#this fandom really look at this garbage heap and said ''yes THIS fic is one we should elevate''

[butwhatifidothis]

Hi! I just want to say that ironically enough, one of the early fics that introduced me to FE3H is Emperor and the Goddess, and i really appreciate your takes. I hope it’s ok to talk about Edelgard and my experience about her canon self and this fic? It’s a really long one, sorry.

Backstory: I only knew about the game peripherally—like what the lords looked like, their names, that there’s a 5 year time-skip and a 3-way war and 3 routes focused on each lord (I know there’s 4 but that’s my first impression)—and then promptly forget about its existence until I came across them recently in AO3. I thought “hey, I remember this, wonder how it turns out. Oh, this fic is quite popular. The author says it is well-researched, so maybe it’s an accurate novelisation on one of the routes?” So I went in without much expectation except that there‘s probably an unreliable narrator since it’s one of the main lord’s route. 

The story is…fine, but it always felt…off? Like, I began to increasingly see how the characters are written and treated in the story and thought: “hey, why does it felt like I’m reading a bad Mary-sue fic, is the game’s writing really that bad?”

Let me explain: The characters felt like caricatures, even though I don’t know what they‘re supposed to be caricatures of! The cringey dialogues, and how characters that isn’t fully on the protag’s side is often coincidentally colored with Mary-suesque variations of “actually pure evil/too crazy, dumb, they’re wrong and i‘m right etc.” The Fic!Edelgard sometime felt, to me, like she was written by someone who sees her as ‘too pure/good for this sinful earth’ with all it implies which…um. I thought—maybe this is what Edelgard thought of herself since it’s suppose to be ’accurate’?

That she is that self-absorb and self-righteous in game, and this is demonstrating her clear bias as a narrator in her route? If so, she’s going to be a cool character to see her views clashing with the world at large. Wonder how the actual storyline was like cos right now it felt like the author is writing a Mary Sue in personality, or maybe it’s just unreliable narrator at play and that’s the point? 

So I stop reading and watched the gameplay expecting her being interesting…she is, but CF exist. Before you say anything about supports, I’m talking about the main story beats that always happen in the route (WC and the murals)

Strictly in CF though I’m no expert: The Flame Emperor Is Edelgard (wow), Byleth sided with her (uh, she tried to kill us but sure?), the evil Slithers is someone she worked with (that’s a great potential conflict!), she hates the Church and crests (more motivations, neat!) etc. I watched as she is hanging more sword of Damocles over her head as the story progress, especially when she lied about Arianrhold. I was wondering when it’s going to be address—her starting the war, the lies, her connection to the Slithers and how it’s going to snowballed, i.e. This choice will have consequences. 

Like, i was waiting for the other shoe to drop the entire route, then it ends with Rhea burning Fhirdiad (what kind of framing is this), no one mentioned anything, and Byleth losing their power but alive for Edelgard (So she lose nothing in the end?) I was disappointed but I thought: “Ok, I get it now. It’s going to look happy but its actually dark, right? The Slithers are still there with nukes and tech and they’re going to be a looming threat. Plus the people would rebel for sure.” uh, Nope! The mural is a freaking happy ending, everyone! The day is saved after we killed the dragon, everything is Good now and people immediately accept her after she start a war and the Slithers are all defeated. offscreen. somehow! oh its a shadow war? but how tf do you hide/avoid nuke strike, how do you defeated a superior tech-based group with an weakened Empire army against (as far as they know) another part of their army, and the Kingdom and Alliance won’t stop resenting you or send their remaining troops later to fight for you in another freaking war, and Byleth can’t saved you either with time powers—and that’s just CF! With context from other routes, it just got worse!

I can buy it in VW and SS as they directly confront them. I can somewhat buy it in AM as post-canon cos Byleth still has power, potential dragon alliances, all major leaders of Slithers are dead and their group weakened with the Empire’s defeat, plus friendly support from the Alliance. But CF? I would like it better if they cut the line out about them winning against the Slithers and left it at least ambiguous who won, cos, you know—Slithers already infiltrated Empire army, zombie Elites, Nemesis, high tech, Nukes, no dragon rescue or time powers for you—and that’s just ignoring the politics and society in Fodlan after she won. 

The world of CF bend backwards so hard to make her opinions and choices infallible — she claimed things about sacrifice but CF made her lose nothing of personal value, she won in everything, and her beloved teacher is alive—and by refusing to acknowledge any consequences of her action, no bad fallout that doesn’t serve her own happiness or let anyone confront her about it…the story arc is ultimately just a flatline for how badly the ending is earned. As a stand-alone story, CF gets an F. With other context? CF only gets a ‘you tried‘ award. I know there’s supports to point out how the CF ending isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but it was so optional and hidden that I just…can’t ignore the overall way the narrative framed it?

For me, I resent the Emperor and the Goddess fic cos it made me can’t unsee the canon CF Edelgard as a Mary-sue, and it’s a shame since I like her in other routes. I now headcanon CF is her dying fantasy in other routes, since they treated her character way better. 

Sorry it turned into a rant and thank you for reading. 

---

It's all good, I don't mind that it's long! It's gives a really interesting view on how this fic influences the fandom, even now.

Funnily enough, I also had the same amount of knowledge about the game before getting into it - as in, I knew extremely little about the game outside of this-and-that fact about some general things, nothing plot or character specific - with the only difference being that I always planned on playing the game. Legit can't imagine how my experience with the game would have gone had I had this fic be my first introduction to the story and characters, thanks for sharing your perspective!

TEatG must be such an odd fic to be introduced to 3H with, since it really does have so many of ye ye olden Fanfiction's writing habits - I've listed them before, and you've pointed out a few of them here. Inconsistent characterization - both in regards to the canon material as well as the fic itself - blatant demonization of everyone not explicitly on the protagonist's side, the protagonist is a perfect angel who can do no wrong and who everyone loves and who has suffered through so so much more pain than anyone else ever has and ever will, deeply troubling depictions of mental health, deeply troubling romantic relationships, etc. etc.. I'd be more shocked to hear you say that these characters didn't come off as caricatures, even with your lack of knowledge about their canon selves - their character conflicts are introduced and then immediately resolved so that they can love Edelgard. That's usually a major hint that something is afoot with the writing of the fanfic.

With this as your background for watching the actual CF, I can definitely see why you feel frustrated with its canon portrayal! While I commend the game's effort to go for something different and have the villainous nature of the route be hidden under Edelgard's veneer of heroism, I can definitely see where they dropped the ball hard in some areas. While people who dig through all the nitty gritty of the lore and plot and story might can pretty easily pick up the "hey uh y'all ain't the goodie good guys here" tones of CF, there are plenty of others who play through the game, see Edelgard's actions never be questioned, and go "wow, this route is ass," which is fair! Especially as a standalone route, CF can extremely easily go from "this is a route about how the player is being lied to by the route lord into doing heinous shit" to "lol actually Edelgard was right too" - a lot of what makes CF so readily noticeable as a bad end route is in the other routes, so playing CF first and coming away with a "CF is good!!" mindset is bound to warp that player's view of the other routes that are so much more morally righteous than CF is.

So that on top of seeing the effect of that in TEatG - seeing the result of a player that believes Edelgard's lies fully and so has to fundamentally change every single character in order to make her even kinda heroic (and even then fails horribly) - must not have been the funnest of times to be sure lmao. Especially since it went on to also influence so much of the fandom despite the false foundation it sits on as well as the just plain subpar quality of the fic itself.

And thank you again for sending this!! I absolutely don't mind the rant, it was a nice read! :)

[bloodsweatandpotato]

Whumpay day 5

Collapse/Keeps getting back up

Fandom: DHMIS

Characters: Robin (Duck guy), Manny (Yellow guy), Harry (Red guy)

Tw: None

Summary: Robbin and Manny have the flu. Harry tried to shield them from the teachers, take care of them, and let them rest, but everyone has a breaking point. I’ve never done a fic like this before so... sorry if I just word vomited garbage at you. This is just self indulgent fluff cause I’ve been a stressed potato. Don’t hate me.

Harry closed his eyes, pinching his forehead in an attempt to soothe his blossoming migraine. He sniffed, before prying his eyes open and moving to grab a mug from the cupboard.

As the clock often reminded him, ‘there’s a time and a place for mucking about.’ This was not one of those times. The whistle of the kettle sliced through his head, taking an ice pick to the left side of his forehead. He had had migraines before, but this was just adding insult to injury.

He lowered his hand from his temple, reaching out to pour the hot water into Robin’s favorite mug. It was brown with little gold and green swirls, and Robin was a bit territorial over it. It was really quite funny watching Robin squawk indignantly whenever Harry or Many made the mistake of being seen with the cup.

Harry splashed some water onto the counter, staring down blearily at his shaking hands. He should really clean that up... it could drip onto the floor and make it slippery. He wouldn’t want Robin or Manny to slip. They already had the flu. Slipping and falling wouldn’t help. Then he would have to bandage them up. And Manny would pick at his bandages. He always did that. He picked at things, and that wouldn’t be good...

Harry opened the cupboard again and riffled around for a tea bag. He finally found one he deemed suitable for Robin (he really was quite picky), and smiled in a tired show of triumph.

Harry grabbed the tea bag, holding it up and staring at it for longer than was probably necessary.

He dropped it on the counter, next to the puddle, before picking up the half full mug of hot water and making his way out of the kitchen.

He stumbled down the hall, before realizing he was faced with the daunting task of scaling the stairs. Harry coughed, jostling the mug just enough that a few more drops of water splashed on the floor.

He looked down at his feet in silent resignation, before sitting down on the floor to contemplate his options. He could either climb the stairs, or just sit down here at the bottom. Laying down at the bottom of the stairs and not moving for the next week sounded like a good option, but then who would take care of Manny and Robin?

Manny was only a little kid, and he couldn’t possibly leave Robin to take care of the house by himself. Robin had the flu. No. Harry was sure of it by now. Scaling the stairs and delivering Robin his tea was the only option.

He wondered if Manny was done with his coloring book yet. Maybe Harry should get him another one from the toy basket, just to be safe. Yes. He wouldn’t want Manny getting bored in bed. Robin said he wasn’t bored, but maybe Harry should bring him a coloring book as well. Or maybe just a book. Robin liked books.

Harry stood up, leaning onto the wall as his vision greyed. He blinked it off, grimacing at the fresh wave of migraine-induced nausea. He took a few steps towards the toy basket, reached down

-he sat up from laying sprawled on the ground, coloring book grasped tightly in his hand. That was odd, he hadn’t remembered laying down. Never mind. He needed to get the coloring book to Manny. Harry stood up, vision once again going fuzzy.

He needed to get Manny his coloring book. And Robin needed a book too. He stumbled over to the bookcase. What book would Robin want?

Robin was smart. He would want a smart book. Harry tried to read the titles, but his vision was blurry and swaying, and he was sure if he tried to read another word his head would explode. Smart books were big, right? Harry grabbed the thickest book he could find.

It was big and blue. Robin would like that book. It was heavy. Harry wasn’t sure if he had read this book before, but he was sure books weren’t supposed to be that heavy.

Never mind that. He needed to get the book to Robin, and the coloring book to Manny, and Robin would want tea as well. He always seemed to want tea when he was reading.

Harry made his way back to the stairs. He stopped to lean against the wall, as one does when carrying a giant, heavy book. He sniffed, blinking slowly before looking down at his feet. A mug sat there next to his feet, still steaming.

Oh. Tea. Tea for Robin. Yes. That was a good thing. He should thank the stairs sometime.

“Thanks stairs” He mumbled. Where the stairs alive? That wouldn’t be the strangest thing that has happened. The notebook was alive, and the clock, and a bunch of other objects he didn’t have enough mental energy to mention. The stairs might be too.

Harry hoped the stairs wouldn’t come alive. He had been taking the brunt of this week’s “lessons”. It was the least he could do with Manny and Robin sick in bed. Clay sculpting with Paige, time management with Tony, he was sure something happened with Larry, but he wasn’t sure. Every day seemed to run together.

He tucked the giant blue book under one arm, along with the coloring book for Manny. He picked up the mug in the other hand, rumpled sleeves splashed with a bit of the liquid as he straightened.

By the time Harry had made it halfway up the stairs, he was ready to sit down and sleep. He was ready to sleep for a very long time and not wake up until Manny and Robin were better.

But he kept climbing. He was the only person in the house who wasn’t sick, and it was his duty as both the oldest and the most firm of health to take care of his friends.

He reached the top of the stairs after what seemed like hours.

Harry glanced around with unfocused eyes, before slumping against the wall and sliding into a siting position. That had been exhausting. Harry wondered how many stairs there were on the staircase. There had to be at least a hundred.

He turned back to look at the staircase, glazed eyes roaming over the steps. He nodded in silent agreement. Definitely a hundred, and all moving. It was a wonder he had even managed to make it up the staircase. He wondered how anybody would build stairways that moved like that. Maybe it was the same way they made elevators.

It would be nice to have an elevator. Then he could just sit down and let it do the work for him.

Speaking of work, he needed to get the tea to Robin.

Harry pushed himself to his feet, discarding the books. He would pick those up later. Manny and Robin would be thrilled to see them.

His bare feet dragged against the floor as he stumbled towards Robin’s bedroom door. He reached out with a shaking hand, the doorknob shifting at the last moment so that his hand hit the door with a dull thud. Harry frowned, before trying again.

It opened this time.

Harry stepped in, tripping over the edge of the rug and landing face first in a heap on the floor, right in front of Robin’s bed.

“Harry!” Robin screeched, blankets twisting as he tried to drag himself out of bed. “Are you alright!? What’s going on!?”

“Hi Robin.” Harry smiled, pushing himself up onto his elbows. “I brought you tea.”

“Tea?!” Robin still seemed indignant, but had ceased his flailing.

“Mhm. Here y’ go...” Harry picked up the mug, which (astonishingly), still had some liquid in it. He offered it to Robin, who reached down off the side of the bed to grab it.

Robin looked down at the cup, face twisting into a worried frown the longer he stared.

“This is warm water...”

“Hmm.” Harry hummed in what could be classified as agreement, before pushing himself up again. He coughed.

“Harry?”

“One second. I’mma go get you something.”

Harry turned and made his way to the door, stopping to to grab the doorway for support. His head was really spinny. Odd. He couldn’t be sick. Manny and Robin were sick, not him. Him being sick just wouldn’t make sense.

He grabbed the giant book (which had seemed to have grown even heavier since the last time he held it), and toted it into Robin’s room. Unable to hold it up anymore, Harry pushed it into Robin’s arms, before collapsing against the bed.

Robin frowned deeper, looking confused. “Historical Thesaurus of The Oxford English Dictionary volumes I and II?”

Harry gave a slight nod, before slumping over, eyes rolled back and half lidded.

###

“Harry? Are you awake?” Robin’s voice seemed to originate from all around Harry. Of course he was awake, with Robin practically shouting in his ears like that.

Harry opened his eyes. “Yes.”

Robin seemed relived. “Good. I was getting worried.”

Robin held something in front of Harry’s face. Harry reached out and grabbed it, slightly surprised at how steady his hand was. It was cool and smooth in his hands, a glass of water. Harry lifted the glass of water to his lips and drank it all in one gulp.

“You were asleep for a long time.” Manny’s voice commented. Oh, Manny was there. Harry lowered the glass and looked over at Manny, who was sitting at the foot of the bed. Oh. He was in Robin’s bed. Robin’s bed? That was odd. Robin should be in this bed...

“You were to heavy for me to carry.” Robbin said, seemingly sensing Harry’s confusion. “You had a fever of over 40 degrees!” Robin exclaimed, crossing his arms. “But it’s gone down some now.”

“Oh.” Harry murmured. He paused, before continuing. “Are you two alright?”

Robin’s frown softened. “We’re fine, while you were in and out for two days our fevers broke.”

“Oh.” Harry said again. He closed his eyes.

Manny reached out to poke Harry’s nose. “Are you going to sleep again?”

Harry didn’t say anything, but his silence was answer enough.

Robin gave a small smile. “Come on Manny, let’s go color while Harry sleeps some more.”

[ramix-the-red]

A Shoulder to Cry On

Hey it's ya boi back at it again writing fanfic for an obscure fandom and a ship that's not even that popular in that obscure fandom. Not satisfied with just Code Vein's Louis/Cruz, I had to go even further beyond into obscure self-indulgent shipping fic that like two people will ever read. I was very into Closers a while ago, and I recently got back into it due to the server migration (RIP Enmasse). I decided to play through the new character Mirae's story for the event rewards, and while my expectations were low, I was instantly blown away, and her storyline quickly became one of my favorites, if not the favorite, and her relationship with Soohyun just makes me melt.

It's gotten to the point that I've actually started putting their names into Google Translate and trying to look up content for them, and I still haven't had any luck. I think this might actually be the first piece of fanfiction for this ship in existence which is simultaneously empowering and depressing. I don't expect this piece to get much attention, if any, but I hope whoever reads this enjoys it.

Ao3 Link Here

Soohyun Min leans against one of the various rock faces jutting out of the ground in the Purification Ops Center. It’s strange to think how less than a month ago he was studying up on UNION operating guidelines and trying to fill out his resume to apply as an intern, and now here he is, in the External Dimension, working alongside the Alpha Queen. And all because he went out on a crazy, stupid, near-suicidal trip into a garbage heap of an island in search of his missing sister.

And the craziest thing about it all, is that the legendary Jisu Seo isn't even the most significant meeting he’s had since he arrived on and escaped from that hellish island.

Mirae steps out through the portal, looking a little worse for wear, but much better compared to her previous expeditions against the Contaminated Phase Force. At first, the fights against the Contaminated Dimensional Monsters took a huge toll on her, and it had taken the combined efforts of himself and Suji Jeo to get her to take a break and recover. But over time, as she'd grown more accustomed to fighting against the beasts, and as he'd developed strategies for her to use against them, the Purification Ops had become much easier. The Alpha Queen herself had mentioned several times how unusually adept Mirae had become at facing off against the creatures in such a short span of time.

She takes a seat next to him on the floor, setting her scythe down beneath her legs as she brings her knees up to her chest, and he greets her with a warm smile.

"Great job! You beat your previous record that time," he informs her, reviewing the data on the mission he'd been recording on his tablet.

Mirae's lips quirk up into a small, proud smile at his praise. "How long did it take me this time?"

"Only two minutes and thirty-two seconds, a huge improvement over last time. I think you're really getting the hang of fighting against Yod," he tells her.

The Dimensional Monster known as "Yod" had been Mirae's biggest hurdle when she'd first started participating in the Purification Ops. The creature's intense power and it's odd, unpredictable attacks made it a very difficult match for Mirae's more direct fighting style, and she'd even been forced to retreat during her first fight against it, but now she could handle it almost as easily as the rest of the contaminated creatures. Mirae's growth never ceased to amaze Soohyun. Despite never having to face any real challenges until just recently, she'd acclimated quickly to the life of a Closer, and was growing stronger with each passing day. Even if she wasn't officially a Closer yet, he had no doubt that Inspector Celine would pass along her approval soon enough. UNION would have to be crazy to pass up a chance to have someone as amazing as Mirae in the fight against the Dimensional Monsters. He only hopes he could climb the ranks as quickly… the thought of someone else being assigned as her administrator while he's still an intern just doesn't sit right with him.

"It's all thanks to you, Soohyun."

He's broken out of his thoughts by the sound of her praise, and it catches him off-guard.

"H-huh? What do you mean?"

She smiles at him, resting her head on her knees as she gazes up at him. “It’s thanks to your advice that I was able to get this far. You helped me against the Island Lord, against Syrphid, and against all of the enemies here, too. You’re really incredible.” He has to clear his throat and look away before he can answer her, and wow he really hopes his face isn’t as red as it feels right now.

“Soohyun? Are you okay? Your face is really red, are you feeling sick?” she asks, sitting up as she reaches a hand out towards him in concern.

“A-ah! Yes, yes, I’m fine! No need to worry! J-just nerves, that’s all,” he says, waving her off in what he hopes is a reassuring gesture, but really only serves to make her worry even more.

She pouts with a huff as she puffs her cheeks out. “...You’re a bad liar, Soohyun.”

He chuckles nervously. “Ah, sorry. It’s just that… well, you’re the one who’s incredible. You’ve only started seriously learning how to use your Phase Force very recently. Back when we met on that island you fought like a novice, and now you’ve already gotten stronger than some Closers with years of experience,” he says, staring off at the strange darkness of the external dimension. “I really mean it, Mirae. You’re extraordinary. You probably don't realize it because you don't have any context for how strong you are, but you should be proud of yourself. I’m sure you’ll become a great Closer soon. Who knows? Maybe one day people will talk about you the way they talk about the Alpha Queen!” Now it’s her turn to blush at his praise, and he feels a hint of pride at the fact that he’s managed to at least turn the tables somewhat. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last long as she quickly manages to turn things back around on him. “Maybe. But you’re just as extraordinary, Soohyun," she says, with a smile that warms his heart, in spite of how cold it is out here in the Purification Ops Center.

"Ah, well, it's not like what I do is that special," he responds, clearing his throat nervously as he tries to meet her gaze, which is a lot harder than it should be right now. "I'm just training to be an administrator. Anyone else in my position could do what I did, really."

She shakes her head. "No, I don't think so. Back on the island, I never thought about how to fight, I just did what came naturally to me. I didn't consider things like strategies, or traps, or defense, like I do now. But you taught me those things, even after we'd only just met. I think that's pretty incredible, too. And…"

Soohyun stiffens as he feels Mirae rest her head on his shoulder.

"You told me… that a Closer and administrator are like family, right? They cry on each other's shoulders and help each other, right?"

He nods. "Yeah, that's right. If a Closer's job is to save people, then it's the administrator's job to save their Closers."  

She smiles. "That's special, too. Talking with you… feels like being with Haneul. I feel safe, like I can tell you anything. If that's an administrator's job, then you're really good at it. So… be more proud of yourself."

Mirae hesitates for a moment. " I wouldn't want anyone else as my administrator ," she whispers.

Soohyun feels his chest swell with pride and joy, as a feeling of comfort and warmth courses his through his body. "Thank you Mirae," he says. "I feel the same way. I wouldn't want to work on a team without you, either."

He doesn't say, " I wouldn't want anyone else to be your administrator."

But he thinks it.

The two of them stay in silence for a while, not moving from their spot. With the latest Purification finished, they have plenty of time to rest, so he's confident they won't be disturbed. At least not unless Suji Jeo comes over to find them and ruins the mood. She'd probably throw a fit if she found them in a position like this.

Soohyun breaks out of his trance when he hears a strange noise coming from Mirae. One that sounds like a mix between a grunt of effort, and a pained whimper.

"Mirae? Are you okay?"

She nods against his shoulder, still not having moved from her spot as she buries her face against him. "Mhm…"

He purses his lips, before asking again. "Are you sure? Is something the matter?"

She's quiet for a few moments. "...You said that a Closer cries on their administrator's shoulder, right? Can I cry on yours?"

"Well, I wasn't really being literal, but if you want, sure."

"I'm… trying to cry," Mirae says.

"Oh…" the realization dawns on him. "That's right… you told me before that you had trouble crying, right?"

"When my brothers and sisters died… when the kids from the island, when Ara died… even when Haneul died… I still couldn't cry," she mutters, burying her face deeper against the fabric of his shirt. " Is there something wrong with me?" she whispers, so quiet he's not even sure if he was meant to hear it.

"No. No, there's nothing wrong with you, Mirae," he says immediately. Soohyun raises a hand, and begins running it through her long white hair in what he hopes is a soothing gesture. He feels her posture relax against him, so it seems to work, and that's all the motivation he needs to keep doing it.

"What you're feeling is perfectly normal. There are a lot of cases like yours," he tells her.

"Really?" she asks, a tinge of hope in her voice.

"Yeah. A lot of victims of trauma like you have to numb themselves to the pain in order to cope. In a case like yours, it's perfectly normal not to cry. If you could… you might not be able to stop," he tells her, his voice soft.

"Then… it's okay for me not to cry?"

"Yeah, it's okay. There's nothing wrong with you, Mirae, you've just been hurt. A lot. It's like an illness, it just needs to be treated," he says, still running his fingers through her hair.

God. This girl doesn't belong out here. She shouldn't be fighting monsters and risking her life after everything she's been through. She should be in therapy, recovering from the horrendous amount of suffering she's been forced to endure. She should be going to school, like a normal girl, she should be enjoying all of the things she never got to experience. She should be healing.  

Maybe he should get in contact with his brother, and try to see if he can pull some strings, but…

No. She wouldn't want that, even if he offered it. He knows that. But still…

Soohyun's never been the type to be jealous of Phase Users. Sure, every kid who grew up in Busan wanted to be the Alpha Knight, but by the time he was old enough to know he didn't have Phase Force, he was already mature enough to accept that. Instead, he decided to throw himself into his studies, aiming to become an administrator and help in his own way. But now…

He wishes he could be the one with Phase Force, so that he could rip apart the people who did this to her.

He wonders when and why he started having such violent thoughts, and the conclusion he reaches worries him.

"Soohyun?"

Her voice snaps him back to reality. "Yes?"

"You said that this feeling is an illness… does that mean there's medicine for it?" she asks, with a twinge of hope, tilting her head up ever so slightly with those puppy dog eyes of hers.

He smiles at her, and nods. "Yeah. There are medicines that can help you, but like on the island, they won’t cure you by themselves, they’ll just help you manage it. What you need is to speak with a doctor who’s trained to treat that kind of thing,” he explains.

“...Can you help me?”

“Well… I’m not a licensed professional or anything. But if you ever need to talk, I’ll be here for you,” he says. “As your… administrator.” Mirae smiles as she closes her eyes and nuzzles up against him. “Thank you…” she whispers. “That’s good… there's no one I trust more."

A moment later, she slumps down and falls on his lap, and he goes stiff as a board.

"M-mirae?" He squeaks out.

Upon closer examination, he sees that she's merely fallen asleep. It seems the fight with Yod wore her out more than she'd let on. It's probably for the best that she gets some rest.

However, this leaves Soohyun with a conundrum. He could try to move her and leave her to sleep someplace else… but that would involve waking her. Alternatively, he could just let her rest where she is… which would involve staying in this rather awkward position. Not only are his legs starting to fall asleep, but there's a very distinct possibility that Suji will actually murder him if she sees them like this.

It'd probably be best for everyone involved if he just wakes her up and leads her over to the resting area, but…

Oh man, he's got it bad .

With a sigh of resignation, Soohyun closes his eyes and leans his head back against the cold hard stone he's resting on. He decides it's best if he tries to get some sleep, and soon enough, it finds him.

When the two of them wake up a few hours later, his legs are very, very sore, Suji Jeo is very, very mad, and it was very, very worth it.