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arbitrarygreay · 2 months ago

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If we take a view where I'm not just being fandom-contrarian, one still has to ask just why Alder would limit witch application powers to military uses, assuming that she wasn't doing it out of her own preference for direct combat. In doing so, we start to see how Alder's hypothetical worldview was shaped by the times.

That's right, I'm talking about the right to bear arms.

Witches were not the only population that fled to America because of persecution in Europe, and the group in power forcing disarming of their targets was a method of marginalization. In the case of England, it was a Catholic King disarming Protestants. In rejection of that, the Declaration of Rights and the English Bill of Rights in 1689 (remember, the Accords were signed in 1692) linked the right to bear arms to the concepts of personal liberty and natural human rights, but also, still under the authority of the elected branch of government! Those English documents focused on curtailing the monarch's power, saying that Parliament still had the authority to regulate. That obviously has implications for the Accords going for service under government, rather than for recognition of the witch populace as its own tribe, which just makes them a faction that could be conquered. Alder saw how well "we are a separate group" was going for the indigenous. (Not to mention how aforementioned 1689 included said Catholic King getting deposed, which could have been on Alder's mind when she decided to stop running and fight back.)

Then, during the American Revolution period, the British and Loyalists tried disarming rebellious militia and individuals. There was a 1774 import ban on firearms and gunpowder; followed by confiscations of firearms and gunpowder. The first battle of the American Revolution at Lexington was precisely for Americans to seize some of the confiscated arms. Of course, during the Revolution, Americans turned right around and started executing disarmament against Tories and anyone that was even neutral. Consistency of ideals! It's for no one!

But the point is, Alder's context is therefore one where she knows that the suppression of witches necessarily would go hand in hand with disarming them. Which means bridles, gags, collars (borne out in the show by Silver and Brandt promptly pursuing just that once they could).

So, Alder sought a solution to the problem that those in power can always decide to disarm those that threaten them. Mere equal citizenship is no protection, as individuals have been targeted even more easily than groups. So, if Alder was determined to protect all witches, she had to commit them to being the arm of enforcement, such that the government could not survive cutting its own arm off.

Alder linked the Accords to service in order to maximize how fast witches were integrated into the authorities' consideration of "who is us?". She then picked the service occupation where disarming was inherently not viable because of their core job function. And therefore, forcing all witches into the military was required, because if the Accords allowed for e.g. "military or Peace Corps", then all a witch hater has to do is funnel everyone into the branch where they are legally not allowed to defend themselves, and then drop a DOGE on them. You'll notice that we haven't seen any whisper of cuts to the Pentagon despite the rest of the sweeps this year.

So yeah, we've still ended up at "Alder does not and has never regret the Accords", but if you'd rather not go with a "lusty warrior" characterization of Alder, here's how you can go about it.

(Although why not??? Let more women get to be Xena or Ambessa Medarda, not less!)

The foundation of genre is that you get some level of "gimmes" to your world-building to allow the story to happen at all. It can be a purely world-building gimme (e.g. "magic exists"), but in the way that all stories smuggle in ideals, so it often turns out that a story's "culture" is as much a foundational gimme as the setting details (e.g. "protagonists have the firepower of 50+ villain mooks despite absolutely nothing about their training saying they should").

This is, of course, a MFS post. Have a look at the rambling thought thread that ultimately lead to the paragraph above. (As always, it'll end up on some of my hobbyhorses for this fandom which conflict with certain popular fanons, so be warned of that.)

One of the things that doesn't make sense to me are the fertility logistics of the American witch military, where men go to weapons-building and caretaker roles while women go to the frontlines. The magic-imposed matrilineal inheritance is not enough to justify it. The instinct to split the population into "vanguard meatshields (deploy)" and "women and children (protect)" when it comes to inter-group large scale violence is not something that appeared out of the patriarchal ether, it's a dynamic borne out of which groups had better rates of survival for doing so. Women and children are the future of any particular group, whereas a group can usually afford to sacrifice more of their men.

So when MFS establishes that witch men have equal levels of magic firepower, the matrilineal inheritance would seem to only deepen the "protect the means of reproduction" incentive. MFS canon itself seems to recognize this, as the US's approach is not universal. Japan and Russia's witch militaries have men as their head generals, and we see more men than women soldiers in both the Liberian rebels and the officer group that met Alder in Ghana.

Which means that the US witch military's gendered setup and culture was never inevitable, but a deliberate choice imposed by and enforced from the top down, against material incentives. The central protagonists themselves talk about said incentives multiple times during the show, how they don't believe in procreating while they are either in their prime frontline years, or during periods/environments of intense conflict. And that's from characters who were in War College! If the much smaller fraction of soldiers who have way more leeway to have kids during their training/education period are having such reservations, what chances do the majority who go straight from Basic to deployment have? Just when are any witches in the military supposed to have kids at all without compromising their combat readiness? By a lot of analyses, the military is making a major unforced error by sending the critical required vehicle of population replenishment, who will also spend months at lesser capability capacity doing so (during later pregnancy and during post-birth recovery), straight into the meat grinder. As opposed to, you know, using the 50% of the population without that problem?

The original first thought that eventually evolved into this post was perhaps soldiers deploying pregnant (or having to deal with the logistics of maternity leave) wasn't actually that much of a thing in the past, which is why Alder didn't have an issue setting it up that way. The concept of the teenager in our world wasn't really a thing until the mid-1900s (after WW2!), as a result of huge jumps in productivity making it possible for parents to even consider discarding child labor from their calculus.

So, in the 1700s, a conscription age at 18 is already several years into people's working years. (In our world, some military recruitments went as low as age 15.) And that makes me wonder if perhaps for the first two and a half centuries, witches mostly had their first two (replacement rate minimum) children before they were conscripted. This would much better fit with that "men stay behind as caretakers" model, as the frontline soldiers would already have kids to leave behind to their care by the time they enter Basic, and it drastically reduces the need for them to spend time during their prime fighting years in maternity leave.

Still, the core issue remains that the US witch military is taking on major logistical burdens that it does not need to by centering women as their vanguard. Which, again, means that this is all about founder effects. This culture was something that Alder decided that she wanted, despite any of the inconveniences it would cause. And that kind of reasoning extends to everything else about the Accords.

So yeah, welcome back (again again again) to AG's MFS Hobbyhorse: Alder does the opposite of regret the Accords.

There are soooooo many different paths that Alder could have taken, even setting aside the whole "tear down the veil of secrecy that stood for millenia" thing. Based on older stories, witches that were relatively accepted by their villages were mostly about intra-community services. Providing medical remedies, charms and blessings on agriculture, and even on the negative side (curses, storms, blights, and plagues!), it was still about grudges within a society. When we have cases on the inter-community side, in the political and military realms, it's more in the context of overt religion. Prophets, oracles, and priests acting as liaisons to gods. And then you have the cases of a witch/sorceress as the local queen, a wholly independent political entity.

(Further thinking about this therefore comes up with the cultural "gimme" MFS has rather than just world-building. If magic is so OP, such that witch militaries can so thoroughly dominate things the moment they become a thing, how on earth did the veil of secrecy ever come to exist? The material incentives obviously swung towards usage of it, see aforementioned prophets/oracles/mediums/priests all operating fully publicly. In our world, such things died out simply because magic is not real, so it never had true utility beyond placebo, and could be replaced with monotheism. But in MFS, at some point people decide to suppress insanely useful superpowers rather than exploit them, for Reasons. The answer is that it has to happen at some point in order for MFS as a story to happen. So, foundational genre gimme.)

What Alder does in the description of her offer to Massachusetts in 1x1 breaks from any of those setups. Instead, Alder has gone for the role of court wizard, except not only is it a whole department of wizards, she's still gone further in limiting her applications. Any Massachusetts leader worth their salt would have seen the huge benefits in allowing witches to address far more applications than just military. Again, providing medical remedies, charms and blessings on all aspects of daily life but especially agricultural production, and more. In fact, if they are still so scared of witches, it would be much more soothing to their fears and egos to restrict witches to non-violent usages.

So for the Accords to be so restricted to only military deployment means that either Alder overrode requests to expand beyond that purview, or Alder deliberately controlled the perception of what powers witches had such that civilian leadership didn't ask for other things.

The characterization of Alder that emerges from this is truly one of an older warrior model, one who eagerly sought glory through battle. Which, given her situation before then, paints a picture of pre-gallows Alder feeling far more restricted by her own people's norms of fleeing and hiding at the expense of their own defense over and over (as we saw with the Tarim initially accepting their impending extinction). At no point does the kind of person who decides "uh yeah, fuck that", so thoroughly break with millenia of tradition, and snark in the present day "I never needed The Hague's approval for my actions. I simply extend the invitation to accept my rulings" also go "uwu civilian men in charge told me to do things guess I hafta u_u".

Alder: luv the fighting Witch culture: no you can't. and shouldn't. Alder: I resent this so much that now that I'm in charge, I'm flipping the valence. You should. You must.

#motherland fort salem #sarah alder #category: tv

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itonje · 4 years ago

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some medieval english arthurian texts

with the green knight (2021) coming out today i want to talk a little about other arthurian english works because i find them interesting and entertaining <3 these were medieval arthurian texts written in english, not translated into it. all of these are in middle english, though many were written in different time periods and in different dialects. if you’ve read sir gawain and the green knight, many of these have similar plot beats, feature our beloved sir gawaine in a major role, or are alliterative in the same wonderful way sgatgk is! many these come from the university of rochester’s camelot project and it is an invaluable resource! however a lot of these texts are also written in a style that may be archaic or inaccessible- i will try to link more modern translations and reworkings if i can.

the avowing of king arthur, sir gawain, sir kay, and baldwin of britain: in which the four title characters go to inglewood and, as stated, swear on various vows.

the adventures of arthur at the tarn wadling: this is actually about gawaine, as most arthurian texts are. featuring ghosts and a duel! what could be better? there are several copies of this texts in manuscripts, including one where it’s in a collection with avowing (see above), said manuscript being the only copy in which avowing survives.

layamon’s brut: by layamon, of course. this is a pseudohistorical text, going off the account of wace who went off the account of geoffrey of monmouth, but is longer than both and focuses almost solely on arthurian content (including a lot of merlin if you like him). if people want to read history of the kings of britain but don’t want to get through a lot of stuff that isn’t arthurian, i really recommend this. as another draw i will say this features baby gawaine (walwain) and modred. iirc this is the oldest text on this list.

of arthur and of merlin: a text first about the background and story of arthur’s birth and early reign, including a variety of numerous battles. very merlin heavy. has a fair bit in common with the prose merlin. the copy i linked might be a bit hard to read, sorry. like layamon and aforementioned PM, also features baby gawaine (wawain) and brothers!

sir launfal: by thomas chestre, based off of lanval by marie de france. in which lanval has a secret romance with a magical woman. in this version it’s more implicit than the original lai, but guinevere is canonically homophobic <3 love loses

sir perceval of galles: a...i would honestly call it a borderline parody of the typical perceval story. this one is deranged. in a fun way!

ywain and gawain: based off of yvain by chretien de troyes, has the same basic plot beats. very fun even if you’ve already read yvain though, especially (imo) for the rhyming.

sir tristrem: based off thomas of britain’s french tristan, the latter of which survives only in fragments. based off the tristan and iseult courtly branch. have not read this so i can give little opinions on it.

i thiiiink lancelot of the laik belongs on here iirc the text is english but it’s from scotland and has scots influence. it’s inspired a from the first part of the lancelot-grail cycle-the poem itself is incomplete.

the stanzaic morte arthur: poem about the fall of camelot as from the prose cycles. i really like this one, if you don’t want to read le morte darthur for it’s heaviness, i recommend this instead. it has all of the longing and eerie finality of any death of arthur story, even amplified in this work imo. elaine of astolat fans will enjoy this one, she features fairly prominently in the first part.

the alliterative morte arthure: poem about the fall of camelot, taking mostly from the pseudohistories. i’ve jokingly said i like this as an iliad fan before, but if you are intrigued by the arthurian portions of british pseudohistories, and you like modred (oh my god i really recommend this for people who like modred) you will really love this one. it’s very entertaining! fair warning if you don’t like battle scenes or duels in other arthurian works you will...not enjoy this one. but i love it <3

the prose merlin: OUR FIRST PROSE WORK YES! based off of robert de boron’s unfinished merlin poem and parts of the lancelot-grail cycle, like arthur and merlin, tells of merlin’s birth, life, and the early reign of king arthur. this features a lot of battles and a lot of gawaine and his brothers! i think in this edition of it i’m linking, there are parts cut out, fair warning. i really like this one as well.

sir gawain and the carle of carlisle: this one is similar to the avowing of arthur. gawaine and co (the same in avowing barring arthur, actually) arrive at a castle for refuge for the night during a storm whilst hunting, and the lord within gives them various tests of chivalry and integrity. this one is fun- a text i recommend after reading sir gawain and the green knight if you liked it for the plot and so on. if you read them concurrently you can imagine that gawaine repaired his reputation post sgatgk.

if the above text is a little too unreadable for you (which is fair), i also recommend the carl of carlisle, a more condensed version which tells the same basic story with some minor differences (there’s a beheading in this one :3)

the marquis of bath’s manuscript of a latin account of the kings of britain: now, you may be saying, that said latin! well, i guess whoever wrote this decided that for arthur’s portion he would write it in english verse as opposed to latin prose? this one is fairly obscure, but, again, tells a plot similar to other arthurian portions of pseudohistories.

the jeaste of sir gawain: i think this one tells the story of gawaine’s son, ginglain, the fair unknown, and combines it with gawaine’s romance with the lady of lys from the first continuation of perceval. i haven’t read this text, but i know the plot of gawaine and the lady of lys ditty, and i...do not like it. and i feel like i’d like this one less.

the wedding of sir gawain and dame ragnelle: everyone’s familiar with this one. the archetypal story of the knight who seeks to figure out ‘what women truly want’. i enjoy this one and i feel like i’ll come back to it in the future analysis wise. ragnelle is a girlboss, etc. may have been written by sir thomas malory. speaking of which...

le morte darthur by sir thomas malory: will let its notoriety speak for itself. amazing work, though long to get through. if you like gawaine, and are looking at this post for gawaine content, while he is probably presented at his worst and most repugnant here out of any other story on this list, honestly this is one of my favorite versions of his character, and that’s the main reason why this text is even going on here in the first place (it’s popular enough, and borderline modern imo lol).

anyways, happy reading, and happy a24′s the green knight release! summer of dev patel, summer of gawaine, etc!

#finny.txt #arthuriana #arthurian legend #arthurian romance #gawain #okay. be nice to me. i didnt put on stuff like the turke and sir gawaine or the greene knight cause like #theyre like. borderline modern ill talk about the percy folio eventually but #i wanted to make this for people if they want to get into english arthuriana...some basis cause theres alot of fun stuff #that i think is usually overshadowed by sgatgk and le morte #and i understand why sgatgk is so popular it is one of the best constructed just technically #but. other stuff is good too!

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writingstarling · 4 years ago

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Sweetness in Tranquility (BOTW Zelink)

Zelda was strolling through a small forest a little outside of Castletown; embraced by the sweet air nipping at her skin. She had taken the chance of her knight attendant’s absence to enjoy this moment of solitude. Perhaps she had finally been acquainted to her knight attendant and was treading on friendly terms, but once in a while she missed the feeling of solitude when often times so many eyes were on her with expectations. Of course, she didn’t think of her knight attendant as one of them, but she never really could feel at peace with that thought.

The slight rumble of her tummy brought her out of her intense research on the flowers swaying powerlessly at the mercy of the wind. She considered returning to the castle, but she didn’t want to let her peace escape her fingertips just yet. With that in mind she decided to search for some berries or fruits to satiate her hunger, even if it was just temporarily. It didn’t take long for her to discover a delectable scarlet fruit dangling on a thin branch.

Her relatively small hands took hostage the lowest and second lowest branches to propel herself higher with the help of her legs. Branch by branch she rose, until finally she reached the desire of her rumbling stomach. With one arm outstretched and the other encircling the nearest branch, she tried to reach the bright red apple. Zelda’s brows furrowed in focus, legs forced to push herself further. The literal apple of her eye was before her just a few inches away. Bit by bit she began to release her grip on the branch in order to go further. Finally, with only her hand holding onto the branch, she managed to capture the desire of her heart.

A feeling of accomplishment flooded her chest and a warm buzz snaked its way to her. In the slight instance her tense muscles relaxed, she was left careening down with little to no less registration and nothing to catch herself with. Her eyes clenched in preparation as her arms shielded her face the best it could.

Zelda felt her body collide with something. Too tense and well-structured to be a convenient bush nearby; too soft and comforting to be the ground she had her feet planted on minutes ago. She shifted her arms to create a gap and peeked through. Before her was… an almost indescribable figure with the head of what seemed to be an ancient entity and the body of a normal – slightly well-built – human. He was fashioned in a simple cream hylian tunic paired along with a pair of basil green shorts. The mask – she decided to assume – the person wore was one that would fascinate her if she weren’t so befuddled with its existence.

“Thank- thank you, can you, please put me down?” Silently the figure complied, gently placing her leaned onto the base of the tree.

On the ground, Zelda grasped at the chance to take the mask her saviour wore under deeper scrutiny. It was shaped similar to a heart as the base with spikes sprouting from it, two on top and four others on each of its lower sides. Each horn goldish-yellow with a smudge of different colour on every one, twinning only with its neighbour across. The heart was a mix of several colours; much of its higher part is coloured a royal purple and the rest of it mostly a crimson red, lined with intricate and ancient designs of various colours. Lastly, the most nerving feature of said mask was the pair of parakeet eyes boring at her with its flame coloured sclera.

The time she took letting her curiosity feast upon its new interest distracted her from the hand drawn towards her with the goal of her little journey and near pain resting comfortably on it. She voiced her gratitude before releasing her saviour from his small additional burden. Her stomach yearned for her to the very least have a nibble at the scarlet fruit, but her mind was keen and too well-trained in mannerism to allow herself to display such rudeness. Instead she merely placed the fruit on her lap and endeavoured to strike a conversation with her saviour. Perhaps even inquire him of the origins of his mask.

“Would, you like to sit down?” Zelda gestured towards the space beside her.

The figure remained silent – contemplating her offer, perhaps – before giving her a nod and shuffling towards her; settling down, nuzzled by the lush greenery with a respectful distance between them. They rested under the graceful shade of the vigorous tree, silence enveloping them in an awkward, yet somehow comfortable ambience. Zelda toyed with her apple, rolling and rubbing it whilst her mind travelled far and wide for a solution to broach the subject of said mask.

It was then that she came to a sudden awareness of her discourtesy, “Uhm, if I’m not too bold, would you mind as to give me your name?”

A pregnant pause followed her question and Zelda had nothing else to do, but be in the mercy of the mask’s vacant stare. Frankly, the stare of the mask’s eyes sent a chill crawling through her spine. It wasn’t quite simply due to its horrendous design itself; there was something else deep within her that squeezed and twisted her heart each time it was directed towards her. It was as if those same pair of eyes had stared into her very soul and–

“Do…,” his voice pierced through her train of thought, “Do you not recognise me?”

His voice was hoarse and brimmed with much hesitance, as if one mistake would cost him his life. Is her title that intimidating? was the question she tucked under her tongue. However, there was also a sense of familiarity in his voice that Zelda recognised despite the assurance she had that the voice was one she was not entirely familiar with. Perhaps it's caused by the mask, she reasoned.

“My apologies, but I do not seem to recall ever meeting someone with such a mask.”

“Mask…?” his hand shot up to the aforementioned cover. Frantically, patting away on it with something that Zelda could only deduce as sudden realisation.

A giggle threatened to burst free from her throat. For one to not realise they were wearing a mask of that size was more humorous than it was befuddling for her. Despite her pressing urge to unleash the flurry of giggles threatening to escape, the princess held her poise and regally coughed her laughter away to the side before offering her pardons.

“Pardon me, Princess,” the figure spoke, straightening himself up. His hands reached towards the mask, fiddling with the strings attached until it freed its grip from his head.

Streams of auburn hair peeked through as the mask started to unravel. A familiar shade, Zelda noted. The process unfolded in slow-motion before her eyes and a mixture of feelings was unleashed upon her in realisation. Afore her stood her knight attendant – in casual clothing, her mind supplied.

“Link?! Y-you–!” her eyes were wide as dinner plates; the finger that once toyed with her fruit was solely focused on pointing aim at Link’s figure as her body arched back by a few inches; her other hand supporting her weight and her apple rolling away, forgotten.

Link offered her no other response than a respectful bow on his knee. They remained in silence. Link unwavering in his position and Zelda taking the time to regain her lost grace and composure. Exhaling deeply, Zelda huffed before returning to her once more refined conduct.

“Link, you may rise.” The hero did as such, his body looming over her and casting another shade over her form. He stood with the squared shoulders of a well-groomed soldier. Ever so dutiful, always on guard.

“Please, sit down.” Again, the hero complied. Placing himself a tad farther than he was before, expanding the gap between them.

Zelda watched him with the intensity of a researcher, her eyes boring at him in hopes to receive – at the bitter least – some scraps of information. Alas, her knight was ever stoic in his countenances. However, other than his sapphire tunic, which she had crafted for him, she felt something else to be amiss in his appearance. Her eyes scanned him like a well-oiled machine. Determined to satisfy the mystery her mind had provided.

Then, it hit her. “Where is your sword?”

“With the Great Deku Tree. For safety,” his gaze was locked over his shoulder, where the Master Sword would usually reside. Faded grey clouds covering his brilliant sapphire eyes.

“Why didn’t you take it with you to your home town?”

Link shrugged, facing her once more, “Didn’t think I’d need it.” Didn’t want the attention, were the words that lingered in the air despite never leaving his lips.

Zelda hummed. The words that were left hovering in the air between them was something she understood well. After the day he had poured a piece of his heart to her in the small moments of vulnerability they shared behind prying eyes, she started to see the similarities between them. The hero she had berated so much was a lot like her in many ways, including his fears. The weights abruptly placed upon his shoulders were the same as hers after all.

Funny, however, she managed to receive warning. She had known her destiny since birth. It was her birth right; her legacy. She knew of what’s to come. Link, on the other hand, never had such privilege. His destiny caved upon him like a sudden boulder spat by Death Mountain himself, and even that had more apprise than what Link had received.

“That mask, might I ask where you got it?”

Link opened his mouth to speak, before his teeth met and his mouth clamed shut. But again he tried, his voice smaller than usual, “I found it in the storage of my home.”

Zelda quirked a brow. Her knight never sounded so timid; even when he spilled his deepest fears and held his heart boldly upon his sleeve, his voice held the integrity and force of a well-deserved captain. Zelda took it as cue to let her questions rest in the back of her head and deprive her curiosity of satisfaction.

“I see.”

Again they fell in silence. A silence that occurred many times before she had come to terms with him, uneasy and out of place. Zelda shifted her attention to the leaves loyally shading them from the scorching sun's glare. Drinking up every detail she could until she halted at a particular leaf.

The tips of it were shifting in colour and becoming out of sync with the rest of the flock. Summer was coming to a closure and autumn had begun to announce its arrival. It meant that the harvest crops were going to change, her meals would also shift into something more supported by the weather, and that time was passing by her fingertips as Ganon's awakening marched closer.

The thought sent shivers crawling up and down her spine. Her prayers had yielded no progress and fruited nothing but disappointment in her father's gaze. No matter what she did, she felt no power coursing through her veins; no voice in her head; and absolutely nothing other than the freezing chill that stubbornly clung onto her courtesy of the springs' waters.

But what else could she do? She had scoured every theory, practiced every method, spent hours on end standing in icy waters praying to a goddess who turned a deaf ear no matter what she did. There were no longer any cards or tricks she could even fathom to try. All she could do was pray. Pray to a statue who smiled to her in indifference to her pain.

A hand came a few inches to her face during her time staring at space. In the hand was her hard-earned fruit whom she had forgotten in the moment. She directed herself to her knight; his hand tentatively awaiting her response and a miniscule smile that whispered a thousand encouragements, more than anyone had ever given her. Her heart forgot its normal tempo.

Zelda exhaled; all of her frustration, stress, anxiety, fear, and self-deprecation in one swift breath. The other breath was her gratitude towards her companion and a smile, soft and private touched her lips as she brushed her hand against his and retrieve her appointed snack.

In this moment, there were only the two of them. No darkness sealing sword, no endless search of power, no weight forced upon their shoulders. In this moment, it was just her and her friend. In this moment, she could sit under the shade and enjoy the fruit she had rightfully earned and just breathe. In that moment, she took a bite.

It tasted sweet.

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Okay, so... this took an unexpected turn. I actually started this about a few weeks ago and after that I only continued it about a few days ago so it's probably confusing bc I forgot what I planned to go with this. So if you're confused it's alright! Bc I too am lol. But I posted it still bc after rereading it I think it would still make sense? So here it is.

Btw, this is my first LoZ fanfic so I hope this went well with you all. Cheers!

#loz #loz botw #breath of the wild #the legend of zelda #legend of zelda #botw zelink #tloz botw #zelink #zelda x link #zelda #link #link breath of the wild #zelda botw #zelda breath of the wild #link botw #zelink fic #zelink fanfiction #fanfiction

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spartan2545 · 5 years ago

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A White Rose Blooms Where First Planted

White Rose Week: Day 1

Rating: G

Word Count: 3220

Summary: Back in Vale after their travels around Remnant, Ruby takes Weiss on what she think is just another little adventure. But really, it is more than that.

Links: FFN AO3 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ruby, could you at least slow down a bit?” Weiss called from her usual position of trudging a few meters behind her partner, the other woman’s speed she learned long ago not only being semblance related. The exact moment for that was probably the first time she saw Ruby eat. “And; where exactly are we going? Or why?” That part of the situation was also normal for the pair. Ruby would ask, plead, sometimes beg for Weiss to accompany her to somewhere and then not give nearly enough detail about the specifics. Weiss for her part had learned that she nearly always, excluding a few instances involving unexpected very large Grimm, had a good time. So she, as always, went along. After Ruby used her magics of persuasion including the aforementioned begging on her at least. “You’ll see!” Ruby turned back and cheerily replied with her trademark, patented, and copyrighted smile, “It's only a little further.”

On other occasions, Weiss often pressed the issue; ensuring that before it was upon them Ruby hadn’t concocted a daft situation that would be a pain to get out of. Today, however, was different. They weren’t in a new place, or one even one that had been seldomly visited by at least one of them. Not a place where whatever Ruby saw fit to store in the backpack she’d donned might not be sufficient. No; for they were in the Emerald Forest. The familiar lush green trees for which it was named intermittently blocked the sun on the gorgeous day. Wind flowed through the leafed branches with a pleasant rhythm. And it was neither too hot nor too cold even without the use of aura. Being back in Vale to retrieve the Crown of Choice had allotted the opportunity to be places they knew; a welcome change from the wilds of Vacuo they had just trudged. Considering the Fall Maiden was Cinder, it also meant they had time to wait while Salem’s side made a move; so they could enjoy it at least for now. Ruby slowed her pace a bit, letting Weiss catch up until she was right behind her. The leader was humming happily to herself with eyes nearly fixed ahead. She was a woman on a mission, and one she was happy about; her partner liked it when she got this way, and it had happened far too infrequently as of late with the unpleasant realities of war. For her part, Ruby could see her partner out of the corner of her eye, and it was a lovely sight. While she would have always said so about her, now especially because Weiss was wearing her very best attire. A smile.

It was just what Ruby was hoping for; that Weiss would enjoy this little trek and eventually its destination. That smile had gotten too rare; not appropriate in the battle so often fought. But now she was happy for the fun of going off on some lighthearted adventure. Just like they used to. Trees, rocks, and meter after meter of ground were swiftly left in the wake of the two huntresses. It wasn’t hard for them to traverse a place like this, so they could more or less focus on simply enjoying it. Enjoying, even more than the day, each other’s company. There were so many words between them, now left unspoken as they didn’t need to be. They knew and understood each other so well at this point, and quiet with just the two of them was a luxury that had been elusive for some time. Then, Ruby stopped dead in her tracks. She turned her head from side to side for a moment. Her smile only grew larger. “We’re here!” She exclaimed, turning to face Weiss with her arms outstretched and grinning from ear to ear. Weiss had stopped too, now amused by her partner, but looked around herself and was a bit confused, “And, if I may ask, where exactly is ‘here’?” Ruby laughed at her partner a bit, Weiss knowing it was in with her and never at her; “Weiss! You can’t tell me you don’t remember!” Ruby waved at their surroundings, “Come on; use that smart head of yours a bit.” And so Weiss did. For a minute she examined the clearing that they were in. It was overall typical of the forest. Nothing stood out as special or worthy of note. *Why would Ruby want to come to a place like this?* She thought to herself, reasoning, *This is Ruby we’re talking about. . . So it holds a significance, but maybe more sentimental. Like if we had been. . . Here. . . Before* The ex-heiress nearly face palmed. She looked to Ruby who had only gotten more excited, she was almost bouncing, as it became clear Weiss had made the realization, “This. . . This is where we became partners, isn’t it?” Ruby vigorously nodded her head and clapped her hands together; “Yep! It is! Of course the dolt would bring her to a place like this. Weiss took a second to solidify the memory. Oh how things had changed since back when Ruby was merely the lesser of two evils, with the worst being Jaune. Back when she thought Ruby might be a burden on her life in schooling. . . How wrong she turned out to be. “So. . . What made you want to come here?” Weiss asked, making sure not to imply she didn’t like this. Because she did. “You know I like trips down memory lane,” Ruby responded, “And this just seemed perfect. We had the time, we were nearby, the weatherman said it would be a great day and it is!” Ruby punctuated it with a smile, an adorable habit Weiss said so. “Makes sense to me.” Weiss agreed, letting out a sigh of happy contentment, “A lot has changed since we lifers saw each other here.” “It sure has.” Ruby stepped a little closer to Weiss, “We didn’t know or even really like each other. I was a kid who really was overwhelmed by everything that was happening and maybe not completely ready for this. Naive and even more socially awkward.” “And I was a stuck up heiress who was rather unfair to everyone, but you most of all.” Weiss gained a slight blush from her coming words, “I thought you would be an embarrassing pain in my life, just one step up from Vomit Boy.” Ruby giggled, holding up two fingers just ever so barely not touching, “I kinda do hope I’m still just a little teensy bit of a step up from Jaune.” “Quite honestly; I do think I would rate you as at least a couple.” They shared a smile, looking at each-other as deeply as only best friends can. Or at least, that’s what Weiss had thought before not long ago. Recently she began to think that, just maybe, the way looked and Ruby looked at each other, felt about each other, and everything else. . . Was more than what best friends do.

Then Ruby took her hand. An action that had been getting more and more common recently; far from a strange thing for members of the team. But for some reason, it sent a jolt through Weiss every time it was with Ruby now. A jolt was the best way she could describe it at least, but . . . it was far from unpleasant. “You know one that that hasn’t changed though?” She asked, giving the smaller hand in hers a little squeeze, “That I’m so happy to look into your eyes. That’s what got us to be partners, and I was happy then. But now. . . I only like them more!” “I couldn’t agree more.” They each knew the other’s words were as true as their own. Pools of mercury and sapphire stared back as each other, lingering until they both noticed they were staring.

The day that they met, the moment they became partners all in the mess that was the Beacon initiation, was a turning point more than probably any other in their lives. Everything they had gone through since was in part because of it, at least in some way. But especially who they had become. It was slow, over time. But eventually they got to here. Where they were happy despite it all. And they had what had maybe happened the slowest, but made them the happiest. What they had with one another. “A lot really has changed since back then,” Ruby began to reflect, “We’ve changed and grown a lot. Fought so many bad guys and Grimm and traveled to new places so much. Who could have thought we’d be on a journey to save the world? . . . It’s not all been easy, we both know that too well. It’s not the life either of us would have asked for exactly. . . But. . . I’m happy to face any and all of it, as long as I have you with me.” “You know I feel the same way,” Weiss agreed, “Ruby, you make me know it’ll all be okay, and that whatever it is we can win. With you I honestly believe that. . . And I know if I need help, you’ll always be there for me.” “I will, and you’ll be for me,” Ruby laughed to herself a bit, “Just like I tried to. . . Varying. . . Success when we first met.” “We’re not going to make those mistakes again,” Weiss laughed back. Ruby had always really loved her laugh, at least now it wasn’t as rare as it used to be. “Mistakes,” Ruby said before pausing, clearly intentionally dramatically. It was rather endearing. Then whipping something out, “Like not taking a selfie together here!” Weiss looked at the scroll Ruby now held aloft in her hand, “To be fair, we did have much better thing to be doing,” She pointed out, “Like making sure not to die to Grimm.” “Yeah, Yeah, I know.” Ruby acknowledged, “But now? We can wreck anything that comes near us without a sweat! So. . . I was thinking we could take one here, now.” Weiss could figure out Ruby’s thought process rather easily about all of this. They were near the end of their journey, so Ruby bright then back to the beginning. They didn’t know how dark things might get soon, so they went to a happy place of light. And she wanted to save the memory, so that no matter what happened, they would always have it. She loved the way Ruby thought sometimes. “I think I like think that idea.” She said And with that, Ruby handed Weiss the scroll, as they both knew was better at this type of thing. They got closer together, each put an arm around the other. Weiss held her free hand out, and: “Cheese!” They both smiled as the camera flashed. Capturing a memory, that somehow both of them knew, despite in of itself being only a one day trip, would be something they would cherish forever to come. It was a little thing, but a lot of life is about the little things. “It looks great!” Ruby proclaimed with glee, eagerly showing Weiss the picture she could always have seen just about as well as Ruby could have. But of course she had to make sure.

“I think it looks great too.” She agreed, and it really did. It was the two of them happy together so, how could it not? But as nice as it looked, instead of dwelling on it, she looked to what was so much better to her; Ruby in the flesh beside her.

She did what she did so often, and looked for that smile. But as Weiss turned to Ruby, she found something she wouldn’t have suspected, a surprise and an unpleasant one at that. While Ruby was still looking at the picture, there was no smile on her face. In its place was a look of contemplation, and appearing to be not a happy reflection. As if all of the energy from just a moment prior was still there, but had transformed to worry. Accented with a mercifully rare frown.

“Ruby?” Weiss questioned with a mark of confusion, and a little concern. “What’s wrong?”

Unusually, it seemed to take a few seconds for the younger woman to even acknowledge her partner’s words. Curiously, she didn’t look to Weiss, instead sighing with her eyes locked in place. In gradients and variation of the shade through the trees, it was a bit hard to tell, but it looked as though maybe Ruby had begun to blush.

“It’s just. . . . To be honest, the photo wasn’t the only reason I wanted you to come out here with me. There’s more. . . A lot more than that.”

The statement left a question in the air even as the sounds died away, it hung there, undisturbed by the blowing breeze. This time, it was Weiss that took Ruby’s hand. As they touched she felt that feeling again. Whatever this was, it was important. And she wanted to feel, be, closer during this.

“What. . . What is it?” Weiss wished she had something better to say, but if she was honest with herself, she wasn’t the best with situations like this. Ones that clearly meant something.

Ruby took a deep breath, and looked at Weiss once more, squeezing her hand a little. A small, cautious smile now graced her lips. Silver looked deep into blue, and blue back into silver. They had each not put it into words yet, but whenever this happened they could feel the connection they had. Two souls abidingly tied together, from the first time their eyes met. As best friends are.

Right?

“Weiss,” The normal exuberance replaced with purpose, “This place means a lot to me, because to me, it means a lot to us. I talk a lot about friends and being partners with you and all that. . . But I don’t think I ever really say how much you mean to me. Actually, I know I haven’t,”

The white haired woman just stood there, listening intently and gazing into the sparks of life deep in shining grey. All the while, there was a feeling in her chest that she couldn’t quite place. An anticipation for what Ruby was going to say as she felt her cheeks color.

Hope?

“I, uhm, I really like you Weiss. Like. . . More than just my partner, or my best friend. . .” She laughed a little sheepishly, “But I guess that doesn’t really make this different from a lot of other partnerships, huh? Being through so much with someone, after being so lucky to get with someone so great to begin with. I think, hope, you feel the same way about me. . . And. . . All of that started here. . . So it felt right to me that this would be where I would take you on our first date. . .” Eye contact broke as Ruby grew redder, darting to the forest around them “I just couldn't work up the courage to ask you before we got here.”

Then, with a bigger smile now, Ruby turned back to Weiss.

Weiss was stunned. Of all of the things that Ruby could say to her, tell her, she would not have expected this. What seemed to be just another little adventure, was meant to be a date, even if without her knowledge. It was odd, more than a little awkward, and a roundabout way to do something like this but a way that seemed to work for her.

It was so Ruby. Different, in a way Weiss couldn’t help but find it endearing.

That feeling she got whenever she and Ruby touched or looked in each other’s eyes now flared up inside her like a fire. It felt even better now than it ever had before, and from her core it radiated out through herself. What from this Ruby could see, was a wider and wider smile form on her face and a sparkle in her eyes.

“I never thought I’d go on a date to a forest,” She laughed back with joy, squeezing Ruby’s hand tighter, “And that I wouldn’t be asked before I went. . . . Or that it would be my best friend and partner asking me.”

“I hope that none of that is a dealbreaker.” Her normal optimistic cheer once again backed her words, the worries that plagued her put firmly to rest by how she could tell Weiss felt. She would have needed to know Weiss so well to see that, but that only made it so clear. It was going to be like how she had hoped, and recent nights dreamed.

“I think it might be even better this way.” The reply honest, now even more joyful at how they were enjoying all of this.

“So . . . . This can be our first date then?” Came the question for a complete confirmation. Now would be the worst time for a miscommunication, even if Ruby could feel that there wasn’t.

“Yes, I’d love it to be.” Her head nodded to make sure she was understood, “I just hope that you’ve a little more planned than just staying here.”

“Of course I do!” To help make the point, Ruby started walking in a direction, slowly for Weiss’s sake, and still grasping hold on to the place they were and the moment they were sharing, “I thought we could hike up to Cliff Landing Strategy, then watch the sunset there.” She gestured with her free hand to her pack, “And I packed some food for a kinda picnic there! Like when the sunsets!”

“A sunset picnic, in the forest our lives intertwined, as the sunsets. . . . Again, never something I would have thought of. . . . But it does sound nice. And it seems to me that you might be just a little romantic.” Step by step they moved, but their eyes really didn’t leave the other’s, Ruby only turning away for part seconds, a requirement of being in the lead.

“It’s kinda hard not to be around you.” And that just when Weiss thought her pale visage had mostly returned. But she held no real embarrassment from it, and with words like that, and everything she was feeling; Weiss though there was only one thing left to say:

“Ruby. . . I’m so glad we became partners.”

Words from the heart,

“So am I Weiss, and now I’m just as happy we can be even more.”

To another it knew so well,

“Me too.”

And back again to the one it was forever locked.

Together, they took one last look at the clearing before starting their hike. A slow hike, prolonging time with the company each kept. They weren’t far along when the reality of what had occurred caught up with them.

There had been no really big confession. No tears or pleas. No emotional upwelling one way or another. They just. . . Became a couple on a date from best friends on an adventure. As if it was something natural, and an easy thing.

But, that’s because for them it really was natural. Nothing had changed, not in their hearts and souls where it mattered. Only the words they used to tell themselves and others. In some ways, this might not have even been their first date.

But the thing both were certain of, more than anything else in the world, was that it would be far, far, from the last.

And with an afterlife in Remnant. . .

There would never have to be.

#white rose week #wrw2020 #white rose #day 1 #rwby

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scribblescrabblebabble · 5 years ago

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FMA Gift Exchange 2019!

Title: Snow Day

Rating: T+

Relationships: Roy Mustang/ Edward Elric; Trisha Elric/ Van Hohenheim

Cross- Posted on AO3 (link)

This is my (kinda late :/ ) gift to @melissamelody for the @fmagiftexchange on Tumblr. They said that anything would do, and I was inspired to do a cute fluffy snow thing because I have never gotten a lot of snow over the holidays due to where I live, and I'm finally about to get some up at my college, so it has been on my mind a lot! I hope you enjoy!

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It took Ed several loud thunks to realize he had been awoken by snowballs. On his window. Flicking his gaze to the alarm clock a foot from his face, Ed rolled his eyes and nestled deeper into his pillow.

‘8:00 am! What kind of cruel fuckery is this?’

The thuds continued for far too long, hitting square in his window just when he thought the tirade over. After about the millionth thud, a new sound disgraced Ed’s sleepy daze: the loud buzz of his phone on the mattress by his ear. With an indignant grunt, he rolled his face to the edge of the pillow (out of the nice, warm divot his head had made through the night) to glance at the screen.

‘Message from Roy <3 : Get up! Hands r numb from snowballs :( ‘

“Of fucking course,” Ed grumbled, pulling himself blankets and all from bed and over to the window that stood mockingly across the room from him. He pushed the window open as far as it would go, leaning out into the frigid winter air cocooned into his comforter indignantly.

Below him stood his stupid neighbor-boyfriend, covered to the hat in flakes of snow and a truly ridiculous number of floral coats and scarves. Around him spots of frozen grass were visible where the teen had scooped up snow to form his projectile annoyances. He smiled radiantly up at Ed’s scowl, “Morning! Look, it’s snowing!”

Ed rolled his eyes, “Yeah, I can tell, dumbass Southerner. You look like you’ve been rolling around in that shit for hours.”

In response, Roy just shrugged, still grinning like an idiot, “And you look like a quilted burrito.”

“…Paisley marshmallow.”

“Grumpy caterpillar.”

“Bastard.”

“Killjoy—Oh, good morning Mrs. Elric!” Sure enough, Ed turned to where Roy looked, spotting his mom’s head poking out from the front corner of his house.

“I thought I heard something! What’re you doing out here Roy?” Trisha asked.

“Serenading your son, ma’am.”

Ed snorted, “Yeah, with projectile snow. Mom, tell him to stop being shitty and let me sleep.” Trisha looked up, noticing Ed’s disgruntled form. She laughed, “Oh my, I see I’ve interrupted! Roy, dear, why don’t you come inside and have some coffee? You look near frozen.”

Ed let out a betrayed shout following Roy’s polite ‘yes ma’am’, “You’re supposed to be on my side Mom!”

Trisha scoffed, “And pass up the chance pick on you? Oh, please, I’m your mother! Get dressed, it’s a beautiful day to be up early.”

“Ugh, fine.” The blonde stuck his tongue out at Roy’s smirk before pulling his head from outside, relishing in the warmth of his room tingling against his cold cheeks.

He hefted the window closed, letting his comforter fall to the wayside in the process. After struggling into a less-rumpled sweater and jeans, Ed gave his invitingly unmade on last, wistful look before leaving his room to face whatever bad joke he could hear Roy politely laughing at downstairs. In the kitchen, Ed found his boyfriend (shed of his comical layers of warmth) receiving a mug of coffee from a scrub-clad Trisha at the table, his similarly-clothed dad tapping away on his phone by the counter where it was plugged in.

“Work day?” Ed asked, making Hohenheim look up. “We were called in a minute ago. Apparently, the snow caught a lot of people by surprise and the ER’s packed.”

“And because a ton of people are injured, you decided to wear matching cat scrubs?” The blonde teen took the coffee proffered to him by his mom and sat by Roy, who kicked his foot lightly in greeting. He kicked back.

“It couldn’t have been a nice coincidence?” Trisha asked innocently.

“Absolutely not.” Ed deadpanned, sipping the coffee and finding it pleasantly over-sweetened. He turned to Roy, whom he found gazing out the window at the flake-coated tree in the (other) neighbor’s lawn. The former elbowed the arm not holding a mug of coffee and asked, “What haven’t you done yet in the snow? Since I just so happen to be up this early, we might as well do something.”

The dark-haired teen was silent for a moment, sipping thoughtfully at his drink, “I’ve really only been in my yard today. Maybe we should walk around.”

Trisha interjected before Ed could comment, “That’s a lovely idea! The park always looks beautiful in this weather. Just be careful; as much as I love spending time with you, Ed, I don’t want you making any unexpected visits to us at work today. You wither, Roy, your aunt would have a fit.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Kissass.”

“It’s my Southern hospitality, Ed.”

The aforementioned scoffed, “You’ve been out of there for like a year and a half, the hospitality shoulda worn off by now.”

Roy faked an affronted look, “A gentleman never loses his hospitality!”

“A gentleman who throws snow at his boyfriend to wake him up at 8 am?”

“Yep!”

Ed let out a small laugh, “You’re hopeless. C’mon, it’ll take half an hour just to put all of your coats back on- best go ahead and get started.”

“I like being warm. ‘S not my fault Riza stole my good coat to walk Hayate.”

“You aren’t going to have breakfast?” Hohenheim asked Ed as he grabbed his keys and herded his giggly wife out the door.

“I’ll eat later.” Ed waved his parents off as they closed the door, leaving the young couple sitting with their coffees at the small kitchen table. The blonde turned to the other, “My family’s way too used to you, you know that?”

“I prefer to think they’re just the right amount used to me,” he stood, walking to his coat-pile, “Besides, I could say the same for you and Aunt Chris.

Ed huffed, moving beside Roy and taking his thick red coat from its hook, “That’s different- Miss Chris’s been out neighbor forever. My folks’ve only known you for like a year. You’re just way too charming for a seventeen-year-old.”

“Seventeen and a half, thanks. And you’re too grumpy for a sixteen-and-three-quarters-year-old. Ready?” He had just finished putting his final scarf (purple with blue roses) on as Ed yanked some gloves on and opened the front door.

The blonde was still cringing from the blast of cold air as Roy sped out into the blanketed lawn. He gained his bearings and joined, standing with his boyfriend in the whiteness.

“It’s so peaceful.” The older teen commented, looking into the cloudy sky serenely.

Ed hummed his agreement, crunching over to the shoveled-off sidewalk, “Let’s go,” he said with a small smile.

Side by side, the two strolled in peaceful silence, Roy taking in the new scenery and Ed silently enjoying his boyfriend’s company. The park sat two blocks from their houses, and since the neighborhood did not boast of a huge population of children, the mid-morning snow sat untouched on the park’s grass and benches.

“Your mom was right, Ed, it really is beautiful here. Look at the trees!” Roy exclaimed, grabbing Ed’s gloved hand in his own and dragging him further into the space. They ended up under one of said trees, the branches little black outlines against the piles of snow atop them. Both were content to be close to one another, looking around at the scenery for a time.

The moment, of course, was not destined to last, as just then two particularly large snowballs collided with their faces quite spectacularly. Both teens startled back, stuttering and wiping the freezing material off of their faces. Ed whipped his face to the tree’s large trunk, behind which he could hear uproarious laughter and two excited dogs’ barking.

Just as Roy shouted an indignant, “Riza!”, Ed yelled, “Fuck off Winry! You too Al!” Three giggling blonde heads popped out from around the tree, Den and Hayate yipping at their heels.

Quicker to react than Ed, Roy responded to the attack with a chunk of snow to Riza’s face. She was still in shock, then grinned and made to form a new ball. They scattered, laughing, and the wintry war was on.

~End~

#royed #safe RoyEd #fmagiftexchange #gift type: fic #gift fic #fma #fanfiction #snow

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ryqoshay · 6 years ago

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How to Handle a Maki: Maki’s First Adventure

Primary Pairing: NicoMaki Words: ~8k Rating: T? Maybe G; I’ve been overcautious as of late it seems AU: RPG Time Frame: ??? Story Arc: Stand Alone

Author’s Note: And now I’m writing a fourth fic... yay?

As with the first chapter of Heavenly Life, this serves as a proof of concept, this time for an idea I had when writing HL (AU). If I’m going to start writing a fantasy, non-canon compliant AU for YohaRiko, why not do so for NicoMaki as well?

Also, major thanks to noelclover for providing inspiration via amazing RPG NicoMaki fanart - links will be provided in the followup post. I consider it an honor and a privilege to have been able to brainstorm ideas with a fellow fanwork creator and pray this work lives up to what was in mind upon creation of the aforementioned art.

Edit: Upon reviewing this chapter for purposes of writing something else, I realized something either didn't copy/past right or didn't save correctly when I originally wrote it in Word. As such, I have added a bit just before Maki's first adventure actually begins. Nothing major, just a bit of in-universe explaining as to why some things ended up as they did.

Maki was happy.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, she was truly, honestly, happy. She had arrived at her destination. And had done so all by herself.

She had not ridden in a fancy carriage owned by her family. Instead, she had walked, despite it taking over a week, not just a few days. Along the way, she had not stopped at the homes of local nobles where she knew she would be showered with gifts and granted the best room and board they could offer. Instead, she had stayed at each town’s tavern, where she had rented a room and had eaten the food provide by said taverns. On the nights she was unable to make it to the next town, she had made do with supplies she had brought with her. The clothes she wore were not ornate in any way and did not sacrifice comfort for style. Instead, they were hearty and durable, would not tear at the slightest of snags, and had no hem that needed to be held up to allow her to move.

And, perhaps most important of all, she had been able to earn money on her own, money not given to her by her wealthy parents simply for being their daughter. She had found many opportunities to sing and perform for coins tossed into her hat to help supplement her finances. Nothing about the journey had been extremely luxurious as far as she was concerned, but it had been enough to get by.

Now she stood in front of an old, but sturdy structure that was smaller than she had been led to believe. Her feet were sore from all of the walking, she had depleted much of her rations, she desperately wanted to bathe and sleep in a bed, and the wonderful aroma wafting through the cracks in the door made her stomach grumble, but she was here. She had finally arrived at the guildhouse of the Yazawa branch of the Adventurer’s Guild.

This particular branch had been suggested to Maki by Rin, the fiancée of her friend Hanayo. The two of them had recently started frequenting this location because they were fond of the manager, one Yazawa Nico. Apparently Hanayo and Nico shared some strange obsession with idols, both ancient and contemporary. Rin didn’t quite understand her fiancée’s fascination with statues but was happy to support her in her research and adventures. Maki definitely didn’t get it either, but she trusted Hanayo and thus had decided her first adventure would be some idol research for this Nico person.

She knocked on the door and awaited a response. Nothing for several minutes. She knocked again, a little harder this time.

“It’s unlocked!” A voice came from within.

Unlocked? Maki glanced from side to side. No guards in sight. Was Nico some sort of mage that warded off intruders via magic? Or perhaps Nico was just that trusting of others in the world? Then again, perhaps in the eyes of a thief, this place didn’t look like it was worth looting?

Memories came to her of all the guards, servants and the like who were ever-present around the noble and royal folk and their property. Though certainly possible, it was difficult to harm or steal from those in higher society, if for no other reason than the sheer number of potential witnesses. Heck even the taverns in which she had stayed often had a handful of people around that could deal with situations. But this place…

“You coming in or not?” The voice called again.

“Right, sorry…” Maki replied, finally opening the door. Immediately, a warm breeze slipped past her, carrying with it a potent burst of the aroma she had smelled earlier, causing her stomach to grumble again. “Hello?” She called into the building

“In the kitchen!”

Maki followed the sounds and smells of cooking. Turning the corner, she stopped in her tracks at the sight before her. Without a doubt, she had found the kitchen and the source of the tantalizing smell. But what struck her was the individual currently preparing what looked like a feast for no less than twenty people. With dark black hair pulled up in youthful twintails that bounced along as she practically danced from pot to spit to chopping board was a girl at least two years younger than her, possibly more.

“Welcome!” The girl said, turning a brilliant smile toward her.

“Uhm… is this the Yazawa Branch Guildhouse?” Maki asked.

“You got the right place. Now what can I do for you?” The girl reached over to stir the pot while she talked.

“I’m supposed to ask for the branch guildmaster, Yazawa Nico?”

“You found her.”

“…” Maki blinked. Surly she was being pranked. There was no way a kid was in charge of a guild, even if just a branch.

“So again, what can I do for you?” The girl repeated her previous question, her smile waning ever so slightly as a bit of impatience seeped into her voice.

“I’d… like to speak with Yazawa Nico.”

The smile dissipated entirely, replaced by a scowl as the girl put a hand on her hip. “That’s me.”

Part of Maki wanted to give her credit for her dedication the act, but she needed to get down to business. “Look, kid…” She cut off as a guttural growl came through the girl’s sneer.

“Onee-chan!” a young voice shouted from the direction of the door.

Immediately, the girl’s smile returned, somehow even brighter than when she had initially greeted Maki. Half a second later, a smaller version of the girl barreled past Maki.

“Cocoa!” Another smaller version appeared. “Don’t run in the kitchen when Onee-sama is cooking!”

“Smell good…” A third voice drawled.

There were four of them? Maki’s gaze shifted among them. They all had vibrant crimson eyes and dark hair, though one’s hair was a bit more on the brown side. And she was pretty sure the shortest one was a boy. Maybe…

“Ah, a guest.” The polite one turned toward Maki and greeted her with a bow. “Are you a new recruit?”

“Maybe?” Maki replied.

“That’s wonderful. Onee-sama may be the No. 1 Guildmaster in the Universe, but it has been difficult for her to get new recruits as of late.”

“Cocoro.” The purported No. 1 Guildmaster said with a disapproving air.

“Sorry, Onee-sama.”

“We’re doing just fine here.”

“My name is Cocoro, by the way.” The girl said, turning back to the guest. “And your name?”

“Maki.”

“It has been nice to meet you, Maki-san.” Cocoro smiled. “I’ll go set the table.” She then told her sister.

“Thanks.” The guildmaster then patted the head of the girl still wrapped around her waist. “Cocoa, go play with Cotaro. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

“Alright.” Cocoa replied, detaching herself. “Hi, Maki-san.” She said, running past the redhead.

“So, Princess,” Nico turned her attention to Maki “you got a surname to go with that gorgeous face and rude attitude?”

“Gor… rude? P-Princess?” Maki couldn’t decide what to react to first. “What the heck?”

“That’s what your name means, right? True Princess? What, did your parents hope you would marry into royalty or something?”

“No, I, uhm…”

“What, you gotta problem with people knowing your family name?” Nico’s eyes widened. “Maybe you have a bounty on your head?”

“Buweeh?!” Maki balked. “Bounty? No, that’s not it.” She shook her head. “That’s not it at all.”

“Hrm, a shame.” Nico shrugged. “Could’ve used the reward…”

Maki deadpanned at the other girl. “Nishikino. My name is Nishikino Maki.” Though as soon as she said it, Maki wondered if she shouldn’t have come up with an alias instead of using her real name. Her given name was probably fine, but…

“Nishikino Maki.” Nico repeated. “Has a bit of a regal sound to it.”

Wait, did that mean Nico didn’t know about the clerical clan headed by the Nishikino family? What kind of adventurers guildmaster hadn’t heard of the Nishikino clerics, even if just a backwater branch manager?

“I guess…” Maki admitted, reaching up unconsciously to twirl a strand of hair around a finger.

Nico shrugged it off. “So, back to my still unanswered question, what can I do for you?”

“Rin and Hanayo recommended I come here to get a contract.”

“Beginner adventurer, eh?”

Maki wanted to deny and claim that she had some experience, but Nico continued.

“Yeah, I have a few things we could do.”

“We?”

“Of course. I’ll go with you on your first contract or two; show you the ropes of adventuring and dungeon crawling. Cocoro can watch the place while we’re away and everything will be fine.”

“I see…”

“So, I’ll get the paperwork and gear together later and we can head out in the morning. But for tonight, you can join us for dinner then we’ll see about getting you a room.”

“Alright.” Maki found herself getting a little excited. Despite the hiccup with introductions, things seemed to be going well and she was one step closer to her new life of adventure.

“Anyway, I’m almost done here, so go hang out for a bit, but don’t go upstairs.”

“Huh?”

“NozoEli are up there.”

“Nozoeli…?”

“Sorry, Nozomi and Eli.” Nico corrected. “They’re two people, but since they’re practically attached at the hip, some of us refer to them as NozoEli. Kinda like RinPana, the ones who sent you here.”

“I… don’t get it…?” Maki had never heard her friends referred to in such a way.

“Anyway, they’re up there ‘celebrating’ Eli’s successful hunt, so unless you want to be scarred for life, don’t go up there. Nozomi has been pretty good lately in remembering to cast a spell to soundproof the room, but still usually forgets to lock the door, so if you go into the wrong one…” Nico shook her head as thought to clear unwanted memories.

Seems like not locking doors is commonplace around here, Maki mused to herself.

“Mmm… that smells delicious, Nicocchi.” A voice came from the direction of the stairs.

“The kids are here, Nozomi,” Nico replied without even looking “so you’d better be wearing pants this time.”

“Is a skirt alright?”

“You know what I mean.”

The girl coming down from the upper floor giggled. Long purple hair fell down to her hips and green eyes held a gaze that gave the feeling she knew more than she would ever let on. A smile matched the knowingness of her aura as she noticed Maki.

“Elicchi will be down in a bit.” Nozomi directed toward Nico despite her approaching Maki. “She’s a bit more tired than I am; wore her out a bit, it seems.”

Nico groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Tojo Nozomi.” The purple-haired girl greeted, holding out a hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Maki-chan.”

Maki blinked but accepted the handshake anyway.

“Don’t let her get to you, Nishikino.” Nico spoke up. “She’s like that with pretty much everyone.” She finally turned her attention away from her meal preparation. “You know you could try being a bit more formal at first from time to time, Nozomi.”

“Says the girl calling her Princess.” Nozomi grinned.

“Yeah, but that’s what her name…”

“Oh, is that ready? I’ll bring it out to the table.” She grabbed serving tray filled with carved meat.

“Thanks, but no sneaking a bi… hey! I saw that!”

The purple-haired girl laughed through a mouthful of meat as she made her escape to the dining room.

Nico sighed and shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder why I put up with her…”

“Because I’m your best source for rare components and you know it!” Nozomi called from the other room.

“Yeah, yeah…” Nico made a dismissive motion with her hand despite knowing the other girl couldn’t see it. “Anyway, Nishikino, if you would be so kind as to take this and follow Nozomi, we can eat soon.”

“Maki is fine.” Maki stated as she accepted the platter of crudités.

“Right, and I’ll overlook the kid thing if you call me Nico, the No. 1 Guildmaster in the Universe.”

The redhead couldn’t help deadpanning again.

“Or just Nico.” The raven-haired girl conceded with a smile.

As Maki made her way to the dining room, she found herself wondering if the No. 1 thing had been a joke or a test. Either way, she did feel a bit bad about misjudging the guildmaster’s age. She knew how she felt when being patronized by those older than her due to her age or lack of experience.

Although… had she actually misjudged Nico’s age? She had younger siblings, sure, and was the manager of this branch, but that didn’t mean she had to be any particular age, or even an adult for that matter. Maki was pretty sure she remembered reading the account of a girl who had taken command of a small mercenary guild when she was barely eleven. Not that it really mattered either way, but perhaps she should ask that Nozomi girl.

For better or worse, Maki was unable to inquire about Nico as the moment she made it to the table, a blonde shambled down the stairs, looking like she had just run a marathon. Said blonde introduced herself as Eli and took a seat next to Nozomi who immediately clamped a hand on her leg, earning a disparaging remark from Nico. Cocoro called her other two siblings and once everyone was at the table, they began their meal.

Conversation was lighthearted as full introductions were made and several stories were told. Nozomi insisted Eli tell the epic tale of her hunt earlier that day before sharing a story of her own, one seemingly designed specifically to embarrass Nico in front of the guest. The raven-haired girl fired back with what Maki assumed to be an embarrassing anecdote about Nozomi, but the purple-haired girl merely laughed it off.

All in all, the experience had been quite enjoyable for Maki and stood in stark contrast to the extravagant banquets and parties she had regularly been required to attend growing up. The food was surprisingly on par, simple in appearance, but flavorful and filling. And the company was in an entirely different realm. Nobody was approaching her with the intent of talking themselves up in hopes that she would put in a good word for them with her parents or some other noble. Nobody was sucking up to anyone, in fact. Everyone was just happily enjoying the company and were including her like they had known her for years. It was all a bit… strange, but pleasantly so.

And while she was not accustomed to doing so, Maki had been more than happy to join in clearing the table after the meal. The kids were out the door moments later, leaving the four older girls to relax for the evening.

“I’ll make some tea.” Nozomi offered before heading toward the kitchen.

“Thanks, Nozomi.” Nico replied before turning to Maki. “Now, about the bill.”

The bill? For the meal? “Oh, uhm… alright.” Maki began fumbling for her coin pouch.

“Nicocchi.” Nozomi’s tone held a scolding air despite her playful expression as she turned back toward them. “You know Eli and I provided everything for that meal, right?”

“But I cooked it.” Nico insisted. “My labor has to be worth something.”

“So, are you going to charge your siblings as well?”

“Of course not, they’re family.”

“Alright, then what of the leftovers?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if we were to take what Maki-chan ate out of what Elicchi and I will be taking with us?”

Nico opened her mouth to argue further but paused to think for a moment. “You know what, fine, we’ll just call it all even.” She turned back to Maki. “But standard room and board fees will apply if you want to stay here for the night and have breakfast in the morning.”

“Alright.” Maki pulled out a handful of gold coins from her pouch. “Will this cover it?”

Nico’s eyes bulged. “Ye…” Her voice cracked so she cleared her throat before continuing. “This much is fine.” She said, taking only one of the offered coins. “We can work out a weekly or monthly fee later if you end up sticking around a while. And of course if you join the guild, there is an even bigger discount, and I can deduct it directly from your pay.”

Maki nodded in agreement before the two made their way to the living room to join Eli.

“Tea is ready.” Nozomi announced a few minutes later, carrying a tray toward the fireplace.

“Almost done here.” Nico stated, stacking a few more logs. “Want to do the honors?” She offered, turning to the purple-haired girl.

“Of course.” The mage replied, and with a quick snap, a crackling fire leaped up from the wood. “So, Maki-chan,” she directed her attention toward the redhead “know any good songs?”

“Quite a few, actually.” Maki retrieved her lute. “Any requests?”

Nozomi shrugged. “Bard’s choice.”

“Alright.” Maki agreed and immediately began to play.

Nozomi took a seat next to Eli and leaned into the blonde who put her arm around her as they settled in to enjoy the show.

For her part, Nico sat back and let the stringed melody envelope her. Then the singing started. And for a moment, she wasn’t sure if her heart had merely skipped a beat or stopped altogether. Maki’s voice… it was heavenly. The redhead matched her tone flawlessly with her instrument, blending their harmonies in ways Nico had never imagined possible. And the song. She’d never heard it before, yet it felt so familiar that she found herself wanting to join in.

And then it was over. Nico suddenly remembered to breathe and leaned back into her chair without knowing when she had sat forward.

“Bravo!” Nozomi cheered, disturbing Eli from her trance similar to Nico’s. “Encore!”

Maki smiled at the request and obliged, filling the guildhouse again with music.

Nico had lost track of how many songs were sung but was happy Maki had gone with a few she knew and had let her sing along. Eli and Nozomi started drifting off to the later songs as though they were lullabies and Maki chose slower, softer songs to accommodate. Eventually, with some reluctance, Nico called an end to the concert, reminding Maki that the two of them had an early morning. However, as the other three girls shuffled upstairs, Nico instead headed to her office. The others would sleep, but she still had work to do.

Maki’s eyes opened slowly at what sounded like a knock on her door.

“Time to wake up!” Nico’s voice called from the hallway. “Your breakfast is already getting cold!”

Wearily, Maki sat up, stretched and yawned. With a deep breath through her nose, she inhaled another amazing aroma, a bit different from last night’s but enough to make her stomach grumble. Though part of her wanted to go back to sleep in the surprisingly comfortable, yet simple and small bed, the rest of her wanted more of the guildmaster’s delicious cooking. Thus, she crawled out of bed, wrapped her cape around her shoulders and shambled downstairs.

“Good morning!” Nico greeted her cheerfully, “Who knows when NozoEli will be down, but you and I have a few things to do before we head out.”

“Mmmph…” Was all Maki managed in response before collapsing into a chair at the table.

“Not a morning person, eh?” Nico chuckled. “Well if you’re gonna be an adventurer, we’re going to have to work on that.” She set a steaming cup in front of the redhead. “Here, I’ve found this stuff to be more effective than tea. Not sure where Nozomi gets the beans though.”

“Beans?” Maki lifted the mug to inspect the dark liquid within.

“Yeah, instead of leaves I guess. Strange, I know.” The raven-haired girl shrugged. “But it does the trick and helps me stay awake to concentrate on my duties.”

“Mmm…” Maki hummed after taking her first sip. The brew was definitely different than the tea to which she was accustomed, but not in a bad way. If it was truly more effective than tea, she figured she wouldn’t have a problem getting used to it.

“And here’s your breakfast.” A plate appeared in font of her as well. “I reused some stuff from last night, but the eggs are fresh.” Nico explained before taking a seat herself.

Breakfast proceeded mainly in silence, as Maki’s mind stumbled in getting through her morning fog. However, she did notice Nico seeming to pay particular attention to her with each bite she took, as if evaluating her reactions. Had she done that last night? Maki couldn’t remember. Perhaps the general hubbub of NozoE… Nozomi and Eli, she found it odd to refer to them together, and Nico’s siblings had distracted her?

In any case, Maki was familiar with the behavior as she had watched many chefs, as well as other servants, await the approval of the nobles they served. So, did that mean Nico wanted Maki’s approval?

“That was delicious.” Maki said after her final bite.

“I know, right?” A brilliant smile turned up the guildmaster’s lips. “Nico is the No. 1 Chef in the Universe after all.”

Maki raised an eyebrow. She wouldn’t have gone that far, but she would certainly admit that Nico’s skill exceeded those of at least some chefs she had encountered over the years. And what the heck was with the No. 1 thing? Didn’t she refer to herself as the No. 1 Guildmaster as well? Or did her sister say that? It didn’t matter, either way it quite the strange way to refer to oneself. And presumptuous. There was no way Nico had been able to meet and compare herself to every other guildmaster or chef in the realm, much less the universe.

However, as prideful as the proclamation had been, Maki couldn’t deny that seeing the other girl happy managed to make her happy as well. Nico was quite cute when smiling that brightly.

And on the topic of cuteness, gone were the girlish twintails of the prior night, replaced instead with low, twin buns that managed to increase her visual maturity without diminishing her cuteness. In fact, Nico’s entire outfit was more professional, yet no less adorable. She definitely looked more like a guildmaster today than when they had first met. And the pink pouch on her belt was a fitting highlight, if Maki were to assume the other girl’s color preference.

“So, you’re done?” Nico’s question brought Maki back to reality.

“Uhm, yeah…”

“Very well,” Nico stood and collected the plates “Let me bring these back to the kitchen. Wait here and I’ll get your contract and supplies. Feel free to top off your mug if you want.” She motioned to the carafe of the curious concoction.

Maki was more than happy to partake as she realized she was indeed waking up faster than normal. She sipped at her fresh cup while awaiting Nico’s return.

“Here we go; your Standard Issue Beginner Adventurer’s Pack.” A backpack was set on the table. “And, here is an itemized receipt of everything in it.” Nico held a slip of paper out for Maki to take. “If you feel you don’t need a particular item, or already have one, return it now for a full refund. However, once you leave here, it will be considered used and you’ll only get half price.”

“Half?”

“Standard operating procedure.” Nico explained. “You’ll find the other shopkeeps will all offer the same.”

“Hrm…” Maki began to study the list. “Torches?”

“We’ll be going into a cave, can you see in the dark?”

“No…”

“Do you know any spells the cast light?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then you’ll need a light source. Otherwise you are likely to be eaten by a grue.”

“Eaten? Grue?” Maki blanched. “What the heck?”

“Kidding. Kidding.” Nico laughed. “There have been no reports of grue attacks in this area for at least a few weeks. But do be wary of the occasional gazebo.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Anyway, all adventurers need light eventually, so I include torches in the standard pack. However, due to your apparent finances, I would personally recommend an Everburning Torch. You’ll never need to replace it, unless you lose it, of course. Which reminds me,” She produced another slip “here are a few other upgrades I would recommend.”

“Rope? Why would I need rope?” Maki was still looking at the original list.

Nico sighed. “I could literally spend all day explaining the various uses for rope. Suffice to say every adventurer needs it at some point.”

“What’s a crowbar?”

Nico balked a bit before opening the backpack and retrieving said item. “You can use it to pry things open; doors, chests, and whatnot.” She made a couple motions to demonstrate. “Technically you can use it as a weapon in a pinch, but I’d recommend you use the daggers in here instead.”

“Daggers?”

“Everyone needs a backup weapon or two. We’ll get to your primary weapon in a moment.”

“Alright… Oh, I already have a mirror, soap and these as well.”

“Of course you do.” Nico reached into the backpack to remove the named items.

“What’s a handy haversack?”

Nico’s eyes lit up. “Only one of the best utility items an adventurer can have!”

“It’s a backpack…”

“Not just any backpack! It’s bigger on the inside!”

Maki raised an eyebrow.

“Magic. Extra-dimensional space and all that. In any case, it can hold far more than a regular backpack. And it will magically sort your inventory so whatever you’re looking for will always appear on top for easy retrieval. Keep that lute of yours safe and sound but retrieve it with ease. Feet sore from lugging around a hundred pounds of stuff? The haversack only weighs five, even with everything in it.”

“Alright, I’ll try one.”

“Excellent.” Nico grinned. “I’ll be right back.” She turned and took two steps but paused. “Actually, follow me and bring that pack. We’ll get you a weapon while we’re at it.”

Maki did as instructed and followed the guildmaster into a room full of supplies.

“You’re in luck. This is my last one.” Nico said, taking a backpack off a hook on the wall. “A bargain at twice the price.” She set it down on a counter. “Go ahead and start moving stuff while we talk weapons.”

Maki nodded.

“I noticed you didn’t appear to have a weapon of your own when you arrived, so I’m assuming you stuck to main roads on your way here.” Nico move to a display rack. “But you never know what you’re going to encounter out there in the wild, so you best be prepared. Do you prefer ranged or melee?”

“I’m not sure…?”

“Have you had any archery practice?”

Maki shook her head.

“Melee it is. Now, anyone can swing a blunt object around and cause some damage, but have you had any training with a blade?”

“I had some fencing lessons growing up.”

“Ah, then perhaps you’d be interested in a rapier.” Nico selected a blade and moved over to the other girl.

“Yes, that looks familiar.” Maki nodded, accepting the sword. “It’s quite lovely.”

“I know, right?” The guildmaster puffed out her chest with pride. “Nico is the No 1 Blacksmith in the Universe.”

There it was again. By the gods this girl had one hell of an ego. But while it was starting to get on Maki’s nerves, she couldn’t deny the rapier she now held was indeed of masterwork quality.

“Also, here is you contract for this adventure.” Nico produced a sizable scroll. “Here is your base pay, and a statement about the commission you will earn based on the price of the artifact you retrieve. Please initial here to acknowledge it.” Her finger moved about the page to point things out. “And here we have a section about revival. Check Yes if you wish to be revived upon death, but be aware that the price of materials for the spell as well as all expenses incurred in locating and retrieving your body will be deducted from your pay. Or check No if you do not desire this service. Then initial here to acknowledge your decision.”

“You’re kidding again, right?”

“Not in the slightest. This is just standard contract stuff. But don’t worry too much about it. Where we’re going, even an amateur like you should be fine.”

“Hrm…”

“Anyway, if you check Yes, you will be charged a nominal deposit for the tracking device, which will be refunded upon its return in good and working order. Additional fees may apply for damage to or loss of the device.”

“Tracking device?”

“Something of my own creation.” Nico said, retrieving a small, metallic object from a nearby shelf. “Once it’s registered to you, it will monitor your vitals. If it detects that vitals have ceased, it will start transmitting a signal I can use to locate and revive you.”

“But you’re coming with me right?’

“I am.”

“So, why would I need this?”

“You never know what might happen out there. Maybe we get separated.” Nico explained. “Also, once you’ve registered a device, you can just keep it with you for however long you’re in the area. Heck, NozoEli still have theirs even though it’s been over a year since they last contracted with me.”

“Have either of them needed to use it?”

“That’s privileged information. But while I won’t reveal which clients have made use of this service, I will say that some have. Better safe than sorry.”

Maki thought for a moment before reaching over, checking Yes and initialing next to it.

“Excellent decision.” Nico said with a grin before doing something with the device in her hand. “Alright, place your finger here until it flashes.”

Maki did as asked.

“Perfect. Now just keep this in a pouch or pocket or whatever.” Nico explained handing over the tracker. “Just not in the haversack. I haven’t figured out how to make its sensors work through the extra-dimensional space yet. But I am still working on it. Anyway, please initial here, here and here as well. Then sign all the way down at the bottom.”

“Nico-chan!” a voice called from the entryway.

“Coming!” Nico raised her voice in response. “Finish up with this.” She instructed Maki. “And double check those lists to make sure you have everything you need. We’ll be back by dinner, so you won’t need stuff for overnight, but you’ll still want to be prepared. And of course let me know if you see anything else you want.”

“Alright.” Maki nodded.

And with that, Nico headed to the front door.

“Kotori!” Nico greeted her guest warmly. “It’s been a while. And I know that look. What kind of creature did you bring this time?”

Kotori smiled apologetically and lead the way back outside.

Nico immediately facepalmed. “A lion? Really? Where did you even find…” She glanced up to see the other girl’s eyes brimming with tears. “Fine.” She conceded, despite knowing it was an act. “But carnivores are going to cost extra.”

“Thanks Nico-chan!” The ash-haired girl practically jumped with joy.

“Yeah, yeah.” Nico dismissed. “Maybe you can convince Eli to hunt down some food so I don’t have to buy it.”

“Hunt down what now?” A voice came from behind them.

“Ah, Eli-chan!” Kotori’s attention was drawn to the blonde descending the stairs. “Just who I wanted to see!”

“What’s up, Kotori?” Eli smiled in greeting.

“I received word that a Corrupted boar was recently terrorizing the town of Arcton.” The ash-haired girl explained. “I tracked it to this area and believe it’s heading toward Lerwick.”

“Arcton is fairly well guarded, I can see why it would have moved on.” Eli grimaced. “But Lerwick... If it’s Corrupted enough, it could wipe them out.”

Kotori nodded somberly. “And from the reports, it may be beyond the point where I can save it.”

“Alright, I’ll get my gear and be ready in a bit.” Eli turned halfway to go back upstairs. “Say, do you mind if Nozomi joins us?”

“Of course not. You know I always welcome her company. And her magic might prove useful.”

“I figured you two would be leaving today.” Nico spoke up. “There are bentos in the kitchen for you. Take what you want, and I’ll add them to your bill.”

“Thanks Nico.” Eli tossed over her shoulder.

“I made plenty if you want to buy a few.” Nico offered to Kotori.

“Wonderful.” The other girl clapped her hands together with a smile. “I most certainly will partake.”

“Everything is signed.” Maki said, coming outside. “W-wait, wha?” She stumbled in retreating and found herself leaning awkwardly against the doorframe.

Kotori giggled. “Oh, he won’t bite.” She stroked the mane of the lion laying beside her.

“You’re not going to react that way the first time you encounter a wolf or whatnot, are you, Maki?” Nico asked, taking the paperwork from the redhead.

“Maki?” Kotori tilted her head. “Nishikino Maki?”

Maki blinked. “Uhm… yes…”

“You know her, Kotori?” Nico asked what was on both her and Maki’s minds.

“She’s a friend of Umi-chan.”

“Umi?”

Kotori giggled. “We should work on your knowledge of nobility and royalty, Nico-chan.”

“Hmph.” Nico scoffed. “As if I care about those high class muckety mucks.”

Maki wasn’t sure if she should interject, but she often felt similar, despite, or perhaps because of the fact that she had been raised in said high society. Instead she asked, “Sonoda Umi?”

“That’s right.” Kotori confirmed. “We’ve been friends since childhood, but I haven’t seen her in a few years, unfortunately. Not since…” She trailed off and she diverted her gaze down. “Never mind.” She cleared her throat and looked back up, her smile seeming a bit off. “I wouldn’t’ve expected to find you here, Maki-chan.”

“I’m, uhm… trying my hand as an adventuring bard.” Maki decided to explain.

“I see. That sounds wonderful.” Kotori’s smile softened and become more genuine. “Let me know if you ever want a beastmaster in your party.”

“I will.” Maki agreed.

“Oh yeah, Maki,” Nico spoke up, “change of plans.”

“Hm?”

“Looks like you’ll be going alone today. I have a new pen to build.”

“But…”

“You’ll be fine.” The guildmaster assured. “It’s a simple fetch quest. You’ll be back before dinner. And on the plus side, you’ll earn more because you won’t be charged for my assistance.”

“…” The bard seemed hesitant to agree for a moment before relenting. “Alright.”

Over the next half hour, the girls finished preparing for the day. Eli and Nozomi followed Kotori’s lead to hunt down the boar. Maki began following her map to find the hidden idol. And Nico began gathering materials to build a pen for Kotori’s new beast.

Maki squinted at the map in her hands. After some scrutiny, she looked up at the cliffside. This was the place, right? It had to be. She traced the landmark on the map with her finger as though the action would somehow make things clearer. Well, in any case, if this was indeed the right place, there would have to be a cave entrance somewhere at the base of the cliff.

Still rechecking the map, she took a step forward and…

“Kyaaa!” She shrieked as her boot clipped an exposed root and she stumbled down to her knees. “Ow ow ow oooowww~!” She cried, rolling back into a sitting position.

That was stupid. She chastised herself, inspecting the scrape marks on both knees that were just starting to bleed. Hissing, she quickly brushed away some of the larger chunks of debris. Then, holding a hand over each knee, she began to sing.

A soft red glow appeared between hand and wound and after a few seconds, both were mended. However, despite having fully healed her injury, Maki did not stop singing, mostly because the song was not over. As the melody continued, she fetched a handkerchief and waterskin from her bag. Then, after dampening the cloth, she cleared away the last of the dirt. Finally, she stood back up.

“Ssssing…” A voice like leaves in the wind rasped from behind her.

Startled, Maki spun to face whoever had spoken. “Who…?” She asked, not seeing anybody. “Where…?”

“Ssssing…” The voice repeated.

Up. Maki looked toward the branches above her to see a woman, body half covered in feathers, perched in a nearby tree.

“Who are you?” Maki inquired.

With a flap of wings, the woman descended to hover in front of the redhead. Maki froze as she noticed the bow nocked with a wickedly tipped arrow pointing at her. She doubted she could draw her rapier and close the distance before being hit with one, possibly two arrows.

“Sing!” The bird woman demanded, drawing the bow.

“A-alright…” Maki held out both hands defensively, revealing them to be empty. “I’ll sing…”

And with that, Maki began a new song. One that was different than her healing song, one she hoped would calm and placate.

Sure enough, halfway through the first chorus, the feathered woman lowered her bow. By the second, she had moved to a nearby rock to perch.

“Another.” The winged woman stated as soon as Maki finished.

“Uhm… do you mind if I fetch my instrument from my bag?” Maki inquired.

The bird woman cocked her head to the side with curiosity, but Maki noticed her grip tightening on her bow.

“It’s just a lute.” Maki explained, slowly removing her bag from her shoulders and setting it on the ground in front of her anything she did would be in clear view. “It will make my songs even better.” She assured. Then, careful to avoid sudden movements, she found her lute and pulled just the end out to show that it was not a weapon. Once the bird woman seemed satisfied with the lack of threat from the instrument, she removed it completely and slid its strap over her shoulder.

Maki plucked a few strings to reassure herself the lute was still in tune before strumming a full chord. Satisfied with the results, she began a second song. She watched the feathered woman’s features relax as the melodies washed over her. And while she did not release her bow completely, Maki was pleased to see her grip loosen.

“Another.” The bird woman stated again as the second song concluded.

Maki nodded and started her third song. This time, however, the feathered woman straightened her posture, opened her mouth, and began to sing along. Though initially startled, Maki did not let the unexpected accompaniment detract from her performance. And after a few moments, she allowed herself to be in awe as an almost perfect countermelody was provided to her song. Maki doubted the bird woman knew the song, as it was one she had written herself and had never performed for any non-human individuals; at least not knowingly. This meant the bird woman’s musical intuition was on par, if not exceed her own.

A fourth song. A fifth. A sixth.

Maki honestly felt like she could continue for hours.

A seventh song. An eighth. A ninth.

Maki began to lose count but didn’t care.

And then the feathered woman stood. As though coming out of a trance, Maki slowly focused on her vocal partner of the last… however long it had been.

“Thank you.” The bird woman said with a slight bow. “That was…” She seemed hesitant for a moment “fun” she concluded.

“Yes, it was.” Maki agreed with a smile.

With one more nod of acknowledgment, the woman flapped her wings and took to the trees. Within seconds, she was gone.

Strange. But enjoyable. Maki found herself thinking before continuing her search for the cave.

Nico wiped the sweat off her brow and glared up at the accursed yellow thing above her. In all honesty, it wasn’t a particularly warm day, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky to block the sun’s rays, nor even a whisper of wind to help cool things off. For a moment she found herself envious of her friends and potential new recruit who were all trekking through shaded forest at this time.

Yellow movement caught the corner of her eye and she turned her gaze toward the lion sleeping nearby. The beast had rolled onto its back and pawed a few times at the air. Nico scoffed. Even the large cat was enjoying the shade of the tree to which it was tethered while she toiled away building its new pen.

Perhaps that should be her next creation; a portable shade device, or perhaps an automated fan. Or maybe even a combination there of? Nico made a mental note to draw up some designs later as she fed another log through her custom milling device.

This was the idol, right? Maki studied the sketch in her hands. It had to be. She held up the parchment near the small statue for a better comparison. Maybe if you ignored this part and added that… She turned the page sideways. Close enough. She grabbed the idol and shoved it in one of the pouches on her belt.

Nico had been mostly right, at least insofar as the ease of locating the idol. Travel to the cave had taken a bit longer, and the monsters had been a bit tougher than indicated, but Maki had made it through. She felt a swell of pride as she made her way back toward the entrance; she had completed her first adventure. On her own. Without any help.

Well, mostly complete. She did still have to make it back to the guildhouse, but that should be easy, right? She flipped the map upside down and headed out of the cave.

Where the heck was Maki? She should have been back by now. Nico checked the distress tracker again. At least the new adventurer was still alive, so that was good. But what was taking her so long?

Did she get lost? No, that couldn’t be the case. Even her younger siblings could figure out how to get to that cave and retrieve the idol within.

Maybe Maki was so much of a beginner that just the hike to the cave wore her out and she was taking extended breaks? Nico tried to remember if the redhead had purchased proper sleeping gear in case she needed to camp out for the night. And rations. Had she brought enough food for an extra day?

Well, whatever the case, her siblings would be arriving for dinner at any moment, so she took one last taste from the pot to make sure it was ready before moving to the dining room to set the table.

A knock on the door made Nico look up from her desk.

“It’s open!” She called.

“I’m back.” Maki’s voice came from the entryway.

About time. Nico thought. “I’m in the office.”

A moment later, the redhead came in the room and immediately stopped to stare at Nico.

“What?” Nico questioned as Maki slowly walked toward her with a strange expression.

“Nico-chan!” Maki threw herself on the guildmaster, knocking her out of her chair.

Nico grunted as she landed on the floor and arms wrapped tightly around her.

Nico-chan? What the heck is going on? Nico’s mind raced through ideas attempting to discern the most likely possibility. However, her thoughts were completely derailed when the redhead nuzzled against her cheek.

“What are you doing?” Nico cried. “Hey, let go of me.” She started to attempt to remove herself from the embrace.

“Noo~~!” Maki whined, hugging tighter.

“Maki, seriously, what are you doing?”

The redhead pulled away just enough to make eye contact. Nico internally cursed her heart for skipping a beat at the sheer adorableness of Maki’s pout.

“Does Nico-chan hate me?” Moisture gathered at the edges of the bard’s eyes.

“No, I just…” The guildmaster struggled to put her words together. “I just want to know what’s going on and why you’re hugging me.”

“I’m hugging Nico-chan because I love Nico-chan.”

“L-love?!”

“Yup!” Maki began snuggling against her again. “I lo~ve Nico-chan so~ much!” She practically sang.

“But, I…” Nico’s head lulled. Wait, what the heck? No. She wasn’t tired. She still had work to do!

“Nico-chan…” Maki sighed with contentment.

Maki was pretty warm… And despite its unexpected nature, her embrace was… pretty comf… No! She wasn’t… ti… No… She refused to… fall…

Nico opened her eyes. Had she fallen asleep? Damn! What time was it? Her mind ticked off all of her remaining duties of the day. Gods, she would be so far behind now. She attempted to sit up, only to find she was being hindered by an arm across her stomach. What the hell?!

The movement caused the arm’s owner to stir and murmur something quietly that sounded not too dissimilar to Nico’s name. She glanced over and immediately recognized tangles of red hair on a head currently trying to close the distance she had just created between them. Why was Maki in her bed with her? And why, by all that was holy, was she so adorable?

“Ah, you’re awake.” The door opened and a purple-haired girl stepped in.

“Nozomi?”

“Good morning.”

“Morning?”

“Afternoon, actually.”

Nico’s eyes widened and she tensed up until a gentle hand landed on her shoulder.

“You slept through the night, and most of the day.” Nozomi smiled at her friend. “But don’t worry. Everything is fine. You obviously needed it. And we all pitched in to take care of things; Elicchi, Kotori-chan, your sisters, even little Cotaro-kun helped a bit.”

Nico stared the other girl for a moment while she processed the information. “How did I get here?” She finally asked. She was pretty sure that when she had collapsed, she had been downstairs.

“Maki-chan insisted on carrying you.”

Maki-chan carried…? “Did she also change my clothes?”

“No, I did that.” Nozomi chuckled at the memory. “Despite her protests.”

“What the heck is going on with her?”

“I think she was cursed by the idol you sent her to retrieve.”

“That can’t be right.” Nico furrowed her brow. “That thing is harmless, certainly not cursed. It’s the same one I’ve used for all beginner adventurers; just keep putting it back for them.”

Nozomi produced a small statue and held it out to the other girl.

“That’s… not the right idol. Where she get that?”

“I’ve no idea.” Nozomi admitted. “You’re the idol expert.”

“Yeah, and I’ve never even seen that in any of my books…”

“Well the only thing I’ve been able to determine is that the curse only seems to be able to affect one person at a time, thus why I’m able to safely hold it.”

“That or the curse is contingent on who actually removes it from its dungeon.” Nico suggested.

“Either way, it certainly seems to bring out some… interesting behavior from your cute new recruit.”

Nico glared at the other girl. “I haven’t recruited her… yet.”

“Oh c’mon, Nicocchi, you and I both know she’s your type.” Nozomi said with a laugh. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you checking her out at dinner the other night. I’ve a feeling you’re enjoying this more than you want to admit, even to yourself.”

Nico sighed and gave another glance toward the still sleeping Maki. Before remembering who was watching, she brushed a stray strand of red out of the girl’s face.

“It would be cuter if the curse didn’t make her so clingy…” Nico decided to try for a balance between conceding Nozomi’s point while retaining some of her initial cantankerousness. The situation did still bother her after all.

“Perhaps.” Nozomi seemed willing to let that stand. “Anyway, I sent word to RinPana, so they’ll be dropping by any day now. I figure Hanayo-chan is the best choice to help you figure out how to ameliorate the curse.” She turned to leave. “Oh, and lunch is ready when you two decide to get out of bed.” She paused and looked over her shoulder with a mischievous grin. “But don’t take too long…” She laughed and easily dodged the pillow Nico threw at her.

Once the purple-haired menace had departed, Nico turned her attention to the sleeping redhead still snuggled against her. While part of her wanted to hop out of bed and get back to her duties, she couldn’t deny that another part wanted to stay where she was. Perhaps… just maybe, a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt… While staring at the ceiling, Nico’s mind started wandering through thoughts on how to handle a cursed Maki.

Author’s Notes continued in Followup Post

#NicoMaki #Nishikino Maki #Yazawa Nico #How to Handle a Maki #Love Live #fanfic

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etes-secrecy-post · 3 years ago

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Hi, before I explain my post, I want to say something important.

• What you see my blog has become a major overhaul. And despite the changes, I decided that my 2nd account will be now my artwork blog with a secret twist.

⚠️NEW RULE!⚠️

⚠️ SO PLEASE DO NOT SHARE MY 2nd ACCOUNT TO EVERYONE! THIS SECRECY BLOG OF MINE IS FOR CLOSES FRIENDS ONLY!⚠️

• AND FOR MY CLOSES FRIENDS, DON’T REBLOG IT. INSTEAD, JUST COPY MY LINK AND PASTE IT ON YOUR TUMBLR POST! JUST BE SURE THE IMAGE WILL BE REMOVED AND THE ONLY LEFT WAS THE TEXT.

⚠️ SHARING LINKS, LIKE POSTS, REBLOG POSTS, STEALING MY SNAPSHOT PHOTOS/RECORDED VIDEOS/ARTWORKS (a.k.a. ART THIEVES) OR PLAGIARIZING FROM UNKNOWN TUMBLR STRANGERS WILL IMMEDIATELY BE BLOCKED, RIGHT AWAY!⚠️

Okay? Capiche? Make sense? Good, now back to the post…↓

Take a Taste with: Jollibee Chick'nwich & Crisscut Fries (w/ my Paper dolls & SD Gunpla) - Part 2 [Dec 21, 2021]

Hello! It's time for another "Take a Taste"! Yes, I've made a series about delicious food with my two paper dolls & some special figure guest(s). And in my series, I wanna try Jollibee's newest menus; Chick'nwich & Crisscut Fries! 🍗🍔🍟 Uh yeah, and this is Part 2 of this topic. So let get through it.

• Here I am, me first bite with my Chick'nwich & Crisscut Fries while watching a Gundam Movie on Netflix! Mmmm! 😋🍗🍔🍟 What you see is a Jollibee branch in Davao appeared in "Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway", man how cool is that!? What a commitment to the Jollibee Food Corporation! And these are enjoying it, both my meal & that Gundam Movie! I even combine crisscut fries & chick'nwich in one juicy goodness! My camera phone struggling focus on food, so a second shot needed to see my bitten food.

• Okay, my thoughts about watching Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway on Netflix. It's pretty not bad, although I expect more Gundam fights than seeing good setting. Speaking of setting, it was a nice touch to appreciate Philippine Gundam fans, like I am! Thanks, Sunrise! 😁🇵🇭 Story-wise, I'm quite enjoy it. Again, could use a more Gundam fight, but I'm enjoyed nonetheless. Uh yeah, the English dub is pretty good! I thought And no, I won't give you some spoilers nor the story details.🤫

• Overall, for my Chick'nwich, I enjoyed the tastefulness; the dressing, pickles, chicken patty, and soft bun. This is something I want for only ₱143 ($2.99) ala carte. Compared to Popeyes U.S. Spicy Chicken Sandwich ala carte price was ₱150 ($3.01). That's minus ₱7 for the Chick'nwich though. Of the two chicken sandwiches I ate, I would say Popeyes' U.S. Spicy Chicken Sandwich is still the best, because of aforementioned spicy goodness. As for the Crisscut Fries, well, it tastes like regular fries & I enjoyed the portion size than regular fries. You know what's missing, a special dipping sauce for my Crisscut Fries; sadly I'm insufficient for buying special dipping sauce. Ah well, better luck next time.😅 The price however (at only ₱ 72.00 ($1.44)), could it use less price or more amount of Crisscut fries. So, will I order another round? Well, of course! I'll order another one, someday! After all, the price for Jollibee Chick'nwich is cheaper than Popeyes U.S. Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Worth it!😁👍

BTW: Usually, the Jollibee Chick'nwich was originally launched in North America & other parts of countries as they called simply "Chicken Sandwich", and back then we don't have that menu in my country. Which is very strange, considered that Jollibee is our Philippine national fast food, and it'll wait for years before they finally launched that delicious chicken sandwich in the Philippines in 2021. Ah, rejoiced!😄

Well, that's all for now. If you want to see my Part 1, then please [CLICK ME!]. As well as my review of Popeyes U.S. Spicy Chicken Sandwich → [CLICK ME!].😉

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thesaltofcarthage · 6 years ago

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Avengers: Endgame: Did Marvel Pull It Off?

This is a followup to my (surprisingly popular!) post “The Stakes Are Too High.” (at least, it surprised the hell out of me that it got so popular; I wasn’t expecting it to resonate as widely as it did.)

FULL ENDGAME SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. I’m putting it under a cut just in case.

Also, above the cut in case you’re still dodging spoilers, tagging @kryptaria @iamanartichoke @taurileonis @hjbender @chey-tips22 @wu-the-stoic @englishontheinside @rennemichaels @alwida10 @ladylowkeyed @saltoftheearths @mizkit @thelightofthingshopedfor @essesnceofhappiness @theravenofwynter @pinetreeparadoxx @ironhammermagicshieldedgreenbow @philosopherking1887 @waywardkansasflower @lokeanrampant @maneth985 @ilovethemallsoimconfused @bengalaas @icyxmischief @yuuki-fandoms @snailchick @fictions-stranger @adhdasianaroace @artherra @missmaladicta @queerfictionwriter because you specifically commented/reblogged.

So having seen Endgame, the question becomes: Did Marvel pull it off?

My answer is: yes and no.

Did we get an emotionally satisfying ending? Did Marvel understand that closure doesn’t have to come with corpses?

There were a lot of things I loved about Endgame. There were many, many of the “small character moments” we were begging for. Marvel didn’t forget that we fell in love with people and we need to see people and their choices and how they live with the consequences of those choices... mostly.

I loved how Marvel rewarded the audience for watching 11 years of movies. It was practically wall-to-wall Easter eggs and callbacks. I loved how the time travel allowed us to loop back through some of our favorite scenes and see them from other points of view, and the additional information. (Sitwell and Brumlow taking the scepter immediately after Loki’s capture: oh, so that’s how HYDRA got the Mind Stone!) I loved the cameos upon cameos (despite how silly it is for someone like Natalie Portman to show up for literally 15 seconds and not get any lines). I appreciated that Captain Marvel was used exactly the right amount: she saved Tony and Nebula, she was established as part of the post-Snap team, she came in at the end to lend some firepower, but she did not have any part in solving the problem nor was she the person who ultimately handed Thanos his raisin ass. I LOVED THE FINAL BATTLE, HOLY FUCK. (With the exception of Loki not being present, but I’ll get to that.) There were real laughs, and real tears. I cheered when Steve summoned Mjolnir (and laughed my head off at the Cap-on-Cap fight). I loved Morgan and Cassie, and the echoes of fathers and daughters throughout.

There were things I did not love, even before we got to the final or semi-final fates of some characters. I was genuinely offended with Thor’s treatment. I was not happy with Loki. I was confused about Vision, Gamora, and Black Widow, because they are due to return for future TV shows and movies, so leaving their statuses open or cloudy (or “dead,” which I put in quotes for a reason) was just disconcerting. The time travel opened up a lot of problems.

My original post was about endings, so let’s talk about those. In approximately descending order of Satisfying to WTF:

Stan Lee: Got his last cameo in the end of the arc so he didn’t miss any, driving along, clearly having the time of his life. Excelsior, Stan, and thank you for everything.

Clint: Got his happy ending. He was deeply bitter about losing his family, but got them restored to him. He did lose Nat, but I’ll cover her in her own section.

Steve: He did get his soft epilogue, albeit with Peggy Carter, and I can’t fault that. Marvel was never going to give us the Steve/Bucky romance no matter how obvious it was, and Steve/Peggy also works. (And really, I love Peggy, so for her to get a happy ending too is a bonus.) Steve gave so much of himself over the years. I can’t object to allowing him to be selfish and re-live his life quietly, to finally put down his shield and go home from the war. He got his reward.

It basically works with the existing timeline if you squint and assume that Peggy’s Alzheimer’s was messing with her at the beginning of Civil War, or if there’s another timeline altogether. I’m slightly annoyed that whatever he got to have with Bucky all happened offscreen between the stinger of Black Panther and the beginning of Infinity War, but apparently they did spend time together. And Steve clearly told Bucky was he was planning; that’s what “I’m gonna miss you” was foreshadowing.

STEVE IS WORTHY OF MJOLNIR. YESSSSSS!

Bruce: I was okay with the “Professor Hulk” storyline (which I was told by a sharp-eyed nephew is from the comics), although I wouldn’t have minded seeing that internal struggle onscreen, but I understand it’s an IP rights issue and there isn’t going to be another Marvel standalone Hulk film.

Tony: Augh. AUGH! I get it. I know why he died, on a meta level. But still.

This, at least, we can say is mostly “heartbreaking” and not “burn.” Tony got the five-year interval to make some kind of peace with his losses. He and Pepper got married and had Morgan. He got some kind of Happy For Now. He got some kind of reward, which RDJ brilliantly conveyed even in the few minutes we saw.

@hjbender linked @starkysnarks’s excellent post about Tony’s arc. One important part:

That’s why I think that giving a better, more positive message is so important. While other characters have flaws, it’s only Tony who has this consistent, this carefully streamlined storyline of improvement, of redemption, of self-realization and self-betterment. It’s Tony who is most often referred to (by the aforementioned mainstream outlets AND within the fandom) as the most human of the characters, and his story – as the most humane. His happy ending with a new house and young family will not feel like an opt-out, it will not feel complacent, at least not to me. It will feel like hope. It will feel like achieving, at least partially, the goal of that endless internal struggle that we all go through daily. It will feel like it’s possible to be good and be happy and be content, to know that you have done you best and your best is good enough for you to live, and go forward, and be.

He ultimately got some of this, for a while. Tony’s fatal flaw is his fear about Thanos, or the threat that Thanos represents. Prior to Avengers, Tony was happy-go-lucky because he could, eventually, beat whatever the world threw at him. But Thanos was not of this world, and would have wiped everyone out if Tony hadn’t managed to get that nuke through the portal. That trauma, that guilt, that fear, is what drives him for the rest of the Infinity Stones storyline. He is desperate to protect everyone. It’s what makes him want to put “a suit of armor around the world” in Age of Ultron, and of course the way Ultron backfires compounds Tony’s PTSD and guilt, which is what leads to his position in Civil War and the fight he picks with Steve at the beginning of Endgame.

And the worst happens in Infinity War, and the Avengers lose. Everything Tony feared ultimately happened.

Five years later, he’s managed to move forward. He has his happy ending — as happy as he can be, given their losses. He’s accepted his failure, more or less. He wants to rest, which is why he rejects Steve and the others at first.

But his tinkerer’s brain won’t let him put their proposal aside. He needs to know intellectually that there’s no chance, that he can’t fix what he screwed up. Because that’s the other part of what drives him: they lost. He lost. “I lost the kid,” he tells Steve (meaning Peter). That fear of loss, of losing people, of failing people, of disappointing people, is what keeps pushing him. If he knows that there’s no possible way he can undo his mistake, he’ll figure out a way to cope, especially since he still has Pepper and then his daughter. But now there is a way, or there might be, and he can’t let that lie, he can’t rest, until he knows one way or the other. And when the way to fix things becomes possible, there is no other outcome for Tony to choose. He wouldn’t be a hero otherwise.

It is a terrible loss, but in the end I could accept it. Tony got a Happy For Now. He was able to enjoy his life for a little while. He got the genuine closure with his father which he couldn’t in the BARF hologram at the beginning of Civil War thanks to the time travel, and he got to see Peter restored and give him the hug which they weren’t at yet in Homecoming. Tony was triumphant. He defeated his greatest, most terrible adversary. He defeated his fear. Thanos is gone, and his minions with him. The echo of “I. Am. Iron Man.” was exquisite. (even more so knowing that line in the first movie was ad-libbed! it wasn’t in the script! It was RDJ’s idea!) So his death is sad, but it’s earned.

Natasha: Meh. Just meh. The scene where she and Clint fight over who is going to die was blackly hilarious. It made narrative sense for Nat to be the one who died — she has found family, but not children; she spent the interval trying to run the Avengers and SHIELD and trying to fix things, and this allowed her to contribute in a material way; she still has a lot of red in her moral ledger — but on a meta level, we know there’s a Black Widow movie in the works. It doesn’t make sense to have a spinoff series set before Endgame when you know how the character dies. It’s not a bad ending, all things considered, but the actress herself can’t get younger. Is it supposed to be her origin/backstory movie after the character has died? Is it Multiverse Branching Timelines? Was she restored when Steve returned all the Stones to their place in the timeline? Was she restored with Tony’s Snap, or Bruce’s? Not knowing how that’s going to work with the rest of the MCU timeline blunted the emotional effect of her death for me.

Although he’s not an original Avenger, I had similar issues with Vision. There will be a Scarlet Witch and Vision TV series. Vision is still dead, according to Wanda at Tony’s funeral. So was he restored with either Bruce’s Snap or Tony’s? Was 2018 Gamora?

And the two which completely did not work for me, the ones where I think Marvel really missed:

Thor: Of the original Avengers, he was the one I was most upset about.

I really, really did not like how Thor’s very legitimate grief, depression, PTSD, and alcoholism were played for laughs. Thor is down to a “kingdom” of a few hundred people at best (we don’t know what Asgard’s population was to start with, but Hela killed quite a few, and then Thanos killed half of them on the Statesman, and it’s entirely possible that the Snappening dusted half of whomever remained). He’s living with the murders of Loki, Heimdall, and the Warriors Three (I can’t remember if Sif was supposed to have survived the Snappening, but she doesn’t appear in Endgame). He didn’t “go for the head” in Infinity War, which clearly haunts him despite the fact that Peter Quill is just as much to blame for interrupting Strange, Tony, Peter, and Mantis, or Wanda is just as much to blame for not getting the Stone out of Vision’s head faster, etc. etc. He cut off Thanos’s head after the fact and is clinging to that — “Who else here killed Thanos?” — as some kind of cold comfort. “Look, at least I did that in the end. At least I got revenge.”

Thor is a mess. His family is dead. His dearest friends are dead. He’s in a depressive spiral, self-medicating with food and alcohol, lost in video games because they are a consequence-free way to “win.” He’s holed up with Miek and Korg because they didn’t know him before Ragnarok and they have no real expectations of King Thor, God of Thunder, Avenger, Hero. He feels he has failed at everything which has ever been expected of him.

And the script... plays this... for laughs.

We are meant to laugh at his pot belly and flabby physique. We are meant to laugh at his unkempt matted hair and wild unbraided beard. We are meant to laugh at his drunkenness, at how he passes out, at how he blearily begs and whimpers to be the one to unSnap everyone ( “Please let me do something good, something right,” he pleads), at how he returns to Asgard on the day of Frigga’s murder and tries to frat-boy off to the cellars for some of Odin’s best ale because he cannot face his failure on this day too.

None of this is funny. It’s not funny at. all. It’s horrifying.

I do understand that this is likely more Hemsworth than Marvel. The actor vocally complained that he was bored with formal, upright Thor and would have been done with the character without Taika Waititi’s more comedic take in Ragnarok. He has said in interviews that Thor in Endgame is the closest to Hemsworth himself that the character has ever been, and clearly the actor loves doing comedy. He’s good at it — I enjoyed Kevin in Ghostbusters 2016.

I don’t object to loosening up Thor. I don’t object to showing Thor spiraling into alcoholism and depression and hiding from the world in food and games. I object to using depression and alcoholism for comedy.

Thor faces Frigga, reluctantly, and she counsels her son whom she loves, telling him not to worry about living up to expectations but to be his best true self. This is consistent with both characters; Thor has accepted how hard it is to be king. Then as Thor is quantumming out she adds “And eat a salad.” Really? You had to throw that in there? She sees the wreck her son has become and she nags? She gives him some kind and loving advice, she knows there’s some weirdness going on, but she has to cap it with fat-shaming?

We are meant to mock formerly ripped Thor for being “fat and ugly,” but let’s be clear: Thor’s appearance is an outward manifestation of deep emotional issues. Thor has not been able to cope with his failure. He and Tony faced similar terrible losses. Both characters originally had sunny dispositions. Tony, who still had Pepper at least, has managed to crawl out of his hole and build something with his wife and daughter. Thor lost his brother, his other half, and has mentally, emotionally, and physically collapsed. There really is no Thor without Loki.

And speaking of, I’m going to scream for a moment:

SERIOUSLY, MARVEL, WHAT EVEN THE FLAMING FUCK WAS THAT? YOU TEE UP A GODDAMN LINE LIKE “I ASSURE YOU, BROTHER, THE SUN WILL SHINE ON US AGAIN” AND THEN IT DOESN’T PAY OFF? I FUCKING WAVED THAT FLAG FOR A SOLID YEAR BECAUSE I WAS CONVINCED YOU WERE SMARTER THAN THAT AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO ME?

Loki: I am well aware that Loki started as an antagonist, and that my perspective is skewed from the fandoms I choose to participate in. I know that he’s not an Avenger.

But purely from a narrative point of view, Marvel, ya done fucked up. You dropped the ball.

From my previous post:

Loki’s death in Infinity War was so stupid and narratively pointless that a lot of fans, myself included, believe that there’s a plan behind the scenes (since we know Endgame involves time travel) which somehow explains it and gives it meaning. Because if not, then one of the most popular MCU characters — the only antagonist to keep returning, film after film, and primarily because audiences love him — died for nothing.

And there you have it. Explaining it after the fact in Loki’s TV show doesn’t count (and we don’t know that they will). Yes, Loki grabs the Tesseract in 2012 and disappears, so you can argue that “he doesn’t die,” but all that really does is screw up the timeline. It creates another timeline branch which isn’t resolved.

Is everything now a branched universe? If Loki took off with the Tesseract, does that mean The Dark World and Ragnarok never happened? If Loki didn’t go back to Asgard in chains at the end of Avengers, that means TDW couldn’t have happened the way it did. It means that Loki didn’t sacrifice himself, but does that also mean that Malekith would have gotten the Aether/Reality Stone from Jane and killed her? (It was Loki’s plan which saved Jane, let’s recall. And killed Kurse.) Does that mean Odin is still alive and on Asgard? And Hela was never unleashed? And therefore Loki and Thor never ended up on Sakaar and Hulk and Valkyrie Brunnhilde are still there? Or worse, that Odin died and Hela was unleashed but Thor wasn’t able to stop her because he didn’t have Hulk, Valkyrie, and Loki to help him? So she’s now loose and rampaging across the realms murdering at will?

It was appropriate for the larger arc for Carol to be part of the cavalry swooping in during the final battle to pummel Thanos for a while, but I kept waiting for Loki to show up. Loki was tortured by Thanos and Ebony Maw, which is what kicked off the plot of Avengers. If 2014 Thor was willing to break Loki out of prison to get revenge for Frigga’s death, why wouldn’t either 2014 Thor or 2023 Thor be willing to tell 2012 Loki “We have an opportunity for you to get back at Thanos. Wanna help?” Because as strung out and as still cocky as he was, jauntily waving in the elevator at the beast who just beat the shit out of him, I bet Loki would have been delighted to take a few swings at Giant Purple Nutsack Face. Yes, he probably would have escaped at some point during the final battle, because that’s who he was at the time, and still is — he’s “very comfortable with chaos,” as Hiddleston notes. And that would have been consistent. Help others if it also helps him, he’s not really a hero at that point in his arc, check out after Thanos is dead because he doesn’t want to go back to prison. That all would have worked. Even if he had no more to do than Shuri or Okoye, just to show him shooting a few blasts of seidr and showing that he is in fact just as powerful a sorcerer as Doctor “I’ve only been doing this for a year” Strange.

But Loki’s death in Infinity War is for nothing. Even if I wasn’t as invested in the character as I am, from a storytelling standpoint, it was pointless. The entire heavy foreshadowing of that line was utterly whiffed. You can’t even argue that “Loki sacrificed himself for Thor” because Thanos disappeared with the Space Stone, leaving Thor behind, and Thor crawled over to his brother’s dead, broken body and crumpled there to die. Thor gave up and never recovered. The last word he expected he would ever say was “Loki....”

Thor didn’t choose in that moment to use Loki’s sacrifice to stand up and claim revenge. Even Clint did more than that after Natasha’s death. Thor only continued on to forge Stormbreaker because the Guardians happened to pick him up in the vacuum of space after the Statesman exploded. That wasn’t a choice by the character, which is what moves a character arc forward. It was happenstance. Thor’s heart was destroyed with Loki’s death. It’s a shell of a man who eventually beheads Thanos.

Loki got an “Avenge the Fallen” poster, but he wasn’t avenged. The 2012 version of him escaped and branched off a new timeline, according to the Ancient One’s explanation of how time travel works in the MCU.

We don’t know if either Tony’s or Bruce’s Snap restored 2018 Loki. Endgame is the end of this arc. Marvel can’t patch stuff up later and claim a do-over.

AND FOR FUCK’S SAKE MARVEL WE NEVER GOT THOR AND LOKI’S HUG.

So: did Marvel hurt us?

Not as badly as I feared. There was a ton of fanservice and moments which were so go-for-broke that I felt like we were watching wish-fulfillment fanfic. (So many jokes about Steve’s ass. Steve joking about Steve’s ass.) The script didn’t stop to explain who people were or give context; it assumed the audience knew everything and was keeping up. And that last battle, have mercy, Helm’s Deep and Pelennor Fields look like playground skirmishes in comparison.

BUT: The loose ends are deeply frustrating, and I think the Loki fandom is going to blow a collective gasket. Grotty Drunk Thor having constant My Dick Is Bigger fights with Peter Quill is not going to make me want to watch Guardians 3. (Although if Loki comes back and sneers at Quill, and Thor follows his brother off into the wild yonder with stars in his eyes, okay, call me.)

I will watch the Marvel TV shows because I’m a masochist, but I don’t know how much I’m going to allow myself to get emotionally involved. My expectations are far lower than before IW/EG. I don’t know how the shows and movies involving “dead” characters are going to explain things. Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey handwaving is kind of a cheat, and it doesn’t excuse the shit storytelling which was allowed to happen in the first place.

Do I regret the journey? I don’t. It’s been a hell of a ride, and I’m so glad to have met these characters. I could wish for some things to be better, and hoo boy is there going to be a lot of corrective fanfic, but I’m not sorry I came along.

(and P.S.: Loki lives. :P)

#endgame spoilers #the stakes are too high #avengers: endgame #meta discussion #mcu #long post

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sandgame · 6 years ago

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Some NPC thoughts

Part of the magic of Uru was being able to actually talk to the characters in the game (if you were lucky enough to be around at the right time, of course). Unfortunately, using that as the primary mechanism of keeping players involved in the story just can’t scale to the size of a player base that would also make the game financially viable. That said, it’s a key component that made Uru very different and very special, and I want to find ways of keeping it around, while also recognizing its limitations.

Additionally, I want to give players more of a relationship with the various characters in the game, so that they have a better understanding of them and their roles in the cavern. Because the DRC and company were only ever “live” NPCs, the only way to get to know them at all was by being lucky enough to meet them in person. Otherwise, you were relying on word of mouth (or worse) to even know who they were. I know having deeply personal relationships with them is unrealistic and impractical, but there should at least be guaranteed opportunities for every player to meet them all and interact on some level.

To that end, the various main characters in the game (the DRC, Watson, etc.) should be able to exist as both traditional NPCs and Uru’s “live” NPCs – Actor-Controlled Characters, or ACCs, if you will. As ACCs, they would operate much the same way they did in Uru, occasionally wandering through various areas of the game, conversing with bystanders, and carrying out day-to-day business (the “palace intrigue”, if you will) with other ACCs to nudge along the finer points of the game’s current narrative. (As a side note, there will need to be some way to cover and report on this stuff in game for those who are interested but can’t be online 24/7.)

As ordinary NPCs, these characters would also exist to give and/or receive quests – for lack of a better word. Players may be tasked with bringing Kodama equipment to help shore up a chamber in the Aquarium, for instance, or be dispatched by Dr. Watson to talk with another NPC “explorer” who has information about the bahro. These tasks may be assigned directly by other NPCs, or come in the form of a KI message. Some quests may even only be possible if the player has a certain reputation with the character(s) in question. Anger Kodama, for instance, and you won’t get asked to help him anymore (or maybe you’ll get asked to help him by somebody who also dislikes Kodama and wants to annoy him). Or, if you blow off too many of Watson’s messages asking you to help vet information, he stops asking. Be diligent in completing marker mission tasks, however, and Laxman may take a shine to you and recruit you for more regular Lattice maintenance operations.

The challenge to this approach is marrying the ACC and the NPC so that they feel like a cohesive experience. First, ACCs should have access to the underlying metrics about their relationship with each person they interact with. This helps inform their tone and attitude. Players who have angered a character should expect to have their questions ignored at town halls, for instance. Similarly, ACCs should be able to feed the outcomes of live interactions back into the NPC’s metrics, so that if they substantially alter their standing as the result of an in-person interaction, the computer-driven NPC can take that into account going forward.

Second, characters should only ever exist in one location in the game at any given time. An ACC should never appear in Negilahn at the same time as their NPC counterpart is waiting patiently for you to arrive at a drop-off point in the City. When an actor logs on to control a character, the NPC counterparts should always link away (unless that would cause them to link out while actively speaking with a player, in which case we can let the mask slip a little, so to speak).

On a related note, as NPCs the main characters should generally not be visible in-game unless they are part of a player’s quest. In that case, they will be visible only to that player (and anyone else in their party currently engaged in the quest). Lesser characters that will not have an ACC counterpart can generally exist within the game 24/7, it will simply be the responsibility of the story department to know which characters are currently engaged in an activity so that they’re not used in another one somewhere else at the same time. Generally, NPCs that get used as elements in a personal quest shouldn’t also be used for ambient narrative to avoid conflicts. In the event that a special live event is in progress (like Wheely’s rescue), it should be possible to completely suspend the assignment of new quests relating to the NPCs involved, and active quests should also be suspended for the duration of the event, in order to prevent potentially incongruous interactions (we don’t want Laxman to be giddy with excitement over a new KI function while the cavern is in mourning, for instance).

To help keep players from getting frustrated or confused by receiving instructions to meet an NPC somewhere, only for them to be missing because their ACC is yucking it up in a pub downtown, players should be given temporary insight into a character’s location via the KI when they need to interact with them, along with receiving a ping when the ACC logs out (causing the NPC can return to their post) so that they know the character is available to speak with in the appropriate context. ACCs should stagger their availability so that players are not consistently locked out of progressing a quest because they can only play when the character is in ACC mode (having ACCs operate on 30-hour D’ni days would help with this). Additionally, players should only be able to receive a single assignment to locate a particular character, to prevent them from running into the same person in multiple places. If a quest line would conflict with this, an alternate branch should exist that puts the player off until they finish whatever quest currently has the NPC active. Then, after a delay, another quest can re-activate the NPC in another location.

Lastly, to prevent ACCs from getting flash-mobbed every time they show up, they should be available very regularly (taking into account the aforementioned staggered presence). Ideally every main cast member would appear in the game at least once a week, if not more so. It should also not be possible to add them as buddies, so that players can’t monitor their online status unless they’re actively involved in a quest. Calendars should be produced for the live events department that lay out each character’s availability, and assignments should be made in advance for when ACCs will log in, for how long, and who will be playing them during a given session.

#I'm not dead #debvlog #npcs #sandgame #quests #the dreaded Q word #c'mon I gotta give players something to do okay

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gentleoverdrive · 6 years ago

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Celica wants a confession. Otherwise? No dice.

An FE15 AU setting where things can get cooky, a choice few times grim but it's mostly going to remain a light-hearted fare (or will it?). Mostly centered around Alm (whose last name is Flowers) and Anthiese (last name Lindenbaum). Originally posted in Archive of Our Own. Link here Prologue: An introduction to Zofia Academy. (As Narrated by Lukas) 1. The Freshmen, they’re restless. Zofia Academy: A learning institution which shapes students from preschool all the way to university. With its main campus located where the previous Zofia Castle once stood, admission partway through the school system is possible, and both the Middle and High School sections boast some of the highest standards for both their courses and standardized tests currently available. During the time period where Zofia struggled with opening her borders, a lot of private institutes started popping up here and there. As a result, the Kingdom of Zofia --which feared that Jugdrali, Archanean, not to mention Rigelian influence may eventually eclipse that of the teachings provided by Mother Mila-- founded the school to counter those who had diverse studies inculcated by said academic institutions. Later, after merging with some of those aforementioned schools, it gained prominence. Thanks to this raise in profile, the school was offered a Kingdom Script. The families of nobles from different lineages along with merchants all desired to secure their children entry for the academy, which prompted the school's admission to become a status symbol. In great part to this, bribery and corruption became commonplace, both of which still unfortunately plague the school to this day. After the Valentian Agreement came into place which secured peace between the neighboring Rigel and its namesake country, applications from commoners to Zofia Academy began slowly but surely to rise, and the school instituted a general admissions policy as a result. Many methods to weed out students still remain, though, such as admittedly high tuition fees, expected donations, and the aforementioned bribery, and while securing a scholarship through the special quotas agreed by the schools to maintain an appearance of fairness is possible, the academy's draconian standards have made the obtainment of said placement incredibly difficult. Because of the preferential treatment that nobles and the wealthy have received during its centuries old existence, scandals have threatened with obliterating the academy's all-too important reputation, and yet despite protests from scholars and intellectuals alike, the academy itself has remained a source of national pride. Within the academy, the hierarchy of students that have attended the school either all their lives or starting from Elementary denominate themselves the "main family", while those who entered partway are denominated the "branch family". Recently however, and thanks to the plans put in motion by its new headmaster, an outreach program resulted in several students from unusual backgrounds either returning to the academy's fold or becoming recipients of full scholarships. The first group is notable for being composed of a member of the Lindenbaum Family and subject number one of this story, Anthiese, along with her valets, Mae Reiss and Boey Hackney. Absent from the school for much of her childhood, headmaster Clive Jorgensen has invited the heiress back into the school fold as a tip of the hat of sorts to her family’s storied relationship with Zofia’s transition from a monarchy to a nation. While reluctant to rejoin the ranks of the Academy after such a long time of remaining in exile from even her own family, Anthiese Lindenbaum accepted the invitation on two conditions. Not much is known of said conditions, since secrecy was of the essence at any and all times while the hatching stages of this plot were going on, but it is widely accepted that one of the requirements was for both her valets, along with her schoolmate in the Novis Monastery School, celebrated writer Genny Lenz, to be invited into Zofia Academy’s High School section. The second group, however, is no less peculiar, given that all members from it are protégés of Former General Mycen Stone. Last year, the first two students were Gray Mittleman, recipient of the full sports scholarship due to his unmatched prowess as a gridiron-style footballer, and Faye O'Connor, who was awarded the notoriously picky historic major scholarship. Constantly preyed upon by the main family's attempts to chase them out, both students have nonetheless thrived, even if Miss O'Connor's failed bid to become part of the student council and the slight but unfortunate reputation it had earned her was noted to be something of a tradition among the main family of students to deny branch students the influence that one of the most prestigious institutions the academy offers. Among the seven notable freshmen from this year’s crop, three brand-new scholarship students have come to the fore: First it was Tobin Draymond, ace of countless archery competitions and the strongest candidate to represent Zofia in the upcoming Altean Games; next, it was Kliff Oswalt, an accomplished mathlete who had brought home countless trophies and had managed to skip a grade to become a middle school graduate at around the same time as the other two. While those mentioned before will have a profound impact through the academy's history thanks to their earned accolades, none would be so more involved with the change of perception towards the Student Body than Former General Stone's own grandson. Ever since it was instated, Zofia Academy's High School section never had that many branch members become part of the Student Council to count among its ranks before the present day. And since only a select few members of the so-called branch family have become members of the student council, of those only two had attained the position of Student Council President. One of those two, and the last of those students to be recruited by yours truly, is Alm Flowers, subject number two of this story’s narrative.

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ahopefuldoubt · 7 years ago

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Dialogue in the Japanese dub of The Prince of Egypt: Aaron

originally posted in 2016 [x].

A while ago, I’d asked a few questions about the Japanese dub of The Prince of Egypt, specifically about how the biological siblings speak to one another. Using the information I got (ありがとうございました), I wrote an analysis of Miriam’s dialogue. I wanted to explore the differences and nuances of the language, and I hope to continue to do that here.

This time I’ll be looking at Aaron’s dialogue. His way of speaking to Moses changes quite a bit over the course of the movie, and perhaps this evolution seems more dramatic in the Japanese version due to some of the features of the language. Certainly there’s plenty to discuss with regard to formality and meaning, characterization and emotion.

Again, I’m relying mainly on these transcripts. I’ve only added the romanization below the Japanese, and I’ve also done my best to bold the words/phrases that I discuss in greater detail. (Some of the text — the bolded parts and/or the Japanese — may show up wonky on mobile, though.) Also scattered throughout the post are a few supplemental lines of dialogue from the dub, and these may contain errors because I often miss words when I listen to Japanese.

A few other notes: “a” is pronounced approximately like the “a” in “father”; “i” like in “eat”; “u” like in “fool”; “e” like in “let”; and “o” like in “so.” The vowel “ou” is still pronounced like the “o” in “so,” but it’s held longer. For simplicity, I’ve romanized Moses’ name as “Moses.” And when giving the full names of the Japanese actors, family names are written first.

(I hadn’t planned on writing quite this much (~3,000 words). Buut, I’m a giant linguistics nerd, and Aaron is my favorite character. So basically everything I love is in this post… :) and there was more ground to cover than I realized.)

The Well Scene

Oh, my good prince. She’s exhausted from the day’s work. Uh, not that it was too much. We quite enjoyed it. But she’s confused… ああ、いや、王子様。彼女疲れ果てておりまして…ああいやいや、仕事は軽いもので、とっても楽しかったのですが、混乱していて… [romanization] aa, iya, ouji sama. kanojo tsukare hatete orimashite… aa iya iya, shigoto wa karui mono de, tottemo tanoshikatta no desu ga, konran shite ite…

There are several forms of address and degrees of formality in Japanese. Personal pronouns (e.g., “I,” “you”) reflect not only the situation in which they are used, but also the speaker’s and addressee’s genders, social statuses, and other information and indicators of relationship, like the speaker’s attitude and feelings towards the person being addressed. It’s due to this richness (where identities can also be constructed, subverted, etc.) that language variation is one of my favorite aspects of Japanese.

Although Aaron uses ore, a first-person pronoun, elsewhere in the movie, he doesn’t use any form of “I” in the well scene. This isn’t unusual, because, in Japanese, pronouns such as “I” can be omitted when, for instance, it’s clear that the speaker is talking about themselves. Building off of previous context and attaching various endings to verbs can also identify the speaker and the orientation of their speech. Verb endings in particular are important to this analysis. (I’ll talk about the nuances of ore further down, but it’s not really relevant right now.)

In this scene, Aaron doesn’t say “you” either. As with first-person pronouns, second-person pronouns can also be dropped in Japanese. In the dub, Aaron only refers to Moses by his title, ouji sama, which means “prince.” He also uses and maintains honorific language (keigo). By contrast, Miriam, who acknowledges Moses as their brother from the beginning, drops keigo early on and speaks in a familiar way.

An example of keigo in Aaron’s dialogue occurs when he’s trying to make an excuse for Miriam: “She’s exhausted from the day’s work…” In the Japanese version, the line is kanojo tsukare hatete orimashite… The bolded part ori is actually a verb (dictionary form: oru) that falls under the category of humble language, or kenjougo. This type of honorific “lowers” the speaker, with the ultimate aim of “raising” the addressee. Of course, the subject of the sentence isn’t Aaron himself, but his sister, and the use of humble language also extends to people in a speaker’s immediate social group (e.g., to talk about the actions of family members or workmates). The -mashite part that immediately follows ori is a polite verb ending, or suffix: the -masu form. The suffix -masu and the polite sentence ending desu are commonplace in Aaron’s speech in this scene.

Generally speaking, languages have their own ways of marking politeness. The original English version has Aaron speaking in a more formal register, which contrasts with the way he talks in other places in the movie. “[She] knows not to whom she speaks,” “Your Highness, pay her no heed,” and “May I discuss something with you?” are examples, and these sentences all sound somewhat stiff (or, from an older time) because they follow prescribed grammar rules. In linguistics, prescriptivism can refer to features of language that society has labeled “standard” or “proper.” Linguistic description, on the other hand, focuses on how people actually use language. It’s worth noting that people style-switch, meaning they select, employ, and even mix, different registers at different times (e.g., the language people use with friends is likely not the kind they use with their boss). Style-switching is driven by context and says a lot about social groups and membership, as well as how people perform — or are expected to perform — their various roles…

So, in both the Japanese and English versions, the situations and scenes are intrinsically linked to language choice, character, and plot. Early in the film, Aaron uses respectful, “proper” language because he’s talking to a prince, someone who is much higher in the social hierarchy. This reflects his dynamic with Moses at this point in the story, the role he must perform, and what he’s trying to accomplish by mitigating their interaction. (Incidentally, his asking Miriam, “May I discuss something with you?” has always sounded cute to me…. like he doesn’t want his big sister to get mad at him, and as he’s talking to her, he’s simultaneously keeping up an air of respect because he’s around “Prince Moses.”)

Even before I watched the dub, I was really looking forward to hearing everyone’s voices and performances. I think the Japanese version did a good job matching them to the original actors. Miriam sounds a bit more mature to me. Rameses sounds younger (Ralph Fiennes provides somewhat more gravitas than does his Japanese counterpart), and I like how Moses’ Japanese voice actor smoothly ages his character from a teenager to an adult.

Overall, I enjoy Tanaka Ken’s performance as Aaron, but there are some interesting differences, here and later at the mud pit. In the well scene especially, Aaron’s voice has a low, even-toned quality to it. (I have a lot of… strong emotions about this type of voice. Like, I’m not mad at it.) His pitch is similar to Jeff Goldblum’s; however, I get a less urgent and panicked impression from the Japanese version. Because of this, I feel the moment loses some of its punch. At the very least it creates another mood… perhaps even another interpretation of the animation/visuals.

What I like about Tanaka’s performance is how he is able to give the sense that he’s really measuring his words to keep the situation from escalating. I feel that this thoughtfulness is a side-effect of his more relaxed delivery and manner, including the way he does his pauses (the aforementioned -mashite verb ending also expresses a kind of hesitance). On the other hand, Goldblum portrays Aaron’s thinking process along a more agitated pace, and that ironic edge, which emerges so fluently in his voice, only increases the emotional stakes. ��In the Japanese dub, Aaron repeats iya iya (“no, no”), throughout the scene, very softly at times, which I find endearing; it also replicates Goldblum’s habits pretty well (uh, know what I mean?). I think the iya iya’s help underscore the calmer, more placating — and restrained — tone.

This calmness is gone, however, in next scene. So, too, is the same degree of formality that Aaron keeps during his first reunion with Moses.

The Mud Pit Scene

So, Moses, how does it feel when you get struck to the ground? ようモーセ、分かったか？殴り倒された気持ちが [romanization] you** Moses, wakatta ka? naguri taosareta kimochi ga

**This looks like the English pronoun “you,” but it’s pronounced like the English word “yo.”

Right from the outset, there are many aspects of the dialogue that separate this part of the story from the earlier one.

In both languages, Aaron addresses Moses by name, rather than by his title: ouji sama in Japanese, “Your Highness” in English. His tone is much more direct. This much is the same between the English and Japanese versions. However, the latter is further characterized by the existence of a sharp morphological difference between the styles of language that Aaron uses.

My favorite branch of linguistics, morphology studies the “smallest meaningful units” of language: morphemes. Words and word-parts, basically. These include free morphemes (roots), which can stand on their own; and bound morphemes (affixes like prefixes and suffixes), which need to be attached to roots or other morphemes. A free morpheme (root) in English is “enjoy,” to which the bound morpheme -ed (a suffix) can be attached, forming the past tense.

In the previous section, I mentioned how frequently desu and -masu — both of them morphemes — appear in the well scene: They show up in lines like tottemo tanoshikatta no desu ga, which corresponds to “We quite enjoyed it,” and dare to hanashite iru no ka wakatte imasen, “[She] knows not to whom she speaks.” (-Masen is the negative form of -masu, so it means “not x.”) As features of keigo, these suffixes mark politeness. In the mud pit scene, wakatta ka is not keigo but plain form, which is informal. (The bolded suffix -ta is the past tense verb ending, similar in grammatical function to the English -ed.)

The plain form is what Aaron uses from this point on when talking to Moses. However, it isn’t the plain form itself that leaves an especially strong impression in the Japanese version. (Technically, it’s the same style that Miriam uses throughout the movie.) Rather, the shock comes from the change that has occurred, for there are social implications to using or not using keigo. Aaron’s (abrupt) use of the casual register indicates a shift in his attitude, the way he carries himself and views (his relationship with) his younger brother.

Another significant departure from the well scene is his use of informal pronouns, which I hinted at earlier in this post and show up in the next set of lines:

In fact, Moses, when did you start caring about slaves? Was it when you found out that you were one of us? それよりお前、いつから俺達奴隷を心配し始めた？仲間だと分かってからか？ [romanization] sore yori omae, itsu kara ore tachi dorei o shinpai shi hajimeta? nakama da to wakatte kara ka?

Ore is probably recognizable to fans of anime and manga because of its widespread use by male characters. There are several first-person pronouns in Japanese, all of which communicate a great deal of information about the speaker and social situation. One word for “I” is boku, a masculine pronoun that is softer and more boyish than ore. As a point of comparison, Moses uses boku as a young man, and as an adult, he uses watashi, which is regarded as more gender-neutral and formal — a close-but-not-quite “all-purpose” first-person pronoun. Watashi has a dignified feel, in Moses’ case. Ore fits Aaron’s personality, and in the Japanese dub, he uses it exclusively. It’s a natural choice for him, and I’m not disappointed :) In fact I would have been surprised if he used boku, or anything else, really. (I can imagine him using watashi or some humble form of “I” around the Egyptian guards, but again, pronouns aren’t always necessary, and keigo should be enough to establish respect and identify the speaker and addressee.) Since ore is casual, it can connote rudeness; however, it can also simply suggest a close relationship between the speaker and those within his “in-group.” When Aaron uses ore around Miriam, the pronoun takes on a familial quality. An example is the line ore tachi ga nani mo dekinai, or “There’s nothing we can do” in the English version.

Given the context of mud pit scene and its difference in tone from the well scene, Aaron’s use of ore carries a more jarring sense of familiarity and is on the brusque side. His choice of “you” is likewise effective. Omae, which is usually paired with ore, is rather blunt and even offensive in some circumstances. In general, neither ore nor omae should be said in polite conversation or with people of a higher status. But, the change from respectful keigo language to direct, informal language definitely feels like a case of style-switching: It has a purpose, a proclamation. Personally, I think that omae is meant to disarm, to be a surprise to the viewer and to Moses himself. It emphasizes the points Aaron is making in this moment. And I love what this new casualness suggests about the relationship between these two.

Speaking of pronouns, Rameses uses ore and omae with Moses. (As with Aaron’s way of speaking with Miriam, this just reveals a close, familial relationship.) The Japanese dub also seems to take advantage of the order of the scenes themselves to drive home this particular linguistic connection between Aaron and Rameses.

So, in the following sets of dialogue:

Rameses (parting words): Or is it thanks… to you? それともお前の…おかげかな [romanization] sore tomo omae no… okage ka na

Aaron (mud pit scene; abridged): In fact, Moses, when did you start… それよりお前、いつから… [romanization] sore yori omae, itsu kara…

It’s already significant that these two emotionally-fraught confrontations occur one after the other, but because Aaron has shifted his mode of speaking and addresses Moses with same pronouns as Rameses, the Japanese dub is really able to develop the parallel. Even the way omae is framed at the beginning of the two sentences is similar: sore tomo (“or”) for Rameses and sore yori (“more than that”) for Aaron. I think it’s interesting that the Japanese version does this, perhaps even more explicitly than the English version. I’d love to spend time with this parallel, especially as it exists and functions in the original version, but I’ll leave that to a future post.

Focusing on a couple of other sections in the same line, and building off his use of ore, Aaron specifically says ore tachi dorei, which in this case translates to “us slaves.” -Tachi is a suffix that attaches to nouns in order to create a “plural form” (as a collective/assembly, if that makes sense). To me, -tachi stresses his identity with his people.

Nakama is a word that usually gets translated as “friend” or “comrade,” but it refers to something bigger: a community, a kinship. So, my impression of nakama is similar to that of ore tachi. In both versions, the line contains that bitter truth, saying, “Did you only start to care after you knew that this was your people?” Indeed, with nakama, there’s a strong sense of inclusion, yet at the same time, it feels shuttered and pained. At least, that’s my interpretation.

In terms of performance, I prefer Goldblum’s because his delivery is wonderful (this role is utterly his). I like Tanaka’s take, too, but what strikes me most is the way he makes Aaron sound like a completely different person: a combination of showing Aaron’s age (done nicely) but also his heightened emotions. I was slightly taken aback when I first heard it because I thought it was a different actor. That even tone from the well scene is completely gone. The irony, though, is thankfully intact:

Well, that makes everything fine then, doesn’t it? そりゃまたご都合のいい事で、全く [romanization] sorya mata gotsugou no ii koto de, mattaku

Like desu and -masu, the prefix go- is a polite form of speech. It mostly attaches to nouns (typically objects/things) and is used to show respect for someone else. So, it’s another example of keigo, only now, Aaron is using it in a sarcastic way. A literal translation might be “Well, isn’t that convenient [for you],” making it fairly similar to the original line. This piece of dialogue sounds harsher in the Japanese version; Aaron says the very last word, mattaku, with particular irritation. Goldblum’s delivery in the entire scene may be angry, but it still feels rather contained (closer to a simmer than a boil, if that makes sense), which I’ve always appreciated. I really like how he allows Aaron’s voice to drop and trail off for “Well, that makes everything fine then, doesn’t it?”

During the well scene, Tanaka seems to give a more collected performance, while Goldblum imbues Aaron with a frantic energy. Later, Tanaka’s portrayal is forceful, whereas Goldblum’s is held back. The actors’ voice work offers nuanced interpretations, and though their acting and ways of executing the dialogue may differ, in the end I think they both contribute to a holistic vision of who Aaron is. The Japanese and English languages themselves are similarly constructive: Despite having unique methods of marking politeness and utilizing pronouns or words, they create subtlety and build up a common understanding of character.

I’m thankful for this reply to my Ask (and for the confirmation that Aaron does indeed use ore… and Miriam, choudai — I love how informative these two words are). I know this post is quite nerdy, but I hope it’s interesting nonetheless. And, as someone who’s interested in linguistics and loves this movie, I’ve enjoyed being able to watch the Japanese dub and deepen my own understanding :)

Last edited: 2/7/17; edits for clarification

#the prince of egypt #aaron #hope is hard to kill #linguistics #japanese #*#my stuff #my writing #jeff goldblum tho #this is one of my favorite analyses tbh #parallels #jeff goldblumの演技は一番、だけど田中さんの演技もgreatだと思う #それに敬語→常体、この変化も大好き #ミリアムとの対比も超良いし♥#そしてモーセとの関係も違うからアロンがだーい好き

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