#where the mc explained they were a soldier and when you join the army you get assigned pronouns that only soldiers get

[silverskye13]

Will enby Helsknight/trans Tanguish/top surgery scars/stubborn avoidant Welsknight in a gender crisis make it into the main story of RnS? Like, a full acknowledgment of it? Because yes, us on tumblr are aware (and happily bully RnS Wels for it) but I’m curious to how it may be brought up in the main storyline instead of rambles and drabbles. (Don’t get me wrong, those rambles and drabbles are what get me through the day. But my best friend, who isn’t in the MCYT fandom whatsoever, just caught up with RnS and doesn’t use tumblr, and besides spamming her with tumblr posts I wanna know how much I can revel in the glory of the skrunkles with her!)

That is a great question, actually. And the answer is I don't really know.

So this is one of the downsides to writing things chapter by chapter. If I had gone into this going "oh heck yeah they're trans", this would've come up in the plot way sooner. It's nice information 1) for all the trans folks reading and 2) because it has the potential to inform the themes in the narrative. This whole story is about two chief things I think: death [the inevitability of] and identity [what defines you and why]. Why should you care if literally no one else (including the universe) does? That would be so cool to speak about in terms of a trans allegory! Why do you care about gender when it's just one thing in a world of crazy things? Or at the very least, how does it inform your identity? But this is a change I made on a whim suddenly, and I know Exactly Where I Want This Plot To Go, so trans topics and allegories as Plot Points probably won't happen.

On the more technical side of introducing trans characters -- how do you do that without just dropping "oh btw they're trans" in? Like, how do you make it a relevant thing to talk about, that doesn't feel forced or shoehorned in, especially this late in the story? Probably me overthinking, but I read it done wrong so often. It gets tired. And if I ever work on my original stories, there are trans characters in there! If I can figure out how to Do It Well in a fanfic, then I can figure out how to do it in original fiction someday maybe. So I kinda wanna take the introduction seriously? I've actually been thinking about it so much I've thought about rewriting the intro to the next chapter ahaha [it already needs rewritten in general, there's a lot going on, but the intro was going to be Helsknight waking up from something, and he sleeps shirtless, and not addressing top surgery scars then would be kinda silly I think.]

I can say at the very least, Gender Avoidant Wels probably won't factor in the story much. He is a character, but I don't think he'll become Enough of a character to faithfully address something like a trans self discovery arc. At best his issues with gender might be mentioned in passing.

Sorry! I know you probably want a better answer! My answer is basically: I don't know I'm still working on it. I want it to be there, but the capacity it's there is undecided.

That being said, I've been sitting on this glorious ask since the shenanigans started and the temptation to just Do That grows every time I read it:

[manunelle]

MC with an abusive partner {Ikerev/Scenario}

Synopsis: Doesn’t take long for Sirius to realize that something is wrong with the little lady that came from the land above.

Alright, no one asked for this, but I thought about it a week ago and I needed to write it. Some informations before you read it: 

MC is called Alice in this one because I’m lazy af.

She’s 16-19. So, there’s no romance on this house. The guys are like her doting and protective older brothers! 

TRIGGER WARNING: abusive relationship (with age difference), starvation, physical and verbal abuse, vomiting, blood and panic attacks. 

I might do more scenarios about this with the Red Army and the Residents. If you have suggestions, feel free to express your opinion! 

More under the cut! 

·        Doesn’t take long for Sirius to realize that something is wrong with the little lady that came from the land above.

·        She’s always trying to help cleaning the headquarters or to cook their meals, which wouldn’t be a problem if she didn’t start trembling every single time that she asked for orders. Never looking on their eyes, always speaking low and hesitantly, as if fearing them.

·        Sirius try to convince himself that she is simply terrified of the new reality that she found herself in, and it isn’t unlikely, since normal people wouldn’t adjust to such a change in a couple of days. So, he makes his best to create a safe and comfortable place where she can live during her period in Cradle.

·        And everything is great. She smiles, and she likes watching the soldiers’ training, she likes the sweets and pastries that Luka bakes on the kitchen, she has conversations about her country and culture and fooling around with Ray and Fenrir and she has “girl talks” (Seth’s words, not his) with Seth all the time.

·        And she is always following him. To water the flowers. To visit his family’s flower shop. To meet Blanc and Oliver. To visit the Central Quarter. She always one step behind him, like a shadow.

·        And that’s why he knows.

·        That’s why he knows that definitely there’s something wrong with her.

·        From the very beginning, he noticed her strange behaviors, but opted to not point it out, afraid of offending the young lady.

·        Despite eating as much as a human being possibly could, she was thin as a stick. In fact, it looked as if she didn’t even know half of what she was eating, always ending her meals with tearful eyes that were teased by the other residents. She said that their countries’ dishes were too different, that’s all. However, after having a conversation with Blanc, he discovered that was a lie.

·        Alice is always scared. Terrified. Specially of men. Once, she bumped on a soldier that was carrying a pile of plates to the dining room, a shriek leaving her pink lips when the plates shattered on the floor.

·        The scene that happened after was terrifying.

·        “I am sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry!” She cried, her breathing panicked and mismatched. The man tried to reassure her that it was no problem, raising both his hands in the air to comfort her. However, the opposite happened.

·        A horrified scream left her lips, and she fell on the floor, her elbows and knees pressing against the broken glass. Seth and Fenrir moved forward, to help her up, panicking the poor girl even more. Lost in her panic attack, she ended up vomiting that dinner that she just had on the floor, that substance mixing with her blood and tears.

·        The army was on panic.

·        She fell forward, and thanks to Sirius quick-thinking she didn’t hurt her face on the glass. He took her to the infirmary, fixing up her wounds and watching her sleep with a frown on his face.

·        When bandaging her knees, he saw old and disturbing scars along her thighs and legs. No one had been able to notice them due to her long skirt. Until now. And Sirius wasn’t sure if he was glad he had discovered it.

·        When she woke up, the Queen stopped, almost prohibited, her from apologizing for what happened. They stayed silent for a moment, both avoiding the eyes of the other. Until Sirius had enough.

·        “Little lady, you know that you are safe here, right?”

·        She looked at him, confused.

·        “You know that we would never hurt you, right?”

·        She agreed, hesitant.

·        Sirius put a hand on her leg, raising her skirt to her thigh. Alice tensed, fearing for the worst, however, when looking on his dark violet-colored eyes, she found no sign of malice.

·        “You know that we would never do these to you, right?”

·        She looked down, facing the old scars that came with her from the Land of Reason. From her previous life. From her husband. Slowly, tears trailed down her cheeks, an expression of pure anguish on her face.

·        “Tell me.”

·        Between sobs, she proceeded to tell Sirius about her life on the Land of Reason. About how her dream of working on a confectionery came to an end at the age of sixteen, when her parents arranged a marriage for her and a man that was ten years older than her.

·        At first things were okay- the gentleman was kind and friendly, and, despite forcing himself on her and demanding the best of humors from someone that was not really okay with was as going on, things were okay. Until they weren’t.

·        He started prohibiting her from leaving the house. Started choosing what clothes she would use, saying that no one other than himself should see her arms. Started controlling her meals, claiming that she was fat enough as she was. Started declining visits from her friends, explaining that they were to childish and stupid to hold a conversation with a married woman.

·        Things became more extreme after, in a fit of rage, she screamed at him and received a solid slap on her face. He started beating her constantly. Locking her on her room. Starving her. Beating her thighs and behind with a large stick. Shouting at her and humiliating to the point of breaking her.

·        Sirius hold her hand the whole time, comforting and supporting her to continue, to let it out. Once she was done, he dried her tears with a tissue and let her go back to sleep, exhausted from crying so much.

·        Leaving the infirmary, he was met with the faces of five of the chosen thirteen. Ray’s eyebrows were furrowed, his lips curled on disgust. Fenrir had his fists closed, as if ready to punch someone. Luka was leaning against the wall, a somber look on his face. Seth had his arms crossed, his eyes burning with rage.

·        “You can’t expect us to let her go back to that place.” Ray says, his voice hoarse and deep. The other four agree, and Sirius wish he could agree as well, however, there was Lancelot’s repeating threats of war and kidnapping the girl, and the Magic Tower desire to use her on their experiments, and just because the Black Army was a safe place for her, it didn’t mean that the Cradle itself was safe.

·        Thankfully, things turn out alright after they defeated Amon, thanks to an alliance between both armies and the aid of Harr and Loki. Cradle was finally safe.

·        But no one knew how to address the topic of “Hey, Alice, how about you stay here in Cradle with us? :D”.

·        On the night of the full moon, they held a banquet with her favorite plates and desserts, almost making the girl cry from joyful surprise. They ate, and talk, and sing, and bet on who had the upper hand on arm wrestling (of course it was Seth, duh). And she was laughing. Smiling. She didn’t look sad.

·        But they knew better than that.

·        Finally, after serving a slice of cake on a plate and handing it to her, Sirius sit by her side, watching her with a warm smile on his face and ruffling her hair lightly, just like a doting older brother. She stared at him, cheeks full of cake and eyes full of curiosity.

·        “You can stay here, little lady.”

·        She stopped chewing, staring at him with an empty gaze. Sirius felt his heart throb in pain at the sight, and he put a hand on her shoulder, trying to pull her out of her anguish.

·        “We won’t let that man hurt you anymore.”

·        She swallowed, slowly.

·        “No more?”

·        He nodded, circling an arm around her shoulder and hugging her.

·        “You are safe here.”

·        “Safe?” She asked, her voice small and gentle. Sirius heard the table turn silent, the army’s attention on their conversation.

·        “Yes. You are safe here.”

·        It started with sniffles. Then slight sobs that soon turned into heavy ones, accompanied by thick tears. Her shoulders started shaking, and she hid her face with her two hands.

·        “C’mon, my dear Alice! You shouldn’t cry right now. We want to see your pretty smile and that gorgeous light on your eyes when you eat something yummy!” Seth joked, hugging her and patting her back. Still crying, she pressed her face against his shoulder, and he hugged her tighter. “You will waste Luka’s cake like this. I thought it was your favorite?”

·        “Do you not like my cake, Alice?” Luka asked, pretending to be upset.

·        “Uuuuuu, Alice is making Luka cry!” Fenrir chimed in, and Luka looked at him with annoyance.

·        “Your punishment for making Luka cry is another slice of cake, Alice.” Ray joked, stealing the cake that was in front of her, eating it himself.

·        “I’m not crying, though-

·        “C’mon, you guys.” Sirius scolded, caressing her blond hair. “Leave her alone for a moment, would you?”

·        “It’s okay.” She said, finally calming down. Moving away from Seth’s embrace, she dried her tears with a napkin, slowly raising her head. Her eyes and nose were red, and her cheeks were tear stained. Looking on Ray’s direction, she narrowed her eyes.

·        “How dare you steal my cake…”

·        Both start a game of tag, running around the table and fooling around just like little kids, eventually being joined by Fenrir and Seth.

·        Sirius only observes, scolding them with a gentle smile on his face.

[reinbouxsworld]

So if silver is the winter soldier than who would be captain America?

I personally think it could be mc because in the game he said that he knew them from somewhere.

ACTUALLY YES ANON!

If we look at it a little more far, it is curious because Yuu as captain not only makes sense in this way with winter soldier!Silver, but as well as the role he had in the first phase, since Cap guided the avengers in what he believed was the right path till the end, just like Yuu has been doing in a way or other.

This MCU au is has been in my mind for three whole days and while thinking about WS!Silver, it gets me that he and Yuu are somewhat equals but opposites? (I personally see a lot in common between Yuu and Silver in the canon but i can't be sure if it's my mind that just connects little things or if I'm just catching random dots.) Like, He was adopted by Lilia and Malleus as a little human child, because he was abandoned/lost in the woods (if I remember correctly), and Yuu was sent to this new world with absolute no knowledge about it, what we can compare with discovering the world again; and while Silver gets to know about magic and stuff, Yuu is not only lost, or with nothing of they're world, but also magicless. Just Like Bucky and Steve when they were young if we look at the right parallels: the war, the health, Steve has nothing to lose anymore so what guided him was the desire of just doing something.

Yuu has been fighting overblots since they got into twisted wonderland, but since MC in the ame is mostly true neutral at the situations, I take the lead that anyone in their position would feel a little powerless as the pattern keeps repeating over and over again.

I see once that in the scene Bucky tells Steve where he got allocated, he's actually afraid, but he looks up and makes it look cool, because it's what Steve wants, the only thing he wants and can't have. And I can see Silver doing this, especially if he's close to Yuu as Steve and Bucky. We know very little about him compared to other characters, but it's basically canon that Silver is one of the coolest and possibly kindest and trustworthy guys in NRC (the >>animals<< trust him c'mon)

So looking directly from The First Avenger what we get is:

Yuu wants to help in the war but they can't because of their fragile health, but their best friend, Silver, successfully joins the army. While celebrating Silver last night at the exhibition of future technologies, Yuu again attempted to enlist, and they're ending getting a little discussion in with Yuu says of they big desire of helping their country in the war (Steve originally says only "represent"). Later, with the help of the eccentric Dr. Crowley, Yuu gets to enlist. From there the story gets to move on just like in the movie without further problems (but i can't see someone directly as Peggy since she's a big spot not only for Steve but for the future SHIELD as well).

Sorry for the big text!!! I got really excited thinking bout this, I really enjoy the mcu since I basically grow up watching the movies!

And thank you for the ask anon😭💜💜 I try the best I could to explain my theory(?) but feel free to ask more if something is confusing! It was so fun connect things that I'm looking forward to do more of this au. (~‾▿‾)~

[write-a-bad-romance]

Two Hares Running Side by Side [Part I]

Characters: Jean d’Arc, Napoleon Bonaparte, Sebastian, Comte de Saint-Germain, minor characters adapted from historical figures

Pairings: Napoleon x MC, Napoleon x Jean, Sebastian x Saint-Germain (main)

Words: 2939

Their first encounter was twelve years ago, in a training and recruitment camp in the east. 

It was a slow and uneventful afternoon. Leon yawned as he watched sons and young fathers line up at the administration table, each of them carrying a conscription letter with their respective names. 

The prolonged war had taken too many of their older, more capable men. Leon snorted at the sight of snot-faced, butterfingered lads not even old enough to venture far from their parents' farm. 

Nothing had been amiss until he heard his sergeant, Sebastian, arguing with some country boy.

The boy was about his height, clearly younger by a good four years and too ethereally pretty to join the army. His expression was nonchalant, and Leon noted the same lack of enthusiasm in his baritone voice. 

"The letter clearly called for Jacques d'Arc, a veteran. You are clearly not him. What's your name, boy?" Sebastian inquired. The word "boy" did not suit his actual, affable demeanor in the slightest.

"Jean d'Arc, Sir. I've come in my elderly father's place as my brothers are unsuitable to partake on the journey to camp," The boy explained levelly. "I just turned seventeen this summer, Sir."

Leo stared at the pale boy. Broad shoulders, a sharp contrast to his ridiculously modest waist, and long legs leaner than an average man's. 

If this was what a farm boy was supposed to look like, Leon wasn't impressed. They were drafting soldiers to fight off the goddamned Holy Roman Empire, not chevalier servants for a house of pleasures.

Napoleon's patience grew thin. He disappeared between the encampment's gates, not bothering to see the end of Sebastian's quarrel with the dispassionate recruit.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The haughty farmboy turned out to be one of his cadets in the artillery. 

He wasn't half-bad, Leon supposed. The boy was clearly a quick study and obedient, to boot. Somewhat distant from his fellow trainees, but still handy nonetheless.

D'Arc clearly preferred the company of horses, as Leon came to learn when he found the latter loitering around the stables. The unwitting boy was gingerly brushing Leon's beloved mare, Angé.

Napoleon cleared his throat. "You do know it's my horse you're brushing, don't you, soldier?"

Jean d'Arc started at the sound of Leon's voice. Even so, he didn't stutter. "Forgive me. I hadn't been aware."

But Napoleon signaled him to stay at ease, seeing how easily Angé leaned into his touch. No doubt a skill he brought from home. 

"I couldn't resist approaching such a magnificent horse," d'Arc spoke to Leon's surprise. "Such a gentle steed."

“Tame” wasn't the right word Leon would use when describing Angé, especially not regarding how she'd usually react to new faces. "Did you bribe her with a carrot?"

Leon was joking, but Jean answered him like his entire month's salary depended on his answer. "No, sir. It was an apple I offered instead. Although this time, I had been meaning to give her a carrot." The dark-haired youth answered, holding out a spindly carrot for Leon to inspect.

Napoleon couldn't help but chuckle. "I hope you didn't steal that from the kitchen."

"No, sir. I procured this out of my own pocket." Jean replied earnestly as if the dark brown mare wasn't trying to chew on his uniform shoulder.

It was dangerous for Napoleon to allow himself to laugh. There was no stopping him once he laughed, Sebastian once said. In the end, Leon only smirked and turned to exit the stables. "If I had known you were this skillful at handling horses, I would have turned you over to Cavalry instead."

There was a solemn glint in d'Arc's eyes, one Napoleon couldn't find in himself to ridicule. 

"I enjoy being in the artillery, sir." Sharp, once-glazed iolite eyes held Leon's gaze. "There is so much I have yet to learn."

And master, Leon wanted to add. Given time and the opportunity, it's intelligent men like d'Arc who were quick to advance in the military.

"Is that so? Good to hear." Leon replied, just as sincere. "We're glad to have you."

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

True to Leon's word, d'Arc scaled the ranks in no time. He was promoted to Sergeant Major, just as Leon himself rose to Second Lieutenant.

It had been a snowy night when Leon and the now-Adjutant Sebastian were making their way to their temporary base, located not too far from the town’s business district. The streets were relatively quiet, save for the distant jeers and shouts of soldiers making merry in brightly lit taverns.

The lanterns reminded Leon of Paris, of home. Of the face of his mother and siblings.

And of his fiancé with strawberry blonde locks, who is no doubt currently enjoying the holidays with her family, waiting for him to arrive home.

"Everybody seems quite spirited, aren't they?" Sebastian smiled fondly. "I mean, literally.

Napoleon didn't answer. He was too absorbed watching black figures dance on the light pouring from the door of a tavern. They reminded him of a shadow play he watched once in Paris with his fiancé

Which meant he was caught off guard when a body was flung to his side from the open door. He struggled to maintain his footing as he propped the other man.

Only to be met by a familiar face, now flushed red from drinking.

"D'Arc!" Leon exclaimed, "You frightened me! Are you alright, man?"

Judging from the sweat clinging to his skin (despite it being midwinter) and his vehement groans, it became evident that d'Arc was far from alright.

They were soon joined by d'Arc's friends: fellow officers whom Leon quickly recognized as the three young nobles who constantly hung around the farm boy for some reason.

"Jean! Where are you— ack, Second Lieutenant Bonaparte! Forgive us! We didn't mean to—" One of the lads shrieked. What was his name? d'Alencon? "See, see? This is why we shouldn't have forced him to drink!"

Leon glared at his subordinates. "You made your friend overdrink?! Why?"

Sebastian glanced back-and-forth anxiously as a burly man with raven hair stepped forward. "We didn't mean to, sir. D'Arc's birthday is approaching, and we thought about celebrating since we may not be able to get off camp by then." He explained.

"D'arc birthday? Oof!" Leon grunted as he felt Jean slipping from his side and onto the cobblestones. "That is still no reason to make your friend this intoxicated. If this were the barracks, I'd have all of you thrown out and never mind your parents!" he barked. 

D'Alencon piped up. "It was a small pint, sir. Jean went down immediately after that one shot."

Leon's bewilderment was cut short as he felt d'Arc's breath caressing the side of his exposed neck. The Second Lieutenant nearly yelped and threw d’Arc off if it wasn’t for the vice-like grip on his waist.

"If you'd allow us, sir." Another dark-haired youth approached to pry d'Arc off Leon. "We'll take him back inside."

But d'Arc's iron hold on Leon proved too much for both men (three, as Sebastian rushed to their aid). Napoleon let out a defeated laugh as d'Arc only clung tighter to his victim. 

Sebastian eyed Napoleon with a look that said well, he's your problem now.

The unconscious d' Arc somehow managed to climb even higher and grunted audibly against Leon's ear. The sound sent shivers down Leon's spine.

"So, what do we do now?" d'Alencon asked.

"Get him to the base," Leon breathed laboriously. "Let Saint-Germain treat him."

It was overkill for a drunk soldier, but d'Arc was no ordinary drunk. Leon feared the inebriated youth might get himself into trouble if they let him loiter outside the base

And, God forbid, do something that will besmirch their corps' name.

Leon looped one of d'Arc's arms behind his neck as he held the sergeant-major's ridiculously thin waist close. "Leave this to us. We're taking him back to the Doctor. Don't try anything else and report to me in the morning." He informed the officers, all of whom reacted differently: d'Alencon with wide panicked eyes, the tall, dark man who stayed silent (he was clearly drunk), and the quiet one, who regarded the commotion with well, silence.

"We'll take it from here then," Sebastian hurriedly added. "If you'll excuse us, gentlemen."

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

It didn't take long before the trio finally reached the base. By now, Leon had resorted to piggybacking d'Arc as the latter suddenly seemed to have lost every bone in his (surprisingly light body).

"Friends, they say." Leon heaved. "And they don't even accompany us back to base."

"There's not much to do at the base if they choose to return," Sebastian answered. "And they're still afraid of you."

"Me? Do I still come off as threatening?" Leon laughed. It felt like ages since he last barked orders on the field to the then-recruits. Now, they were officers with a third of his burden and responsibilities.

Someday, they'd be in his shoes too, growing older as the never ending war raged on. Ah, how time flew.

"Not as my long-time friend, no." Sebastian giggled. "You don't often show your friendlier side these days. Imagine your subordinate's shock if they found out you're a charismatic, passionate man who laughs, eats, and speaks as if every moment was a gift."

Napoleon smiled at the dove-haired man.

"So, like a normal man?" He chuckled. "You flatter me too much, Sebastian."

It was the increasing body count. It was the uncertainty one faced before heading off to battle, and not knowing whether it would be their remains that would be scattered across the fields the next minute.

"At least you're with me from the start, Sebastian. That's all I could ask,"

was all Napoleon could manage. It elicited a hearty laugh from his best friend.

"Save those words for your fiancé, Monsieur Bonaparte," Sebastian grinned. "You're making me fall for you all over again."

The Corsican grimaced, and both men continued their walk through the military complex, which was dead silent as a cemetery.

They managed to reach d'Arc's quarters, which he shared with d'Alencon after clambering through several corridors and a flight of stairs.

"You, get Saint-Germain or anybody else who's still around." Leon panted after he successfully hoisted d'Arc's body onto the bed. "Remember, time of the essence. No fooling around with the good doctor."

"Didn't expect you to say that," Sebastian grinned. "But you can count on me."

"You, get Saint-Germain or anybody else who's still around." Leon panted after he successfully hoisted d'Arc's body onto the bed. "Remember, time of the essence. No fooling around with the good doctor."

"Didn't expect you to say that," Sebastian grinned. "But you can count on me. I’ll be right back." And with that, he disappeared.

If he were shameless, Leon would have joined d'Arc on the bed beside him. But not even exhaustion could conquer the Corsican, and so Leon sat straight-legged by the foot of the bed. 

D'Arc's side of the room was as bare as bones, Leon noticed. There was the Holy Book on the bedside drawer and a gold rosary, but not much else.

"I wonder what your family would think if they caught their good, Christian son drinking until he's plastered." Leon chuckled to himself. "You'd be in so much trouble."

Leon's idle hand groped around until he felt a piece of paper under his palm. Picking it up, he recognized it as a manual on newly produced cannon types, which he penned.

Around the illustrations and diagrams were d'Arc's chicken-foot scribbles, cramped next to each other until there was barely any space left on the paper.

Like his former fellow cadets, he too had grown.

Leon sighed and leaned against the bed, gazing at the ceiling. This year marked d'Arc's third New Year with the company. He was no longer the solitary boy hanging around the stables feeding Angé carrots. D'Arc was now a man with dozens of cannons under his command and his own soldiers to lead.

The war has yet to strip his innocence, Leon mused. There was a time when he wished farm boys like d'Arc remained boys, away from the dangers of shrapnels and enemy bayonets.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt gloved hands coming to grope at the back of his head, the sides of his face. Was d'Arc awake?

"D'Arc." Leon turned. "You—"

He was cut off when he was suddenly knocked down towards the floor with full force. Leon's head was full of how and why he felt d'Arc's body slide down from the bed and cover his.

"D'Arc!" Leon shouted frantically. "Get off me! You're heavy, for heaven's sake!" But resistance was futile as d'Arc began to boldly crawl all over his prone form, the former's chest firmly pressing down on his back. 

"K-keep still," The man on top of him slurred, his nose burrowing into Leon's hair. "Y-you're moving too much."

This idiot! Leon screamed internally. His energy had been wasted to the point where he couldn't just roll over and dislodge the other man. "You keep it together! You dared to tackle your Second Lieutenant, and now you're crushing him to death!"

Leon continued struggling against his predicament until he realized he had no more hope than a cockroach flipped on its back. In the end, he gave up and stopped thinking until slender fingers began to wander all over his neck and face.

Just like a banshee with her clawed hands. Leon sighed to himself. 

Just when he thought nothing could surprise him anymore, d'Arc somehow had to whisper right next to his face, hot air grazing against the shell of Leon's ear.

"Pierre, 's that you?"

Leon's prior mortification faded. There was the smallest hint of a sob in d'Arc's otherwise unwavering voice.

"Pierre, 'm so sorry." D'Arc sniffled. "I went ahead without telling you." 

Leon stilled. Who was Pierre? His brother? He remembered d'Arc mentioning male siblings who were unfit to enlist, so he went in their stead. Was this Pierre one of them?

"Dun want you to go," D'Arc continued. "Please...be happy with Émile."

Leon was an imaginative man, and he was convinced d'Arc had taken his brother's place as he had been newly married. It was easy to position himself in the situation. If he were d'Arc, he'd go in place of his brother too.

But his career in the military as a second was a given. What he didn't understand was why d'Arc would trade a peaceful life in the pastures for bloodshed.

It's not every day that a boy woke up and decided he was brave enough to kill a man. Or risk getting himself killed.

But none of it mattered as more words flowed out of the Sergeant Major's mouth.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt gloved hands coming to grope at the back of his head, the sides of his face. Was d'Arc awake?

"D'Arc." Leon turned. "You—"

He was cut off when he was suddenly knocked down towards the floor with full force. Leon's head was full of how and why he felt d'Arc's body slide down from the bed and cover his.

"D'Arc!" Leon shouted frantically. "Get off me! You're heavy, for heaven's sake!" But resistance was futile as d'Arc began to boldly crawl all over his prone form, the former's chest firmly pressing down on his back. 

"K-keep still," The man on top of him slurred, his nose burrowing into Leon's hair. "Y-you're moving too much."

This idiot! Leon screamed internally. His energy had been wasted to the point where he couldn't just roll over and dislodge the other man. "You keep it together! You dared to tackle your Second Lieutenant, and now you're crushing him to death!"

Leon continued struggling against his predicament until he realized he had no more hope than a cockroach flipped on its back. In the end, he gave up and stopped to think until slender fingers began to wander all over his neck and face.

Just like a banshee with her clawed hands. Leon sighed.

Just when he thought nothing could surprise him anymore, d'Arc somehow had to whisper right next to his face, hot air grazing against the shell of Leon's ear.

"Pierre, 's that you?"

Leon's prior mortification faded. There was the smallest hint of a sob in d'Arc's otherwise unwavering voice.

"Pierre, 'm so sorry." D'Arc sniffled. "I went ahead without telling you." 

Leon stilled. Who was Pierre? His brother? He remembered d'Arc mentioning male siblings who were unfit to enlist, so he went in their stead. Was this Pierre one of them?

"Dun want you to go," D'Arc continued. "Please...be happy with Émile."

Leon was an imaginative man, and he was convinced d'Arc had taken his brother's place as he had been newly married. It was easy to position himself in the situation. If he were d'Arc, he'd go in place of his brother too.

But his career in the military as a second was a given. What he didn't understand was why d'Arc would trade a peaceful life in the pastures for bloodshed.

It's not every day that a boy woke up and decided he was brave enough to kill a man. Or risk getting himself killed.

In place of sobs spilling from his mouth, d'Arc's nose dug even deeper against the nape of Leon's neck. What worrying behavior, Leon thought. Other people will be sure to take this the wrong way.

"D'Arc? No, Jean?" Leon called softly, wondering if calling the soldier by his given name would work better. "Jean, I need you to—"

"Jehanne," d'Arc murmured.

"What?"

"It's Jehanne. Not Jean, not...d'Arc. Jehanne." D’Arc repeated as if his own name were a litany. The added syllable lent more personality to his unremarkable official name, given to a million men across the country.

And shaped a clearer image of Jean d'Arc as a whole, a person.

It wasn't much but enough to distinguish him from the lonely d'Arc who was no longer alone. And from the resigned beauty who seemed more at home on the distant moon than the lines of cannons and armed men.

God, Leon was starting to sound delirious. Even more than the actual drunk on his back.

"Excuse me, I believe someone requested medical help — oh dear, I didn't mean to interrupt!" a voice alerted Leon from his reflection. He noticed Saint-Germain by the door, followed by a disheveled Sebastian.

"Good evening, Doctor. You sure took your time coming here," Leon smirked. "Would you kindly free me from Sergeant Major d'Arc? Careful, he bites."

⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋

Recommended BGM: (X)

Notes: yeaaa, so I changed the nature of Napo and Sebas’ relationship here because they’re supposed to be more or less equals (Sebas still thinks of him as his superior, but still). 

Also, I kinda had to tone down Napoleon’s prince charming tendencies and up the arrogance somewhat. He’s supposed to be a military officer here and not just somebody’s boyfriend.

[samgtt700]

The Will of Time

Chapter Four

Kamilah x MC

Previous Chapters: One, Two, Three.

Masterlist

It had been four days since the attack at the royal palace, Kamilah was slowly recovering. Lysimachus pulled the blanket over her, worried for his sister. Wondering when she would recover. There was no sign of Alice in the last two days, all he could do is wait. And hope that she was okay. Sharpening his spear, knowing it would be needed. He stepped outside, knowing his sister would not wake anytime soon. Heading into the river, removing his boots before stepping into the cool water. Twirling the spear in his hands as his eyes darted through the water. Hunting for food. Unable to truly focus as his mind kept drifting to Alice, where was she, what was she doing, did she worry about them or did she use them for her self gain. All he knew, was that the royal palace was a pile of rubble and the mysterious sorcerer was the key to all the answers. Had vanished in the crowd when Alice threw him outside.

Alice crawled up the sand, ice cold against her warm skin, winters breath leaving hairs on her arms up. Her breath visible in the darkness. She wasn’t prepared for this, having neither killed an innocent man to survive, kamilah would have told her she did what she had to, but it didn’t change the fact a man was about to die for a reason he’d never understand. Alice’s moral compass struggling as she closed her fingertips into a fist, feeling her pulse race through her body. Nervous for the first time, she had never done anything truly alone, someone always watching her back. Lysimachus sword strapped to her back, Kamilah’s daggers strapped to her thighs. She was outfitted for a fight if it was needed but hoped for an easy target, a hit and grab. She paused at the top, laying against the sand, the sand whipping through her hair. She saw the nearby trees rattling in the wind, it would help cover her approach under the moonless sky, an aid for her tonight. Her eyes turning red to help her, the bloodlust beginning to take over as she she felt it surge through her, her pulse thumping as it ached for blood, for slaughter, to feed. “Not now.” She swallowed hard. Hunching over, pressing her open palms against the cold sand. Her eyes screwed shut as she breathed slow and deep to stop it. She didn’t want to slaughter them like sheep. She only wanted one, she only needed one to survive. She wouldn’t become the monster, she wouldn’t give in, she hadn’t succumb in the mansion and she would not succumb now. Her thoughts remembering Kamilah’s words, her voice echoing in her head. “Come on Alice.” Kamilah whispered encouraging to her. The bloodlust spell pass, she moved into a crouching position at the top of the dune hill. Spotting the Roman patrol below, seeing how spread they were. All of them carrying torches, the fires struggling to stay alight in the cold breeze. The tents flapping hard under the increasing wind, more noise, providing more cover for her. She spotted the Roman soldier patrolling on his own. His torch barely alight. “This wind is impossible to navigate without the moon and properly lit torches!” He called out. The leader. Alice slid down the sand, unsheathing Lysimachus sword silently. An extension of herself.

“Do you think we’ll get to join the main army?”

“I want to see this Centurion everyone goes on about.”

Alice slit the throat of the Roman patrolling his camp, catching his body before it could hit the ground. Dragging him away to feed on. Licking her lips before she sank her fangs into his flesh, the blood burning down her throat at first. Having not fed for so long it hurt at first, grimacing before finally feeling the relief she had desired for the past few days. Relishing, indulging in the freshness. Blood sliding down her chin, dripping down on her clothes, caring little for the mess she made. Only that she was feeling better, feeling much more like herself. A calmness washing over her as she sat back, breathing deeply, her body healing from the past fights, her cuts and bruises vanishing before her very eyes. A burn on her leg healing. Her eyes returning to their normal green, seeing light on the horizon and knowing she had to hide the body. Dragging him to the swamp, leaving him to the wilderness. Leaving him bare, strapping his gear to her side. His armour far too large for her but would fit Lysimachus if it were quickly required.

She saw Lysimachus with a spear ahead as daylight began to break. Ankle deep in the swallow waters, his eyes darting over the water. Alice sensing the fish. “Morning.”

Lysimachus turned his eyes to Alice, seeing some fresh blood on her bloodied and torn dress. “Where the hell have you been?” He stopped what he was doing. Slamming the spear into the ground and approaching Alice with a brewing storm of anger and frustration. “You left for two days! You can’t just leave.”

“I didn’t leave. I was nearby. A Roman scouting party.” Alice explained. Trying to push pass Lysimachus when he grabbed her arm in a vice grip. “Let go.” She glared, her eyes flashing red but he didn’t back down. Only tightening his grip, but it had no effect, not hurting Alice in anyway except frustrating her. “I will not ask again.”

“Answer my damn questions then. And screw the Roman scouting bullshit. We both know they don’t come through here. They hate the swamp. Only bastards here are people trying to hide.” Lysimachus gritted his teeth. Having had enough of the silence, of no answers and being no closer to knowing anything about the sorcerer. “Tell me the truth.”

“I can’t.” Alice gripped his hand, crushing it underneath the strength of her powers. Lysimachus having no choice but to let go. “I came with supplies.”

Alice slammed the pack she had tied up into his chest. Lysimachus taking a step back as he examined it. “Here’s the Roman bullshit.”

“Where did you find them?”

“The edge. By the dunes.”

“You’ve drawn a target on our backs. We have the entire Roman army baring down on us. I can’t believe you did something so stupid. They will send the undying Centurion after us. I’ve heard the rumours, no blade can kill him.” Lysimachus worried for his sister, for himself. Unable to understand why Alice would take such drastic actions.

“If he shows up. I will deal with him. It’s not my first fight against Gaius.” Alice scowled. “But don’t you dare think I did something stupid again. I did what I had to, to survive.”

“We have food. Plenty of water. And shelter. Why risk that?” Lysimachus questioned. Following Alice towards the hut. “Alice! Answer me!”

Alice stopped. Turning. “Because what I need you two cannot offer me.”

“You’ll be surprised. Try me.”

“The Roman I killed.” Alice stepped closer, lowering her voice. “I needed his blood.”

Lysimachus grabbed his spear from the water, pointing the tip at her. Hoping this would give him what he desired. “what kind of person needs blood? What are you?! Answer me!”

“The kind who drink it to survive.” Alice curled her hands into fists. “I’m not like you.”

“What are you?” Lysimachus asked. Not lowering his spear.

Alice stepped back. “Lysimachus. I won’t hurt you.”

“How can I trust you when you won’t tell me the truth. I have to protect my sister.”

Alice raised her hand to the tip of his spear, pushing it down. Swallowing hard. “Lysimachus.” She met his eyes, showing no fear but seeing hurt behind his. “I’m a vampire.” She felt relief wash over her unexpectedly, she didn’t have to explain everything but hoped it would be enough.

“I’ve read the legends.” Lysimachus unsure what to make of Alice. “But how did you end up here?”

“I don’t know. And I fear I may be stuck here.” Alice admitted. “I don’t want to wait two thousands years to get back to her.”

“Her?” Lysimachus questioned before realising. “Your wife.”

Alice nodded. “I need to go back. This isn’t my time. My place. This is her past.”

“Wait. Your wife is egyptian? It could explain how the portal threw you here.” Lysimachus concluded quickly. “But it doesn’t explain how you landed near me. Or why he’s after my sister.”

“Lysimachus. He’s already attacked your sister twice. I’m waiting for him to come back to kill her. He doesn’t seem like the type to quit.” Alice worried for Kamilah. Unable to help her in the future right now. Wondering where she was, what she was doing and if she was safe.

“But the attack at the royal palace is the first I’ve seen of him.” Lysimachus remembered it well, the chaos, the flames, the blood.

Alice heaved. “Lysimachus. When I was thrown through the portal. I was with my wife.” She wasn’t sure how he’d react but he needed to know. “My name is Alice Sayeed. And my wife is Kamilah Sayeed. Your sister, I’m married to her where I’m from.”

Lysimachus froze. The truth behind Alice’s words hitting him hard. His sister would go on to marry Alice. “When does she marry you?”

“About 2000 years from now.” Alice smirked a little. “Your sister is still the same in many ways.”

“2000 years.” Lysimachus sat down on a nearby rock. Racking a hand through his hair. “How did my sister live all this time?”

“She becomes a vampire. She’s the one who turned me.” Alice revealed. “I stabbed Gaius. But he stabbed me in return. I died in your sisters arms. And she turned me.”

“I’m not there. Which means I’m dead.” Lysimachus knew. “Do you know how I die?”

“In battle.” Alice knew that much. Kamilah had told her bits and pieces about Lysimachus. She pulled out her phone, turning it on. “Do you want to see what she looks like?”

Lysimachus nodded. Standing up. “Yes.” Alice moves to his side. “Is she happy?”

Alice opened her gallery and pulled up a photo of them, enjoying Paris. “This was our recent trip to Paris. She had promised to take me there one day.” Alice could see Lysimachus eyes glisten with tears the same way his sisters did. She smiled before showing a few more photos. “She hates it when I sneak in a few photos when she isn’t looking.” Showing one of Kamilah fast asleep on a train.

Lysimachus smiled. “Why is the countryside so-”

“Oh. We’re on a train. It’s moving so quick the countryside is blurred.” Alice realised. “That was our anniversary trip to Canada. We went up to Montreal for the weekend. Niagara Falls was beautiful at night.” She closed her gallery and glanced down at the camera button. “Can I ask you a special favour. I know this is a lot to take in but I think when I get home. Kamilah will love this, and our anniversary is coming up so she won’t suspect this.”

“What is it?” Lysimachus asked. Alice’s smile was infectious and he couldn’t help but smile back.

“Can we take a photo together, all you gotta do is smile.” Alice asked of him. Lysimachus nodded before she turned to stand beside him. He wrapped his hand around her shoulder. “I’ll try not to take a picture of my bloodied clothes.” She tilted the camera to catch their faces before snapping a few. Showing Lysimachus, “I think you take a good photo too easily for someone who’s never had one taken before.”

“I have natural talent. It’s why I’m a commander of a platoon.” Lysimachus softly chuckled. He pressed his hand to Alice’s shoulder. “I’m grateful that my sister found someone like you.”

“I’m glad I met you. I never thought I’d meet anyone from Kamilah’s family.” Alice squeezed his hand.

——————————————————————————

Serafine sat across from Kamilah, her chest rising and falling slowly. Her breaths shallow, her wound had healed on its own but where did it come from baffled Serafine most.

“How is she?” Lily asked. Handing Serafine some coffee.

“She will make it.” Serafine leaned back in her chair, sipping the hot coffee. “Was she injured in the attack?”

“Yes. But she already had blood and healed. I don’t know where this wound came from. Or how it healed on its own.” Lily didn’t understand.

A sharp knock stopped Serafine from answering. Rising from her seat and crossing her apartment to answer the door. Seeing Adrian. “Adrian?”

“Kamilah texted. Said she was heading down to New Orleans-” Adrian saw Kamilah lying across the couch. “What happened?” He almost scowled.

“We don’t know.” Serafine let him in, closing the door behind him. “Alice is missing and Kamilah hoped I would be able to find her.”

“Alice is missing?! Why didn’t you tell me sooner Lily.” Adrian turned his attention to Lily.

“Kamilah said she would contact you. And this was unexpected. She suddenly collapsed with this wound that magically healed on its own but she hasn’t woken up yet.” Lily explained. Raising her voice to the point where she almost squealed.

“Relax Lily.” Adrian raised his hand. “I’m not telling you off. I just- does anyone know what happened to Alice?”

“She was thrown through a portal.” Lily answered before shrugging. “And no, I don’t know where.”

“I’ve made a few phone calls to people who might be able to help.” Serafine piped in. “I hope it’s enough.”

“Any help is appreciated.” Adrian softly smiled. “How are you?”

“Good but worried for our friend.” Serafine worried for Kamilah. Unsure when she would wake up. Her heartbeat and breathing was steady and it was all they could do for her. They just had to wait for her to wake up.

“Does she know Alice is missing?” Adrian asked.

“Yes.” Serafine answered for Lily. “It’s why she came to see me. And Lily managed to find footage of the incident.”

“You can show me later Lily.” Adrian nodded to her. “Right now. I need to find an old friend.”

“The graveyard shift people already know.”

“It’s who you rang.”

“No. But he’s there enough. He’s a new contact I’ve made.” Serafine explained. “I believe he will have better luck finding the source of that portal.”

“If you find the source. Could you open it at the other end?”

“I don’t have the answers Adrian. We have to be patient and be prepared for this sorcerer to come back and take another shot at Kamilah.”

“We’ll be ready if he tries anything.” Adrian vowed. “He’s not hurting Kamilah. And he better have not done anything to hurt Alice when he threw her through the portal.” Curling his hands into fists. “I’ll rip him apart myself.”

“It will not be necessary Adrian.” Serafine grasped his fist, calming him down. “We will stop him. But you should get some rest.”

“I’m fine.” Adrian stepped over to sit in Serafine’s seat. Staring at Kamilah’s sleeping form. Hoping she would wake soon and give him answers to Alice’s disappearance. “You better be okay Alice.” He racked a hand over his face. Feeling helpless he couldn’t do anything for them. Wherever Alice was, he prayed she was safe and looking for the same answers they were.

Kamilah gasped for air, sitting up abruptly. A faraway look in her eyes as tears streamed down her face. Realising she had the answers all along to where Alice was, they were suppressed until now, the memories flooding back. The night of passion with her despite her misgivings before Alice revealed that there futures were entwined, how Alice made her feel. The night before the sorcerer stabbed Lysimachus, his death, how her world was shattered, how she swore revenge, how she slaughtered his entire village when she found him as a human. “I know where Alice is.” She met the trios concerned eyes. “But I don’t know how to get to her. To save her. To save my brother.”

“Kamilah.” Adrian pressed his hand to her shoulder. “Where is she? Where is Alice?”

“She’s in Egypt.”

“If she was in Egypt. I’d be able to call her.” Lily pointed out. “Modern technology is a blessing Kamilah.”

Kamilah shook her head. “The royal palace. It burnt down. I couldn’t remember how. But it was an attack, the sorcerer. He tried to kill me.”

“How did you survive?”

“Alice.” Kamilah wiped her eyes. “She’s in Egypt. In my past. We have to find a way to get her home.”

Chapter Five

Tags: @cheeto-choices, @wildsayeed, @made-me-deep-blue, @thequeenofbaddecisions, @iam-the-fuckin-queen, @witchesplayatnight, @kamilahsqueen, @kamilahsayeed-owns-me, @kamilah-sayeed-let-me-love-you, @h-doodles, @playallthechoices, @kamilahforever, @kamilahsayeet2063, @kamilah-the-bloodqueen, @helpconfusedpersonhere, @scarlet-letter-a0114, @nydeiri. Let me know if you want to be added!

[daisywords]

Characters But No Plot?

I’ve been struggling with the exact same issue for a long time, and now I feel like my wip is finally emerging (albeit slowly) from its chrysalis with maybe some semblance of a plot !? so here’s what I’ve learned:

So you have characters? lovely.

You have a setting? amazing.

You don’t have anything remotely resembling a plot? relatable, my dude.

So here’s what we’re going to do:

Step 1: feel out the general aesthetic/baseline that you want the plot to involve—epic battles? ocean’s-eleven-esqe heist? long meandering quest? political intrigue? lots of romance? tons of secrets? self discovery? solving mysteries? petty drama?

how big of a scale will this plot be on? what are the stakes?

is the fate of the world at risk? or just the fate of a relationship? are multiple countries in play, or do the characters never leave their small town?

This will depend on the characters you have, if their backstories are already fleshed out. And obviously the setting and worldbuilding you’ve already done.

Don’t be afraid to have a tight story with relatively small stakes. Not everything has to be about saving the whole world. On the other hand, if you’re really feeling juggling all the politics and diplomacy across an entire continent, you do you.

Step 2: Mash your setting and characters. It’s time to get more specific with all your enlightenment from step one.

Think about your setting, your world—what kinds of problems could exist that match the kind of plot you wanted in step one?

Which problems would specifically apply/relate to your characters?

Specific is the key. Don’t just give me “a war” or “a monster” or “an oppressive government.” Give me “Tina can’t get the supplies she needs for her healing spells because the collapse of a neighboring country’s government really did a number on the safety/success rate of trade routes” or “Prince Gary’s four older brothers have all mysteriously died, and now he’s the heir to the throne, even though he’s been raised in a monastery since he was three and has no idea what’s going on.”

Step 2.5: Why is your main character the Main Character? Or: Make the Stakes Personal

Part of specific is specific to your character. Your protagonist doens’t need to be some over-candied mary sue chosen one. But they need to be relevant. So make the plot/problem relevant to them, in a way that it isn’t relevant to others.

Sure, Tina could just shut her witch-doctor business down, except now her sister has the plague and she really needs that healing spell, so Tina’s just going to have to journey into anarchy-land to get that frickin flower, now isn’t she

Gary could just do what he’s told and shrug his shoulders’ except looks like his brothers were assassinated and he’s the next target. Hard to relax when you’re personally fearing for your life and can’t trust anyone around you.

Except maybe things aren’t working out. Maybe you don’t want to write about Tina or Gary as your precious MC.

Maybe you want to write about a young apprentice named Jane, or a cowardly monk named Sebastian.

So maybe little Jane is the one with the sick sister, the one who begs Tina for the cure, and sets off to find that missing ingredient when Tina explains the problem.

Or maybe Sebastian, Gary’s friend from the monastery is brought along as court scholar, and it’s he who has to prevent Gary’s assassination, because Gary won’t believe that he’s in danger.

Basically: What motivates your MC to get involved in all this nasty business in the first place?

Step 3: Who/What is your antagonist?

You know that problem? The one that’s going to suck for your poor little protagonist? Put a face on it. You might already have a fleshed out antagonist. Great.

(You might not want one specific person, and that’s fine. Man vs. society, man vs. nature, etc. stories can be great and you do you. But I’m going to discuss this like a single person for now.)

Ok so the problem. It’s now caused by a person. Was this intentional, or just a side effect of some bigger plan? What is that plan? What is concrete thing is motivating the antagonist? What inner desire is motivating the antagonist?

Warlord Ren, who overthrew Westland’s government, doesn’t care about Jay’s sister. He probably isn’t even aware that people in Eastland can’t get their medicine. He definitely isn’t doing any of this to hurt Jane. In fact Warlord Ren is the leader of a once-marginalized group in Westland, who were sick of being treated as second-class citizens. Warlord Ren is out for revenge. Violent Revenge.

Lizzy, Gary’s first cousin once-removed, has a two-year-old son who just happens to be next in line for the throne after Gary. If her son were to become the heir, she could be guaranteed lifelong financial security and independence—and the ability to leave her terrible marriage. Too bad so many people have to die.

Step 4: What logical step would your protagonist take to solve their problem?

This is where things start being a plot. Like you get real events.

It goes like this: action > consequence > (re)action > consequence etc etcetec

Once the consequences extend wide enough that they affect the antagonist, that’s when we get the actual protagonist vs. antagonist dynamic we know and love.

So the consequences can start being actions of the antagonist as well.

There’s safety in numbers, so Jane teams up with a caravan also trying to cross Westland. But they turn out to be thieves, who rob her blind the first night on the road.

Sebastian, worried about Gary being poisoned, insists on being present for the entire preparation and serving process of anything Gary eats. However, Gary finds this unnecessary and frustrating, causing friction in their friendship. Better/worse yet, Lizzy hears about this arrangement, and thus knows that Sebastian is on her trail. Maybe she’ll try to discredit him, or get him thrown out of court. Maybe she’ll even frame him for an assassination attempt.

Step 4.5: Put your characters where the action is.

I feel like this is one of the main problems people run into when they kinda have the basis of a plot (the problem) but no real events: The most interesting things are happening elsewhere and are heard about in passing, instead of actually becoming those real plot events.

Bonus: Not sure where the action is? Try this: put your characters where the antagonist is.

This seems obvious, but sometimes it’s hard, because you have to reframe the concept you’ve had in your head for so long. You have to be flexible. You have to be willing to deviate from your original vision. You also have to maneuver things around sometimes in unexpected ways. But guess what? You’re in charge.

Maybe Warlord Ren is up to some wicked schemes. You wanted your story to be all about Jane’s quest through Westland. But if Jane just keeps traveling through different towns and getting stuck in different shenanigans, she’s never going to even hear about those wicked schemes, let alone be put into direct conflict with Warlord Ren. So we sacrifice our journey narrative a little to really spice things up: Jane joins Ren’s army. After all, she was just robbed; if she joins just until the next paycheck, she’ll be able to have the means to continue her journey.

Sebastian, a court scholar, wouldn’t be along on a hunting trip, right? so I guess he’s just have to hear about Gary’s near-death “accident” after the fact, right? Wrong. Turns out Gary feels bad after their fight about “poison paranoia” and invites Sebastian along on the trip. It’s very unconventional, but Gary wasn’t raised as a prince, remember? And the crown prince gets what he wants. Good thing Sebastion is going to be right next to Gary to keep that accident just “nearly fatal” instead of full-on fatal.

Step 5: Reexamine the problem(s)

So things should have escalated by now. Maybe the initial problem is what drew our MC into this whole mess, but things should be a lot messier by now.

So we’re supposed to have a climax, right? But how?

Do not fear, friend. Here’s what we need:

- The most exciting/action based problem

- The problem that tests your character/engages internal conflict the most

- the original problem (from the beginning)

And now put them in the blender. Turn it on. That’s good. A good smoothie. It’s climax flavored. It’s exciting. It’s action-packed. It’s emotionally compelling. It’s structurally sound and resonant.

Jane has turned out to be quite a capable soldier. She’s managed to get quite high in the ranks, and has managed to impress Warlord Ren himself. The trouble is, she’s had to do more and more things she feels wrong about, and is slowly losing the ability to justify her actions based on her desire to save her sister. She’s also witnessed the harsh punishments given to attempted deserters, which makes her plan to join only for a little while seem less feasible. Now, Jane’s been given an assignment to lead a squadron on a killing spree, of people who she suspects are just innocent civilians. If she follows orders, she will be awarded a high-ranking position, granting her the ability to ensure a safe trade route so her sister an finally get her medicine. But this still doesn’t feel right…

Lizzy has successfully framed Sebastion for attempting to assassinate Gary. Sebastian is now facing execution. His friendship with Gary is severely damaged, maybe even beyond repair. Gary believes that he really is guilty. But that’s not all: Sebastian knows that Lizzy has plans to kill Gary herself that very night, while he is locked in the dungeon. Even if he manages to break out, Sebastian has always been a nonviolent pacifist. Will he choose to use violence in order to save his friend, even thought Gary doesn’t trust him?

Step 6: Resolve Everything

And that’s all, folks

[lovingsiriusoswald]

Damned

Part 1 | 2 | 3

Fallen Angel!Sirius AU

Heavily inspired by: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Disclaimer: The first few parts will be based from the Prologue from the game, credits to Cybird for that! If the "series" gets too long, go to the "Damned - Sirius" tag for easy navigating!

************

Me and Ray started to discuss that what if MC was the next Alice. He had mentioned that she would be necessary for fending off the Red Army. Internally, I was against the idea of using a precious lady as a tool for war, but I nodded to him instead.

"If she joins the Black Army, we could withstand the magical forces of the Red Army."

A bright light from beyond the hedges to where MC had run off to had caught our attention. That's where the Red Army Generals' meeting had taken place. I hope she didn't get hurt by that light.

"Call in Luka and Seth, she's surely held captive by the Red Army now."

We immediately rushed back to the Black Army Headquarters and I called in Luka and Seth. They got a little too excited to hear that Alice had finally arrived in Cradle. Fenrir had overheard the orders and immediately volunteered to be back up in case of an emergency.

"All you need to do is spy on the Red Army barracks and see what they plan to do with MC. Do not engage a fight them. We will then meet up at the Central Quarters by sunrise. Understood?" I bellowed. I was worried that she would get scared if a fight broke out so suddenly.

"Yes sir!" They rushed to their horses and took off. I started to call the soldiers of the army, Ray had wanted to meet them before dawn by the courtyard. Once everyone was ready, I turned to Ray and he stood in front of them.

"Soldiers!" He shouts and the army stood upright then saluted. "A few hours ago, Alice had arrived in Cradle named as MC. She is currently held captive by the Red Army and no one knows what they plan to do with her. She could either be used as a weapon against us, or our greatest defense. " I flinched subtly at his last sentence. "We are at the verge of war and MC can help us resolve our conflicting issues if she joins our side. For the protection of Cradle nd its people, we must protect and keep watch over her. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" The soldiers respond in unison.

"Freedom soars on Raven wings!" Ray shouts.

"Freedom soars on Raven wings!" The soldiers yell back. Ray scans the soldiers and I start to worry more, it was bad timing that MC had arrived at a time like this. Her safety is something that I need to prioritize, but being the Queen of Spades, it was difficult to do so.

A raven messenger had arrived with a piece of paper tied around its neck. Ray immediately opens and reads the letter. His eyes grew wide and turned to us again. "Go to the Central Quarters quickly! Luka, Seth, and Fenrir are under fire!"

I rush to the carriage and the carriage takes off immediately. I looked up at the sky that was starting to glow a crimson light. The first rays of sunlight after a long eventful night had reached through the leaves of the trees and grass. I watched the landscape transition from the Black Army Headquarters, to the dewy fields and quiet town of the Black Territory, to the cobblestone streets and buildings of the Central Quarters quickly. My worry for MC was starting to grow -- what if she decides to join the Red Army? That means I would never be able to see her. Worse, I might just watch her fall in love with someone else.

The carriage stops and I quickly stepped out, I stood next to Ray and faced West, where the Red Army Territory was located. Three horses was seen at the distance and they were charging in fast.

"They're safe!" A Black Army soldier cheered. I squint to try and see the extra figure in Luka's arms. MC was with them!

They halt when they neared us and got off their horses. Luka helps MC off and I stare in shock. She didn't take their side, she's here!

"Glad you're back in one piece. But why did you bring MC back with you?" These weren't the words I wanted to say.

"Nice to see you again so soon, MC." Ray grins at her. She lets out a breath and smiles widely at us, her eyes squinting and her cheeks tinted with a light dash of pink. Despite being up all night, she looked like she was glowing against the sun's rays.

"Ray! Sirius! You have no idea how relieved I am to be back here!" She remarks happily to us. I could already see the imaginary flowers blooming around her and the cute little sparkles. She was absolutely adorable.

"MC, you already know our king and queen? Talk about a small world, huh?" Fenrir chips in. She inhales a sharp breath as she turns to look at us, I guess we forgot to tell her our roles.

"You're really good at popping up at the worst possible time." Ray softly smiles at her. It was very true, in her previous lives, she would always burst in at the most unconventional time. During her life as a 17th century Victorian noblewoman, she would suddenly enter at Security Meetings held at the Grand Hall, without really intending to. She would often use me as an excuse, which was both annoying and life saving. Another event was during the gladiator match in Greece, she fell from the balcony by accident, making me push the man I was fighting with so far away from me that he travelled across the arena and I quickly ran to save her from her fall.

"That's not my intention, but--" MC tries to explain before Luka had cut her off.

"We can chat later, the enemy is approaching." We turn our gazes up and see the four generals were leading a perfectly synchronized battalion of soldiers clad in red and white.

I see MC, tensed that something big was gonna happen.

"What the heck is this about?" Ray frowns as he watches the Red Army march towards us.

"Well, you see, we had a little run-in, so to speak, with the Red Army at the gates to their barracks." Seth explains.

"Seriously? Do I need to send you all back to school for Recon 101?" I frown at him. It wasn't necessary to put MC in danger like this.

"There you go again with that salty face. I don't know why you're so upset!" He smiles as if a fight wasn't brewing. "If you really thought that nothing was going to happen, then why did you bring so many men?" He glows as he grins, eyes so deceiving that you'd never think he wants to fight for a war.

"The Reds have been waiting for 500 years for an excuse to strike, and they've finally found their reason." Ray frowns as the Red Army's march had stopped. We faced against our opposing side.

"I'm quite impressed, I wasn't expecting the Black Army to send its leaders out to welcome us." Edgar smiles, unbefitting to the situation at hand.

"You took that girl, who was under our care, and then had the audacity to attack. Explain yourselves." Jonah's icy amber eyes pierces through us, the way he says it makes it look like he was playing the victim card.

"You almost had me fooled into thinking you were a victim there for a minute. Twist the truth too much and your face might end up that way too." I couldn't hold back my tongue from talking as I smirked at him, his eyebrows furrowing further.

"Say that once more and you'll rue the day you were born!" He says through gritted teeth.

"How dare you insult our Queen!" A red soldier retorts, I almost laugh at their pointless aggressiveness. The Red Army's growls and hate starts to grow louder until a loud voice booms from behind.

"Silence!" Lance bellows as the soldiers part in half to give way to his entrance. He looked powerful as always. His head was held high, with a cold emotionless gaze that had seemed the only expression he ever had since he became the King of Hearts.

"Bow down to the King of Hearts, Lancelot! May glory run crimson through our veins!" A soldier yells.

"May glory run crimson through our veins." His eyes were fixated on MC as she stares back, her body slightly shaking from tension. He knows. "My proud men, there is no need to draw your swords." His eyes glowed red as he waved his hand. Our weapons were lifted to the air and had suddenly vanished. A dirty player as always.

"There goes our boss again, overdoing it with the magic." Kyle sighs as his shoulders slightly slump down, making it known that he was uninterested with the whole fiasco.

"It looks like we skipped over the "threaten the enemy" stage." Seth declares as if this was a casual process.

"You think that's all it takes to stop us? Come on! We've been waiting for this battle for 500 years!" Fenrir's eyes held excitement and manic, he clenched his fists tightly as he smiles widely.

"He's right. Leaders of the past may had put this battle off, but the time has come for us to fight." Zero declares. He was a good soldier, his courage and strength made him the perfect Ace for the Red Army.  He was always in a firm stance, always ready to fight.

"An excellent summation, Zero. Well done!" Edgar remarks out of nowhere, earning a pained look from him.

"If you're thinking of surrendering, now is the time. I hope you heard that Luka. " Jonah's face softens as he glances at his beloved younger brother, who in turn, looked away with a frown.

"Did somebody say something? Because all I heard was a gust of hot air." He rolls his eyes and Jonah sighs softly from across us.

I glance over at MC again and see her look back and forth the two sides worriedly, completely caught in the middle of a brewing war.

"Lance, call this off!" I call out to him, hoping that our friendship could reach through his heart and withdraw the fight.

"Don't speak as if we're friends, Queen of Spades." He looks at me with cold sharp eyes, his  expression never faltering, then his voice lowered a pitch. "I have a message for the Black Army -- from this day forth, you have been absored into the Red Army."

"I have a message for the Red Army -- quit spouting nonsense." Ray replies, the two Kings glare sharply at each other.

"In that case, I'll just have to dissolve every last one of you." His eyes glowed crimson again as his hands start to illuminate with magic. Before he could raise it towards us, MC quickly reaches her hands out, in between the two Kings.

"Please! Stop!" She cries as a barrier of light appears in front of her. Lance's spell dissolves into nothing as the light fades away. He looks at her again, his frown softening back to his usual empty expression.  "So Jonah's report was true." He looks at her from head to toe, "Alice the Second really has appeared." He walks towards MC and looks down at her, making his voice loud and clear for her to hear very clearly. "Just be warned, Alice -- I consider anybody who gets in my way an enemy." My blood boils at his threat, he didn't have to frighten her more, she's already confused and tired at everything being thrown at her all at once. You're not like this, what happened? Before I could open my mouth to speak, Ray had stepped forward.

"Stop making stuff up as you go!" He walks towards Lance and MC, shielding her away from the King of Hearts' gaze. "Her name is MC, not Alice."

A carriage violently pulled up before us, taking the attention of all the soldiers and Generals. "That'll do, gentlemen." Blanc steps out of the carriage, along with Oliver. He walks towards the two Kings, who then parted from each other.  He smiles softly at MC, calming her worries little by little.

"I don't know what you're thinking, pulling a stunt like this so early in the morning. Don't you know people live here?" Oliver frowns at MC, who looked more confused than ever.

"The Central Quarter is a neutral zone. Any and all forms of combat are strictly prohibited here." He yells loud enough for everyone to hear. "The entire country of Cradle will be at great risk if you destroy its economic and political center."

You always knew how to break up a fight at the right time, thank you, Blanc.

After a long moment of silence, Lance finally speaks, anger and annoyance evident in his voice. "Let it be known, this is the only time I will humor the request of a record keeper. Troops, fall back!" MC sighs as Lance takes his leave, along with his entourage of soldiers.

"I can't leave you without something to fret over, Alice." Jonah walks up to her and Luka grips his greatsword tightly. I raise my hand to stop him from doing anything stupid, although I myself want to break that pretty boy's face for trying to threaten her like that. "I'll have you under my command soon enough. You'll learn to enjoy serving me." He leans a little to close for comfort and I hear Luka scowl at his brother under his breath. "I hope you'll look forward to it as much as I am." He turns and Lance faces MC once again.

"Alice -- I doubt that it will be long until I see you again, but until then, enjoy what little time you have left with your life." For a sheer second, his eyes grew sad, something was up. His cape flies around him as he turns, leading his troops to retreat back to the West. I gather up the courage to finally talk to her again, hoping to try and deviate the threats from scaring her too much.

"So you really are from the Land of Reason, MC?" I try my best to make small talk. She nods at me and meets my eyes again.

"Yes, I am. It wasn't my intention to come here, but now I'm stuck here until the next full moon." She explains. She looks away from me and bit her lip, thinking hard of what could happen next.

"Don't worry." I place my hand on her shoulder and she looks back up at me, hoping that this gesture could ease her nerves. "We'll make sure you find your way home." London was the safest place for her, she would never be happy here, being caught up in the middle of a war. I rethink my choices and plan what to do to keep her safe and under my care, but I know that it would never be possible.

Things need to change, and sending her home in 30 days is all I need to do to keep her safe. I'm fighting against fate now.

"Thank you, Sirius." She smiles up at me, the tiredness had slowly grown evident in her eyes.

[typegripe-blog]

Characters Study #1:

Name: Wiegraf Folles Game: Final Fantasy Tactics MBTI: INFJ

First we have one of my favourite video game characters of all time, from one of my favourite games of all time.

For those who don’t know this dashing fellow, he is Wiegraf Folles from Final Fantasy Tactics. He is a villain in the game and considered by many to be one of the hardest video game bosses of all time.

SIDE RANT: Now it’s not that his fight is actually that difficult, as it doesn’t take that long to train your characters up till you can beat him. The problem is that the game tricks you. Every fight up to this point has been relatively easy without much grinding needed, there were a few battles (like at Lionel Castle Gate) that may be difficult but you can grind if you lose and take it on with a stronger team. But for this fight there are three fights in a row and it asks if you want to save after every fight… which means you can’t go back and grind if you’re under-leveled. To top it all off, this is the first fight you have to do with only Ramza (the MC) and I didn’t bother to put much training into Ramza because I preferred the cool designs of other characters. So when I got this part my 10 year old self had no idea what to do because he could kill my character in 2 hits and took barely any damage. The game had tricked me into getting locked into a fight I could legitimately never win. I didn’t touch the game for a few weeks because I had to restart from the beginning. Sorry about that, just had to get my terrible tragedy of this battle off my chest. SIDE RANT OVER

Wiegraf Folles was commander of the Death Corps, a group of peasant soldiers who were sent on missions that nobles were unwilling to do themselves because the danger was too great. Even with this discrepancy Wiegraf did his job and led the Death Corps to many victories. When he returned home from war though, the nobility was broke and unable/unwilling to pay the soldiers. So all these soldiers were broke, starving and felt betrayed​ by the country they fought to defend.

So Wiegraf created the Corpse Brigade, a group of revolutionaries who wanted to shake the nobles from their comfort and force them to give the people what was owed to them. Unfortunately for Wiegraf, his revolution failed and the Corpse Brigade was destroyed and his sister Milleuda was killed by Ramza.

Without an army to help his cause, and wanting vengeance for the death of his sister, he joined the Church of Glabados to gain the power he needed to destroy the nobility and kill Ramza to avenge his sister. He gains power, immense power that allows him to wipe out an entire castle full of soldiers, but with this great power comes his corruption. He loses sight of what he once fought for and becomes a pawn of the Church. He is killed by Ramza, and there his story ends. A tragic story of a fallen hero.

In many ways he is a representation of Ramza and his struggle to do what is right in a world where corruption is the norm. I may go into more detail about this if I do a study on Ramza but I’ll point some things out here. Ramza and him both have a sister that they care deeply about, but Ramza is able to protect and save his sister. Both fight for what they believe is right, even if it goes against where their loyalty should lie (Wiegraf’s loyalty to the crown and Ramza’s loyalty to his family). The main difference between the two, besides one being noble and the other being a peasant, is that Ramza stays fighting against evil and corruption and does not betray his ideals. Wiegraf becomes so tired and so defeated that by the end he betrays his original idealistic beliefs in exchange for power; making him no better than the nobles he had been fighting against.

A few people that I have seen place him as an ENTJ. And I can see how someone could see him as that, but I think he is one of the best examples of an INFJ villain (of which there are very few). Because no classification is perfect it's​ possible that he can fall into either category but I’ll explain my reasoning for putting him as an INFJ. Note that most of his INFJ qualities are before he falls completely into darkness.

INFJs are often idealists that fight for their beliefs and try to make a difference. Wiegraf fights to make the world a better place, not because he hates nobles but because he legitimately cares for people and hates to see them suffer at the hands of those who would take advantage of them. He fights the nobles out of necessity but holds no grudge against them. He opposes both the capture of the Marquis d'Elmdore and of Tetra, a young girl.

He tries to destroy the nobility by cutting off resources, creating chaos and by attempting to remove figureheads within the nobility. He wants to change Ivalice as a country and not just fight for money or petty gains. He believes that by remaining strong, eventually others will take up the call and the nobility can be overthrown. He mentions that “A pebble may cause a small ripple, but over time that ripple may become a tidalwave.” (I paraphrased that)

He is able to relate to Ramza and talk to him on a very personal level, despite being enemies from the first time they meet. He can sympathise with Ramza, while understanding that one of them must die.

Inherently, INFJs tend to be sympathetic and understanding of multiple points of view. This makes it difficult for INFJs to be villains because often they are able to avoid conflict, or if there is conflict they tend to fight for those who are mistreated and fight for fairness. Some INFJ villains are villains because they are too idealistic and are clouded by their idealism but this kind of goes against their very pitying nature. What happens more often to INFJs is that they become broken.

INFJs are idealists but they like to see their plans have some sort of impact. If they have no support and are not seeing any progress in their efforts, they can quickly become isolated, cold and depressed. They lash out and they either give up on everything; they become a shell of their former self.

This is what happens to Wiegraf. Wiegraf is an idealist. He wants Ivalice to change and for the world to be fair for both peasants and nobles. He doesn’t care about money or personal gain and just wants to see his revolution through till the end. The people under him are much less idealistic.

These people had just finished fighting during the fifty years war. All most of them have known is conflict and poverty. They are tired, they are starving and they just want to survive. They care more about being fed than about fighting a revolution (and quite justified in feeling this way). Wiegraf is not supported in his goals and the Corpse Brigade quickly falls apart.

He joins the Church of Glabados as a last ditch effort to gain the support he needs. They want to destroy the nobility and he is willing to be their pawn to see this through. As well, joing the Church gives him the chance to take revenge on Ramza for his sister. He doesn’t care about the goals of the church but doesn’t see any way for him to complete his goals by himself.

His final transformation comes when he is nearly killed by Ramza. He failed his cause, and failed his sister. He lays there about to die and makes a pact with a Lucavi (FFTs version of demons). This is a literal change as he becomes one with the Lucavi, but also a symbol of his change in giving up everything he cared for.

When he next meets Ramza, all he cares about is destruction. This once heroic-like idealist falls to complete villain. Personally, I think it’s an incredible way to have an INFJ villain. Showing their decline as they slowly realise that there is no hope for their cause and their eventual betrayal of everything they believed.

His whole arch is pretty nicely conveyed in a quote of his: “What troubled sleep have you known to speak of my dreams? No matter how sweet, a dream left unrealised must fade into day.”

Anyways, this is why he’s one of the most interesting characters to me. If you have any opinions about this character feel free to share! And if you have any requests for characters you want me to talk about feel free to leave that too. Thanks for reading!