#what if the duel identity was taken to it's extreme | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

vs-redemption · 3 years

Text

From Cindy: This bad boy got away from me and ended up being 3,674 words. I’m really happy with it though and I hope you think so too. It was written for a writing collaboration on Discord ( @konoblog-simps )

Gray - Soulmate AU (Levi Ackerman x GN!Reader)

Read a similar soulmate AU for Levi here

You hated winter.

You supposed people found something magical about the view of fluffy white flakes catching the light as they drifted down from the sky and created a thick white blanket across the ground and trees. However, the fairy tale description was only true when observed from the other side of a window where the protection of four walls and a fireplace could block out the harsh reality.

“Don’t forget the shopping on your way back.” Your grandmother’s raspy voice cuts through the morning silence as you go through the tedious process of bundling up against the frigid weather you knew you’d be facing as soon as you stepped outside. The elderly woman was sitting in her favorite spot on the sofa, lap covered by one of the many blankets she’d made over the years. You grandfather shuffled into the room as if on cue with two piping hot mugs of tea. He hands one to his wife before settling happily into the place next to her.

“I never do.” Your words come out harsher than you’d intended, but your grandparents pay you no mind. They were either used to your attitude or too wrapped up in their own happily ever after. You finish off your ridiculously bulky outfit by shoving a knit cap over your head and then heading out into the cold.

You hated your job

You knew you should be grateful that you had the luxury of owning an apothecary. It was the type of establishment that would never want for business. There was also a certain pride in being able to provide people with medicines to relieve them of their aches and pains, allergies, and illnesses. The difficulty was in being surrounded by the memories of your parents and the perfect life they’d lived, as well as the constant reminder that you’d been robbed of the chance to experience that type of fantasy.

Trudging through the deep wet snow had made you a few minutes late, and there were already a few customers waiting outside the tiny shop you’d inherited by the time you arrived. You apologize politely as you unlock the door and let them inside, shedding the layers of your winter clothes as quickly as you can so that you can get to work. It was always a little busier in the winter months, but finding the right remedy for each person was something you’d gotten good at over time. Most customers came and went without much trouble, but assisting the regulars who’d known you since childhood was always a bit awkward. You did your best not to notice the pity and judgement on their faces as you prepared their orders with the same forced pleasantness as you did for everyone else.

You hated shopping

Having a job that earned enough wages to properly provide for yourself and your family was a blessing most people in your city could not enjoy. Your parents had always made sure to remind you of that fact whenever they came home with baskets full of fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, bread, and sometimes even meat. As an adult, you still appreciated the fact that you did not have to know hunger, but it was always such a hassle to deal with the crowded market after getting off work.

When your parents had been alive, they had loved going out to run these types of errands together. It had always surprised you how they would choose to spend more time together even after living and working with each other every single day. They never seemed to get tired of each other, and you could remember vividly the way they’d smiled at each other with pure happiness and love in their gaze. It was hard to forget when you saw the same blissful look on every couple you happened to encounter as you went about your day. It made you feel so incredibly alone sometimes, but you did your best to bury those emotions deep down out of fear that they would consume you completely.

“How much is the bread today?” You ask the baker once you make it to the counter through the throngs of people. He tells you the price and begins to wrap up your order when you agree to it.

“You’re lucky,” he tells you conversationally. “This is the last loaf of the day.”

“Tch!” A frustrated sound comes from behind you and you turn around instinctively to make sure nothing was wrong. Standing next to you was a grouchy looking man with silky black hair, styled in an undercut. The long, soft looking strands on the top of his head came down to frame his face, drawing attention to the most important feature; his eyes. You notice right away they are both the identical shade of gray, which told you a lot about him already.

“Were you waiting in line?” You ask curiously even though meeting his sharp gaze directly was a bit intimidating. He regards you critically for a moment before sighing and looking away, probably forming his own judgments based on the incorrect story told by your own eyes.

“It’s fine,” his tone of voice is flat and a little dismissive. “I should’ve gotten here earlier.” He turns to walk away but something makes you call out to stop him.

“Wait,” you give him the friendliest smile you can muster before looking to the baker. “Please, wrap this up for him instead. I insist.” The baker shrugs, not really bothered by the change as long as he got his payment. The scowl on the man’s face gave way to surprise, and you thought the softer look suited him much better. You could see that he was preparing to reject your kindness, so you mutter a quick goodbye before turning away and blending in with the crowd.

You hated your eyes

In the world you lived in, everything revolved around a person’s eyes. They were more than just a mere window into the soul, they were also a glimpse into the future. As a child, you could recall the excitement of your friends as they studied the mismatched colors of each other’s irises, speculating wildly about which shade truly belonged to them and which was borrowed from a stranger that they were destined to meet sometime in the future. Their enthusiasm had been contagious in the beginning, and you’d enjoyed listening to people discuss their predictions about the background, appearance, and personality of their future partner.

“Did you get everything on the list?” Your grandfather asks as he takes the basket of food from you once you finally return home. The walk back from the market had been miserable. Your feet were cold and wet from sloshing through the snow, but the rest of you was warm and sweaty from the exertion of hauling the purchases all the way back while wearing so many thick layers.

“They were out of bread,” You inform him while shrugging out of your coat. A look of displeasure passed over his face but vanished just as quickly when your grandmother called to him from the kitchen. You were relieved that she was volunteering to make dinner this time, because the exhaustion from your day was starting to catch up with you.

You head into the bathroom, ready to warm up with a hot shower and put on a fresh pair of clothes while the meal was prepared. As you wait for the water from the tap to heat up, you catch a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror. Usually you avoided looking at your face for too long, but every now and then you decided to stare back at yourself for a moment. You frown as you meet the gaze of the two identical eyes that you’d be born with. They looked mockingly back at you from the glass, their dull gray hue like a running joke that you’d never found remotely funny.

Washing away the grime of the day helped clear your head of negative thoughts, and soon your mind drifted back to the man you’d helped at the market. The memory of his eyes reminded you that you had made the right decision. He was the one who had someone important waiting for him back at home, possibly even children that needed to be fed and taken care of. You and your grandparents would be just fine as you always had, even if there was a spark of jealousy in you that the man got to have the type of wholesome future that you could never enjoy.

You hated soulmates

The idea of having the comfort of knowing there was someone out there born specifically to fill your life with joy, support, and love was an overwhelming one. It was hard for you to really imagine what it must be like for people to be filled with that nervous anticipation every time they got the opportunity to meet someone new. You’d had secondhand experiences as you watched friends and acquaintances around you find their destinies in one another, but while those meetings spelled out the beginning of something wonderful for them, it only served to make you feel the bleakness of your situation more profoundly.

It was extremely rare for someone to be born without a soulmate, and although your parents tried to have a positive outlook, you had still felt the stigma associated with your condition every single day of your life. It had been impossible to escape the stares and gasps of astonishment from both adults and children alike during you school-age years. Most of them had never seen a child your age with two of the same colored eyes, so it was inevitable that you’d garnered quite a bit of unwanted attention. The people you met were merely curious at first, but as you got older the intrigue turned to pity.

As hard as it was to deal with the people around you who knew the truth, meeting strangers was almost worse. Those who still walked around with duel colored eyes held little interest in someone who had seemingly already found their partner, and everyone else was too preoccupied with their own established lives to pay attention to you at all. In the world you lived in, everything revolved around a person’s eyes. Unfortunately, your eyes had landed you into one of the loneliest roles imaginable.

You hated your luck

It should not have surprised you as much as it did when the man from the market walked into your apothecary a few days later, but considering the fact he’d been popping up in your thoughts sporadically ever since the first meeting, it certainly caught you off guard to see his face again. By the way his familiar gray eyes widened upon seeing you standing behind counter, you guessed he hadn’t been expecting to see you again either.

“Hello again,” you smile awkwardly to try and clear the air. You weren’t sure if it would be weird to mention the bread incident or not.

“Hello,” the man nods, his facial features relaxing into a neutral expression. You were glad he didn’t seem to be as agitated as he’d been in the market. “I’m looking for something that might help my mother. She’s recently fallen ill and nothing I do seems to be helping.”

“What are her symptoms?” The question falls naturally from your lips. As the man describes his mother’s condition, you find yourself taking in his appearance in more detail. His black hair looked as soft as you remembered, but now you were noticing other things like the shape of his nose and sharp angle of his jawline. The clothes he wore were on the nicer side, and it made you wonder what he did for a living. His stature was a bit on the shorter side, and although his build was lean, you got the impression that he was healthy and strong.

“Well, it seems like she may have caught a flu,” you explain once the man finishes speaking. You turn to grab a few items from the shelf behind you and place them on the counter. “These should work to control the symptoms and reduce her fever until her body is able to fight off the infection.”

“Thank you,” he sounds genuine as he pulls out some money to pay for the medicine. You accept the payment, taking note of his long, elegant hands and fingers.

“Not at all,” you assure him with an easy smile. “I hope your mother recovers quickly.”

The man nods in gratitude while scooping up the goods he’d purchased in his hands. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before looking back up to catch your gray eyes with his own.

“My name’s Levi, by the way.” The confidence in his voice did not match the anxious set of his features. “We didn’t get to have a proper introduction the other day.”

“O-oh,” there was no way to conceal the shock you felt in that moment. It was out of the ordinary for anyone to give you their name, especially a man who had obviously had his encounter with fate already. You manage to stutter out your own name, wondering if you were having some sort of intensely realistic dream as you watch the man’s lips twitch into the smallest, briefest of smiles.

“A pleasure to meet you,” he repeats your name to himself thoughtfully. “Have a nice day.” With all his business with you completed, he nods his head and exits your shop, leaving you to try and tame the wild racing of your thoughts and heart.

You hated false hope

It was embarrassing how often you had to remind yourself over the next few days that a person simply introducing themselves to you should not be taken as anything more than polite kindness. You had seemingly lost all control of your mind and feelings though, since scarcely a moment went by now without thoughts of Levi sending butterflies fluttering around in your stomach. It didn’t seem fair that you knew so little about him, but you understood that you’d have to be content with the memory of his ghost of a smile and the echo of the way your name had sounded as it escaped his lips. Part of you hoped you’d never see the man again so that you could get over your delusions as quickly and easily as possible, but another part of you longed to bump into him again.

“What are you doing in here?” Your grandmother walked into the bathroom to find you leaning over the sink, eyes wide open and focused so intensely on your reflection in the mirror that you hadn’t even heard her approach.

“Huh?” you whirl around to face her, finally blinking once you realized how tired your eyes were from the thorough examination you’d just given them. “What did it feel like after you met Grandpa?”

Your stomach sank immediately at the pitying look that grew on the old woman’s face. She reaches out to rub your arm sympathetically with a sad smile. “I’m so sorry sweetie,” is all she tells you before changing the subject completely. “Excuse me now, I need to use the restroom.”

“Right, sorry.” You offer a dry laugh as you move out of her way, reality rushing back like a harsh slap to the face. You’d known all along that you’d never really have a soulmate, but it was hard not to have grasped on to the small shred of a possibility. It hadn’t slipped your attention that Levi also had gray eyes, but plenty of people had the same or similar shade. Besides, the likeliness of soulmates having the same exact eye color was even rarer than someone being born without a soulmate at all. You vowed to keep these cold hard truths at the forefront of your mind from now on, and resigned yourself completely to the fate you’d been dealt.

You loved Levi

It had been a whole week since you’d given up the last loaf of bread that had sent your life into a strange whirlwind of new, unexplored emotions. The days between then and the present had been interesting indeed, but now you were determined to go back to life as normal. The weather wasn’t so terrible today, but you still bundled up to prepare yourself for the cold morning walk to the Apothecary. You arrived at the shop with plenty of time to remove the layers of winter clothes and do a quick inventory of items you’d soon need to restock.

It was around lunchtime when you really started to relax back into your routine. The steady flow of customers had helped to keep your mind occupied, and once things slowed down around midday, you picked up a rag and began to wipe down the counters and windows absentmindedly. The sound of the bell above the door alerted you to someone’s arrival and you quickly tossed down the rag and turned to greet them. Once again, you find yourself startled to be standing in the presence of the man from the market.

“Levi,” you mutter his name before shaking out of your daze. “Excuse me,” you look down and apologize in embarrassment. “Um, can I help you with something? Is your mother feeling better?”

“She’s much better, yes. Thank you.” Levi clears his throat awkwardly and you can’t help but think his posture is stiffer than you remember. You wonder again what he did for a living because he seemed to be a bit overdressed for a simple trip to the apothecary. He looked incredibly handsome in any case, and it was doing nothing to help quiet your wandering imagination.

“I’m glad to hear that,” you weren’t sure what else to say. You walk over to the small faucet behind the counter to wash your hands since you’d just been cleaning. The silence between you both grew more and more uncomfortable until Levi’s face suddenly contorts with frustration. You open your mouth to apologize for whatever you’d done but he cuts you off by coming forward suddenly and placing both hands on the counter.

“Your eyes,” he forces out the words before averting his own gaze. Any hope of keeping yourself grounded in reality seemed to go up in smoke as your heart rate kicked into overdrive.

“Yes?” you say breathlessly and the fact that you weren’t kicking him out for being incredibly inappropriate was enough to spur him on with whatever point he was trying to get to.

“How long?” he swallows thickly and takes a deep breath, “How long since they’ve changed?”

“They’ve always been this way,” it should’ve been harder to admit, but the way Levi was acting was distracting you from the shame you’d normally be feeling. A soft sound, like an intrigued sigh, escapes his lips and he covers his mouth with those beautiful long fingers you’d been trying not to think about. All you can do is stare at him as he comes to terms with the information you’d just revealed. You wondered why he’d even want to know and what he would do now that the truth was out in the open. Finally, after an unbearable stretch of time, Levi lowers his hand back onto the counter, revealing a faint but amused looking smile.

“Well,” his confidence began to return. “They look much better on you than they do on me.”

“What?” Every cell in your body seemed to be buzzing with anticipation. You wanted to believe that this was all leading up to something good, but a nagging fear in the back of your mind warned you against giving in to the false hope that you’d vowed to ignore.

“I was born with these eyes as well,” Levi confesses calmly while gesturing to his face. “Both of them.”

It was your turn to cover your mouth, wondering desperately if it was all right yet to dare to dream that there was meaning behind what was happening after all.

“I have no idea if this is all a coincidence or not,” Levi shrugs as his mouth pulls into a frown. “To be honest, I gave up on the idea of soulmates a long time ago, but I cannot ignore the fact that you’ve consumed my thoughts from the moment I saw you in the market.”

Tears unwittingly begin to blur your vision as all the tension inside you finally reaches a tipping point.

“I…” You aren’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Levi’s hand appears in front of your face, offering a handkerchief. You accept it gratefully and wipe the wetness from your eyes and cheeks. “I didn’t think it was possible, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking of you either.”

Levi folds his arms over his chest as if contemplating the matter seriously, but the pause only lasts a few seconds this time. Before you have time to worry about what he’ll say, he’s offering you his hand.

“Would you like to be my soulmate then?” he asks, a hint of teasing in his voice despite the nervous energy surrounding you both. You don’t hesitate to place your hand into his. You weren’t sure if your matching eyes was a sign that you were meant to be together, but it wouldn’t be fair to either of you to throw away the shot of having the kind of life you’d watched other people enjoy your entire lives. If you were able to bring each other happiness, you could care less if it was what fate had planned.

“Yes,” Your voice shook with the overwhelming emotions coursing through you, “I think I’d like that.”

“As would I,” Levi replies as a real smile takes over his face at last. The hope you see in the depths of his beautiful gray eyes makes you appreciate the matching color of your own for the very first time, and the idea of a happy future finally seems within your grasp.

#Levi Ackerman x Reader #snk x reader #aot x reader #Levi Ackerman #snk #aot #soulmate au #Cindy's Writing

275 notes · View notes

shepherds-of-haven · 3 years

Note

If characters had a Game of Thrones style house banner and motto, what would they be?

Ooh, this is an interesting one!

House Bronwyn: "The Darkness Answers" or "Weapons in the Silent Night" - a silver wolf on a field of black, with a white blade piercing the background. Their house is known for operating as a kind of shadow military that influences and directs things from the shadows, and although the wolf has connotations of solitude and aloofness, they are actually extremely loyal "pack-animals" who form a tight-knit clan and unwaveringly answer the call of duty... no matter how bloody their hands may get from answering.

House Alder: "First in the Charge" or "Our Fury Shakes Them" - a gold lion roaring rampant on a field of red (so, yeah, Gryffindor I guess!). This one is fairly self-explanatory--the Alder house is known by others to produce some of the fiercest and most courageous warriors, though they also have a reputation for being brash and hot-headed. Alder soldiers are always sent in to "hold the line" and are infamous for never abandoning the field or retreating, even when it leads to certain death. "Our Fury Shakes Them" also refers to their propensity to use cannon-fire and gun blasts to destroy their enemies.

House Ironwood: "Our Roots Run Deep" or "The First, The Last, The Eternal" - a golden oak tree on a forest-green banner with a trim of autumn red. Their house is among the oldest and was once known as one of the most powerful military forces on the Continent, with a cadre of skilled Elven knights being produced by that house, but as time went on and the world changed, the house fell into semi-obscurity or became more known for its archival work and love of history, causing some to look down on it as a house of scholars. Whenever they try to invoke the promises and alliances of old, others roll their eyes at House Ironwood's unwillingness to change and adapt to the world around it. As a result, House Ironwood tends to isolate itself from other houses, swearing only to trust their own kind. Their current scion gets them into a lot of trouble for challenging an heir of a Norm house to a duel for slandering the name of House Ironwood, and then killing him in the ensuing standoff. This has led to military reprisals against House Ironwood, and they find themselves in a precarious position of being surrounded by enemies and having isolated former friends.

House Acquell: "Faith is a Shield and Love the Cure" or "Many Hearts Beating as One" - a Celtic-looking knot or a chain of hands interlocking around a heart. This house is looked down upon by more militaristic houses for being a generally trusting, pacifistic house. Its holdings are small and its lineage is quite new, but the house is beloved by its own people due to its scions working as healers, clerics, and devotees of charity, often seen among the streets of their city and passing out food and coin. House Acquell is an extremely religious house, and many of its heirs and heiresses join the Church to become priests and priestesses. The founder of the house was first canonized as a saint.

House Syndran: "Out of Cruelty, Justice" or "The Cunning Conquer" - a black crow or raven spreading its wings on a field of royal purple. This house was built on mercantile roots, but its influence now stretches far and wide, reaching into all matters of business, politics, intrigue, and even war. Its scions are famed for their ruthlessness and willingness to go completely scorched-earth on their enemies, and for their ability to lie and manipulate even nominal allies with completely straight faces. The house leader always bears a gold-capped walking cane. Although its military power is weak, it makes up for it with the host of allies under its economic control. You can always make out the Syndrans at a party by the cadre of serious-faced, dark-haired heirs staring at the proceedings like they're a play under watchful critique. Although not known for being friendly, House Syndran also prides itself on impeccable etiquette and manners.

House Trinaeste: "If I Am Not Free, Then I Am Dead" or "Many Skills, Many Virtues" - a black cat on a field of gold, with two crossed daggers in the background and a key lying at its feet. The "Many Skills, Many Virtues" motto is something of an in-joke, because this house is known for its willingness to train its heirs in even unsavory skills--such as thievery and seduction--in order to ensure their survival. Many heirs are sent to special training at a secret academy on an island south of Conte--though what they are taught there, no one but the Trinaestes knows for sure. As such, this house is shunned by many for its unorthodox values and behavior, and not much is known about the inner workings of the house itself. The heirs and heiresses all seem like empty-headed fops who love to chase skirts (or whatever article of clothing they so desire), so no one ever takes them seriously... but that's their mistake, because House Trinaeste actually has the greatest network of spymasters and intelligence operatives this world has ever seen. They apparently have a lot of bastard children or sometimes even unrelated orphans whom they happily accept into their house anyway, which is another reason why the other houses shun them. They also supposedly have some ties to seafarers and pirates as well as a fleet of ships at their disposal.

House Antiqua: "The Road Not Taken" or "The World to Roam" - a golden globe on a field of deep scarlet/maroon/magenta, though from certain angles, the globe can also like the sun or moon (or all three). House Antiqua is composed of just straight up scholars. Sometimes a second son or a third daughter goes into military service or serves in a great battle and makes a distinction of themselves, but it's never on the level of an Alder, Bronwyn, Aescar, or Stormbreaker. By and large, they're known as a house of oddly-attractive, well-born nerds, more fodder for marriages and families rather than candidates that could bring about great change. They don't really get much of a say in anything among the greater houses, but that suits them just fine. They're like the classic Jane Austen-style families where they just hang out and read books and entertain visitors sometimes LMAO. They are neither very rich nor destitute; neither isolated nor up in everyone's business. They are on friendly terms with most houses, but no one takes them all that seriously when it comes to important matters like war or politics. They are known to serve as advisors and consultants in times of need, however. Many of their heirs leave the house and travel across the world using secret identities when they reach a certain age; it's something of a cliché among their inner circle. They eventually develop strong ties to House Syndran after one son casually beats the Syndran heir in chess during a party.

House Aescar: "The Wind is With Us" or "It Is Us Who Fly" - a tan flying eagle with a serpent-like staff clutched in its talons, soaring on a field of light blue. House Aescar is known for its terrifying use of theatrics in order to instill fear into the hearts of their enemies on the battlefield. They utilize war paint, war chants and screams, and unsettling war horns in order to rev up their soldiers before battle. Like House Alder, they have a reputation for not having a head for politics; they'd prefer you to just point them at the enemy and let them do their thing, and they have little patience for the trappings of politics and diplomacy. If the Continent were divided up into wards where certain houses were in charge of defending the borders from invasion, House Aescar would be the guardians of the West; House Prince, House Ironwood, and House Bronwyn would the guardians of the North; House Stormbreaker, House Trinaeste, and House Syndran would be the guardians of the South; and House Alder, House Antiqua, and House Naveen would be the guardians of the East. The fact that House Aescar is tasked with guarding the West alone is a point of pride for its heirs and scions. The youth of the house tends to be charged with going on a pilgrimage throughout their lands to observe how the common folk live. They are expected to return with worthwhile thoughts or findings about how to improve the house or its holdings, and if their opinions are interesting and well-thought-out, they are allowed a voice in the house's governing council.

House Prince: "Keepers of the North" or "Righteous in Wrath" or "Darkness Flees Our Light" - a white spear with a white shield behind it, radiating rays of light on a field of black. Not much is known about House Prince, except that its current heirs are a set of twin boys. Its military force is known for being utterly loyal, almost to the point of fanaticism, and the house has close ties to House Bronwyn due to their proximity to each other. House Prince is known among the other houses for being insistent on keeping its bloodlines pure and marrying its heirs to the Hunter scions of other close-knit families or even distant cousins, leading some to joke surreptitiously that the house is "incestuous." At one point in time, the older twin heir of the current generation disappeared for a year or two, forcing his brother to assume the guise of both twins to prevent the house from looking weaker to its outside enemies. Certain heirs of the Prince House are said to be cursed with a mysterious affliction that causes them to fall into fits of madness and rage, especially at the sight of blood, and for these reasons, many of them live in reclusive isolation in their castle, rarely seen by the outside world.

House Stormbreaker: "Thunder and Lightning" or "The Storm Stands Vigilant" or "From the Stars We Came, To the Stars We Rise" - a golden, starry ship sailing on a teal sea as lightning splits the banner in half and a dragon swims underneath the ship. House Stormbreaker is among the most sought-after houses for its explosive military prowess and strength, affording it a lot of political and negotiating power. Its heirs and scions are known to be gifted with extraordinary strength and a strange knack for avoiding almost certain death, serving with distinction as battlemasters, generals, and occasionally as knights and champions. A legendary sword is said to be passed from leader to leader, with no one but those of pure Stormbreaker blood being able to even pick the sword up. They are also known as a clan of sailors and are able to deploy their own naval fleet to defend the coastline as needed. Although they have a ferocious, proud, and hot-tempered reputation, heirs of the Stormbreaker house are sometimes not taken seriously in matters of court due to their strange pink hair. Despite this, scions of House Stormbreaker are among the most sought-after candidates for marriage, as people desire their mysterious superstrength and magic to be incorporated into their own houses. However, for reasons unknown, the House Stormbreaker is extremely strict with such marriages, and arrangements are often made three or more generations ahead of time in a careful curation of the bloodline.

House Naveen: "Gold in Peace, Steel in War" or "Not Without Thorns" - a scarlet rose on a field of lavender with two crossed rapiers in the background. House Naveen is the most powerful and influential of all of the Houses when it comes to sheer political power, rivalled only by House Syndran. Its military strength is only better than average, but its holdings, wealth, and political connections are vast and storied. Its current heiress is infamous for refusing suitors and continually denying her father's attempts to secure a marriage, focusing instead on joining chivalric orders and continually maneuvering situations in House Naveen's favor. House Naveen holds the honor of being among the last houses to continue ancient traditions such as jousting and knightly tournaments, but it's their celebrations and social occasions that the house is truly known for. The Naveens are said to employ a spy in the servants of every house aside from House Bronwyn, Prince, and Ironwood. What they do with that information, however, no one knows. On the surface, the Naveen house seems to be largely magnanimous and benign... Interestingly, they have offered an extension of aid to House Ironwood to get out of its dueling problem, but so far, House Ironwood has not given a reply.

House Naveen has also been largely matriarchal in the past, something that still informs its power structure to this day. This makes it a target of scorn by other powerful and male-led noble houses (such as House Eddon, Auberon's house), but it's something that the Naveens flaunt proudly with the rose as their insignia!

#Shepherds of Haven #sorry I don't know game of thrones LGJRGJR I don't know why I felt the need to give backstory but I guess I always do #motto #heraldry #house motto #banner #banners #mottos #all characters #game of thrones #game of thrones AU #?#AU #i never watched it and didn't like the first book when I was like 14 so don't @ me with details i don't know anything!!#tw: incest mention

84 notes · View notes

asktheheirofslytherin · 3 years

Note

I think I'm transgender and have no idea what to do. As I'm basically in love with you I want your advice. My parents are relatively accepting as is my sister, but my extended family is not.

Allow me to extend my congratulations on the gender - and I am, er, flattered at the declaration of devotion. I do favor loyalty to myself and the cause.

Now for the logistical details you seek.

Being transgender, from my observation (recall I am very much comfortable in my assigned gender so those who have experienced this directly, I do invite you to weigh in on the matter if you would like), does not have to be like flipping a switch in which one day you are "closeted" and the next you are "fully out." Many people have indeed taken this approach, but the transition can be done incrementally, and if you are still at the "thinking but not certain" stage, perhaps increments could help you determine your own identity easier as well.

No one mandates you must disclose your gender to anyone. If your extended family may not be accepting, you do not have to discuss it with them as of yet. Perhaps it is best to let this knowledge stay with your parents and sister, and a few close friends for the time being. Use them to experiment with various pronouns and names with you. Get the haircut you have always wanted. Buy the outfit you have been been dreaming about for weeks, months, perhaps years. Put it on. Wear it grocery shopping. Wear it to Diagon Alley. Experiment, sink into your newfound gender like a warm bath after a long duel. Explore it, create a map as you go. After all, even I, a cisgender male, still has a very different relationship to my gender than say, Lucius, another cisgender male. I can only imagine there are a number of aspects of your gender yet to be discovered.

At this point, you will have a better understanding of your personal identity. You can continue to grow your inner circle of those "in the know," building up as many supportive allies as you can, whether in real life or on this "internet." A bonus: the more confident and self aware you are, the more strength you will have to stand up to your detractors.

The day will likely come when you throw the last caution aside and fully present yourself to the world as you truly are. And it shall be glorious. Hard? Yes. In some instances, with some people, it may be extremely hard, but remember: no battle is won without hardship - and this is the fight for who you are.

Best of Luck,

-Lord Voldemort

#voldemort #trans #advice #gender #transgender #coming out #trans followers plz feel free to give op advice!#im still in the endless waffle loop of am i a she/they or just a gnc cis girl #but i got the haircut #and the outfit #and while even if i settle on they as something thats sticking around #i dont consider myself trans #so my perspective is limitied #but good luck op #and really #congrats on the gender #happy for you and your journey of self discovery #<3

41 notes · View notes

millenniumblog · 3 years

Photo

[ID: A chart describing the core values of each of the nine Enneagram personality types with YuGiOh characters correlated to each of the types.]

YuGiOh Enneagram Analysis, Part #1

Please note that this is the “boring” informational post about Enneagram with the Types listed and explained as well as a few other things. The next post is what has the actual, in-depth character profiles promised!

Introduction & Motivation

Over the past several months, I have been trying to analyze my strengths and weaknesses as a writer and learn more. I have been writing fanfiction since I was a little kid, making my first FF.net account in 2003 when I would have been twelve years old. Even before that, I was a lurker and wrote fics to share with my childhood best friend on paper or floppy discs.

YuGiOh came into my life at some point shortly thereafter. I know this, because I spent my thirteenth birthday in a comic book shop, mostly watching some of my male friends play the trading card game. I had some of the cards, but I was never much of a player, unable to keep up with the seemingly rapid rule changes. Besides that, I was always way more interested in the story and characters than I was in the card game. I remember I even wanted to call “YuGiOh cards” “Duel Monsters” instead to make it seem a little closer to tween-y LARPing.

Eventually, I gave up on collecting cards or trying to ply the game. I felt that while my male friends didn’t mind me being around when they played, they weren’t extremely interested in helping me learn or keep up. I felt I had other strengths, so I started carrying around a notebook even more than I already did. I started my fledgling forays into online fandom. And YuGiOh was a big part of the beginning of that.

I can’t remember posting any YuGiOh fic in particular, and I’m sure that if I had it would make me cringe now. What I do remember is reading some and also spending a lot of time lying on my bed, headphones plugged into a small purple stereo, listening to the first of the two American-released CDs with YuGiOh-inspired music on them. In particular, the last three tracks were pieces of music from the original score composed for the 4Kids dub, which is - for some reason - different from the original Japanese music.

During that time, I would fantasize and conjure my own YuGiOh plots in my head, most of which were focused on the Ancient Egyptian and more spooky, spiritual, and horror themes in the show. I was really fascinated with the reincarnation angle, though my understanding of and opinions on how that works have grown with time.

Years went by, and I didn’t think about YuGiOh much at all. Then, something happened in 2018. I don’t know what got in my head, but it was like all the joy I once found in thinking about the YuGiOh characters came back in a giddy conversation with my childhood best friend. Then, for a little while, it wouldn’t leave me alone.

I started writing for the fandom then, and after several detours, I’m trying to get back in the groove of it.

My approach to the tone of YuGiOh-fanning is that it’s a bit serious, but it’s also with a tongue placed in my cheek because of how incomprehensible or silly the plot can be on a meta level. Sometimes, it almost brings tears to my eyes by being so over-the-top about something that, in the real world, would make no sense at all. But the drama, in the context of the universe, somehow rings true.

I think that’s all owing to how most of the primary characters are just... really freaking great characters.

It has often puzzled me. Like, did Takahashi do all this layering on purpose? Is it really there, or did earnest fanon just make it seem like it? And, as a person, I am always here for a good fan-and-canon symbiosis.

This post is going to be, from here on, an effort to match the YuGiOh characters to the 9 Enneagram Personality Types. I am writing this for my own benefit as I continue to work on my pet YuGiOh fanfiction project, It’s Always Sunny in Domino City, which is a mixture of YGOTAS-vibes-and-concepts taken seriously and a sincere take on fanfiction for the actual canon. It’s dramedy about a sizeable chunk of the main cast a few years post-canon with some canon divergence such as the Memory World arc not yet and possibly never-happening. If that sounds like something you’d like, I would humbly request you check it out!

Either way, this will be an in-depth character analysis cheatsheet for all of the characters above, based on my observations, opinions, and feelings. I invite discussion, but it’s fine if we need to agree to totally disagree!

If you are interested and enjoy what’s below the Read More and in the coming second post, then you are welcome to utilize the character analyses to aid you in your own fanwork!

Enneagram

What is Enneagram, and why am I using it?

Enneagram is a personality categorization system that one might compare to the somewhat better-known MBTI. However, in the words of excellent writing-advice YouTuber, Abbie Emmons:

MBTI shows us how we behave.

Enneagram shows us what we believe.

I will be referencing Abbie’s video Using The ENNEAGRAM To Write CONFLICTED CHARACTERS and her free Enneagram-cheatsheet, available in the description of the linked video. Whether it’s before you continue reading or after, if you’re interested in writing, I would highly recommend you check out her channel!

The Enneagram system has nine basic personality types that overlap and interact in really interesting ways. It is not a hard science, and it’s not a horoscope. Instead, it’s supposed to be “based on conventional wisdom and modern psychology.” All I can say is that with every set of characters I’ve tried it with, it works! Once you get the hang of it, it feels kind of like ~✰~magic~✰~!

Below, I will list Abbie’s simplified definitions of each of the personality types, in order:

Type 1: The Reformer

The Rational, Idealistic Type:

Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, and Perfectionistic

Basic Fear: Of being corrupt/evil, defective

Basic Desire: To be good, to have integrity, to be balanced

Key Motivations: Want to be right, to strive higher and improve everything, to be consistent with their ideals, to justify themselves, to be beyond criticism so as not to be condemned by anyone.

Type 2: The Helper

The Caring, Interpersonal Type:

Generous, Demonstrative, People-Pleasing, and Possessive

Basic Fear: Of being unwanted, unworthy of being loved

Basic Desire: To feel loved

Key Motivations: Want to be loved, to express their feelings for others, to be needed and appreciated, to get others to respond to them, to vindicate their claims about themselves.

Type 3: The Achiever

The Success-Oriented, Pragmatic Type:

Adaptable, Excelling, Driven, and Image-Conscious

Basic Fear: Of being worthless

Basic Desire: To feel valuable and worthwhile

Key Motivations: Want to be affirmed, to distinguish themselves from others, to have attention, to be admired, and to impress others.

Type 4: The Individualist

The Sensitive, Introspective Type:

Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental

Basic Fear: That they have no identity or personal significance

Basic Desire: To find themselves and their significance (to create an identity)

Key Motivations: Want to express themselves and their individuality, to create and surround themselves with beauty, to maintain certain moods and feelings, to withdraw to protect their self-image, to take care of emotional needs before attending to anything else, to attract a "rescuer."

Type 5: The Investigator

The Intense, Cerebral Type:

Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated

Basic Fear: Being useless, helpless, or incapable

Basic Desire: To be capable and competent

Key Motivations: Want to possess knowledge, to understand the environment, to have everything figured out as a way of defending the self from threats from the environment.

Type 6: The Loyalist

The Committed, Security-Oriented Type:

Engaging, Responsible, Anxious, and Suspicious

Basic Fear: Of being without support and guidance

Basic Desire: To have security and support

Key Motivations: Want to have security, to feel supported by others, to have certitude and reassurance, to test the attitudes of others toward them, to fight against anxiety and insecurity.

Type 7: The Enthusiast

The Busy, Variety-Seeking Type:

Spontaneous, Versatile, Acquisitive, and Scattered

Basic Fear: Of being deprived and in pain

Basic Desire: To be satisfied and content—to have their needs fulfilled

Key Motivations: Want to maintain their freedom and happiness, to avoid missing out on worthwhile experiences, to keep themselves excited and occupied, to avoid and discharge pain.

Type 8: The Challenger

The Powerful, Dominating Type:

Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational

Basic Fear: Of being harmed or controlled by others

Basic Desire: To protect themselves (to be in control of their own life and destiny)

Key Motivations: Want to be self-reliant, to prove their strength and resist weakness, to be important in their world, to dominate the environment, and to stay in control of their situation.

Type 9: The Peacemaker

The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type:

Receptive, Reassuring, Agreeable, and Complacent

Basic Fear: Of loss and separation

Basic Desire: To have inner stability, "peace of mind"

Key Motivations: Want to create harmony in their environment, to avoid conflicts and tension, to preserve things as they are, to resist whatever would upset or disturb them.

Now that you’ve seen all those, what do you think your favorite character is? In YuGiOh or anything else! It works great for original characters and even yourself and your loved ones.

The actual Character Profiles will be in coming post(s), but continue reading if you want me to explain more about how and why the Enneagram is a great personality typing system. #nonspon, or whatever.

The Enneagram Chart

Now, you could just go to the Enneagram Institute’s page on How the System Works, but below I’ll cut it down to only the parts I’m interested in and explain those in a way that helps me.

Unlike in astrology or MBTI, which are both more restrictive in different ways, the relative position of each type matters a bit on the Enneagram chart, because it can be used to visualize a lot of things about a person!

The Basic Chart

The Types are shown in a clockwise fashion with “1″ in the 1 o’clock position on an analog clock. The interior lines mean things, but I have trouble reading it without further delineation.

Centers of Response

Below are two small charts, displayed side-by-side. (If it’s too small, try right-click, open in new tab!)

The chart on the left shows the three “centers.” The “centers” indicate the first ‘processing language’ a person would use to respond to stimuli.

Type 8, Type 9, and Type 1 respond first based on instinct (primal, gut-feeling). If you want to go Freudian, this is from the id.

Type 2, Type 3, and Type 4 respond first based on feelings (social or personal desires, the heart). If you want to go Freudian, this is from the ego.

Type 5, Type 6, and Type 7 respond first based on thoughts (analytical rather than emotional, the head). If you want to go Freudian, this is from the superego.

Remember that, of course, every single type and person engages their instincts, their emotions, and their thoughts at different times and to different degrees, and some of these are learned or changed behaviors. This is about what their innate drive toward that would be.

Likewise, the same “centers” can also be used for the chart on the right. You will notice that all three of these are defined by what is typically considered a negative emotion. This is because this is about a person’s instinctive, not particularly conscious emotional response when they are backed into a corner and deprived of something that is core to the needs of their personality type.

Type 8, Type 9, and Type 1 tend to respond to a threat to their psychic well-being with anger/rage.

Type 2, Type 3, and Type 4 tend to respond to a threat to their psychic well-being with shame.

Type 5, Type 6, and Type 7 tend to respond to a threat to their psychic well-being with fear.

Stress vs. Growth

We all know that there are times when a person isn’t acting like themselves, for better or for worse. Usually, “You’re not acting like yourself,” means that a person is behaving badly. Of course, it’s way easier to withdraw and bristle and defend rather than growing in the midst of adversity. However, it is certainly possible to experience character growth in response to experiences, good and bad. Unlike a lot of other personality typing schemes, the Enneagram has a way to display and predict what stress and growth do to a person.

The Enneagram never suggests that any Type is an island unto itself. Every person contains multitudes, but a person’s Type is likely to remain relatively stable throughout their lives, once they have had a chance to develop any personality at all. This means that when a person is stressed or growing that they do not become the type they emulate. Rather, they are more highly expressing that aspects of their personality that reflect those drives and desires but in a way that is either fraught, sickly, or unwell (in the case of stress), or aspirational, flying-high, and incorporating the hard-lessons into who a person is going to be going forward (in the case of growth). The latter, especially, isn’t a sustainable mode, while a stressed person can become more entrenched in their bad habits and defensive coping mechanisms.

Stress

Note the white, directional arrows. Each number has an arrow point pointing to it and an arrow leading away from it. The point indicates that this is the stress manifestation for the Type at the origin of that arrow. The origin of each arrow indicates the Type being described.

Confused? Let me finally give you a YuGiOh example.

When I was trying to identify the Types of the characters, defining Marik was difficult, because he has a “Yami,” or Dark Side, which has its own personality and will but which is not its own separate soul or person than Marik himself. Rather, it’s a kind of fantasy/magic-assisted personality splintering where Yami Marik is a full manifestation of the negative traits Marik needed to embody to survive.

So, for reference:

When stressed, Type 1 behaves more like Type 4.

When stressed, Type 2 behaves more like Type 8.

When stressed, Type 3 behaves more like Type 9.

When stressed, Type 4 behaves more like Type 2.

When stressed, Type 5 behaves more like Type 7.

When stressed, Type 6 behaves more like Type 3.

When stressed, Type 7 behaves more like Type 1.

When stressed, Type 8 behaves more like Type 5.

When stressed, Type 9 behaves more like Type 6.

Alternatively, you can use these sequences to follow the stress lines:

1-4-2-8-5-7-1

9-6-3-9

Growth

Think of the above-explanation in reverse.

The sequence:

1-7-5-8-2-4-1

9-3-6-9

As a Type 1 grows, they incorporate more positive traits of Type 7.

As a Type 2 grows, they incorporate more positive traits of Type 4.

As a Type 3 grows, they incorporate more positive traits of Type 6.

As a Type 4 grows, they incorporate more positive traits of Type 1.

As a Type 5 grows, they incorporate more positive traits of Type 8.

As a Type 6 grows, they incorporate more positive traits of Type 9.

As a Type 7 grows, they incorporate more positive traits of Type 5.

As a Type 8 grows, they incorporate more positive traits of Type 2.

As a Type 9 grows, they incorporate more positive traits of Type 3.

Wings

The final thing to know about the Enneagram chart for my purposes is about wings. The wing of your personality traits accounts for the complementary and contradictory aspects of your personality. They are the inconsistencies that make you human, predicted and jumped in. Typically, a person is not thought to have both possible wings but one or the other. A wing is one of the two adjacent Types to yours, the number before, or the number after, and it is annotated, for example:

Type 1, Wing 2: 1w2

Type 1, Wing 9: 1w9

Link to Part 2 Here!

37 notes · View notes

hoodie-2 · 3 years

Text

Hours had passed since the "math duel" and the sun had began its descent, setting the town ablaze with a warm orange glow. Krel had spent a portion of the evening exploring, or rather wandering, throughout more of the town, observing it's people. Many of the humans were out in pairs at this hour, some of the pairs had included smaller versions of themselves in whatever activities they were partaking in. He had spied a young pair of, well, human girls at the park, almost identical except in the tones of their skin and the color of their hair, and a pair of adults he assumed were their parents seated on a bench not far away, sitting at polar ends from each other on the bench conversing on their communication devices, otherwise leaving the two children on their own.

The girls themselves didn't appear perturbed or at all bothered by their parents behavior, more entertained by the images on the platform they made with the unusual writing untensils in their tiny hands. Well, all Earthly untensils were unusual in Krel's perspective; pencils, pens, markers, but ones that the two girls used were different even from those. These were maybe the length of an unused pencil but far thicker than a marker and... powdery? His head tipped as he watched one blow away part of her line, the colorful powder pushed into the air in one big gust, as she redrew the line. Her fairer toned sibling patted a hand on her clothes, a blue colored handprint left behind on the green fabric. Both girls took notice of the mark and giggled, the first girl Krel was watching pressed a hand to her own clothes and left a pink handprint similar to the other's blue. The action brought a smile to his face, it has been a while since that happened.

He eyed the girls' parents again. Would it be rude if he just started talking to the children? Their parents didn't seem to be very attentive at the moment. Doesn't that sound familiar? But he was curious about their weird, colorful writing tools. Hm, maybe if he just kept a decent distance as he spoke to them. He didn't want to come off as strange.

"Excuse me," he approached the girls, kneeling to their height at what he believed was a respectable distance. Both girls looked at him, shifting as if they were preparing to run at the first opportunity, Krel wasn't exactly surprised by the reaction seeing as a lot of the commercials on the picture box involved something called 'stranger danger' and he was, afterall, a stranger to them. But he pointed at their drawings, from a closer examination the colorful etchings turned out to be crude imitations of other Earth creatures, a lot of them with long ears and roundish tails and a few like clouds with legs. "What is that you are writing with?"

The wariness in their eyes wavered as they looked down at the drawings around them and then at the untensils in their hands.

"You mean chalk?" The yellow-haired one asked, pointing her free hand to the blue powdery stick she held.

"Chalk," Krel echoed thoughtfully. "And you, ah, draw with it?"

"Yea, dummy," her sister answered. "Haven't you used chalk before?" They gave him identical looks of confusion only someone their age could.

"No, actually, I haven't." Krel answered back quietly. "We don't have anything like 'chalk' where I am from." He looked down at their drawings again, noticing colors other than pink and blue, there was a yellow circle he figured was the sun judging by the green landscape below it and many other colorful dots he supposed were plants. His head tilted so the image wasn't completely upside down in his perspective. "You have some very pretty drawings."

"Do you want to try?" The yellow-haired girl asked, holding out her chalk stick to him.

He eyed the shrunken piece of blue in her open palm. "A- are you sure?"

"Sure!" The girl chirped, a smile spreading over her features, a matching one on her sister's as well. "We do this all the time, its fun."

Krel took the chalk from her, rolling it and turning it in his hand, blue powder stuck to his palm wherever it touched. He looked up to see the girl reach behind her sister and pull out another stick of chalk, purple this time. They went back to scribbling on the bricks around them. He watched as their creativity grew and spread, narrowly crossing over each other's work and somehow still blending together.

Looking down at the emptiness around him where their chalk hadn't yet touched. What would he draw, he wondered. Things considered artistic escaped him, even on his planet; he couldn't understand poetry, the closest he gets to crafting is inventing gadgets, even basic drawing on a telepad wasn't something he had much skill in. What could he draw? Well, shapes are pretty simple.

He started with a triangle, Earth's history was full of them according to Kubritz and her research teams. Ancient tombs and monuments to societies that have long since passed, the triangle was acknowledged as the strongest structure, those words rang true clearly. A square, the basic form of most present day structures; there wasn't anything too spectacular about it, a little more space than a triangle, sure but meh. Then a circle, a shape Krel was most familiar with, there wasn't a screen or viewing monitor in Akiridion-5 that did not have circles, and even then there were links that connected them to more circles. On Earth, circles meant unity to some and a means of 'alien' communication to others - Kubritz.

"Can't you draw?" The brown-haired girl asked as she crawled over to look at his work.

"I am not very talented." Krel admitted. "But drawing with chalk is fun."

"Try drawing your family." Her sister suggested as she joined them. "That helps me sometimes."

Krel hummed at that logic. It was sound enough, even if he was currently at odds with his family and it was an extremely delicate situation. But they are human children, it was probably best to go along with it.

He started with Aja, forcing himself to recall her human form; it wasn't perfect, especially since he was limited to one color but he knew. Next his mother, whose disguise he's only seen a handful of times so this may be a little more difficult. That was nothing to drawing his father. How does one draw face fur?

The girls giggled at the etching.

"That one looks like a monkey." The yellow-haired one pointed to his etching. His gaze roamed over the attempted drawing and felt laughter bubbling in his chest.

"It seems you are right." Oh, how was Krel going to look at his father's face without laughing now?

He looked around them, seeing that the sky was gradually getting darker, getting closer to the time that younglings would be taken back to their homes. The girls' parents were still occupied with their own priorities, poor girls.

"I suppose I should go," he sighed, giving back the chalk he was given, "you will be going home soon." Krel did not expect such saddened expressions at his words.

"Do you have to?" The brown-haired girl asked, watching him stand up.

"I'm afraid so." He dusted the blue powder on to his jeans. "But I'm sure we will see each other again."

"Really?" The yellow-haired girl asked excitedly.

"Of course," Krel chuckled. "I wander around when I have free time." He watched as they shared a look, tipping his head as they stood as well, the yellow-haired one picking up the blue chalk and holding it out to him again.

"My name's Abby," she said, bouncing a little on her heels as she shook the chalk at him.

"And I'm Gabby." Her sister added proudly. "You can have the blue one, then we can draw again next time. Right?"

A smile pulled at his lips again. It would be a shame to see their faces fall again in sadness. He took the chalk from Abby. "That sounds fun. My name is Krel, it was nice to meet you both."

They waved at him as he walked away, pocketing the chalk he was gifted. Maybe he can find out where they get it next time so he can obtain more himself. He admired the blue powder that tainted his palm, opening and closing his hand, it was somehow amusing how the color clung to his flesh. It was almost as if his real body was peering through, if only.

After a bit of wandering, the sky growing darker, and some of the street lights were blinking to life Krel found himself at a back alley behind some stores that surrounded the park, if his memory of the town map was correct. It was empty of any lifeform that was human as he stepped in, looking around at his surroundings carefully; four-legged creatures that he was told were cats saw his approach and ran off into hiding; even smaller creatures scurried away behind them, leaving Krel alone with the garbage bins of two different sizes, the walls of the buildings were clean aside from the occasional stain near the bins or moss that grew more toward the ground.

He wasn't sure what compelled him to do so but he pulled the piece of chalk from his pocket and wrote the equation from the math duel, following it with his correct work and answer. Satisfaction washed over him as he wrote his answer, the right answer, his original answer. He was still a bit stuck on his why's during the duel, he knew he did a good thing for Seamus so what did it matter anymore. Why did Seamus stare at him when it was over?

Krel's hand moved to write another equation, it was more complex but watching the letters and numbers come into being it made sense to him, it always made sense to him, similar to cataloging past events and his planning for the future. It was comforting as he continued the equation, spreading it further along the wall, blue clear against the red brick but still convoluted. Had he been less taken in with his work he probably would have felt more guilty about how much of the chalk he was using up. He didn't notice the approaching person behind him until they addressed him.

"Kubritz?"

Krel whipped around, instinctively taking up a defensive battle stance startling the newcomer. That was... Seamus? And was holding an item in each hand, they didnt seem to be weapons though so he could relax somewhat. Not completely though, he has noticed around the education prison that some human males in their age group tended to be, well, boorish and found amusement in harassing other males they perceived as weak, and Krel's human form unfortunately suited that perception. Primitive. He'll be sure to correct that.

"Uh... hey," Seamus waved one of the things he held, the action stiff. His eyes flicked beyond Krel, looking over the equations behind him. "What're you working on?" His gaze followed the equation to the start, lingering on the work shown. "Looks complicated."

"You have no idea." Krel wasn't trusting this interaction, not that there was any reason to.

"Hey- Look, you can relax, uh, whatever move that is," Seamus gestured to Krel's posture with whatever it was he held. "What is that anyway? Judo? Jujitsu?"

Krel eased his stance but kept a leery eye still on the human. "Nothing you have ever seen, I assure you." He answered in little more than a monotone.

"Ookay...?" The human coughed, taking a few meeger steps toward him with a hand extended outward. "You want a burrito? I dunno if you've eaten yet or anything but it's an idea right?" He gave a pitiful laugh as he stopped only a few feet away, the thing in his hand slumping over his fingers like it was trying to slip out of his grip.

As a being of energy, Krel had no need to consume organic materials, but he has been curious. On another hand Earth has a history in poisoning consumables for enemies, again not that it should affect him, maybe.

A sigh escaped Seamus, seeming to notice Krel's reluctance. "I just want to apologize for my behavior." He said, "You didn't deserve it. You earned the grade fair and square."

"I suppose I should say that I'm relieved you've gained some sense." Krel retorted, not completely convinced.

"Okay... I earned that." Krel saw Seamus' grip tighten around the 'burrito', his restraint was admirable. "But you didn't have to let me win, so why did you?"

Krel finally took the burrito, examining it for a moment before tearing the aluminum wrapping like he's seen other humans do and bite into it. The texture was strange, soft, soggy; the taste was savory, it was weird feeling the crunch of vegetables but overall it wasn't bad but he didn't have much in expectations, so, another point for Earth.

"Wanna sit?" Seamus gestured to the the sidewalk. Krel didn't object, taking another bite of his burrito and joining him on the cold cement just a yard or so from a flickering lamppost.

"I had nothing to gain," he answered finally, getting a startled look, "from winning the math duel. Nothing to lose either, unlike you."

The human's head ducked almost sheepishly. He must have recalled how loud his father was in bellowing their agreement. If it could have been called that.

"Again, I'm sorry," he declared. "My dad just has high expectations. Very high."

"Understandable."

"Is it really?"

Krel frowned at him. "Just because my parents are not present does not mean I don't have my own problems with them."

Seamus' face turned even more guilt ridden. "R-right, sorry," he stammered, a red hue spreading over his features. He was quiet for a moment, taking large distracting bites of his own burrito. The silence allowed Krel a moment to gather his thoughts about the present situation, and possibly plan for what could happen next. Maybe he could somehow make Seamus an ally, like Aja had with the majority of their peers, to keep his disguise here. It certainly would make things easier than researching every tidbit about this mudball to blend in while Morando outsources the search for Gaylen's core. The question was how to do so.

"You," Seamus spoke up again, breaking the silence between them, "you came from a warring country, right, like Aja Tarron and her family?"

The words brought a bitter curl to his lips. Her family, may as well be, ironic, consider she used to run away from her family at every opportunity.

"Yes," Krel answered softly. "Maybe even the same country, if luck would have it." Some luck that would be.

"What happened? I-if you don't mind me asking."

The expression on Seamus' face was different from before; softer, solemn, perhaps even sympathetic. It's been a clear background to his class that Krel escaped from a war torn country with no family besides Morando who was discharged due to injury during the fight. Could this be the opportunity he needed to make Seamus his ally? To make a 'friend'? In one quote Krel had heard, he now understood. When opportunity knocks, it would be wise to open the door.

"I-it all happened so fast," Krel began, quickly coming up with details to twist the story from the traumatic reality. "It happened on the coronation day for the royal heirs; my parents both had high political and military positions so my sister and I were allowed good seats to see the crowning," he kept his voice low, allowing some of the emotion he kept at bay to fill his words, "everyone was excited, we all had high hopes. The princess hadn't made her appearance yet when the attack happened." Krel swallowed thickly as the real memory came to mind. The running, his parents ordering him and Zadra to find Aja, falling behind, and being left behind. "It was chaos; people were running everywhere, trying to find each other and to find shelter, soldiers and their weapons, the cannon fire..." his eyes were leaking again, it was too much already with so little spoken. What was wrong with him? "I- I was too slow, my... my parents- my sister, gah, what is wrong with me?" He took the fabric of his shirt, quickly trying to wipe away the streaming liquid, his chest felt heavy, his core ached. Krel hadn't felt like this since he first found Aja and their parents on Earth. His head hurt.

A hand touched his shoulder making him freeze up. "It's okay." Seamus' voice was calm, relaxing even. "You've been through a lot, huh?"

Krel sniffed, trying to regain some composure before answering. "You have no idea."

#tales of arcadia #3below #krel tarron #aja tarron #general morando #morandos prodigy au #king failkov #queen coranda #seamus johnson #trollhunters #space camp #this is getting so long so imma make a part 3

24 notes · View notes

carewyncromwell · 3 years

Photo

"Cover my eyes -- cover my ears -- Tell me these words are a lie... It can't be true that I'm losing you -- The sun cannot fall from the sky... Can you hear heaven cry the tears of an angel?”

~“Tears of an Angel,” by RyanDan

x~x~x~x

tw: character death, brief mention of violence

The Battle of Hogwarts, taking place the night of May 1st 1998 and into the next morning of May 2nd, was a dramatic day in the Wizarding World’s history. It was the day that Lord Voldemort fell at the hands of Harry Potter and the Ministry of Magic successfully seized back control from the Death Eaters that had infiltrated it -- the day that marked the end of the Second Wizarding War and a new beginning for wizards in the United Kingdom.

It was also a day, however, of immense loss. Although most magical historians (and authors writing books about the infamous Boy Who Lived) tend to gloss over the names and identities of those lost in favor of the grander-scale historical strides achieved by the end of the War, those who actually fought in the Battle -- such as Jacob Cromwell -- never forget that.

Once known as the “delinquent” who pursued Hogwarts’s infamous Cursed Vaults as a student, only to disappear mysteriously for seven years and then reappear looking exactly the same as when he vanished, Jacob worked hard to make a better name for himself. Once his fight against R was finally over, he set about traveling the world and taking on as many areas of study as he could, using his extensive knowledge of Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, the Dark Arts, defensive magic, magical and Muggle history, Legilimency, Muggle science, and both modern and ancient languages to pioneer new magical discoveries. One of his most passionate interests was in applying Muggle chemistry and biology to the fields of Potioneering and Magizoology, and through those advancements, he was able to not only introduce the use of the periodic table to advanced Potions classes and the principles of evolution to advanced Care of Magical Creatures classes, but also help develop a slew of new antidotes for magical creature venoms. Despite this, though, Jacob was enough of a vagabond with no definitive sense of direction that he could be easily persuaded to jump back into Cursebreaking -- the thing that first brought him and his once-boy best friend Duncan together -- and through Cursebreaking, Jacob met Lugh Hopper. @thatravenpuffwitch

The Patriarch of the Hopper clan was a very brave and dedicated family man, even despite the tragedy in his life. During the First Wizarding War, he lost not only his wife, but his son and daughter-in-law, so he’s always been quite protective of and nurturing toward his grandchildren Ellie and Jacob Hopper. With this in mind, it’s not entirely surprising that a man with such good paternal instincts and such a fearless spirit took a liking to a reckless, passionate nerd like Jacob Cromwell. They were both Legilimens with a strong devotion to family and a lot of courage, and honestly, Jacob C was just entertaining to go on assignments with, considering he never flinched away from a challenge and would get over-excited about the littlest things.

Jacob Cromwell had never had a real father figure in his life before, since his father Evan had never been very affectionate or supportive toward either Jacob or Carewyn and ultimately abandoned his family when Jacob received his Hogwarts letter, and so Lugh filled a hole in Jacob Cromwell’s life that he barely even knew had been there before. Lugh validated Jacob’s intense passions and desire to fix people’s problems and make the world better, even after all of the mistakes Jacob had made in his life. The older man wholeheartedly supported Jacob when he put his Cursebreaking assignments on hold to return to Britain, supposedly to “research at home” for a while, but in truth to help his sister Carewyn hide Muggle-born fugitives from the Ministry of Magic. And when both men arrived at Hogwarts on May 1st, they greeted each other with a casual hug, slapping each other’s backs, as if Jacob Cromwell was just as much Lugh’s grandson as Jacob Hopper was.

The two men fought side by side some of the time during the Battle. Both were extremely talented magical Duelists -- Lugh had once worked in the Auror Department alongside Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody, while Jacob had been a dueling prodigy since he was still at school and had in his travels studied with a Native American wizard about how to fight with two wands simultaneously. Despite this, however, the casualties in the Battle of Hogwarts were very steep indeed -- and sure enough, one of those casualties was Lugh, who only went down thanks to the combined efforts of four Death Eaters.

When Lugh went down, Jacob Cromwell -- who never was very good at containing his anger -- lost his head completely. He tore into the enemy forces with both of his wands, mercilessly cutting them down with an assortment of both dueling and Dark spells that other members of the Hogwarts army wouldn’t have dared use. He used Transfiguration to fuse one Death Eater to a suit of armor, even if the metal cut painfully through his flesh and bone. He seized one Death Eater’s wand arm with a spell and then dislocated it, twisting it completely the wrong way. He even impaled one of the men who’d cornered Lugh with a chandelier. Jacob was so grief-stricken that he’d gone mad -- and even when the Battle had been paused and there were no more enemy combatants left to fight, no one could get close to him. Most didn’t want to, out of fear of his temper. The only ones brave enough to were Bill Weasley and Jacob Hopper.

When the eldest Weasley tried to approach first, Jacob Cromwell refused to let him get within three feet of him. Jacob C had always had a lingering, petty resentment of his sister’s best friend, since Bill had sort of “taken Jacob’s place” in Carewyn’s life while he was trapped in the Portrait Vault and also embodied a lot of Jacob’s insecurities about not being good enough of a brother for Carewyn, so he had a lot of trouble accepting any help from him. Jacob Hopper, on the other hand, naturally grieved his grandfather just as much as Jacob Cromwell did -- and although Hopper was a rather arrogant rebel, Jacob Cromwell was one of those too, so the two had found more than a little bit of common ground while working together on assignments with Lugh. And so tall Jacob Hopper was able to get close enough to the shorter, stockier Jacob Cromwell to roughly pull him into a hug without a word -- and the two Jacobs ultimately stood there in the hall together, Jacob Cromwell’s shaking hands holding his wands wrapped around Hopper’s chest as they both gritted their teeth and fiercely tried to contain their grief and tears. All Jacob Cromwell ever said to Jacob Hopper that day was --

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Most wouldn’t know what he was sorry for, exactly...but Hopper surmised it was indicative of survivor’s guilt, more than anything.

After the War was over, Jacob Cromwell -- with some encouragement from his sister Carewyn -- finally felt brave enough to ask the Hoppers if he could sing something for Lugh’s funeral, in his honor. Naturally the Hoppers agreed...and when the young vagabond wizard came up to stand in front of the congregation that included his sister and her new ward Erik, his mother, and his best friend Olivia Green, his way-too-long ponytail of dark brown curls better groomed and dressed in nicer high-necked black robes than he’d ever worn in his life, he sung full-voice and bravely, even with tears streaming down his face.

“Oh, we never know where life will take us -- I know it's just a ride on the wheel -- And we never know when death will shake us, And we wonder how it will feel... So goodbye, my friend -- I know I’ll never see you again, But the time together through all the years Will take away these tears. It's okay now... Goodbye, my friend.”

And for the remainder of Jacob Cromwell’s life, he held Lugh Hopper’s memory as close to his heart as he did Duncan Ashe’s -- this time, as motivation to fight for a world where people like Lugh didn’t have to lay down their lives, just to save others from people like Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

#about jacob #jacob cromwell #lugh hopper #jacob hopper #carewyn cromwell #bill weasley #battle of hogwarts #my writing #*exhales heavily*#it felt like I should write something in honor of the anniversary today #carewyn was at the ministry keeping everything from falling apart during the battle of hogwarts so...#yeah seemed like something about jacob was more appropriate #I don't know I just love the thought of jacob hopper and jacob cromwell even though they're so cocky and rebellious personality-wise #being able to lean on each other a bit in their grief :(#listen to the whole song by the way some of these words break my heart making me think of my boy singing them #'we can't hold on but we try'#;~;#hphm #hogwarts mystery

14 notes · View notes

vivinightingale · 4 years

Text

Request: Yandere Pharaoh Atem x reader, Yandere Yugi Muto x reader, and Yander Yami Yugi x reader when would they force their sexual advances on their darling and how they would they react to their darling escaping and never seeing them again.

~I tried to make this gn as possible but Atem wasn't easy :/~

WARNING: THIS FICTION CONTAINS SEXUAL THEMES IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT PLEASE LEAVE NOW.

~Pharaoh Atem:

Atem isn't sexually driven. Don't get him wrong every part of you is like a goddess to him, but you just started coming around to his ways he didn't want to break that.

However when the council starts pushing him to marry someone for an heir he jumps to action.

He will start of with bring this up to you. "They really want my legacy to carry on...but I don't want just anyone to bear my children"

He will wait for reaction, but if you still wont respond is when he starts pushing harder.

At this point his flower isn't two states. 1. They are so numb to everything whatever he says they will agree to or 2. With all their might they will fight with all their might. Neither matter to him however.

No matter your state of mind he will then tie you to the bed, and begin the long process of breeding you till you pregnant with his child.

Once you its confirmed by a trusted physician that you are indeed pregnant with the Pharaoh's child he will then start making wedding plans, to make you his true queen.

What the poor lovesick Yandere didn't account for was an attack on the palace during the wedding by the Theif King himself.

During the attack you would be locked in his bedroom hearing the discord on the other side. You place and hand on your stomachs wondering if you should really leave.

The decision was made for you when the Theif King barged in himself. Wicked grin plastered on his as he ripped you from the bed and into the main chamber.

When Atem sees you in Bakura's grasp he feels his blood run cold l, he tries to reach you but Bakura's minions blocked his path.

The last thing he saw was you on the back of Bakura's horse. "If you ever want to see your little play thing again Pharaoh then I would advise you bringing me the mallinum items."

He wanted to stop Bakura, he wanted to stop him from taking his child and lover, but he didn't make it in time.

Stories say the Pharaoh never found his flower and in final years he became erratic, angry at everything and everyone. He even went as far as to kill anyone who displeased him. He never gave up his search for his flower and child, but the fruits of his labor were never reaped.

~Yugi Muto

Yugi always had a sexual attraction to you, as well as mental attraction. He didn't act on this until he knew it was the right time.

It was a slow process at first. Getting you use to your new home enviroment, showing you that no one would love you but him.

When you started coming around even going as far as calling him your boyfriend, he was ecstatic.

His will begin to roam more, until eventually he will pin to your mattress with a lustful look in his eyes.

"I want to show you how much I love you Angel"

Something in you screams to not let him do things to you and your body, but your mindset was fixed on that he was boyfriend and you trusted him that you couldn't fight back.

His little fantasy didn't last long I'm afraid. When he was gone fighting another duell his grandfather went to the basement to store extra packs of cards he received when he found you.

Mr. Muto remembered seeing you all over the news and panicked slightly. Could his sweet grandchild Yugi really do this? Why? What purpose?

When you woke calling for Yugi, Mr. Muto knew couldn't leave you like this but he could let Yugi go to jail either...he was his own family left.

Against Mr.Muto's better judgment he took your near collapsed form and took you to the police, he explained to them that you were found near his gameshop, but he didn't know where you came from.You were then taken to the hospital, put under extreme care.

When yugi found out her panicked and furious. How did this all come to be? He thought he was being cautious.

He tried to get into your room but was told only family was aloud to visit you, this made him angrier. Didn't they know he was everything to you?! Didn't you tell them?!

No matter how hard he fought they wouldn't allow him in. So he had to sit in wait. When you were released he tried to get in contact with you but all leads led him nowhere.

He continued to look for you any sign would do, but he always came up empty. Over time he secluded himself from his friends and family slowly going crazy. He used his title "King of games" to find you, but he never did. The kidnapping of you lived and died with Yugi Muto.

~Yami Yugi

The more time he spent with you the more his feelings began to grow. He eventually dreamed of having children with you.

Yami knew you needed more time before he pushed that sort of thing on you, but he was starting to get impatient. You knew he loved you right? And he loved you. So why cant this love create a beautiful life together?!

When first tried he was face with heavy resistance and your part, so he had to punishments in order to remind you of your place.

When he tried a second time he tried will less force and more compassion.

"My beloved I only wish for lives to be intertwined like our hearts already are."

Still bruised and weak from his last try you reluctantly agree. When you did he was ecstatic. He would finally have the family he dreamed of 5,000 years ago, and this time no one will stop him.

Or so he believed time has a funny way of repeating itself, but this time the beginning of his end started with Seto Kiba.

Seto came to Yami's demanding a duel not knowing Yami wasnt home. So when Seto came across the room with you in it he didn't know what to think. This wasn't Yami's doing right?

When you woke seeing Seto in front of you, you scrambled to him or at least as far as the chains allowed. You begged for his help wanting out of this hell.

Kiba knew he should have taken you to the police you were the missing person that seemed to disappear with a trace, but he didnt want yami to be thrown in jail. That's not how he wanted to get the title of the best duelist.

So instead he offered to set you free on three conditions. You would eevee talk about this experience with anyone, you will allow him to not only change your identity, but he would move you out of Japan and to some where far far away from here. Not seeing any other way out you agreed.

When yami was on his way home he saw you get into kiba's limo. Fear, and adrenalin pulsed through his veins. He tried to catch up to car but he wasn't fast enough.

He tried to get Seto to tell him the details of your disappearance, but kiba stayed silent knowing this what was best for both duelists.

Yami felt defeated he grew angry, and craized. He attacked anyone he felt was holding out information on your whereabouts effectively sending them to the shadow realm. He never did find you, but on his death bed he swore that he will find you one way or another. You two were fated to be together afterall.

💕Requests are open 💕

#yugi mutou #yugioh x reader #yami yugi #yugi moto #yugioh #pharaoh atem #yandere

132 notes · View notes

land-of-classpects-and-analysis · 3 years

Note

Hi! Could you do a Prince of Heart?

Hello!

I can gladly give a little sneak peek to the wonderful combo of existential AND identity crisis that is the Prince of Heart!

Now, as we all know, Princes can be quite dramatic and extreme in how they present themselves, but also how they perceive themselves. They often are ones who regard themselves as better and higher than everyone else around them. It’s just that some Princes do this in far more humble ways than others, often being vague in what they really mean with their compliments(?) but also in their insults(?). The best way to describe them is the masters of giving back-handed compliments left and right.

As also highlighted before, the Prince is one who often rejects their given Aspect; oftentimes out of fear, disgust, or even hatred for it. They see it more as a flaw of not only their character, but everyone else, as well. Because of this, if the Prince is to go unchecked, which they, unfortunately, often do, then they will commit the act of attempting to cleanse themself, everyone else, and in the most extreme cases the very world and/or universe itself of their Aspect. This is otherwise known as them destroying their Aspect and, in the process, themself.

No Prince better highlights this power of self-destruction than the Prince of Heart themself. They are someone who sees no point in only thinking for themself, or even worrying about such a subjective matter of contemplation and discussion. Instead, the Prince of Heart is one who steers far closer to the mannerisms to that of the Mind-bound. Cold, calculating, and always looking for the best possible outcome in any situation they or their friends are in, the Prince of Heart is one who puts their identity - and their Aspect - on the very back burner of their mind.

Much like any other Prince, the reason for the abandonment of their Aspect is one that varies. However, for the Prince of Heart, there are two common reasons for this negative connotation that they have crafted on their own. The first one is that the Prince has seen only the negatives of being Heart-bound; the pain, turmoil, and confusion that comes from desperately trying to search for one’s identity. The countless nights of lost sleep that will never happen again, all the while laying in bed, looking up at the ceiling and asking the same questions. Who am I? What do I stand for? Where do I want to end up? When will it finally be my time to shine? Why do I have to be me?

The other reason is that the Prince knew of someone, or multiple people, who became so wrapped up in their own identities and destiny that it ultimately consumed them. When that funeral came around, no one would be there, for that person had pushed themself away and above everyone else. Such a fate of arrogance, foolishness and, ultimately, loneliness is one the Prince of Heart wishes to avoid at any and all costs. And so they went towards the way of the Mind, following the electrical surges through their brain rather than the rhythmic beating of their Heart.

To save for time, the full length of the Prince of Heart’s journey will not be entirely laid out here; however, do believe it is one of discovering that self-importance and identity. Of having to inevitably face the fact that as scary as the unknown may seem, the beating of the Heart will always be there to guide them, no matter how lost they may feel. Sometimes, in those dark, murky depths that is the ocean of identity, the Heart the Prince follows may not even be their own, but rather someone who they hold close and love dearly.

The journey of the Prince of Heart is one about overcoming deep-rooted fears, traumas, and internalized manufactured walls of false security. Ultimately, the Prince of Heart should be one who not only comes to realize who they are - how important of a role they play in the lives of others and the story they inhabit - but also how to destroy through that very sense of Being, of Self, and of Heart.

By destroying through one’s Heart, or rather self, it is most certainly an interesting power to ponder on. After all, doesn’t everyone already destroy through their “selves”? When people in locked in battle, they are using all that they are and made up as to try and overthrow the other side. Although that is partially the case, the Prince of Heart is one who is able to take such a thing and make it into something more.

They are capable of essentially powering themself up, making themself into a pristine, perfect bio-weapon to be unleashed onto even the toughest of enemies. In a heated duel, if anyone is to land one of the most devastating blows, chances are that it would be the Prince of Heart to do it. They are a warrior, much akin to any Knight and maybe even Page, and their fighting style most certainly shows it. Where all this power comes from, most importantly, is the amount of essence of Heart that they Prince holds inside of themself. Which is to say, the more stability the Prince, and maybe even their teammates, have in their Hearts, the stronger the Prince’s power can grow. If such stability were to falter, though, then the Prince runs the risk of becoming not as powerful as they once were.

As for the base power of destruction - the power to destroy their Aspect - this is another instance of the Prince of Heart posing as quite the intimidating figure. Much like every other Aspect, the Heart Aspect is one that has at least two manifestations. One of these is the literal one; though, for the Heart Aspect, this one will be far more linked to the Sense of Self. Essentially, this power would be able to destroy anyone’s certainty in their identity, or at the very least certain parts of it. A person could be dead-set on themselves being the main character, though such self-importance may not last too long if the Prince of Heart deems such a mindset too imposing or problematic.

Another form is the metaphysical one, which, in this case, would be the Soul of a person. By focusing deep, deep into the very being of a person, the Prince of Heart would be able to essentially spiritually destroy someone. Whether this is done physically or rather in some odd magic sense wherein the person’s soul is torn to shreds by the Prince’s own hands, or it is done far more psychologically and by word of mouth. After all, with the right words at the right time, a person’s spirit and soul could so easily be crushed under the weight of judgment and disapproval.

The exact role of the Prince of Heart is a rather finicky one, and they most certainly are a figure to stir up quite a bit of controversy in whatever group they find themself within. Whether it is because of their inherit “holier than thou” air and attitude, their cold and uncaring ways of handling conversations with others, or the underlying threat of having your very sense of self being destroyed at any moment, the Prince of Heart is one that will always have eyes drawn towards them for one reason or another. Love them, hate them, or moderately tolerate them, one thing is for certain; a Prince of Heart who achieves the power to become the very ocean that makes up everyone’s identities, and has mastered the skill of destroying through the Self, then they are someone who is not to be taken lightly.

Hope this helps a little bit, Anon, to give a somewhat-below-the-surface look at the Prince of Heart!

#Mage Musings #not a full analysis #not an analysis #Prince of Heart preview

8 notes · View notes

lethesomething · 4 years

Text

Ghost of Tsushima and the Hands of Fate

I see we're still trying to prove that games are an art form by making everyone feel bad.

For the record, Ghost of Tsushima is one of my favourite games in a very long time. It is extremely pretty, the aesthetic and general … polish is *cheff's kiss*. You can pet foxes and backstab people. The fighting mechanic is decent and there are just So Many Hats.

But also, it has the kind of story that pulls you in to the point where you have to drop the controller to hide behind your fingers going 'ohgodno'.

It is an absolute bastard of a game, is what i'm saying.

So let's talk about that, and specifically about Straw Hat Ryuzo and how I feel bad for him.

I am, by the way, going to be talking about the narrative structure of a video game about medieval samurai, so expect like, a bunch of spoilers.

The narrative is one of the big draws in Ghost of Tsushima. Like yes, it's an open world rpg with fighting and flower picking and all the important stuff, and also yes, some of the bits are sloppily written (looking at you, specifically, 'Ending to Norio's Arc'), but the game definitely sets out to Tell a Story.

And because this is a Serious Game that openly bases itself on samurai movies like Kurosawa's, it is a Drama.

In many ways it is an utterly brutal Bildungsroman, a narrative in which a young man finds his identity.

I have joked with friends about the clear intent for this game to make Important Stories, in that it actually tries to tick all the boxes of hotbutton subjects: childhood trauma? Obviously. Gay relationships? Yup. Survivor's guilt and PTSD? Oh yes. Domestic abuse? Several. Suggested pedophilia? Damn, even that.

The foxes are there to soothe the soul

It's interesting to note that from a writing point of view, this bildungsroman is even Very Classically Structured. It goes so far as to be a three acter, with a pretty standard build-up.

Jin Sakai, traumatized man that he is, spends the first act slowly getting to grips with the bit where you don't fight an army by yourself by just walking up to them and challenging them With Honour, like he has been taught his entire life. Instead of getting stabbed repeatedly in the chest and set on fire, he discovers guerilla warfare and creates this persona of the Ghost, a literal vengeful spirit seeking justice for the island of Tsushima.

It gets him some big wins and in the second act he slowly embraces this identity until things get to a head where he clashes with his entire old life. The third act starts at the hero's lowest point and is utterly gut wrenching (i am Still Not Over the horse, game), forcing him to pull himself together for an ending that is, well…fitting for the narrative. It's an ending that is needed, but perhaps not what Jin deserves.

But anyway, this is about Ryuzo, and how until that ending, I was very upset about his role.

You see, this story is told in part through the lives of Important Npc's, who contribute to Jin's journey of self-discovery. This is pretty obvious with someone like Yuna, who is the one to introduce him to the Stealth Life and who is a driving force behind the marketing of the Ghost.

Someone like Masako, meanwhile, portrays vengeance and self discipline, but Jin also kinda tries to make her fill the mother-shaped hole in his heart.

Lord Shimura, meanwhile, is an Obvious Father figure but also stands for Jin's past. He's rigid and ineffective, which pushes Jin to further look for alternatives.

Ishikawa, that other mentor figure, is more moderate and flexible, but he also represents a possible unwanted future. He literally warns Jin at one point not to become like him.

Norio, then, is as mentioned not the best written, but he too is a person that searches for his destiny and tries to become like his hero, while only barely holding on to his sanity.

Kenji, I'm sorry, I love you but you're just comic relief, that's all you do. It's an imporant job in the story, because god does it need it, but you're not teaching Jin anything other than how to make different 'resigned sigh' noises.

So what about Ryuzo? From the very beginning, Ryuzo's story didn't really sit right with me. There's the obvious class issue: he's one of the few important npc's that are poor, and he's an Antagonist.

It has always rubbed me the wrong way that his original intentions were good, depending on how you read it. He's trying to feed his men. He essentially made the decision that this one man's life (even if it is an old friend) is worth the price for the lives of his band of ronin.

It's a lot more complex than that, of course. Ryuzo partly blames Jin for his predicament in life, and he also knows that samurai treat their soldiers as chattel, which the game goes out of its way to show you they DO.

Essentially, he's a complicated character who makes bad decisions for arguably good reasons.

Ryuzo did everything he could to save the lives of the people he cared about. He went so far as to abandon his honor and his childhood friends, to try to make this happen.

Does that ring any bells?

It kinda clicked for me at the very end of the game.

Jin, being the protag in an assassin game, does a lot of killing. But some of these deaths are given more meaning than others. Some of them are there to make you feel like shit (the Horse Again, but you lose several friends along the way), others serve a more defining purpose.

You see, there's a fair amount of what i'd like to call 'intimate violence' in Ghost of Tsushima. It's an old trope. The 'if someone was gonna kill me, it had to be you' kinda scene that hails from a worldview in which some deaths are better than others, sure, but some deaths are better even than living. It's a worldview in which life itself is less valuable than your legacy. You die for your place in history. For your clan, for your family, for your honor.

Bushido is full of that sort of thing, so it makes sense that a game building on that worldview, would use the heck out of that trope.

The first is Ryuzo's death. You fight him in a duel, in which he tries to plead for some resolution. You could let him go, come up with some story. But Ryuzo is a traitor, so Jin ultimately defeats him and sends him off in what would be a touching moment of bro friendship if it wasn't for the blood and my 21st century sensibilities.

You grant him a warrior's death, is what I'm saying.

It happens again with Shimura. The game actually gives you a choice here, but if you go through with it, the scene almost perfectly mirrors Ryuzo's.

You fight in a duel, and Jin tries to get his uncle to just let him go, come to some kind of resolution. But Jin has been branded a traitor, and the only way for Shimura to restore his honour and clan, is to take his life;

This being a game in which you have the power of bamboo strikes and also save games behind you, Jin ultimately wins the duel, and has the option of granting Shimura a warrior's death.

It is utterly heart wrenching and that whole scene has no business being as pretty as it is. The swelling music? The fucking strings? The anguished yell?

Fuck.

But anyway.

That's about where it clicked with me, that Jin never had a choice.

Ryuzo's whole role wasn't fair, but this is one of those stories where life itself is just not fair at all.

Both him and Shimura are there to show us Jin's path.

What if, the game says, Jin had listened? What if he'd taken one of several offers the Khan made and surrendered?

What if he'd cooperated?

Well, we see in Graphic Detail what would happen. He would get pushed into doing horrific things. He gets manipulated, again and again, until there is no way out anymore. At some point it becomes clear to him that he's on the wrong side but whenever he tries to devise some plan to turn things around, things go Badly. He's firmly stuck in Khotun's web and the only way out is death.

But what if, the game says, Jin had stayed true to his honour? What if he had listened to his uncle, not defied him, if he had dropped the Ghost before it was too late? If he'd gone full bushido and repented for the shogun and done all the groveling and the proper stuff.

Samuraihood is just another straightjacket, says Shimura's fate. The tenets are so rigorous you would take your loved ones life, while fucking bawling your eyes out. Shimura knows damn well it's unfair but he also has no way to leave this path. It's a ride he cannot, and will not, get off alive.

Jin never had a choice.

There was only ever one way for him to go.

Like let's be real: pretty much everyone in this story was dealt a bad hand. It's a narrative about resilience in the face of utter horror, of reinventing yourself and giving up entire structures of faith. People like Masako, Yuna, Norio are finding peace in dealing with huge levels of trauma and regret.

The goal isn't to start a family and live happily ever after, it's to Survive.

Submitting to the mongols would have killed Jin's spirit. Standing tall and rigid as he was taught to do would have, ultimately, killed him as well.

"I've given up everything to save these people", he says near the end. "And I would do it again."

That's someone who has no regrets.

Jin never could have taken another path and he knows it.

And this is why Ryuzo needed a fate as shitty as his. He fell, so Jin could walk.

I'm sorry, it's still not fair.

This game needs some comfort fic.

#ghost of tsushima #jin sakai #ryuzo #narrative analysis #story analysis #i have Many Feeling ok #and this is how i deal with them #ghost of tsushima spoilers #gots spoilers

63 notes · View notes

ultraintrovertedgryffindor · 4 years

Text

First Post

So, the first thing I’m gonna post up here is a fanfiction...probably not the best of ideas but screw it I’m gonna do it anyway.

A Ghost fanfiction since I’ve become obsessed with the band as of late so...here you go I guess.

Summary: Reader goes to their first Ghost concert and a little mishap happens on stage during the show.

~~~~~~~~~~

Today’s the day!

I was finally going to my first proper ritual with a friend of mine.

I had seen Ghost live before a couple years back, but I had no idea who they were or what they sounded like. It was a concert where they weren’t the ones headlining, and I was only there for that specific headliner.

Going into it blindly probably wasn’t the best, but I ended up blown away by how amazing the band sounded. The frontman had a hypnotizing voice, and even though the rest of the band members looked the same besides the instruments they played, you could easily tell they had their own unique stage presence.

I was instantly hooked.

Going home that night, I kept thinking about the band and had some of their songs stuck in my head the whole way home.

I ended up getting little to no sleep with how many times I listened and re-listened to every song they had. Trying to memorize each one. Let’s just say it was rough trying to wake up for work in the morning.

Now, knowing all the lyrics to most of their songs and being obsessed with them, I finally going to one of their headliner shows.

My friend, who was thankfully another fan of Ghost, and I sang along to every song of Ghost that came up on my playlist on the way to the venue.

Unfortunately, there weren’t options for paying for a VIP ticket, so we left extremely early to try to be the first ones in line to be in the front row.

Fortunately though, I tend to speed when driving. Plus, I am a very competitive and determined person and I ended up getting to the venue on our preferred time and not many people were in line thankfully.

My friend joked around that Cardinal Copia, the frontman, was going to pick me when they performed their song Cirice.

If only I was that lucky.

The many hours of waiting for the venue doors to open were excruciating long and tiresome. Trying not to use my phone to cure my boredom was harder than expected, but I was so not going to waste battery power.

Thankfully, the waiting was able to cease and security checked us and let us all in to the venue.

All of us basically stampeded in, trying to get to the barricade first.

I almost jumped and squealed in joy when my friend and I were one of the lucky people to get to the barricade first, in the middle no less. Thus, making my hopes for getting Ciriced even higher. But I tried not to think about it too much. It probably wouldn’t happen anyway...

The opening bands were pretty cool, as they usually are. I always enjoy openers even when I get super anxious to see the band I most want to see.

Finally, the lights dimmed, the fake fog rolled in, and the crowd roared, chanting, “Ghost!” over and over.

I eagerly joined in with roaring crowd when the Ghouls came out their instruments, the Ghoulettes stood at their keyboards, and finally Cardinal Copia.

There he was, in all his glory. Not gonna lie...I might’ve had a major crush on him.

Amazing after amazing song went by and I’m pretty sure my smile did not leave my face once. The band sounded even better than when I last saw them, if that was even possible.

My friend raising their eyebrows suggestively during the whole show so far, because to quote them, “Copia kept giving me eyes.” Which I did see, and yes, it almost made my heart explode.

I tried to slow my heart down once Dewdrop and Aether started duel, because I knew that meant the band was going to be playing Cirice next. My friend knew that too and they playfully elbowed my side.

And as per usual, Aether purposely threw off the duel and Dew had the crowd cheering him “winning” the guitar battle. Then, he started playing to opening notes to Cirice, making to crowd cheer even louder.

But what was strange is that, even over the riffing Ghouls and crowd’s cheering, I was able to hear a creaking noise from above the stage. I was surprised no one else heard it because to me it was so loud and annoying. I looked up and saw nothing out of the ordinary from my perspective, so I internally shrugged and tried not to think anything of it.

My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest when the Cardinal finally came back out on stage, singing the first verse.

Not only was my hope to get Ciriced, but this was also my favorite Ghost song; so even if I didn’t get chosen, I was still going to enjoy every bit of the song. The lyrics were basically etched into my heart. I knew every word.

Soon the time came for the second verse, and I was extremely anxious to see who the Cardinal picked to sing it to.

Everyone at the barricade had their hands outstretched, trying to get a shot of being Ciriced. Of course, mine was out too. If I had even the slightest chance, I was going to take it.

And by come luck, or most likely a miracle, Cardinal Copia reached out and chose to take my hand out of the hundreds that all reached for him.

My hand, that was so insignificant to him, but felt so special to me. He could’ve chosen anyone’s, but he chose mine.

The Cardinal and I locked our hands together, his mismatched colored eyes meeting mine. His beautiful voice reached my ears. If I didn’t have self control, I probably would’ve screamed.

But I chose to wear a grin instead.

Unfortunately, good things don’t last forever and my head was involuntarily upturned when I heard that same creaking noise I heard when the two guitarists were dueling.

Only this time, instead of seeing nothing out the ordinary like I did before, I saw one of the huge overhead speakers swaying...right over the Cardinal.

My eyes widened when it made another loud creaking noise, to which even the Ghouls seemed to have heard which made their heads look up in curiosity. But Copia was the only band member to not have heard it, and he continued to sing his little heart out to me.

Looking up again, the speaker was swaying violently and was sure to fall any second.

I was probably going to get in serious trouble for this, but I’m better safe than sorry type person.

Cardinal Copia yelped, and the whole crowd seemed to gasp at once, when I gripped his wrist tightly and pulled him off the stage with a jerk.

My brain was so hyped up on adrenaline that it didn’t even process that I had pulled the Cardinal off the stage just as the speaker detached from its hooks and wires and fell to the stage.

Everyone looked to the speaker in shock and horror. It had fallen completely into the stage.

When I saw the huge speaker shaped hole in the stage, I knew I made the right decision to pull Copia off the stage.

All the Ghouls stopped playing their instruments and Copia stood up from where he fell on the floor. All the members looked at the fallen speaker then back at me, and then I realized everyone who could see me was looking at me.

I quickly released my hold on the Cardinal’s hand once I saw I was still holding it.

Copia put his hand over his heart and was visibly shaking. I was guessing nothing like this had happened before.

And before I knew it, Cardinal Copia and the rest of the band members were escorted out by security and I was harshly taken into custody, despite my friend’s overly vulgar protests.

I was placed in a room with a large man wearing a security vest. I was so screwed...

A slightly less large man entered the room and sat down across from me. “I have a couple questions for you, ma’am.” His deep voice rang out.

“O-okay.” I tried not to stutter. Failing, clearly.

“How did you know that the speaker was coming undone?” He asked, not even trying to hide that his voice was blatantly accusatory.

“I, uh, heard creaking from above the stage. At first, I didn’t really think anything of it. I thought it was maybe my imagination. But during the song, I saw that it was swaying a lot.”

“So, you thought it was okay to pull the frontman off the stage because of that then?” He snapped.

“Leave the girl alone.” A familiar voice said to the security guard that was interrogating me.

I looked behind me to see two men, one was another security guard and the other was a rather handsome man. But he was wearing the Cardinal’s outfit and had some black face paint around his eyes.

I had never tried to find out the identities or names of the members of the band, but I could easily guess that this man was who was behind the mask of Copia.

“Somehow maintenance didn’t see that clearly one of the holds on that speaker was loose.” The security man beside Copia said.

“This girl assaulted Mr. Forge.” The interrogating guard said, pointing at me.

“This girl probably saved my life.”

My eyes widened in shock when I heard this “Mr. Forge” say that. He thinks I saved his life?

Soon after, the man who I only knew as Cardinal Copia came over and sat down beside me. And me being the awkward individual that I am, I shifted nervously in my seat and tried not to blush. “What’s your name?” He asked.

“Uh, Y/N.”

“Y/N, you saw that that speaker was gonna fall and you saved me. It might not have not killed me, but I definitely would’ve had a very bad injury.”

It was odd hearing him talk normally, usually he had a played up Italian accent (which I kind of thought was real at first). But now, he wasn’t. I couldn’t quite place it, but definitely still European.

“Well, I just did what anyone else would’ve done I suppose.” I laughed nervously.

“Well, you just might’ve saved a father from abandoning his family.” He smiled sweetly.

Goodness, I probably should’ve researched a bit. “I must say, it was amazing meeting you Mr. Copia.”

Copia’s eyebrows furrowed a little and chuckled. “You don’t have to call me that.”

“I don’t know what else to call you.” I blushed.

His eyes widened a little. “Huh, I thought most fans of Ghost would know who I was.”

“S-sorry...”

“No, no, it’s okay. It’s refreshing.” He smiled, and then gently grabbed my hand and kissed it like he would’ve done during the show. “I’m Tobias Forge, and it was a pleasure to meet you miss Y/N.”

~~~~~~~~~~

#the band ghost #ghost band #cardinal copia #tobias forge #ghost band fanfiction #i tried lol

73 notes · View notes

dalekofchaos · 3 years

Text

If Ben Solo never turned

My little au where Luke never ignited the lightsaber and Ben never turned

Luke senses the darkness within Ben, but seeks guidance from Anakin and Obi-Wan before resorting to anything rash

Obi-Wan would suggest he take Ben into isolation. Somewhere where the light side is strong and allowing Ben to express his feelings to Luke

Anakin, who has been down the path of darkness himself, suggests Luke show Ben the benefits of the light and the negatives of the dark. Upon hearing this, Luke would tell Ben the true story of his grandfather. How the dark side wasn’t the solution to his worries. In the end he could not save the one he loved and spent 20 years entombed in suffering and misery as he was consumed by Darth Vader.

The next morning, when Ben arrived at the Jedi Temple with his fellow Padawans, he would be greeted by Luke. Luke would ultimately decide to take the advice of his father, over Obi-Wan's, opting to show Ben the power of the light side and corruption of the dark.

Just as Luke did in the Rise Of Kylo Ren comics, he would take Ben to various Jedi outposts and artifacts around the galaxy, in search of the lost knowledge of the Light Side of the Force.

They would fight numerous battles, shoulder to shoulder, against the Knights Of Ren, ALways coming out on top. Ren would still offer Ben to join their ranks as in canon, but with the guidance of Luke would cast off his pull to the dark and leading him to decline the offer.

Palpatine would still be speaking to Ben through Snoke, but once again, Ben would not engage with Snoke, as the guidance and love of Luke would give Ben no reason to seek the dark.

Continuing to follow his father's advice, Luke would move on from demonstrating the benefits of the light side, into showing the pain and suffering of the dark. They would explore many dark side shrines like Fortress Vader on Mustafar and the former Imperial Palace on Coruscant.

Luke's confidence in his students allowed him to show off these dark side locations, without fear of them being corrupted. Because Luke realized the failure of the Republic era Jedi laid within their arrogance and closed mindedness, he didn't want his students to fall into the same trap. He firmly believed that while only the Light Side should be utilized, all aspects of the force should be recognized.

As they became closer, Ben opened up to Luke about Snoke. Ben explains that ever since he could remember, Snoke has been by his side as “a friend” when his parents became distant towards him, Snoke was there. When Luke was focusing on more than himself, Snoke was there. But because Luke has shown the love and affection he’s always craved from his family, he no longer feels the need to seek Snoke out.

Because Snoke's attempts to turn Ben to the dark side were now known to Luke, Ben was able to talk about it and release his frustrations. This allowed Luke to make adjustments to his teaching style and repair the shortcomings of the previous Jedi Code.

Luke would take the time to set up a meeting between Ben, Han and Leia. Ben would express how much it hurt that they sent him away. Han and Leia explains they genuinely thought sending him to Luke was the best way to help him. Leia felt Snoke from the moment Ben was born and when he came of age, knew Luke would be able to train and protect Ben. Leia would tell Ben. “Your father and I loved you so much. We were so caught up in our work that we couldn’t be there as much as we wanted to. Sending you away was our biggest mistake as parents. We are so sorry.” and then Ben would hug his parents showing that he’s forgiven them and moves on with Luke and the Jedi. Leia and Han would be permitted to send holovids to communicate with Luke and Ben.

Before Ben could move on, he would need to apologize and make up with his fellow Jedi Tai, Hennix and Voe. Ben would apologize for his arrogance/superiority complex and would from now on view his fellow Padawans as his friends. This is a fresh start for the group.

Luke would be using his outings to these dark side locations with Ben as a means to find the Sith Wayfinders, believing they would lead back to the origin of Snoke. Although this was unknown to Ben. Luke hoped to find the true identity of Snoke and eliminate him before he had the chance to turn Ben or any of his students.

Ben decided that the Knights Of Ren must be stopped once and for all. Ben gets together Tai, Voe and Hennix together. The mission in ending the Knights Of Ren was a success. The Padawans would now be Knighted as Jedi Knights

Luke decides to take only Ben with him on this extremely important mission. Although he believes the other students would be capable facing Snoke together, this was a job for Luke and Ben alone.

Ben uses his contact with Snoke to gain access to the second Sith Wayfinder, manipulating him into giving more information about his origin.

The pair travel across the galaxy until they are forced to stop on Naboo because of damage to their ship. Upon their arrival, they are greeted by the Queen Of Naboo and sent to their quarters while repairs are made on their ship. Luke and Ben both sense a significant dark side presence on the planet, drawing them towards a small home in the capital city of Theed. Although the pair are reluctant, they have no choice but to investigate this dark side presence

Feint howls could be heard and a cool chill swept across the street they were walking on. They knew they were at the right location, despite it looking like a completely normal house, the same as any other on the street, it was ravaged by the presence of the dark side of the force, radiating pain through the bodies of Luke and Ben. Ben proceeds to destroy the door with a swift kick, unleashing a scream from the rear of the house. This scream didn't come from a person, but a disturbance in the force. As the pair meandered around the house, they were bathed in the dark side. A familiar voice filled Luke's head, bringing back painful memories of his past. This was the home of the most powerful Sith Lord of all time, Darth Sidious.

Emperor Palpatine's home was left untouched from the moment he left, after killing his parents and taking the apprenticeship of Darth Plagueis. Ben was unaware of the true wickedness of Palpatine in his prime, but could recognize the shocked look on Luke's face. For a Jedi Master of such power to be left stunned meant this man had to have had some extreme significance in his life.

The pair quickly break open the basement door with their lightsabers, entering the smoky room. A bright red light emanates from the far corner, giving off a dark side hum. It was the final Sith Wayfinder they needed to find and confront Snoke himself.

With the Wayfinder in hand, they rushed outside the gloomy dwelling, returning to their quarters, awaiting their ship's repair. Although Luke was very concerned that the path to Snoke was contained within the former house of the Emperor, he did not yet realize that it was Palpatine pulling the strings. He thought his encounter with Palpatine on the second Death Star was the end of his story.

As the pair awoke the next morning, they were ready to finally face their dark opponent. With their ship repaired and the Sith Wayfinder complete, a course was set for the Unknown Regions world of Exegol.

Luke had only heard rumors of there being a Sith homeworld in the Unknown Regions, but this confirms it. Ben meditated on the journey, hoping to further strengthen his connection to the light side, in preparation for their battle with Snoke.

As their ship moves into the nebulous atmosphere of Exegol, they struggle to land on the treacherous planet, as their navigation systems and rear engines are fried by the electromagnetic pulses. They enter the Sith temple, the same way Kylo Ren did in the original timeline.

To their shock and surprise, the two are greeted by Snoke. But not in the way that they were expecting. They were met by 500 Snokes. Each one in separate jars, the same ones we see in the original timeline.

The realization sweeps over Luke, as he now accepts that Snoke was simply a clone being controlled by Emperor Palpatine.

Ben and Luke rush through the laboratory, shattering every single jar that contained a clone of Snoke. The room was quickly bathed in an increasingly red mist.

Many questions flooded over Luke about how this could be possible. How did Palpatine survive? How is he able to Clone Force Sensitive beings? Why has he chosen Exegol over Morraband? During the process of destroying these jars, Sith Eternal cultists, each with their own shade of Red Lightsaber, surround Luke and Ben. They valiantly fight the cultists, eventually coming back to finish off the leader.

The Leader of the Sith Eternal Cultists would reveal himself as the Snoke who had been in contact with Ben from the moment he was born. Snoke takes out a Black Lightsaber. Ben and Luke combine their strength to fight Snoke. Snoke is powerful, but is taken down to the combined might of master and student.

An ominous cackle can be heard from the shadows. Luke knows this laughter. He knows the person waiting in the shadows to take his revenge for the events that occurred on the second Death Star. The Stage has now been set for the duel that was always meant to be.

Palpatine drains what’s left of the Sith Eternal and the Snoke clones to revitalizes himself. This is enough to contend with Luke and Ben

Luke and Palpatine are evenly matched, but Luke cannot continuing countering his SIth Lightning.

Palpatine has Luke at his mercy and has full intention of finishing what he started 30 years ago. What Palpatine did not count on was Ben. The boy he thought was a lost cause and thought Snoke killed him, rises and stabs Palpatine in the back. Ben grabs Luke’s Lightsaber and uses both lightsabers to finish Palpatine once and for all. Finally, the voices have stopped.

“Uncle, it’s over.” “I’m proud of you Ben.”

The First Order is still a thing. With no Snoke or Palpatine, Rae Sloane is in control of The First Order.

With Luke learning from the mistakes from the old Jedi Order, The Jedi Order is detached from the New Republic. Leia can use this since The New Republic still refuse to do anything about The First Order

The Jedi will be there for any reports or rumors about The First Order. Any raids to abduct children is prevented. Project Resurrection is an absolute failure.

Tai and Voe rescues Finn just in time, but are unable to save his family. Finn is taken in and becomes a Jedi. Voe is Finn’s master

Ben is called by the force to go to Jakku. There he finds Rey. Ben convinces Rey to leave with him and become a Jedi. Ben takes it upon himself to take Rey as his apprentice. Rey and Ben would’ve been bonded by the force through training and even find love with each other.

Palpatine and Snoke are no more and so is the dark hold that almost consumed Ben Solo. The First Order never become anything more than a fringe terrorist movement. Ben never turns. Han and Leia never break up. The Jedi and New Republic stand triumphant. Ben, Rey, Finn, Tai and Voe all rise as Jedi Knights!

This is what I think could’ve been if Ben never turned

#Star Wars #Ben Solo #Luke Skywalker #Reylo #Rey #Han Solo #Leia Organa #Anakin Skywalker #Obi Wan Kenobi #Finn

12 notes · View notes

cursed-ice-spirits · 3 years

Text

HPMA PROFILE: ASTRID REES

Profile Template by @hogwartsmystory (I’M SORRY FORGOT TO CREDIT YOU)

IDENTITY

Birth Name: Astrid Lord

Current Name: Astrid Rees

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Birth Date: October 10th, 1993

Species: Metamorphmagus

Blood Status: Half-blood

Sexuality: Lesbian

Alignment: True Neutral

Ethnicity: Vietnamese / Greek

Nationality: Greek

Residence: Ipswich, England

THE MAGE

Wand:

Hornbeam.

Dragon heartstring

14 inches

Pliable

Hornbeam selects for its life mate the talented witch or wizard with a single, pure passion, which some might call obsession - more kindly - vision, which will almost always be realized. Hornbeam wands adapt more quickly than almost any other to their owner’s style of magic, and will become so personalized, so quickly, that other people will find them extremely difficult to use even for the most simple of spells.

Hornbeam wands likewise absorb their owner’s code of honor, whatever that might be, and will refuse to perform acts - whether for good or ill - that do not tally with their master’s principles. A particularly fine-tuned and sentient wand.

Animagus: N/A

Misc Magical Abilities:

Caldwell Veer - Ability to HOST spirits. Spirits can possess her partially and fully and speak through her, even use her body regardless if she gives permission or not, and she is 100% aware of what’s happening when she’s possessed. This is more of a passive ability than anything without the spirit magic, and is more likely to work against her than work with her. While Perseus and Theseus can protect her from spirits with horrible intentions just fine, if she is without the control of her body for too long, she can be more vulnerable, and her Greek ancestors can often… get carried away while controlling her body.

Boggart Form: Herself staring out blankly with hollow eyes. She’s not doing anything. She’s not saying anything. She’s just standing there, like a husk.

Riddikulus Form: Laughter. Laughter spilling out from herself, eyes glinting, strong and proud. And in control of herself. Laughter, as she spun around and danced with glee

Amortentia: (What do they smell like?) Raspberries, roses and chamomile

Amortentia: (What do they smell?) Strawberries, honeycomb, lemon cheesecake, thyme and freshly cut grass

Patronus: Drakon

Patronus Memory: Unknown.

Mirror of Erised: A family that actually loves her

Specialized/Favourite Spells:

Non-verbal magic. Mute.

Curabitur verbum, a spell she created herself to summon words above her head to translate her sign language

Ebublio, learned as a just in case, and in an attempt to destroy a horcrux

Nebulus, learned to conceal her from sight if she ever needs to make a quick get-away

Relashio, learned because she hated being grabbed and will use it without hesitation

Sonorous, learned to project her classmates’ rude words and get them in trouble

APPEARANCE

Faceclaim: Veronica Ngo (base for artbreeder)

Voiceclaim: Phillipa Soo

Game Appearance: N/A

Height: 6’2

Weight: 170 pounds

Physique: Tall and lean, with muscles as someone who specializes with dual swords. She’s strong, and it shows. (varies as a metamorphmagus)

Eye Colour: Black, shining blue in the light (varies as a metamorphmagus)

Hair Colour: Black (varies as a metamorphmagus)

Skin Tone: Light tan (varies as a metamorphmagus)

Body Modifications: Ear piercings on both earlobes and three helix piercings. The helix piercings are gold bands that curl around her ear and the piercings on her ears are intricate crystals.

Scarring: A large V-shaped scar on her back, and a scar over her right eye

Inventory:

Wand

Wood Carving tools

Thick sticks of wood

A knife

Two gold rings that can turn into her swords

A rose pin with a hidden knife

A handkerchief that she never touches with her bare hands

A hand mirror

Fashion: Black and red. She dresses like a goth, with ripped leggings and black attire, chokers, spikes, boots, and fingerless gloves. She wears bits of red, but her most obvious red clothing is her flannel, which she wears around her waist during hot weather. She would go for more simple and practical black clothing if she is in a school or home setting, but will relax into a more intricate clothing if placed in a formal and fancy setting. It is noted that she will never wear colors other than red, as she thinks it doesn’t fit her.

ALLEGIANCES

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Ilvermorny House: Horned Serpent

Affiliations/Organizations:

Slytherin House

Chosens by Aphrodite

Olympia School of Magic (school by @kathrynalicemc)

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Professions:

Undecided

HOGWARTS INFORMATION

Class Proficiencies:

Astronomy: E

Charms: E

DADA: O

Flying: O

Herbology: A

History of Magic: E

Potions: E

Transfiguration: O

Electives:

Magical Theory: O

Ancient Runes: O

Quidditch: Chaser

Extra Curricular:

Quidditch

Gladiator Dueling Club (formerly; in Olympia)

Arts Club

Dungeons and Dragons club

Favourite Professors: N/A. No opinion

Least Favourite Professors: N/A. No opinion

RELATIONSHIPS

Father: Jacob Vincent Lord

Pureblood

Slytherin

Black hair, black eyes, light tan skin

Natural Legilimens

Researcher in mind magic and legilimency. Isolated himself away because of what happened during school, and handed the family to Rebecca.

Conceived her one day when he was venturing in Greece and had a one-night stand with a greek woman, who abandoned her at an orphanage

He has no idea of her existence. It is only when she showed up out of nowhere that he knew. He does try to be there but Astrid is distrustful of everyone around her so it’s awkward

Mother: Unknown Greek Woman

Jacob does not remember much about the women he conceived Astrid with, but he did remember she was a beautiful woman with dark brown curly hair and tan skin

Her intentions of abandoning Astrid at the orphanage are largely unknown, regardless if it’s good or bad but nonetheless, she was left there.

There is not much known about her, but what is known is that she is from a bloodline of two Greek heroes in greek myths, Perseus and Theseus, son of Zeus and Poseidon respectively

It is unknown where this woman is right now, but Astrid does not want to meet her, so it’s unlikely she ever will.

Love Interest: N/A

Best Friends: N/A

Rival: N/A

Enemy: Velia Caldwell and her followers

Dormmates: N/A

Pets: None

Closest Canon Friends: TBD

Closest MC Friends: None so far but do let me know if you want to be. Fair warning, it will take a while for Astrid to warm up to you

BACKGROUND/HISTORY

Before you get to know Astrid, you must get to know her father. Jacob Lord, the man who got expelled while searching for the fabled Cursed Vaults. Despite years after the Cursed Vaults were long broken, the trauma was still there, of being stuck in the portrait and putting his sister in danger. So, for the next few years after his sister graduated, he chose to isolate himself

His sister handed the Head position to him until he returned, and one of the places he went to clear his head was Greece. While at a bar, he met a woman that will later become Astrid’s mother. Months later, Astrid was born

She was abandoned at an orphanage, and as a child, she was loud and proud, never afraid to speak her mind. She was isolated and a loner, and years of bullying built up layers and layers of trust issues, and rendered herself mute. She stayed at this orphanage until she was old enough to attend Olympia School of Magic. She did not trust anyone, but slowly, slowly, she made herself a home at Olympia.

Until one day, one of the followers of Velia Caldwell traveling in Greece for a mission spotted her. While they can’t take their anger out on Rebecca’s children, they can take their anger out on Jacob’s, and so while she slept, she was taken from her home and to Britain, the memory of her life erased.

Led to believe she was given up to them, she lived in bitterness as she was treated as a weapon. They trained up her powers, and used her to summon spirits to her mind, and as her powers grew, her two ancestors slowly slipped into her mind, until the time was right.

Perseus woke up first, wielding her swords, and used them to cut through and kill. Theseus woke up next, advising her on what to do next. She fled through the floo, carrying the handkerchief the followers insisted on protecting, and landed in Ipswich

Shortly after, she was found by a staff of Hogwarts, and taken to attend Hogwarts, where the events of her meeting her biological family took place

PERSONALITY

Manipulative: In order to survive the orphanage and Velia’s followers, she needed to be manipulative. This is a defining trait of hers, as she puts on layers and layers of masks to hide. She can turn from quiet and calm, to cruel and merciless in seconds. She’s a good liar, and she knows how to use people and get them to do what she wants. Add it to her ability as a metamorphmagus, she can twist people and use them easily. It’s not to say she’s a bad person per se, she’s just a traumatized girl who uses this to defend herself, not that it’s an excuse if she ever hurts someone

Distrustful and Paranoid: With how much she’s been through, it’s honestly no wonder she’s built up trust issues. She doesn’t trust anyone around her, and it’s only after a series of tests that allows her to trust you. She can distrust the right person and be proven of her suspicions… or she distrust the wrong person, and it can lead to consequences

Reclusive: Combined with her trauma and her trust issues, she would rather stay away from people then to interact with friends. She’s quiet and she doesn’t mind being alone. She’s not sullen though, she’s just quiet, and a loner.

Self-Loathing: If there’s anyone Astrid distrusts more than anything, it’s herself. She does not think she deserves to be loved and upon discovering that she’s a lesbian, she believed that she doesn’t deserve that kind of love.

Protective: Those who pushed and pushed to gain her trust proved themselves as trustworthy, and Astrid is protective over these selected few. She keeps them close to her heart, and she can and will fight fiercely for them. But she knows what’s her fight and what’s not.

Intelligent: Astrid is smart. She needed to be. She invented a spell that allows her to communicate with others and she has no hesitation in using the magic she can use and manipulating it to something out of the box. She takes in everything that went unnoticed by everyone else. It’s not like it’s hard. Everyone ignores the quiet person

MISC

As stated before, Astrid is a selective mute. She doesn’t like to talk and prefers not to. She communicates through sign language, which she later makes a spell to help translate it.

Astrid struggles at magic. When it comes to a real fight, she’s more likely to use her swords or base her magic around them. Her grades are what they are because she worked to get them where they need to be but in reality she’s only average.

When it comes to learning new spells, she will have to practice them over and over again in order to get a handle on how they work, and due to being mute, she’s a master at non-verbal magic, so if she masters a certain spell, she can cast it without a sound or warning.

She’s ingenious enough to create a spell, but she needed the magic to make it work, so therefore she’s jealous of anyone who can get it on the first try.

She learned her skills in sword fighting from the gladiator duels at her former school and although her memories of her former life were erased, her body still remembers how to use her swords and she won’t forget it if she continues to polish it up. It’s her proudest skill

Her ancestors can only speak through her, not to her, and because she is very aware of what happens around her when she’s possessed, they often take over her body to advise her. Due to being children of Zeus and Posiedon, they would often argue over what’s best for her, and the constant switching of control leads to horrible headaches.

She hated her will being taken from her. It’s her biggest fear. That one day, it’ll be taken from her too long that she will forever become a husk, as that’ll happen if she’s not in control for far too long.

Astrid is noted to look a lot like her father, a fact that she resents once she finds out, not because she hated her father but because she couldn’t bear looking like someone who she believed had left her all alone. Once she finds out that he didn’t, she grows into it as time passes by. Her looks are the main reason how her biological family came to know who she is.

She has a wood carving hobby. She likes playing with her carving knife when she’s bored and when she’s struck with inspiration she can be seen whittling away at some wood. That’s why she carries it around.

Interested in Ancient Greece for very obvious reasons

The moment Rebecca saw her, she knew she’s Jacob’s daughter and was furious that he let her grow up without a family, as he knew what an impact it had on her. When Astrid is settled, Rebecca set off ready to make a man regret being born, only to realize he didn’t know

When it comes to her manipulation and masks, think of Claude from Three Houses, except she’ll be wearing a different type of mask, but the intention of appearing as someone you aren’t stays . Generally, she’s quiet (obviously) and she can be helpful, but she’s aloof. Of course, that is but a mask. Get past one and you’ll know she’s bitter, and she’ll want you to stay away from her. Get past another, you’ll know she’s a lot softer than you think.

#magic awakened #harry potter magic awakened #hpma #hpma oc #profile #astrid rees #i know she has a different tag but whatever #anyway guess who decided to make another hpma oc and revived an olympia oc of mine? :D this bitch #this surprisingly didn't take too long but that's bc most of her backstory was already written up in my head #i'm wondering if you guys can see the little hints i threw in bc i laughed while creating her. only one knows and she's not here #anyway here's astrid!! my bby

16 notes · View notes

mystical-flute · 3 years

Text

Uncharted Waters (ch 4)

AO3 || Ko-Fi

She wasn’t brought to the dining room the next morning. Instead, Croquet brought her breakfast in her room.

And the uncomfortable knot in her stomach she’d fallen asleep with only tightened.

As soon as the lock clicked shut again, she glanced over. “Azila?”

“I’m here.”

The ghost - guardian - whatever she was - materialized next to her, floating gently above the ground.

“Were you there last night when Pegasus and I were watching my cousin duel?”

“I was. Why?”

Reika wrapped her fingers around the mug of coffee, trying to get the chill of dread out of her system. “I noticed something odd. Yugi seemed… almost taller. Not actually taller but… he was carrying himself with his poster completely straight. He seemed… confident in himself. I love him, but that’s not exactly what he’s been like.”

“The spirit of the puzzle…” Azila said softly. “I’ll tell you what I know about him.”

She set the coffee mug down and nodded, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“But I caution you, it is not much.”

“How come?”

Azila gazed out the window. “My husband was asked by him to erase all memory of his identity. I was told by Osiris to help guide him to the truth whenever the puzzle was solved, but he did not restore my memories.”

“Well… what is it? Why was he erased from history?”

“There was a war, back when I was alive. He sacrificed himself to save Egypt from destruction. I admit, we destroyed much about the war itself too, so I cannot recall the details, in order to protect ourselves,” Azila looked a little lost in her memories.

Reika frowned a little. “So he’s, what, some ancient Egyptian wizard, or something?”

“He was a noble. High-ranking, if I recall. He and my husband were best friends. It broke his heart to have to erase him from history.”

“Your husband?”

“Yes, Pharaoh Seto.”

The sound of footsteps distracted them, Azila vanishing from view for a moment as the door opened, revealing Kemo with another food cart.

He gave her a delight smirk as he approached, putting the empty plate on the bottom shelf.

“Miss Muto. I’m sorry we didn’t get the chance to talk last night,” he said as he set her food on the table next to her. “I’ve been quite busy with the tournament.”

“Yes, I’m sure kidnapping twelve-year-olds keeps you extremely busy,” she bit out. She ignored the food, taking the glass of wine into her hands. “What are you even doing here? I thought you worked for KaibaCorp.”

“What can I say? Mr. Pegasus has a better healthcare plan.”

“Bullshit.”

Kemo shrugged. “I prefer the new vision for KaibaCorp than the current one. I think that’s fair after working for a kid for three years.”

“You’re a traitor no matter how you try to justify it.”

“And what does it matter to you? You’re just some brat that was lucky to catch Alden’s attention. If it weren’t for him, you would have been thrown out of The Young Five when your mother disappeared,” Kemo sneered.

She tried not to let his words get to her, but she couldn’t stop the tears that sprung to her eyes and the knot that formed in the pit of her stomach.

It was enough for Kemo, who laughed. “But don’t worry, maybe you’ll get another lucky break once Master Pegasus gets his way.”

With that, Kemo swept from the room, the door locking behind him.

Reika set the wine glass back on the table with a shaking hand and lifted the lid of the tray, although she wasn’t very hungry.

“That man was quite cruel…” Azila’s soft voice said from next to her.

“It’s fine,” Reika replied, pushing the salad around her bowl with a fork. “He’s right. I did get lucky. It’s because Mr. Leichter picked me for the Young Five program that I was even able to meet Seto and Mokuba.”

“Who are they?”

“You’ve been talking inside my head for a year and you haven’t seen my memories?”

“I’m merely a guide. I figured it was better to not intrude on your memories.”

Reika looked at her, considering. Yes, it would be easy to agree and block Azila from her mind, but… maybe it’d be easier to just allow the spirit to see who she was. It was easier than saying it out loud, at least.

“It’s okay. If you want to go into my head you can. Seto is my boyfriend. Mokuba is his younger brother. Mokuba is the kid that was dragged in by Kemo last night when Croquet was dragging me back here,” she explained softly. “Seto took over a company from his adoptive father. They make games for children.”

“I assume this ‘takeover’ was not peaceful?”

“His stepfather jumped out the window after he lost. The company originally built tools made for war. Seto hated it and changed it, and it caused a bit of an uproar with some of the employees.”

“Do the rulers not make their own tools for war anymore?” Azila questioned. Her tone seemed annoyed, more than anything.

“Everything is made everywhere, it seems. Some parts are made in Japan, some in the United States,” Reika said, pausing when the ghost seemed confused. “Never mind. My parents wouldn’t tell me much anyway, since I was a kid, and then Leichter shielded me from most of it after they disappeared, and when Seto took over the company… I didn’t bother to ask.”

Azila tilted her head. “Were there other children at this KaibaCorp?”

She paused, setting her empty bowl down on the table. “Each of Gozaburo’s top executives had a child they brought around once in a while. It was called the Young Five Program. We learned about business under them, and Gozaburo was kind enough to pay for dance lessons and music lessons for us.”

“Was this Gozaburo some sort of king?”

Reika snorted, although there was little humor in it. “If anything, he likened himself to a sort of god.”

Azila’s eyes widened. “He wielded such power?”

“Gozaburo was a cowardly fool who liked to talk big,” Reika spat, glancing over at the spirit. “He only thought he had that sort of power, until he was outsmarted at his own game, and erased from this world, like he never existed at all…” she trailed off, suddenly lost in her own memories.

“I feel like you are no longer talking about Gozaburo.”

Her eyes glazed over briefly as she looked at the trees beyond her window. “It’s nothing.”

They were cut off at the sound of footsteps again, Azila disappearing just as Croquet unlocked and opened the door.

“Master Pegasus would like to see you now.”

“What’s with the prisoner treatment, Croquet? I was told I was getting a VIP experience,” she said dryly, following the man back to the too-large room.

“They were Master Pegasus’ orders,” he said simply. “I’m just doing my job.”

“Lots of people just ‘do their jobs’. Doesn’t mean it’s a good thing,” she spat before entering the room and staring down Pegasus, who was looking at her with a smug grin that had her dread returning as she took a seat.

“I hope you slept well, Reika-girl,” he began, sipping at a glass of wine.

“I slept as well as anyone could, given the whole blackmail thing,” she replied.

Pegasus’ face screwed into a pout that seemed unbecoming of a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. “You and Kaiba-boy have such a flare for the dramatics. It really is no wonder you two are together, and trust me, I could be making your little stay here so much worse . But… you and I are friends now, right?”

“Friends don’t blackmail their friends into telling them their deepest, darkest secrets,” she spat. “We aren’t friends.”

“We just got off on the wrong foot is all.”

She reached for the wine glass in front of her. If she could get a bit of a buzz, it might ease her tension. “I have to say, I don’t exactly feel like a VIP… what with being locked in my room all day.”

“I do apologize for that. I had some business to take care of. I believe you’ll be quite interested in what I have to show you.”

Reika quirked a brow, but turned her attention to the screen in front of her, the calm demeanor vanishing instantly.

Her boyfriend and her cousin, already locked in a duel.

“Why are they dueling?”

“The only way into my castle is to win ten star chips. As Kaiba-boy has none, he needed to get some in a hurry. Your cousin was the easiest target,” Pegasus said with a shrug.

There was the sinister tone again, and Reika watched the duel with dread, downing another large gulp of wine.

“If Kaiba-boy wins this duel, he’ll be playing the hero instead of the villain. Aren’t you proud of him?” Pegasus asked.

“Let me guess, the villain is you?” she asked dryly.

“If that’s how you want to look at it, yes. Kaiba-boy certainly seems to think so.”

“With good reason, seeing as you’re helping to stage a coup at his company. Surely, there was a better way to handle this?” she hadn’t exactly taken to the business life Leichter had been trying to teach her about, but hostile takeovers and kidnapping didn’t seem to be the best route.

“What can I say? I love the drama of it all.”

Reika’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t dare say anything further. He still had her grandfather, after all.

“When did Seto get here?” she finally asked quietly.

“Last night.”

More questions filled her head. Did Seto know she was here? Had Yugi told him? Had they managed to come up with a plan to beat Pegasus at his own game?

But no, as the duel continued, it was increasingly clear that there was no secret agreement between them, no master plan to stop Pegasus. Which was probably for the best - Pegasus could read minds, after all.

Except for hers.

If she got the chance to see Yugi or Seto, she knew she’d have to be careful with what she told him. If he faced off against Pegasus, she didn’t want to run the risk of him seeing something he shouldn’t.

Her hands curled into fists on her lap as the duel continued, afraid she would shatter something if she held onto anything.

And then, she watched in horror as Seto backed up to the ledge of the castle, taunting Yugi about the shockwaves that could push him off and into the forest below.

Bile rose in her throat.

There would be no winner of this duel.

She watched Yugi suddenly return to normal, calling off the attack right before it was too late, forfeiting the duel. She wasn’t mad at either of them - she couldn’t be. They were both pawns in a twisted game.

“Well, that was quite an exciting duel, wouldn’t you agree, Reika-girl?”

“No, I wouldn’t,” she rasped. She couldn’t muster the energy for anger at this point.

“Mm, well, all the same. I think it’s time we congratulate the winner before the next duel starts, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

Pegasus grinned as he rose to his feet. “Why, I’ll be dueling Kaiba-boy next, of course. And it wouldn’t be right of me to not allow you to see him after so long. Consider it a gift from a friend.”

“Allowing me to see my boyfriend. You must be the best friend I’ve never had,” she spat, standing on weak legs and following Pegasus out of the room.

Seto stood at the beginning of a long hallway, a sign pointing toward a duel arena just behind his shoulder. His face was twisted into one of pure loathing, which turned into confusion as he spotted her.

“Kaiba-boy, what a match! I knew that fire was still in you!” Pegasus said, pointedly ignoring Reika’s presence.

“Let’s just get this over with. I have a brother and a company to save,” Seto’s voice was nothing but venom.

Pegasus rolled his eyes. “You and your dramatics. I know our deal. I’ll be dueling you soon enough, but there are some things I need to prepare in the arena first. I’ll give you time to get reacquainted with Reika-girl, hmm?”

He sauntered off, leaving the two alone.

She closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms tight around him. For a second, it was like nothing was wrong, that they were just hugging each other because it had been a year since she’d been in his arms. But that bliss didn’t last when she realized she was shaking.

“Reika… what are you doing here?”

“He invited me to be a VIP, but Seto, he’s got my grandfather hostage, and… he knows about us.”

“Wh - you mean about us dating?”

She nodded. “He read Mokuba’s mind,” she mumbled into his shoulder.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You’ve known me for six years. You think I’d lie about something like that?” she scoffed, pulling back.

“I think he’s just messing with your head. Trust me, it’s what he does,” Seto said, cupping her cheek. His eyes were a brilliant shade of blue that showed his ire toward Pegasus, and yet a flicker of fear just beneath the surface. “I’m going to beat him.”

She wanted to scream that there was a very, very high chance that he would not , but she didn’t have the energy to argue, instead she nodded in agreement. “I know.”

Lie.

Seto’s thumb stroked her cheek gently, before he bent to kiss her. As soon as his lips met hers, she melted into the touch, gripping his jacket tight in her fists. It was a kiss of passion, of everything she wished she could say but couldn’t.

“Oh, young love is such a beautiful thing.”

They broke apart, but Seto’s grip tightened against her back, pulling her closer against his chest as he stared coldly at Pegasus. “Are we dueling or not?”

Pegasus smirked, watching them with a critical gaze. “Of course we are. You can head to the arena whenever you’re ready. Croquet, please escort Reika-girl to the balcony so she can watch the duel.”

It felt like she was walking to a funeral.

“Reika!” Yugi called.

She forced a smile, forced her face to be calm, and prayed her eyes weren’t giving her away. “Hey Yugi,” she said, glancing over at the trio of not-duelists. “I thought you told me your friends weren’t allowed to come?”

“Pegasus made an exception,” Tristan said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Reika quirked a brow. “You snuck on the boat, didn’t you?”

Tristan pulled a face. “What? No don’t be ridiculous Reika! We’re VIP’s, just like you!”

She deadpanned. “Uh-huh. Well, far be it from me to tell you off for sneaking in somewhere.”

“What do you mean?”

She shrugged casually, leaning against the railing. “My friend Sanji and I snuck into a 21-and-over casino when I was still in the States.”

“You did what?!” Yugi snapped.

“It was fine, Yugi, don’t worry about it,” she said dismissively.

Lie.

It had been an infiltration mission. She had mingled on the casino floor to get intel while Sanji had gone deep underground to find their friends that had been taken hostage. She had gotten into an altercation with Miss All-Sunday of Baroque Works, and the night had ended with Luffy nearly being buried alive in the Alabastan desert.

Yugi gave her a look that said he didn’t quite believe her, but didn’t push the subject further. Instead, he turned toward the tall blonde woman that had come in with them. “Reika, this is Mai Valentine. She’s one of the competitors here and she helped us out a lot!”

Reika smiled. “Hey, nice to meet you. I’m Reika Muto, Yugi’s cousin.”

“So you’re the famous Reika I’ve heard so much about this weekend. It’s nice to meet you,” Mai replied with a smile, shaking her hand.

“Attention: The exhibition match between Seto Kaiba and Maximillion Pegasus is about to begin,” Croquet’s voice suddenly cut through.

“Who are we supposed to root for?” Joey muttered.

Tristan frowned. “Can they just destroy each other?”

“Tristan, that’d mean we lose the one chance we have of saving Mr. Muto!” Bakura’s voice was nothing short of horrified. “I think all we can do is pray Pegasus doesn’t make any dirty tricks like he did with Yugi…”

“That might be wishful thinking…” Téa said quietly as Pegasus entered the arena and began making a fuss about the disks Seto had brought with him. When he called out for Mokuba, Reika’s heart stopped.

He’d gotten to Mokuba too.

She knew the duel was over before it even started.

“This is so messed up…” Téa whispered, Mokuba led away. “Why would he do something like this?”

“Because he has no soul,” Reika muttered. “This is going to be a disaster.”

The duel - if it could even be called that after one duelist read the others’ mind until they ran out of moves - was a bloodbath, and Seto ran out of cards in only a few turns.

“Well Kaiba-boy, it looks like I’ve won the duel and your company. But don’t worry, you’ll see your brother again,” Pegasus pulled an empty card out of his jacket pocket, and she had to force herself not to jump across the chasm, Croquet’s gun be damned.

Seto’s eyes flickered up at her a second before they became dull and listless. Hollow.

“Teach him to wash dishes or something!” Pegasus sneered as guards came to lead Seto away.

She hung her head, swallowing back the bile that kept threatening to overtake her. It wouldn’t be that hard to get to Pegasus. With Yugi and the others now in the castle, she doubted she would be watched and locked away like a prisoner. Surely, she could leave her room whenever she wanted and follow Pegasus wherever he was going. She could use force to get what she wanted.

She’d done it before.

“All he wanted to do was save his little brother… and all I want to do is save Grandpa. This isn’t fair…” Yugi murmured. “Reika…”

“What?” She couldn’t stop her voice from cracking.

“Are you okay?”

It was then she felt six pairs of eyes on her, reality came back into focus, and she stared at them.

Even if she wanted to lie, she knew she couldn’t - she could feel the exhaustion deep in her bones and knew it was probably clear on her face. “No. I’m not okay.”

“You’re upset about Kaiba? Why? He’s - ”

“My friend,” she snapped, staring at Joey with narrowed eyes. “He’s my friend, okay?”

“Kaiba has friends? After everything he’s done?”

Her eyebrow twitched in frustration. “Big talk for someone who bullied my cousin.”

“Wh - ”

“You think I don’t know what you did to Yugi before you magically became his friend?”

Yugi’s eyes widened in confusion. “I - I never told you that, Reika…”

“You didn’t have to. Your classmate Miho is my friend’s little sister. He’s the one that told me,” she explained. “So tell me, Joey, if you can have a friend - especially my cousin - why can’t Seto Kaiba?”

Joey opened his mouth, ready to retort, but Croquet’s gravelly voice cut him off.

“Dinner is served. Please follow me to the dining room.”

“That was an impressive show,” Mai said, slinging her arm around Reika’s shoulders. “But I guess that’s to be expected from anyone who can be friendly with someone like Kaiba.”

A small, genuine laugh managed to escape her. “You just have to know how to deal with him. It’s not that impressive when you’ve been doing it so long. But as for Joey, well…” she shrugged casually, watching the group with Yugi, Joey’s loud voice echoing through the hall. “He’s just lucky I wasn’t there before his transformation from bully to friend.”

“Feisty. I like you. I think we could be good friends.”

“I would like that, Mai,” she said as they took their seats at the long dining table.

Dinner was a blur, and as they were led to the rooms, Yugi followed her straight to hers.

“Reika… can we talk?”

She gave him a tired smile. “Always.”

“I’m scared about tomorrow,” Yugi admitted, sitting on the loveseat. “You know how we talked about our items having ghosts in them?”

She nodded.

“Mine… he… he can do magic. He keeps doing magic. I don’t know how! But the worst part was when he didn’t even flinch at the thought of Kaiba being knocked off a tower during our duel tonight.”

Reika pressed her lips together. “Have you… talked to him?”

“I’m scared to. What if he tries to hurt me?”

She sighed. “Yugi…”

“I’m serious! Dueling can kill people, especially with him around!”

“So don’t wear the puzzle when you duel.”

Yugi looked as if she’d slapped him. “I can’t not wear it! I… feel a bond with it. I don’t know what would happen if I didn’t.”

“Okay, then talk to him.”

“But…”

Reika frowned. “You don’t have many options here, Yugi, especially if you want to be at the top of your game.”

He sighed. “I know… I’m just afraid that dueling is only going to cause more trouble.”

That sparked an idea, and she rose to her feet, going to her bag. “Dueling, huh? Do you have your deck on you?”

“Yeah, why?”

She returned to her chair, setting her own deck on the table between them. “Practice on me. I’m not afraid of you, or the spirit in your puzzle.”

Yugi looked hesitant, but swallowed thickly and pulled out his deck. “A-alright… let’s duel.”

He started off hesitant, but slowly, he came into his own once again, and by the time he’d beaten her, the spirit was smiling, relaxed.

“You see?” she said, taking her cards and shuffling them again. “All you need to do is work together, and you’ll be just fine tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Reika. Goodnight.”

She collapsed onto the bed, her mind whirling

“It’s up to you now, Yugi,” she whispered into the darkness.

#uncharted waters #yugioh #one piece #crossover

3 notes · View notes