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chatnoirismycinnamonroll · 5 years

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LoOnly Human: Akuma!Marinette AU (part 4: finale)

So...I have literally no excuse about how long this took to write. But here it is! Part 4 of my Akumanette. You know my disclaimer, so I wont repeat it. Enjoy!

AAMDCLBCNAAMDCLBCNAAMDCLBCN

The class was silent as they watched the tiny goddess glide back to her chosen. Alya was crying silently, wanting nothing more than to rush to her friend and hug her and apologize for being such an idiot, but she knew she wasnt welcome at the moment. 'Why would I be? I'm supposed to be her best friend, but I didnt even give her the benefit of the doubt. I believed Lila without a single question, but I'm always questioning Marinette's stories and excuses. How many times have I dismissed her worries for nothing but jealousy? I wonder if she'll ever forgive me.'

Marinette kissed Tikki on the forehead as she floated back to her. "You didnt have to do that, but thank you. It means so much to me to have a true friend stand up for what's right."

"You're welcome, Marinette. And know that I will always have your side. Nobody is ever allowed to hurt you, no matter who they are."

Adrien watched the sweet scene with a slight smile on his face. He was still freaking out a little that Marinette was his Ladybug, but that could wait until they were alone. For now, they were still in the same room as the people who tried to break her, and his Chat Noir refused to relax in this kind of situation. His persona and his literal black cat. Was Plagg hissing a little? And why is he looking behind-?

Adrien whirled around, his body moving to shield Marinette without a second thought, his eyes narrowing as he faced the class, searching for the danger. His eyes moved rapidly and finally locked on what Plagg was now hissing at. His eyes widened as he took in the scene.

"Lila, what are you doing?" Adrien asked tensely.

"I wouldnt do that if I were you, snake. It's just going to lead to your end." Plagg warned, his eyes glowing slightly. Tikki nodded, her eyes glowing just as bright. Lila scoffed.

"You think I'm scared of you?! Do you think you can just talk about me like that? I am not a liar! I was just telling people what they wanted to hear! People loved me for it in all my other schools, and those who didnt were smart enough to stay out of my way."

Adrien's eyes widened as he realized her plan and what it would do.

"Everyone get out! Lila, let go of the string." Adrien stepped forward slightly, only to flinch back when she stepped in front of the door, blocking the exit.

"You just had to question everything, didnt you? You couldnt just sit back and enjoy my stories like all the other weak-minded sheep in this class. Nooooo. You had to be smart enough to tell the difference. And you, Agreste. You actually believed I would listen to your little advice? 'You dont need to lie to get people to like you. Just tell the truth!' Ha!" Lila sauntered forward, her eyes low and slit like a snake's as her hand held tight to the string. It led straight to her desk, where she had secretly set up two chemical flasks. They were set up, one upside down over the other, a metal sheet keeping the deadly mix separated. She didnt want another class to end this way, but they were leaving her with no choice.

The class moved behind Adrien and Marinette as they took their stances, their kwamis ready to transform them at the first word. With Lila covering the door, the only way out was through the windows. They werent that high up, and there was a tree near the window, so it wouldnt be too dangerous for the class to get out safely. Marinette looked at Adrien, and he nodded subtly without looking at her, knowing exactly what she was thinking, but keeping his eyes on the danger ahead. Kim silently tried to open the window, only to see it nailed shut. He tried the other windows with no luck. It seemed Lila had planned ahead.

"You are so naive! Everybody lies! You cant go anywhere without having someone lie to impress you. I was just giving everyone a little dose of reality. And now, since you two idiots just had to go and ruin my fun, I'm gonna have to make you disappear. Forever. And with you out of the way, there'll be nobody to question my statement of what happened here. 'MISPRINT ON CHEMISTRY SHEET CAUSES CLASS TO MIX THE WRONG CHEMICALS! A FATALLY EXPLOSIVE REACTION TAKES ALL BUT ONE! HERE IS HER STORY!' And as the only survivor, nobody is going to question on whether I'm telling the truth or not!" She extended her arm, ready to pull it back and start the deadly explosion....

"CATACLYSM!" "LUCKY CHARM!"

...Only to tug on nothing but a cut string as a razorblade was expertly thrown at the string. She stumbled and fell as a small hole opened beneath her, trapping her legs in the floor. The class below them screamed as a hole and a pair of legs appeared above them, having thought that the akuma had been defeated earlier.

"Great job, Stinky Socks!"

"You too, Sugar Cube. I told you I had it more under control." Plagg gloated. Tikki rolled her eyes, but gave him a high five anyway.

"You sure surprised me, but I'm happy. Now Master Fu wont worry so much about you."

"Speaking of worrying, what are we going to do with this brat?" Plagg floated down to a glaring Lila. He landed just out of her reach as she struggled to pull herself out and smirked when she failed.

"We should call the police. She almost killed us all." Alya exclaimed from behind Marinette, who jumped from having forgotten the rest of the class was there.

"Yeah, I'll get my phone-" Nino said, pulling it out of his back pocket and getting ready to unlock it when a familiar voice interrupted from the doorway.

"Theres no need for that. My daddy will make plenty sure shes never allowed in Paris again." Chloe stepped into the room with Sabrina behind her. Sabrina had her phone out, recording everything.

"Chloe! Were you recording the whole time?" Adrien asked anxiously, his eyes flashing worriedly to Marinette. Marinette was still by his side, though now she seemed less confident with the whole class tensing up at the reminder of what exactly had happened.

"Only Liar-la's little monologue. And although I'm not happy that Marinette is Ladybug, I'm not going to out your secret. And if anyone else tries to, well, let's just say that I wont need my daddy to make your life a living hell." Chloe's eyes narrowed at the class, who shrunk away from her gaze.

Marinette stepped forward, her eyes filled with gratitude and confusion. "Why are you being so nice? I thought you would have hated me, not protected me."

"Please, Dupain-cheng. I could care less about you, but you have saved my life multiple times as Ladybug, so I'm just repaying the favor by keeping your secret under wraps. And I'm not protecting you. I'm doing my duty as a heroine of Paris by ensuring its protectors' identities dont somehow get back to Hawkmoth. It's just business. Sabrina!"

"They're right outside, Chloe. My daddy is leading them in as we speak." Sabrina chirped obediently from the doorframe. Her eyes were glued to her phone, no doubt texting her father about the situation.

"Good. Meanwhile, I suggest you two transform. They'll be expecting the heroes to have purified the victim, who was escorted home by her friend, Adrien Agreste, to recover from the akumatization. Ladybug and Chat Noir were about to leave only for this girl to scream out in anger at having been called out as a liar by an akuma. Shes crazy, and when you saw what she was going to do, you used your powers to trap her. Sabrina and I were returning to the class when we heard the commotion and decided to call the police since you two were too busy trying to keep everyone safe. Nobody will question why Marinette and Adrien arent here and the police will take care of the rest."

Everybody stared slack-jawed at Chloe's plan. It was going to work perfectly. They couldn't find one flaw with the plan, and decided to go with it. This day was already stressful enough as it was. If Chloe was giving them a plausible out, they were going to take it.

The heroes transformed just before the police entered, guns drawn and pointing to Lila. "Is this her?"

"Yes, Officer. We have her on tape explaining her plan, and would like her to be removed immediately."

"Of course, Ms. Bourgeois. Chat Noir, if you could..." the officer pointed towards Lila's legs, which were still trapped in the floor.

"Gladly. Cataclysm!" The hole crumbled just enough to get her out, and the police fell on her immediately. They werent exactly gentle with her. After all, she just tried to commit mass murder.

Lila growled as she was hauled up from the floor, her arms locked behind her in handcuffs. "This isnt over."

"No, it definitely is. You're never going to win again, Lila. You're going to get all that is coming to you." Chloe warned, her eyes narrowed and a dangerous smirk speaking volumes as she moved into Lila's line of sight, effectively blocking Marinette from view. "Karma certainly is a bitch, isnt it?"

Lila screamed in anger as she was dragged away to face the consequences of her actions. The police gathered the class's statements, not asking about the akumatization and ignoring their awed yet worried looks at the heroes. You'd think they'd never seen the heroes up close before.

The police finally left, and school was let out early for Lila's threat and the akuma. Ladybug and Chat had stayed to give their statements and fix the damage they (their kwamis) had caused during the rescue. They refused to speak to their classmates, and they forlornly left them alone, worried that they would never be forgiven.

Chat and Ladybug stared at each other in the empty classroom. They had no words. They were still trying to process everything that had happened when their transformations finally fell.

Adrien and Marinette were left staring at each other, thoughts racing as familiar eyes finally placed a face to their partner. Feelings clashing and boiling within them, their eyes and bodies refused to move away from each other as they knew they had to talk it out.

Neither moved, and neither looked away. Without knowing it, they were already saying everything they needed to without a single spoken word. Eyes twinkling bright, their bodies moved on their own. Hands reached out to caress a soft cheek, to hold a slim waist, to wrap around their partner's own. Soft hands meeting calloused hands. Eyes saying everything that words couldnt.

Blue eyes full of pain and regret meeting green filled with understanding and comfort. There was the silent question if what came next. What will happen tomorrow? Could they still trust each other, even after this new revelation? Could she trust herself to keep going, knowing that either she could become vulnerable enough to fall to Hawkmoth again? Could she trust him to be by her side? Could she learn to forgive those who caused this pain within her?

But they pushed those thoughts away to enjoy each other's presence. The relief of knowing that your best friend was someone you knew, and knowing they know your good and bad sides, or at least have seen them before. To know that the love of your life had been closer than expected was such a thrill, it left both of them smiling.

They pulled the other closer, enjoying how well they fit together. And knowing they loved each other all along left them breathless. This could work. Sure, they probably had many problems that would come along. They would doubt each other, fight each other, and struggle. They were only human, after all.

But they could worry about that later. For now, they would enjoy the other, hugging and speaking to each other without saying a word, completely in sync with their feelings. There were no doubts, no ifs or buts. There was just them.

Adrien and Marinette.

Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Both skilled.

Both flawed.

Both completely Human.

The end.

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Thank you very much for having waited so long for this! I know it got pretty hectic, but I hope you liked it. ^.^

@mindfulmagics @drarrylover007 @dreamteaze

#ml chameleon #only human my akumanette #akuma!marinette #mlb chameleon au #tikki is scarier than plagg #bamf tikki #tikki and plagg #marinette and tikki #plagg #ml plagg #adrien and plagg #adrienette

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daxieoclock · 3 years

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Exploration and Audience: Hunters Highlights

I ran out of energy right after the session so I couldn’t make this until now, but hoooo boy yesterday’s sesh was really really fucking good. I couldn’t not make an HH for it!

Context:

The Hunters have taken on their second mission – infiltrate a dungeon in Fractals known as the Cable Canopy, where nature and technology war against each other, to find and slay one of the two Behemoths who reside there. While Blake possesses notes from a previous team’s exploration of the canopy, they have been somewhat inaccurate and distinctly lackluster. The dungeon’s first chamber contained warring Shadows, and the Hunters took out the technologically-minded ones while earning the favor of the nature-minded ones. In the second chamber, thanks to some quick thinking by Blake and Ilse, they were able to solve a switch puzzle using a series of computer consoles, though it caused the foliage within that chamber to wilt. Now, they travel farther into the dungeon, without realizing they’ve ended up earning the attention of both Behemoths. And one, in particular, has opened up the path for an audience...

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

so you walk through the door and into a slightly better lit hallway, a short and tense walk until you reach a fork in the road. in front of you is yet again blocked by wires and vines, and there is a series of metal stairs to the right and a natural downward slope to the left.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

Blake flips open their journal. “The downward slope likely leads us to the basement. The stairs lead us to a balcony where the previous group met the Behemoth Magistrate. Neither option sounds particularly enticing. Thoughts?”

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Sakio reaches out with her rapier and taps the vine-wire mesh. "Either way, it doesn't seem as if we are able to proceed without choosing a path."

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed.” Their tone is dripping with sarcasm

Lena Tarr (Dave)

"Uh. Hm. Why not fight the Behemoth? We are already like. Here."

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

"Basement..." Sammy repeats, staring in its direction.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

“Behemoth Magistrate. It isn’t the Behemoth itself,” they say. “Whatever it is, apparently the group became sick after speaking with him and refused to share what they learned in their notes.”

Lena Tarr (Dave)

"Hm. Maybe it can tell us where the Behemoth is. Bee-line to them."

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

"Buzz buzz," Camellia mumbles, adjusting their axe on their shoulder.

Lena Tarr (Dave)

Lena points to them, very serious, like they were making a good point. "Buzz buzz."

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Camellia grins and reaches out their axe to smack against Lena's bat. Clunk.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

“I’d also like to speak to the magistrate,” they mumble. “It frustrates me that the previous group refused to share whatever they learned.”

Ilse Belanger (Ralu)

“I’m curious about what the Magistrate is like…” Ilse mumbles, lost in thought. Then abruptly turns turns to Sammy. “What do you think?”

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy is still looking in the direction of the basement. "Hmm...If you want to see the Magistrate, that's okay." Sammy fiddles with their sleeves, "The little guy...can wait..."

Lena Tarr (Dave)

Lena puts a hand on their shoulder. "We can come back right after we talk with the. The mage. For sure."

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

You climb up a small flight of stairs to reach a simple balcony, a platform of sorts jutting out of the side of the wall something like thirty feet off the ground of an enormous chamber. There's a raised railing keeping you from falling, but it's probably still a little disorienting. But the chamber is hardly empty. There's an enormous thing in the direct center, shaped like a tree and something like fifty feet tall, but it isn't really a plant. You've never seen a tree with wings before, bright and stiff and glowing with neon phosphorescence. The roots below look almost like massive cables, with pulses of little greenish-blue light pulsing along them, up that dark trunk and up to the leaves above, that canopy shifting endlessly as if swarming in circles from a breeze that does not touch this stale air.

Identify yourselves.

A voice comes from nowhere, odd and stilted, echoing in this place. It seems distinctly false, the way your phone's personal assistant or automated text reading might. Human-adjacent, but not human.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

Blake shakes their head, trying to reorient themselves. “You’re the behemoth magistrate, I take it.”

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

There's a hum, like the whir of computation.

That is my identification, not yours. Identify yourselves.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

A flash of irritation across Blake’s face. “Collectively, we are known as the hunters. Is that satisfactory for you?”

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Hunters.

The Magistrate is silent, whirring once more.

One who searches. Or, one who kills. The title implies both the existence of prey, and your relationship to it.

A pulse of light ignites one of the wings, flickering off in a shower of sparks.

Analysis: your Persona identifies itself as one known as 'Artemis.' Artemis is said to be a virginal maiden, a patron protector, and the stainless butcher. Query: which of these titles best describes you?

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

Blake’s eyes widen for a moment, and they’re quiet for awhile. None of those titles are exactly correct, nor are they necessarily wrong… They can’t call themselves a protector, they don’t have the right to such a claim. Someone who spends a lifetime looking out for themselves at the cost of others can’t claim such a title. But they can’t refer to themselves as a butcher, an outright admission of guilt for that of which they are innocent. Admitting that is a slap in the face of all their efforts up to this point, up until now. It is unacceptable.

And they’re quiet for awhile, and they look at the floor, and they look at this creature, and they close their eyes. Say it and be done. “I suppose,” they begin, their voice oddly shaking. “Of the choices you’ve given me… the first… is perhaps the most accurate.” Do they owe this creature honesty? Or perhaps, it’s easy to write off as a lie. But they could not bring themselves to say either of the other options. Even a liar like them dares not lie that boldly.

Lena Tarr (Dave)

Lena grunts. "You don't have to. Say that."

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Registered.

There's another resonant hum. Sakio shifts to stand in front of you, Blake, and puts an arm out like she's shielding you from the Magistrate. There's a horrid, shuddering tension in her, a silent fury. Like she doesn't know what to say, simply stewing in bitterness.

Analysis: you whose Persona has identified itself as 'Chorus,' you are the oldest of these 'Hunters,' yet you hold yourself within a lesser rank. You are a teacher, and yet your students guide you. Query: why is this?

Sakio is silent further, like she's contemplating her answer carefully. "My students are not children," she says, low and strained. "Many of them have already suffered at the hands of those I cannot reach, and they've all grown up faster than they should have. Should I coddle them, they will never boom, never learn what they need to in order to survive." She swallows, an unsteady breath escaping her. "I cannot protect them from the world, or from my mistakes. But I can protect them from you." Her brand flickers with barely-contained brilliance.

Lena Tarr (Dave)

Lena drags her hands across her face.

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

"Feels like we've done this song and dance before, huh?" Camellia kicks a small rock across the balcony. "I'm pretty sure I liked it better when Prim did it."

There's an odd pulse of light, tinged a slightly different color, the phosphorescence shifting slightly. Define 'Prim.'

Camellia quirks an eyebrow. "Prim? Uh...she said her name was...Primrose?"

Primrose. Yet another whir. Results: Primula Vulgaris, common Primrose. Primula from the Latin word 'prime,' meaning first, and Vulgaris, meaning widespread. Eyes in the dark. The final words come as almost a whisper, an unnatural addition, nearly another voice entirely. Conclusion: Unknown factor.

Lena Tarr (Dave)

"Can you please stop fucking. Google searching shit. Where's the behemoth?"

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

The hums grow louder and resonant, stacking atop each other. You realize, it's laughing at you.

Reiterating: I am the Behemoth. The balcony shakes, and the entire tree adjusts itself, seeming to inflate with a deep breath. I am the one who wields the dream of Justice, heir to the Cable Canopy. This place is my birthright. I am its ruler, and its maker, and its progenitor. I am the Alpha and Omega of this realm.

Blake, your journal snaps open. Red ink scars itself across the page. The Behemoth Magistrate Justice Arcana T U L G E Y W O O D S

That is, excepting a single tumorous growth. The tree deflates again. Statement: the beast scars my world. Statement: you are hunters. Suggestion: you should...hunt.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

“We should hunt, you say?” Blake will summon Artemis, bow aimed at the magistrate. “Consider it done.”

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Artemis's arrow slams into the bark of the tree a solid few inches, stays there, and then vanishes.

Suggestion: do not do that.

The wings are going to shudder and pulse, igniting with sparks of voltage, and then the glow fades color completely.

Invoke: Megido Pulse.

One of the wings swipes towards the platform, and a distortion tears through the air. Sakio, who is still in front of Blake, pushes the other Hunters away and then braces herself.

AvraeBOT

@Everyone Else (DaxieVane) Result: 4d6 (5, 6, 2, 1) + 12 Total: 26

Lena Tarr (Dave)

fuuuck

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

sakio takes 21 points of damage

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

Does she survive that?

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

yeah she's about half health right now

"I told you," she says, through grit teeth. "You're not going to hurt them."

Lena Tarr (Dave)

"Ok, ok, ok. Let's. Think. We do that."

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

As the attack hits and they’re shoved back by Sakio, Blake yells out. ”Fuck.” And they push themselves, calling on Artemis again through the strain. As the smoke clears, Artemis fires an arrow into Sakio, and she’s reinvigorated.

“Don’t die,” they whisper at her through gritted teeth. “Don’t you fucking dare die for me.”

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Sakio nods, but doesn't face you. "I won't," she says, quiet again, soft. "Thank you."

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy is startled, but finds the courage to face Tulgey and ask, "Uhm...excuse me..." They're trying to act polite, but they keep looking around the room at their friends. "Hm...nevermind..." Sammy looks to Sakio, worried, but not saying anything at all.

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

You have my attention. Query: what is that you want?

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy pulls at their hoodie, like they weren't expecting that. "Uh...uhm...you're the ruler of this place, as we can see..." They start fiddling with their sleeves, "So uhm...you should know all that goes on around here. Do you know..." What we're hunting. The rooms. Puck. They look at Blake for reassurance, but quickly forgets about it and decides to go with something else. "...about the little guy? I heard there's a little guy...in the...basement..."

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Another hum, this one a little louder than the others.

Analysis: basement refers to lower level occupied by the minions of the Rapacious Behemoth. Conclusion: 'little guy' would refer to the minions of– Tulgy stops talking. The hum picks up again, warping and warbling.

Results: Tangerine is a small citrus fruit hybridized from mandarin oranges. Results: Tango is a South American dance requiring two partnered participants. Query: why do these two words produce identical reactions within your heart?

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy winces. "What--?" They can feel their stomach turning. "Why did you say that all of a sudden? Y-You're..." They look really upset, they're practically clawing at their sleeves. "THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT I ASKED YOU! YOU DIDN'T EVEN--" They're physically shaking now, but they try their best to calm down by looking around the room. New friends. Good friends. Can't see you...upset. They take a deep breath. "Isn't that what the words mean? A T-Tango is a dance between two people and a T-Tangerine is a fruit, they're actually really good, you should try some..." They're trying to joke around, "Maybe we can share some later and be...friends...or something..."

Ilse Belanger (Ralu)

Ilse takes a step closer and Sammy’s hand

Lena Tarr (Dave)

Lena gets closer to them and very carefully puts a hand around their shoulders. Then she turns her head and glares with all her fucking might at the bastard upsetting her friend. "Do you wanna fucking die?"

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Sakio similarly reaches out and rests a light touch on their shoulder.

No. While my directive requires death, it is not my death which I desire to enact.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

”Tango, wasn’t it? What you said back then, at the spire. I’m assuming who or whatever that was is one such secret.”

“Tangerine.”

…so they weren’t wrong, after all. How interesting. Blake looks at Sammy, then back up at the magistrate, and then turns and walks back over to Sammy, standing between them and the magistrate. “If I need not bare my soul,” they say with a shrug. “Nor do you.” Eyes dart back up toward the magistrate, then to the stairs. “Let’s go. We can return here after we examine the basement. You wanted to go there, after all, didn’t you?” And they smile fondly. After all… they didn’t want this creature revealing everything. The one to pull apart the masks of the other hunters and reveal their secrets would be Blake, and no one else.

Ilse Belanger (Ralu)

Ilse stares at the Magistrate, unmoving or unwilling to. “You speak of justice but I think you are not fair with this, even if you are just curious. You bare our souls and remain opaque. So allow me to be curious myself: What’s with your voices? Where do you get your knowledge from? It can’t be just our hearts”

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Rhetorical query: what is a Behemoth? Another chorus of hums, like a cascade of laughter. Definition: a Behemoth is a dream who exists to spin the world around them, whose existence warps Fractals to suit their nature. As I am my father's son, I have inherited a fragment of his world.

Sakio's eyes widen at that. She mouths the word 'father,' eyes glazed over with thought, brow furrowed, like she's trying to piece together an equation in her head.

The Dream at my core is 'Omnipotence.' It shapes my form, my essence, my very self. This world bends itself to provide me knowledge, and my roots have grown so very far indeed. I can taste your truths in the air, sample them like pollen or your sickening pheromones. Query: does this assuage your curiosity?

Ilse Belanger (Ralu)

“Partially.” Ilse grins but not amused. “It also disappoints me a bit. I’ve heard of omnipotence quite a lot in my life, but I’ve never got to speak to someone with that goal in reach. Just one old question: Isn’t it…boring?”

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

To know all things is to know oneself, as each individual is macrocosmically reflected unto reality. Observation: you have strived to understand your own identity and your place in the world you call 'home.' In order to achieve that result, you have sacrificed a comfortable lie in order to achieve a more complex and dangerous truth. This truth has brought you no end to difficulty, and suffering. Query: would you describe the results of that search as dull? Further query: would you describe that truth as worth the cost you paid for it?

Ilse Belanger (Ralu)

Ilse gives Blake a look, mostly to signal that they are ready to go, almost. They grit their teeth and turn back to to Tulgey. “Rhetorical query, I assume? But it’s only fair bare both souls. No, I don’t consider it dull. Yes, it is worth the price, always will be. But I disagree with the unspoken premise. To know is not to change anything outside of yourself. Though…” The tree, the walls, the Behemoth somewhere close… “that distinction may not be the same for you.”

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

...registered. Tulgey's wings wave in a nonexistent wind, and you hear a light almost screeching noise coming all the way down from the base of the stairs. Hunters. Observation: there is yet knowledge you posses that may prove useful to me. Offer: should you linger within my domain, I shall not cause you harm, so long as none of you act against me or my subjects. Should you decide to act upon your namesake and hunt the Rapacious Behemoth, I will provide you assistance and guidance. Conversation concluded. Bit by bit, the humming silences itself. And it is quiet in the chamber again.

"Let's take our leave," Sakio says, a quiet note to her tone, something far more somber than earlier today. She wipes a bit of blood off the corner of her mouth and turns towards the staircase. "Our work is not yet done."

You all reach the bottom of the stairs again, where you see that the cables have retreated from the pathway, leaving only a mess of thick vines too close to squeeze through. Sakio turns back to all of you. "Does anyone need a breather? There's no shame in taking some rest, especially after something that..." She trails off, like she's not sure what word to use.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

“Farce,” Blake completes for her, no shortage of poison dripping off their their voice.

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

"Yes," Sakio agrees, quietly.

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

"I've breathed enough." They mumble.

Lena Tarr (Dave)

"... Maybe the little guy will be our friend?" She smiles encouragingly, if a little strained.

Ilse Belanger (Ralu)

“I”m fine” Ilse almost sounds like it is true

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Camellia just glances around the rest, and raises a hand like they're about to say something, but aborts the motion halfway and just scratches the back of their head. "Fuck it, basement time."

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy crosses their arms, "That little guy has been waiting long enough. They're dying for a can of peaches right now!" They say this mainly to Lena, as if to reassure her that everything is okay, but their expression stays neutral.

Lena Tarr (Dave)

"... Yeah. Sorry." And she starts walking towards the basement.

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

As you lower yourselves down the side of the hill, probably remembering any forest hikes you might have been on, the cacophany hits you first. An incredibly familiar chant, a mantra on infinite repeat. It doesn't quite sound exactly as it did back then though, more like a work song than an idosyncratic tic.

"Hee-ho. Hee-ho. Hee-ho."

"Oh for fuck's sake," Sakio mumbles.

Finally, you reach the bottom, and you all take in the sight as you come to realize that Blake's notes contain another sizable inaccuracy. This place isn't a basement. It's a farm. There are dozens of pieces of jagged wood assembled into large rectangles, holding beds of darkened, fertilized dirt, being tilled and planted and harvested by a swarm of small, round Shadows. They're snow-white besides for their mossy hats, the ring of leaves and acorns around their necks, their wooden shoes, and their large green-yellow eyes. Out of the dirt sprouts every type of plant and vegetable you can imagine, and quite a few you can't, in all different stages of growth. And at the very bottom of the hill, in front of you all, is yet another Shadow, this one wearing a cape of leaves and holding a staff almost as big as they are, rather than the farming implements the others have. "Gree-heetings, guests of the Rapacious One! Do you come to bring us further sacrifices?"

Blake, your journal snaps open. Jack Moss Magician Arcana

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

“Remind me,” Blake groans. “To have a word with whoever composed these notes…” They sigh.

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy's eyes light up, as if they were never feeling down in the first place. "Cute..."

Lena Tarr (Dave)

lena is gonna hunt down the most fucked up plant growing here and try to eat it

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

are you going to attempt to walk past the Moss in front of you? there's no other way into the farm that you can see

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy is gonna try to pet the jack moss

Lena Tarr (Dave)

oh yes absolutely. not even like. in a rude way lena just rlly thinks that she can go wherever and no one can tell her shit

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

The Moss just sort of reacts nonchalantly when you touch him. "This is very unorthodox, hee-ho!" But when Lena tries to walk past, he sticks out the staff in front of her, blocking her way. "No outsiders allowed! This is the sacred farm, hee-ho, where we grow sacrifices to appease our Rapacious goddess. Her hunger is endless, hee-ho!"

Camellia shudders. "Never thought aggressive cheeriness would make me feel sick to my stomach, but here we are."

Lena Tarr (Dave)

"... This is a cult, huh."

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

“Indeed,” Blake says with a grin. “The cuteness is somewhat undermined by their sinister intentions…”

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

"I don't know what that word mea-hee-ns!"

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy beams at the Jack Moss "You're so cute!" Sammy wants to pet them more but is holding back.

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

"Okay!" He holds out a little hand. "If you don't have any sacrifices for the Rapacious one, we-hee will have to make you-ho the sacrifices. Sacrifices are necessary!"

"I think we should provide...sustenance?" Sakio says, already reaching into her bag.

Camellia quick-snaps a plastic-bagged bagel out of theirs and basketball tosses it across the group to the Moss. It bounces off his head. "Thank you for your sacrifice, hee-ho!" he says, endlessly cheery.

Another Moss rushes behind and picks up the bagel before scurrying off.

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy quickly reaches under their poncho into what you can only assume is a pocket or bag. They pull out a can of peaches. "If I give you this, can we be friends? Can I give you another pet and we can be friends?"

Everyone Else (DaxieVane) — Yesterday at 5:49 PM

"I don't know what that word means e-hee-ther!"

"Give him the peaches!" Camellia calls from the back of the group.

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy gently places the can of peaches in front of their new friend.

"It just means I can call you my friend and I can pet you and you're my buddy now." They grin, as if to say, the pact is sealed.

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

"Okay!" He picks up the can of peaches and tosses it over his shoulder to another Moss. "Thank you for your sacrifice, hee-ho." And he tilts his head expectantly at the rest of you.

Sakio is gonna hand over some basic snacks as well, which are unceremoniously chucked to an awaiting Moss.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

Blake scoffs. “I don’t have anything to give to this creature.”

Ilse Belanger (Ralu)

“Do you want one of my snacks for him?” Ilse grabs two light snacks out of their bag and hands one to Blake

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

The Jack Moss nods excitedly at you, Blake, and turns to some of the other Shadows. "Get the spear please, hee-ho! We have another–"

"No that's quite alright, I have their sacrifice right here," Sakio says quickly, pulling another few snacks out of her bag and handing them over.

Lena Tarr (Dave)

Lena rummages through her pockets. She finds a few mint candies. The discolored wrappers show that they've been through many a wash. She gives them to the Moss anyway.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

“Ah.” They twitch for a moment with something approximating guilt, but it’s hard to tell. “Thank you,” they mumble, to whichever character gave up their snacks for them-

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Everyone but Blake, you lose 1x Basic Snack

Lena Tarr (Dave)

ill give em a theo snack if they let me in on a fucked up veggie

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

"Thank you for your sacrifices, hee-ho!" The Moss stands up proudly, smacking his stick down into the dirt. "As the Voice of the Rapacious One, I hereby decree-hee that for their generous sacrifices, and for helping our fellow pe-hee-ons, that these ho-humans shall be guests in our goddess's realm. All hail the Rapacious One!" "All hail, hee-ho!" comes the resounding cacophony.

Lena. if you wanna try convincing them to let you take a vegetable. i will let you do a weighted charm roll. and i will let you know that things will go Very Bad if you fail.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

“Lena,” Blake mutters, unmoving in their place on the slope. “Please, do not.”

Lena Tarr (Dave)

Lena does not.

But unhappily so.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

:Oc I thought she would anyway

Lena Tarr (Dave

fdfgdfgdf she cares a lot abt her teammates. more than abt eating very suspicious stuff that she shouldnt eat gdfgfdgfd

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

i know this and i love her

Ilse Belanger (Ralu)

Ilse joins Sammy in giving the main Moss some pets, visibly delighted

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

“Idiots,” Blake mutters quietly. “The lot of you.”

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

the Moss feels kinda soft, a little spongy, honestly a bit damp. but it kinda humid down here, so that last part isn't that unexpected.

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy looks at Blake with a stare that could kill. "You know you want to join us"

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

Blake looks between Sammy and the Moss, quirking an eyebrow. “No,” they say. “I… don’t think I do.”

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko)

Sammy whines, "But it's so cool...and cute..."

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

Sakio looks around the farm, rubbing her chin. "I'm going to make a reasonable assumption, I believe. These Shadows are acting in service of a Behemoth, and the Magistrate mentioned a Rapacious–"

"Do you work for the Magistrate, hee-ho?" The Moss's voice is lower now, still almost cheery, but ever so slightly darker.

Blake Leto (Jane 🐈)

“Magistrate?” they ask with a feigned look of ignorant curiosity. “Not familiar, no. Why do you ask?”

Everyone Else (DaxieVane)

“Oh, whew!” The Moss wipes off his brow dramatically. “I was worried you were another hee-heretic, ho! Like those other humans who came here.” You can see a few Mosses creeping up nearer to you, collectively carrying a single huge jousting lance, but as soon as they hear that, they scurry off back out of sight.

Camellia points after them, looking around at the rest of you with a very ‘everyone just saw that, right?’ sort of expression, but doesn’t have a chance to say anything before the Moss speaks again.

“The Magistrate is a very bad and very evil false idol, hee-ho! He keeps sending his minions to take over our goddess’s land, probably to steal her sacrifices and make us his slaves!” The entire farm erupts in a cacophony of hee-hisses and ho-boos. “Say…you humans are pretty strong right?” The Voice Moss’s empty grin seems to grow wider. “If you kill that false idol, hee-ho, I will decree you a place in the Rapacious One’s great kingdom! I could even show you where his weak-hee point is, ho. So-ho? What do you think?”

#the hunters #hunters highlights #sammy cabra #erin sakio #blake leto #camellia pavel #lena tarr #ilse belanger

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chapitre7 · 7 years

Text

Between the Lips

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo [달의 연인-보보경심 려] fanfiction

Wang So/Hae Soo

Modern/War AU

Rated M

Inspired by “Eyes On Me” by Faye Wong

Soundtrack: IU’s 입술 사이 / Between the Lips (50cm)

You can barely hear the clicking of her heels against the floor amongst the chatter of the night. She takes her place behind the microphone stand, her skin shivering with the anticipation of the spotlight. She closes her eyes as the band settles around her, and only opens them once the flash lightens up her eyelids, once the sound fills her ears and her pores, once it’s her cue to start. Her glossy lips part in song and she cannot see, the stage lights are too much; she performs with practiced grace in a brightness that is darkness.

She sings, her notes permeating the cloud of suffocating cigarette smoke, her eyes desperate for solace, darting in ways, through the faces of the audience. She swings her hips in accordance, in sync, both her hands holding the microphone, cradling it, clasped almost in prayer but not, holding it in dear adoration and singing words she had written herself. Her voice follows the crescendo, the swirl of her dress, and every corner of the bar is filled with her, with her presence, with her color and glimmer. The audience claps and cheers and whistles and she smiles her scripted smile.

The entrance song is meant to enthrall, to captivate, to make them rise. Her hand moves up and down the microphone stand, her hips descending, teasing, her dress pooling at her feet, before she stands tall again, looking down at them from her stage, from her pedestal. At that moment she’s Venus, she’s more, she’s Freya, she’s the gap that shows her leg, she’s the beauty mark on her cheek and dominating, narrowed eyes. Her short wig, black velvet and shiny silk, touches her shoulders like the hands of the men that watch her, and in the pause between lyrics she leans her head back in silent contemplation, in glorious temptation, and she feels the strands tickle the skin of her neck and the wolves who want to ravish her. It’s only the first role in her ritual to the moon. The music fades away and she closes her eyes again, her body already walking away, having memorized the routine, the steps, the night. She takes off her wig backstage, and when she emerges with a new melody, she’s a different woman, she’s dark-brown hair that falls down her back, she’s a high-collared, knee-long dress that doesn’t shimmer, she’s the somberness of the after-party, she’s the call to arms of the morning. She sings no more of the smell of cinnamon in dark alleys, luring beast-like men to their profound desires; she sings of longing, of memory, of arms that embrace, that envelop, and her eyes are no longer blinded, no longer lost.

They finally lock eyes for the first time that night. During her opening act, he would sneak glances that she could barely catch, his ears would glow red, yes, she had noticed, even against the overwhelming, yellow glare. But when the veil of temptation was thrown away, her hands and her being making her way through it, parting it like a curtain with the ferocity of her feelings, she could look straight at him. In the room full of soldiers and tension, she saw him, the drink swirling in his glass to the vibrations she gave off, his mouth moving, echoing her as she sang, whispered secrets across space, lips that kissed from a distance. She doesn’t pretend the mic is her lover anymore, her lover is on her tongue, her lover is under her skin, her lover is at the tip of her fingers as she moves her hand forward, reaching for someone that isn’t there. He watches, he sings along. Tomorrow, he wouldn’t be there. On that night, he’s hers, and she sings of him. She sings of someone who is like her, she sings of a far-off place, an unknown future. She mourns the present. Her eyes are downcast and round and sincere. The men no longer whistle, they just listen, they sway. She’s a woman of the war, just like them.

She never takes her eyes off him. She sings of him and she sings for him and she’s afraid that the lights in her eyes are blinding him, too.

He’s awkward laughs that go unnoticed by his peers, by his comrades. He’s embarrassment and loneliness and slow, blinking eyes in her direction. She had watched him from her stage, from the backstage, from the bar. She watches him from every corner of the establishment every time he comes by, every time she has the chance, ever since she noticed him for the first time. From where she stands, she always feels at the center of a storm that could sweep her away if she’s not careful, she’s surrounded by tongues that touch lips, hands that move against thighs in poorly feigned restraint. If she’s caught, nothing would be left of her, no consciousness, no strength, no dignity. She’s a fine porcelain doll dancing in the middle of a maelstrom, a siren luring men to the dark waters of desire, never to be caught. She’s prey and she’s predator. She always walks away by the end of the night.

His eyes are kind.

She writes her lyrics in a dusted room in the attic, she polishes her shoes herself. She learned to sing in key as the owner of the bar sat by the piano, a strict woman who would cut her off and yell, “Again!” Again and again and again until she got it right. Every establishment, every inn, every meal is owned, prepared, and taken care of by a woman. Soon, all that would be left would be women and children, the old and the disabled. They would form a family until the world regained its sanity and the men were welcomed back into their homes and the roles that men set for themselves. Until then, there were women. Working and organizing and leading. Singing courage into the soldiers’ hearts. She writes lyrics in the attic, speaks of the parents she had lost in the war, speaks of the calm in a kind man’s arms, no breath caught in her throat after a nightmare.

He’s the drizzle that falls against the roof, the night wind brushing against her hot cheeks dusted with rouge when she opens her window. She had noticed him one day, by complete accident, her gaze moving from man to man as she sang, stopping on him with the word “love” on her lips. Her eyes lingered on his and her mouth moved to the lyrics, her lips pouting in pronunciation, and he accompanied her. He didn’t seem to undress her mentally, she could spot the process from miles away, but still she felt bare, naked, undone under his gaze, under the melody rocking between them. He leaned back with poise, the uniform perfectly matching the black of his hair, the silver glimmer in his eyes. She chose him as her muse, as the object of her art, of her lyrical affections, and every night since then, she searches for him in the crowd, and she sings for him. She wants to know his name before winter comes. She dreams of his breath against her ear and she longs to know his voice as well as she knows his mannerisms, the downcast look when his comrades ignore him, the resigned lopsided smile when he’s ignored. He always comes with the same men but she feels she’s his true companion, his confidante, all the way from the center of the room to his corner of the world. All the months of his training, all the bruises on his face, all the weight on his shoulders — she was his witness, his friend, his protector, singing odes in his name. In her mind, she calls him Warrior and Beloved. Some nights, he’s just Black — covering her like a blanket, eyes shining like stars. She writes for him, weaves him the novel of her heart.

When she sends him the note, she’s nervous like a little girl on her first night. She isn’t, not a little girl. She had made choices, she had lived. She’s still young, no wrinkles on the corners of her eyes or mouth, but still there are scars on the outside, on the inside. Who didn’t have scars, who didn’t have a story to tell? She wrote for him on a napkin and she called him to her attic, to her tower. It’s pristine clean that night, the only night it had ever been so neat, so welcoming. Waiting. Waiting.

Tomorrow, it will be war. Tomorrow, he will be gone. What tomorrow would there be? What future, what purpose?

His knocking is hesitating, nervous. She takes a deep breath and steels herself. Her heels — her evening heels, her persona’s heels — sound like knocking on the wooden floor, mirroring him, as he always does her. She resonates confidence to him, her back is poised straight, her smile is a rose, open and fragrant and colorful. His eyes take in everything, every detail, every object she owns, her notebooks, her mementos of the past. She guides him to a small table at the center of the room and offers him a drink, which he takes. He’s visibly shaking. She’s shaking on the inside, under the surface.

“What’s your name?” She asks, she’s a master actress, he doesn’t even know she’s been dying to know it for months, for years, for centuries.

“W... Wang So,” he says, he swallows, he smiles. She swirls her glass like he’s known to do, like she knows he does, and she sips her drink ever so slightly, to ease the fire of longing inside of her, lest she bursts.

“Are you scared, Wang So?”

It’s not what he expects, she can see the surprise in the way he looks everywhere but at her.

“I am,” she admits, her arms wrapping around her middle, shielding her, keeping her upright. “I don’t know if we’re going to make it.”

“How many have you lost?”

He’s leaning forward, he’s leaning towards her. She unravels herself, uncrosses her arms and legs, her hands lying between them with the palms up. She’s surrender, she’s survival. She’s young, no wrinkles in her, her hair still long and bountiful and capturing the light of the candles.

“Everyone,” she says, and he’s the only one who can hear, for the first time in a long time, she has someone to listen to her, her voice doesn’t have to bounce off the walls, she doesn’t need to go hoarse to be heard. She thinks he might take her hand, he might sweep her off her feet, but his fingers lie centimeters away from her, they twitch, they take hold of themselves. She looks up and he has the sad smile and the silver eyes and a tint of something else, maybe the flicker of the candle, maybe the reflection of her longing, she can’t pinpoint. He’s a shadow behind the thin walls that trap her, he’s a glimmer at the edge of abyss. She calls it hope.

“It’ll be okay,” he says, and she believes him.

“Will you...”

She’s foolish and needy, she touches his hand with both of hers. He’s warm and she’s so cold.

“Will you stay with me tonight?”

“Ms. Go.”

He’s flushed and she’s shaking her head.

“It’s not my profession, Wang So. I’m a singer and an entertainer, I’m an actress, make believe, but I’m a woman.”

She bends down and takes off her shoes before she walks to his side, before she stands in front of him and takes his face in her hands. If he stands, he’ll be several centimeters taller than her, but he sits there, blinks up at her, reveres her, his hands holding her wrists, ready to push her back or pull her into him.

“Will you call me Hae Soo and stay with me? Will you convince me it’ll be okay?”

She’s placing so much on his shoulders, she can’t help it, she thinks he can take it, she feels he can hold her up for so long, for as long as she wants to. She draws his face close, cradles him, she whispers against his ear, “Won’t you accept me? Haven’t you heard me all this time?”

It’s dead silent that night, when he hoists her up by the waist and her legs wrap around him, when he kisses her. The soldiers lie awake in their beds in fear, the citizens lie awake in anxiety, and Wang So takes her to her bed and kisses her sweetly, steals the words off her tongue, holds her so close they might melt into each other, they might become one and break the laws of physics, the laws of the universe, escape their wretched present, fade away like a song. They don’t. He touches every inch of her skin and lets her burn, she falls into the waters that she owned, she’s a drowning mermaid, head thrown back and hair pooling against the pillow, his mouth on her, his fingers tracing her hips. She flips them over and he lets her, she stands taller than him on her knees, kissing down on him, biting him and marking him, a Valkyrie choosing his soul, urging him forward, she’s falling into him, he’s taken hold of her back like she’s a musical instrument and they move together. It’s better than she had imagined, his voice is deeper, he’s firmer, meeting her on her ends, whispering her name against her ear, a promise, his promise. They barely make a sound, they respect the night, every cry of pleasure swallowed by the other, the hours passing too fast in a blur, she can’t see him with the sweat and tears in her eyes and he wipes them away, he’s always so close she can remember him with her touch, tracing every beautifully crafted line of his complexion with her fingertips.

Hae Soo, known as Go Ha Jin to every other person, writes a new song that night. She writes it on his skin, in half-bliss and half-awake, before he catches her hand to adorn a kiss upon her knuckles.

“Will you remember me?” He asks and it should be impossible that he looks at his more vulnerable then, after she had accommodated him in her, in body and in heart, in memory and in flesh, her lips red and swollen by his making.

“I’ll wait for you,” she promises. It’s a lie she wants to believe.

“You shouldn’t....”

She scoots closer and her nose touches his chest, his fingers untangling the knots at the ends of her hair. She had dreamed of comfort, of arms keeping her close, but it’s her arms that circle him, her leg that sneaks between his, her voice that whispers,

“I’ll be here for you.”

He’s not there when she wakes up and she could almost believe she dreamed it all if she didn’t still feel him on her, more vivid and messy than any dream. They all leave on that day and she lies to herself that it had all been okay, that it would all be okay in the end, so that she doesn’t have to admit her weaknesses and flaws and desires and broken promises.

Hae Soo works and she lives, day after day. Her pen is still for many months, unable to do justice to the poetry he carved on her. She dreams of kindness and his smiles, and he has a name now, Wang So, calling out her name, Soo, against her mouth, singing her songs to her until she falls asleep and wakes up to an empty bed. As time passes, he grows to be more than just a fantasy in her, he lives in her as the man whose spirit she peeked at from the darkness of the bar, he lives as a fragile fragment of her own past, the insecure girl who had to find a way to live after everyone abandoned her. Her voice grows sadder, madam Oh tells her. She thinks she might have matured in the time she spent missing him, wanting to get to know him, wanting to live more than just one night with someone who looks at her like she’s important, like she’s one of a kind, like she matters in this messed up world.

She takes care of children and she takes care of the sick and she cooks and cleans and lives. Until the day she would step upon the stage again, and she would sing with sincerity, from the bottom of the ocean. She would sing so she could breathe. She would breathe again.

They win. They win and she wears her silk, her jewelry, her lipstick, her hair up with a beautiful flower adornment, the stockings making her legs shimmer. She sings to victory, to tomorrow and to hope, and she sings to him.

She catches him, as she always did. A glimpse of black out the corner of her eyes and they face each other from across the room. Her lips move to the lyrics she composed for him, oh darling, her chest arching in song, in his direction, as it did that night, to his touch. He watches her, only one eye visible, the other hidden behind black cloth, but his smile is there, he can’t sing along, he doesn’t know this song yet, but he knows the words between the lines, the way she sways, her hands dancing in the air, beckoning him, calling for his name.

After Go Ha Jin is done and Hae Soo is in her room, she hears a knock. She lets him in. They’re both young but they had lived more than anyone should live, there’s loss in them, it draws them closer, it draws them close, to each other’s arms. She touches his cheek and the eye hidden from view.

“I survived,” he says, and she hears I almost died. “Hae Soo,” he says, and she wishes she had told him, a long time ago, just how much she liked him for the heart that he gave her every time he looked at her, touched her, smiled at her. Seeing through her disguises, through her masks, through the show she put up, all the way to the woman underneath, who so desperately wanted to be loved. She’s not worth it. She would have to be, because she wants him to know, she wants him to feel it, too.

“Tell me about you, Wang So,” she says, wrapping her arms around his neck, inviting him for a dance. “Tell me all about you.”

The night is long and they talk until it dies, until morning comes. There would be one more night, and a morning after that.

And a morning after that.

And a morning...

From the top, Hae Soo.

#Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo #Scarlet Heart Ryeo #Moon Lovers #fanfiction #Hae Soo #Wang So #Wang So/Hae Soo #So/Soo #Alternate Universe: War

35 notes · View notes

psychicdan · 7 years

Link

Here is Samurai Jack: Renegade Samurai Chapter I. Be sure to give Genndy Tartokovsky and affiliated people credit, you can make fanwork of this if you want, just give credit so people can follow the idea.

Samurai Jack: Renegade Samurai

Rating T to M, depending how graphic you see this.

Warning:

The following is a work of fanfiction and is not intentionally connected to real word places, events, or people, nor intended to copy others’ work. Samurai Jack is the work of Genndy Tartakovsky, his team and affiliated studios and companies. Tis is soly fanfiction for fun and not profit.

Chapter I: The New Beginning

Part 1

Looking at the setting sun and growing twilight from the height of the imperial palace, a Samurai garbed in white stood there in peace with a kind yet somber smile. The complicated expression was expected of course. Months ago, the Samurai, known as Jack by many in another time, experienced so many things. To travel to a distant future, journey to places of imagination, meet extraordinary people, and combat threats beyond what his training prepared him for. For 50 years he had gone through this, unable to age or succeed, and despair pushed further to death. His memories take a lighter turn, as it was ironically an assailant from his sworn enemy that had saved his life and soul, and reignited the will to face his sworn enemy, Aku. Though the encounter seemed to turn hopeless when his loved comrade was in fact Aku’s daughter, they overcame it, and through the demon’s own power, returned to the past to slay both him and his distraught future. Everything seemed right, but at the height of the planned wedding, the Samurai had lost her to time itself, her being connected to Aku’s existence in future. He could only mourn her with her name then, “Ashi” cried the Samurai solemly, as he crumbled at their wedding. At a forest he had visited in the future though, he came to find hope in the despair, a ladybug reminding him of his cherished time and the blooming trees telling him what both of them fought and sacrificed for, a future free from Aku’s grip and allowed happiness. This had eased the Samurai’s pain in time, though his soul still cringed in pain from time to time. It seems whether here or in Aku’s future, he was always bound by his past. The peace was welcoming though, and Jack, his family and people prospered. His father had walked towards him then. “This is truly a welcome experience, to be free from the fear of evil, is it not son?” said the Emperor. “Yes, it does me great good, I had not felt this way since childhood.” remembered Jack. The Emperor nodded, but then his expression turned grim then. “ I had told you then to always be cautious, as evil could be lurking behind you, yes? It is good to take in the peace, but do not lessen your guard my son. Even without Aku, or without evil itself, there may always be forces threatening what you believe in. You must be prepared to stand your ground, else you lose everything.” The Emperor stated. Jack appeared puzzled, questioning, “Without Aku or evil, what do you mean father?”. The Emperor sighed. “ Perhaps I am overcautious from experience, but your fights will not always be simply be righteous, or against evil. Time and time again, people have fought over their beliefs, spilling blood for what they hold is right. You must be open minded to their thoughts while affirming and acknowledging your own, else you risk either succumbing to arrogance or being cut down through complacency. It may be hard to understand now, but I tell you this so can make such hard decisions for what you believe in” the Emperor explained as he walked away. Jack was puzzled by his father’s warning. He had made hard decisions, such as sacrificing time portals to help others or confronting the Daughters of Aku in lethal combat to defend his own life. But why would he ever falter in his own beliefs for that of an enemy? He supposed that it must be his time fighting those blatantly wrong like Aku, but the Samurai was getting the impression maybe he did not understand what it meant about hard decisions in a fight. Hopefully, that bridge wouldn’t need to be crossed thought Jack as he walked back inside, not noticing in the night sky a tear and void of black and white rings.

Part 2:

A large and imposing warship emerged from the void in time, and from it to smaller docked vehicles left in two differing directions. The first was on destination to the palace, the other towards a wasteland in the distance. The first vessel landed near the Palace and the occupants emerged. Several dozen troops emerged, all armored in imposing grey with black aesthetic metal, their faces covered by helmets that gave off glow from the eye protection, all armed with firearms not of this time. But they were not the most imposing of them. Leading them was a man with powerful aura about him deserving of command. Though he appeared in his mid 20s, the look he gave suggested significant experience and deserved confidence. Like the troops he was armored in grey, bearing a symbol of a black figurine encompassed by a gray shield on the right end of his chest guard, the same on his soldiers and vehicles. His armor otherwise seemed distinct, clearly protective yet not overweight, allowing flexibility, yet distinguished enough to set him apart, and geometric lining patterns seen across his armor. Should people of this era see it, they would think it forged by the gods. On his back lay a sword he had now drawn, single edged and glowing with geometric patterns and emitting a white energy. To his side was a firearm which, while smaller, was of more advanced make than his troops. His face was somewhat simple yet stern and strong, not unhandsome and bearing both youth and experience aforementioned. Despite this apparent youth, his hair was a contradiction, bearing a contrast of grey and brown colors, falling to his neck in parted strands but not enough to obstruct combat. The leader held within his hand was a key, yet not ordinary, as it bore a numeral II and glowed. When holding it in front of himself, it glowed brightest in front of the structure. The man seemed to gain an understanding from this interaction, and signaled “Let us move”. “Yes, Lord Protector!”, sounded off his men as they bust through the gates. The palace guards responded quickly as they sounded the alarms. Both warriors in samurai armor and archers from higher ground attacked the intruders, fighting with grace, and yet, it amounted to only loss. Neither blade nor arrow harmed the soldiers, only denting their armor even with the most grievous of blows. The counterattack from the invading force was devastating, s the palace guard fell in bloodied mass before the barrage of fare from their weapons, their expressions aghast with horror from such power only described as sorcery from their perspective. The man known only as Lord Protector only strode forth through into the palace, paying no mind to what happened. He took a few of his men with him as he descended towards the lower levels by using his firearm to blast into the floor, as that is where the key directed, and left the rest to hold off any nuisances.

…

“What, they have broken through and are entering the lower levels?!”, stated the Emperor. “Yes, my emperor, and our forces appear to be held by the enemy” stated the scout. The Emperor’s eyes narrowed as grim and stern as when Aku first returned. I f they were heading to the sealed area beneath the palace, to the vaulted place of the relic guarded by his ancestors for so long, the enemy could only be after that power. The warnings and descriptions of their fearsome power did not deter the Emperor, or even his age having dulled his combat experience. Preparing his blade, he turned to a hidden passage to confront the enemy, giving his wife the Empress a tender look before returning to his determined persona. He would guard the relic and its power, even at the cost of his life.

…

Jack had heard the sounds of crashing, crying, and most disturbingly, gunfire. He didn’t bother to think of it though, as he ran down to main area of the palace with only his usual white gi and trusted magic sword. What he found was devastating. The palace entrance room appeared smashed and burnt in many places, the recently restored artwork of his family once again brought to ruin. Painting the devastation, was the blood and carcasses of so many palace guards. At the center of the devastation was most surprising, with gray and black armored soldiers with firearms finishing off the remnants. Jack only pondered for a second about such inconsistencies from the future being here, as he was quick to realize they were the ones slaughtering the brave guards. As Jack charged, the soldiers took notice and fired. Jack’s adventures in the future left him prepared though, as he ran towards them dodging most of the gunfire and deflecting what he couldn’t with his sword. The guards were stunned, as they never expected this from any local warrior. The stunned moment was fatal, as Jack charged in and cut three soldiers down in seconds, the sound flesh, blood and circuitry mixed as their remains feel. The other soldiers recovered, as they surrounded Jack to fire at the spot he was at. They didn’t count on his jumping skills though, as he leaped from the spot at the last minute and landed behind two most soldiers to cut him down. “ If that’s the way it’s going to be, fine!” said a guard’s mechanized voice as he pulled a blade from a holster at his side alongside another, while the other three prepared to give fire support. It would have been a decent tactic to a novice, but Jack turned it around. He closed in with one of the bladed soldiers with his, only taking two strikes to cut both the blade and the soldier down. The second one fared even worse, as Jack blocked the blade with the sword, then freed one of hands to disarm his opponent, grabbed him in his disorientation, and his armored body as a shield for the gunfire, lucky for Jack, but not the other soldiers. The gunmen would pay for that mistake, as Jack hurled the body to distract them, giving him the moment he needed to close in and slice them in their desperation to survive. Jack, in his usual post battle posture, stood a moment tensed up before straightening up, taking care of the blood on his word before sheathing it. Yes, blood, Jack realized, still grim from the thought of having to take lives. But when he looked at the bodies of his enemies, the blood was the only assurance they were human. Their armor was thick and mechanical, only penetrable by his sacred steel, years of training, and skilled techniques. It was what was beneath the armor that was most unnerving, as ghastly wounds had shown circuitry interwoven into flesh, questioning how human they were. This brought the contradictions back to Jack’s mind. “These soldiers, their weapons and armor, even this technology seared into their flesh, I have seen things like this before, in Aku’s future. But Aku is no more, his future is gone with him. Even with that, I never encountered soldiers like this then. Who are these brutal people, what do they want with this time?” Jack thought. His thoughts were taken by the sounds of clashing steel towards a blasted hole in the ground. Jack knew not of this area, but it was clear the enemy lingered, and he would need to confront them for answers, as he descended below to the battle.

Part 3

While the battle at the palace occurred, a second team flew over a barren wasteland, devoid of life and hope even with the blossoming nature not far away. The extraction team flew to the center of it all, a crater with only a few shattered stones here and there. The lead of the team was only informed enough to know what to find, and but that in itself was iffy. Part of it came from reading they had received from this same place of a power source long since dead and decaded for them, but here enough may still be alive to thrive. The other part came from legends the Lord Protector cared not for. The legends stated of a living evil with great power that ruled mercillesly, and though the soldiers didn’t much believe it, this land was still scarred by his dominion, feeling the ominous nature of it all. Still, they had a job to do, and the Lord Protector was keen on results when he was done on his end. After scanning the area, the extraction team set to work, quickly excavating the area while the soldiers guarded the area for trouble. Soon, they found what they sought for. Even though the Lord Protector looked into it himself, it was amazing his assertions were true. The excavation team preserved their find, a small black stone spiked in several directions. The substance found was all that survived from whatever happened here, and even in this time, an analysis would show it was dying and decaying. With their resources though, that was no issue. The team packed up into the transport, informing the Lord Protector and following instructions to return to the time portal and back to origin. They did so, not knowing the evil they had dredged up from the dead earth.

…

Jack was stunned to see his aged father confronting an unmasked man in armor akin to that of the soldiers, figuring he was the leader. The emperor was making up for lack of strength and agility with tactics and experience, but that was only getting him so far, as he suffered several flesh wounds already, and his age only increased their toll. The Lord Protector fared much better, and the exchange of blades saw his blade overpowering the Emperor. “You fight well, elder, most random warriors do not last to this point. Bur we both know the outcome so relinquish the Key of Time” pronounced the Lord Protector. “I refuse. Your power alone does not give you right to power beyond mortal understanding. I can see it already destroying you, so cease before suffer the greatest loss.” “What do you know of loss?!” screamed the Lord Protector, bringing down his blade and slashing through the Emperor’s blade flesh. “FATHER!” cried Jack, carrying his blade in fury to the Lord Protector. The Lord Protector narrowed his eyes and met Jack’s blade with his own, the fury of blades illuminating the secret chamber below the palace, the sparks of each clash paling to the fury in Jack’s eyes. In spite of that, the Lord Protector only indicated this was a mild challenge by his expression. Jack kept attempting for the opponent’s apparent openings, but these were all feints, as the Lord Protector blocked each one with anticipation and responded with blows that pushed the Samurai back. The Samurai had enough, and decided to use the trusted Horse Cutting Technique that felled many adversaries. The Lord Protector braced and took the blow with his sword, and both remained unharmed by Jack’s attack. Jack was stunned, as only a certain Scotsman took that blow before with no damage. Now it was the Lord Protector’s turn. Jack was suddenly on both defensive and evasive, as he blocked what he could and evaded what he couldn’t. But each block saw him pushed back, and several evaded attacks still saw him with cuts. Jack tried one last desperate attempt as on one of their clashes, he diverted the opponent’s blade and tried to use the opening to land a punch, hoping to use that for an opening with his blade. But instead, his opponent caught his and threw him back down on the ground, with Jack holding his sword in defense only for it be knocked back by the enemy. The Lord Protector seemed to have pity though, as he went in with a fist instead of his blade, taking the wind straight out of the Samurai’s lungs and leaving him there barely awake and breathing, but unable to move for the time being. The Lord Protector walked over to a pedestal that had a key similar to his own, only with a numeral I on it. In came the Empress from the secret passageway, gasping and rushing to her fallen husband. He was still breathing, but even with treatment, his survival was uncertain. The Lord Protector then seemed distracted. “You have retrieved the second objective then? Yes, the artifact is mine. Proceed through the rift above, I will return on my own. Take note that the listed units that accompanied me won’t be returning.” Talking as though he spoke to a ghost. He then held the key as it glowed, and to Jack’s amazement, a black white time portal, like so many he had seen, emerged. The Lord Protector gave only a stern glance to the recovering Samurai and said “ Do not be a fool like that man. To oppose myself, Magnus, is a sheer act of stupidity.”. “Wait, Magnus, that’s who he is, but why..?” the Samurai thought as Magnus walked through the portal. Jack got to his feet and saw to his father, and by now people from the palace had come to see the state of the Emperor and aid him. “Father, are you”, said Jack, “Do not concern your…” coughed the Emperor incompletely with blood. The Empress had tears down her eyes, as the attendants began to see to his wounds with grim eyes. “Wait, my son, you must know, the key taken, for many generations our family has guarded it, not knowing it’s exact nature except it’s connection to time. If misused it could be...” the Emperor coughed again with more blood. “ Please do not overexert yourself!” cried the Emperess. Jack ha a solemn expression contemplating his thoughts. He then made a decision. Gathering his sword, he walked over to the now unstable time portal. “Son, no! You’ve already suffered a perilous journey through time. There’s no knowing if you will come back this time!” cried the Empress. Jack walked over to both of them with a sad expression, and hugged his parents gently, careful of his father’s injuries. His face and actions conveyed it all. He needed to go, must go. Whatever Magnus intends, he must be stopped and made to answer for what he did. He knew it could be another long journey, but he would return with all his power one day. As Jack got up and left for the portal, his father said one last thing. “My son, take what I said earlier to heart, I know not what you face, but I suspect new hardships await you before you may persevere. I wish you would not see need for this, but I know you will persevere if stand by your beliefs. Whatever you decide, now or then, I stand by you, my son.” Said the Emperor weekly. The Samurai gave a slight smile as a last farewell as walked into the portal as it faded.

Note: Hello, this is Psychicdan. So after that, uh, controversial ending, I had mixed thoughts. I respect Genndy, even if I wanted things to go down differently, so that’s part of why the bittersweet ending is here. It will also be used here into story building up as you probably picked up. Another reason for this fanfic sequel is that I just felt I didn’t get enough Samurai Jack, and wanted more things like development over Season 5. Seeing others write their own stories out there inspired me to do the same. For those of you wondering about Ashi, yes she will be here(SPOILERS) involving differing memories and butterfly effect. By development, I mean both Jack and Ashi’s romance and Jack’s progression to stronger and more human character than what he returned to in the later part of Season 5. Jack is not fighting simple evil anymore, and that’s part of why Magnus is here. Come back next time to see Jack and Ashi’s reunion as Jack confronts the Magnus Protectorate. Also, if anyone wants to art of this you’re more than welcome, just be sure to give credit to both Genndy for the original Samurai Jack and myself for the fan work.

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#samurai jack #jack and ashi #fanfic #renegade samurai #OC: Magnus

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rachelbracewriting-blog · 6 years

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Reframing the Bad Boy Masculinity

Within Young Adult literature, young women and men are often bombarded with images of a ruthless and abusive masculinity that is presented as desirable. This image plays into all the most pervasive and disgusting aspects of modern masculinity construction, perpetuating the idea that a boy who treats you poorly simply needs saving by a soft, feminine woman. This masculinity, the bad boy persona, ignores the social construction of gender, how “our behaviors are not simply ‘just human nature,’ because ‘boys will be boys.’ From the materials we find around us in our culture – other people, ideas, object – we actively create our world, our identities” (Kimmel, 135). Within the recent novel A Court of Mist and Fury, the second in a series by Sarah J. Mass, two images of constructed masculinity are presented. The main character, Feyre, is involved with Tamlin at the beginning of the novel, the man she fell in love with in the first novel. Tamlin is the spitting image of the old bad boy masculinity: dangerous, sexy because he is dangerous, completely in control, and stoic. As the novel progresses, Tamlin’s behavior grows more abusive and Feyre eventually leaves him after being rescued by Rhysand. At Rhysand’s court, Feyre heals from her experience and becomes a powerful warrior who bows to no one. This healing is helped along by Rhys, who she begins to fall in love with. Rhys is like and unlike Tamlin: dangerous, but tries to hide it to avoid making people uncomfortable; sexy because he is strong, compassionate, and dangerous; a ruler who controls his court while accepting council from a close knit group of friends; stoic due to being a rape victim, but willing to discuss his feelings about his trauma to a certain extent. While the two masculinities presented in the novel appear similar, the differences in the stereotypical masculine characteristics reveal a new kind of masculinity that incorporates some femininity and performs male-ness in a healthier and less violent way.

Much of gender theory engages with destabilizing and deconstructing biological gender determination and the elements within masculinity which perpetuates the subjugation of the feminine and female. Pascoe, in an essay titled “What Do We Mean, Masculinity?” posits masculinity as a certain set of behaviors that can be applied to both men and women. There is a division between being male identifying and being masculine. Using this theorization of masculinity as behaviors, the actions of Tamlin and Rhysand can be divided into elements of the bad boy persona and then analyzed individually. When the traits of their masculine construction are examined side by side, they are revealed to be different in important and nuanced ways. The masculinity presented by Tamlin falls into the category of bad boy masculinity that relies upon violence, control, and lack of emotions to maintain its power. Rhysand’s masculinity reveals a masculine identity built using elements of traditional femininity. The incorporation of masculinity and femininity creates a unique masculine identity that does not rely upon patriarchal power structures for validation. Rhysand’s exhibition of feminine coded traits displays the redemptive qualities of the masculinity he represents. Modern American masculinity has been termed Marketplace Masculinity by Michael Kimmel, and hinges upon the rejection of the feminine through the oppression of women and homosexual men, as well as any other group that the Marketplace Man can exert control over. Rhysand’s masculine construction presses against this assumption that femininity leads to weakness, and creates an altogether better adjusted individual than the Marketplace Masculinity, which can be represented by Tamlin.

The presentation of aggression and forcefulness, defining features of modern masculinity, first occupies a violent, abusive register in Tamlin, before transforming into a controlled and respectful power through Rhysand. Both Tamlin and Rhys are High Fae, a race of faerie with magic and primal, sometimes animalistic instincts. This coding of males with instincts they cannot always ignore at first feels uncomfortably like the argument that women must be chaste for men cannot control their sexual urges. Yet the way each of them handle this biological programing reveals the redemptive masculinity that Rhys represents, as well as the insubstantiality of this argument about male urges. When Feyre tries to discuss how Tamlin’s control of her causes her to feel as though she is drowning, she observes “Nothing in those eyes, that face. But then – I cried out, instinct taking over as his power blasted through the room” (Maas, 99-100). In his rage, Tamlin utterly destroys the room they are in. If Feyre hadn’t instinctively shielded herself with a force field of air, she would have been severely injured, if not killed. After his explosion, Tamlin expresses remorse, “‘I’ll try,’ he breathed. ‘I’ll try to be better. I don’t … I can’t control it sometimes. The rage’” (Maas, 102). His half-hearted apology, rather than taking full responsibility for his actions, displaces the blame onto his instincts and his own biological inability to control them. Yet with Rhys these Fae instincts are no excuse for his actions. After forming a mating bond with Feyre, he discusses with her how “I’d like to believe I have more restraint than the average male, but … Be patient with me, Feyre, if I’m a little on edge” (Maas, 541). He warns her of his instincts to protect her and keep her from other males, but instead of asking her to excuse it, he asks for patience. There is an implicit declaration that he will fight to avoid being territorial over her. Further, she should not let him get away with it, simply be patient when reminding him to not suffocate her. Rhys’s version of masculinity questions the connection between masculinity and aggression that is presented as biologically essential by Tamlin’s construction of his masculine identity.

Protective instincts are coded as an essential part of masculine identity, but the manifestation of these instincts and the subsequent actions reveals the controlling nature of the typical bad boy persona. Tamlin’s protective instincts are an integral part of his personality, and he continually tells Feyre “I can’t do what I need to do if I’m worrying about whether you’re safe” (Maas, 11). Rather than it being his job to manage the fear for Feyre’s well-being, Tamlin places the responsibility upon Feyre to change her actions to cater to Tamlin’s overprotective nature. This power relationship is reversed in Rhys, and Feyre observes “I might have loved him for that – for not insisting I stay even if it drove his instincts mad, … I realized how badly I’d been treated before, if my standards had become so low. If the freedom I’d been granted felt like a privilege and not an inherent right” (Maas, 577). Rhys lets Feyre make her own choices, no matter how nervous they make him. Feyre herself compares the behavior of the two men and realizes how controlled, how suffocated she was by Tamlin’s own feelings and needs. This construction of respectful protection is extended to two of Rhys’s male councilors. Feyre asks him how to tell the men she doesn’t need protection, to which Rhys replies “You don’t tell them. You set boundaries if they cross a line, but you are their friend – and my mate. They will protect you on instinct. If you kick heir asses out of the house, they’ll just sit on the roof” (Maas, 557). The relationship set up is one of mutual give and take. Feyre sets boundaries of how much they are allowed to protect her, and if they cross them, she can ask them to leave. Likewise, the protective instincts of the two men are forced to give way under her need to feel free, but they are allowed to simply move their protection outwards so she is less smothered. The feelings and needs of both parties are respected and meet in a compromise that allows Feyre freedom and the two men their protection of her. The rewriting of masculine protection allows it to transform into a need based in love, that is not necessarily male-coded, and that must compromise with the protected subject’s freedom.

Traditional masculinity defines itself through a rejection of emotions, a definition that is shown to create unhealthy relationships without communication. In his relationship with Feyre, Tamlin is unwilling to engage in conversation about difficult topics. Both Feyre and Tamlin have nightmares from a past trauma, yet every night that Feyre jerks away to throw up Tamlin remains asleep, and Feyre suspects he is simply pretending. Further, he refuses to discuss his own nightmares with her, and gets angry when she brings the topic up. This repeats later when Feyre asks about Tamlin’s feelings on a difficult topic. She states that “I dared meet his eyes. Temper flared in them. But he said, ‘We’re not talking about me. We’re talking – about you’” (Maas, 99). Even before seeing the anger in his eyes, Feyre knows it will be there, having to summon bravery and daring to meet his gaze. Tamlin presents a masculine identity that is incapable of showing any sign of ‘weakness’ and refuses to engage in emotional healing with Feyre. In contrast, Rhys regularly discusses emotions and past trauma with Feyre, for her sake and his own. After Feyre admits to hating herself, he tells her he felt the same way when he couldn’t prevent the deaths of his mother and sister. He then tells her “You can either let it wreck you, let it get you killed like it nearly did with the Weaver, or you can learn to live with it” (Maas, 298). His masculine identity does not hinge upon remaining within the stereotype of the stoic protector without feelings, on the contrary, his narrative includes moments of intense emotional vulnerability. This rewriting of the stereotypical bad boy persona creates a masculinity that can still be strong and dangerous without sacrificing emotional capacity.

Masculinity within the novel is constructed to demonstrate the toxicity within the gender definition that requires a superiority to women. This necessity of masculine superiority has been observed as an intrinsic part of masculine definition: “The hegemonic definition of manhood is a man in power, a man with power, and a man of power. We equate manhood with being strong, successful, capable, reliable, in control. The very definitions of manhood we have developed in our culture maintain the power that some men have over other men and that men have over women” (Kimmel, 137). Tamlin represents this old version of masculinity; he is lord over everything in his court, including Feyre, and exercises this complete control liberally. Feyre sends him a letter informing him she has left and is not coming back, yet he sends his head guard, Lucien, to hunt her down and bring her back, no matter what. As Feyre was previously going to marry him, Tamlin views her as his possession and has no qualms about kidnapping her to facilitate the return to him of his property. This superiority to Feyre, and women in general, is expressed when he states that “High Lords only take wives. Consorts. There has never been a High Lady” (Maas, 24). He sees no issues with this structure of power, that Feyre will never hold a position equal to his own. That as a woman she cannot rule. Yet the necessity of this structure of power is revealed to be merely male domination and tradition when Rhys tells his court “‘Not consort, not wife. Feyre is High Lady of the Night Court.’ My equal in every way; she would wear my crown, sit on a throne beside mine. Never sidelined, never designated to breeding and parties and child-rearing. My queen” (Maas, 621). This is the only chapter for which his point of view is presented, and his thoughts about Feyre reflect the destruction of gender roles and traits that Rhysand’s character has been demonstrating throughout the novel. By showing the ease with which Rhys still reads as masculine, the novel refutes the supposed necessity of superiority to women within traditional masculinity construction.

Within A Court of Mist and Fury, the gender construction of the two main male characters reveals the ridiculous nature of much of hegemonic, unhealthy masculinity. By breaking down the defining qualities of typical masculinity and comparing the ways Tamlin and Rhysand manifest or transform these traits, it becomes clear that Sarah J. Maas’s novel is engaging in gender theorizing. The necessity of a masculinity formulated around the oppression of women is refuted, and a new masculinity takes shape through the character of Rhysand. By showing a male love interest who does not rely upon toxic masculinity, the attractiveness of that persona of masculinity is questioned. Rhysand, who is far more loving and supportive than Tamlin, does not sacrificing any of the necessary sex appeal for a romance novel love interest. The ease with which Rhysand exhibits both masculine and feminine characteristics questions the division of gendered identities that is a given within our society’s picture of male and female identities. While there is still a reliance upon elements of traditional masculine construction, it can be figured as due to Rhysand’s own gender definition, rather than one based within biological gender.

Works Cited

Kimmel, Michael S. “Masculinity as Homophobia.” In The Social Construction of Difference and Inequality: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality, 5th edition, edited by Tracy Ore, 134-151. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011.

Maas, Sarah J. A Court of Mist and Fury. New York: Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2016.

Pascoe, C. J. “What Do We Mean by Masculinity?” In Dude, You’re a Fag. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007.

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ccstockbridge · 7 years

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Kingsroad Cheat

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Specified chests based in the ranges could possibly be unlocked by expending hard forex - because they chests insure players materials with the positive grade, it will most likely be hard for players to handle around these, but advancement can be achieved without needing to wide open these. At many kinds of milestones, the online gamer will get small-scale honors of hard forex, and whenever the objective is totally “mastered” the encourage is definitely a bigger lump sum cost of hard forex. Girl persona options are popular by their absence at the present time, find the rendering with the selectable gender will need not just a new persona system (especially mesh and animated graphics) nevertheless in inclusion for all the noticeable devices materials to grow remade for the new system, it is not important for that small-scale lineup at rumble thus far. Seems like advantageous, tones advantageous, takes on suitably, amenities excellent quality penning with numerous nature, and most importantly doesn’t insult the online gamer while you are far too ambitious with possibly its monetization or interpersonal amenities. Yet still, it's worth noting the game can be playable on the web by using rumble’s personally own web portal, so end user results from appdata only characterize consumers players who've picked possibly to achieve facebook . com or relate their rumble membership about the social networks. Kingsroad Cheats 2016 amenities 3 lessons - archer, dark party and wizard - which your competitor can change amongst simply because they would like. |As mister william, a dark party in alexander's own guard, you promise your blade and bow about the security from the ruler. isn't mainly because it would seem, as well as in the king’s absence a fresh bad pushes basic in the home, damaging not only for his empire but moreover his only child, princess emma. The hero may very well be manipulated by using rendered click for going, receiving as well as npcs and auto-attacking opponents whilst the total keys (1 simply by 5) function as the preset slots to the elegance-individual abilities. Should you wish to snipe reduce opponents from afar, the ranger elegance will deliver the results, as well as his volleys of arrows for long-number bombardment. The opportunity to make your hero the way you like makes the game execute a bit more enjoyable. Looking at devices, Kingsroad Cheats 2016 also contains a fun forging and enchanting strategy that's very simple to realize. It is extremely astonishing the sheer numbers of materials you may forge as a group in this trainer! Find any 3 products which are with the indistinguishable ranking, and try out your luck if you’ll present an great product or service!…or a crappy an individual. other crystals may very well be sacrificed to change to their picked surprisingly for forging, the 3 put together materials can't be leveled up. Often your camera is sure during the hub from the panel and some charts have opponents seem from thin air. |This ends up being a period of time-consuming chore that a lot of americans can probably not have perseverance to achieve, yet for individuals who want every one of the lessons to have the ideal standard, they're thank you for traveling to grind simply by all the prior charts they've finished, simply because they are able to be re-sprint. Pros - consistent and enjoyable-hunting backdrops - eyes-capturing persona designs and styles and actions series - players can alter in-amongst lessons - specific competence tree branches to examine - broad product or service progression by using writing and enchanting - players can re-sprint finished instances that will increase its difficulty and return a bit more suffer from and even more infrequent product or service drops disadvantages - no lady options from the 3 lessons - article is uninspiring and it is repeatedly periods an afterthought - persona personalization only occur in outfitting a new product - competence shrub resets must have choosing in-trainer forex when using the ability to visit new creates - every one elegance should be leveled up individually to obtain additional ultra powerful - no pvp to chat of inspite of some defects, Kingsroad Cheats 2016 has a tendency to perform on some areas and it is continually a enjoyable trainer to achieve. Even but without the the ruler, a empire was undertaken from a handful of bad opponents. Among them them (, dwayne Kingsroad Cheats 2016 does not motivate the limits from the category rather to this point as wonder heroes does, but it's the right facebook . com trainer for every diablo or torchlight lover. The basic article are you finding your ruler has become wiped out and monsters concept the territory. You can get an art form period each time you get ranges, and you can begin to use these reveals understand new abilities and advancement people you have. Should you wish to create healthier materials, you will need to spend a huge charge and hold out on a daily basis to advancement the forge. There is not any actual trainer execute consequence for perishing-no opponents resume being, employers don't refresh their own unique overall health, and you just don't even necessity initially an alternate specific location how you would do in torchlight. |This is really mainly obnoxious since a great deal of your fatalities do not get from damaging approaches-within an actions-rpg, perishing often is admittedly because you eventually punched the key a minute excessively latter. For those who have accomplished the game's roughly twenty-all 5 ranges, you may replay them using a better difficulty within the look for "famous" loot. The feel, at the same time, is extremely cool. Sword and board tank. -no persona personalization. Highly recommended strategy wishes: a present-day, updated word wide web browser. Eco-good: total repairs you and also also will give 75Percent cooldown diminishment.

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psychicdan · 7 years

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Months after enjoying the peace following the destruction of Aku and dealing with the loss of Ashi, Jack’s tranquility is shattered when an invading force from across time attacks his home and assaults his family and people. Who is this imposing Magnus and his followers in steel and guns? What do they want from the Emperor? Can Jack stop him? The beginning to a new journey for Jack that will test his spirit and confront new areas of right and wrong and meet friends and enemies new and old, read here!

Samurai Jack: Renegade Samurai Rating T to M, depending how graphic you see this. Warning: The following is a work of fanfiction and is not intentionally connected to real word places, events, or people, nor intended to copy others’ work. Samurai Jack is the work of Genndy Tartakovsky, his team and affiliated studios and companies. Tis is soly fanfiction for fun and not profit. Chapter I: The New Beginning Part 1 Looking at the setting sun and growing twilight from the height of the imperial palace, a Samurai garbed in white stood there in peace with a kind yet somber smile. The complicated expression was expected of course. Months ago, the Samurai, known as Jack by many in another time, experienced so many things. To travel to a distant future, journey to places of imagination, meet extraordinary people, and combat threats beyond what his training prepared him for. For 50 years he had gone through this, unable to age or succeed, and despair pushed further to death. His memories take a lighter turn, as it was ironically an assailant from his sworn enemy that had saved his life and soul, and reignited the will to face his sworn enemy, Aku. Though the encounter seemed to turn hopeless when his loved comrade was in fact Aku’s daughter, they overcame it, and through the demon’s own power, returned to the past to slay both him and his distraught future. Everything seemed right, but at the height of the planned wedding, the Samurai had lost her to time itself, her being connected to Aku’s existence in future. He could only mourn her with her name then, “Ashi” cried the Samurai solemly, as he crumbled at their wedding. At a forest he had visited in the future though, he came to find hope in the despair, a ladybug reminding him of his cherished time and the blooming trees telling him what both of them fought and sacrificed for, a future free from Aku’s grip and allowed happiness. This had eased the Samurai’s pain in time, though his soul still cringed in pain from time to time. It seems whether here or in Aku’s future, he was always bound by his past. The peace was welcoming though, and Jack, his family and people prospered. His father had walked towards him then. “This is truly a welcome experience, to be free from the fear of evil, is it not son?” said the Emperor. “Yes, it does me great good, I had not felt this way since childhood.” remembered Jack. The Emperor nodded, but then his expression turned grim then. “ I had told you then to always be cautious, as evil could be lurking behind you, yes? It is good to take in the peace, but do not lessen your guard my son. Even without Aku, or without evil itself, there may always be forces threatening what you believe in. You must be prepared to stand your ground, else you lose everything.” The Emperor stated. Jack appeared puzzled, questioning, “Without Aku or evil, what do you mean father?”. The Emperor sighed. “ Perhaps I am overcautious from experience, but your fights will not always be simply be righteous, or against evil. Time and time again, people have fought over their beliefs, spilling blood for what they hold is right. You must be open minded to their thoughts while affirming and acknowledging your own, else you risk either succumbing to arrogance or being cut down through complacency. It may be hard to understand now, but I tell you this so can make such hard decisions for what you believe in” the Emperor explained as he walked away. Jack was puzzled by his father’s warning. He had made hard decisions, such as sacrificing time portals to help others or confronting the Daughters of Aku in lethal combat to defend his own life. But why would he ever falter in his own beliefs for that of an enemy? He supposed that it must be his time fighting those blatantly wrong like Aku, but the Samurai was getting the impression maybe he did not understand what it meant about hard decisions in a fight. Hopefully, that bridge wouldn’t need to be crossed thought Jack as he walked back inside, not noticing in the night sky a tear and void of black and white rings. Part 2: A large and imposing warship emerged from the void in time, and from it to smaller docked vehicles left in two differing directions. The first was on destination to the palace, the other towards a wasteland in the distance. The first vessel landed near the Palace and the occupants emerged. Several dozen troops emerged, all armored in imposing grey with black aesthetic metal, their faces covered by helmets that gave off glow from the eye protection, all armed with firearms not of this time. But they were not the most imposing of them. Leading them was a man with powerful aura about him deserving of command. Though he appeared in his mid 20s, the look he gave suggested significant experience and deserved confidence. Like the troops he was armored in grey, bearing a symbol of a black figurine encompassed by a gray shield on the right end of his chest guard, the same on his soldiers and vehicles. His armor otherwise seemed distinct, clearly protective yet not overweight, allowing flexibility, yet distinguished enough to set him apart, and geometric lining patterns seen across his armor. Should people of this era see it, they would think it forged by the gods. On his back lay a sword he had now drawn, single edged and glowing with geometric patterns and emitting a white energy. To his side was a firearm which, while smaller, was of more advanced make than his troops. His face was somewhat simple yet stern and strong, not unhandsome and bearing both youth and experience aforementioned. Despite this apparent youth, his hair was a contradiction, bearing a contrast of grey and brown colors, falling to his neck in parted strands but not enough to obstruct combat. The leader held within his hand was a key, yet not ordinary, as it bore a numeral II and glowed. When holding it in front of himself, it glowed brightest in front of the structure. The man seemed to gain an understanding from this interaction, and signaled “Let us move”. “Yes, Lord Protector!”, sounded off his men as they burst through the gates. The palace guards responded quickly as they sounded the alarms. Both warriors in samurai armor and archers from higher ground attacked the intruders, fighting with grace, and yet, it amounted to only loss. Neither blade nor arrow harmed the soldiers, only denting their armor even with the most grievous of blows. The counterattack from the invading force was devastating, as the palace guard fell in bloodied mass before the barrage of fire from their weapons, their expressions aghast with horror from such power only described as sorcery from their perspective. The man known only as Lord Protector only strode forth through into the palace, paying no mind to what happened. He took a few of his men with him as he descended towards the lower levels by using his firearm to blast into the floor, as that is where the key directed, and left the rest to hold off any nuisances. … “What, they have broken through and are entering the lower levels?!”, stated the Emperor. “Yes, my emperor, and our forces appear to be held by the enemy” stated the scout. The Emperor’s eyes narrowed as grim and stern as when Aku first returned. If they were heading to the sealed area beneath the palace, to the vaulted place of the relic guarded by his ancestors for so long, the enemy could only be after that power. The warnings and descriptions of their fearsome power did not deter the Emperor, or even his age having dulled his combat experience. Preparing his blade, he turned to a hidden passage to confront the enemy, giving his wife the Empress a tender look before returning to his determined persona. He would guard the relic and its power, even at the cost of his life. … Jack had heard the sounds of crashing, crying, and most disturbingly, gunfire. He didn’t bother to think of it though, as he ran down to main area of the palace with only his usual white gi and trusted magic sword. What he found was devastating. The palace entrance room appeared smashed and burnt in many places, the recently restored artwork of his family once again brought to ruin. Painting the devastation, was the blood and carcasses of so many palace guards. At the center of the devastation was most surprising, with gray and black armored soldiers with firearms finishing off the remnants. Jack only pondered for a second about such inconsistencies from the future being here, as he was quick to realize they were the ones slaughtering the brave guards. As Jack charged, the soldiers took notice and fired. Jack’s adventures in the future left him prepared though, as he ran towards them dodging most of the gunfire and deflecting what he couldn’t with his sword. The guards were stunned, as they never expected this from any local warrior. The stunned moment was fatal, as Jack charged in and cut three soldiers down in seconds, the sound flesh, blood and circuitry mixed as their remains feel. The other soldiers recovered, as they surrounded Jack to fire at the spot he was at. They didn’t count on his jumping skills though, as he leaped from the spot at the last minute and landed behind two most soldiers to cut him down. “ If that’s the way it’s going to be, fine!” said a guard’s mechanized voice as he pulled a blade from a holster at his side alongside another, while the other three prepared to give fire support. It would have been a decent tactic to a novice, but Jack turned it around. He closed in with one of the bladed soldiers with his, only taking two strikes to cut both the blade and the soldier down. The second one fared even worse, as Jack blocked the blade with the sword, then freed one of hands to disarm his opponent, grabbed him in his disorientation, and his armored body as a shield for the gunfire, lucky for Jack, but not the other soldiers. The gunmen would pay for that mistake, as Jack hurled the body to distract them, giving him the moment he needed to close in and slice them in their desperation to survive. Jack, in his usual post battle posture, stood a moment tensed up before straightening up, taking care of the blood on his word before sheathing it. Yes, blood, Jack realized, still grim from the thought of having to take lives. But when he looked at the bodies of his enemies, the blood was the only assurance they were human. Their armor was thick and mechanical, only penetrable by his sacred steel, years of training, and skilled techniques. It was what was beneath the armor that was most unnerving, as ghastly wounds had shown circuitry interwoven into flesh, questioning how human they were. This brought the contradictions back to Jack’s mind. “These soldiers, their weapons and armor, even this technology seared into their flesh, I have seen things like this before, in Aku’s future. But Aku is no more, his future is gone with him. Even with that, I never encountered soldiers like this then. Who are these brutal people, what do they want with this time?” Jack thought. His thoughts were taken by the sounds of clashing steel towards a blasted hole in the ground. Jack knew not of this area, but it was clear the enemy lingered, and he would need to confront them for answers, as he descended below to the battle. Part 3 While the battle at the palace occurred, a second team flew over a barren wasteland, devoid of life and hope even with the blossoming nature not far away. The extraction team flew to the center of it all, a crater with only a few shattered stones here and there. The lead of the team was only informed enough to know what to find, and but that in itself was iffy. Part of it came from reading they had received from this same place of a power source long since dead and decaded for them, but here enough may still be alive to thrive. The other part came from legends the Lord Protector cared not for. The legends stated of a living evil with great power that ruled mercillesly, and though the soldiers didn’t much believe it, this land was still scarred by his dominion, feeling the ominous nature of it all. Still, they had a job to do, and the Lord Protector was keen on results when he was done on his end. After scanning the area, the extraction team set to work, quickly excavating the area while the soldiers guarded the area for trouble. Soon, they found what they sought for. Even though the Lord Protector looked into it himself, it was amazing his assertions were true. The excavation team preserved their find, a small black stone spiked in several directions. The substance found was all that survived from whatever happened here, and even in this time, an analysis would show it was dying and decaying. With their resources though, that was no issue. The team packed up into the transport, informing the Lord Protector and following instructions to return to the time portal and back to origin. They did so, not knowing the evil they had dredged up from the dead earth. … Jack was stunned to see his aged father confronting an unmasked man in armor akin to that of the soldiers, figuring he was the leader. The emperor was making up for lack of strength and agility with tactics and experience, but that was only getting him so far, as he suffered several flesh wounds already, and his age only increased their toll. The Lord Protector fared much better, and the exchange of blades saw his blade overpowering the Emperor. “You fight well, elder, most random warriors do not last to this point. Bur we both know the outcome so relinquish the Key of Time” pronounced the Lord Protector. “I refuse. Your power alone does not give you right to power beyond mortal understanding. I can see it already destroying you, so cease before suffer the greatest loss.” “What do you know of loss?!” screamed the Lord Protector, bringing down his blade and slashing through the Emperor’s blade flesh. “FATHER!” cried Jack, carrying his blade in fury to the Lord Protector. The Lord Protector narrowed his eyes and met Jack’s blade with his own, the fury of blades illuminating the secret chamber below the palace, the sparks of each clash paling to the fury in Jack’s eyes. In spite of that, the Lord Protector only indicated this was a mild challenge by his expression. Jack kept attempting for the opponent’s apparent openings, but these were all feints, as the Lord Protector blocked each one with anticipation and responded with blows that pushed the Samurai back. The Samurai had enough, and decided to use the trusted Horse Cutting Technique that felled many adversaries. The Lord Protector braced and took the blow with his sword, and both remained unharmed by Jack’s attack. Jack was stunned, as only a certain Scotsman took that blow before with no damage. Now it was the Lord Protector’s turn. Jack was suddenly on both defensive and evasive, as he blocked what he could and evaded what he couldn’t. But each block saw him pushed back, and several evaded attacks still saw him with cuts. Jack tried one last desperate attempt as on one of their clashes, he diverted the opponent’s blade and tried to use the opening to land a punch, hoping to use that for an opening with his blade. But instead, his opponent caught his and threw him back down on the ground, with Jack holding his sword in defense only for it be knocked back by the enemy. The Lord Protector seemed to have pity though, as he went in with a fist instead of his blade, taking the wind straight out of the Samurai’s lungs and leaving him there barely awake and breathing, but unable to move for the time being. The Lord Protector walked over to a pedestal that had a key similar to his own, only with a numeral I on it. In came the Empress from the secret passageway, gasping and rushing to her fallen husband. He was still breathing, but even with treatment, his survival was uncertain. The Lord Protector then seemed distracted. “You have retrieved the second objective then? Yes, the artifact is mine. Proceed through the rift above, I will return on my own. Take note that the listed units that accompanied me won’t be returning.” Talking as though he spoke to a ghost. He then held the key as it glowed, and to Jack’s amazement, a black white time portal, like so many he had seen before, emerged. The Lord Protector gave only a stern glance to the recovering Samurai and said “ Do not be a fool like that man. To oppose myself, Magnus, is a sheer act of stupidity.”. “Wait, Magnus, that’s who he is, but why..?” the Samurai thought as Magnus walked through the portal. Jack got to his feet and saw to his father, and by now people from the palace had come to see the state of the Emperor and aid him. “Father, are you”, said Jack, “Do not concern your…” coughed the Emperor incompletely with blood. The Empress had tears down her eyes, as the attendants began to see to his wounds with grim eyes. “Wait, my son, you must know, the key taken, for many generations our family has guarded it, not knowing it’s exact nature except it’s connection to time. If misused it could be...” the Emperor coughed again with more blood. “ Please do not overexert yourself!” cried the Emperess. Jack had a solemn expression contemplating his thoughts. He then made a decision. Gathering his sword, he walked over to the now unstable time portal. “Son, no! You’ve already suffered a perilous journey through time. There’s no knowing if you will come back this time!” cried the Empress. Jack walked over to both of them with a sad expression, and hugged his parents gently, careful of his father’s injuries. His face and actions conveyed it all. He needed to go, must go. Whatever Magnus intends, he must be stopped and made to answer for what he did. He knew it could be another long journey, but he would return with all his power one day. As Jack got up and left for the portal, his father said one last thing. “My son, take what I said earlier to heart, I know not what you face, but I suspect new hardships await you before you may persevere. I wish you would not see need for this, but I know you will persevere if you stand by your beliefs. Whatever you decide, now or then, I stand by you, my son.” Said the Emperor weekly. The Samurai gave a slight smile as a last farewell as he walked into the portal as it faded. Note: Hello, this is Psychicdan. So after that, uh, controversial ending, I had mixed thoughts. I respect Genndy, even if I wanted things to go down differently, so that’s part of why the bittersweet ending is here. It will also be used here into story building up as you probably picked up. Another reason for this fanfic sequel is that I just felt I didn’t get enough Samurai Jack, and wanted more things like development over Season 5. Seeing others write their own stories out there inspired me to do the same. For those of you wondering about Ashi, yes she will be here(SPOILERS) involving differing memories and butterfly effect. By development, I mean both Jack and Ashi’s romance and Jack’s progression to stronger and more human character than what he returned to in the later part of Season 5. Jack is not fighting simple evil anymore, and that’s part of why Magnus is here. Come back next time to see Jack and Ashi’s reunion as Jack confronts the Magnus Protectorate. Also, if anyone wants to art of this you’re more than welcome, just be sure to give credit to both Genndy for the original Samurai Jack and myself for the fan work.

#samurai jack #fanfic #renegade samurai #chapter

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psychicdan · 7 years

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#samurai jack #fanfic #renegade samurai

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