#valerie lord

[namedafterflowerstournament]

Botanic Tournament : Main Bracket !

Round 1 Poll G

(Arum and amaranth)

[dimitrescusis]

I am not the same person I was 2 years ago...

[sekaithemystic]

run away with me [chapter 1]

or as known as the songv roadtrip fic that was supposed to be a oneshot but my hands slipped and now it's going to be insane

ao3 link

It had been a crazy idea. Let's drive across the country to New York! But then V realized she wouldn't mind spending the last few months of her life visiting that forgotten part of So Mi, and So Mi started talking about places she used to frequent, then before any of them could have a second thought, they were already three hundred miles away from Night City.

The room was as cramped as V expected, but she still couldn't help a sigh from escaping her lips. At least the bed looked decent, and she immediately threw herself upon it, unconcerned about everything else. 

Well, maybe one thing—one person, more specifically.

“Jeez, here I thought I was tired.” So Mi put their backpack against the wall, and V didn't have to flop on her back to know she was wearing that teasing smile that never failed to make her heart race. 

“Have 'ever driven this far,” the mercenary replied, finally finding the strength to sit up. Song came to settle down on the foot of the bed, so she scooted lower until their shoulders bumped against each other. “And you kept pointing the wrong way.”

“How am I supposed to know that they hadn't updated the map of this area for years?” So Mi jabbed her elbow at V's side, and the younger woman cackled, hands moving to defend herself from the upcoming assault.

It had been a crazy idea. Let's drive across the country to New York! But then V realized she wouldn't mind spending the last few months of her life visiting that forgotten part of So Mi, and So Mi started talking about places she used to frequent, then before any of them could have a second thought, they were already three hundred miles away from Night City.

So here they were, sprawling across the bed in a motel out of nowhere, tired and dust-covered after a long day on the road.

“Come on, let’s take a shower before you fall asleep.” So Mi pulled her up by the arms, metal fingers curling around her wrist. V grumbled in protest but followed her nonetheless. The bathroom was, surprisingly, clean and neatly organized, not like there was much to begin with. The mercenary went for the water tap and twisted it counterclockwise until her grip was met with resistance. It was rather cold for an evening bath, but whatever, she supposed, before turning around to face So Mi.

A naked So Mi, more specifically.

She had shed the Samurai t-shirt she hastily took from V’s wardrobe before they left, leaving her bare skin on display, even though V doubted much of it was actual skin anyway. The last thought was drowned away by a wave of embarrassment and self-consciousness on the fact that this was the first time she saw the netrunner unclothed, and as if to make the matter worse, she was staring at the woman quite impolitely.

Um. Shit. Fuck.

In a rather clumsy attempt to hide the rising heat on her cheeks, she pinned her gaze on the tiled floor, one hand covering her burning face. Above her, a laugh rang out, so full of teasing that it only intensified whatever emotion she was feeling right now. Right, she was a full-fledged, soon-to-be 24 years old, who had been through enough shits to be called a legend in Night City, and she was also blushing like a maiden.

“Full of surprise, aren’t you?” said the reason V couldn’t even look up, the echo of her chuckles lingering by her reddened ears. “Come on, what’s there to be so embarrassed about? I’m sure you have had your own fair share of experience before.”

Song wasn’t wrong about that, but it was not like she could mutter back a response when she was still too busy to calm her racing heart down. She didn't understand why she was acting like this, either; but before any more questions could take place, So Mi's hands came to rest on her waist, urging her to undress as well. Mindlessly, with her head bowed, she complied, fingers sluggishly popping button after button of her drenched shirt, revealing the sports bra under. V could feel Song's gaze lingering on her exposed skin, admiring the well-defined muscles and hard edges, and goosebumps broke out on her arms, a chill threatening to rush down her spine. Her hands moved up to push the fabric away and smooth over her shoulders, toying with the cotton straps. Those mechanical fingers that were meant to type on the keyboard endlessly did a wonderful job of evoking nerve-wracking sensations inside her, and had her brain been a computer, it would have been fried long ago. Her arms suddenly wrapped around V's neck, forcing her to look So Mi in the eyes.

“You are beautiful.” Words left her mouth even before she could comprehend it. So many times, and the woman had always left her starstruck by her beauty like in their very first meeting. Could it be possible to fall in love with the same person over and over again?

“I know,” So Mi answered with a raised eyebrow as if it was obvious for V to be smitten. “But that bath is calling to us, so take those pants off, V.”

Reluctantly tearing herself away from the warm embrace, the younger woman unbuckled her belt, pulling both her jeans and underwear down until they pooled around her ankles. The tub managed to fit both of them, somehow, not that V complained. She still found it rather awkward to look at So Mi, instead opting for a blank spot on the wall. For a good moment, there was no sound, save for running water and the hum of the air conditioner. The peacefulness overwhelmed her senses, to the point she almost forgot that she would die, soon.

Yes, she had six months left, six months before her body failed and dragged her to the grave. The selfish part of her demanded an explanation on why she was wasting her time out here, trying to please someone whom she had to sacrifice her own chance of living for, but the selfless one—the stupid one really, found it rather comforting that she was able to show kindness, even when the world was ending for her. Then it led to another question: should she break the news to So Mi?

“What’s on your mind?” Brown eyes met hers in the dim light of the bathroom, full of worry and concern, and V knew the woman would only blame herself if she got a grasp on her situation. She had just escaped years of burdens, years of guilt; there was no way V could do this to her.

Or at least, the “good” part of her advised so.

“Just… thinking.” V swiped her hair back, feeling water trickling down the back of her neck. “A lot’s been happening and I haven’t had time to actually sit down and think about them, suppose.” Especially the part where I am dying and I’m not sure how to deal with that.

“You want to talk about it?” The offer was sincere, even without So Mi’s consciousness lingering inside her. How much should she talk without being too tightlipped or oversharing?

“Johnny and I, we parted on bad terms.” Bad terms was an understatement—she couldn’t recall their last talk without remembering that one last disgusted look he threw at her. More than just disgust, anger, disappointment, and betrayal were burning in his eyes, all at the same time. “I’m not sure how to deal with the knowledge that I failed him.”

“Because you trusted Arasaka?” inquired So Mi, and she nodded solemnly. “There are always strings attached when you run with corporations, we both know that,” V winced at the absolute fact that she knew but ignored all the time, “but in the end, it comes back to you: how do you feel about your choice?”

Like shit, she was tempted to answer so; however, she thought back to her options, of how most of those would have her putting her friends and acquaintances in danger. What were the chances that Panam couldn’t walk out of Arasaka Tower alive? Or Rogue? Or herself? 

Or that one person she had promised to protect with her whole life, a long time ago?

“I think I chose right,” V admitted with a sigh. So Mi smiled then, fingers twirling a strand of her pink hair; it had grown longer since the last time they saw each other.

“There you have it.” She reached over to lay her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “Right doesn’t always feel good, but at least it’s your choice, not his, not a choice you made under his influence, either.”

But sometimes she wished he would have made that choice, instead of her. It was always easier to follow others than to follow her own way, or maybe she couldn’t escape her nature in the end.

The bath had turned cold by the time they left it, but something warm burned inside V’s chest; a tiny fire, made by So Mi, started its new life here and now, right at this moment.

.

“Turn that valve, and check if there is any soot inside.” Her father’s voice was rather static through the phone speaker, which shouldn’t have come as a surprise at all, considering how bad the signal was.

“Yeah, there is a little stuck in here,” replied V, stealing a glance at the pixelated image of the older man on the screen So Mi was holding. “Do I clean it?”

She dreaded the idea of their car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, but now that it came true, there wasn’t much she could do aside from hoping that her amateur mechanics skill would be enough to get them to the nearest garage. Her father turned to speak with someone else, likely one of his apprentices, before directing his attention back to her.

“Grab a napkin and use your finger. Something’s wrong with the fuel pipe probably, so this is just a temporary solution for now.” That made both of them wince; whatever happened with the car sounded critical and beyond their ability. Funny how defeated Night City’s rising mercenary and one of the world’s best netrunners were at doing such mundane work. “I should have taken a look at your vehicle by myself hadn’t my headache persisted. Told those kids they still had a lot to learn, and apparently I was right.” He huffed, and V could imagine those young mechanics sweating nervously while thinking of the upcoming berate.

“Well, it’s fine really. We’ll manage.” Even she didn’t believe her own words, but whatever to keep her father’s worry at bay. So Mi chimed in, a polite smile that would absolutely charm him plastering on her face.

“You already help us more than we can ask for.” It was impossible to read his expression with how bad the video quality was, but V assured herself that Song’s words probably had an effect on him somehow.

“Remember to call your mom later before you turn in for the night,” he reminded her, before hanging up, leaving both women heaving a sigh. 

“Here to hope that heaven will bestow a lifesaver upon us,” V grunted and So Mi cackled, handing her a dry towel to clean her oil-covered hands.

Twenty-three miles later, with the clock barely hit eleven in the morning, they spotted what must have been a dozen pickup trucks and cars heading their way. So Mi shifted nervously in her seat, and V couldn’t help but mirror her action. Best case, it was just a normal nomad group; worst case, the Raffen Shiv had decided that they were the latest target, and the obvious solution was to fight their way out.

But that symbol on the flying flag tugged at the back of her hazy mind, a familiarity she couldn’t place. Something started with A, a place that had accepted her to be one of them.

“Pan!” V leaned out of the window, screaming at the top of her lungs. Poor So Mi was probably startled by the sudden reaction, but she would apologize later; right now, her eyes were squinting to catch sight of that figure returning her gesture. Unsurprisingly, she heard a response, the sound almost lost in the wind and sand of the desert.

“V you bastard!” Panam laughed, or cursed, or whatsoever, and her car skidded to a stop right next to theirs. She looked the same as V last saw her, with even more energy than usual. “What the Hell are you doing out there? Thought you and your city girl ass would never set foot out here?” 

“Road trip,” the mercenary replied, motioning at So Mi awkwardly sitting next to her. “Panam, So Mi. So Mi, Panam, as known as the most natural asshole of Badlands.” 

“That’s no way to refer to a lady, you rat!” She swatted at her shoulder, though that grin didn’t look like it would disappear any time soon. “Come, we are setting up camp soon. You and your friend should join us.”

“Not gonna say no to that,” V chuckled, waving at Mitch approaching them, “especially since we need a good mechanic to take a look at my car.”

Later, when they were following the Aldecaldos across the desert, So Mi finally spoke up, her gaze setting firmly on the younger woman as if she couldn’t believe whatever just unfolded in front of her.

“Interesting friends you have.” V only laughed at that, fingers drumming on the steering wheel. “How did you end up being friends with a nomad group?” 

“Come on, I’ve done wilder things, and you never ask about them.” The pout elicited a smile from So Mi, who nudged at her teasingly in order to coax the story out of her, and it was not like she could deny the older woman if such a thing was possible in the first place. “I did what I’m best at: getting between family drama and, well, you know the rest.”

This time, it was So Mi who pouted at the vague answer; now that V had seen how cute she was, she felt like she should do this more often. Still, she offered an apologetic shrug, one hand scratching at her sweating nape.

“To be honest, a lot of my memories were jumbled as an effect of the Relic.” Her gaze softened at that, and V couldn’t help the sudden warmth rising in her chest. “So if you want the whole thing, it’s better to ask Panam, really.”

“So you had to go through it too.” A shiver.

“Not as bad as you.” She thought back to So Mi’s words in Dogtown. A snowflake lands on my glove. I can calculate its unique fractal structure, but what did my mom’s voice sound like? “It’s like, someone goes inside my home and puts everything in the wrong cabinets, instead of taking them away. And now I have to reorganize the whole thing.” If I can live until then.

“So listening to others should help you?” V twisted her lips in thoughts, before giving a firm nod.

“I guess? Only one way to find out.” Before she could return her full attention to driving, So Mi laid a hand on her arm, fingers curling around her wrist. Their eyes met, and she gulped, not sure what to expect at this moment.

“Just know that I’ll help you however I can, I promise.”

[marybeatriceofmodena]

What was that crazy music video type thing you included on that post about ALW being an ass to Patti Lupone? I have never seen that before and I am both intrigued and horrified. I only recently got into Phantom, and all this craziness is just delighting me. 😂

For context, this is the video referred to in this ask:

This was a promo video done in 1985 (I think), to promote Phantom. Those are the original lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, which he wrote before Charles Hart was involved. You'll recognize a few here and there, but a lot of them are... weird, to say the least (weird enough for Cameron "Satan" Mackintosh to tell ALW to either find someone to help out Stilgoe, either outright fire him, or else he wouldn't produce Phantom anymore. And given it was proving to be a VERY costly show to make, even ALW knew losing CamMack was a no-no).

The staging is also different, because Trevor Nunn was the director at this point. And that's another funny (HA) story: ALW and Cameron Mackintosh had initially got Hal Prince to direct. And for those of you who don't know, Hal Prince is basically to musicals what Steven Spielberg is to cinema. He directed some of the most successful musicals of the latter half of the 20th century: Evita, Sweeney Todd, Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, Cabaret, Company... and that's the list of musicals I know even the uninitiated will recognize. So one day, on a whim, ALW decided to fire Hal Prince, which went about as well as you might expect: ALW chickened out of the dinner where he and CamMack were supposed to break the news to him, which led to CamMack having to sheepishly break the news to Hal Prince, who stormed out furious (AS HE SHOULD). Again, imagine yourself firing Steven Spielberg from making Saving Private Ryan and replacing him with, I dunno, the Russo brothers because The Avengers made a shit ton of money.

Why? My guess is that Hal Prince had the balls to tell ALW to stick it whenever he'd bring bad ideas on the table, so ALW basically decided to replace Hal Prince with the director for one of his previous musicals, Trevor Nunn (who is a decent director, mind you, making the comparison to the Russo brothers a little harsh).

Which musical was it, mind you? CATS.

IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO CATS.

And Steve Harley? He was a rock singer who got picked up along the way because they urgently needed someone to play the Phantom in the music video, and full offense but he's a worse singer than Gerald Butler in my opinion, and at least the latter could actually act. ALW realized that they needed someone else, and he basically smuggled the score to a comedic actor called Michael Crawford, who had some prior experience singing in musicals (he's in the film adaptations of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Hello Dolly, if you're interested), but he wasn't exactly the guy you'd think of for the Phantom? Thankfully, he proved everyone who might have doubted him wrong, and amazingly at that, but he was a gamble at the time nonetheless.

And as you may guess, the music video was kind of poorly received, and Trevor Nunn worked on a little musical called Les Misérables, which got piss poor reviews and ALW was at the head of them (CLASS ACT, THAT FELLOW). But the uneducated, unwashed plebs loved it so I guess that's the reason why it's still playing today, and not because it's one of the most beautiful scores ever written for musical theatre, summing up a 1,000 book perfectly and conveying emotions that could make angels cry, nah. /s Anyway, that led to ALW firing Trevor Nunn, and begging Hal Prince to come back, and he agreed - which really goes to show how gracious he is because I would have laughed in ALW's face.

And what happened to Steve Harley, you may ask? He found out with a call from CamMack that he was fired, with no explanation whatsoever, and it was only later that he found out Michael Crawford had replaced him. I mean, was it for the best? Yeah. Do I still feel kind of bad for Steve Harley? Yeah.

So yeah, thank your lucky stars Hal Prince, Charles Hart and Michael Crawford agreed to be in this. I'd also add Maria Bjornson, but I really wonder now how she got involved in the first place because if that came from ALW, that might be the single best decision he ever made in his entire life. But I don't have any trust in him whatsoever to pull that off lmao

[silverspadesss]

that ‘do you think we’re best friends in every universe’ trend but it’s every time zach and jess play two ancient immortal beings with a long established history together on off book

[ashboy-3]

What's in the Mysterious Bag

Written for Danny May 2023 Day 2 Prompt: Backpack Fandom: Danny Phantom Characters: Danny, Sam, Tucker, Valerie, Paulina, Dash Words: 769 Summary: It’s safe to say for all of Casper High that Danny Fenton is one weird kid. When the rumors started the teachers tried to put a stop to it, but too many weird things happened that they started to talk to each. Throughout Danny’s high school career the rumors didn’t stop with him, they also spread to his two best friends. They hate to say it but the rumors all started with a backpack.

It’s safe to say for all of Casper High that Danny Fenton is one weird kid. When the rumors started the teachers tried to put a stop to it, but too many weird things happened that they started to talk to each. Throughout Danny’s high school career the rumors didn’t stop with him, they also spread to his two best friends. They hate to say it but the rumors all started with a backpack. 

No one thought anything of it at first till Danny started drinking from glowing water bottles.

Danny had weird ghost weapons on him for no reason.

Danny had books written in ancient languages that no one knew he could read but was somehow failing all of his classes. When asked what he was reading he would just shrug and say it was a boring story a friend recommend.

Danny takes meds, everyone knew this, but they were never found in his backpack, always in his friend's. 

It was strange but disappointing that it took Casper High a few months to realize that Danny never actually had a backpack. All of his things were kept with Sam and Tucker. The trio had a system and it took everyone a while to notice. All of his unfinished homework could be found in Tucker’s bag, but all of his finished work could be found in Sam’s. 

Sam held his meds and weird glowing drinks. 

Tucker held his weapons and weird books.

Casper High tried to figure it out, without talking to the trio of course. Someone tried that in their Junior year and it only made them more confused. Teachers tried to get the meds handed over to the nurse for Danny to properly take, but it was dropped the next day with a signed doctor's note of a name no one in Amity knew of.

Casper kept track of what was going on. The trio acted like they didn’t know what was going on around them, but they knew. They knew how when Danny’s eyes started to glow he needed a drink, and when he was waiting in between classes he had to read the books because he had to learn the ancient languages. English isn’t Pandora’s first language and it was unfair of him to only speak English to her.

He had more than just homework in Sam and Tucker’s bags. Casper High caught on to this, but they never found an explanation.

“So what is in those backpacks? Danny,” Paulina flirted with him, not noticing Danny slipping off into the wonderful land of sleep.

“Huh? Oh sorry, Paulina. It’s just things I ask them to keep for me,” Danny shrugged.

It was a shock to everyone when Valeria showed up one day, also caring a backpack that was used for Danny’s things.

She was still friends with Star, Kwan, Dash, and Paulina, but now she was also friends with the trio of weird. Good friends meant helping Danny.

“Why doesn't Fenton carry a backpack?” Dash asked as she was with them a lunch one day.

“It’s too much for him. He’ll get an overload and freakout,” Valerie shrugged. It wasn't the full truth, but it wasn't a lie either.

“So can we know what you have in there for Fenton,” Kwan asked, getting ready to pounce in her backpack.

“Don’t even think about it,” she glared, eating and taking a bite of her lunch as she felt a head lean on her back.

“Danny that you?” she asked calmly, looking behind her to see it is indeed Danny.

“M’hungry,” he mumbled into her back.

“Where’s Sam and Tucker?” she asked, ignoring the looks of her friends.

“Tucker’s making up a test from yesterday and Sam is doing a club thing,” he said, still hiding his face.

“Here,” she said, digging into her backpack and grabbing two water bottles filled with the strange glowing green liquid.

“I swear Fenton the second this shit leaks onto my bag and stains it. I’ll kill you,” she glared as he ripped off the lid and downed the liquid.

“I’ll force Vlad to buy you a new one,” he shrugged, already feeling better as he opened the second bottle, drinking this one more slowly.

“Thanks, Val!” Danny yelled as he went to get himself some actual food.

“What was-” Star started before Valeris shook her head.

“Just don’t ask. You don’t want to know.”

No one still knows why Fenton doesn’t truly carry a backpack or why the three have these items in their bags. They just added it to the list of why Fenton is truly a weird guy.

[crexyz]

something.. wierd

[ghostoffuturespast]

So It Goes Ch. 36

I fucking did it. Boom.

Gossamer strands of hair fluttered further astray across her face with each whisper, salt sprinkled over the sweet festering of garbage and mold. V cracked her left eye open, her right swollen shut. Warm golden light spilled over, nudging her awake as haze and dust motes filtered through a set of broken blinds. The missing window puffed the breeze in and out, stealing those last drags on the dying embers of the day’s cigarette. V grimaced as she shifted, the inert ceiling fan coming into focus as the pain in her body blurred. Shattered ribs punctured the air out of her lungs and her muscles screamed as they dared to hang onto their dilapidated frame. Dried blood tugged on her skin, the creases of her face crusted together beneath her nose. She struggled to swallow the taste of copper that lingered in her mouth and throat. Her OS was stuck on a warning screen on the edge of her vision, an afterimage of burned pixels in her optics. V blinked at the room, bleary eyes roving. At the hapless graffiti scrawled on every reachable surface, at the shredded wallpaper that dangled like rotting palm fronds, at the hills of refuse piled along the baseboards and in the corners she could see, at the stained pair of twin mattresses. One of which she was laying on. The incontinent smell of piss her only middling company on the bed. Focus slipping, her eyes reeled in and followed the field of dark blue bruises blossoming across her forearm down to the bottle of red pills in her right hand.

Rest of the chapter with the link:

[glassprism]

This is a silly as heck ask, but has anyone ever specifically made a set of gifs of the most over-the-top "turn your face away" moments? Music of the Night is supposed to be so romantic and sensual, yet the Phantom is there every time, just shoving his whole hand in Christine's face. Sometimes I can't help giggling a bit. 😂 I tried searching but didn't turn up anything.

I can't recall any gifsets off the top of my head, and I was going to point you to a comparison video, because those can be more thorough, only to find that I don't think I've ever made one? In fact, I'm not sure anyone has made one? Which... wow, what an oversight on my part. So I'll just throw that on my list for summer break and hopefully you'll see it... well, before this year is over, I'm hoping.

[kaibutsushidousha]

I wonder who's the 3rd god inside Ergo? Could it be Anahita?

I think I got this question before Volume 5 came out, but only now that I read all Van-Fem scenes in Volume 6 that I finally have something insane enough to say about it.

Okay, let's organize the hints. First, we have Ziz a few volumes ago bragging that Waver will never guess what the god he chose is. This suggests Ziz's choice of god is someone really off-standard, something that technically can be considered a god but no one would normally think of as a god.

Meanwhile, in Fate/strange Fake, Sanda's partner-in-crime Narita directly equates an Idea Blood-holding Dead Apostle Ancestor to a god. Adventures is on a timeline where Human Order is too strong for Idea Blood to take effect but Volume 5 makes a point to remind us that Ergo's project was only possible because it started before Human Order had a stable shape. Van-Fem's Idea Blood should have been active 2300 years ago.

The common thread between Ergo's three gods is water and hands. Van-Fem keeps showing of sleights of hand in every scene he appears and when Ergo tried to locate the invisible Van-Fem with his Phantom Hands, he answered he could only feel the texture of the sea.

Another red flag is how alarmingly knowledgeable Van-Fem is about Ergo, making a point to keep track of the whole adventure until this point. Fem was similarly informed about Flat and Thia, but that case was specifically because Messara was a blabbermouth. Ziz is a much more calculating man and wouldn't give Van-Fem that much information about his project unless it was absolutely necessary. Van-Fem is likely to accept the deal because he only stands to gain from his Idea Blood being safely stored.

There's also the possibility that the Elder Title DAAs map to known mythological gods but I find that unlikely because that would diminish the "unguessable" factor Ziz is boasting about.

I think Ergo's 3rd god is just Van-Fem and his 3rd NP will reveal the Principle in Fem's Idea Blood.

[dimitrescusis]

give peace a chance...

[valerieismss]

Oh my god this girl is driving me crazy STOP ASKING ME WHAT EVERYTHING MEANS GOOD GOD HOW ARE YOU IN COLLEGE

[sekaithemystic]

Despite my lack of interest in him, I feel like Kurt Hansen and Valerie Phan would be insane together. He is a natural leader and Valerie is one hell of an effective soldier. He is a great mix of her two previous mentors (Shintaro Takayama and Katsuo Iwashima) - stern and pragmatic, but know when to turn on his charisma and make deals. This was somewhat the same case with Arthur Jenkins, but his ambition and needs to climb further were eventually the cause that led to both of their downfalls.

So maybe in an alternative timeline where after getting kicked out of Arasaka, Valerie dived into Dogtown to run away from everything and everyone. She laid low and did simple errands for Mr. Hands, until one day she clashed with some Barghest soldiers. Needless to say, a lot of blood were involved, and Valerie found herself being responsible for ten bloody corpses. Instead of executing her, Hansen saw the potential of this barely grown-up, lost and in need of a guiding hand, so he decided it should be him who would help her find her true "potential". Thus, where V the ex-corpo-rat disappeared, Kurt Hansen's latest weapon rose. Valerie operated quietly, doing work that pretty much aligned with her past role as Arasaka's bodyguard: assassinating those who planned to lay a finger on Hansen's empire.

This actually makes Valerie and So Mi's relationship more angsty really. At least in the canon universe, Valerie tried (not always but still) to break free from her dependency on others' commands; here, she fully embraced her role as a soldier and follower, and it contradicted to whatever So Mi stood for. Some kinds of enemies-to-"oh maybe there are more depths to you than meets " vibe which later resulted in whatever happened in the Killing Moon.

[perenlop]

Yeah logically Flamberge probably would have been a terrible parent had they taken and raised Valerie as planned, I feel like the assassin who historically has not genuinely gotten close to anyone since childhood wouldn't have been the best role model, but like.... I'm fond of the "evil person but great parent" trope so yeah

[the-lonelybarricade]

Hi again it's the fox 🦊 anon! I'm ✨ CACKLING ✨ at the no take backs tag 😆 I also imagine Cassian being a dog. Think big black shaggy wolf-hound. LOVE the concept that Nesta tosses food his way to shoo him off and gets a guard dog instead. And only bc I can't see being affectionate with a bat I imagine Az as a raven or other black bird (inky plumage w/ talons as sharp as daggers). Gives him a chance to show off his wingspan 😉 maybe Gwen takes him in bc of a broken wing and nurses him.

Hello lovely!! I'm so happy to hear from you again 🥰

My second choice for Az would have definitely been a raven, and I'm low key going feral at the idea of Gwyn taking him in because he has a hurt wing. I can see him being all "🥺" at the fact that a little human is taking care of him. So smitten he's willing to stomach the humiliation of being bottlefed.

When he gets better, Gwyn thinks he's just a really protective bird that is grateful she rescued him and that it has absolutely no correlation to the mysterious dark haired man she runs into every day in the village library.