diamond story, if you want to read the previous episode or follow the next ones you can check my Masterlist.

Summary: Since Diamond arrived in Parnassos she has spent most of her time with Egil and when she finally decides to join Phasma and her group they end up in serious trouble with the Claw Clan members.

Words: 2,609

Reading Time: 11 min

Category: Bio, Smut

Warnings: Violence, Mild Sex

__________________

The Dunes

It´s been a month since I arrived at Parnassos and became a member of the Scyre Clan. From my first day, Egil made sure I felt at home. Apparently, Parnassos was also part of some disaster from the old war, the truth is, that I don´t know very well what happened here, but some of the women of the clan gave me a small tour of the caverns that host our clan from the sun and they told some stories about a nuclear accident related to an old company called Con Star Mining about a hundred years ago. 

At the end of our tour, one of the women give me a small warning "You must be careful if you go beyond the caves at night..." her name was Ylva, she was the matriarch "You don't want to run into any monster!" and she laughed, raising her hands like the claws of an animal "Mother!" a little girl shouted; the only little girl within the clan was Frey, she ran and grab Ylva by her legs, hidden her face in it and Ylva watched her while one of her hands started stroked her hair "Nothing happens honey, I'm just playing" returning her gaze to me, she smiled slightly and pointed at a cabin "Why don´t you go and introduce yourself to Carr? Surely Phasma and Keldo are with him..." I tried not to say anything, I still didn't feel like making new friends "It would be good if you started making friends your age, you can't be stuck with Egil all the time!". 

I feel a little embarrassed and look at my feet "I'm sorry to be a nuisance..." turning her gaze sharply towards me, she removed her hands from Frey's head and held me by the shoulders "Darling!" I slightly fixed my eyes on hers, without a doubt Ylva had beautiful green eyes "You aren´t a nuisance! Take it out of your head! You simply need to relate to everyone here..." she painted a small smile as she wrapped her arms around me, hugging me almost maternally "I understand that you've been through a lot. All of us have been through a lot, but that's what the clan is for, we will be few but being united we´re strong” I couldn't do more than hold her arms tightly, I didn't want her to stop hugging me, for some strange reason, Ylva reminded me a lot of Tato and made my heart fill with a familiar warmth that I didn´t want to disappear.

Nervously I went to the cabin and knocked on the door. A few seconds later a tall girl of my age opened the door; she had beautiful blonde hair "Wow, until you make an appearance!" smiling, she stepped aside gesturing with her hand to enter.

Apparently, that hut works as a kind of amusement barracks for the youth of the clan "I thought that Ylva only had one daughter!" one of the boys inside said mockingly, he was a young man also with blond hair "I think she already stole your boyfriend Phasma!" answered another young man "Men! Egil has good tastes!" and they both laughed. Obviously, the girl didn´t like the comment and crossed her arms looking to the side "And I didn´t know that I was meeting with two stupid children" she replied walking next to me and giggling while elbowing me. The comment didn´t come well for the two boys who only exchanged glances between them without saying anything.

"My name is Phasma..." the girl broke the silence, standing in front of me; pointing to the black-haired boy she snap her mouth "That inept giant is Carr..." and pointing to the other boy she turned to see me lazily "And that stupid little brain is Keldo, my foolish brother" Keldo just let out a laugh "I´m a brain or stupid boy dear sister, make up your mind now” and both continued laughing while Phasma just crossed her arms. I honestly couldn't take my eyes off Phasma, she was a very pretty girl and, in a way, I was intimidated but also attracted to the way she expressed herself.

"You arrive just at the right time..." Carr broke the spoke while Phasma walked towards the sofa with them "We were planning a getaway to the Terpsichore station" if I remember correctly, it was right where the nuclear disaster of Con Star occurred "Are we not supposed to go out at night?" the three turned to see me, Carr let out a huge laugh and turning to see Keldo pointed out to me “I think the diamond is afraid of going out at night. You should spend more time with Frey and forget about joining us" he continues making fun of me while laughing "She´s right about something guys, and that´s that we must be very careful when leaving..." Keldo crossed his arms "In the first, we don´t want that Egil finds out that we escaped and, in the second, we´ll have to cross the territory of other clans to reach our destination” it was obvious that he was the one in charge of planning everything “So... Are we all agree?” Phasma leap herself from the sofa and walked towards me “Diamond and Keldo leave from the east side and Carr and I went out from the west, we meet passing the dunes...” leaning an arm on my shoulder she turned to see me “We count with you, right?" without saying anything, I nodded my head.

In the middle of the night, I went to the meeting point where I had to see Keldo, when I arrived he was already there, leaning against one of the walls, when I approached him he just looked up and smiled at me “I´m happy that you made it” and taking my hand he began to guide me through the corridors of the caves. Once outside, we meet the rest of the group and begin our journey.

Little by little, we enter the territory of the Claw Clan "The plant is just crossing the northern dunes, we must continue..." commented Keldo when a hoarse voice interrupted his instructions "Look nothing else! We have four dogs of Scyre Clan lost in our territory!” and a series of vehicles appear behind the dunes “Shit, it's Balder” whispered Phasma as they cornered us to the center “What are we going to do with these animals, Balder!?" shouted a voice from one of the vehicles "We must give them a punishment! No one enters the territory of the Claw Clan without permission!" another voice shouted "Yes! Yes! They must be beaten to death!". 

Among angry screams, the vehicles continued to surround us without stopping "What an adventure. What a good idea you had…” Carr turned to see Phasma but his comment was cut, since from inside one of the vehicles someone had hit him with a stick and knocked him to the ground “Carr!” I tried to approach him but Keldo held me on graving my arm and placed me behind him.

One of the vehicles stopped and from inside a large man, of the dug species, came out with a chain in his hands, little by little he advances towards us "It is time to put chains to this dogs!" he said between waves of laughter and praises, Balder walked towards us using the chain as a whip, we were all scared to death though Phasma and Keldo tried to keep their composure "Nothing happened here, we can go and pretend that nothing happened" Phasma walked towards him with her hands in the air, her voice had a mocking tone, however, her fear was noted under "We can go..." immediately a slap hit Phasma on the floor and Balder started kicking her. Keldo ran to defend her but he only met with the hit of the chain "Pathetic animals!" Balder spit over Keldo and turned his head to look at me.

I was completely paralyzed by fear and couldn´t think clearly, all my friends were on the floor and the only thing that I could think at that moment was to raise my fists to my chest, which made Balder laugh out loud. Out of nowhere, a sharp blow hit my abdomen and I miss my breath. Trying to recover from the impact, I started punching the air, eyes closed, hoping that one of it would hit him, but the only thing I managed to be was to become the laughingstock of his entire group.

"I think we have a fighter!" Balder shouted while everyone was laughing "Silly girl!" he gave me one more blow, right to my abdomen that put me on the floor "You have no idea..." he started to kick me "With whom...". Suddenly his speech was interrupted "Enough Balder! I believed that you have learned to mess with someone your size!" opening my eyes I could see how Egil was approaching us "You come to pick up your pets Egil!?" I let out a groan when Balder took my hair and suspended me in the air "This is what you want Egil!? Then come for it!" and smiling malevolently he put my knees on the floor, still holding my hair forced me to look him in the eyes "Why are you crying little girl? Are you afraid?" at that moment I lost myself in Balder´s eyes and saw all the damage of my past:

"You should never have been born, you are nothing more than a burden..."

"A fragile girl..."

"My little diamond..."

Anger flooded my entire body again "I'm NOT a fragile little girl!" I spread my arms out to the sides and a blow of air turned all the vehicles of the Claw Clan "She´s a witch!" shouted one of Balder´s men, as several ran to the dunes, including Balder. In the distance, I could see how Egil, Keldo, Carr, and Phasma saw me amazed, when out of nowhere, the force abandoned my body and I fell on the sand.

When I opened my eyes I was in our cabin, the one I shared with Egil. Carefully I got out of bed and walked to the living room, where I found Egil lighting the fireplace.

Despite the differences in our ages, I have to admit that Egil was handsome, tall, toned. He had beautiful green eyes and a lightly cropped light brown hair. His body, although marked by a few battle wounds, was quite strong. There was no doubt why he was the leader of our Clan.

"Egil, what happened?" my voice was low but firm, without answering me he just turned to look at me askance as he stood up from the floor. Slowly I approached him "Egil..." my voice cut off "I expected much more from you!" he yelled as his hands flew up into the air and I felt on my knees a little bit scared of his anger “Get out like that, at night! I think that Ylva had told you about the dangers of out there!" his walk through the room was never interrupted "You were aware of what could have happened?!" for the first time since his litany started he look at me, however, I didn´t dare to bear his gaze, so I dodged it "Look at me when I speak to you!" he raised his voice again as he walked towards where "Please, look at me when I speak to you..." his voice almost changed to a whisper and once he found himself in front of me he knelt "Diamond..." he brought his hands to mine and taking it between and he leaned his forehead on mine "Never do anything like that again...".

Tears had come out of my eyes "I'm so sorry Egil, I thought that maybe we could face them..." I felt so stupid "That may be, facing them, I could stop being afraid" his hands rose my face "There´s nothing wrong with being afraid" his gaze fixed on mine "Fear makes me weak. I don't want to be a burden to you" wiping my tears with his thumbs, Egil continued his gaze on mine "I was afraid today..." I couldn't stop sobbing "I was afraid of losing Carr, Keldo and Phasma..." Egil's eyes felt warm on me "I was afraid that something could happen..." his hands rested on my hands again and bringing them to his mouth he whispered in them "I was very afraid of losing you" closing his eyes, Egil became like that for a few more minutes while my breathing was regularized.

Little by little I could feel how the force that Egil applied to my hands was fading, lowering his hands next to mine. For a moment neither of us said anything, we just stared into each other's eyes. The silence was deepening and the firewood in our cabin began to die. Egil slowly approached me, his forehead was on mine, our breathing was one. Shakily he raised his hands to hold my face and through mutual approval, present in the silence, he brought his lips to mine.

At first it was just a caress, his lips felt warm and wet. They were thin and soft, he has a taste like mint and tobacco. Little by little the intensity of his embrace grew stronger and his mouth began to devour mine, our teeth collided, one of his hands slid to the nape of my neck and I let out a small moan that he took to deepen the kiss, I feel how his tongue explore my mouth, while his other hand traveled to my lower back.

Once at my waist, his hand reached the edge of my shirt and slipped his hand underneath. I could feel his fingers tracing shapes on my sides. I placed my hands on his chest and let out another small moan on his lips, Egil never stop eating my mouth. I could feel a heat forming on my chest when one of his hands gently stroked one of my breasts. His fingers traced small circles over my nipple, which was starting to get hard, he made my underwear to aside and took my nipple between his fingers and gently began to roll it, I released another small moan on his lips. I could feel him putting more pressure on my nipple and my pussy was starting to get wet, I moved one of my hands from his chest, going through his abdomen until I reached his crotch, where I could feel his hard cock pressing between his pants, so I started stroking it with my fingertips, making Egil moan on my lips.

We parted for a moment to breathe, so I took advantage and capture his lower lip between my teeth, causing Egil to groan in his throat. Suddenly, a rustle sounded outside the cabin and we both parted immediately. Egil stood up and started walking towards his room, when he reached the door he turned to see me over his shoulder "From tomorrow you´ll training with me, it´s obvious that you’re not like the other boys" and without another word, he entered his room and closed the door.

I couldn´t understand what just happened, in one moment Egil was almost on top of me and the next second he had withdrawn with total indifference, leaving me on the living room floor completely confused, meanwhile, in another part of the clan, Phasma was running towards the dunes, broken heart in her hands, crying and screaming inconsolably. That night she had gone to Egil's cabin to apologize and thank him for his help when a scene inside had petrified her.

Note: I would like to especially thank @kyloren-theprince​, @thetorturerwrites​​ & @kylorengarbagedump​ who took time to read this first part of my saga and sent me observations with all the patience in the world.

[junjosekaimangalover]

Chapter 6: Introduction To Balder

Chapter 6: Meeting The Human And The Gods ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Note: I apologize for letting you all down by being SOOOOO late with Chapter 6 of this story. To be completely honest, I kinda gave up on this story for a brief while but I somehow found the courage and passion to continue this story again. I plan to edit a lot of it sometime.

( Another Author's Note: I don't own any of the characters from the series Kamigami No Asobi, nor do I own the actual franchise. I wish I did though. ) I really hope you enjoy the next two chapters coming up. Other than this note, please enjoy this and I hope you all forgive me for the lateness. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 6: Meeting The Human And The Gods Your POV: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was rushed back to my room by Melissa so I could the flowers I had collected from the academy's garden and placed them into a big vase. I took the vase with the flowers in it and placed it under the sink's faucet while turning it on. It was getting colder from the water rising up and I took the vase out and placed it on the window's edge so it could some sun.

" So Melissa? " I asked.

" Yes ( Y/N____ )? " Melissa asked me.

" Earlier I was asking you a question in the hallway. " I said as I sat down on my brand new bed.

" Oh right, you were asking me what all of the Gods were like and how many of them there were. Minus you of course. " Melissa said as he sat down next to me with his cheerful self.

" Oh thank you ( Y/N___ ) but I'm not a God. " Melissa said as he pointed it out.

" But Melissa, you were created by The Great God Of Lightening Zeus and I'm glad you were created and you are kinda like a God to me. " I said to Melissa.

" Oh thank you ( Y/N___ ), that's nice of you to say. " Melissa thanked me.

" You're welcome, so what are they all like and how many of them there are? " I asked with curiosity gleaming in my eyes. " Well there are about Twelve Gods here at The Academy, including myself and Zeus. There are Five Gods including myself and Zeus who originate from Greek Mythology. There are Three Gods who originate from Japanese Mythology. There are Three Gods who originate from Norse Mythology. There are Two Gods who originate from Egyptian Mythology and finally the other human we picked up is original from Japan. " Melissa explained to me.

" Oh how exciting, Twelve Gods and another human in the same academy with me. So what are they like Melissa? " I asked.

" Well, I heard that you love Mythology a whole lot so you study everything about it. So maybe if I mention to you the names of the Gods then maybe you'll get some idea of what they're like. " Melissa said.

" Oh okay, let's start with The Greek Gods first. " I replied.

" Okay well there's Me, Zeus, Apollon Agana Belea, Hades Aidoneus and Dionysus Thyrsus. " Melissa listed of The Greek Gods and all the names sounded familiar to me.

" So Apollon Agana Belea....in the books he is referred to as Apollo but if that's what his actual name is then it's one letter off. He would be the God of Music and Sun. Hades Aidoneus is obviously the God of The Underworld and is one of the three original brothers of Zeus. Dionysus is the God of Wine and Fertility so he must enjoy wine a whole lot or else he wouldn't be the God of it. " I said while thinking to myself to see if I could match up their names up with what they rule over.

" Good work ( Y/N___ ), now the Japanese Gods. There is Akira Totsuka, Takeru Totsuka and Tsukito Totsuka. " Melissa listed off some Japanese names and I thought to myself again.

" Oh Japanese, I'm not too familiar with them as much as the other Mythological Gods but I do like them. Let's see.....Akira Totsuka would maybe the Japanese God Of The Sun, Takeru Totsuka would be the Japanese God Of The Sea and Tsukito Totsuka would be.....the Japanese God Of The Moon? " I asked Melissa.

" Correct! Good Job once again! Now how about the Norns? " Melissa nudged towards me while asking.

" I'm really familiar with them, just like the Greeks. What are their names? " I asked.

" Balder Hringhorni, Loki Laevetain and Thor Megingyoruzu. " Melissa listed off.

" Balder Hringhorni is the Norse God Of Light, Loki Laevetain is the Norse God Of Fire and Mischief and finally Thor is the Norse God of Thunder. " I said with a smile.

" Amazing job! I'm impressed that you are so very knowledgeable about us. Plus you've already met Anubis and Thoth so I can assume that you know who they are too. " Melissa said.

" Of course, Anubis Ma'at is the Egyptian God Of The Dead and Thoth Cadeceus is the Egyptian God Of Knowledge. " I said.

" Right! So that's everyone, oh except that Yui Kutanagi is a very kind human so she will help you around if ever need it. " Melissa said.

" Oh thank you Melissa. So I wonder what's going to happen when I meet them all? " I asked myself.

" Well, we're going to find out but first how about we get you a uniform for your classes first? " Melissa pointed out to me.

" Oh that's right, I can't show up like this. So where is the school store? " I asked Melissa.

" Come with me and I'll show you. " Melissa hopped down from the bed and ushered me to come with him out of the room. I walked over to the door and opened it. Melissa and I walked out of the dorm room to go to the school store. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Everyone's POV: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- " I saw her go in there! " Apollon said.

" This dorm room must be her new room here at the academy. " Balder pointed out.

" Well, we will see if it is. " Yui said as she knocked on the door but there was no reply on the other end.

" Oh, it looks like no one is there. We may have just missed her.... " Apollon said disappointingly.

" Well, she must be somewhere in this academy so how about we split up and look for her. You guys look over in the east wing, you guys look in the west wing and we'll look in the library. " Yui said.

" Ok! Let's go! " Balder said.

The search for her was on. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your POV: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- " Thank you! " I said to the cashier and took my new uniform in my hands and held it to my chest.

" Okay, you are all set! " Melissa said as he walked with me.

" Good, hey Melissa? " I asked.

" Yes ( Y/N___ )? " Melissa replied.

" Is it alright if I could explore the academy and the grounds outside of the academy? " I asked shyly.

" Of course, do you want me to join you so you don't get lost? " Melissa asked me.

" Of course, only if you can take it. " I replied.

" Oh don't worry about me, I can take it. " Melissa said while holding up his arm as if to show me that he had muscles.

" Okay good. " I chuckled. Melissa and I walked out of the school store and into the hallways of the academy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- East Wing Of The Academy: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- " So English and History classes are over on this side and the Library is at the end of this hall. The Gardening Club is just outside of these classes on the outside and so is the Tennis Club. " Melissa showed me.

" Oh cool, it may take me some time to find my way around these halls because the academy is so big. " I said.

" Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. " Melissa reassured me.

" Well thank you- " I was suddenly crashing into another person who I didn't see in front of me. I looked up to see a really handsome young man in front of me. I blushed slightly.

" Oh I'm so sorry about that, are you okay? " The handsome Blonde Long-Haired young man knelt down to my level to see if I was injured.

" Y-Yeah, it was more my fault anyways. I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. " I replied as I got up from the ground and dusted off my dress.

" Oh no, it was my fault Miss? " The Blonde long haired man asked me my name.

" ( Y/F/N_____ ) ( Y/L/N____ ), I'm new here and I was just exploring the grounds. Melissa was showing me around. " I said while straightening out my clothes.

" Oh that's good, wait a minute....are you the new human girl? " The man asked me.

" Yes I am and who are you? " I asked him.

" I am Balder. " He said while smiling.

" Balder. Balder Hringhorni? The Norse God Of Light? " I smiled while asking.

" You know me? We've never met before though. " Balder said.

" No we haven't met before and I haven't met anybody else here either except Zeus, Anubis, Thoth and Melissa. However, I have studied your kind very well so I have some good knowledge on you guys. " I said while picking up my uniform that I had dropped on the floor.

" Oh? How ironic, you've studied us really well and we've been brought here to study humans. " Balder chuckled at me.

" It is ironic but I suppose it's for the greater good. I've been really anxious to meet all of you. " I said with a smile.

" That's good, everyone's been anxious to meet you too. " Balder smiled at me back.

" Well I'm really excited to meet all of-.....what? " I asked.

" Oh sorry it's just, you're more beautiful then I was expecting. " Balder said.

" O-Oh....thank you Balder. I thought you were really beautiful too, well handsome. " I blushed softly.

" Oh thank you as well. " Balder smiled at me and I blushed a little harder.

" Well, can I meet the others? " I asked Balder, changing the subject.

" Of course, let's go! " Balder took my hand and dragged me to the outsides garden. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorry that this chapter is short and not good but I have something bigger planned for the next chapter.

P.S - PLEASE DON’T STEAL MY WORK, THANK YOU.

[youseebigyelena]

Comparative Analysis of Norse Ragnarök in AOT

Disclaimer: Not every Norse gods and Giants have the same direct parallel. It is important to note that Norse, unlike Greek mythology is a very fragmentary documentation. Which means consistency is not the key. This story, unlike its Greek counterparts which were sometimes written, has been passed down orally from generations. That’s why characters sometimes interchange. For example, there are many sources claiming Thor and Loki are blood brothers, and there are also many claiming Odin and Loki are blood brothers. For simplifications, the Ragnarök almost always uses the second claim. example are the wolves Garmr and Fenrir. They both almost have the same backstory and seem to always have a grudge on Tyr, the war god, so some sources claim these two are one. But the source I am using interpreted them as two distinct creatures, therefore I will also claim are not the same. There are a lot of Gods and Giants with this kind of dilemma in Norse mythology, but I won’t go deeper than that because the focus of this text is is the legend of Ragnarök. Secondly, since this is the case, Norse familiar ties must be out of the question. Familiar ties are only important in other classic Norse stories, but in Ragnarök it didn’t really mattered much. This is because Norse stories have a tendency to diverge in too many directions and to be easily "thought of together," or to be grouped as members of a unitary structure. For simple reasons, I will only compare Norse Ragnarok characters to their backstories, quirks and personalities. Familial ties will be out of the question. Thirdly, the God Baldur, unlike the other characters, is specifically not supposed to be symbolized by anyone. In Viking stories, Baldur is usually presented as a passive, innocent sufferer, a catalyst. A martyr that is always dead no matter what prose or interpretations. Although some present him as a warlord. Regardless, his death and loss have always trigger big or heavy events, such as Loki’s imprisonment and Ragnarök. He is simply the dead sacrifice that must always be made. Now, back to the story

The signs of Ragnarök

While Ragnarok has not yet happened, according to Norse mythology it is inevitable and has already been set in motion by the series of events that surrounded the death of Baldur, Odin’s favored son.

The blind god Höd, deceived by the evil Loki, killed Balder by hurling mistletoe at him, the only thing that could hurt him.

Perhaps the key part of this story is that the trickster god Loki, responsible for the death of Balder, was imprisoned following the death of the most noble and beloved of the Norse gods. He is chained to two boulders with a venomous snake suspended above his head, dripping venom on his face. 

This is one of the first signs of Ragnarok

Up until this point, while Loki was fond of making mischief, he has a relatively friendly relationship with the Norse gods. This break between Loki and the Norse gods may be a prerequisite for Ragnarok. 

Sounds familiar? 

Zeke, like Loki is a well known trickster that both Gods and Giants do not trust so easily. He killed Erwin, a beloved military figure and appeared to have radicalized Eren’s unstable mind to his cause. 

Loki’s imprisonment and the reason behind it sounds similar to Zeke’s ultimate betrayal to the Marleyan cause, his subsequent join in Paradis forces and eventual lock up for instigating a coup de tat. His eventual escape became one of the reasons Eren broke the walls, thus starting Ragnarök in the first

Second sign: Fenrir’s imprisonment

The shackling in Asgard of Loki’s son, the great wolf Fenrir, also appears to be a prerequisite for the end of days. He was imprisoned in Asgard by the Norse gods using magical chains made by the dwarves for biting his mentor, Tyr’s hand

Actually no. They didn’t imprisoned him just because he bit off Tyr’s arm. According to the prose, the other gods were becoming afraid that he was growing so large (he was a giant after all) that one day he might eat them all. So they locked him out of fear

Like how Eren was locked after the Liberio attack by his superiors. He betrayed his superiors (bit off Tyr’s hand) and massacred an entire foreign district all by himself.The military, feeling that their power over the Attack Titan is waning, locked him and planned to have him eaten despite his ever growing role in the conflict

The stars, too, will disappear, leaving nothing but a black void in the heavens. Yggdrasil, the great tree that holds the cosmos together, will tremble, and all the trees and even the mountains will fall to the ground. The chain that has been holding back the monstrous wolf Fenrir will snap

and the beast will run free.

Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, that dwells in the sea and encircles the world of men, will rise 

covering the earth in water and spitting his venom all over the world, poisoning the land, sea and air.

Now here’s where the present comparison ends. From now on, these will be the predictions loosely based on the true events of Ragnarok and previous character comparisons

These convulsions will shake the ship Naglfar free from its moorings. This ship, which is made from the fingernails and toenails of dead men and women, will sail easily over the seas. 

Its crew will be an army of giants, the forces of chaos and destruction

Its captain will be none other than Loki (Zeke), the traitor to the gods, who will have broken free of the chains the gods have given him. He will be joined on board by his daughter Hel, the goddess of the realm where the dishonourable dead dwell, and the dead themselves (Yelena and the volunteers)

Loki’s forces will join an army of giants led across the Bifrost bridge into Asgard, the land of the gods (Marley) by Surtr, who has a sword that flames brighter than the sun. 

He will use this sword to set the realm of the gods, and all the nine worlds, on fire

My guess is that, the debate of how Eren and his titans will cross over the seas, into the continent is by making a humongous ship made out of titanized crystal. Zeke, swearing by his oath no matter what, will protect his little brother from the 104th crew (looking at you, Armin) and Marleyan shifter crew that will try to prevent him from crossing over

Since Fenrir= Eren, Jormungandr= Godzilla Titan, then I can only assume that Surtr, a giant infamous for having a humongous sword is the Warhammer Titan

As Eren and his titan co tries to cross the seas, Magath’s forces begins to line up. 

An ominous horn will be sounded to summon the divine sentry of Asgard

[welcometothepenumbra]

JUNO STEEL AND THE TIME GONE BY (PART TWO)

SOUND: RAIN. TRAIN ARRIVES, CREAKS TO A STOP. DOOR CLANKS OPEN.

CONDUCTOR: Ah, good evening, Traveler. And welcome… to The Penumbra.

SOUND: DOOR CLANKS SHUT.

Take your seat, please, take your seat.

MUSIC: STARTS.

The junction lies ahead, so if you’ll allow me just a moment.

SOUND: TRAIN WHISTLE.

We are now passing through the Cerberus Province.

SOUND: TRAIN MOVING.

Our next stop?

SOUND: TRAIN BRAKES.

Juno Steel and the Time Gone By.

SOUND: DOOR CLANKS OPEN, RAIN.

ALL SOUNDS: FADE OUT.

***

SOUND: BROOM SWEEPING.

JUNO: So. What’s the plan, here?

BUDDY: Shh.

JUNO: I-I can’t believe this. Your entire deal goes to hell, it turns out the ghost of girlfriends past is running around a decade past her expiration date—

BUDDY: Shhh.

JUNO: —and she’s wearing a tag that could kill her any second and we’re just sitting here?

JACKET: I’m sure your screaming makes Buddy’s thinking much faster.

JUNO: Oh, hey, was that sarcasm? Maybe the big guy’s got enough brain for a sense of humor after all.

JACKET: I have always possessed a sense of humor, Juno. You are just not funny.

JUNO: Come over here and say that—

SOUND: GLASS SHATTERS.

Whoa!

BUDDY: I asked for quiet.

JACKET: I will clean this. Would you like another drink, Buddy?

BUDDY: No thank you, darling. You may take his away as well; I believe he’s had enough.

JUNO: Hey!

SOUND: SLIDE.

BUDDY: I should hope you’d know not to drink and drive, Juno, and yet, here you are, drinking like a fish and driving me up the wall. Why are you here?

SOUND: SWEEPING UP GLASS.

JUNO: What?

BUDDY: I asked why you’re here. Your work is finished; I’ve already told you that as soon as my friend and I sort out this mess, you’ll have your eye problem seen to, and you know very well that we can find you. So, Juno. Why are you here?

JUNO (NARRATOR): The one eye uncovered by Buddy’s flaming hair was burning holes into me. It was the look that fakers like me always dread: the one that said she expected me at my best and wasn’t gonna tolerate anything else.

Only real leaders have that glare. They enforce it in different ways: Valles Vicky would destroy you, Captain Hijikata would make you destroy yourself. Ramses O’Flaherty would make you feel like the whole world was counting on you, so you’d better be good. And Buddy Aurinko, I… still didn’t know what she would do.

MUSIC: STARTS.

I didn’t know if I’d survive finding out, either. My name’s Juno Steel. I’m a private eye, and if you want to give me a panic attack in four words, ‘why are you here?’ is a pretty good place to start.

BUDDY: Well, Juno? Why are you here.

JUNO: I-I-I don’t know.

BUDDY: Yes you do. Try again, please.

JUNO: What the hell else am I gonna do?

BUDDY: That’s closer, I think, but still not quite all of it.

JUNO: What are you, my therapist?

BUDDY: There aren’t enough creds in the galaxy, darling.

So?

JUNO: (INCOHERENT MUMBLING)

SOUND: COMMS BEEP.

BUDDY: We’ll continue this discussion later, then.

Throw me the comms, darling. Then you know what to do.

JACKET: Of course.

SOUND: COMMS BEEP.

BUDDY: Buddy Aurinko speaking. To whom shall I bill this pleasure?

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): It is Rasbach. Though, ‘pleasure’ no is my word, Miss Buddy. I call you with the top, top displeasure.

BUDDY: I can’t say I understand why. We have our money, you have your cure. Everything ended as we planned.

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Insult!

BUDDY: There were hiccups, of course, but if you want to get technical, the interloping factor was one of yours – so if anyone should be angry here, I think it’s me.

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): I am stabbed! Stabbed!

BUDDY: By a woman wearing a debtor’s tag bearing your branding. Or did you think I wouldn’t notice?

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Ah, haha, I see. I see, now. Is just so with our sale, yes – Miss Buddy, you make the showing of honesty to harvest sympathy, make you seem the one good, yes, and yet! You conceal the details top inconvenient.

BUDDY: Oh, do I? My, how thrilling! I must be concealing them from myself as well, because I have no idea what you mean.

MUSIC: CHANGES.

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): I heard you. Before I left, I heard you say my servant’s name. Vespa.

BUDDY: (AFTER A PAUSE) If you’re waiting for some big, explosive reaction, you’ll have to supply it yourself. I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Is shame. Top shame. Vespa, she is the servant excellent. Experience medical, competence high, no looks sick, even. She has the moods violent, the sights and hearings unreal, sometime she need the restraints, but—

BUDDY: Is there a point to this?

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Ah… forgive me. I will be brief.

The sound of your voice when you say her name, “Vespa…” it gives me the thoughts. You say Vespa as I say the names of family in Balder, yes? I have thoughts that perhaps she is important to you in this way?

BUDDY: We all have thoughts, Raz, and hardly any of them are worth the brains they’re printed on.

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Ah, it is possible I am wrong. Your culture on these planets Solar, I do not think I will ever understand. Well, in this case, if she no is matter to you, I will continue with the protocol typical.

BUDDY: And what might that be?

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Our servant no work for free, eh? The radiation fatal goes through her veins, but with our blood filter, ah! We fill this with spawn bacterial of Curemother, and so we give Vespa life. But is no cure permanent, of course. Curemother is rare, expensive. That is why we have you procure it at price high, I remind you, Miss Buddy, top high. If a servant violate her contract, we no can afford this. So, click! Off with filter, and begin the burning. And Miss Vespa has the death top painful. A fate sad, yes, but the contract she signed is written in terms top clear.

MUSIC: ENDS.

Miss Buddy? Do we have the disconnection?

BUDDY: (CLEARS THROAT) Excuse me, Raz. I was just… taking notes.

Doesn’t that seem a bit harsh to you, darling? A stabbing or two may be unpleasant, but, our transaction ended as intended. A second chance—

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): The Board of Fresh Starts do no give the second chances. Vespa took our care medical, she signed our contract, and she must abide. And yet, I do see your point…

Ah! The hole in loop! You see it, Miss Buddy?

BUDDY: I’m concerned that I may.

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Should I possess the contract Vespa, a termination must occur. But contracts… they can be bought and sold, yes?

BUDDY: You… want me to buy her?

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Her contract, Miss Buddy. Hours ago you assisted those who buy and sell the contract. This is so different, really?

BUDDY: (AFTER A PAUSE) I suppose not. It takes… stomach, this line of work. I have to say I underestimated you, Razzy.

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Most do.

Ah! But wait, I forgot the information vital! The cost!

BUDDY: How much does a human life go for these days, Rasbach?

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Hmm… a situation top difficult… with I explain to the company… with I cancel my appointments… with we meet today, yes, must today, I have been in Cerberus too long already, must care for the health, is vital.

Ten million creds.

BUDDY: So exactly as much as you just paid for the Curemother.

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Ahhh, so you are certain to have it! Top convenience.

BUDDY: If you’ll allow me to think like a business vampire such as yourself for a moment, Raz, I might point out that a single worker should not be worth the same as the system by which you control all of your workers.

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): Should not, is so. Unfair, is so. But the war… it taught me much, Miss Buddy. Is fair I no see the family? Is fair they should be sick, hungry? Is no fair. Is top no fair. And yet.

BUDDY: And yet.

RASBACH (FROM COMMS): I will see you in half-hour at my office.

You are pleasure with do business to, Miss Buddy. Goodbye.

BUDDY: Goodbye, Rasbach.

SOUND: COMMS BEEP.

BUDDY: (GRUNTS)

SOUND: THUD.

JUNO: Buddy—

BUDDY: Did you catch all of that, darling?

JACKET: I have recorded it, and I can confirm Rasbach’s location. The call was made from the Cerberus Board of Fresh Starts.

BUDDY: Wonderful. An honest slave trader. Simply wonderful.

JACKET: That ten million creds is every cent we have.

BUDDY: Yes, yes, of course it is.

JUNO: Every cent you have? You started this con with nothing?

BUDDY: When we started we had plenty. But heists cost money, as does reopening a bar five years dead.

JUNO: But—

BUDDY: Juno, I am going to be direct with you. I do not have time for whatever personal revelation is currently percolating in that prefrontal cortex of yours. This job has suddenly become important to me, very important. And I want your help on it because your instincts have proven sharp, but I do not have time for your soul-searching.

I have suddenly become a very poor woman. If you come with us, I cannot give you any payment other than what you've already earned. I can promise you that Rasbach is not going to make this as easy as he says, and Vespa…

If you want to keep that head on those pretty shoulders of yours, we’d best hope Vespa does not interfere.

JUNO: This is who we’re saving, and you’re that scared of her?

BUDDY: If she’s as sharp as she used to be, I am. Medicine was not Vespa’s only specialty. Razzy didn’t mention the other, which means either she’s out of practice or else… she’s been planning this escape for a long time.

If you agree to help, I’ll tell you as much as I can on the way. But I make no promises that I will be able to say everything.

Well?

JUNO: Ughhh, fine, I’m coming.

BUDDY: I hoped as much. Dearest one, start the car.

JACKET: Yes, Buddy.

***

MUSIC: STARTS.

SOUND: CARS PASSING.

BUDDY (NARRATOR): Twenty years ago, you could clear a room by saying the names “Buddy and Vespa.” Because in a lot of places, especially in the former Outer Rim before the war drained it of everything it had, those names meant something. They meant style, and flashy heists, and holdups at banks that boasted they could never be held up. Buddy and Vespa, Vespa and Buddy – my, we were a pair. Stars.

Until we fell. As stars so often do.

SOUND: RUNNING FOOTSTEPS, GUNFIRE.

VESPA: I’m tryin’ to hold them off Bud, but, out in the open like this, I’ve got noth— Ah!

BUDDY: Vespa?

VESPA: (GASPS)

BUDDY: Vespa darling, keep your balance, it’s only a few more steps and this is far too high to—

VESPA: Buddy… oh.

SOUND: THUD.

BUDDY: Vespa! No! (CALLING) Vespa!

BUDDY (NARRATOR): But then perhaps that’s a bit personal, darling; after all, we’ve only known each other a few hours.

JUNO: I think personal boundaries left the station when you got your goon to start spyin’ on me.

JACKET: I am my own goon.

JUNO: Oh, congratulations. Listen, if you’re gonna tell me this story, tell it right. You lived in the Cerberus Province long enough to build up a bar and a dedicated clientele, but you’re worried Vespa might’ve been down here for five years? You two must have called this place home way longer than that.

BUDDY (NARRATOR): Home is not always the place you live, Juno. Now hush, I’m telling a story.

We rarely slept in the Cerberus Province, if that’s what you’re asking. But this was always where we came back after a job to sell whatever we’d earned, and do whatever deals needed doing… and that meant, we only ever saw it once the danger had passed. We’d fly low over the volcanoes and see the lighthouse, twinkling in the distance… and that, darling, that was home. No matter how tired we were, no matter how late it was, Vespa and I would always watch through the window when the lighthouse went by.

That was our life for years. Then, there was a night, I remember, when the lighthouse was not lit when we returned, and Vespa… found that difficult.

VESPA: Something’s wrong. Bud, do you ever feel like… you ever feel like we’re just doomed?

BUDDY: In the sense of going to age and eventually die? Never.

VESPA: (SIGHS) I just feel like I can feel it. Something bad.

BUDDY: Feel you can feel! Well.

VESPA: Stop.

BUDDY: (AFTER A PAUSE) Oh come on, Vespa. You know I’m sorry. You just get so superstitious sometimes and I—

VESPA: I– I said stop!

I mean, we’d have signed up for it, right? A life like this, running from the cops, sprinting from adrenaline kick to kick, we– we’re gonna get caught! Separated, probably.

BUDDY: Vespa, that isn’t going to—

VESPA: If you’re so positive of that, you shouldn’t mind me talkin’ about it.

There.

BUDDY: There what, darling?

VESPA: If it goes wrong… no, when it goes wrong, we’ll meet there. The lighthouse. No matter what.

BUDDY: Vespa…

VESPA: I can just feel it. It’s coming soon, alright? I know it is. I know it.

Just agree. Please? If you’re so sure I’m wrong, what do you care?

BUDDY: Of course, darling.

I love you.

VESPA: And some days I even know it.

BUDDY: Every superstitious inch of you.

SOUND: THEY KISS.

BUDDY (NARRATOR): I don’t know how long it was – months or years – but everything ends eventually. It doesn’t matter how young and invincible you feel; everything ends, eventually.

Our last job was in the Outer Rim. On Balder. A bank job of a kind we’d done a thousand times before, but…

SOUND: RUNNING FOOTSTEPS, GUNFIRE.

VESPA: I’m tryin’ to hold them off Bud, but, out in the open like this, I’ve got noth— Ah! (GASPS)

BUDDY: Vespa?

BUDDY (NARRATOR, OVER THE LINES BELOW): We must have missed a guard. And then, as we were running across the bridge that linked the two bank towers, where our ship was going to pick us up…

BUDDY: Vespa darling, keep your balance, it’s only a few more steps and this is far too high to—

VESPA: Buddy… oh.

BUDDY: Vespa! No! (CALLING) Vespa!

JUNO: She fell off the bridge.

BUDDY (NARRATOR): She did.

JUNO: How tall was the tower?

BUDDY (NARRATOR): Two hundred and fifty stories. The capital of Balder is known for its highscrapers – the city high above and the city far below.

The next laser came for me.

SOUND: BLASTER SHOT. GASP.

And, unfortunately, I did not fall.

VOICES: Pastasi bin-bin das! Basqueesa Vespa? Ovelisan das mivi! Ove, ove!

BUDDY (NARRATOR): In the end I suppose it’s lucky that I wasn’t wearing a stunproof vest. I would most likely have jumped after her if I had.

JUNO: Two hundred and fifty stories…

BUDDY (NARRATOR): It is remarkable, yes. But she’s survived worse. She has… a talent for field medicine.

SOUND: CLICK.

But even so, five years of radiation…

SOUND: MORE CLICKS.

JACKET: We’ve arrived at the Board of Fresh Starts.

JUNO: Wait, hang on. I still have questions.

SOUND: CLICKS, FOOTSTEPS.

BUDDY: (SNAPS OUT OF NARRATOR MODE) And it seems you will continue to have them. Our welcome wagon is on its way.

JUNO: What—

SOUND: GUN COCKING.

MUSIC: ENDS.

Oh wow, that’s a gun in my ribs, that happened fast.

VOICE 10: Come wiz me, please.

BUDDY: And who are you, precisely?

JUNO: And the hell is that blaster for? I didn’t even do anything!

VOICE 10: Vas menta…? Vis… ehpeesu…

JUNO: What?

VOICE 10: Come wiz me, please.

BUDDY: Rasbach has sent us security we can’t negotiate with. I remember hardly any Balder at all.

JUNO: I speak the language his gun is talking just fine.

BUDDY: Then I’d recommend you listen to it, Juno.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

JUNO (NARRATOR): The Board of Fresh Starts office didn’t look like anything special and that surprised me, at first. Then I remembered that the people in charge of this place almost never set foot here. They were probably all partying it up on some solid-gold space station with radiation shields to go around. Let the poor get sick. Let the workers burn. Standard business practice, really.

It was a short walk to Rasbach’s office. He was… a little too excited to see us. Even accounting for the bottle of contraband painkillers on his desk.

SOUND: DOOR OPENS.

MUSIC: STARTS.

RASBACH: Ah, our guests top desirable! Please, have the seat, have the seat.

Hasslanna mivi das muu.

BUDDY: A bit rude to leave us out of the conversation, don’t you think?

RASBACH: Ah, they no said it? Rudeness, rudeness. Ah, but, is rule top vital. Your… ehm, what is the word… mivi, eh, mivi, eh… Pow, pow! You see?

JUNO: You want us to give up our guns.

RASBACH: Is so, yes. Weapons, they cause the meeting previous end, eh, no good. We do without now.

BUDDY: If that’s the price.

Hand them over.

SOUND: RUSTLING, SEVERAL CLANGS, METAL CLATTERING.

RASBACH: My, ah, is look heavy.

SOUND: ONE LAST CLATTER.

Hah– eh… (CLEARS THROAT) Das mivi ehpeesu.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS DEPARTING.

Ah, i-is rudeness. I told my servant to—

BUDDY: To leave, yes. Can we conduct business now?

RASBACH: We wait. We wait… and…

SOUND: DOOR CLOSES.

Now business may begin.

BUDDY: Alright. Just like our last sale: instant transference through our comms, verbal confirmation, fingerprint identification. Ten million creds from my account in exchange for the code to Vespa’s blood filtration bracelet.

RASBACH: Ah, yes, uh, the creds… But of course, if they no tell you they take the gun…

You look this, eh?

SOUND: GRUNT, CLUNK.

BUDDY: That’s the Curemother I sold you, yes.

RASBACH: Yes, yes. But the lock to this case, you see…

SOUND: CLICK, HUM.

Is broken. Is goods defective you give me.

BUDDY: It’s not broken. It’s unlocked. You’ve unlocked it. And the Curemother is fine; it’s still glowing, you—

RASBACH: Is require more payments.

SOUND: CLUNK. HUM STOPS.

Fixing lock, the tests verification on Curemother… this take money. Then the interest, the damages, the market shifting…

BUDDY: How much?

RASBACH: Should be… twenty million creds.

BUDDY: (AFTER A PAUSE) Well, then.

I think that’s the end of this meeting.

RASBACH: Eh? The end?

BUDDY: There’s no sense in doing business with someone who’s kidding you. Goodbye.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

RASBACH: You will not leave! Here! Here, is her blood filter code on my comms now!

I will deactivate this. This Vespa, she will die!

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS STOP.

Ten million creds may come again, but… once dead, is no second chance. This we both know well, Miss Buddy. And if you no stop, Vespa will die.

BUDDY: Razzy. This money isn’t going to your company, is it?

RASBACH: (NERVOUS LAUGH) Wel– uh…

BUDDY: Well. You really do look out for your family, don’t you?

RASBACH: Is no the question, Miss Buddy. The question is: do you?

BUDDY: I don’t have twenty million creds.

RASBACH: Then… your ship. You no live in Cerberus Province, yes? Yet you conduct the theft Curemother. You have spaceship. The deed, you will transfer it to me, plus the code for briefcase.

This the cost final.

BUDDY: Sold.

RASBACH: Eh? R-really? You are certain?

BUDDY: I’m certain. Have you set up the sale or would you like me to do it?

RASBACH: You Solar peoples… I never understand.

JUNO: To be fair, I’m from here too and I don’t get it, either.

RASBACH: I will set up the sale, of course.

SOUND: BEEPS.

Read. Here.

BUDDY: Seems to be in order.

RASBACH: This I no will risk, Miss Buddy.

BUDDY: I can tell.

RASBACH: Now, for code words.

I, Rasbach the Eldest, Agent… uh, I consent to this transaction.

BUDDY: I consent to this transaction.

RASBACH: My thumb.

SOUND: BEEP.

And now… yours.

Miss Buddy, you are no hesitate?

BUDDY: Of course not. Just taking a moment to say farewell to my life savings.

JACKET: Buddy…

JUNO (NARRATOR): But it didn’t matter what the big guy said. Before he could stop her, or she could stop herself, she held out her thumb.

Aaaaaand that’s when all hell broke loose.

SOUND: ALARMS.

RASBACH: Basqueesy!

JUNO: The hell is that?

JACKET: Security alarm. Utgard-Lockhouse brand. There is an intruder on the premises.

RASBACH: No now, no now!

JUNO: What the hell is going on?

RASBACH: Quiet! You think you getting the better of me, Miss Buddy; but I am the one of top control!

SOUND: COMMS BEEP.

Das mivi! Ovelisan das mivi, das— (CHOKING)

SOUND: HEAVY BREATHING. CLUNK. THUD.

BUDDY: (PANTING) Well. That was… very satisfying.

JACKET: Would you like me to kill him?

BUDDY: No, no. I wouldn’t want to deny his children a father, and I wouldn’t want to deny myself the splitting headache he’s going to have when he wakes up.

JUNO: Wow, uh, Buddy, you timed this out really well. The alarm, the backup – for, a minute there I thought you really were gonna give away everything you own. That was a hell of a con.

BUDDY: I’d like to correct you on two fronts, Juno, but I’m afraid I’ll have to do it quickly, because we haven’t much time: first, my timing was off by around five seconds, because I really did give away everything I own. And second: this is what we in the business of crime would refer to not as a con, but a worst case scenario.

JUNO: Then… wait, what?

BUDDY: Darling, take the door. You are not to let her leave here. I’ve lost her once, I will not lose her again.

JACKET: Understood.

BUDDY: Juno, take the Curemother’s case and hide yourself and Rasbach. In a moment the lights are going to go out. You must be gone by then.

JUNO: This is… Vespa? Wh-why are you so afraid of her? What’s she gonna do?

BUDDY: Do you remember when I told you Vespa had two specializations? The second was assassinations.

JUNO: What!

BUDDY: We’re fresh out of time, darling. The case!

JUNO (NARRATOR): The lights flickered.

SOUND: BZZZT.

I grabbed the briefcase and grabbed Rasbach, and right as I slid under the desk, they went out for good.

SOUND: POWERING DOWN. SILENCE. DOOR CREAKS OPEN.

BUDDY: Vespa?

It’s me, Vespa. It’s Buddy. And it’s all going to be alright now.

Vespa?

You know what to do.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

JACKET: (BIG GRUNT)

SOUND: RUSTLING.

She… is not here.

SOUND: BLADE UNSHEATHING. SWISH, WET THUMP.

JACKET: (PAINED GROAN)

SOUND: THUD.

BUDDY: Vespa! Stop it!

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

VESPA: You stop it. (GRUNTS)

SOUND: BLADE SCHING. RUSTLING.

BUDDY: Vespa! What are you—

VESPA: I said stop it! (GROWLS)

SOUND: RUSTLING. BLADE SCHING.

Your voice, your…! Aghhh! I stopped imagining you, I stopped!

BUDDY: Imagining… you mean—

SOUND: BLADE SCHING.

VESPA: Yahhhh!

BUDDY: Vespa! I am not a hallucination. It’s me, it’s Buddy, and you’re my—

VESPA: Don’t! (GROWLS)

SOUND: THUD.

BUDDY: Oof!

VESPA: (BIG GROWL)

(PANTING) I stopped hearing you. I finally got over you, finally. And now, today, the day I was going to be free… I was done with this. I was done.

BUDDY: (GASPING) Vespa…

VESPA: (GROWLS) You aren’t real! Get out of my head!

SOUND: GRUNTS, FOOTSTEPS, BLADE SCHINGS, RUSTLING.

VESPA: (BIG GROWL)

SOUND: THUD.

BUDDY: (GASPING, CHOKING)

VESPA: Stop it. Stop doing that!

BUDDY: (GASPING) Vespa…

VESPA: (GROWLS)

SOUND: RUBBER STRETCHING.

BUDDY: (CHOKING) V-ves– pa…

JUNO (NARRATOR): And in the dark, all I could do was listen to Buddy Aurinko die at the hands of the woman she loved. The last seconds of a tragedy repeated twice.

I felt like this had always been my problem and I was never going to escape it, just standing and watching while a life gets taken away.

TURBO (ECHOING): The good guys always win!

JUNO (NARRATOR): Nothing different. The same old mistakes. Always.

THEIA: Projection: if you do nothing. She will die.

Would you like me to activate. Nightvision mode?

JUNO (NARRATOR): And there it was. That voice inside my head, telling me that changing was pointless, telling me that you might as well be a puppet to whoever or whatever wants to control you because hell, at least a puppet doesn’t have to think. A puppet just listens to the strings, goes where the pulling takes it, so – just give up. Why not?

THEIA: The target. Is dying.

JUNO (NARRATOR): You can’t change the past.

You can’t even change the present, really, because all you’ve got is that little corner of this moment you happen to have your hands on.

But that corner? Your little part in this great big present? You can pull that any way you want, and maybe it won’t work, but… hell, if you’ve got it, why not pull?

So I ignored the Theia, and I opened up the Curemother, and its weird glowing light spilled out into the room.

SOUND: HISS.

VESPA: What the…

BUDDY: (CHOKING) Vespa… please… (BIG BREATH)

VESPA: Oh!

BUDDY: (GASPING)

VESPA: No! No, no, no, no, no! You’re… you’re gone.

BUDDY: (COUGHING) I was, Vespa. But I’m back.

VESPA: You were gone, gone…

BUDDY: I waited for you. I swear I did.

VESPA: At the lighthouse, for months… but you weren’t… you weren’t…

No… no, this is just what I want to hear. Damn it, V, pull yourself together! This is the day – you’re finally gonna escape and this is the day you crack? Damn it, damn it, damn it! They’re gonna get you, you idiot!

BUDDY: Vespa, I’m here! I’m real. And you’re safe, now. Those awful people don’t have your code anymore, and we have the Curemother. I’ll give you your contract. You’ll be safe.

VESPA: Safe? (BITTER LAUGH) Always gives itself away eventually. Damn radiation. Damn it, damn it!

BUDDY: Vespa…? I couldn’t lose you again.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

VESPA: Just get the Curemother and go, V. Past’s gone. Dead are dead. No getting back fifteen years.

BUDDY: No. I suppose there isn’t, is there?

Juno, slide her the case. Be careful not to lock it.

JUNO: Buddy—

BUDDY: And if you say a second word about it you might not survive to your third.

JUNO: (GRUNTS)

SOUND: SLIDE.

VESPA: The Curemother.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

BUDDY: (QUIETLY) Vespa…

(CALLING) Vespa… Vespa, if you can hear me in there… I just want you to know that I tried. I did. And I know that time’s passed us, darling, I know, but—

I would like to try this again. Even if those fifteen years are gone, even if we’re new people, you and I, or ghosts, or… I’d like to see how these new people get along. I… just want to try.

SOUND: RUSTLING, CLUNK.

JUNO: Lights out again. Buddy, you alright?

BUDDY: (CALLING) If you want to try with me, I’ll meet you at our spot. Tonight, at sunset. The place I should have met you years ago.

I’m so sorry we lost this time, Vespa; if I could have it back—

SOUND: BZZZT.

JUNO: The lights are back.

BUDDY: …And she’s gone.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

Darling, are you alright?

SOUND: RUSTLING.

JACKET: I am fine. I have been lightly stabbed, but it is not concerning.

JUNO: Oh, is that all?

BUDDY: I think we really ought to leave, now.

JUNO: But… what about your money? A-and your ship?

BUDDY: They’re Rasbach’s, now. We’d need his consent to get them back, and… he’d certainly never give it.

JACKET: Would you like me to—

BUDDY: Kill him? Ha!

No. Killing one of the million middlemen with dreams above their paygrades won’t save a single soul in Cerberus. Let’s leave now. I think I owe you the rest of a story, Juno; and we have somewhere to be by sunset.

JUNO: The lighthouse?

BUDDY: The lighthouse.

***

MUSIC: STARTS.

BUDDY: I served eight years in the Balder Central Penitentiary after our heist fell apart, watching the faces of new inmates for her… but she never came. Then I was out. I got my hands on the money I’d saved for myself and bought a ticket back to the Cerberus Province, as promised. And I waited.

JACKET: For two years.

BUDDY: Well, so much for being allowed to keep one’s own secrets.

JACKET: He wouldn’t have believed you if you said it. Two years. And she went up that lighthouse every night for hours, waiting. Then I pulled her out. She was not well.

JUNO: You went up there every day? But that’s… aboveground. There’s no Dome.

JACKET: She was very sick.

JUNO: No… no, wait, hold on. Damn it, can you shut that stupid thing up?

SOUND: THUNK, CLANG. MUSIC CUTS OFF.

Two years? And that much time aboveground? You-you’d have gone nuts by now, right? You’dve lost your damn mind.

BUDDY: Everyone experiences the symptoms of radiation sickness in a slightly different order, darling. Over time one might develop hallucinations, paranoia, memory loss—

SOUND: ICE CUBES CLINKING.

—uncontrollable moods… or conditions a bit more visible.

JUNO (NARRATOR): Then Buddy Aurinko pulled back the hair covering the left side of her face, and I saw what conditions she meant.

From the cheek up, that side of her face looked like a dead body’s. Not just burned, like the woman in the street, or the people wearing those debtor’s tags – more than that. The skin was gaunt, shriveled, and gray. Pieces of it were missing. And in the middle of that ruin sat something like a camera lens, ringed in yellow – and when her other eye blinked, a mechanical shutter clicked across it, sideways.

BUDDY: Organ failure. Skin rot. Hair loss.

JUNO: Yeah, ok-okay, I get the idea.

BUDDY: Bone displacement. Food allergy – that’s all food, of course, not just the one kind.

JUNO: I said I get it!

BUDDY: (CHUCKLES) I was fortunate: the mental effects never had their way with me. And so I lived here for two years, running the lighthouse and getting criminals and Outer Rim refugees as drunk as they liked; and every single night, I would walk up the stairs of this lighthouse with dinner, and wait for my Vespa to come. I knew she wouldn’t. But what else was I going to do? Move on? (SAD LAUGH) Nobody ever moves on because they want to, darling. We move on because we’re forced to – and I only did because he forced me.

JACKET: She didn’t open at the correct time. I became concerned.

BUDDY: You took the door off its hinges.

JACKET: I was deeply concerned.

BUDDY: If he had any sense at all he would have let me die. But, instead, he took me in that car of his and drove me back from the underworld. Some top-notch medical care and a bargain-basement eye later, and I was alive. I felt sorry for myself for another five years; and when I was done with that, I called my old friend here, and offered him a job. I owed him, after all: he sold that car to pay for my eye.

JUNO: Even to afford a low-end eye, that… must’ve been a hell of a car.

JACKET: We will not discuss this.

BUDDY: And that brings us to today, darling. This is the first job of my second career – and I must say I can only hope it’s going to go in the reverse of the first. Start with tragedy, end with… comedy. Ha ha.

JUNO: So that’s how you’re hoping today goes? Comedy?

BUDDY: Given enough time and enough hurt you can laugh at anything, darling. But all things being equal I would rather have the laughter now than later.

JUNO: I just… have one last question.

BUDDY: I’ll trade you. If you answer a question of mine, I’ll answer one of yours.

JUNO: Mine’s really not that important, I’m just curious.

BUDDY: Oh, neither is mine.

JUNO: Fine, then. If—

BUDDY: I’ll ask first. Why?

JUNO: Uh– th– wha— (CLEARS THROAT) Wh-why what?

BUDDY: Why did you decide to stay and help me? You didn’t have to. We barely know each other. Yet today, a former lawman risked his life several times for a former criminal, and for all your whining you even did a good job at it, so. Why?

JUNO: Be-because…

For a few months now I’ve-I-I’ve felt… good. Not l– not, like, good-good, but— (STUTTERS, FRUSTRATED SIGH) Like maybe I was on the right track, I-I guess. An-and then, in that desert, looking back on those months and realizing, damn, I really didn’t help anyone, did I? Maybe I meant to, but— (SIGHS) I just wanted to see if I even could help you. Okay? ‘Cause I— (GROWLS)

BUDDY: Go on.

JUNO: I just wanted to… see if I could. Anymore. Help… people.

BUDDY: Well. That’s quite an answer, isn’t it?

JUNO (NARRATOR): She smiled at me then, like she’d known I’d find the answer all along. And that’s when I knew what kind of leader Buddy Aurinko was.

BUDDY: So? I believe you had a question.

JUNO: Oh. Yeah, it’s, uh… it’s gonna seem pretty dumb now.

BUDDY: I’m sure it won’t.

JUNO: Okay. Uh…

If you’re allergic to all food, what do you eat?

BUDDY: (AFTER A PAUSE) You’re right, darling. That was a dumb question.

JUNO: Yeah, I mean, I told you.

BUDDY: I think I like you, Juno. I think you’ve grown on me.

SOUND: ICE CUBES CLINKING. CLUNK.

I’m going to wait upstairs now. Help yourself to… whatever you’d like.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS DEPARTING.

JUNO: Uhh…

JACKET: She means the top of the lighthouse.

JUNO: No, I get that, I mean… (QUIETLY) What does she eat?

JACKET: I think I will wait with her.

JUNO: Outside?

(CALLING) You and I both got stabbed today, you moron! You wanna get marinated in radiation on top of that? (GROWLS)

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

***

MUSIC: STARTS.

JACKET: The sun has begun to set.

JUNO: Yup.

JACKET: It is very beautiful.

JUNO: So are most things that want to kill you.

JACKET: This has not been my experience.

JUNO: (CALLING) Hey, Buddy? We almost done here? I can feel myself getting sicker.

BUDDY: (DISTANT) You’re free to leave anytime you like.

JUNO: It’s sundown. She’s not coming.

BUDDY: (DISTANT) Maybe you’re right.

JUNO: So, you gonna do anything about it?

Buddy?

JACKET: She is ignoring you.

JUNO: Shut up.

JACKET: Alright.

JUNO (NARRATOR): So we waited, and the sun kept setting.

Sunset was… really something, out here. The Domes have a blue tint – small enough that you stop seeing it, after a while, but – out here, unblocked and unblued, the sunset was wild. Alive. Like someone set fire to the sky.

And Buddy had been up here for two years, staring down that sunset. Killing herself, slowly, in the hopes that it’d bring her the only thing she’d ever really wanted.

JACKET: The sun is almost down.

You are shivering.

JUNO: Yeah, well.

JACKET: There are coats downstairs.

JUNO: (CALLING) This is pointless, Buddy! She didn’t even hear you!

God, you really have one of those music machine things up here too? Does anybody even go up here?

JACKET: Would you like me to turn it off?

JUNO: Didn’t say that.

JACKET: Hm.

JUNO (NARRATOR): So we waited, and the sun kept setting.

I-I mean, it was a pretty thought, wasn’t it? That the past could really leap back into your arms, have your love back… have your brother back.

But it was just a fantasy – and soon the sun had set, we were in the dark with nothing but soft-boiled brains to show for all our dreaming.

JACKET: The sun has set.

JUNO: I can see that, thanks.

(CALLING) Alright, Bud, show’s over, time to go home. You and I only got one eye apiece and neither one of us can afford to lose—

SOUND: LOUD POWERING UP. POP.

MUSIC: CHANGES.

JUNO (NARRATOR): The lighthouse lights came on, and… there they were. Buddy and Vespa. Vespa and Buddy.

Seeing ‘em together like this, I saw just a glimmer of who they used to be, and… there was something huge about ‘em. Something bigger than life, bigger than people, bigger than all the years they’d been apart.

Then the lights mellowed a little. And they were just two women who barely knew each other again, and the feet between them could’ve been miles.

BUDDY: Vespa… you’re really here.

VESPA: Buddy… it’s really you.

SOUND: RUNNING FOOTSTEPS. SOFT SIGHS.

BUDDY: Vespa, I’m not assuming… a kiss, it doesn’t have to mean anything, darling. We’re just going to try this, see if it works, and—

VESPA: Oh, save it, Bud.

SOUND: THEY KISS.

JACKET: Well. A happy ending.

JUNO: (SNIFFS) Yeah.

JACKET: I think it is time for us to leave, now. They have much to catch up on.

Are you crying, Juno?

JUNO: (SNIFFS) Shut up. You’re crying.

Let’s go. Whatever.

JACKET: Indeed. You are owed payment for your services. We’ll leave tonight.

JUNO: Sure. Tonight. Fine.

BUDDY & VESPA: (DISTANT, UNINTELLIGIBLE)

JUNO: Stupid music machine. Oughta be a law.

JACKET: Would you like me to turn it off before we leave?

JUNO: No, just… let it play.

Let it play.

BUDDY: (DISTANT) Darling. You wouldn’t be hungry, would you? I know a wonderful place around the corner…

(LAUGHS)

MUSIC: ENDS.

***

SOUND: TRAIN MOVING, MUSIC.

CONDUCTOR: If you’ve enjoyed this tale, please consider donating to The Penumbra on Patreon. Our artists work tirelessly to bring you these stories, and if you have the means, we hope you will support our efforts. Every dollar helps. You can find that page at patreon.com/thepenumbrapodcast. If you support us on Patreon at the $10 level or higher, you’ll receive access to commentary tracks like this one, from actors Sarah Gazdowicz, William Schuller, Chloe Cunha, and co-creator Kevin Vibert:

SOUND: TRAIN STOPS, DOOR SLIDES OPEN, RAIN.

WILLIAM: Sometimes you gotta take time out, and, figure out what the noun endings for basqueezy are.

KEVIN & SARAH: (LAUGH)

WILLIAM: And that-that’s just where you’re– where you’re at as a writer. (LAUGHS)

KEVIN: (LAUGHS) Um… yeah, I mean I know that, uh, from, from, the… from the writing perspective, uh, I really based a lot of their, like, mannerisms, a lot of the, uh, like, little side things, the patterns of their language, on a lot of my extended, uh, French family. Um, which is why you’ve got, which is why you’ve got Rasbach’s top everything…

SOUND: DOOR SLIDES SHUT.

CONDUCTOR: You can also support The Penumbra by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter @thepenumbrapod, following us on Tumblr @thepenumbrapodcast, telling your friends about us, telling your friends to tell their friends about us, and especially by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. Every rating, comment, and kind word spreads our stories further and inspires us to keep creating more and better tales to come.

We would like to give special thanks to all who support us on Patreon, but especially to Camille Blanton, Ota Arcana, Juno Yanto, Regan, Ko, KC, Atha Lang, Vron, Charlie Spiegel, Minchowski, and Jaimie Gunter for their incredibly generous contributions per episode. Thank you.

Did you know that The Penumbra has merchandise for sale? It’s true! The Penumbra has partnered with DFTBA to bring you the posters, shirts, and pins your heart desires. Just go to dftba.com and search for The Penumbra Podcast.

This tale, Juno Steel and the Time Gone By, was told by the following people: Joshua Ilon as Juno Steel, Alexander Stravinski as the Man in the Brown Jacket, Sarah Gazdowicz as Buddy Aurinko, William Schuller as Rasbach, and Chloe Cunha as Vespa.

The Penumbra is created and produced by Sophie Kaner and Kevin Vibert. If you wish to know more about our ever-expanding, infinitely-creative team of artists, musicians, editors, designers, and managers, you can read about them in the show notes of this episode.

I’m afraid this is the end of the line for today, dear Traveler. We hope you will ride with The Penumbra again soon.

ALL SOUNDS: FADE OUT.

[luvkirby4ever]

Of birds and morons:  a look into Mother 3′s most intricate unspoken running joke/motif

Shoutout to @amphibizzy for convincing me to talk about this.  There’s so much Mother 3 meta that I want to talk about- maybe next time I’ll make a video essay to spare you all from reading so much >o<

Tldr; Duster and Wess have bird motifs that don’t quite translate over well, making Wess’s mannerisms slightly less harsh in context but outs him as surprisingly superstitious.  May be a nod to Japanese mythology, too.

So, a starting point.  Did you know that at beginning of chapter 7 after Ionia joins you (still tied up at this point) that if you go back and talk to Wess he says something rather strange?

For clarity, the entire original conversation reads "Washi no inemuri uranai ni yoreba kyou wa TRIPLE LUCKY da yo.  Jishin o motte daikatsuyaku shinasai."  which translates as “According to my sleep divinations, today is triple lucky.  Go forth with great confidence.”

Weird, right?  Since when has Wess believed in something like fortune telling through dreams?  Is that why he believed Alec’s dream of Hinawa?  And what does this have to do with birds?

Be sure to remember this.

Part 1:  Cleaning crew bird boys

So now let’s take a step back and look at the easiest part of all this.  In all of Mother 3, there’s only 1 bandana that Flint can equip (the manly bandana that Lighter gave him), otherwise the only characters than can equip bandanas are Duster and Salsa.  The bandanas (except the manly one) all have a bird names, with the types being the chick, sparrow, rail (the kana used refers to the water rail, a type of bird), swallow (also a bird), crow, kite (also a bird), and Horus (the Egyptian god whose head resembles a falcon).

Now that’s all well and good, but let’s say that’s not good enough.  Wess and Duster’s connection with watching over the Hummingbird Egg seems pretty solid with Duster’s bird bandanas but let’s go deeper.

When Wess snaps, he consistently refers to Duster as “aho” (moron) and “anoaho” (that moron).  Which is needlessly cruel, but... also a pun.  Yes, that’s right.  The game totters around the joke that Duster is bird-brained, through which Wess is the main spark and Duster is the conduit.  And for the record’s sake this isn’t me excusing Wess’s actions- I’m making an intricate webcomic about his relationship with Duster and him learning how to be a better person for a reason, after all- but I’ve literally heard nobody else talk about this so I honestly think people don’t know about it.

In Japan, “aho” means “moron”, but it is also the onomatopoeia for a crow’s cawing.  There’s a trope known as the “idiot crow” in Japanese media based on this.  What will happen is that something dumb will happen and a crow will fly by and caw “aho aho!”.  Which means “caw caw” but also means “moron moron”.  Thus the joke.  So Wess’s “aho aho!”-ing and using “anoaho” makes him sound like an old crow, commentating on Duster’s mistakes.

Will I get banned from the fandom for making a Homestuck “caw caw motherfucker joke with Wess or-?”

This also feeds into Duster being a bird- “aho” (”moron”) is also used in the word “ahoudori” (”albatross”).  Which is a bird, of course.  And it’s no coincidence either- albatross are known as “idiot birds” in Japan- that’s what “ahoudori” literally translates to.

One more thing that I’ll add to the “Duster’s a bird” pool aside from making a “HEY GUYS LOOK HE’S A FEATHER DUSTER” joke is that his “aho” bird-ness lends him to more “you are ____ type of bird” jokes, which is actually extrapolated by Lighter in game.

In the Japanese version Lighter says “Sugoshi CONDOR?  Iya sakatta.  Sugoshi hagetaka?  Gaahaahaaha.”  This translates as “[You’re] a bit condor-ish?  No, that’s not it.  [You’re] a bit vulture-ish?  Gahaha.”

A bit “vulture-ish”?  Why does he say that?  And why did Mato translate it as going bald?  Because it’s another wordplay pun!  Much like how “ahoudori” (”albatross”) is literally “idiot-bird”, “hagetaka” (”vulture”) is literally “bald-hawk”.  But even more than that, “hagetaka” (a noun) is similar to “hageru”, the verb for “to bald”.  Since “hageru” is an ichidan verb, you can conjugate it as “hageta” to say “balded”.  And then you tack on “ka” at the end to make the statement a question.  So, in short:

Hagetaka=vulture

Hage=bald

Taka=hawk

Hageru=to bald

Hageta=balded

“Hagetaka?”=“Have you balded?”

Hagetaakaa=the “balding eagle” enemy on Mr. Oriander

Damn, Lighter!  That’s a choice pun.  Now, whether or not he was mostly doing it to make a bird joke, to note that Duster looks balder without an afro, or genuinely comment on Duster’s hairline is anyone’s guess.  But hey thanks for the bird fodder Lighter!

Part 2:  Idiots don’t catch colds

If there’s one Japanese idiom you’ve heard, it’s probably that one.  It’s a funny little superstition- the idea that you’re so dumb that your brain lacks to capacity to get a cold- but surprisingly it may be a belief by which Wess operates.  And yes, this still has to do with birds!  In a roundabout way!

Wess being the type of person to believe in magical dreaming and superstition was a very hard concept for me to process at first after I read that “triple lucky” bit during a Mother 3 playthrough.  With the exception of Duster-related things, Wess seems like a fairly understanding and reasonable person:  he tells Flint to be careful and consider his family before rushing off to confront the Mecha-Drago, he wants to help search for Hinawa, he’s adamantly opposed to Fassad’s BS and is one of the only villagers to actively oppose him, and he even tells Duster (upon inputting “no” during a dialogue tree in early chapter 2) that Duster can target any hatred or resentment he may have towards him, since by Wess’s logic that doesn’t matter as long as their mission succeeds.

So if anything he’s a bit crass and willing to sacrifice his own pride/comfort/personal relationships for the greater good, but his convictions are strong and seemingly grounded in his own sense of justice and logic.  Which is why I always took him as someone who wouldn’t believe in PSI, magic, or anything supernatural like that.  But since he *does* seem to believe in that sort of thing, let’s break down what we know:

Wess refers to Duster as a moron

Duster’s IQ is often tied with Boney’s for lowest party member IQ

Wess tells Kumatora in chapter 3 that “morons like that don’t get hurt or sick”

Duster canonically doesn’t catch fevers while Kumatora and Lucas do

In Japan, there’s the idiom “idiots don’t catch colds”

Wess claims to have dreams with fortune telling powers

Says Lucas will have a “triple lucky” day

Lucas proceeds to successfully pull 3 out of the 7 needles before the chapter is over

It’s almost as if Wess wants Duster to be a moron, because superstitiously Duster would be safer that way.  Hm.  It’s also strange that Wess almost seems magical, which may have legitimately been viable at some point since Wess was planned as a playable character for a long while (Therefore he could have been a PSI user with thunder attacks to replace his bombs).  There’s an Earthbound 64 screenshot of Wess being alive while Duster is fainted and even all the way up through Mother 3 you can still access data suggesting Wess was a normal party member from the debug room (I could make a whole post on that- you can use a glitch to pull up all of his stats except HP and PP).

So Duster may be a bird and Wess an old, superstitious crow with maybe some sort of ambiguous connection to magic... but so what?  Well,

Part 3:  It’s Yo-kai time!  (Yatagarasu, Kotengu, and Karasutengu)

This is a much more speculative section, though I try to be reasonable.

You know, I skimmed over the fact that Duster’s final and best bandana is the Horus Bandana, named after the Egyptian deity with a falcon head.  Horus’s right and left eyes represent the sun and moon, respectively.  His left eye (the moon one) was injured in a fight, explaining the moon’s phases.  Funny, considering that Duster also has a left side injury.

But perhaps Horus isn’t the only ancient deity that we can talk about.  I propose the most compelling case, Yatagarasu:

(He’s the bird sitting atop the bow)

Yatagarasu is the Japanese name of a myth that originated in China.  He’s a 3-legged crow that is representative of the sun.  Specifically in Japan, he represents the will of heaven and divine intervention.  He symbolizes guidance, as well as rebirth after tragic stuff like battle/war.

Yatagarasu is prominent enough that there’s a Yu-gi-oh card and a Persona based on him too, which is pretty cool.  But even cooler is that he sounds a lot like what the Egg of Light, Wess, and Duster were responsible for.  The Egg was responsible for the rebirth of their lives for the citizens of Tazmily.  And Wess and Duster’s task to protect the Egg for reasons they don’t understand for the sake of a village that doesn’t appreciate their work seems like they’re doing god’s work, so to speak.

An important thing about Yatagarasu too is that it defies the normal Japanese superstition that crows are bad luck.  Yatagarasu is a harbinger of good.  I’m not sure if any of this was intentional or not, but I think comparing Duster, Wess, and the Egg of Light to it is a pretty solid theory.

So let’s briefly skim over Kotengu and Karasutengu, which are lesser Tengu with bird-like faces.  (For my own reference there’s really good write ups here and here about them.)  For the most part the important thing is that they are bird/crow yokai, but one intriguing thing I found is that Kotengu is that they tend to live like hermits (like Wess and Duster), carry items/weapons stolen from humans (the thief aspect), and collect magical items (the thief tools).

Conclusion:

So do I think Wess and Duster are supposed to represent bird tengu?  I don’t know!  Maybe not completely deliberately, but I definitely believe in the strength of the bird motifs (especially crow Wess).  I had drawn a silly little picture about it 2 years ago for Inktober, in fact...

Whatever the case, I hope someone out there appreciates the info dump.  There’s a lot of Mother 3 stuff I’ve examined meticulously so that my Mother 3 webcomic, DutyBound, can be the best it can be.  Sometimes there’s so much info I want to share but nobody who will listen, though!

So if anyone ever wants to hear some more crazy in-depth Mother 3 meta, I’m your guy >.<

[douxreviews]

American Gods - ‘Moon Shadow’ Review

"Fear is order. Fear is control. Fear is safety."

Season two of American Gods wraps up. It was... a little confusing. The episode, not the season. Well, actually also the season.

Much like 'Donar the Great' a few episodes back, 'Moon Shadow' had a lot in it that felt very Fuller-esque. So again, I ask myself how much of the planning for this was already underway before his exit from the show. Quite possibly none, and it's just the result of a DP or one of the designers having a similar artistic taste, but it seems to carry across all the elements of design, from sound to shot composition to the visuals.

Take, for example, a moment that I've seen now in a couple of places questioned as, 'What the hell was that about?' I refer of course to the gorgeously framed close up shot of the snails on the side of the burial vault. Fun side-fact, I had to look up what exactly those above ground stone things that Shadow was lying on were called and was informed that they were very common for Egyptian Pharaohs. Nice detail work there, set designer or whoever made the decision to have them in Jaquel and Ibis' cemetery.

Now, the contrasting image of Shadow sleeping on top of the Vault, then waking to find Laura sleeping on the adjacent one is a very nice, if not overly subtle, 'in life we are in death' visual. Particularly given the characters involved. But then they up their game and open the morning shots with that close up of the snails clinging to the side of the stone monument. This is a great shot for a few reasons, but it's there for a very Fuller reason. It's a stark visual of gross, complicated, uncomfortable life clinging on in the face of cold, unalterable death. It's the same message as Shadow lying on the thing put in a much more confrontational way.

But I appear to be waffling in the little details instead of looking at the big picture, so let's look at that big picture.

There are a few ways to wrap up a season finale, but two of the most popular are either by building to a spectacular reveal of something that changes our entire understanding of what we've seen before, or arriving at a climactic plot development. Both of these can either be something completely out of left field or the final realization of something that's been slow burning for a long time and is finally paying off.

Wednesday's reveal as Odin in season one's finale would be one of those slow burn examples of the former. Easter's decision to join Wednesday and unleash her power starting the war was the slow burn example of the latter.

This finale kind of attempts both, and while there's a lot I like in this one, neither of those threads feel like a complete success. Perhaps looking at the two of them individually will help me parse out how I feel about this episode, because, honestly, seven or so paragraphs in and I'm still not 100% certain that I know.

So, clearly the big reveal here is that Shadow is Wednesday's son and has some sort of powers. This is, to be fair, a huge reveal. But the problem is that they've sort of half revealed it at least three or four times this year, and so the net result is not unlike when your sassiest friends comes out of the closet to you and your first reaction is 'Oh, did we not already know that? I thought we were already clear on that.'

Side note: that's not a helpful thing to say to the friend in question, should the occasion arise.

Since almost the beginning of the series fandom has been more or less convinced that Shadow is Odin's son Baldr. Or Baldur, or Balder. Old Norse didn't have a strong written component outside of a limited set of runes, and the written forms we understand of it today were almost entirely imposed on it later. Thank you for indulging me with sharing that. Orthography is one of my favorite things. Orthography and assembling flatpack furniture.

Ahem. Fandom has long believed that Shadow is going to turn out to be Baldr. That's a nice, big reveal to end the season on, but by the time we get to Wednesday openly confirming it at the end of this episode we've already heard him talking to young Shadow in flashback while Shadow's mom is dying and been nearly beaten over the head with the implication of Shadow's paternity during the discussion of his presumably half-brother Donar.

On the other hand, we have the plot development of Mr. World officially commencing what we might call the counterattack in the war by using the newly resurrected New Technical Boy to facilitate New Media in calling the entire world down on Shadow, Wednesday, and for some reason, Salim. It was clever of them to publicly use not just the bank robbery in Chicago, but also the massacre of the cops back in 'Lemon Scented You' and the alleged 'chemical attack' in Kentucky which was of course really Easter's taking back the spring. That all gave it a nice sense of all the multiple plot threads coming together organically, and was tied together well by New Media finally speaking to Shadow in the same way old Media did. That's the first time she's really felt like a continuation of the same character for me, and I'm down with New Media now.

That's all great. But it's tied in, in fact it's the entire impetus for, Shadow's big character transformation in which he learns to use what powers he has. Specifically, he seems to alter reality by reaching into his own memories to clear the police and SWAT units from the funeral home's vicinity. From what we hear over the news, he didn't change things so much that the cops aren't still looking for them specifically, but did make them 'un-know' where specifically they were hiding.

The problem is that I think more than a couple people will have read that last sentence and thought to themselves, 'Huh. so that's what was happening,' and therein lies the episode's real problem. I think the blame really can be laid to Yggdrasil in this case. Having Shadow dragged into the tree, on top of all the flashbacks and intercuts between dream and reality so that he can metaphorically and literally hatchet his way into the god-space, is just an overly complicated and muddy way to visualize that. And that muddiness really hurt the reveal that they were trying to make the big exclamation mark at the end of the season. Instead of coming away thinking, 'Wow, I can't believe what just happened!' the viewer leaves thinking, 'What the hell just happened?' and that's not a great note on which to end a season.

No Yggdrasil!  Bad Tree!  Put the nice man down!

Quotes:

New Technical Boy: "Hello, old friend."

Laura: "I am not my mistakes, Shadow."

Burial Vault Inscription: "She hath done what she could." That is just an incredibly depressing final memorial.

Mr. Xie: "Science is the closest we come to wrestling god." New Technical Boy: "Why would you want to…?"

Laura: "Planning on kissing me again? Cause I’ve had kind of a day." Bilquis: "My kisses have been known to improve a day."

Laura: "You don’t like him either." Bilquis: "Is that what your intuition tells you?" Laura: "No, I just know an I’d-like-to-punch-that guy-in-the-mouth-look when I see one."

Salim: "Sorry, I’ve never purchased liquor before. It’s for a friend. He’s a leprechaun. He died." Cashier: "OK."

Bilquis: "I’m a great believer in frankly assessing one’s situation."

Salim: "I don’t know what we are going to be, but I want you to know that I don’t regret any of it. You have taught me how to love."

Jinn: "You know me. Eyes of fire, shit for brains."

Bits and Pieces:

-- I suspect that Nancy and Ibis' conversation over the chess game is going to reward re-watching after all is said and done and the whole story is told.

-- I still don't entirely understand whose side Bilquis is on or what her goals are. She's certainly all right with Laura killing Wednesday and actually seems to consider the offer to join her. No Ruby Goodchild this week.

-- The first ten minutes with Mr. World and the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast is hands down my favorite thing this show has ever done. A beautiful exploration of the interrelationship between fear, belief, and objective reality. Crispin Glover was born specifically to deliver that monologue.

-- I've come to realize that the most useful way to watch this series is to assume that whatever happens was the outcome wanted by someone, and then work backwards as to who would want that outcome and why. That also works for Agatha Christie books, by the way.

-- I liked the old Technical Boy better. He had much more personality. And while I get that they were going for fiber optics with the new costume, it ends up coming across as Green Lantern. Was that a Michael Green nod?

-- The echo of the opening War of the Worlds monologue sprinkled throughout New Media's on-air rant was very effective at bringing everything together. Nicely scripted.

-- I love the wall-size bas reliefs of Bruce Langley's head on the walls of Xietech. I need them in my home.

-- The NRA logo on the opening film card leading into a discussion of how creating fear allows you to control people was an inspired touch.

-- Here's hoping that Laura's running away with Mad Sweeney's body means that we haven't seen the last of him. Even though they're both dead, I'm still 'shipping them super hard.

-- The Jinn chose to protect Salim by taking him away, even though it means facing consequences for disobeying Wednesday. That's very touching. I assume we'll learn in season three why the Jinn is bound to Wednesday.  I very much hope it doesn't involve rubbing a lamp.

-- It's very in character that Wednesday's entire role this week was 'Go out for dinner and watch the pieces fall into place.'

-- It's strange that they went out of their way to remind us in the pre-credit sequence that Sweeney had sent the spear into the Hoard, and never got around to addressing that this week. Setup for next year I suppose.

A mostly enjoyable season finale with some very high highs and some very low lows, which sums up season two in a nutshell. Still, any series that gives me this episode and 'Donar the Great' in a single season deserves to go on for many, many years.

Two and a half out of three graveyard snails.

P.S. please bring Chris Obi back next season.

Mikey Heinrich is, among other things, a freelance writer, volunteer firefighter, and roughly 78% water.

[ashleybenlove]

Title: Six Became Four

Prompt: No prompt.

Fandom: How to Train Your Dragon

Pairing: Hiccup/Astrid/Fishlegs/Snotlout/Ruffnut/Tuffnut (polyamorous gang)

Word Count: 5509

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Major Character death, Grief

Disclaimer: I don’t own the source material in this fanfic. That’s to whatever company or person owns it. I would never claim to own it.

Notes: There are probable influences from fandom and whatnot in this story. This story takes place many years in the future, roughly 60 years after the first movie, set when the gang is in their mid-70s. This fic is because of a post I made and shoutout to @primedoverlord who made the post worse (and better) and also pretty much inspired me to write this (and is responsible for the “I came into this world screaming in someone else’s blood, I plan to go out the same way.” line). It exists because of you. Also, I lowkey feel like recent events (Bryn’s death and Hiccup’s reaction) in @evilwriter37‘s “Infernal Fascination” (explicit nsfw content at the link) was sort of inspirational (in terms of like, how to write something like this well, I suppose). (Like, it was definitely on my mind a lot when I wrote this.) The sentence about “destroyed their world” is inspired/lifted/modified from Patton Oswalt’s stand-up special Annihilation that’s on Netflix (when he talks about telling his daughter that her mother/his wife has passed away). Astrid and Revna counting the children/niblings is inspired by Wen Spencer’s A Brother’s Price. Also, comments would be appreciated! 😊

And it is under the read more.

     “We will handle the battle,” Revna said to her parents.

 By ‘we’ she meant herself, six of her seven siblings, all of her siblings-in-law, and other Berkians. Her second-youngest sister, Oydis (who was currently pregnant), and her parents’ grandchildren— her niblings, were going to stay with her parents, even though there were niblings currently older than her parents were at the time they fought the Red Death some sixty years prior. She was certain the older niblings were a bit miffed at that, but they would listen to their Aunt and Chief. She was going to protect as much of her family as she could.

 She saw some of her parents easily agree to that. Papa Fishlegs nodded quietly and doted on one of her young niblings. Daddy Snotlout, who she would have expected to disagree, actually nodded.

 She looked at Chief Dad— who at this point hadn’t been Chief in more than twenty years, but that was what she always had called him, and that was unlikely to change when she was over fifty, and he nodded, with a little bit of a hesitance and concern, likely afraid that any of his— theirs— the sixsome’s children would perish in the battle. She understood that fear, even if she had no offspring herself.

 “I agree. We’ll stay with the grandchildren. None of us will fight,” Hiccup said.

 There was some resistance from her some of her parents at this comment. Her parents had been Dragon Riders for sixty years, she expected that— they were a stubborn group, to be sure. “We’re a pretty stubborn group” should have been the Haddock family motto.

 “What?!” Mom Nut— Ruffnut exclaimed. “And let our kids die in battle?! Hel No! That’s not happening! We’re going!”

 Dad Nut, Tuffnut agreed.

 Ruffnut and Tuffnut stood up.

 “I don’t like the thought either, Wife, Husband. But someone has to watch and protect the grandchildren,” Astrid said, tugging at Tuffnut’s tunic.

 “We’re staying, Ruff, Tuff,” Hiccup said firmly, Chiefly.

 That seemed to end the discussion, but Revna was concerned about the shared look between Mom Nut and Dad Nut as they sat back down. That twin connection was there. And she knew: it was a formidable connection.

      After seven of their children went into battle, Ruff and Tuff excused themselves to one of the bedrooms. Maybe they would take a nap and sleep through it, not stay awake worried.

 They sat down on the bed and looked at each other.

 “We’re not staying,” Ruff and Tuff said at the same time, perfectly in unison.

 The two of them pressed their foreheads together. They stayed like that for a long moment, and breathed together, as one.

 When they finally pulled away, Ruffnut said, “I can’t just sit here and wait. There are nearly two dozen of the people we love most in the world in this house, including a set of twins in the womb. Seven of our children are out there, in a battle. I do not want to see them die. And I don’t want to see anybody in this house die. I don’t. Astrid’s guarding the front door and if it gets to the enemies at our door, I don’t want to see her die. Or--”

 “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I’m with you, sis,” Tuffnut said. “Also, Oydis is having twins? How do you know?”

 “Hello? Twintuition. I gave birth to twins. I knew Astrid was having twins. Yeah, Oydis probably doesn’t realize she’s having twins, but she’s totally having twins,” Ruffnut said. “And I want her to have those babies.”

 Tuff nodded.

 “So, we’re going?” he asked.

 “Duh! I came into this world screaming in someone else’s blood, I plan to go out the same way,” Ruffnut said.

 Together the twins opened the window, called Barf and Belch, and flew off together, to protect Berk, and their large family.

      Hiccup sat with one of his grandchildren in his arms, who was asleep against his chest, with Toothless right next to the two of them. Hiccup felt content, even if his heart ached just a bit because seven of his babies, including the parent of the grandchild in his arms, were off fighting a battle. He didn’t want to lose any of them. He was there when they were all born, and he would rather not be here when they died.

 He watched as his second-youngest, Oydis, pensively wrung her hands.

 Oydis got up and Hiccup heard Fishlegs tell her to rest, that she should have a snack, for her and her growing baby, that her obvious anxiety was not going to help matters, but that it was okay for her to feel those feelings. She nodded, saying she was going to go see if her Parent Nuts wanted to snack with her.

 She came back even more anxious.

 Oydis tapped Hiccup’s shoulder and he looked up at her.

 Hiccup felt anxiety pool in his stomach as his second-youngest daughter looked at him with wide frightened eyes and whispered loudly, “Dad! They’re not there!”

 “What did you say?” Snotlout asked, getting up from where he had been and walking over to them. The same thing happened with Fishlegs, as well as Astrid, who had moved from where she had been standing by the door with Asbiorg, aged twenty-two, Oydis’ eldest niece and her parents’ eldest grandchild, guarding it.

 The eyes of four of her parents were looking at her.

 “Parent Nuts are not in any of the other rooms! One of the bedroom windows is open and it doesn’t look like Barf and Belch are here, either.”

 “Oh no,” Hiccup said.

 He looked at three of his spouses and was met with the same expressions on their face, that he expected he too shared. Wide-eyed fear.

      As Revna and her siblings fought both in the sky and on the ground, she caught sight of a Zippleback with two people on it, and realized… oh no.

 “Rev!” Folkeseks exclaimed, as he flew beside her, being her wingman. “Is that Barf and Belch? And Parent Nuts?”

 He tossed her his spyglass and she looked through it. Sure enough, that was two of their parents. Technically, Dad Nut was Uncle Nut to Folky and Spike and Knut, but no one in the family really cared about those distinctions.

 She tampered down on the urge to growl.

      Hiccup wanted to leave their home and go find two of their spouses, and while he was sure that he and Toothless could do this, he also knew that he had said they would stay, they would stay and protect the grandchildren. And his very pregnant daughter, who looked as nervous as he felt.

 Plus, Snotlout had sat down next to him, took his hand and said, “Don’t you dare leave, either. For once in your life, don’t be reckless.”

 Hiccup squeezed his husband’s hand and felt his chest hurt with tension and stress and fear. But he held Snotlout’s hand like a lifeline, like if they held onto each other, everything would be fine.

 “Thor, bring them back safe,” Hiccup prayed softly. Bring back his seven children and his two spouses.

 His heart ached even more.

      The last thing Ruff and Tuff told Barf and Belch was for the dragon to fly off and leave them here. This was their fight. This was their battlefield. They were going to protect their home. Their family.

      Ruff had been separated from her twin in the battle, and she hoped to find him again. She took a shallow breath, finding it hard to breathe deeper, and clutched her side. She felt pain. Her heart told her to keep going in the direction she was going.

 She wanted to shout his name but could only muster a cracked whisper.

 She eventually found him.

 Too tired to keep walking, Ruff fell to the ground and dragged her injured and old body to her just as injured and old twin. She threw an arm around him, struggled to grab onto his available hand, and him helping her by moving it enough so they could hold hands. She felt his body move with shaky breath, relieved that he was still with her on Midgard. But she felt it in her body, and felt it with her Twintuition… they were not going to be on Midgard much longer. They were going to Valhalla together. Born together, live together, die together.

 “Tuff,” she whispered. “I’m here.”

 She felt him move an arm so that he was holding onto her as well.

 “Same, sis,” he replied. “We got ‘em?”

 “Yeah, we got ‘em.”

 “That’s good,” Tuff responded softly.

 “Meet you at the Table of Kings?” Ruff asked.

 “See you there.”

      Revna had last seen Barf and Belch (and her parents) fly off towards the ground battle. She later saw the dragon fly off without any riders. She was certain that they were somewhere on that battlefield.

 Now, with the battle complete, her orders were clear to her siblings and siblings-in-law: Find Mom and Dad.

      “Revna!” called Balder.

 Revna turned at the voice of her brother, and he approached her. And as he approached her, she could see some tear tracks on his face. No.

 She knew whatever he had to tell her was going to wreck her world.

      “Best we can tell,” Balder explained, as he walked with Revna to the site. “One of them must have dragged themselves over to the other. This is how we found them.”

 And there it was.

 Two parts of her heart, of her siblings’ hearts, of her parents’ hearts, of her whole family’s heart were gone. Two people who she loved so much, who had raised her, had loved her, had made her life fun and joyous and whole, were gone.

 She wanted it to not be true. She wanted it to be some kind of trick. That they’d pop up any moment and say “Loki’d!” in that infuriating way.

 But, six of her siblings were here, and they all were weeping.

 She dropped to her knees and reached forward to touch Mom Nut’s neck. To check. To make sure.

 “I… already, uh, did that,” she heard Balder’s voice say thickly.

 No pulse. No life. No warmth.

 And the same thing happened when she touched Dad Nut’s neck.

 She heard a dragon call that in her head instantly translated to Zippleback in distress. She looked up, her eyes blurry, and saw that Barf and Belch were with them. She had seen the dragon fly off without them (probably on their orders), and the dragon must have come back at some point. Barf and Belch let out two calls of distress.

 It was one of the worst things she ever heard.

      Revna was not certain how long they stayed in that spot, mourning over the loss of two amazing people from their lives, but she was not going to deny them (or her) right to mourn. She knew that they would have to pull themselves together for what she knew was going to be the worst part of this, and she wasn’t quite ready for that.

 She took an unsteady breath, and some more tears fell.

 “What do we do now?” Ylvasiri asked.

 Revna took another breath, this time steadier, willing herself to be the strong Chief she was, and said, “We bring them home.”

 While certainly, it would have been easier for them to send her parents to Valhalla here, on the battlefield, but she would be denying a large section of their family (and especially, her still-living parents) that. She knew in her heart that it would cause her mother and fathers more distress and she did not wish to do that.

 So, they wrapped up Ruff and Tuff in a sheet, as carefully as they could, making sure they were together, and placed them on Barf and Belch’s back, who allowed Knut and Spike to ride them, and allowed one of Revna’s siblings-in-law onto their back as well.

 Now they could head home.

      When Revna and her contingent touched down at her parent’s house, Oydis and Asbiorg, immediately came out of the house, closing the door behind them.

 “Did you find them?” Oydis asked.

 Revna nodded to her sister. She turned to her niece and said, “I want you to get your siblings and cousins and go to your dad’s house. Okay?”

 Asbiorg nodded quietly and did as she was told.

 Revna quietly counted all of her niblings as they left. Sixteen. They were all there.

 Oydis nervously wrung her hands as she watched the procession of her niblings, who were being escorted by a couple of her siblings-in-law.

 When her parents’ grandchildren had all headed to her brother’s house, Oydis asked again, “Did you find Mom and Dad Nut? Are they…?”

 She nervously wrung her hands.

 She looked at her twin, Ragnhild, who clearly had tearstains on her face, mixed with dirt from the battle, and just… knew from looking at her.

 She rushed over to her twin and embraced her, and they held each other for a long time while they cried. Oydis then hugged her husband.

 Revna let her sister mourn her parents just like she had let her siblings mourn them earlier. But, she knew what was left of her parents were anxiously awaiting news about their spouses.

 “Oydis,” Revna said. She gently grabbed her sister by the shoulders, and looked her straight in the eye.

 “I need you to put yourself together for a bit, because in a minute we have to go tell our parents what happened,” Revna said. She wiped away a tear from her sister’s face. Revna’s voice cracked, “And we have to be there for them.”

 Revna sucked in a breath, willing herself to be strong.

 Revna took Oydis’ hand and squeezed it.

 Oydis nodded.

       Fishlegs, Astrid, Hiccup, and Snotlout sat together on a bench, anxiously waiting for their children to come inside with Ruff and Tuff, and they could— maybe not scold but gently chide them, and then envelope them in their arms.

 The door finally opened, and one by one, their eight children walked in, solemnly, quietly, with Revna being the last one in.

 “Eight,” Astrid whispered, in a relieved voice.

 But the fact that Revna was the last one in, and it was just them, no Ruffnut and Tuffnut, killed the relief with an axe.

 They all felt a painful sense of dread in their stomach and an ache in their heart.

 Hiccup was almost afraid to speak. None of them wanted to ask the question.

 Their children all slowly approached them, Revna in the middle, and finally, when they were a few feet from them, Hiccup found his voice enough to ask, "Where's Ruff and Tuff, Revna?" Revna looked at the four parents she had left and saw that they were holding each other's hands. It was an action she had seen so many times in her life. Whether a six-person handhold or a smaller-numbered person handhold. She had seen it at the birth of Oydis and Ragnhild, and pretty much every day of her life. It was such a beautiful thing to see. It gave her great comfort because it essentially meant her world was whole.

 But it wasn’t now.

 Revna sat down in front of her parents and destroyed their world.

      She had never heard her mother sob like that— or any of her parents, in her entire five decades of life. She had certainly seen them cry, of course, before, but nothing like this. There had been talk how they had cried more on the day she was born than she, a newborn, had. And she believed it. She had seen them cry full of joy, because of new life. Watching them cry the day Oydis and Ragnhild were born had been an incredible experience. And they had been so happy and weepy when each of their grandchildren had been born.

 This crying was not like that.

 This crying was full of despair.

 Like, everything had been taken from them. And it might as well have been.

 It was awful. This had to be worse than actually finding the bodies of two of her parents.

 All she and her siblings could do was converge on their parents and hold them close and try to comfort them even though in her broken heart she knew that it was essentially futile.

      “Did you find them separately? Did they die alone?” Hiccup asked, hoarsely, once he was able to speak. He said it fearfully, like he was dreading her response. Like, if she said the wrong thing it would shatter them completely. She even saw his lips quiver.

 She looked at Astrid, Fishlegs, and Snotlout and saw their lips quiver as well.

 “No. They were together. We found them together,” Revna said. “They were together in each other’s arms.”

 That elicited another sob from her parents.

 But also, a soft “Thank Thor” from all four of them.

 She knew what their fear must have been. That Ruffnut and Tuffnut had died alone and in pain, with no one with them, when they left for Valhalla. They had been together their entire lives, since the womb, and to not be together in death would have been an awful way to go.

 But they had been together. They had found them together. They had not been separated by death. They were together, even on their journey to Valhalla.

 But they were no longer with her parents.

 And the six of them had been together, first as friends and teammates, and then as romantic partners, for some sixty years.

 And now they were four. They were incomplete.

 Together, the six of them had created this amazing life together that had included dragons and the births of two dozen people (and counting), because the six of them had looked at each other more than fifty years ago and had decided they wanted to be together. And they had been so happy. Two dozen people literally existed because of them.

 And now two of the six were just gone.

      “Did you,” Fishlegs began. He sniffed. More tears fell from his eyes. “Did you already give them their funeral rites?”

 “We brought them home. So, we could do it here,” Revna said. “So, the whole family could say goodbye.”

 The four of them just nodded quietly.

 Snotlout covered his eyes with one of his hands.

 “I’m thinking we’ll do that tomorrow, is that okay?” Revna asked.

 Another set of four nods.

 “Where are they now?” Astrid asked softly.

 “Barf and Belch are watching over them,” Revna said, gently. “Would you like me to bring Mom Nut and Dad Nut into the house? Until the funeral?”

 Another set of four nods.

      “I don’t want to do this,” Snotlout said. “I can’t.”

 The four of them were sitting in one of their bedrooms. Their children and children-in-law were going to lay Ruffnut and Tuffnut in one of the other bedrooms and then their children would see to the grandchildren. Revna had made it clear she was going to stay in the house with them. Spikenut, who had no children, had decided to do the same. The four had decided to go into a bedroom so they wouldn’t have to watch and because they were exhausted.

 “It’s for closure. So, we can say goodbye,” Astrid said gently.

 “I don’t need to see their lifeless corpses,” Snotlout said. Some more tears fell from his eyes. It was fairly easy for the tears to fall.

 “I’d rather remember them how they were in life,” Fishlegs whispered.

 “Yeah, same,” Snotlout said.

 “I thought we’d have more time,” Hiccup said. He could feel their eyes on him, but he was looking down so he had no proof that they were looking at them. “That it wouldn’t just… happen. Not like this. You know?”

 He looked up and saw three faces filled with sadness that he knew mirrored his own.

 “We made to our seventies! I just figured at this point in our lives, we would have just died of old age, or illness, where we’d get a chance to say goodbye to their still living person. And not be robbed of that. And not lose two of us to death in battle.” He sighed and some more tears fell.

 “They died to protect the family, and us,” Astrid said. “In my book, that’s a good way to go.”

 She watched them as they quietly nodded or wiped tears from their face, or did both.

 “It still hurts, though,” Astrid added, softly, looking down and shedding more tears.

 For a while there were no other sounds in the room aside from their quiet crying.

 And then there was a gentle knock.

 “Mom? Dads?” Revna said, voice muffled, just a tad. “If you wanna go see them, they’re in their bedroom.”

 Astrid gave a great sigh.

 She looked at the other three.

 All three of them wore looks on their faces that clearly said that they did not want to do this. They did not want to see the bodies of two people they had all loved for the vast majority of their lives. She understood that feeling. She didn’t want to do it either.

 But they had to.

 For a moment, her voice got dangerous, “Seven of our children, three of whom were in Ruffnut’s womb, found them on the battlefield.” And then her voice broke, “Our wonderful babies. Found two of their parents dead.”

 Hiccup’s heart ached. He knew how that felt. And in his heart, he knew that his father was welcoming Ruffnut and Tuffnut to Valhalla with open arms.

 “I just. I think about that, and I have to see them. They had to do it, now so do I,” Astrid said. She nodded resolutely.

 “But you have to come with me,” Astrid said. “Please. As one. It’d be the last…” Astrid let out a breath and sobbed and the other three felt the tears fall from their own eyes. “Time we’ll all be together in one room.”

 Their amazing team of six was gone now. It was gone.

 Snotlout covered his eyes with his hands and his whole body shook.

 “Okay, I’ll come with you,” Fishlegs said.

 Hiccup took a breath. His heart ached fiercely and he willed himself to be strong. “Okay,” Hiccup said. “I’m coming with you, as well.”

 A moment passed and they let Snotlout cry quietly.

 “Honey?” Fishlegs asked, gently.

 Snotlout gave a sigh from behind his hands and said, “Okay. I’ll do it.”

      They took hold of each other’s hands, because otherwise none of them felt like they could have done it. They were a team. Always. They were there for each other. Forever. As one.

 Astrid opened the bedroom door and emerged first. Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Snotlout followed after her.

 “Parents?” Spikenut asked, softly.

 Revna immediately was nearby them, “Do you want me to go with you?” she asked gently. She went to take her mother’s hand.

 “No, baby,” Astrid said. “Your fathers and I are going alone.”

 Revna nodded.

 “Spike and I will be in the front room, okay?” Revna said quietly. Her hands hovered gently over their shoulders, not quite touching them. Like she was afraid that if she spoke too loud or touched them too hard they would fall apart.

 While Hiccup certainly appreciated that their daughter was being so gentle with them, and was sure Fishlegs felt the same way, he had the feeling Astrid was bristling at it. Maybe Snotlout too.

 And truth be told, Hiccup felt like he might fall apart at any moment.

 The four of them slowly walked to the bedroom in question.

 At the door, Astrid took a deep breath, and they followed with their own deep breaths. They took another deep breath, this time as one, and then Astrid took hold of the door handle and opened it. She stood by the door as the other three walked into the room, their hands just brushing her own, and then she followed them in and shut the door.

 They all stared silently at the shroud that had two people they had loved so dearly and ardently for many decades wrapped within it.

 It was like they had all fallen off a dragon. None of them could find it in them to breathe. Or make any sort of sound.

 Finally, Astrid took a very deep breath, bringing breath in her lungs, almost as to remind herself and her three husbands, that they were all still alive, even if part of their hearts had died.

 She looked at all of them and nodded.

 She approached the shroud slowly and her hands shook as they moved to touch the part of the sheet where their heads were.

 “No,” Fishlegs said.

 Astrid looked at him.

 “Together,” Fishlegs said.

 “Together,” Snotlout and Hiccup repeated.

 So, together, as they did all things, four sets of hands took hold of the shroud and pulled down.

 And there it was.

 Proof.

 That two members of a team that had held together for sixty years… were gone.

 Hiccup’s sharp gasp was like a knife into each of their beating hearts.

 Fishlegs’ whimper was most definitely a second knife into their hearts.

 Snotlout’s sob was like a third knife into their hearts.

 Astrid’s quiet and broken “Ruff. Tuff,” was the fourth knife that finished the job.

 They stared at the cold dead faces of two people they loved, and their hearts shattered.

 “Assholes, why’d you have to go and do that?” Snotlout said thickly.

 “Snotlout!” Fishlegs and Hiccup both said.

 “I think what Snotlout means, Ruff and Tuff,” Astrid said, looking down at their corpses, “Thank you for protecting the family, and we’ll always love you.”

 “Yeah, that’s exactly what I mean,” Snotlout said, pressing himself close to Astrid and laying his head against her shoulder. He sniffed.

 “I love you, Ruff. I love you, Tuff,” Hiccup said, his eyes filling with tears. “You made our lives bright and ridiculous and fun a-and amazing, and we miss you so much already. Say hi to my dad and Gobber.”

 Fishlegs let out a sob. All he could manage was an “I love you” directed to Ruff and Tuff.

 “Save us a couple of seats at the Table of Kings, huh?” Hiccup said.

      Revna watched as her four parents walked out of the bedroom.

 And they looked even worse.

 Yeah, she figured; she was not sure she’d ever quite recover from seeing two of her parents’ corpses.

 She regretted letting them go in alone or letting them go in at all. It accomplished nothing except causing them more distress.

 “Parents, do you need anything?” Revna asked.

 She knew in her heart that that what they needed, she could not give, though she wished she could.

 Gods, the way they looked at her and shook their head. Looking at her like they were one second away from just crying more.

 She watched as they headed silently into one of the bedrooms together. At least they didn’t go into separate bedrooms alone. She didn’t want them to be alone. At least they were together. In all things. Even their grief.

 Her heart ached.

 And she went to sit next to her little sister, Spike, to try to comfort her.

      The four of them entered one of their bedrooms. In a way, by closing the twins’ door was symbolic of closing the door on the life they had with six. It was gone. It was over. Closing the door to the bedroom they were currently in was further confirmation that the life they had all shared was over.

 Nothing was left but pain.

 “I should have gone after them,” Hiccup muttered as he crawled into bed. “Maybe I could have saved them.”

 “We would have been down to three,” Astrid responded, sadly, lying down next to him.

 The four of them could only find the energy to lie down next to each other, doing what had become instinct over the course of decades during harrowing times: being near each other. Lying down next to each other may not have made everything better, because nothing would, but it would help. They were down by two, but there were still four. And they needed to stick together, because…

 They had been a family for at least sixty years, however one defined that. Whether from the moment they first became Dragon Riders, or when they first started dating each other or when they married or even when their first child was born. They were a family. That was not going to change. They would not let it.

 But two of their family were gone and it hurt more than anything they had ever experienced.

 And so, while they cried themselves to sleep, they also fell asleep to the sound of each other crying.

      On a normal day, waking up next to each other would have been lovely. They relished it. They always had. Astrid recalled those lovely days when she was pregnant with Balder and Ruffnut with Spike and Knut and they would sleep next to each other. Waking up next to Ruffnut had been wonderful and her heart had been joy.

 And now as she looked at the sleeping faces she could see— Hiccup was not facing her, Snotlout and Fishlegs were, her heart was pain.

 And as the other three awoke, they were reminded of what they had lost, and watching each other’s faces remember that fact was devastating.

 They lay in bed, silent, not wanting to get out of bed, when a sharp knock on their bedroom door surprised them.

 Fishlegs gave a sharp gasp, Snotlout flinched, Hiccup moved his head sharply, and Astrid jerked in place, looking towards the door.

 “Mom? Dads? I’m coming in, okay?” Revna said.

 The door opened with a creak and Revna walked towards their bed, and sitting down at the edge of it.

 Gods, she could see how miserable they all looked. She sucked in a breath. She suddenly felt like a small child, like she had been many decades ago and when she was upset, these six people would comfort her and let her sleep in their beds or in their arms. Only now, she was much older, as were they, and they were down to four. She wanted to crawl into that bed with them and hold onto them. Their pain was also her pain.

 But she tamped down on that urge.

 “Hey,” she said gently. “I want you guys to come have breakfast with me and Spike, okay? The rest of the family’s gonna be here afterwards for the funeral.”

 They nodded silently.

 Revna got up for a moment and then sat back down.

 “I… uh… want you to know that I love you, okay? I love you all so much. And Mom Nut and Dad Nut, too. You guys made this amazing life for me and my siblings. And I love that life you made. I am who I am because of it and because of you. And, I just love you,” Revna said. “I’ll see you at the breakfast table.”

 Revna stood up and left the room, closing the door gently behind them.

 She stood beside it and silently cried.

      Revna was at the breakfast table already when they finally came to the table. She got up quickly and helped them to their seats. She kissed them on their cheeks. Her sister, Spike, did the same.

 It was a quiet affair. And normally, any meal time with her family was loud to put it lightly. They were a big family. It had started with six, then seven, then eight, then eleven, and then fourteen, and it had been thirty (not counting her siblings’ spouses), but now… it was twenty-eight. Thirty had become twenty-eight and six had become four.

 Her parents didn’t feel like talking, and she didn’t try to force this issue.

 Her heart ached too much with loss. Especially when she remembered with a pang how she had had dinner with them just a few days ago and it was happy and loud and they were all alive and well and happy and whole.

 And now they were not.

      They stood side-by-side, holding hands, with their children and their children’s spouses, their grandchildren, and the family’s dragons all around them (Toothless, as always, forever, was right next to Hiccup), staring at Ruff and Tuff’s ship. Spike and Knut stood with Barf and Belch.

 Surprising absolutely no one in their family, Ruff and Tuff had long requested that their funeral ship be lighted by Barf and Belch, or any available Zippleback, if Barf and Belch were unavailable. They, of course, granted that request.

 The explosion of Zippleback gas made her parents flinch but not cry. Revna looked at them and saw that they had no tears on any of their faces. She knew in her heart that they were beyond tears.

 And that there was nothing she could do to truly help them.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Pureblood 14 (Sirius Black x F!Oc)

Words: 2,576

Warnings: Violence/ Torture

Masterlist: 

Chapter 13 // Chapter 15

‘Dear Remus:

The Christmas party wasn't as disastrous as I thought it would be, but it wasn't much fun either. I hope you’ve had something better.

Anyway, what I really wanted to tell you is the progress of the plan:

Regulus and Jenna heard my father talked about a minister who will marry us as soon as we graduate, he’s supposed to be a great friend of the family, although I never met him. The ceremony will be different from that of my older brothers. The men talked about a future change in the wizarding world. May have to do with what happened to me in the summer, I still don’t know the details, but the fact is that they’re in a hurry to get us married and unite the families.

The women talked about a huge dance where only the most important families are invited. I thought that with the Christmas party, all the presentations would end, but I was wrong. Jenna heard that even the Potters are invited.

I don't know which news makes me more nervous.

It's all we could get, I don't know what it can do, but I'm confident you can come up with something huge and cool– by the way, did you like the gift I sent you? I was planning to go buy that book myself in a Muggle town near my home, but I had to send the house elf, I hope you like it.

Merry Christmas, Wolfie.

P.S x

 I put the letter in an envelope, walk to the window where Lif is, Jane and Apollo’s owl, I give her a snack and I give her the letter.

"With the Lupins, little Lif…” I pat her head and she flies off.

I decide to take a shower and change into a simple blue shirt and jeans. I leave my room and hear voices from the stairs.

"Enough Isis!"

"Who is Remus, my dear Juno?" Isis and Juno are at each end of the table. Juno looks furious, her face is red, unlike our older sister who has a huge smile. "Is anyone in love? You mention it too much in your journal…”

She says holding up a black notebook.

Wait a minute.

"Remus?" I ask drawing his attention. Juno bites her lip.

“It's not what it seems! It’s not Remus, Isis shouldn’t read my diary!”

"Did someone say Diary?" Balder comes to my side. Isis shares a look with our brother and throws the notebook at him, who catches him in the air and runs to the living room, Juno and Isis follow him and since I want to know what happens, I also run.

"I can't talk to him, I just can't, is too embarrassing," Balder recites in a high-pitched voice making us laugh. “What does Persephone have? I am much smarter than her– and interesting. I don’t get it!”

I turn to Juno and my smile disappears when I notice her watery eyes, and how she hugs herself.

"Hey, Bal, come on, that's private,” My brother ignores me and continues reading. "Balder!" My voice surprises him and he sees me raising an eyebrow. "I said enough is enough.”

"And what’ll you do about it, little sister?"

Suddenly the four of us are running around the house. Isis and Balder throw the notebook at each other while Juno and I try to catch up with them. And to our bad luck, they take advantage of coming of age to cast the spawn spell just as we’re about to catch them.

But after a moment I manage to jump on Balder's back and we both struggled to get the notebook. I pull his hair and he complains.

"You're a damn bloody monkey, Persephone!"

"Return the diary or I'll bite you, Ape,” I stretch and finally take the notebook, but I don't have time to celebrate since Balder loses his balance and we both fall to the ground.

Isis and Juno see us and the last one lets out a sigh of relief when she sees me with her diary. The tense moment is replaced by Balder's laughs, then followed by the girls, including me. Balder and I carefully get off the ground.

The laughter continues until I feel something go down my nose, I touch that part and my fingers are bloody. “Oh, great.”

"Classic, Persephone’s always the one who gets hurt," Isis snorts.

"Oh, this is my time to get in," says Jane walking towards us with a small briefcase in hand. "I heard laughter, I knew you would need my help," She gestures with her hand and guides me to a dining room chair. I sit down and she faces me, opens the briefcase and begins to heal my nose.

Isis and Balder start a conversation as if nothing had happened and go towards the living room, while Juno approaches us.

“Oh, yeah." I lift the notebook without looking at her as Jane takes my chin to wipe away the blood.

Juno takes it and hugs it against her chest. I thought that would be it and she would leave, but she just stands there. Jane and I share a look.

"Are you hurt, honey?" The blonde asks.

"Oh no... I just–" She watches me and suddenly her cheeks flush. Now I understand. I giggle.

"So do you like Remus?" I raise my eyebrows and Jane stops touching my face.

“Who's Remus?" Jane asks and Juno bites her lip.

"It's nobody. Please don't tell him,” She begs me and I laugh.

If I’m honest, thinking about Juno and Remus… I don't like that idea.

The last time I had a conversation with her, it was not kind at all, also, I don’t want Remus to be close to my disastrous family, he already has enough with me.

"I won't tell him, take it easy,” She nods and leaves.

Jane puts a little bandaid on my nose.

"Done, just be careful next time.”

"If there’s a next one, it’ll be worse, I assure you. Isis is right, whenever we play I get hurt– I broke my arm once and was only on the swings! Apollo and Balder decided it’d be a good idea to help me swing very high,” We both laugh.

"Can I ask you something?" She says.

“Sure?”

"You know that Remus guy,” I nod. "It's not to criticize you or tell you what to do, but don't you think it’d be good to help Juno with the boy?"

“No,” She raises her eyebrows.

"Just like that?”

“Yes," I think she expects something more. I roll my eyes. “Juno's not Remus’ type, they wouldn’t be a good couple.”

“Why're you so sure?" I sigh.

"Listen, I don't know what impression you have of Juno, here she’s always more serious and quiet, but at Hogwarts she’s different, everything worsened since... the accident in the summer." She shifts in her chair, obviously Apollo told her what happened.

“I don't know what’s going on in Juno's mind, I just know that they’re not good things and I’m not going to let those things happen to Remus. He’s…” I think about it for a few seconds and smile. “He’s become a good friend of mine and because of that, I want to protect him.”

"But Juno’s your sister?”

“All the more reason, I’m going to protect him from my own family. He doesn't need any more problems, Jane.” She finally sighs.

"Well, I'm not going to get into your business," I nod and suddenly she smiles. "Do you know who’s excited?" She lifts her blouse to expose her belly. “He's been kicking since he heard you.”

"Yes, this is scaring me, Jane," She laughs.

"If you don't come for your gifts, I'll keep them to myself!" I hear Isis scream. I don't wait any longer and run towards the huge Christmas tree where all the presents are.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

After life's most awkward family reunion, in which it seemed like I didn't exist, they finally let me go back to my room with my Christmas presents. I sit down on the floor in front of my bed and put them close to me.

The first is Regulus' gift, a beautiful necklace, apparently gold, I smile. The next one was from Remus, which I open with a lot of emotion, it’s a red notebook, really nice, I open it and I find a note on the first page.

‘Here you can write our progress with the classes... or you can use it as a journal, you can do whatever you want, but I wrote what we’ve done in the last weeks, I hope you like it.

RL.’

I keep going and laugh when I find his notes, warnings and some muggle jokes, obviously explained. He’s really sweet, I can see the details and the dedication he had in doing it.

The following gifts are from relatives, with some notes to wish me luck with my marriage, some people I don’t even know –I’m sure they only want to get a place at the wedding. I roll my eyes. The last one I open is a small navy blue box, I open it and I find a pretty simple necklace along with a circular charm. I check it everywhere, but there’s no note. I don't give it much thought, but I decide to put it around my neck.

“Persephone," a thick voice scares me, I look up meeting my father at the door frame. I shrink into my place.

"Y-Yes?" I can't help but stutter.

"I think it's time to talk, come with me,” He doesn't wait for an answer and leaves my room. I get up and follow him.

We both head to his study. Upon entering, he locks the door, then walks to his desk and leans in front of it.

I bite the inside of my cheek when I see the room, I remember that I was always afraid to come here, so I told my dad that he should always have the curtains open, so that more light could come in, which he did. But now the entire room is dark except for the center, which is lit by the dim light of three candles.

My hands sweat and tremble uncontrollably, I can hear my heartbeat. He just watches me quietly for a few minutes.

"You should know that your marriage to Sirius is not a punishment for what happened a few months ago," for the first time since I returned I dare to look him directly in the eye.

"That's not true," I say in a weak voice. I clear my throat. "If it wasn't one, you would’ve made the news next year or even when I was in seventh grade, why now?"

"Dear Persephone, it's not all about you,” I raise my eyebrows at his words. A smile appears on his face, but it’s not the same as when he knows of some mischief of mine. That look, those gestures he makes when he is doing business, when he knows that the other person has no way out.

"Isn't my wedding about me?" I say louder in a moment of bravery. "You don't have to lie– No, wait, you already did that.” He raises an eyebrow.

“It's the only way to unite the Black and Singh families."

"I have better ideas.” Shut up, please.

"Your wedding is not the end of the world,” He says raising his voice.

"It is for me. You're going to ruin my life and Sirius's. We both want to choose whether we want to do it or not,” He laughs now.

"Do you think I had a choice with your mother, nor did the Blacks have it?"

“That's no excuse for us not having a choice.”

"You don't understand anything, silly girl"

"I won’t marry Sirius.”

"Yes you will!" He’s fast and I back up until I hit the wall. “I will not allow you to ruin the family name because of your tantrums. We’re doing you a favor, given what happened in the summer and the constant rebellion of Sirius, it is time for someone to put you in your place!” My eyes tear up. "This is your time to remedy your cowardice.” He moves away a little. I’m surprised at his words.

"Cowardice? Not wanting to kill a Muggle family, is that what you call cowardice? ”

"They are infe-"

"They are not!" I interrupt before he continues with the same sermon as always. "That family was innocent, I was and you didn’t mind taking their lives!" The memories come quickly.

That day in which nothing was different, until my brother Apollo and Isis abandoned their routines with their family to arrive at our house late at night. I remember that my father called me and I went down to the living room, the furniture was not there and everything was lit by candles and the flames of the fireplace.

"What's going on?" I asked. My whole family was gathered in the center, their bodies are covered in black robes.

"I want you to come closer, daughter," Says my father, raising his arms. I get closer until I'm in front of him. His hands touch my shoulders.

"Unfortunately, the dark lord is in a great hurry to gather his people, and we can't wait for you to turn seventeen, darling," He touches my cheek.

“Dark Lord?”

"Finally there’s someone with courage to put an order in the magical world,” adds my mum.

"We will explain later, now you must do something for me, would you do it?" I nodded. "That's my girl,” suddenly another black figure comes out from behind my father.

"This is Bartemius Crouch Jr." The man comes up with a sinister smile and takes my hand.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Singh," He says, then releases my hand and goes to a corner.

"Persephone, you must show Mr. Crouch that you’re worthy to be on the side of the Dark Lord."

"But... I- I don't- I don't know, dad," I say nervously.

"Don't worry, it's a simple thing, I'll be here.” Isis reaches out and holds out my wand. "Take it," I obey with my trembling hand.

Then they all stepped back to reveal three kneeling figures. My father guides me until I’m in front of them.

He holds up his wand and the cloth that covered their faces disappears. My breath cuts short and my eyes are wide, I try to back away, but my father avoids it by putting a hand on my lower back.

A man, a woman and an 8-year-old boy. The three wake up and when they notice the new location they begin to move, and try to speak, but the ties on their hands and feet and the cloth in their mouths prevent it.

"Crucio!" My father exclaims and the three of them screech in pain. The little boy is crying just like his mother.

I look at them with pure terror, what the fuck do they want me to do with them?

"What is this? Why are they here? Who are they, dad? ”

“Calm down, Persephone. This family–” He points out to them. “They are Muggles, do you remember what I have taught you about them?” I nod in  confusion. "Well, now you must show that we’re superior to them.”

“Wha– How?" My father stands behind me and whispers in my ear.

"Kill them.”

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