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geekgirles · 1 month

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The Doll and the Dragon

Chapter 1: Desperate Measures

Word Count: 9339

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Summary: In a reality where the Eliatropes arrived at an already populated World of Twelve, their presence and the concerns it rises amongst their people have forced the twelve gods to act. After all, they too had their motives for considering the portal-making race a potential threat, especially their king, Yugo.

In an effort to placate both their visitors and worshippers, Sadida is tasked with repeating a feat from the Primitive Era: create a new Divine Doll to seduce the Eliatrope King with and bring peace to the World of Twelve. After all, he is an Eliatrope and she is a Sadida Doll; they're falling in love is inevitable.

The arrival of the Eliatropes turned their world upside down.

Until then, the inhabitants of the World of Twelve, consisting of both the followers of the twelve gods and the many other races that coexisted with them, lived in perfect harmony. Beyond a few, mostly harmless stereotypes, the Twelvians knew peace and prosperity under the six Primordial Dofus created thanks to Sadida’s intervention.

Their world was prosperous and lush, encompassing large continents filled to the brim with opportunities to settle down, make a living, or even set out on countless, unforgettable adventures. All thanks to their gods, who, despite their own mischievousness and unpredictable nature—just ask Ecaflip’s followers…—, were always looking out for their people.

Such peace and happiness couldn’t last forever, however. One day, practically out of nowhere, the horrifying sight of an enormous mechanical contraption, as big as a mountain, descended from the heavens, wreaking chaos among the Twelvians.

Nobody understood what was going on. Did something happen? Had they somehow offended the gods and now they were being punished for their insolence with certain doom? Was it really the end?

Turns out, it truly was the end. The end of an era.

The falling monstrosity they saw falling from the sky wasn’t any form of divine retribution, but the Zenith, an advanced mothership belonging to a whole different race from a whole different world: the Eliatropes.

Unlike the Twelvians, the Eliatropes did not follow any of the twelve gods, they didn’t worship any of the deities populating the World of Twelve, for that matter! No. They were actually descended from the Great Goddess herself, the creator of all life in the Krosmoz! As such, they shared her innate, intimate knowledge on wakfu and, more importantly, her portal-making ability.

Finding out wherever they went they could never be able to escape their unexpected visitors did not help soothe the Twelvians’ already frazzled nerves.

And yet, despite how eerie, how otherworldly the Eliatropes were, they were nothing compared to their leaders. The Council of Six, consisting of the Primordial Eliatropes and their dragons. Indeed, not only did the Eliatropes bring six dragons with them—which were revered as some of the most powerful creatures in existence—, but they were actually semi-divine. As it were, the Eliatrope Council were demigods, and especially rare ones at that, too! Each of them was gifted with a unique ability or skill they mainly used to serve their people, but not for that were they any less formidable.

And because that wasn’t enough, they even had their own set of Dofus and their knowledge on wakfu allowed them to both manipulate those sacred artefacts to their full potential as well as develop incredibly advanced technology. Because, apparently, they needed further advantages over the Twelvians to thrive.

When the Eliatropes formally introduced themselves—by crashing an official meeting of the Council of Twelve meant precisely to discuss what to do with them, in fact—, they insisted they simply wanted a place to settle down after their homeworld had been devastated during a most ruthless war. They had been voyageing the Krosmoz for years until they finally found their world, and now all they wanted was a place they could call home and thrive in.

Unfortunately, despite swearing up and down they meant no harm and even wished to ally themselves with the world’s native nations and play by their rules, the council only became even warier of them. Especially when they proved their demigod nature when the World of Twelve’s greatest heroes and warriors—having been sent to cow their unwelcome visitors into submission—were soundly defeated by the Eliatrope King and greatest warrior himself, Yugo.

After that, most Twelvians quaked in their boots whenever they believed to see a spark of blue from the corner of their eye—more than one poor, unsuspecting Feca had found themselves subjected to a beating as a result of their hair colour. A market’s jovial if busy atmosphere became awkward and stuffy the moment anyone caught a glimpse of an Eliatrope hat or, even worse, their portals. For their part, while they genuinely wanted to have a peaceful coexistence with their new neighbours, the Eliatropes chose to try avoiding further conflict and isolate themselves in Oma Island, where they’d built their new civilisation.

Even so, the Twelvians’ paranoia only grew each passing day, and with it, their gods’ concerns. Fear and distrust reigned supreme, so much so, ever since the Eliatropes’ arrival, the only prayers the gods received from their worshippers were asking them to please do something about those outsiders. Some asked for them to be kicked out of the planet, while others begged for their gods to find a way to protect them or at least ensure the Eliatropes wouldn’t try anything to harm them.

Unbeknownst to their worshippers, however, the gods had their own reasons for being wary of the Eliatropes. So much so, it didn’t take them much convincing to decide to convene on what to do with them.

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Far, far away, deep within Inglorium, the land of the gods themselves, the reigning divinities their followers owed their powers and appearances to were gathered within the Communal Palace. Seeing as it kept the recorded life of every single mortal, regardless of their alliance to which god, the palace was the only place where no god had greater power or influence than the rest. Thus, the reason why their war room was located there, as everyone would be forced to listen to what their fellow deities had to say while they remained seated around the same table.

And at that very moment, a very heated discussion was taking place.

“I simply do not understand why we don’t just annihilate them!” Bellowed Sram, who had grown tired of his cohorts dismissing his ideas as ‘too impulsive for an assassin god.’ “No creature has ever been known to withstand the full power of a god, not even demigods! This whole ordeal would be over already if all of us joined forces to vanquish those outsiders!”

“They are not simple demigods, however. Which is exactly what turns them into such dangerous foes.” Cra reminded, her voice poised and collected, but that, much like the Great Huntress herself, belied a cunning mind and nerves of steel.

“Besides, have you already forgotten the reason why our dear Iop isn’t with us anymore?” Ecaflip added sarcastically, leaning back in his seat to jab a claw towards the empty chair the god of war used to occupy.

“Indeed. As much as it hurts my pride, there is no guarantee we will actually be victorious if we were to battle the Eliatropes.” Sacrier agreed from her chained position, letting out an almost imperceptible wince at the familiar sensation of one of her worshippers exchanging their pain with her.

However, Xelor himself was in agreement with the assassin god. “While it is a high gamble, the Eliatropes’ presence threatens the very balance of the world! Their mere existence is unlawful, who knows the kind of chaos they might unleash were they to stay?!”

Ecaflip raised an eyebrow from behind his sunglasses, using two of his arms to lean in closer to the god of time while the remaining pair filed his claws disinterestedly. “Look at you, talking about gambling! Last time I checked, that was my specialty, Cuckoo-clock.”

“Then perhaps you should start living up to your reputation and take more risks, god of chance.” Xelor fired back, sneering derisively at the feline deity.

For his part, Ecaflip couldn't help but think privately how having to look down at someone’s chest to notice their eyes narrowing in on you would never stop being weird. He shuddered involuntarily at the thought.

“Except Iop’s absence is precisely the reason why sparking a confrontation against the Eliatropes would lead to disaster.” Feca spoke up, her clipped tone revealing her irritation at some of her cohorts’ shortsightedness. “Iop was the physically strongest one among us. What chance do we have of beating opponents equally adept at combat without him?”

“You seem to be underestimating us, Feca. After all, while their prowess over wakfu is certainly versatile and impressive, we are still gods. Each one of us possesses a varied array of powers that go beyond human comprehension. Compared to us, they are nothing but a one-trick dragoturkey.” Eniripsa countered, looking down at her nails as if this whole conversation was beneath her. As if to prove her point, she conjured a scroll written in a long-lost language, one only she and her followers could still read, of course.

“On the contrary, my dear fairy.” Enutrof said, uncoiling his golden, serpentine body to make use of his height and rise above the rest, drawing every eye to him. “Feca is merely trying to point out that we should not underestimate our opponents. After all, there is much to lose.” His red eyes glinted menacingly when he said that. As the draconic god of fortune, there was nothing Enutrof hated more than losses.

“And why don’t we simply welcome them to our world? With enough bamboo milk, the more the merrier!” Pandawa suggested, taking a generous sip of the aforementioned beverage as if to prove her point.

As the gods kept arguing about which course of action to take, whether to face off against the Eliatropes to drive them away from their world or to try looking for a different solution, Cra’s trained eye noticed how Osamodas and Sadida had yet to say a word. What’s more, while the chimeran tamer remained composed even under all the in-fighting, not even Sadida’s mask could hide the gravely air around him, especially when the green of his skin seemed to have lost its lustre.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, the Woodland Beauty opened her mouth to force her fellow gods to confess what they were undoubtedly keeping hidden from them. “Pray tell, Osamodas, what is on your mind? Is it possible you have already drafted a plan?”

Despite her open attempt at turning the other gods against him, the Master of Beasts remained unperturbed. His tail flicking around as he stroked his long, silver beard, a wry smirk graced his features. “As a matter of fact, dearest Cra, I do have an idea that might help us keep the Eliatropes in check.”

“We expel them from our world to never return, correct?” Sram ventured, a devilish smirk stretching over his face.

Osamodas shook his goat-like head. “That course of action could bring forth unforeseen consequences, I’m afraid.”

That made Sram pout.

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Sacrier asked, sharing a worried look with Pandawa.

“Same thing we did to bring peace and harmony to our world the first time.” He smirked.

This time, it was Ecaflip who chose that moment to chime in, voicing everyone’s thoughts. “Um… Last time we created the Dofus. Are you suggesting we create more to drive them off? Wouldn’t that unsettle the balance?”

As his fellow gods voiced their agreement with the King of Fortune’s summation, as well as voiced their disagreement with what they interpreted as Osamodas’ plan, Sadida broke them all out of their own thoughts when he spoke for the first time since the meeting began. His voice, while naturally rich and deep, lacked the usual vitality associated with the god of nature.

“Our goal would be to prevent them from unsettling the balance by ensuring they have no reason to use their Dofus.” He said somberly.

“And how do you propose we do that, exactly?” Xelor questioned, his eyes narrowed in suspicion—and causing Ecaflip to shudder in disgust yet again.

The smug look never left Osamodas’ face. “As I was saying, we simply must follow the same procedure as with the Primordial Dofus: we seduce them.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, almost every eye in the room settled on Cra, scanning her curvaceous body from head-to-toe. Flinching at the unexpected scrutiny she suddenly found herself in, the Master of the Bolt snapped, “What?!”

“He said we ought to seduce the Eliatropes, and since your beauty is known for bewitching anyone but your followers… I suppose that means it is up to you, my dear.” Enutrof sentenced. With a snap of his claws, he conjured up a very revealing red dress and a matching pair of heels that Ecaflip presented proudly to her with his four limbs and a winning smile on his face.

Her eye twitching at the offence, Cra’s immediate reaction was to materialise a series of light-based arrows she wasted no time firing at her fellow gods. With a yelp, Ecaflip dropped the clothes right before he and Enutrof scrambled to try in vain to avoid the goddess’ wrath.

All Osamodas could do in response to that was let out a long-suffering sigh, one hand pinching the bridge of his non-existent nose in vexation.

“None of us shall seduce the Eliatropes, you fools!” He bellowed, catching their attention as he slammed his hands against the table. “Have you already forgotten what we did to create the Dofus?!”

“It has been a long time, I would know…” Xelor muttered sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest—ehrm, face? “And, again, won’t seducing the Eliatrope dragons result in more Dofus? What about the balance then?”

“Ah, but I never said we would be seducing their dragons, now did I?” Osamodas pointed out, wagging a finger in the air.

The gods’ eyes widened. They exchanged mistified glances with each other, silently asking if anybody knew what the Master Tamer was trying to get at.

Rising from his crouched down position over his hind legs, Osamodas began circling around the others counterclockwise, his hands to his back as he finally shared his plan in full detail. “Objectively speaking, each and every one of the Eliatropes is a potential threat, especially the members of their council. However, it should be noted the biggest threat by far would be the one they call their king and greatest warrior, Yugo.

“Given his battle prowess and divine nature, it would be unwise to make an enemy out of him. As for his people and their interactions with ours… Well, it is undeniable their help could be crucial in the development of our world…”

“What are you suggesting, Osamodas?” Eniripsa queried, the fluttering of her wings betraying her genuine interest for how this would all play out.

“Much like Pandawa suggested, it would be much more beneficial for us to have the Eliatropes as our allies, instead of our enemies. All we must do is ensure they feel no need to assert their dominance over our worshippers.” He explained, though the enigmatic nature of his answer didn’t do much to dispel the other gods’ doubts.

“That’s great and all…” Sram waved a hand dismissively. “But what does that have to do with seducing their king?”

Just as the assassin god posed his question, Osamodas reached Sadida, whose forlorn gaze was fixed on the table before him. Lowering his torso slightly to speak as face-to-face as possible with the nature god, the chimaera simply said, “Would you care to do the honours, my friend?”

Sadida’s face contorted into a pained grimace. It looked as if it took every ounce of his strength not to break down right there and then. In fact, he seemed to be in so much pain, Cra was already on her feet to reach out to him and console him when he finally spoke.

“I shall craft one last Divine Doll specifically to be gifted to King Yugo.”

A series of loud gasps echoed throughout the room, though no one was as alarmed as Cra.

“You desire to create another Divine Doll, and to seduce the Eliatrope King with her?! Sadida, surely you don’t mean that...”

“It worked with most of the primordial dragons, and the boy has draconic blood running through his veins.” He retorted simply, although he didn’t seem to be able to look the goddess in the eye. “Besides, unlike dragons, men are simple creatures. And I intend to make my eleventh doll my masterpiece. If he falls for a gift we made specifically for him, then he should have no reason to ever turn against our world.”

“Conversely, upon discovering we entrusted the Eliatrope King with one of our own, our people should eventually feel more at ease. Since it would appear we do not consider them a threat.” Sacrier concluded. As the other gods spoke, she had been quietly connecting the dots.

“Is it really such a good idea, though?” Enutrof questioned, still nursing his behind, where Cra’s arrow hit. “Divine Dolls are essentially your daughters, Sadida, which makes them demigoddesses in their own right. So is Yugo, and a powerful one at that. Do we really want to risk them siring a child together?”

Away from their eyes, the masked god clenched his fist so tightly his knuckles almost turned white. “That is precisely why offering one of my dolls is the best course of action, old friend. Unlike your children, they cannot bear offspring.” Then, noticing the uneasy looks they were sending him, he added, his voice low and serious. “I will make sure of it.”

A heavy atmosphere fell over the gods after that. All they could do was exchange nervous glances. Cra in particular was trying desperately to lock eyes with Sadida, worry for her old friend overwhelming her senses. She was about to close the distance between them to try to talk some sense into him when Ecaflip clasped all four of his hands.

“Well, I like it!” He declared, smiling broadly. “We’re betting it all on love; is there a better, or riskier, game than that? Count me in!”

“Now you sound like yourself, you fleabag!” Xelor laughed, clasping the feline on the back.

One by one, each and every god eventually gave their consent, seeing as it truly was the best idea any of them had come up with since the Eliatrope issue first appeared. Eventually, seeing herself outnumbered, even Cra had to give in, but not without making the resolution of talking to the nature god about it first.

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“I already made up my mind, Cra; so did the others. Even you cannot impose your will over a unanimous decision.” Sadida sighed, not even turning around from his table at his atelier to look his old friend in the eye. If he did, he knew the Woodland Beauty would be able to see his resolve crumble like dust.

“Technically speaking, it wasn’t unanimous. Iop wasn’t there to vote.” She said matter-of-factly, trying to relieve the tension with that wry humour they had in common. The small smirk on her face at her observation fell when not even that elicited a response from Sadida.

After the meeting, the archery goddess wasted no time following Sadida back into his lands, despite knowing she possessed no power there, and into the hutt he used for his creations, which wasn’t unlike his people’s houses on the top of the trees. Seeing as the nature god hadn’t told her to leave despite having already taken out the materials he would need to first design and then create his newest doll, Cra took her chances. With measured steps, she made her way over to the Leafy God, placing a delicate but firm hand on his shoulder to get him to look at her.

She put on her most reassuring smile. “I am simply worried about you, my friend. There is a reason why you haven’t made any more Divine Dolls ever since the end of the Primitive Era.”

“The reason being there was no need; we already had six Dofus and that was all we required to bring peace to our land.” The masked god scoffed matter-of-factly, turning his head away from the archer.

“We both know that is not the only reason…” Cra said testily, before realising her slip of the tongue.

In an instant, Sadida had swirled around to face her with the most furious expression she had seen from him in centuries, not even his mask was enough to hide the depth of his anger. However, even without her prodigious sight, she knew deep down he was more hurt than angry. Still, knowing he was a few seconds away from kicking her out of his workshop—an order she would have no way to refuse, seeing as these were indeed his domains—, Cra was quick to act.

“My deepest apologies, my friend. I should have known better than to reopen old wounds.” She said placatingly, though not any less sincerely. “I…I just… I merely worry about you. I do not wish to see you get hurt.”

With a glance at her genuinely remorseful face, obscured by fallen locks of her long, golden hair, Sadida’s own expression softened considerably. With a heavy sigh, he hung his head, before bringing a hand to his mask as he reprimanded himself for his callous treatment of his friend.

His earthy fingers taking hold of her gloved hand startled the archer out of her thoughts. “Please, forgive me, my dear Cra. It is not you I am angry with, but myself.”

Understanding the reason for his anger without words, only the long-lasting bond they shared, Cra ventured. “Then why give in to Osamodas’ request? We found a way to make Eliatrope pay for her crimes, we can find a way to deal with her people too!”

“Because her people are not any more at fault for what happened than ours, Cra.” Sadida’s solemn declaration made the goddess gasp in surprise. “It would not be right to punish them for a crime they did not commit. Just as it would not be just of them to vent any residual fury they might be feeling towards our actions against our followers.”

He let go of the Great Huntress’ hand, his eyes fixed on the floor as he reflected. “As much as it pains me to admit it, Osamodas and Pandawa are right. The best way to protect our people is by not giving the Eliatropes reasons to attack them. And if creating an eleventh Divine Doll is the way to achieve that…” He shrugged, although the action wasn’t enough to dispel the burden he carried over his shoulders. “Then so be it.”

“If you have truly come to terms with what needs to be done, then why do you look so troubled by it?” Cra challenged.

Sadida’s answer broke her heart, especially because she knew nothing she could say or do could dissuade him.

“Because I will still be sending my youngest daughter elsewhere shortly after being born with no guarantee of her ever returning.”

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At first, everything was dark. A black abyss presented itself before her and, despite having the feeling she would not be harmed, the fact that she didn’t know how to navigate the darkness was still alarming. However, those fears were slowly but surely disappearing the more her newly acquired senses developed.

First came touch. She could feel herself being seated over something smooth, yet porous. Sturdy, but light. The more she connected with her sense of touch, the more she awakened other, more refined abilities. After a while of marvelling at the sensations, a startling realisation materialised itself in her mind, unbidden: wood; she was sitting on something made out of wood. But why did that wood feel like a part of herself?

Then came the sense of smell. Taking a deep breath, soon she was enveloped by a myriad of aromas that immediately put her mind at ease. On the one hand, she perceived a waft of something rich and earthy, and she immediately gained a deep understanding of concepts like blades of fresh grass or wet, fertile soil after a delicate spring shower. But on the other hand, her nose was assaulted by far more delicate, though not any less pleasant, fragrances; a flower’s perfume, the aroma of fruits and vegetables, aromatic herbs and plants she couldn’t quite identify but had a feeling she would soon.

When sound finally arrived, the first thing she registered, even before opening her eyes, was the cacophony of warm, loving voices echoing all around her.

“Oh, she truly is marvellous, Father!”

“I really like her overall shape; it’s really cute.”

“Says the doll that could be mistaken for a loaf of bread…” Another voice said, her tone somewhat derisive.

“Not all of us can be shaped after adorable bears like you, Lophapharo.” The second voice countered with a hmph!

“Personally, I believe she could use some more mushrooms in her overall design, but the end result is quite pretty as well.” This voice was prim and proper, though the tiniest bit judgemental.

“Oh, hush, Razeriana! She is not for you, but for the Eliatrope King. It is him whom she must please.”

“In that case, I don’t think her lack of mushrooms will matter. Eliatropes are essentially humans; they are far shallower than dragons and our sister looks… like this.”

“Ibago! Are you suggesting Father’s creation is imperfect?!”

“Oh, don’t get your stitches into a twist, Sallydally.” A scoff. “I’m merely trying to look out for our sister’s well-being; as she is right now, she will be lucky if the Eliatrope King takes her in as a pet.”

“Ibago!” All voices exclaimed in unison, scandalised.

“Now, now, my dolls. I assure you, your sister is as gifted as all of you. After all, she is mine.” A deep, rich, masculine voice—how did she know that?—cut through the others. Just then, she could feel herself be scooped up in two mossy hands and raised high above. Whoever was talking to her used his thumb to rub gentle caresses on her cheek. “Come now, Amalia. Try opening your eyes slowly.”

Amalia… Is that my name? The little doll couldn’t help but ask herself. Still, compelled by her creator’s encouraging tones, she did as she was told. With slight difficulty, she unglued her eyelids, wincing at the burning sensation caused by the unfiltered light making contact with her retinas. Thanks to a few slow blinks, she finally regained her senses, only for them to be flooded again at the explosion of colour that greeted her upon setting her gaze on the figures in front of her.

Wherever she looked, she was assaulted by wide, curious eyes. Some of them belonged to three beautiful humanoid women with plant-like features, be it the colour of their skin and hair or the clothes they wore. Others she found on the faces of six nature-inspired… dolls? They certainly looked like dolls —and the masculine voice had described them as such—, even if she couldn’t understand how she even knew what those were; with their small, stumpy bodies, that somehow didn’t detract from their own unique beauty. And yet, as dissimilar as the nine creatures before her were, they all had something in common: they all proudly displayed a series of stitches going up and down their skin.

But what truly got her blinking in amazement was the imposing yet oddly loving figure right in front of her. The same one that had scooped her up in his palms and commanded her to open her eyes.

He radiated unmistakable power, a kind of power that, weirdly enough, she could feel herself responding to, resonating from her very core. His body was lean, yet his muscles firm, not unlike tree bark; the ebony tone of his skin coursing through his shape until it reached a loincloth, hiding what lay beneath; or his hands, covered by moss and fungi, and a lighter shade of the same bark comprising his body; and his head…

Despite her limited understanding of the world around her, Amalia was sure she could not see his face. All she could see was a large, green and orange wooden mask with both ends donning completely different decorations. The lower end gave way to a white, scruffy goatee; while the upper end was adorned with rows of palm leaves and even luminescent mushrooms that ended in brownish leaves hanging from matching golden rings on each side of his head. Truth be told, the holes in both eyes and mouth made it a very impressive mask, but it still wasn’t an actual face.

For a second, Amalia couldn’t help but wonder if she too had a mask instead of a face and that was why—what was her name…? Oh, that’s right!—Ibago found her ugly before. She gulped in horror at the mere thought.

The figure chuckled, the sound reverberating from his throat with fondness and mirth. “Worry not, my dear. I can assure you, soon you will be one of the most beautiful creatures to walk the World of Twelve. If your suitor isn’t careful, he might find himself having to fight off hordes of young men and women vying for your affection.” Even though she could tell that it was meant to be a light-hearted joke, his tone darkened slightly at the mention of her ‘suitor.’

Speaking of which…

“What is a ‘suitor’?” She found herself asking and, goodness! Was that her voice? Was that really how she sounded?

“Someone who wishes to sweep you off your feet.” The figure explained. Then realising it might be too soon for her to understand metaphors, he corrected himself. “Someone who wishes to make you fall in love with them. Although in your case, your own suitor has yet to realise that…”

“How is that possible?” She questioned, not sure she understood the strange new rules the world she was in seemed to be run by.

“Uh… I shall explain it all in due time, my dear, but first, let me introduce myself and your sisters.” Carefully passing her from both his open hands to just one, he used his new free hand to gesture at himself. “I am Sadida. God of nature and patron of the tree people inhabiting the World of Twelve. And these are your sisters: Maminala, Lophapharo, Belladona, Peparava, Yopo, Razeriana, Ladysally, Ibago, and Dathura;” he gestured to each and every one of them as he listed them off, “they’re all Divine Dolls, such as yourself, my dear.”

“A ‘Divine Doll’?” She tilted her head in confusion. “What is that?”

“My creations.” He responded simply. “I am your father and you, my dear, are my masterpiece. And you were created with a very specific purpose. But before going into detail, allow me to tell you all about the wondrous world you’re about to discover…”

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Despite the relatively short amount of time their race had inhabited Oma Island, their history, their culture, their very essence as people have already been engraved onto each and every nook and cranny composing the area. The inside of their rulers’ place of residence was no exception; the corridors inside the Eliatrope palace were an architectural marvel. Covering the expanse of the tall, sturdy walls were murals depicting their people’s history, with the Council of Six and their dragon siblings front and centre.

In that very moment, walking down the path connecting the council room with the throne room were four figures; three of them looked quite similar and humanoid, while the fourth one stood out thanks to his reptilian, if still bipedal, appearance. What they all had in common, however, was the brisk pace at which they marched, although one of them, the one leading their little group, was visibly more ruffled than the others.

“This is unbelievable. Just… unbelievable! The natives treat us like monsters for months on end, the gods don’t even acknowledge our presence—”

“Which we must not forget might be for the best.” The voice belonging to the reptilian silhouette cautioned wisely.

“—and now, out of the blue, they send us—no, scratch that—they send me something called a ‘Divine Doll’ to take as my bride?! Just, who does that?!” The agitated voice belonged to none other than King Yugo of the Eliatropes, whom anyone would be able to tell was at the verge of losing it from just one look at his face.

The reason for his ire and disbelief was simple. Shortly after arriving at the World of Twelve and choosing the distant Oma Island to settle down and restart their civilisation, the Council of Six, composed by him and his siblings—Adamaï, Qilby, Shinonomé, Nora, Efrim, Glip, Baltazar, Chibi, Grougaloragran, Mina, and Phaeris—, had come to the decision that they needed to introduce themselves to the other races populating this world and show them they meant no harm.

Originally, they simply wanted to establish a mutually beneficial relationship between them all in order for their respective civilisations to thrive. However, their hopes of fostering positive relationships were dashed when the natives immediately responded to them with nothing but scorn and distrust. No matter their attempts at proving they only wished for a peaceful coexistence, the Twelvians regarded them as outsiders. Even worse, as invaders just waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce.

They kept trying to reach out to them for months on end, to no avail. The fact that the Twelvians sent their finest warriors specifically to drive them out only cemented what they already knew.

They were not welcomed.

Unfortunately, even if it would have been better to just leave this world and look for another place they could call home, the Council knew it would not be possible. Their people had already spent decades navigating the Krosmoz, looking for the perfect substitute for their own world, and in all that time the only planet that met all their requirements and would be able to satisfy their needs was the World of Twelve. Who knew how long it would be until they found their next candidate? And what if they couldn’t stay there either?

No, it was better to remain where they were and limit themselves to only interact with the outside world when strictly necessary.

Considering the uprise and unrest their arrival caused, the Yugo and his siblings were fully expecting this world’s gods to intervene, probably even cast them out or at least force them to fight for their right to have a place to belong. They even dared hope the deities might intervene in their favour and convince their followers to give them a chance. But it was all for naught. No one came.

Which made the fact that one of their guards was forced to interrupt a council meeting to inform their king something called ‘a Divine Doll’ had been sent directly from Inglorium as his bride-to-be all the more infuriating.

“And what’s more!” The Eliatrope went on to say. “How can they just assume I need a bride? How do they know I’m not already married, or betrothed?!”

Adamaï perfectly understood where Yugo was coming from. He was his very own dragon twin brother, after all. As with most council meetings taking place indoors, he was making use of his humanoid yet draconic form to walk beside his brother inside the palace. Even if he understood how his brother felt, however, he couldn’t help but shake his head with a sigh at his words.

“Yugo, they are the gods of this world. They probably oversee everything that happens here.” He was quick to remind his king. “Meaning, they’re most likely aware you are very much single.”

“Have been in all your past lives, as a matter of fact. A few, several-years-long flings here and there, but you have never taken a queen in the entirety of our history.” Another voice chimed in, sounding somewhat amused.

Said infuriatingly smug voice belonged to an older-looking Eliatrope clad in a long, white tunic over brown pants and shoes, its hood resembling a pair of horns that ended in a tuft of dark fur at the back. He had a long face that culminated in a braided beard the same hue as his long, dirty blond hair. A small pair of round glasses over his nose only amplified the sharp intellect reflected in his hazel eyes.

“Thank you, Qilby.” Yugo groaned tiredly, rubbing his eyes in frustration at his brother’s need to remind him of every single event that had ever taken place in the course of their many lifetimes. “My point is, whatever it is they’re trying to do, it won’t work. The only reason we’re not sending that thing packing is because Mina and Phaeris advised us against it.”

“As much as I agree with you, brother, Mina and Phaeris believe doing so will only be worse, as it could be taken as a declaration of war against the gods themselves. And I’m afraid they’re probably right.” Nora spoke, her pink eyes trained on the path ahead of them.

Her hair as pale as her porcelain skin, it was mostly covered by a long, magenta cloak that reached down her knees. Whenever her movements would force the cloak to open and reveal what lay behind, a matching magenta, form-fitting, sleeveless suit and fingerless gloves up to her forearms appeared. Despite their initial role as their people’s joy-bringers, the war against the Mechasms had hardened both her and her dragon brother Efrim into capable warriors in their own right.

“Nora, is right, Yugo.” Adamaï said, putting a claw over his brother’s shoulder. “You don’t have to take the Divine Doll as your bride, but it would not be wise to rudely reject a gift from the gods, either.” Then, a small gasp leaving his throat as he came to a realisation, he added, much more enthused. “What if this ends up being the chance we were waiting for? What if this is the key to convince the Twelvians we are not a threat?”

“Not even them would be able to reject our presence for much longer if they learned we have their gods’ blessing.” Qilby pointed out.

“I know, I know.” Their king said, running a hand through his hair from under his own hood in frustration.” You’re all probably right, I just… I don’t know… I mean, what even is a Divine Doll?!” Yugo wondered aloud, his mind racing.

Without even having to look at him, Yugo could just feel Qilby perk up in excitement at the prospect of explaining something. And then Glip was supposed to be the teacher…

“According to my research on this world and its lore,” the bespectacled Eliatrope began, “Divine Dolls, also known as Sadida Dolls, for that is their creator, the god of nature; were created for the sole purpose of making this world’s primordial dragons fall in love with them to get them to produce Dofus.

“Apparently, there are ten dolls and ten dragons, but only six of them succeeded in their mission. Meaning, much like us, there are only six Dofus native to this world.” Although he finished his retelling, Qilby was clearly not quite done, for he pushed his glasses up with one finger before adding, “Considering they were created by Sadida himself, despite the unconventional means behind their conception, they are regarded as demigoddesses in their own right. In fact, they are said to be the only ones besides the gods themselves that get to live in Inglorium.” At his siblings’ astonished expressions at that piece of information, all he could do was shrug. “Yes, it appears they’re that special.”

“So all the more reason not to be disrespectful towards our guest. Just wonderful…” Yugo let out a tired sigh.

“Look on the bright side,” Nora said, a wry smile dancing at her lips, “that means you at least won’t have to worry about your different lifespans. All demigods are virtually immortal, after all.”

Knowing his sister and her love for messing with him, Yugo only narrowed his eyes at her, unamused. As terrible a thought as it was, this doll living for as long as he did only meant he would not be able to rid himself of her until he died, when normally, he would have only had to wait a few decades before being free. Again, just wonderful.

“I don’t understand, however.” Adamaï said, his chin caught in between his thumb and index finger pensively. “You said Sadida Dolls were meant to seduce dragons.” A nod from Qilby. “Then why would they send one to Yugo, instead of one of us, Eliatrope dragons? I don’t like this…”

Nora’s expression sobered up at the grim reminder. “All the more reason to keep our eyes peeled for anything.”

Right as she said this, they reached the door leading them into the throne room, where they had been informed the doll would be waiting for them. Taking a deep breath in a feeble attempt to reign his thunderous emotions in lest they came out in full force and risked offending their uninvited guest, Yugo sent a nod towards the guards positioned at either side, silently signalling for them to open up the doors.

As the gates creaked open, the three Primordial Eliatropes and the dragon accompanying them could finally take a good look at the creature waiting for them inside. As his eyes registered her form, all Yugo could think of was how this… wasn’t exactly what he had been expecting.

Standing in the middle of the room was the tiniest thing he had ever seen in his life—a thought he kept to himself in case Qilby felt like correcting him on how a baby singing whale he saw back in their 3215th reincarnation was actually the smallest thing he had ever seen, or something. Looking back at him with wide, brown eyes—he thought they were brown; it was hard to tell with her size and the distance between them— was a simple, dark brown rag doll. Her shape could not have been any more complex than a figure with a body, four limbs with no discernible fingers or toes, and a big round head with a small mouth shaped like an ‘o’, the aforementioned pair of brown eyes, and a leafy tuft of green hair on her head.

As his siblings exchanged confused glances and he heard Adamaï muttering ‘This are the famed Divine Dolls that made dragons fall in love with them?’, despite himself and his best attempts at being cordial towards the poor thing, a disbelieving Yugo could only blurt out, “If this is supposed to be my bride, then I don’t think the gods know much about our anatomy…”

His words broke her out of her trance, an embarrassed blush making its way over to her cheeks. She really had intended to present herself in the same elegant, refined manner her sisters had suggested, to display her divine heritage in its full splendour. In fact, ever since she was guided to the throne room to await her suitor—as Father called the Eliatrope King—, she had been discreetly rehearsing what she would say and how she would present herself.

But the moment the large, beautifully detailed doors opened to reveal the Eliatrope King, her mind skidded to a halt at the same time as her little heart skipped a beat. Walking towards her was the most handsome man she had ever seen—granted, she hadn’t really met that many, but there was still something very special about him. Even if he wore a long, blue cloak and his head was covered by a wabbit-shaped hood, his chiselled body was easily discernible underneath. His every curve and muscle was only accentuated by a dark blue, tight, fingerless body-suit with golden detailing.

What little she could see of his face didn’t disappoint either. Despite his chiselled features, he had this boyish quality to him, something that made him extremely endearing. Only hammering this fact were his sharp and alert, yet big and kind dark brown eyes and his short, messy dirty blond hair.

But when his words registered in her mind—why did his voice have to be attractive, too?!— Amalia couldn’t help but feel slightly self-conscious about her body. For a moment, she feared Ibago’s warning against humans, especially men, had been right and her appearance would pose a problem. But just then, her eyes glinted determinedly as she remembered both Father and Dathura’s teachings: as the eleventh Divine Doll, she was not as restricted by her physical form as her older sisters.

Moreover, she had an ace up her sleeve.

But first things first.

“Greetings, Your Majesty and members of the Council of Six. It is a great honour to be here.” She bowed politely, her body bending ninety degrees. “My name is Amalia. I am Sadida’s eleventh Divine Doll. The gods send me as proof of good will between their followers and your people.”

Just as Yugo’s mind scrambled to understand what she meant by ‘eleventh doll’ and the implications behind it, the doll in question—Amalia—interrupted his train of thought. “It appears my current physical form is disconcerting. Please, allow me to rectify that.”

Before anyone present could even utter a word, a veritable hurricane of pink flower petals came to surround the little doll, swirling around her and hiding her from view. Despite himself, the breeze that originated from it was so strong, Yugo couldn’t help but avert his eyes as he covered his face with his forearm, his siblings following his lead.

When he finally felt the wind dying down, the Eliatrope tentatively lowered his arm. Blinking slowly, he finally allowed his gaze to settle on Amalia and, eyes widening at the sight, promptly lost all ability to form a single coherent thought.

The first thing he noticed was that her eyes were indeed a warm, chocolate brown, as well as big and doe-like, luring him in with their siren song. The second most eye-catching thing about her was her hair, elegantly framing her face. It was almost paradoxical, how such an untamed, forest-green mane could also look so silky, which also created a wonderful contrast with her smooth mahogany skin, not a single blemish in sight. Her green locks were pulled back in a high ponytail by a wooden, forked headband that circled around her head only to then rise up beyond her forehead, emulating two antlers or even the branches of a tree.

Yugo couldn’t understand why then, but at the sight of it, his hands itched to just reach out to her hair and touch it. To see for himself if it was truly as silky as it looked. Then, almost as if drawn to it, his eyes couldn’t help sweeping down her body and taking it all in, drinking her in.

She was clad in what at first glance looked like a dress but that, upon closer inspection, the copious amount of skin it showed proved it was actually a two-piece joined together at the front and with several straps on her thighs and back. The upper half consisted of a top made from orange leaves adorned by a rather large white daisy in the very middle. Said daisy was then connected to a leaf the same colour of her hair that went down her equally orange leaf skirt, the same as the one covering her posterior. She was adorned in matching green anklets and armlets that reached up to her shins and forearms, respectively.

At the sight of her silhouette, Yugo, the Eliatrope King and greatest warrior his people had ever known, could only gulp with slight difficulty. Her exposed legs were long and toned, going all the way up to her invitingly mouthwatering hourglass hips. Despite her modest bosom, her petite frame managed to imbue her alluring figure with a certain sweetness that somehow only highlighted her undeniable beauty. Just as sweet was her round, symmetrical doll-like face, which he assumed was to be expected since she was a doll, only now he was beginning to understand just how truly divine she truly was.

As he stood there, drinking her in, all his admittedly short-circuited mind could think was that she was the loveliest flower he had ever seen. He had a feeling not even Qilby would be able to correct him on that.

Adamaï could only blink blankly at what had just happened, astonished. Sure, as a dragon, he was no stranger to shapeshifting, but seeing an unassuming rag doll turn herself into a wild beauty with only the help of a torrent of flower petals was a stretch even for him!

He was about to comment on the change with his brother, leaning closer to whisper in his ear, when he had to do a double take at the state his twin was in, his own mouth hanging open in silent shock.

Yugo was staring intently at Amalia, his whole expression speaking louder than a thousand words. He stood there, slack-jawed, eyes wide and unblinking, and the most furious blush Adamaï had ever seen on his brother’s face had erupted all over his skin.

He looked more like a hormonal teenager seeing his crush naked than a centuries-old king.

Remembering Yugo’s comment right before Amalia literally stole his breath away—seriously, he didn’t look like he was even breathing—, Adamaï couldn’t help himself and leaned in closer to whisper to Nora. “I’d say the gods certainly know what they’re doing…”

“If he doesn’t want her, I’ll gladly take her.” Nora whispered right back.

Qilby simply raised an intrigued eyebrow at this development.

Their whispering, coupled with Amalia’s face contorting in the slightest confusion, was enough to finally break Yugo out of his trance. Clearing his throat in an effort to appear nonchalant, and failing miserably, the king stepped closer to his guest to say, “It…It is an honour to have you here with us as well, Amalia. Although I believe you can imagine how unexpected this all is…”

“Oh, yes. Father did warn me you were not originally aware of my imminent arrival.”

Nora refrained herself from saying something rude about a god, especially in front of what was essentially his daughter. Everyone else in the room could already tell what she was thinking, after all. Efrim in particular must have felt it from all the way over to the opposite end of the palace.

“Nevertheless, I trust your stay with us will be a pleasant experience for you.” Yugo went on, trying very hard not to lose himself in those brown eyes of hers for what he had to say next was very important. “Amalia, if you don’t mind my asking, what exactly were you told you are to do here?”

The question seemed to take her aback for a moment, her cheeks colouring as she gathered her thoughts. Shyly tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, she answered. “I was told I am to remain by your side for as long as you permit me, Your Majesty. Hopefully, that will result in you falling in love with me.”

Adamaï almost choked.

Before Yugo had time to get his heart pumping blood again, Amalia added, a little bashfully. “Though, truth be told, I do not even fully understand what ‘falling in love’ is, let alone how I am supposed to achieve it. Father calls you my suitor, but I still don’t fully understand what it means, let alone what it means that I am to be your bride.”

Oh, so she had no idea what she was even supposed to do here. That made things easier somehow.

Yugo panicked when Qilby began to speak.

“Well, you see, my dear, a bride is a woman who is either married or about to be—.”

“Thank you, Qilby.” Yugo said loudly through gritted teeth, at the same time as both Nora and Adamaï clamped their hands over the eldest Eliatrope mouth to get him to shut up. Turning back to Amalia, he willed the heat to leave his cheeks. “Um, yes, brides and marriages usually go hand-in-hand.” Then, grabbing her hands to get her to look him in the eye, his voice turned serious. “However, Amalia, there is no guarantee you and I will get married.”

Her brow furrowing in confusion had no business being so cute. “Why not? Is it my appearance? Is it not to your liking?”

Yugo’s heart stopped. That was definitely not the problem. “No, no, it’s nothing like that.” He hated how strangled his voice sounded, and he especially hated his siblings chortling at his expense. What was the point in being king if it didn’t save you from brotherly teasing?

“Then what is it?” She pressed on. At the same time, she stepped a little closer to him, and suddenly all the Eliatrope could see was her beautiful face.

Oh, what did he do to deserve such sweet torture?!

Mustering every ounce of strength he possessed, he took one deep breath before looking her straight in the eye. But seeing her big, doe-like eyes staring back at him in wonder deflated his resolve somewhat. With a sigh, he settled for explaining things from a different angle.

“It’s got to do with what you said about making me fall in love with you.” He settled on. “Love is a very complicated thing; there’s no guarantee that will ever happen, therefore, it would be foolish to marry only to be miserable.”

Eyes widening slightly in realisation, Amalia had the strange feeling something inside her broke. Weird. She had been born recently and Father was a master craftsman. She should be in perfect condition. She shook her head and with that those wayward thoughts; now it wasn’t the time for that.

She looked back at the king. There really was something magnetic about him, even if she couldn’t tell what it was.

“Then I suppose I should make my way back to Inglorium and explain the reason for my return to Father. You have my deepest gratitude for your time.”

Just as the Divine Doll let go of his hands and bowed down to them yet again, turning around to abandon the Eliatropes’ territory, Yugo and his siblings panicked, terrified at the prospect of the twelve gods taking their fury out on them.

While Adamaï and Nora sent him pointed looks and gestured wildly at Amalia’s retreating form (Qilby just shrugged), Yugo acted without thinking. He pointed one hand at the floor beneath him, creating a portal underneath his feet that immediately transported him right in front of the Sadida Doll, who could only take one startled step back in response.

Eyes glimmering in fascination, looking him up and down, all Amalia could say was, “Incredible…”

Taking advantage of her stupefied state, Yugo reached out for her hand again—was it weird how much he’d been doing it in the sparse few moments he had known her? Should he be worried?—; with her attention back on him, he rushed to say. “However, even though there is no guarantee love will ever blossom between us, I meant it when I say we are honoured to have you here. And if the gods expect us to spend our time together, then it will be my pleasure to be your friend, Amalia.” Then, he added. “Oh, and if we’re going to be friends, you can just call me Yugo. I was never good with formalities.”

“You have my thanks, Yugo.”

Her smile was so blinding, Yugo had the feeling his subsequent reaction to it was not a good sign for a perfectly platonic relationship.

After that, he formally introduced his siblings, with promises of letting her meet the remaining members of the Council and tours around the palace, and maybe even the island. They had to part ways relatively soon since Yugo and the rest still had some urgent matters to attend to, but he instructed some of his guards to guide Amalia to what would be her room from then on.

As he walked back to the council room, flashes of Amalia’s smiling face materialising in his mind, Yugo couldn’t help but wonder what awaited him now that the Sadida Doll was here to stay.

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kilfeur · 2 months

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Je me suis rendue compte d'un truc concernant les chara design de Nora et Qilby, certains trouvaient que celui de Nora était trop fade. Et au début je pensais que les animateurs lui avaient donné une tenue sobre pour mieux faciliter l'animations de ses combats. Mais en fait je me rends compte que c'est une dépersonnalisation. Je m'explique, on dit souvent que les vêtements qu'on porte reflète notre personnalité. Or durant cette saison, malgré leurs personnalité prononcé, le peuple éliatrope agissent pour la cause de leur mère. Et quand ils le font, ils agissent comme si ils étaient qu'une seule et même personne.

Surtout que si on regarde bien, Nora et Qilby ne portent qu'une seule couleur, Nora c'est le rose et Qilby c'est le blanc. Et dans un sens, Nora et Qilby portent ses couleurs, Qilby a la couleur blanche de la peau de sa mère et Nora a la couleur rose venant de ses joues qui ont une teinte légèrement rosé ainsi qu'au niveau du nez. Yugo est le seul à porter deux couleurs, le bleu et l'orange qui reflètent aussi les couleurs de la déesse, Yugo et elle partagent la couleur bleu et orange : bleu : pour son chapeau et elle, ses cheveux et orange : pour son haut et elle, son collier. Du coup leurs chara designs prennent tout leur sens, leurs tenues ainsi que leurs couleurs ne les reflètent pas mais ils reflètent celui de la déesse. Ce qui veut dire que les tenues que portent les éliatropes sont une dépersonnalisation, ils n'agissent comme une seule et même personne au nom de leur mère et ne se démarquent pas. Car le peuple éliatrope ne font qu'un.

I realized something about Nora and Qilby's chara designs: some people thought Nora's was too bland. And at first I thought the animators had given her a sober outfit to make her fights easier to animate. But in fact I realize that it's a depersonalization. Let me explain: we often say that the clothes we wear reflect our personality. But in this season, despite their pronounced personalities, the eliatrope people are acting for their mother's cause. And when they do, they act as if they were one and the same person.

Especially since, if you look closely, Nora and Qilby only wear one color, Nora's pink and Qilby's white. And in a way, both Nora and Qilby wear her colors, Qilby has the white color of her mother's skin and Nora has the pink color coming from her cheeks, which have a slightly pinkish tint, as well as her nose. Yugo is the only one to wear two colors, blue and orange, which also reflect the colors of the goddess. She and Yugo share the colors blue and orange: blue for his hat and her, for her hair, and orange for his top and her, for her necklace. Their outfits and colors don't reflect them, but they reflect the goddess. This means that the outfits worn by the eliatropes are a depersonalization; they act as one in the name of their mother and don't stand out. Because eliatrope people are all one.

#wakfu #wakfu analysis #analysis #wakfu season 4 #wakfu spoilers #yugo #nora #qilby #eliatrope goddess #maybe i'm wrong #but when I think that way her chara design makes much more sense

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yugogeer012 · 2 months

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Hey! I and my nephew have been reading your comics for a while now. We are both enjoying your comics so far! Currently, I am a bit concerned about the level of violence in the upcoming pages of Endless Route. So far, she is okay with the violence your stories had. Here's the question. How would you describe the amount of brutality this comic will have in the future, on a scale from 0 to 10, compared to the level of violence in the previous pages of Endless route? Number 0 means that this level stays on the same acceptable for my nephew level of violence, and as the numbers on a scale increase, the brutality of the upcoming pages compared to previous pages will increase. She had read some of the pages of your comics, without me noticing it. (Which is why I am questioning this in the first place). Thank you in advance, Yugo!!!

Oh my gosh, this is what I'm worried about.

Which is why I'm still thinking about how to execute it without being too violent for my younger audience to read.

The upcoming "Brutal" scenes would be 3/10 scale.

Since Endless Route is close to its ending part, you don't have to worry about it being too violent. 👍

#Thanks for reading tho #Glad yall enjoyed it still 😅

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velvet-vox · 1 month

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The paradoxical nature of Qilby: part 1

This post doesn't possess spoilers for season 4.

One of the things that I like the most about Qilby is the paradoxical, conflictual, almost self sabotaging nature of his goals and decisions. Like, you wouldn't normally expect a character like Qilby, an immortal being who has seen all the people he cared about die and that has become completely desensitized by life to have the love for his own family who he betrayed, hurt, and willingly tried to kill some of its members as its weakness (second only to his giant ego).

Take Nox for example: he is always consistent, all of his actions line up, and he never contradicts himself on useless stuff that doesn't concern him.

And Qilby is almost none of that.

By an unmeasurable amount of time saying that Nox and Qilby are meant to contrast each other is a stretch that needs no further inquiry, and yet to this day discussing the two of them simultaneously still leads to interesting considerations and stupor.

Nox before his villain arc did everything for his family and lost it to his ego. Qilby before his betrayal arc did everything for himself and lost what he had gained to be with his family.

That's kind of like what makes the Qilby twist villain reveal so impactful, the twist is not that Qilby is evil, the twist is that he is so much worse than you could have ever imagined because it feels like a completely different person than the one you were presented with, and then comes in the second twist in the season finale where you learn that actually almost nothing that Qilby has said or done are lies and he actually is a much more complex individual than what we have thought.

Both sides are true. Both of his designs are true to his mental state and the final one is an amalgamation of the two to signify our new added perspective on him.

We have an entire episode dedicated to Qilby discussing the relocation of the Elatrope children on the world of twelve that can only be justified by him being unsure on whether or not he wants to leave the planet again.

Yugo trapped Qilby in a hellish dimension for centuries. Yugo gets trapped in a (literally) hellish dimension for half a day and Qilby immediately comes to save him.

Almost everything Qilby does almost contradicts what his goals are and why he does things in the first place.

He's an absolute autistic disaster.

Next part>>>>

#wakfu season 2 #wakfu season 1 #wakfu qilby #wakfu nox #wakfu yugo #wakfu

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kerubimcrepin · 1 month

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Exploring dofus-le-film.com and talking about movie-related events. [PART 1]

This will not go into the goldmine that is the interview Tot and Xa give about Joris. This is just a little, self-indulgent post. I hope you will enjoy it nevertheless.

The first silly action I took was extracting the site's icon and enlarging it in Aseprite, so here's your daily dose of cute official Joris pixel art. Anyway.

I love how the movie blurb literally lies about Khan being Joris's life-long idol.

CHARACTER BIOS.

Most of them include the information we already know, so I will only be pointing out things I personally find interesting.

For example - this art here depicts Joris's bald head under the hood as very round. Very useful info for us joris enjoyers. Reblog to slap his bald head, like to slap his bald head.

(Hacks up blood) Deeply caring in nature... papa poule... It is the second time, when Kerubim is called that, in his character bios, and I would like you to remember are these different explanations of this word combo:

I'm insane. I love him a lot.

Bakara is a pleasure to have in class :)

Anyway, I love how non-specific and non-alarming these character bios are. We can't scare the hoes by saying that beneath her cool exterior she wants to kill people around her and also drink 20 gallons of vodka, so "shy and stuck up" it shall be.

Again, it's hilarious how non-threatening these character bios are, considering Lilotte's whole parent thing is basically: (substitute "women" with "kids with families")

Coloring pages + Crayon Contest

A part of me wanted to be "haha, I colored all these coloring pages, for the Full Understanding of The Experience of this movie."

Then I realized that, as a person who is making a Joris painted music video, and had drawn at least 1:07 minutes worth of artwork of him and some other characters of this movie, I would rather-- [remembers that suicide jokes are bad] take cactus for a wife, than draw him for this blog too. I'm sorry.

Not much to be said about the contest, though this is epic:

This little Joris can be found at the bottom of the "win some crayons" page. It's cute.

BLOGPOSTS

This image was drawn for MIFA.

I want to unpack what is occurring here:

Goultard is holding his dragon boyfriend rather gayly on the shoulder. Interesting.

One of the candles landed in Nox's face?

Atcham, Joris, and Lilotte were holding the cake together. Lilotte is sitting on Yugo's shoulder, while Joris is standing on Kerubim's arms. It is reasonable to assume that Yugo turned to the camera, which made Lilotte turn as well, which made Atcham fall, which made Kerubim step away, and the only people carrying the cake who are still even a bit happy are Joris and Yugo.

Adamai is getting ready to catch Joris when in like 5 seconds all of them are going to be tumblring down Atcham-style.

Incredible. But this illustration is not the only gem that Annecy has brought us!

It also brought us more of Atcham being cool and awesome.

I'm insane.

There's more rare art here: these t-shirts featuring designs from a fan contest.

They were made in limited numbers. I'm including them here because we don't exactly have copies of the artwork, and I am insane about preserving art. It might be somewhere — but that somewhere is probably 2016 french facebook, so as far as I'm concerned, trying to seek these out is a lost cause.

Exclusive Merch

There were playing cards, and I am happy to report we DO have artwork for them in HD:

And also, here's a slightly higher definition little game sprite esque Joris:

This is the future crepinjurgenites want.

Kerubim VS Atcham Rigged Pet Contest

I am sad to report that Atchamheads have lost again, in this rigged contest. Imagine asking:

Would you like a fluffy guy you have watched an entire series about, or this bald guy who appears twice in the franchise?

At the very least, this gives us a canonical kitten Atcham design.

(Also, both of them were added, jsyk... Still salty though.)

Maliki Art

Maliki is a webcomic not made by Ankama, but with a long relationship and connection to Ankama due to being published by them in the past.

It's cute, really.

#dofusexploration #ro liveblogs dofus #dofus #wakfu #krosmoz

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jamsammichblog · 3 months

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Due to the recent disappointing decision by Nijisanji EN concerning Selen Tatsuki, we will clearance out our Noctyx Charms. We have knocked the price from $12 to $2 and ALL proceeds from any sales of these charms WILL be donated to Mental Health America.

Yes, we have Yugo charms that we had made shortly before Yugo's termination. We were unhappy about that as well.

With Nijisanji EN's mismanagement of their livers, we see no further purpose to invest in creating fan merch for livers who may be dropped at anytime. We still wish all the best for the people behind the livers. They deserve better.

Btw, go follow Dokibird on twitter and youtube to continue supporting this talented person!

#nijisanji en #selen tatsuki #nijien #noctyx #dokibird

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therealnijiproblem · 1 month

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Hot take. But Nijisanji was in their right to terminate Selen. We know from the black stream that she was in the wrong for posting the song when she did. She had not gotten the go ahead, and posted it. What was the issue? Perms from prior livers to be in it. Form the dates we got, she posted it for review close to Christmas, a day people are often very busy. She stepped out here. Her retaliation, and actions did not come from a place of cooperation. Selen's actions started with planing to graduate with Vox, to stop from it. Than she went on to record him without knowledge. And while I hate to pull it. Selen suffers from BPDS. This should not be missed when judging the situation. Manic or Dark periode, as she said her self, should not be taken serious, as what she wants to do, but has a statement of her mental state. BPDS also has the second highest suicide rate of all mental illness. She went to therapy after the attempt. Meaning she likely wasnt seeing anyone for a long time. BPDS is serious, people suffering from it. Victim mentality is not uncommon. I do not believe that the bullying was real, especially as what has been said was "being pointed out" Take Millie's tweet to her. That seems to be the only thing she really was a victim of, and that is not bullying that is showing concern. As much as I hate to point mental illness out, it does help point out Selen's actions that was not ok. The blackstream. It's a bad PR-respone, but I believe what is in it. Given that her latest statement from when they likely saw the document was. "I will not be silenced". Their concerns were real. Her tweet about letting it die came our not even a day before. They likely never saw it. Nijisanji. Contract: Everything said by the legalmindset should be taken with a huge grain of salt. Man shit talks disney lawyers, while he moved to bangkok... sorry to say he would not be in bangkok if he was better. And here is the first issue. The contract is not the right contract, ALL Niji contracts refer to the Japanese, and it seems like a quick draft translation. PR: It's bad, they fail to realize the difference between Japan, and westernsphere. It's likely they tried to take the feedback from Yugo where people were "We need more" to Zaion where "This is too much" to Selen "She attacked us so we defend us". This come through a lot, but a lot of ya are thinking so bad of them now, that you are making up lie. Stop, Talent removed from an old poster does not mean the concert wasnt rerecorded. Management: You need to have people that have worked outside of Japan. This is finally biting them, but it they have hired new people(follow listings from linkedin). Nijisanji is just really Japanese, but it seems like they are changing. Need more real evidence to come out, and not someone with a hate boner

#nijisanji #nijien #nijisanji en

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goldendoodledenny · 1 month

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Requested by anon, hope y'all like it!

(bruh I had to rewrite this 3 times bc it didn't save right T-T and I rewrote it AGAIN because I didn't like that I made y/n a gobball player at first)

Adamai x fem reader-Dense muscles (sfw)

Reader is female/uses feminine pronouns and is referred to as y/n

She is weak-looking, but is actually incredibly strong

Adamai works at Alibert's inn in this bc I'm not able to watch season 4. T-T

Adamai went about his business, taking orders at the inn, like usual, then he saw a woman at one of the booths. She looked very polite and lady-like, and he didn't know her... He was intrigued by this and went over to her.

"uh... Hello there, can I get you anything? Also, I don't think I've ever seen you around here before..." He asked her.

"oh, I'm y/n, I've been traveling around and decided to pop by, who are YOU, Mr. Dragon?" She responded kindly.

"im Adamai, it's nice to meet you, y/n," he responds, holding his hand out for a handshake.

Y/n shakes his hand and warmly states, "it's nice to meet you too, Adamai," and as they shake hands, Adamai notices that her grip is unusually strong for a woman of her stature.

After they shake hands, he asks, "now, y/n, do you want to order anything?"

"oh? Yah, I do!" Y/n answered, and then she started her order.

By the end of it, Adamai is extremely confused. Was she ordering enough gobball stew for a gobball TEAM? She had ordered 20 bowls of stew. 20! Sure enough, he looked around, and she was alone, no one else at the table except him.

"uh... Is that all?" He asked, clearly confused (and maybe a bit concerned too).

She responded with a nod, as if it was normal, and smiled.

He murmured a got it and walked off to tell his brother and Alibert her order.

........

"what!? All that!? And for HOW many people!? Just one!?" Alibert yelled, not believing it, and also startling Chibi, who had been eating some raw steak.

"yah... It's strange..." Yugo stated, questioning if it was true.

"yah... Y/n must have a BIG appetite..." Adamai responded.

"y/n? That sounds familiar... Oh! I've got it!" Yugo said, having figured it out.

Yugo turned on the radio and changed the channel until he reached the one desired, the radio saying, "Aaaaand once again, y/n has beaten yet ANOTHER dojo! Will she beat every one of 'em while she continues to travel the World of Twelve? Will she keep kicking Iops butts and win thousands of Kamas? Will she beat all of them, winning the ultimate prize of five million Kamas? Who knows? Anyways, next up-"

Yugo turned the radio off, looking at his dragon brother. "Is THAT the y/n you're talking about? The one traveling, beating dojo by dojo for a thousand Kamas each?"

"no, no that's silly, that CAN'T be her!" Adamai responded incredulously.

Alibert looked out the window. "I beg to differ, Ad, that's her alright," Alibert confirmed.

"but she looks so weak..." Adamai muttered, but soon remembered how strong her grasp was, despite her weak-looking body.

"well... Whatever, take her order to her, Ad," Alibert ordered after he finished making the food.

"ok, Alibert," Adamai responded, taking the food to y/n.

..........

"here you go, enjoy, y/n," Adamai stated, lost in thought, as he gave her the food.

"thank you Adamai!" She squeeled, happy she is finally getting her food.

As she started wolfing her food down like a boowolf, Adamai walked away, taking other customers orders.

..........

Not even 30 minutes later, y/n calls for Adamai so that she can pay the bill. He walks over, expecting her to have only partially eaten it. Much to his surprise, all there is, is empty bowls. "W-woah... You ate... ALL of that?" He questioned.

"o-oh... Ya... I forgot that my eating habits are considered abnormal..." She responded, embarrassed.

"n-no, it's fine, I've just only seen a FEW people who eat that much in so little time! It impressive!" He told her, trying to comfort her.

"oh... Thank you, Adamai," she said with a smile.

She payed her tab, and as her and Adamai parted ways, he asked, "oh, uh, y/n, wait, o heard that you travel around, defeating dojos, and I wanted to test how strong you were, you know, later..."

"oh? You wanna fight me later? Is that what you said?" She questioned.

"yes, if that's ok with you?" He responded.

"yes, it's more than ok! I've wanted to fight a dragon for a while, so I'd love that!" She exclaimed.

They both talked and agreed on a time and place for the brawl to begin, and then finally parted, both excited for the fight.

..........

Adamai was the first to show up. The meeting time was the next day, at noon, in the Sadida forest. Soon, y/n showed up, waving to Adamai, "I'm here, Ad!"

He waved back at her, and after the greetings they take stances and started.

Kick! Pow! Bam!

Y/n inflicted a few blows on Adamai, throwing him off balance. All the hits were strong, and her small body was perfect for dodging. "Goddess..." He murmured, eyes wide in realization of how darn strong she was.

"How's that, Dragon boy?" She teased.

"dragon boy? Don't you have any better insults?" Adamai mocked back, regaining his balance.

Wam! Boom! Pwah!

He landed some hits back, missing a couple due to her great dodging capabilities. "Is that all you got, dragon?" Y/n teased.

"nope! I'm just getting started!" Adamai announced.

The fight went on, both seemingly tied. After a while, y/n collapsed to the ground, exhausted. "Y-you win... Adamai..." She admitted.

"thanks y/n, now let get to a doctor," Adamai stated with a lot of pride in his voice, picking up y/n.

She looked up at him, blushing slightly, remembering she had an attraction to him before, and now figured out what it was... Love. It grew during the battle, even though she was defeated.

Adamai looked at her, their eyes locked for just a second, before she had turned her head away. This split-second interaction let him to believe he felt it too... Love. He realized that even though they have not known each other for very long... He loved her.

He looked back at the road ahead of them, still walking, both of them hoping that the other felt the same...

The end💙

(this took SO LONG to write, but it's FINALLY DONE. Hope u enjoyed! Also, I changed y/n from a gobball player to a martial artist because I wanted her and Ad to FIGHT)

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disco-elysium-via-polls · 4 months

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BOOK "LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4"

The leading intellectual organ of Martinaise communism. Offers a radical Mazovian perspective on a range of contemporary issues. The cover features a stylised portrait of the late King Frissel with a pair of white antlers growing out of his head.

>INTERACT

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - The front of this quarterly journal features a large, satirical portrait of the late King Frissel. From the sides of his head, a pair of white antlers spread to the corners of the cover.

Why Frissel?

Flip through the pages, see what catches your eye.

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - Because Frissel was incompetent, foolish, and cruel. In short, the embodiment of everything the communards wished to overthrow. It's *satire*, you see.

2. Flip through the pages, see what catches your eye.

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - To your disappointment, there aren't any full-colour pictures to direct your attention, just column after column of closely set text, interrupted occasionally by little doodles in black and white...

After riffling the pages with your thumb several times, you return to the table of contents...

The magazine is divided into several sections: 'International Developments', 'Kunst und Kultur', and 'Local Concerns'. Just inside the cover there's also an editor's note.

Read the editor's note.

I want to catch up on 'International Developments'.

What is 'Kunst und Kultur'?

Let's see what they mean by 'Local Concerns'.

[Put the magazine away.]

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - "Comrade, as you know, this journal takes its name from Mazov's immortal expression 'Du cristal à la fumée.' This was his way of describing the way the rigid, crystalline structures of capitalist ideology turn to smoke under communism..."

"But like the structures of capitalist ideology, we too are at risk of going 'à la fumée.' Unlike many publications which are content to spoonfeed their readers reassuring drivel, *La Fumée* is committed to telling the radical truth, even when that truth may drive away potential subscribers."

"So please, if you value our radical Mazovian perspective on contemporary politics, culture, and international affairs, please consider subscribing today.

Yours in struggle, The Editors."

(Whisper.) "Kim! I think this is a *communist* magazine."

Play it cool. Pretend everything's in order.

KIM KITSURAGI - "What do you expect? It was laying around the office of the Débardeurs' Union. They're probably *bankrolling* the thing."

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - You flip back to the front of the magazine. The table of contents unfolds before you.

2. I want to catch up on 'International Developments'.

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - This section includes a long, tedious critique of the latest round of free-trade negotiations between the EPIS nations and the Free State of Semenine.

You also skip over an article about heavy fuel oil smuggling along the Mesque-Messina border, something about bear wrestling in Samara, book riots in Yugo-Graad...

Face it, you really aren't interested in foreign affairs. You're not even sure where most of these countries are...

You flip back to the front of the magazine. The table of contents unfolds before you.

3. What is 'Kunst und Kultur'?

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - It takes a moment, but gradually it dawns on you that 'Kunst und Kultur' must mean 'Arts and Culture'...

As you leaf through this section, you come across several reviews of recent radio-plays, as well as a brief 'Artist Spotlight' featuring a local artist identified only as 'C.S.'

The main feature, though, is a long essay titled 'TipTop Tournée: A Critical Mazovian Perspective'.

Read the profile of 'C.S.'

Just a moment, what is this 'TipTop Tournée'?

Sounds dull. (Return to the table of contents.)

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - This so-called 'Artist Spotlight' is really just a brief Q&A, made all the briefer by the subject's evident hostility to her interviewer.

AUTHORITY [Easy: Success] - That certainly *sounds* like a certain *delinquent youth* who likes to harass you from her balcony.

2. Just a moment, what is this 'TipTop Tournée'?

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - The actual article is surprisingly light on details, but after skimming a page or two you gather that it has *something* to do with motor carriage racing...

2. Alright, let's see what these communists have to say about TipTop.

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - You think you're settling in for a relaxing recap of the most recent season, maybe sprinkled with some nice anecdotes about a few of the more colourful drivers...

Instead you find yourself skimming a 10,000-word feature about all the politically *problematic* aspects of TipTop Tournée.

Wait, what's wrong with TipTop?

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - Where to even start? For one, there's the crass commercialism of its sponsorships. And then there's the practically *criminal* emphasis on deadly motor crashes...

Hang on, who wrote this stuff?

What's so bad about sponsorships?

What's wrong with a good motor crash? They just keep it interesting.

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - Oddly enough, this article has *two* bylines: Nasteb Encalada-Bernal and Exilus Bücher.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - There's no way those are real names.

Wait, why aren't they real names?

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Have you ever met anyone named 'Exilus'? Come on, they're plainly pseudonyms.

2. What's so bad about sponsorships?

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - Under capitalism, the article says, every pursuit has its price. Every pleasure, even one as elemental as the joy of racing others around a track, is reduced to an advertising opportunity.

Thus the so-called *tournée* becomes a competition between increasingly meaningless brand signifiers: your discount laundry detergent racing against a pack of Astra cigarettes or even a Frittte...

Right, but then you get to see them *crash*.

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - And that, precisely, is what's problematic about it. Were it not for the promise of random, *spectacular* violence, audiences would quickly lose interest...

At the end of the day, it's the destruction of these 750,000-reál racers that you're *really* watching for.

#disco elysium #kim kitsuragi #cindy the skull

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nightlight-writes · 2 years

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Bittersweet Dreams (Yugo Asuma x Reader)

Genre: Comfort

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: This work is purely intended as a work of fiction. It is based only on the characters represented by the streamers, not the streamers themselves.

The ceiling fan whirred above your head as you jolted awake. Crickets chirped incessantly outside the window. The room was awash with the moon’s subtle glow. At this hour, only one person, your partner, was lying down next to you. But even though you were back in the real world, you couldn’t stop yourself from letting out a loud scream. In an instant, your boyfriend woke up from his slumber.

“Are you okay?!? I’m sleeping, you know!” His expression was a mix of shock and concern.

“Sorry for waking you up, but…” Tears welled up in your eyes. “I had a nightmare.”

Yugo went quiet. His blue, jewel-like eyes had lost their shine, turning into a sinking abyss. If you could notice it through your blurry vision, a small teardrop was running down his face. He then wrapped his arms around you, drawing you closer to him.

“I never saw you crying like this before.” he whispered into your ear. “To me, you were always smiling. I wanted to be strong, just like you.”

“But now… I can see it more clearly.” His grasp grew tighter as the sound of his breathing filled your ears.

“I don’t know what to say, but I have been through things. Those times were hard, but now…”

Yugo quickly changed the subject. “It’s not something I should talk about. Let’s sleep, it’s already 1:00 P.M.”

You felt the warm, electrifying feeling of a kiss on your lips as you lay down on the bed. Yugo slowly faced away from you only to quickly face you again to make a request.

“Can you give me a hug? I’m also having nightmares.”

You gently embraced him from behind, causing the tips of his fingers to warm up. The back of his head was planted firmly in your chest. Gradually, his breathing slowed down, and so did yours as you both fell into a deep sleep.

#nijisanji en #noctyx #noctyx x reader #yugo asuma #yugo asuma x reader #nightlight.txt

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enter-the-performapals · 10 months

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@arcvmonth Day 24: Oh. My. G.O.D!

Heck yeah, manga day! One of the first ever posts I made on this blog was a redesign of manga Yuya (which id love to redraw as my art has improved heaps since then). I wanted to do something little with him and my redesign of Yuzu- which I haven't shared before.

I personally don't think a teenage boy (well, technically 4) who lives by himself would really want to cook that often. And the Maccas staff wouldn't rat you out for being on the run like your supermarket would.

Scattered thoughts on the manga under the cut:

I headcannon the cast to be a little older in the manga, Yuya and Yuzu to be around 16. I felt like I needed to give them redesigns because of how different they feel from their anime versions.

I haven't read all of the manga, but what I have read I really like. Mentally, I tend to think of them as Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, because Diamond version deals with the legendary Pokemon of Time- as manga Yuya is from the future- while Pearl Version deals with the Legendary Pokemon of Space and I feel like the anime's dimension hopping follows that theme. And also Yuzu shares her English voice actor with the Dawn, the female protagonist of those games X3c

I really like how in the manga Reiji feels more like an actual rival, hunting down Yuya. Yuya is also fantastic, still being cheerful and friendly while having an air of maturity that his anime version doesn't have. While also being Batman. And I love that he can swap out with Yuto, Yugo and Yuri whenever they need. Them being supportive older brothers who don't want him to learn the truth to not devastate him is also super bittersweet. A big reason I use their anglicized names (Hugo, Ute, Joeri) is to mentally differentiate them from their manga versions.

While I think some characters are awesome in this version, there are a couple I don't like. Yuzu feels very vain and surface level. She practically forced Yuya to be managed by her. Shes concerned about money, which can sometimes make an interesting character, but they don't really give her anything else? Like, other than judging Yuya for using Uni and Corn because they were feminine looking but swooning over his more masculine cards, which gave me a huge ick.

Another I don't like in this version is Shun. They massacred my boy. He's such a cool and complex character in the anime, but in this version he's just kinda... Boring. Being angry because you want to be the very best at a children's card game doesn't make you a cool character, it makes you a goddamn redditor.

I still haven't finished the manga (I will one day!!) That's my thoughts on what I have read. If youve somehow made it this far, you're an absolute trooper, thank you for the support. Thank you also to everyone supporting me though my slowdown in art throughout this event, it really means a lot!

#ive always wanted to make this joke w/ manga yuya and yuzu #its so gosh dang dumb but i had to #arcvmonth #arcvmonth2023 #ygo arc v #yugioh arc v #original art #doodle #sakaki yuya #hiiragi yuzu #zuzu boyle #yugioh arc v manga #phantom yuya

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geekgirles · 2 months

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Slipping Through My Fingers

Read on AO3

Word Count: 12241

Summary: Of all the ways Alibert expected his day to go, a visit from his son and his girlfriend was not one of them. Especially when said son suddenly looked like a grown man instead of a 12-year-old like last time he saw him, barely a few weeks ago. But the more time passes and the more Yugo shares the events leading up to that moment, the more Alibert is sure of one thing:

You're never too old to need your dad.

“Do you think they’ll recognise me?”

Even now, it was so weird to listen to his voice. Somehow, it managed to be both completely foreign and deeply familiar at the same time. It definitely sounded older, deeper, a man’s voice. But it was also undeniably sweet and soft, with a velvety quality that caused shivers to run down her spine, especially when he focused his attention solely on her and the two of them tuned out the rest of the world around them. It was still the voice of the man she loved.

A voice tinged with genuine doubt and even a hint of fear.

Smiling sweetly up at him—another thing that would take some getting used to—, she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Of course they will, Yugo. You haven’t changed that much.”

“Um, I have grown about a metre and a half, developed muscles that were definitely not there last time I saw them, and now I wear a bodysuit and a cloak.” He deadpanned, using his free hand to gesture at himself from head to toe—and blushed slightly when the Sadida’s eyes still shone appreciatively even now. “Pretty sure anyone would have a hard time recognising me, Amalia.”

Amalia only rolled her eyes, though there was no malice behind the action. “The people who know you best will immediately be able to tell it’s you, Yugo.”

“Dally, Élely and Goultard were convinced I was Oropo.” He groused. “Their first instinct was to beat the living snot out of me!”

She huffed. “Okay, I’ll rephrase that: the people who know you best and aren’t Iops will immediately be able to tell it’s you, Yugo.”

“How can you be so sure? Only Adamaï can sense my wakfu.”

“Precisely because only Adamaï can sense your wakfu and yet, Ruel, Eva and I had no trouble figuring out it was you.” Amalia said with a self-satisfied smirk, knowing it’d be impossible for Yugo to argue against her logic.

When she chanced a glance his way and noticed he had averted his gaze, however, her own brow furrowed in concern for her love. He was clearly worried about encountering his adoptive father and little brothers again, especially once they took notice of the obvious physical changes he had undergone during his time away and he’d be forced to relive the events that took place just a few weeks ago.

But there was something else, something the newly-crowned Sadida Queen—a title that, although she would wear with pride for as long as she lived, still brought a painful pang to her chest with the implications behind it—couldn’t quite put her finger on. There was something else on Yugo’s mind. Something he didn’t feel like he could confide in her, at least not just yet. She just hoped he would be able to talk about it with his father. After all, they were heading his way precisely because Yugo suggested they visit him just a few days ago.

Truth be told, Amalia expected Yugo to rejoin his family much earlier, once they were done picking up the pieces from their war against the Nécromes. Of course, the process was easier said than done. Everyone deserved some much-needed rest after such an unforgiving battle, as well as quality time with their families to let them know the nightmare was finally over. They had won, the Sadida Kingdom would live to see another day.

The young queen almost broke down in tears when her friends promised to remain by her side until her kingdom was back up and running again. Had they all left shortly after their victory, Amalia didn’t know what she would have done once it truly sunk in the fact that, for the first time in her life, she would be all alone in the palace. With no family to keep her company.

Fortunately, even though she was the last Sheran Sharm, the family she found within the Brotherhood of the Tofu was still there.

Following some days of celebrations and respite—which included her brother’s funeral, followed shortly after by her coronation ceremony—, it was finally time to rebuild their lives before Toross Mordal drew a target on her people’s backs. They cleared away the remnants of their battle, except for Rotalström’s encased form, which would forever remain as a monument to Armand’s sacrifice and love for his people. They entered their forests once more, using every ounce of their power to determine if there was any way to heal their trees, an ongoing investigation, while planting new ones to symbolise the Sadida still had a future to look forward to.

Everyone made sure to do their part in helping the kingdom get back up again, even the Eliatropes. Amalia and Yugo found themselves sharing meaningful, touched looks when her people all sincerely thanked and celebrated his people for their bravery during the war, saying they would never be able to repay their kindness. It was a little sad to watch the way the young Eliatropes’ eyes widened and shock was plastered across their faces at the genuine kindness and acceptance they were being treated with by the Sadida.

Their brief experience overseeing the World of Twelve and dealing with everyone’s prejudices had been enough to make them realise they might never be welcomed. Which made the fact that at least one kingdom was appreciative and welcoming of them all the more overwhelming.

That was all Amalia needed to assure Yugo that his people could remain in the Sadida Kingdom for as long as they wanted. If there was anything she’d learned recently, it was that both their peoples were practically outcasts among the other races, and the only ones willing to help each other out. The least she could do was ensure both races remained together.

And so, in the midst of bringing her kingdom back to its former glory and bidding the Percedal family goodbye, at least for the time being, as well as finally being able to navigate her and Yugo’s budding relationship, the Sadida was taken aback when her beloved suggested it was time they went pay his adoptive father a visit.

That was two days ago. Knowing how important Alibert and Yugo were to each other, the Sadida Queen immediately understood he should be in the know of what had been of his son’s life in the last few weeks since they last saw each other. And thus, after making sure Chamberlain Toufdru would be able to handle everything for a day or two—with the help of Canar, Renate, and Adamaï—, the two finally entered the portal leading them to Emelka.

And Yugo had been uneasy the whole time. The fact that whenever they crossed paths with one of his neighbours they all gaped at the ‘handsome stranger walking alongside Yugo’s Sadida friend’ certainly didn’t help matters. Still, Amalia did her best to be there for the Eliatrope just like he always did for her.

Although the pensive frown stretched over his brow wasn’t all that reassuring to her either. They would be arriving at Alibert’s inn shortly, and the generous Enutrof was sure to worry if he sensed something was wrong with his son… If he didn’t have a heart attack at the sight of his youthful-looking son suddenly looking his age, that is.

No matter how you looked at it, Yugo acting like this just wouldn’t do. So, right as they finally reached their destination, Amalia did as any good queen and girlfriend should do and she took charge of the situation.

Yugo was about to push open the door to the inn and welcome them inside, when he felt his queen stop, practically digging her heels into the ground. He perked up at her sudden action and turned his head to look down at her questioningly, only for his eyes to widen as Amalia reached out her free hand to him and cupped his cheek. He could already feel himself melting at her touch, his worries being washed away by that gentleness she reserved for a select few.

Oh, how lucky he was to be part of that exclusive group.

He was so engrossed by the warmth emanating from her skin, by the time he registered the sound of rustling fabric and the breeze weaving through his hair, it was already too late.

Amalia had taken advantage of his distracted state to pull his hood down, exposing his wings.

“Amalia!” He screeched as he hastily put his hood back in its rightful place, mortified, and for a moment he could have sworn he sounded like he used to before Toross and Efrim harvested his wakfu. “You know I don’t mind you seeing my wings, but I still feel uncomfortable showing them to just everyone!”

To his immense consternation, she just chuckled. “Yugo, look around; there’s no one eating out today.”

A quick swipe with his eyes was all he needed to realise she was right. There was no one outside. Just then, his ears picked up the sound of loud, animated chatter coming from inside the building.

“Come on, you know I’d never pull your hood down if I thought it might make you uncomfortable. Especially not after it took you so long to reveal what was underneath your hat the first time.” Amalia reasoned.

The Eliatrope sighed, knowing she was right, again. “Yeah, I know. Sorry, Amalia…” Then he turned sheepish, raising his free hand to rub the back of his neck, feeling a blush coming to his cheeks. “But…um…why exactly did you pull it down? I mean, you know I really don’t mind when you touch them but, um, that seems hardly appropriate right now?”

Luckily for him, he wasn’t the only one feeling a little flushed at the moment.

Her own cheeks gaining a reddish tinge, the Sadida Queen had to clear her throat before speaking. “For your information, I just meant to illustrate how you could always just show your wings to Alibert, Chibi, and Grougal if they don’t recognise you.” Shifting her weight and placing her hand on her hip, she sent him a pointed look. “Or do you know many other people with wakfu wings on their heads?”

“The entirety of the Eliotropes and Eliatropes…” He muttered to himself, thankful she didn’t seem to have heard him. Given how horrified she’d been after learning how Oropo had manipulated her on such a personal level due to his own twisted ‘love’ for her, the less Amalia knew about his melding with the Eliotropes, the better. Louder, he admitted defeat with a sigh. “I suppose you have a point, though.”

Once again, his mind skidded to a halt at the feeling of her hand lovingly cupping his cheek. When he looked down at her in surprise, it was all he could do not to drown in her warm, chocolate eyes staring deep into his soul.

“They’re your family, Yugo. They’ll know it’s you.” Then, she added with a giggle. “At the very least, the sight of the two of us together should tip them off, don’t you think?”

For the first time since they left her kingdom, the Eliatrope allowed a small smile to grace his features. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Their eyes remained locked on each other, neither daring to move an inch. Actually, that wasn’t true. They did move, only they both moved forward and towards each other, glazing down at each other’s lips fleetingly. They were about to close the distance when—

“Oh, get a room, you two! Some of us just want to get a bite to eat, not a full show!” A grouchy Enutrof scolded them, rudely pushing them aside and letting himself into the building. Even from the other side of the wall, Yugo and Amalia could still hear him grumbling obscenities about ‘damned young people and their damned hormones; always getting in the way…’

They exchanged one last confused look before bursting out laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it all, their cheeks on fire. Once his laughter had finally subsided, Yugo stared at a still giggling Amalia for a minute, smiling fondly at the sound of her laughter. Now that he thought about it, she hadn’t been laughing much ever since the battle against the Nécromes. Not like he would ever blame her, given everything she lost, but it was still nice to see the fun-loving, smiling princess he met all those years ago, even if now she had blossomed into the most beautiful queen in the World of Twelve.

When Amalia’s giggles dissolved into nothing, she found Yugo’s offered hand before her. Trailing her eyes towards his smiling face and feeling her own grin tugging at the corner of her lips, she took it.

“Are you ready?” She asked him, just to be sure.

With one last deep breath, he nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

And so, he finally turned the doorknob of the inn and the two lovers took their first few steps inside the restaurant he grew up in.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant was the same as always. Bustling with customers talking about everything under the sun while they enjoyed Alibert’s dishes, the sound of utensils clinking as they devoured their meals filled up the room. And the few customers who had yet to eat would immediately shut up and start salivating the moment they got their own serving of gobball stew delivered to them. The chef and mayor in question must have been busy in the kitchen, for he was nowhere in sight, not even behind the bar, tending to the customers who just wanted some bamboo milk to wash away the day’s heat.

Everyone seemed to be engrossed in their own conversations, and yet, it felt as if they all quieted down and turned to look at the new arrivals in unison. Scrutinising them.

Logically speaking, Yugo knew they were just curious as it wasn’t every day you saw a Sadida in Emelka—let alone one as well-dressed and regal as the actual queen; not like they needed to know that. The fact that her companion was a young man of no discernable race, wearing a cloak and a battlesuit must have only added to their curiosity.

He knew this, he really did, and yet, he still felt observed. Even though for the first time in years he felt right when he saw himself in the mirror, even though he finally felt like his body was his and not an old husk he should have long outgrown, people’s reactions to his appearance still upset him. He knew he looked different, and sometimes, he felt different, too. As if in spite of his mind never ceasing to mature even as his ageing slowed down, he had still become wiser upon growing, somehow.

Before his thoughts could spiral down any further or Amalia could try to shake him off of his current spell, they were interrupted by the sound of childish, excited voices.

“Amalia! Dad, look, Amalia’s here!” a little white-haired boy with a black hat bigger than his body exclaimed before throwing himself into the arms of the Sadida, an equally small but quite feisty black dragon following close behind.

At the sight of the little Eliatrope and his dragon brother, Amalia wasted no time crouching down on the floor with one leg to welcome them in her arms. As she and Chibi hugged, with Grougaloragran hovering over them, the queen remembered, not for the first time, how adorable Yugo was as a child, too.

“Chibi! By Sadida’s trees, you’ve grown so much!” Breaking the hug slightly, she carefully scratched Grougaloragran under his chin, knowing how volatile he could be. “You too, Grougal.”

The little black dragon simply grunted in contentment in response. Privately, Yugo couldn’t help but wonder if it had taken Adamaï as long to learn how to speak back when he lived with his mentor in Oma.

With his tiny arms still wrapped around her, Chibi giggled. “What are you doing here, Amalia? Yugo’s not home.”

Sneaking a glance her boyfriend’s way, knowing he might be worrying over his baby brother not recognising him already, the queen replied, “Oh, we’re just here to talk to your dad, that’s all.”

“‘We’?” Chibi echoed, arching an eyebrow and sharing a confused look with Grougal. For the first time since he first spotted the girl his big brother loved (even if he kept trying to deny it), he noticed the Sadida girl wasn’t alone. Tilting their little heads up, they finally took a good, long look at the boy her age standing by her side and smiling awkwardly, though not any less fondly, down at them.

“Hey, Chibi. Grougal.” He gave them a little wave with his hand.

As his two baby siblings kept staring blankly back at him, Yugo feared for the worst. It looked like Amalia had been wrong and not even his own family would be able to tell it was him. Which, coupled with the fact that he had come hand-in-hand with the woman they knew he was in love with, promised they would act from polite but distant (in Alibert’s case) to downright devious (in Chibi and Grougal’s case) towards him.

He still remembered how supportive they’d been of him when he retold how he almost lost Amalia forever to Count Harebourg. Alibert had heaved an evident sigh of relief, saying how, even though he understood why Amalia accepted his proposal and even praised her for putting her people first, she had definitely dodged a Rogue’s bullet. Chibi and Grougal weren’t anywhere as diplomatic, however; they outright blew a disgusted raspberry at the idea of the then Sadida Princess marrying anyone else.

However, just as he was mentally preparing himself to endure their tricks until he got them to believe it was him, instead of another ‘girlfriend stealer’ (as they had not-so-lovingly dubbed Harebourg), his eyes widened in surprise at the two’s reactions. Their dark eyes shimmered in delight and awe, a pair of matching smiles stretching over their lips as they stared up at him, almost as if he had lowered the moon for them.

“Yugo!” The white-haired Eliatrope exclaimed happily, throwing himself into his big brother’s arms. Meanwhile, Grougal kept chirping and flying around the older Eliatrope just as enthused, clearly as happy as his twin to see him.

While Yugo was momentarily frozen from shock, looking at his little brother in awe, Chibi simply nuzzled his face against the nook of his neck, enjoying his cloak’s softness. “Yugo, we missed you!”

In his dazed state, the Eliatrope King chanced a look his love’s way, who was smiling warmly at the scene and limited herself to mouthing an ‘I told you so’ to him. Returning her smile with one of his own, Yugo had never been happier to be wrong.

It wasn’t long until Chibi broke the hug, though. “What happened? You look so old now! And your cape’s so cool!”

Yugo let out an awkward laugh. “Thanks, Chibi. I’m glad you like it.” There was an even more awkward pause. “Um…about the other thing, uh, it’s a bit of a long story.” He said simply. While he knew he definitely needed to talk to their father about what he’d been through, he’d much rather spare his little brothers the gruesome details until they were older. Making a show of looking around, he asked, “Say, where’s Dad?”

The twins shared an unimpressed look, knowing their big brother was purposely avoiding the question, but ultimately just shrugged. They’d go along with it for a little while longer; they could always just eavesdrop when he inevitably spilled the beans to their father, after all.

Just as Chibi was about to answer, however, Alibert’s booming yet warm voice echoed from the kitchen, “Alright! What can I get you, Tristan? The usual?” Followed shortly after by the kindly Enutrof peeking his head from behind the counter as he addressed the customer in question.

“Ya know it, Alibert!” The customer, an Ouginak named Tristan, replied, joviantly slapping his knee as he let out an uproarious laugh. “Oh! And do keep ‘em bamboo milk glasses comin’, will ya?”

“But of course, though, only if you keep your promise and actually pay your tab this time…” The innkeeper sent his guilty-looking customer a pointed look. His eyes only narrowed further when Tristan avoided his gaze while whistling with forced nonchalance. Nevertheless, though not without some heavy sighing, the Enutrof reluctantly served him yet another glass.

“Ruel is right, this is no way to run a business.” Alibert grumbled to himself, before adding, “Although it’s not like he has much room to talk; he’s the one who owes me the most around here…”

“Dad, look who’s here!”

Perking up at his young son’s excited cries, the smile returned to his face as he laid his eyes where he was. A flash of forest green coupled with mahogany skin from behind Chibi’s black hat alerted him of their visitor. Locking eyes with the beautiful Sadida Princess he’s oldest son cared so much about, the old Enutrof’s smile only widened…only for his whole visage to freeze in shock at the sight of her companion.

The figure—a handsome young man with dirty blond hair and deep brown eyes clad in a body-tight suit with golden lining and a long blue hooded cape who was tall enough to dwarf even the Sadida girl—took a step forward. And another. And another. In less than a minute, he had crossed the distance between himself and the restaurant’s counter and he was looking straight at the old innkeeper, albeit a little uneasily.

His face contorted into a timid yet oddly endearing expression as he offered him a small smile. “Hi, Dad.”

Amalia watched the interaction with bated breath, worried for how Alibert might react and how that might affect Yugo in turn. Her worries were unfounded, however, for after a beat had passed, Alibert joyfully cried out, “My little piwii!” right before engulfing a flushed Yugo into a bone-crushing hug. The Eliatrope sent her a death glare when she giggled at the cute scene, his face on fire at having his father call him by his childhood nickname even when he finally looked like the adult he was, but it soon softened as he returned the hug with as much vigour.

Soon after that, a good chunk of the people gathered at the inn crowded around Yugo, marvelling at his new grown-up body—in particular, a few young ladies couldn’t help but ogle at him hungrily, causing a miffed Amalia to discreetly use her vines to get them to tear their eyes off her man—, while others observed from afar.

After a while of Yugo doing his best to answer their many questions and politely declining anything that felt too personal to reveal (like the reason he had hit such a complete growth spurt out of the blue, for starters), Alibert had finally had enough. Sensing his son’s unease, he loudly stomped his shovel on the floor, drawing everyone’s attention to him.

“Well, that’s about enough, don’t you think?!” He grumbled. “Come on, people, give him some space! He’s barely just arrived and you’re all bombarding him with questions; let him have something to eat while he catches up with his old man first, at least!”

With a few more grumbles and muttered apologies, the other patrons finally returned to their seats, giving Alibert and his newly-arrived guests some privacy at last. As the last of his customers focused back on their food, the Enutrof smiled at the two.

“I’m so glad to see you, you two.” He smiled, before turning around and beginning to rummage through the kitchen in search of ingredients. “Can I get you anything to eat?”

“You know I can never say no to your famous gobball stew, Dad.” Yugo chuckled as he sat down on the stool in front of the counter, though not before moving Amalia’s own stool for her under her expectant gaze and receiving an appreciative nod for his troubles.

“I expected as much, my boy. The day you tell me you don’t want some, it’ll be the end of the world!” Albert laughed with his back still turned to them, his hands busy gathering all the ingredients he would need. As he began with his son’s meal, turning back around, he focused on Amalia. “And what will it be, my dear? Another serving of stew?”

Amalia just shook her head politely. “No, thank you, Alibert. I’ll be happy with just a serving of your cawwot soup.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.” He chuckled fondly. Then, he sighed wistfully. “You Sadidas and your love for vegetables and fruit. Had it been your father, he certainly wouldn’t have refused some meat, let me tell you.”

Since Alibert’s back was once again turned as he began to peel and chop down the cawwots he would be using for the girl’s dish, he failed to notice how Amalia’s expression clouded over at the reminder of her late father, nor did he see the worried look Yugo regarded her with before placing his hand over hers comfortingly. He did turn around, however, just in time to catch them sharing a meaningful, loving look.

His smile widening at the sight, the innkeeper winked at his youngest sons knowingly, the three of them having a silent conversation regarding the two lovebirds. Usually, Alibert knew better than to push Yugo’s buttons when it came to his feelings for Amalia, for he knew it could be a very painful topic for him, but even he wasn’t above some teasing when the two made how head over heels they were for each other this obvious.

“It has certainly been a while since I last saw you, Amalia.” He began nonchalantly. He had to stifle a laugh at the dazed expressions on their faces, as if they had completely forgotten they weren’t alone. “If you permit me, Your Highness, I must say you get more beautiful each time I see you. You have grown into a true vision of loveliness, as I’m sure Yugo can testify.” He added that last part with a wink his eldest son’s way, whose face immediately erupted like Brakmar’s volcanoes at his father's not-so-subtle insinuations.

Meanwhile, the Sadida practically glowed at the compliment. “Thank you so much, Alibert. That means a lot.”

“I only speak the truth, my dear princess.”

“And again, thank you. Growing up, I was always somehow overshadowed by Evangelyne in the beauty department. So I guess I sort of got used to never being as pretty as her.” Amalia admitted, acting uncharacteristically bashful about it. “Even Yugo can tell you how many people used to be more interested in capturing or winning Eva over than me, the actual princess.”

“But that was only because back then you were still growing while Eva was almost a woman already.” Yugo protested, not liking it whenever Amalia looked down on her appearance. So what if growing up Evangelyne was always turning heads or her chest was more, ehrm, developed? To him, Amalia had always been gorgeous, and she only got prettier in his eyes each passing day, as his dad said.

“The moment you were a little older, you soon became one of the most beautiful royals in the entirety of the World of Twelve.” He blushed sheepishly at his own admission, even though he meant every word.

Amalia just waved him off, but the grateful smile she gifted Yugo with was genuine, as well as the small blush dusting her cheeks. “I know, I know. Even back when we were children and Eva was first blossoming into a beautiful girl while I was still a child, my mother used to assure me that one day I would be the most beautiful flower in Sadida’s garden.”

“And she was right.” Alibert nodded along to the late queen’s assessment. “But I can understand it must have been difficult for you, princess. Watching Evangelyne grow and become the centre of attention while you still had a long way to go.” As he said that, father and son shared a meaningful look, understanding the true hidden meaning behind his words.

“Well, I did blossom into quite the beautiful young lady, didn’t I?” Amalia winked mischievously before giggling. Although her impish expression didn’t last long, since she then sighed heavily and let her head rest against her open palm. “Although, looking back, I really had it good back then, too. I had no idea how taxing it could be to become the object of someone’s affections, especially when they’re more ‘psychotic’ than ‘charming’.”

“Yeah, tell me about it…” Yugo agreed with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Even now, there were times when he couldn’t help the residual jealousy he still felt towards Count Harebourg and Oropo for almost bringing Amalia to their side and away from him.

“Now, now. Let’s let bygones be bygones.” Alibert said placatingly as the gobball meat sizzled on the pan. He distinctly remembered Yugo’s heartache over almost losing the princess to that Xelor count, and from what his son had told him, discovering he never intended to keep his end of the deal to her people must have deeply hurt the Sadida as well.

“After all,” the Enutrof continued, his voice carrying a certain cadence Yugo couldn’t help but feel suspicious about, his stomach churning with dread. “I’d say everything worked out in the end, didn’t it?” Just as he said that, he looked down at their still intertwined hands meaningfully, laughing uproariously when the young couple broke away as quickly as if they’d been burned. They might as well have; their faces were redder than Brakmar’s soil!

Shyly tucking a strand of forest green hair behind her ear, Amalia was the first to recover. “Is it really that obvious?”

“I’m afraid so, my dear.” Alibert smiled kindly back at her. “You two haven’t been as openly affectionate with each other since you were both kids.”

Neither commented on that, since they all knew exactly the reason why that changed as they grew up—or rather, as Amalia grew up while Yugo remained physically the same. While the Sadida Princess would have loved nothing more than to remain as close with the Eliatrope as they were in their late childhood to early teens, the latter always made sure to keep a safe distance between them, always too afraid of his child-like body hampering his crush’s social standing.

“I suppose that’s true.” Yugo admitted calmly, staring back at his love while their hands found each other again under the counter. “A lot has changed since then…”

“You’d better believe a lot has changed, young man!” Alibert wagged a scolding finger at his son with one hand while he stirred Amalia’s soup with the other. “Although I am particularly interested in learning what brought on this particular change exactly,” he gestured at the two of them with his ladle, bits of cawwot soup flying around with the movement.

While Amalia giggled, her cheeks flushed a lovely shade of pink, Yugo simply used his free hand to gesture down at himself as way of answer. “Let’s just say that once I finally looked my age, all the lingering barriers between us came crumbling down.” He turned slightly in his stool and reached out for his girlfriend’s free hand, coming to hold both of hers in his. “I had way too many close calls already, I don’t want to waste any more time now that we can finally be together.”

Her heartbeat was beating so loud at his words, Amalia honestly couldn’t believe nobody heard it over the restaurant’s animated chatter. She must have looked like a lovesick fool, she knew it. And even though such behaviour was usually unbecoming of a queen, she couldn't care less; she had waited far too long to be able to call Yugo hers. To listen to him admit he couldn’t live without her any more than she could live without him.

Her already elated expression softening even further, no doubt showing her adoration for this wonderful man, the Sadida Queen decided actions spoke louder than words anyway and, without saying anything, leaned forward to plant a sweet kiss on his cheek. Relishing how that could get him to blush slightly even now.

While Chibi and Grougal made a show of rolling their eyes and pretending to gag at the public display of affection, respectively; good old Alibert was at the verge of breaking down in happy tears at the sight of his little piwii finally getting together with the woman he loved.

Fanning himself with his hands, for he had promised himself he wouldn’t cry, he forced himself to appear far more nonchalant than he felt and said, “By Enutrof, King Oakheart must be beside himself with joy at this development, isn’t he? While we never openly talked about you two ending up together, I know for a fact all your father ever wanted for you, princess, is that you got to marry for love just like he did with your mother.”

Immediately after saying those words, Alibert realised something was wrong. The warm, joyful atmosphere had changed considerably, now feeling cold and stuffy. A dark cloud had settled over Amalia, even when her smile remained in place, not helped at all by Yugo’s own heartbroken expression, his dark brown eyes reflecting waves of sympathy for his beloved before settling back on his father’s as he motioned for him to cut it off.

And that’s what he remembered what Yugo told him the last time he came to visit.

Oh, Enutrof, take me now… He mentally bemoaned after realising his terrible faux pas. Outwardly, however, he was flusteredly fussing over Amalia. “Oh my, I am so sorry, my dear. Yugo told me, but I had completely forgotten. Oh, me and my big mouth…” He moaned, wishing to be anywhere but right there at that moment.

Amalia just shook her head, although her beautiful brown eyes had turned glassy from unshed tears. “It’s fine, Alibert. You didn’t mean to…”

Despite having already put his foot in his mouth, the innkeeper knew there was something else going on under the surface. Of course, losing your father was always a heart-wrenching experience, but something else seemed to weigh heavily over the princess’ shoulders.

The old Enutrof knew he was walking on a Rogue’s minefield. He knew it, but he wouldn’t be able to figure out what was wrong unless he asked. “Uh, princess? What’s the matter?”

“You see, Alibert,” Amalia started, her voice was soft and kind, yet it belied the kind of evenness a monarch should reserve solely for diplomacy, not light conversation with her demi-father-in-law. “I’m not a princess anymore.”

The old Enutrof’s bushy eyebrows shot up to the ceiling. “What do you mean by that, my dear? Did something happen? Have you lost your title, by any chance?”

But Amalia simply raised her palms up as she shook her head vehemently. “No, no. None of that.”

“Then what is it?”

“I’m just not a princess anymore because…” A pregnant pause. The effort of swallowing the lump in her throat. “I’m the new Queen of the Sadidas.” She admitted at last.

Alibert just stared blankly at her, shooting Yugo a quick glance asking him for confirmation. After a solemn nod from his eldest son, the innkeeper’s shocked expression slowly morphed into cautious elation. “But that’s just wonderful, Amalia! You’ve always taken great care of your people! I suppose you were crowned after your father’s passing?” Then, amidst the myriad of questions, he added, almost as an afterthought, “But, wait a minute, didn’t you have an older brother…?”

Seeing the Sadida Queen flinch painfully at the mention of her family, realisation finally dawned on him. Again. He wanted nothing more than to smack himself with his shovel for his complete lack of tact. The smile didn't disappear from Amalia's face, but it became more strained, sadder. So much hid behind that smile, and yet Alibert could tell exactly what had happened from a single look.

“Oh, my dear. I am so sorry…”

“It's alright, Alibert. You didn't know.” Amalia was quick to silence him by raising her hand, though not unkindly. She turned to Yugo and her smile became more genuine. “I should leave you two alone. I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do.”

“What about your soup?” Yugo asked as he squeezed her hand tighter, pouring every single ounce of love and support he could into that small gesture.

“I trust Alibert to let me know when it’s done.” She sent the cook a wink, and although father and son could tell it was meant to be playful, the cheeriness behind it just felt forced. Wincing slightly at their reactions, the young queen forced herself to act as natural as possible. Peeking from behind her boyfriend, she locked eyes with Chibi and Grougal; even they looked worried for her. Willing her smile to become as reassuring as possible in her bittersweet state, she told them, “Yugo told me you guys built a brand new home for Az and his family. Care to show it to me?”

Their expressions brightened up at that. It was clear from their engineering skills their talents as inventors in their past lives lived on with them, a fact that while they still didn’t know the full scope of, they were very proud of. So with matching grins and a nod, Chibi and Grougal jumped from their stools and, grabbing Amalia’s hand, dragged her to where Az had been watching the entire exchange with his family.

And with a wink her boyfriend’s way, the Sadida Queen let herself be dragged by the enthusiastic twins. For their part, the little ones were more than happy to spend some time with their new playmate. As she sat down and marvelled at Chibi and Grougal’s ingenuity, gracefully accepting some happy nuzzles from Az and his chicks, a heavy silence settled over father and son. For the time being, it looked as if both of them preferred to just watch the green-haired beauty enjoying herself after revisiting such painful memories.

“King Oakheart died while Amalia was busy helping us save Eva and Flopin from the demigods.” Yugo eventually spoke up, reminding his father of their last conversation, his brow furrowed in regret at the painful reminder it was because of him she couldn't bid her father goodbye. With a heavy sigh and a heavier heart, he looked his father in the eye. “Her brother, King Armand, died defending their kingdom from the Nécromes. She was crowned because her sister-in-law abandoned them mid-battle.”

Alibert shook his head regretfully. “My poor child... I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for her.”

Yugo couldn't argue there. It killed him inside whenever Amalia excused herself to visit her family's tomb trees, as she would spend hours mourning their loss. The only thing more painful was when he learned what happened to Armand upon returning from the Necroworld and how he, once again, couldn't be there to console his love when she needed him most.

“At least she's 22. It's not the same as when she lost her mother.” He tried to be optimistic, but it sounded hollow even to his ears.

“You're never the right age for seeing your loved ones die, Yugo." Alibert surmised. “It would have hurt just as badly had she been in her old age.”

At his father’s words, the Eliatrope couldn’t help thinking back to Qilby and what he’d explained about his and Shinonomé’s ‘gift’ once the truth was out about his true nature all those years ago. Qilby was thousands of years old and, what’s more, remembered every single lifetime. And yet, it was clear the loss of his loved ones over the years had greatly contributed to his deteriorating mental state, never becoming easier to overcome. It was funny, in a way; not that long ago thoughts of Qilby were filled with nothing but resentment for what their people had gone through because of his selfishness; rage for being manipulated into giving him exactly what he needed to do it all over again, with no remorse whatsoever over destroying the World of Twelve; and guilt because, despite his many terrible deeds, the idea of sealing him once again in the White Dimension, while a necessary evil, still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

It would be safe to say Yugo tried to avoid thinking about his brother as much as he could. And yet, ever since their reunion and being saved from Toross and Efrim by him, the young king found himself thinking about the eldest Eliatrope more than ever. And to think both his people and the World of Twelve had suffered so much only because their divine heritage made them different… Maybe the Twelvian monarchs had ample reason to fear them and want them gone. He did come to realise they were right in refusing his mother’s help, he thought with a sneer. After all, it wasn’t like she’d actually been much help when they needed her most.

Maybe he was putting Amalia and her people in danger by accepting their generosity. Maybe it would be for the best if he and his people left. Maybe he was a fool for thinking they could ever—.

“I’m guessing Amalia didn’t just leave because the conversation was turning difficult for her, so I’ll be here to listen whenever you feel ready to talk, Yugo.”

His father’s kind words cut through his thoughts like a knife, grounding him in the here and now before he could spiral down his own concerns and fears. Before he could dwell on what he believed was best but might end up hurting Amalia—his beloved flower, blooming beautifully as she laughed in the presence of his little siblings, praising them for the wonderful home they made for Az and his family—, even after vowing to himself to never put her through the same kind of emotional torture she went through while they were stuck in Oropo’s dimension.

Despite himself, Yugo chuckled. “How can you always tell when I need someone to talk to?”

“I raised you, Yugo. I was there before the portals, and Nox, and the Brotherhood of the Tofu… And I always tried to be there for everything that followed.” His father sent him a knowing smirk from over the pot where he was stirring the rice. “What kind of father would I be if I weren’t able to tell when something’s troubling you?”

The Eliatrope’s laugh was more genuine now, causing his shoulders to shake. “Fair enough.”

“So, what is it, Yugo? What’s on your mind?”

Alibert could only raise an eyebrow in confusion when, at first, it looked like Yugo just turned around in his stool instead of answering. A beat passed where the two remained in silence, his eldest son just observing the restaurant, its patrons and, more importantly, his girlfriend.

Even as he finally spoke up—just when the Enutrof was about to repeat his question—, he never took his eyes off of her. “I suppose you must be wondering why I suddenly look my age.”

Allowing a reassuring smile to curl at his lips, Alibert just shrugged nonchalantly. “Can’t say I’m not curious. It’s a little bit hard to believe you got a sudden growth-spurt from drinking your milk every day. Calcium is important, but it doesn’t do miracles!” He joked.

“Oh, don’t I know it?” Yugo played along, smirking in amusement, “I used to try all kinds of tricks to grow up sooner before Adamaï explained to me we just aged more slowly!”

“As if I could forget!” Alibert roared with laughter, Yugo following shortly after. “There was a time I half-expected you to start wearing heels!”

“Psh, as if!” Yugo waved the mere notion off with his hand. “Eva almost broke her spine wearing those things back when we were trying to pass off as ugly princesses. That’s about the last thing I need!”

Father and son burst out laughing at the memories, feeling nostalgic at how what once was a life-threatening mission could now feel like simpler times, unburdened by the struggles and fears tied with growing up—or not growing up properly, in Yugo’s case.

And with that sobering reminder, as soon as his laughter quieted down, he said, “Remember those things that attacked the town a few weeks back?”

Although his voice was perfectly even and casual, the practised calm imbued to it gave Alibert pause. Whatever Yugo said next would be of utmost importance.

“The ones immune to your wakfu-based attacks, you mean?”

“Nécromes.” Yugo confirmed with a nod of his head. “They came from the Necroworld, a twisted reflection of the World of Twelve. Once, they were just like you and me, until their leader, Toross Mordal, misused his Dofus to the point he completely ravaged his people and their world, turning them into monsters obsessed with draining wakfu to sate their hunger.”

“‘Obsessed with draining wakfu’?” Alibert echoed, incredulous yet bracing himself for the worst. “I don’t understand, my boy. What does that have to do with how you look?”

Deep down, the worried father knew he would not like the answer. His fears were only confirmed when Yugo went on explaining.

“They set their sights on the Sadida Kingdom—because of course they did.” He scoffed. Why was everything wrong in this world always happening to the peaceful tree people the woman he loved just happened to rule over? “But we couldn’t understand how they even made it to our world, at least, not until it was too late. We investigated the Sadida Kingdom and found a giant portal leading to their world.”

Alibert didn’t like where this story was going. He didn’t like it one bit, but knew he had to listen to his son until the end.

“So, we arrived there and met Toross for the very first time.” He paused, clearly reliving that agonising battle and everything that followed. “We barely made it out alive.”

“But that’s not all that happened, is it, Yugo?”

The innkeeper’s heart sank when his son could only shake his head.

“Just as we were about to make it, Efrim, Nora’s dragon brother who had been turned into a Nécrome when they freed our mother, prevented me from escaping. Then, they chained me to a tower and began to drain my wakfu to feed themselves. Just thinking about it is excruciating.” As he heard his father’s horrified gasp at the revelation, Yugo couldn’t bring himself to look him in the eye, too tragically engrossed in the memories haunting him. Too afraid of what he might find if he met his gaze. “I don’t know how long I was there; could have been hours, could have been days… All I know is it felt like years had passed. And, in a way, they had. When I could finally take a good, long look at myself, I realised I had suddenly aged significantly; before I even knew it, I looked like a young man in his twenties, instead of a kid.”

As he retold those horrific events, Yugo’s eyes never strayed from where Amalia sat down with Chibi and Grougal, playing with Az’s chicks and laughing at his family’s antics. Now more than ever he needed her to ground him like only she could. Reliving the torture Toross put him through caused a fresh wave of memories to wash over him. Namely, how even as he battled Oropo and Bouillon to keep his mind sharp and focused on anything other than the agonising pain, his thoughts still strayed back to Amalia, to the terrifying prospect that he might never see her again. By the time he escaped and began recruiting their friends, he was so busy riding on adrenaline he forgot he would actually get to reunite with her after all; the possibility only becoming a reality when she took his hand after his mother left and, once again, reminded him she was there.

She was with him. She would always be by his side when he needed it most. Just like he swore he would always be there by her side. No matter what.

“I’m going to ask Amalia to marry me, Dad.” He said out of the blue, causing his adoptive father to almost choke on his own spit out of sheer mood whiplash.

Still, the tone his son used was not the one you’d expect from what was usually such joyous news. “Then why does it sound like you might never see her again?”

“Because maybe that’s what I should do instead.”

“Now, Yugo—”

“The World of Twelve has been terrified of my people ever since Qilby revealed his true colours.” He interrupted, too absorbed in his own demons to register what his father was trying to say. “And the more time passes, the more I’m beginning to think they’re right to fear us. I mean, our technology doesn’t work without copious amounts of wakfu, enough to either completely ravage entire kingdoms or even planets!

“Same thing with our Dofus, in fact.” As Yugo rambled, his voice dripping with frustration, Alibert didn’t miss the way he absentmindedly toyed with the golden button on his chest. “I almost destroyed the world using them, just like Toross did with his. And then there’s our mother! Of course, I know what happened. The other gods sealed her away in the Necroworld to feed the Nécromes all this time until Nora and Efrim rescued her. But try looking at things from everyone else’s point of view:

“The goddess of the one non-native race to their world not only appears out of nowhere, but uses her powers to constantly spy on the World of Twelve in order to ensure it’s safe for her children. And even though she promises all she wants is a peaceful world, the second things get too hard, she loses all composure and the best solution she can come up with is to abandon this world and its inhabitants, leaving them all to suffer a fate that’s her fault in the first place!”

Yugo was breathing heavily by the time he was done with his anguished spiel, his volume rising with each word he uttered drawing the patrons’ eyes to him. But even as his hands were nestled in his dishevelled hair and his eyes fixated on the counter, he could see a concerned Amalia rising from her seat with the clear intention of consoling him from the corner of his eyes. Locking eyes with her, he simply shook his head, silently telling her to remain where she was.

While normally he would love nothing more than to let Amalia melt all his sorrows away, right now he couldn’t bear the thought. Not when she was partly related to said sorrows.

Seeing the pitiful state his son was in and knowing the last thing he needed was to feel as observed as an Iop on a game show, Alibert shot a withering glare at his customers, silently forbidding them from saying a word. His brow softening as he looked down at Yugo, he tried patting his shoulder reassuringly to offer some comfort.

“I understand how you might feel that way, my boy.” Adding the rice and vegetables to the pan with the gobball steak, he began to stir-fry it all together. “You’d expect the inhabitants of such a multiethnic world to be more tolerant, but alas, that is just not the case.”

All Yugo could offer from his position against the wooden counter was a muffled sound of agreement.

“Even so, I’m sure people will learn to accept Eliatropes soon enough. After all, you’re the Eliatrope King and one of the greatest heroes this world has ever known!”

“You don’t understand, Dad…” Yugo protested with a defeated sigh. “They hate us! Despise us, even! When Nora and I tried to warn them about the Nécromes, they blamed it all on us; Queen Astra from Bonta wouldn’t even let Nora rise from her bowed down position!”

“Oh, that’s bad…” Alibert muttered uneasily, wincing.

“And the worst part,” Yugo continued, bringing a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose in irritation, “they were right. It was our fault.”

“Now, Yugo. You don’t know that—” Alibert tried to say, only for his words to die in his throat at the defeated shake of his son’s head.

“No, Dad. I do know that. Remember Efrim?”

“He was Nora’s dragon brother, right? The one that got turned into a Nécrome?”

The Eliatrope nodded. “Turns out, the reason the Nécromes ever made it to our world was because of his and Nora’s efforts to locate our mother. In sacrificing himself so she and Nora could escape, Efrim unwittingly provided Toross with exactly what he needed to feed his people: Nora and her portals.”

Horror flooded the Enutrof’s face as realisation dawned on him.

“He’d been using her since the very beginning to reach the World of Twelve.” Yugo stated somberly. He gritted his teeth at the memory of his sister, encased in stone, helpless against that monster taking advantage of her all over again upon locating his next target. “So, there you have it. Even though it was an accident, it was because of our people that the Nécromes ever made it here.

“It was because of me Amalia lost her brother.” He choked out, his voice breaking under the weight of the guilt he carried. “If it weren’t for us, Eliatropes, the Nécromes would have never arrived, the Sadida’s trees would have never been drained of their wakfu, and the kingdom would have never been under attack. If it wasn’t for my people, we never would have had to use the Eliasphere and Amalia wouldn’t have had to lose her entire family in quick succession.”

Alibert’s heart broke at the sheer pain laced with Yugo’s voice, all the regrets he carried and how, deep down, that was holding him back from fully enjoying the special bond he shared with Amalia. Even now that his physical appearance was no longer a problem, Yugo’s psyche was still playing tricks against him. As the tortured Eliatrope went on with his retelling, the old innkeeper chanced a glance the Sadida Queen’s way. When their eyes met, he could see Amalia was just as torn up about Yugo as he was. But, more importantly, he could see how, much like him, she would never be able to forgive herself if she knew how much he was hurting for her sake.

“Tell me, Dad. How could I possibly be so selfish as to ask her to marry me after all she’s lost because of me?!” Even though he was asking his father, his question seemed to actually be addressed at the Gods Themselves, begging them for a solution.

For a moment, Alibert said nothing, just stared back at his son and saw him, although not for the first time, as the man he truly was. Even though his desire to always put others before himself had turned against him more than once, his adoptive father couldn’t help but be proud of the man he raised.

However, despite Yugo no longer being a child, not even physically, it was clear he still needed his old man’s guidance now and then. And Alibert just knew he would never be able to forgive himself if he let Amalia go. After all, no matter how much he tried to deny it, the heartbreak in his face whenever it looked as if the Sadida would slip through his fingers was unmistakable.

So he did what a father did best. He tried to be there for his son.

“I imagine that’s also how Amalia must have felt, too.” He said simply, checking in on Amalia’s soup. Five more minutes and it’d be ready.

That gave Yugo pause. “What do you mean?”

He made a show of shrugging. “You said you got captured just as you were about to escape the Necroworld. Tell me, was Amalia with you?” After a speechless nod from Yugo, he went on. “Then, knowing her and how much she’s always cared for you, I’m willing to bet my chef’s hat she must have felt horrible for not being able to save you.”

“But that’s ridiculous!” Yugo protested, scandalised. “It wasn’t her fault! She couldn’t have predicted Efrim would capture me!”

“Just like you and your family couldn’t have predicted that freeing your mother from those things would lead them straight to our world.” Alibert looked at him pointedly even as he poured his stew onto a plate. “Just like you couldn’t have predicted her brother would die protecting his people.”

The young king visibly deflated at that. “But I did. Qilby died from overusing the Eliasphere, that’s why I told them not to overdo it when drawing power from it, because it would cost them their lives.”

“All I’m hearing is further confirmation none of this is your fault.”

“But—!”

“No, Yugo. Listen to me!” He told him sternly, making good use of his Authoritative Dad Voice. Even now, it still worked like a charm, for Yugo could only squirm in his seat under his gaze. His expression softened into a small smile. “Yugo, don’t you see? You didn’t even know where the Great Goddess was for most of your life. You couldn’t have known your siblings were trying to free her, nor how that would play out. But once you were fully aware of the situation, you did everything in your power to remedy it.

“Same thing with Armand. This time you were aware of the risks and told your friends as much. But Armand was a king, and a good one, I gather. Even at the risk of his own life, he was more than willing to go down fighting as long as his people got to live another day. His death wasn’t your fault, Yugo, Armand made his choice. There’s no doubt in my mind Amalia will agree with me.”

Even though his father’s words brought some peace to him, Yugo couldn’t help but laugh mirthlessly. “Amalia’s too good for me. Always has been.”

“Even when she was still a bit of spoiled brat?” Alibert couldn’t help but raise an amused eyebrow. Though, a part of him hoped beyond hope the Sadida Queen didn’t hear him. She was a sweet girl, no wonder his boy fell so hard for her, but she was a force to be reckoned with when angry.

Yugo chuckled. “Yes, even then.” Despite himself, his haunted expression softened, giving way to a lovesick smile and a fond glimmer in his eyes as he talked about his beloved. “She’s amazing. After being crowned queen, her first course of action—besides dealing with the aftermath of the battle, of course— was preparing her kingdom to serve as residence for the Eliatropes as well. She’s been doing everything in her power to ensure we have a place to stay.

“She’s always saying, ‘You and your people have done more for us than any other kingdom, Yugo; the least I could do is welcome you into our home!’ And she means that.” He chuckled at the memory. “In fact, whenever I try to tell her we’ll find something, she always brings up how her own people already see both races as one. Apparently, the fact that our goddess chose their kingdom to build her shrine, where the Eliasphere is now guarded, is a great honour for them.”

“Sounds to me like she’s ready to butt heads with the other nations just to ensure the Eliatropes and Twelvians can finally coexist.” Alibert noted with a fond smile.

“Sometimes I fear that’s exactly what she would do.” Yugo sighed, though the smile didn’t leave his face.

“And much like her brother, she would be making her own choice, Yugo. You’re not strong-arming her into anything. Judging from what you’ve told me, you’re not even her consort yet and she’s already looking for ways to welcome your people—with her people’s full support, might I add.” Alibert pointed out.

Even as he tried to remain as firm as possible, the furious blush on the Eliatrope’s face caused by being described as Amalia’s ‘consort’ still caused him to lose some authority. “But I don’t want her to have the entirety of the World of Twelve against the Sadida Kingdom!”

“Except they more or less already are.”

Father and son were so engrossed in their conversation, they completely failed to notice the Sadida Queen in question approaching them. Therefore, the sound of her voice intervening in the conversation was so sudden they both almost jumped right out of their skins, never mind they were both grown men who’d been on their fair share of adventures.

“Amalia!” Yugo exclaimed, looking as flushed as a hormonal teenager caught staring at his crush. How much did she hear?! “W-what are you doing here? I-I thought you wanted to give us some privacy… What about Chibi and Grougal?”

“It was their nap time.” She replied simply. “And I do want to give you some privacy, but I also had the feeling you were beating yourself up about something out of your control and I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“I-I see…” He answered timidly.

“Also, I’m pretty sure my soup is about done anyway.” The queen shrugged.

“I see.” He replied flatly.

“And you would be right, Amalia.” Alibert agreed, amused by the scene. Excusing himself for a moment, he poured the cawwot soup on a plate before taking Yugo’s already served gobball stew and placing both dishes down on the table and in front of his guests.

With a quick ‘thank you’ sent the Enutrof’s way, Amalia turned her attention back to her boyfriend. “So, what’s that about the World of Twelve turning against the Sadida Kingdom?”

Noticing the serious look on her face and knowing she would not let the matter go until he gave her a satisfying answer, all Yugo could do was admit defeat, his shoulders shagging slightly.

“I was just telling Dad about your efforts to welcome my people…and how that might cause trouble for you with the rest of the rulers.”

“I see.” Amalia said simply. After taking a spoonful of soup and marvelling at its richness, which baffled the Eliatrope, since it felt as if she couldn’t care less about the topic at hand, she finally continued. “In that case, yeah, I was right. They’re pretty much against us anyway.”

“Amalia!” Yugo screeched, scandalised. Noticing everyone’s eyes on him yet again, he shrank back down on his seat, embarrassed. “How can you say that?! Except for Bonta and Brakmar’s weird rivalry, the Twelve Nations are allies!”

“And we all are. On paper.” She made sure to empathise. “The last thing I want is to go to war against anyone, and as long as it’s possible, I still plan on fostering positive relationships with the other kingdoms—.”

“Then how can you say you’re only allies on paper?”

“I was getting to that.” She flashed him a pointed look, though the smile remained on her face. “The thing is… Well, you saw it yourself! The Council of Twelve is supposed to work together as one, especially in times of crisis. And yet, in recent years, whenever my people needed their help, the only ones willing to come to our aid were the Brotherhood of the Tofu—in other words, my dearest friends— and Master Joris!

“When the Nécromes attacked, both Armand and I explicitly asked the Osamodas King for help; we asked him to alert the other nations! And what did he do? He neglected to even send some troops of his own to aid the allied kingdom his own daughter was queen of.” Amalia sheethed through gritted teeth, it was clear what happened with the animal taming race was still a sore spot for her. Not like he could ever blame her. “Is it any wonder I say we’re allies only on paper? As much as it pains me to admit it, Armand was right; the other nations just don’t care about the Sadida.”

“Amalia, you know that’s not true.” Yugo tried to console her, to make her see reason before her heartbreak over what happened caused her to do anything she might regret in the future. “Even if it wasn’t the overwhelming support your kingdom rightfully needed, you still got so many people from different races helping you.” He grinned at the cute little pout on her face, knowing he was slowly winning her over. “Remember? You had some Iops by your side—including their god and his current vassal—; your best friend is a Cra who’ll always be in your corner; an old Enutrof thought it was more important to help you than earn a quick kama; then, there’s Master Joris—who, to be honest, I’m not even sure what he is…”

“And I got the one and only Eliatrope King rallying up his army and dragon brother to help us.” Amalia finished for him, looking up at him adoringly but with a mischievous glint that told the Eliatrope King in question he had been had.

With a soft chuckle, he finally relented. “Yeah, I suppose that too.”

“Do you see now why we Sadidas don’t mind things becoming a little tense between the other kingdoms and us for your people’s sake, Yugo?” She took his hands in hers. What she was about to say was of utmost importance and she wanted him to hang onto her every word. “Even when everyone made it very clear we didn’t want you here, you and your people stayed and helped us in our hour of need when no one else would. We are immensely grateful for that and want to repay you.”

“I know, Amalia, I do. It’s just…” He trailed off, averting his eyes, not trusting himself to speak.

“It’s just what, Yugo?” She urged him to continue, placing her hand on his cheek to get him to look at her again.

He sighed. “I just don’t want you suffering the consequences for my sake.” He confessed.

“It’s not suffering the consequences if I want this. And trust me, I desperately want this. If you ask me, for all intents and purposes, Eliatropes and Sadidas are already one.” The young queen admitted, bringing his hands to her cheeks to feel his warmth. “Besides, if we’re really going to get in trouble for keeping your people near, then all the more reason to do it.”

“What does that even mean?!” The Eliatrope laughed at her enigmatic choice of words, his heart feeling lighter than it had for weeks.

“We outcasts must stick together, don’t you think?” She winked at him with a smirk, causing him to laugh even harder. Only this time, the Sadida beauty soon followed in on the laughter.

Alibert, who had remained quiet while they talked, knowing they needed to get some things out in the open, smiled broadly at the scene. Watching them be this openly affectionate and in love was such a turn of events from when he would catch his then 17-year-old son staring after the Sadida Princess like a lovesick puppy, only to immediately backtrack and deny he harboured any romantic feelings. And now, even if he understood his son’s concerns, he was glad his little flower managed to knock some sense into him. She was right, of course, Eliatrope and Sadida had become one the very day the two lovers first crossed paths. It was only natural they remained together.

After a few more minutes where he just allowed the couple to flirt shamelessly, as they had probably forgotten he was there in the first place, he finally decided it was about time he reminded them of his presence.

Clearing his throat, he tried to hide the amused smile creeping on his lips at the way they just seemed to freeze at the same time as their faces turned crimson at his interruption. “While I’m sure you still have much to talk about, as Yugo can attest, I’ve always believed it’s just not right to discuss heavy topics on an empty stomach. So, come on! Dig in! Before your food gets cold!”

Not needing to be told twice, the couple finally dug in with much gusto, the conversation between the three eventually drifting off to much more pleasant and varied topics.

............................................................................................................................

A few hours had passed and Yugo and Amalia were getting ready to go back. There was still much to be done in the Sadida Kingdom, especially in preparation for sharing their living spaces with the Eliatropes. While Amalia was busy saying goodbye to Chibi and Grougal, promising to come back soon, Alibert took the chance to talk some more with his eldest son before he left.

“So, tell me, my boy.” He began, looping an arm around his suddenly much taller son and not liking one bit how old that made him feel. “Are you still having second thoughts about popping the question?”

Yugo smiled down at his father, his cheeks colouring slightly at the reminder. “I’m doing better. I mean, I suppose I’ll always worry about Amalia and what’s best for her, but at least now I know we’re pivotal in each other’s happiness. I really can’t imagine my life without her.”

Alibert couldn't help but grin. “Is that why you came all the way here, to tell me about your plans to propose?”

“Pretty much, yeah. I at least wanted to let you know you might have to prepare yourself for a wedding.” Although the smile didn’t fall from his face, it became a little strained. “I really wanted to talk to somebody about this, especially since now I can’t even ask King Oakheart for his blessing…” Then, he added, almost as an afterthought. “Thinking back, I’m not even sure Armand would have given me his blessing. I never could figure him out…”

“Please.” The old Enutrof just scoffed, rolling his eyes in amusement. “As if Armand would’ve been able to tame his sister. She’s just as beautiful as she is wild, you know?”

“Believe me, I know.” He nodded with the dopiest, most lovesick smile Alibert had ever seen on a person. He had to stifle a laugh; his pretty flower had him wrapped around her little finger…

“For all it’s worth, she has my blessing.” Alibert joked, smacking his shoulder so hard, Yugo almost toppled over despite his new body mass.

After that, father and son just looked each other in the eye, their gazes reflecting the deep love and care they shared, and closed the distance between them with one big hug. It was so weird, in a way, that despite no longer engulfing the entirety of his son’s body like he used to, he still felt like he had more to hug now. More to love.

He knew it the moment his little piwii was entrusted to him. He would only come to love Yugo more each passing day.

Now that they were in such close proximity, however, he whispered in his ear. “Whenever you feel ready to talk about what you went through in the Necroworld, son, I’ll be there.”

Instead of saying anything, he just felt Yugo hug him tighter.

“Well, ready when you are.” Amalia made her presence known, staring at the scene lovingly but with the smallest tinge of sadness for what she would no longer be able to do with her own father.

“Right.” Yugo said, breaking the hug yet not being able to resist squeezing his father affectionately one last time. “I’ll be back soon to keep you posted, Dad. I promise.”

“You’d better!” Alibert laughed jovially. Then, he turned to Amalia, offering her a kind smile. “Please, take care of him for me, will you, Your Majesty? You know the kind of trouble he tends to get into.” He winked at her conspiratorially.

Amalia just giggled cutely in response. “Don’t worry, Alibert. You can count on me.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” He clapped his hands loudly. “Well, what are you waiting for? Don’t let this old Enutrof keep you for much longer; I’m sure you’re very busy back home. Oh! And tell Adamaï he’d better come visit, too!” He called after them.

“Will do, Dad!” Yugo replied, waving him goodbye as they made their way out of Emelka.

As Alibert watched his son and his, hopefully, soon-to-be fiancée walk away hand-in-hand, smiling widely and laughing as they grew smaller against the horizon, the old innkeeper couldn’t help but lay his eyes on Yugo.

The way he now dwarfed his beloved, albeit only by a head. His broad shoulders. The confidence with which he carried himself now. The sheer power he radiated. The maturity of his decisions. The immense adoration he regarded his girlfriend with. His willingness to finally take the reins of his own life and remain by her side after so long of denying himself that simple wish.

He saw it all and couldn’t help but think, not for the first time, that old saying was right:

They really did grow up very fast.

#wakfu #wakfu season 4 #wakfu spoilers #wakfu season 4 spoilers #wakfu fanfiction #my fanfic #yugo the eliatrope #amalia sheran sharm #yumalia #wakfu alibert #chibi #wakfu grougaloragran #ankama #dofus #fluff #hurt/comfort

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bloomboxygo · 10 months

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ARC-V Month Day 22: Prismatic Rare, Prismatic Pair

@arcvmonth

How about a really rare pair, huh? This one involves Aria the Melodious Diva and Sonata the Melodious Diva! I hereby call it... Duettoshipping!

Yeah, this is the evidence of these two obviously sharing a close bond. They ascend to heaven like this. (Also Sonata is never seen without Aria, just saying) That's my evidence to classify this as "Rarepair" instead of "Nonexistentpair".

Now... This is to be Chapter 7 of Arias of Florescence: Duet of Devotion, except Ao3 got targeted by some prime losers. I HAVE to post it here first, unfortunately, because who knows when it'll get back up. So... I hope you enjoy!

(DISCLAIMER: this is the first fic I do regarding romance. I'm not super good at it but I hope I did a decent enough job.)

Arias of Florescence: Duet of Devotion

Characters: Yuzu Hiiragi, Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir, Aria the Melodious Diva, Sonata the Melodious Diva

Relationships: Duettoshipping (Aria/Sonata), Fruitshipping (Yuya/Yuzu, purely circumstancial)

Warnings: N/A

Comments and Criticisms are appreciated as always!

It was quite a normal day for Yuzu and Bloom Diva, but not without a sense of anticipation for the former: Valentine’s day was nigh, and tensions were rising for her as she had to remind herself more and more about this, as well as being reminded by others in frustrating manners to her, one such instance Bloom Diva was a witness of, and commented on, right after it ended as the two entered the pinkette’s bedroom on their own.

“Yuzu… Your temper and fanswipes regarding your relationship with Yuya are starting to be concerning.”

“Maybe, but did Dad really have to tease me about it two days in a row?!” Yuzu then sat on the bed in a huff, then changed her mind a second later and laid down instead. “I just… I just don’t know how to handle it, Bloom Diva! Just the thought of Yuya and I being together sends me into a frenzy, AND I’M NOT SURE OF WHY!”

“It is clear something is moving you, Yuzu.” The Choir remained vague, to try to calm down her companion while addressing her issue while watching her from above with her ghostly form. “Perhaps certain aspects of such thoughts are the reason for such outbursts. It is evident that you have formed a strong bond, down to the core of your selves.”

“Yeah, because we’ve been together for more than a decade and we’ve done who knows what many things together, or tried to get back together a hundred times by now!

But… I don’t know about this “love” thing!

Does it make you emotional like this? Does it stir a volcano inside your body? Does it drop your intelligence to the ground like what happens with Yugo?!”

Bloom Diva was somewhat getting worried about Yuzu’s ramblings. She clearly saw that she had feelings for Yuya, but perhaps…

“Huh…?” The pinkette calmed down, but was quite confused. “No need to rush, you say?”

“Something must be holding you back, Yuzu. No need to rush.”

“It is best to wait until the right moment. I implore you to trust me, I have some experience in the matters of love.”

“Wait… Experience?” Now, all of a sudden, Yuzu got curious. “Does that mean… You can have a special one too?”

“Well, perhaps not in this new form… But yes.” The Choir responded serenely. “Yet it is of another lovely bond that I witness every day that I speak of. That being of Aria and Sonata.”

“Aria and Sonata?” Yuzu asked to be met with a nod, then deduced: “Well, I can see that they work well together. I mean… Shortly before I finally met you like this, I didn’t see one without the other. And they sang together… But love? I didn’t expect that at all! They could have just been friends, for all I knew.”

“Yet love has blossomed between them, and theirs was truly special to witness.

Their love… Created something entirely new.”

“They… Created something new?” Yuzu wasn’t flustered anymore, and sat up, asking for: “Say… What would that be? Can you tell me?”

“I would be delighted to!” The Choir then lowered herself to Yuzu’s height and adjusted her position as if she were talking to her companion side by side. She would then start to narrate this tale:

“It all began in a very harsh, and very important moment of your life… One which we did not fully realize the scope of until much later.”

DUEL SPIRITS’ WORLD - CONSERVATORY (A WHILE AGO)

Yuzu, for what felt like the first time in a while, was fighting with something big at stake: the ownership of the You Show Duel School. After a hard fought victory by Yuya, the pinkette was defiant to the accusations of her eyes lacking luster by Masumi, her opponent. Cocky, even.

Mozarta couldn’t communicate to Yuzu at that time, so all she could do as her Maestra started to struggle was watch and attempt to face Gem-Knight Master Diamond, Masumi’s ace Monster.

However, this ended very poorly for her, as she was slashed in two by Master Diamond’s gigantic, gem-decorated hunk of metal, and came to the Conservatory’s with the slash wound still hurting her, but not nearly as much as her failing Yuzu, while lamenting the fate of her companion, Canon, who was destroyed in that same Battle Phase, and was knocked down to the floor.

As Mozarta descended, and knelt to the ground in pain, the feed from the Main Hall cut in black and everyone else rushed to Mozarta and Canon’s aid. Albeit… Aria and Sonata were there to tend to Canon already, and were greatly shocked that the Maestra joined her in defeat.

“M…Mozarta!” Aria instantly turned to the Maestra, as she was about to pick up Canon, but Mozarta responded with:

“Worry not about me…! How is Yuzu faring? Can we see her?”

“The feed was cut to black…?” Sonata too grew very worried of the situation, and Harmonia, the Composer, clarified:

“Yeah, that means there’s no one to protect her now… But she shouldn’t need to! Our opponents have all attacked this turn!”

“Harmonia is right! We need not worry!” Shopina came in, more determined. “Our Maestra may be in trouble now, but as long as one of us is called forth, we shall persist! Our Concert shall not be over!”

“We need to show that pompous brunette what for! I believe we can do it! Or Action Cards will!” Serenade grew suddenly hopeful. “I’m sure Yuzu will make a comeback! We’ll just have to wait to be called!”

…

But no one was called. There had been no connection for quite some time as the Melodious waited in silence and dread, fearing the absolute worst. Elegy, unfortunately, understood the situation.

“Yuzu… Yuzu has fallen… We were not able to aid her…”

Somewhat knowing what was at stake in that Duel, Mozarta’s heart sank at this realization. That struck her deeper than a Solid Vision injury ever would, clouding her mind with thoughts of doom, not aided by:

“GRAAAGH!” Canon angrily slammed her fist down as she got up, with rage bottled up in her betraying her grace on the stage. “That was the WORST TIME for that to happen-”

But as she was about to run off to the woods nearby to vent, Mozarta collapsed and was about to drop on the ground. Her massive figure was easy to catch, as all the Melodious nearby managed to catch her as everyone shouted her name.

“I’ll prepare everything in the infirmary right away!” Harmonia exclaimed, not without a hint of panic, exacerbated by her running off hastily towards the location. Without so much as a word, Aria, Sonata and Canon proceeded to carry the Maestra to get treated.

…

Some time passed, and Mozarta would surely recover from her injuries… At least, her minor physical ones. A gloomy atmosphere surrounded the conservatory, as the Fairies were saddened by Yuzu’s defeat. They couldn’t even know how it ended, but they could only assume it was incredibly harsh as the attacks appeared to have ended her on the spot, right as she thought she had the upper hand. Many couldn’t even bring themselves to sing, the only one being Elegy, as she knew about the tragedies of the world, and tried her best to hone her voice and console her friends in front of a minor, if personal tragedy, that being the Duel that just occurred.

Before Yuzu’s fateful meeting, the Melodious’ connection to this world was limited to their presence as Solid Vision Monsters, when they fought by their Maestra’s side. Harmonia found a way so that through the eyes of those on the stage the others could hear and see as they did, so they would be more knowledgeable of the world Yuzu lived in.

Aria was most worried about this, having vaguely heard about what was at stake in that Duel. She sat down on the grass near the gardens trying to ponder what Yuzu’s loss would entail, only to curl up, head on her knees, as she wallowed in disappointment. Sonata, the receptive one that she is, instantly came to her aid and sat beside her, trying to comfort her as best as she could… After all, she was also hurt by this situation.

“Hey, Aria… I know it was a rough defeat. But everything will end up alright, I’m sure of it.”

“I’m… I’m really not sure!” The bronze Diva responded, with tears somewhat altering her speech. “I don’t know exactly how, but I’ve heard the people with Masumi are taking over You Show Duel School?”

“That honestly sounds far fetched, Aria…”

“I KNOW, but I can’t just ignore that!” After that brief outburst, Aria turned her gaze towards the sky to elaborate. “It’s so frustrating to not know more about this, but… I just can’t help but feel… That our most frequent, beloved stage might be at risk… All the times we’ve gone there, all the joyous settings the Action Fields would provide, and all the times we’ve cheered up our dear Yuzu, since she was little… When we performed there, we were never worried. It was all to brighten everyone’s day, including Yuya’s… Quite a bit, whenever he felt down. It was the perfect stage for us all, and… I don’t know what will happen to it.

Will it get destroyed?

Will it stay as it is?

Will we even be able to play there?

Will it be made corporate in a dystopian wa-”

At that point, Sonata stopped her companion from rambling with a gentle hold on Aria’s shoulders, and told her:

“You’re right that we know too little… But we know a couple things. Yuzu will still be with us, and we’ll know more once she calls us again. So you don’t need to worry much, after all…

You always have me to help you.”

What Sonata didn’t quite see from that hold from behind was quite the blush on Aria’s face. It was easily missable, considering that it’s hard to see on Aria’s skin tone, but what was more noticeable for Sonata was:

“EEEP!” Aria suddenly springing upward and yelping slightly, but calming down shortly after with breathing exercises.

“Whoa, Aria… Are you OK?” Sonata gently rose up to meet with her companion, who turned to her and responded:

“Yeah… I’m OK now, thanks. I’m just… Confused, that’s all. You’re right, we should wait and see, and not lose hope.”

“Ah, I’m glad you’re back!” Sonata then waved Aria off with a warm smile and her motive was: “I’m going to see Harmonia now, she must be neck deep into her work.”

“Right… Thanks, Sonata! Later…” Aria would then breathe a sigh and spend some more time meditating, as there were… A couple things she was anxious about.

“Ahh… We NEED to get stronger, but which path can we even take?!”

Sure enough, Sonata’s suspicions were right as Harmonia was struggling with her scripts. Her face was on her desk as the situation was taking a toll on her, and Sonata came in shortly after, with a pat on the back of the Composer.

“Why all the rush, Harmonia? We have yet to see how Yuzu’s taking all of this, and yet you’ve been there ever since Mozarta was out of the Infirmary.”

“Because… If we really face duelists like Masumi in the future, then we stand no chance!” Harmonia then showed a piece of paper with schemes onto it, showing notes on the Duel that occurred. “See… If we count our numbers as Cards Yuzu used… It took us 5 Cards to get Mozarta and Canon to the Stage. That was pretty much our best effort in one turn. Meanwhile, not only did Masumi have two stronger Gem-Knights in a snap, not only could she call these Fusions forth, but her specific Fusion Spell can be used again for a small price!

And Yuzu didn’t recover from that! That must mean she could do absolutely nothing afterwards… And neither can we! That was our best and we apparently got pulverized!”

“Well… I’ll admit we couldn’t really stand up to veteran knights like them!” Sonata followed that up with a rather flustered comment. “But in the end… We don’t need to rush in order to improve.”

“And what? We’ll just stay like this until Yuzu stops dueling or some-”

“No, Harmonia. Sonata intends on partaking in this journey as well. But our paces must be the same.”

“Mozarta!”

As the Maestra interrupted Harmonia, the others would greet her back and see that she was more determined than ever.

“I had discovered the beautiful art of Fusion thanks to Cat Dancer, and this valiant Duel made me realize… There is untapped potential in both that, and us.”

“Fusion was the first thing that came to mind, of course, but there’s also this new… Pendulum thing! What does that even do? Apparently, it’s something awesome that doesn’t work?!” Harmonia started rambling on, but Mozarta was quick to stop her.

“Let us not rush to conclusions. While what Pendulum can muster is confusing and unknown to us, it was most likely Yuya not applying it well. I saw it myself… Beneath that stage bomb, there is much intriguing about it. Cat Dancer has also mentioned another tribe, the Lyriluscs, wielding a Summoning method called XYZ…

But no matter what path we will take, I believe we must walk it with Yuzu.”

“With Yuzu?” Sonata asked. “Have you found some sort of connection between her and us aside from the fact that she’s our Conductor?”

“So… Gut feelings are all we have right now.”

“Not quite… But I have a feeling that it might help our cause.” The Maestra then elaborated. “Something I noticed is how the You Show students remain surprised by what Fusion has to offer, despite it being a known art. That tells me they did not know of its capabilities. No matter how it eluded them for this long, what matters is that Yuzu steps forward to improve, with any method. If we know what method Yuzu seeks to master… Then by my will, I shall grant her wish. I swear of it.”

“HEY!” Sonata snapped back at that blunt remark from Harmonia. “I think it’s a bit more than just gut feelings, you know?”

“You are both right, in a sense.” Mozarta responded serenely. “It is merely a feeling of mine, yet it is a feeling we must believe in. Perhaps with our wishes in harmony, the Inspiration may lend us aid. In short… Let us not destroy ourselves more than the Gem-Knights did.”

Harmonia let out a relaxed sigh, and Sonata cheered her up with a good pat on the head.

…

Although the defeat was harsh, and there was no news about Yuzu, the Melodious’ spirits were lifted by one another’s encouragement, and their worries about their Maestra were lessening by the hour, as time passed.

For someone else, not all worries in her mind were about Yuzu though.

Aria felt overwhelmed with thoughts and insecurities about a decision she vowed to make someday, but in order to press forward at last, she decided to seek aid to the one that was sure to help. She knocked onto Serenade’s room, fairly simple in furniture yet elegant, with various hues of pink coloring the walls, and two mirrored dresses with inverted color palettes in a glass dome in a corner and the pink Diva let her in with a mild and tired smile.

“Hey, Aria… Still worried about Yuzu?”

“Actually no, it’s about, um… Something else.” Aria meekly responded. “You see, I… I think I have feelings for someone and-”

At that point, Serenade’s mild smile turned into an enormous, excited grin that she was barely able to contain with a mild squee. Swiftly, she proceeded to carry a confused Aria to the interior and close the door down, before both walked together and proceeded to sit on Serenade’s bed, side by side. Deep breath taken and knees slapped with her hands, the pink Diva started, in a singing voice.

“I think I have a hunch on who you have feelings fooor!”

“Yeah… It’s obviously Sonata.” Aria responded. “I can’t help it, she just hits all the right notes for me! She always knows how to bring someone up, she’s extremely kind and upbeat, and she’s done so much for me… More than she even thinks!

I want to step forward and tell her! But… I can’t! I just feel immobilized whenever I try to or whenever we get too close!

Surely with all the operas of love you’ve studied, you can find something in there that could help me with this step!”

“It’s not that simple, Aria, especially for this step specifically!” Serenade bummed Aria a bit with this, but pressed on. “I know a ton of classical music is centered around love, but not many actually delve deep into the “your face is as red as a pepper” stage.

But it’s not operas that matter in this case. It’s YOU. Something must be holding you back. You need to come clean and tell me what it is.”

“O…Okay!” A bit shocked but relieved, Aria then breathed deeply and spoke up. “It’s that… I don’t feel like I can do much for her in return, at least comparativel-”

“OK, I’ll stop you right there, I know where this is going.” Serenade became unusually assertive now, but for a good reason. “Listen… By saying this, you’re only undervaluing yourself. You’re thinking you don’t have enough to offer. I’ll say you’re wrong already because you already have something special to offer no matter what.

YOU.”

“M…Me? Is it that simple?”

“Don’t underestimate that! The core of love is to offer themselves to one another! Once all have agreed to that, a true lovely bond blossoms and because you made that offer and accepted the other, you’ll be there for each other with all your heart.

And from that, everything else builds up. And I think you have a really good shot at that! I mean… I know Sonata likes you already!”

This directness made Aria somewhat embarrassed, and made her deduce:

“I… Think so, but I’m not sure if I’m ready, that’s all-”

However, before this could escalate, Aria stopped herself after feeling a sensation on the head.

“...Yuzu?”

“Yuzu?” The pink Diva immediately was put on alert. “It’s her, isn’t she? This means we are called to perform!”

“Yeah, we are! Everyone needs to be gathered!” And with this sudden surge of confidence, Aria vanished in a bright light as she was to take the stage at long last.

Serenade spread the word to everyone, aided by Shopina who was in the main hall and witnessed Yuzu’s world through the eyes of Aria. As the Melodious gathered swiftly there, they could see that their Duel was taking place in a dock of some kind, and the opponent in front of her and Yuzu was a familiar cyan haired kid. After the initial confusion, the Fairies shut up as said kid asked:

“So, Yuzu… How do you want me to go with your intro lesson?”

“I want you to go all out, Sora!” Indeed, the pinkette was behind Aria, who couldn’t afford to retract her stoic and graceful position she had mastered. However, while she wouldn’t turn around and look at Yuzu, she would certainly listen to her:

“Because I took that loss, we almost lost You Show School! I need to get stronger! I need to learn Fusion from you so I can protect my friends instead of relying on them! If you go all out from the start, I can get more focused on improving, so my eyes won’t be-”

BEEP BEEP

“NOOO! Ugh… Sorry, I got a call from my Dad! We need to delay this otherwise this goes all up in smoke!”

After this interruption and these last words from the pinkette, the feed disappeared and everyone was stunned by what just happened. They could finally start piecing things together once Aria arrived.

“So… Yuzu’s here… And she wants to improve as well!”

“Not only that, but we didn’t lose You Show after all!” Sonata followed her up, quite relieved.

“Wait, apparently she wants to learn… And that kid’s her teacher? Really?” Serenade questioned the situation, but Elegy admonished that notion.

“Let us not doubt his capabilities. We haven’t even seen what he’s capable of.”

“And our girl's telling him to go all out, so he has to be good!" Canon added.

"What matters is that this is a new beginning from all of us, and not all hope is lost." Shopina relayed before Mozarta concluded:

"And Yuzu is willing to grow… With Fusion! Let us follow in her footsteps, then… Harmonia."

The Composer had just come in at that point, and her excitement ignited again, as she felt inspired by the situation.

"I already have a great idea for this! Time for me to get to work!"

…

Shortly after, there was another instance of the intro Duel that occured between Yuzu and Sora. From there, they learned more about how Fusion was in her World, and Harmonia dedicated herself to a particular composition… One that would reside in a part of the garden house instead of her room.

It was a circular flower composition, orange and blue with a spiraling pattern somewhat resembling Polymerization. It lay isolated in a dome which previously held other plants which were moved out to another part of the garden house. Mozarta came by to take a look at the finished piece, very much warmed by Harmonia’s skill and enthusiasm.

“My dear… You were always a passionate gardener, were you not? It is quite showing with this lovely work of yours!”

“Ah, thank you! I thought a more simplistic and even approach would fit this flower bed better, that’s all. I just… Really hope this works!”

“Hm? Have you any doubts, Harmonia?”

“Well, it’s more like… If this doesn’t work, and we aren’t able to access or learn Fusion… What will Yuzu do with it? From what we’ve heard from Yuzu dueling, it’s not like we can call forth anyone… If we can’t learn Fusion, we might have just wasted her time…”

“Be not afraid. I am sure our work, and Yuzu’s work, will form a resonance strong enough to call the Inspiration, so our pleas may be answered.”

…

Shortly after, Harmonia came back to her room to revise notes she had made of Yuzu’s Duel. The Melodious likely didn’t get the full picture of her studies, as there should also be theory and such, conducted without Monsters to witness it. That made them all more hopeful of a breakthrough…

And eventually, they found one descending from the sky… The Inspiration answered Yuzu’s, and the Melodious’ will of learning Fusion, of growing stronger… With a peculiar looking figure which the Composer was simply mesmerized by: a light, black armor plate with orange tips all over covering a pure white veil, orange bandages covering her eyes, contrasting lightly with her green complexion, and many long strands of brunette hair that looked almost like bass clefs.

While somewhat unusual a look… A new Melodious had joined the Ensemble, and Harmonia just had to resist jumping for joy to maintain her courtesy and politeness.

“Ahm… I am SO pleased to meet you at last! It’s an honor to have you join the Melodious ensemble! So… What’s your name?”

“You may call me Soprano.” A soft-spoken voice came out of the new Member. “I know why I’m here… The pleas of you all to reach the realm of Fusion Summoning have reached me, and so I am born.”

“So… IT’S REAL!” Harmonia then quickly recomposed herself. “Ah, my apologies! I’ll present you to the others right away. They must have known of your arrival, and are waiting in the main hall. You’ll be perfect for joining the Divas’ ranks!”

“Actually, I was assigned a rather different title…”

A small revelation, a hint of surprise, and some reassuring were all that was needed to prepare the two for Soprano’s presentation. The two came to the top of the stairway, and the rest of the Melodious watched in awe at this new, rather peculiar member, who then was presented by Harmonia:

“My fellow Members, a new Melodious has joined our Ensemble!

Soprano the Melodious Songstress!”

That was met with wows and gasps as they were unfamiliar with this new name, which Shopina pointed out.

“Songstress… This is indeed new! Is she… Is the the gateway to Fusion?”

“Indeed I am. Yet Fusion is a ritual which cannot be performed alone.” The Songstress responded. “In order to offer my talent, I need at least one partner.”

“If I may…”

Mozarta stepped up to meet Soprano head on, and solemnly declared:

“May I be your partner, Soprano? I had watched over Yuzu since she was a child. I had seen her grow up as she conducted all of us. Allow me to experience this new stage of her life… Of her growth!”

“Gladly… You already show a strong conviction!”

“You have my thanks. Now… Shall I suggest where to perform?”

“Surely you may.”

Right as Mozarta and Soprano finished that conversation, they went to the Fusion flower composition Harmonia made, and all the other Melodious watched in extreme anticipation.

“My… I see why you’ve led me here.” Soprano mused. “Very well… Follow my lead, Mozarta.”

The Maestra nodded and soon the ritual would start. Soprano lead the way witha great alto befitting of such a title, already mesmerizing the other Melodious Monsters. As the flower bed lit beneath her, she ascended to the air and the familiar Fusion Portal formed behind her and Mozarta stood by her side with a ready posture. It would all fall into place as the two figures swirled until the portal became a white light, and a pink lotus bud was formed out of it. It opened up, and revealed the familiar figure everyone, even Yuzu, would know personally.

Azure dress and pink long scarf…

Fair complexion with lines resembling Mozarta’s…

Silver hair with golden treble clef hairpins…

The flower bud, serving as a stage…

And clear whole eyes ready to see this new Stage of her life, and a delicate ascending operatic scale greeting her fellow members who watched in awe. Among them, Shopina was the first to come forth:

"Mozarta… Is this truly you?"

"Indeed… I am reborn, with a new role and a renewed purpose." The Figure responded. "I must uphold all of our ideals to the fullest, to soothe the souls of all who listen, taking an ever growing Stage.

For I am… Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir."

MAIAMI CITY - YUZU'S ROOM (PRESENT)

"Wow…! Your entrance was so grandiose, Bloom Diva!" Yuzu was eagerly listening to the conversation, but soon remembered that: "Wait, aren't we derailing a bit?"

"I believe we are not, why?" The Choir responded, after being immersed in her tale.

"Wasn't this story about Aria and Sonata?"

"Trust me, I have not derailed my tale. Perhaps I have elaborated on circumstantial matters, but all of that was the prelude for the duet.

Shortly after, it would be Sonata's turn to take the stage."

DUEL SPIRITS' WORLD - CONSERVATORY (RESUMING)

As Soprano continued to share her knowledge, it would seem that only Bloom Diva could come out of her Fusion ritual, perhaps as Mozarta’s soul allowed her to create that new form of hers. While Bloom Diva could be manifested out of anyone, her agency seemed to be limited if the Fusion was performed with anyone sans Mozarta.

Naturally, this led to Sonata stepping forward to talk to Soprano privately, at a moment of rest, near the garden house.

“I think I understood how Fusion works. Say though… Do you know exactly where it comes from, when it all starts?”

“Fusion is merely a technique which has many origins. But for me… It comes from the voices and wills of two people in perfect harmony, essentially. Maybe that’s why it worked particularly well with Mozarta…”

“Perfectly in harmony…” Sonata listened to Soprano’s explanation, and suddenly a wave of determination came to her and she declared: “Then I’ll try it myself!”

“Oh! …Do you have the means?”

“I think so… I’m not a Songstress like you, but I believe I can-”

“UM…”

It turned out, someone else was listening to the conversation, and now decided to step forward, visibly searing red.

“Aria?” Sonata asked. “Is there something wrong?”

“Uh…” Aria was still hindered, still weighed down by her insecurities, but slowly, slowly came forward. “I… Listened to what you were talking about with Soprano and… I…”

At this point, Sonata had a hunch and came closer to the cowering Aria, who was blushing even more, and asserted herself.

“It’s come to this… Listen, Aria… You need to let it out. You’ve come here for a reason. Now simply face me and tell me what’s in your mind.

I’m always here to help you, Aria!”

“I… I know! But… I…”

Seeing that her voice was slowly comforting Aria, Sonata decided to take it a step further and sing a single note, encouraging her companion to join in. Soprano was greatly moved and intrigued by this exchange, and some other Melodious had noticed it as well.

“I…”

As Aria struggled to talk, Sonata sang one note higher.

“I…”

Aria’s attempts became more melodic and determined as Sonata pushed her forward.

“I…

I…!

I OFFER MYSELF TO YOU!!!”

And at last, the declaration, which did not catch off guard Sonata at all. She could feel it miles away due to all they’ve been through together, and simply let Aria speak with great warmth in her.

“You’ve done so much for me, so much that you don’t even know! You’ve been the kindest and nicest person I’ve ever known! Whenever I heard you sing, or merely speak, I couldn’t help but be lifted up, like I went to visit the Inspiration itself!

I’ve struggled to say this to you because I didn’t know how to repay you!

I felt fear that I would only drag you behind… I didn’t realize how stupid it was of me! I want to help you through all of our ordeals! I want to stay by your side! I want to go through this eternal concert with you! I WILL CHERISH YOU AND ALL YOU’VE DONE!

So… Sonata… Will you be my partner… In this lovely duet?”

“Yes! A thousand times yes, Aria!”

Not even a fraction of a moment Sonata spent responding to Aria. All now was let out, and there was no point in keeping the tension any longer. Sonata lovingly held Aria’s shoulders, and she paid her back in kind. Warm, embracing smiles were had by both as they stared at each other, but Aria added tears of joy to her face, and Sonata a visible blush of great warmth. The latter proceeded to speak her side.

“I knew you had it, Aria. Your talent, your grace, and your composure is what led me to help you so much in the first place… But most of all, because of how sincere you are. You never hesitated to share to me what was wrong, and with your confession… Your emotions showed it. Now you’ve stepped forward and faced the worries of your mind head on, no doubt the hardest you’ve felt… And I wholly admire you for it.

Let us partake in this duet… Forever, and ever!”

“Forever, and ever!”

With Aria’s repeating, there were no more words, but just one gesture left. One gesture, with which they could finally seal the deal. Their faces leaned into each other, ready to meet halfway through…

But it was suddenly stopped by many Melodious staring at them dumbfoundedly, opposite of the entrance to the garden house. Aria was the first to speak, her worries completely gone, but replaced by some confusion.

“What is the matter, fellow Members?”

“I don’t mind you being here, it’s just… What’s with your faces?” Sonata followed her up, only for Harmonia to shout:

“Behind you, you dummies!”

The Composer pointed at the flower composition, which became radiant once more right as the two leaned into each other. No words were exchanged, as they knew what to do. They floated towards the composition and stood above it, ready to perform despite Harmonia’s doubts.

“Waitwaitwait… Don’t we need you for this, Soprano?”

“Not at all… I can already tell, they’ve created something truly special.” Soprano shut everyone else up with this, and Aria and Sonata performed together. They held both hands together in palms and laid their foreheads against each other before letting one hand slide into the other’s arms, and turning around with the other arm held up high. They were perfectly mirrored and in harmony, in both tone and movements, as they shined brightly, then swirled into the Fusion Portal.

What then came out of them was a figure as big as a Maestra, but with a puffy dress that looked more like an hourglass, mostly red with black accents, with big white shoulderpads. The figure’s maroon hair was set ablaze with pure passion, contrasting with the golden mask underneath, and over her teal skin. She also wielded a conductor’s baton that was also a floret, and swung it around creating pink waves whenever it went, ending with a dramatic pose, full of passion and flair.

Everyone was astonished at what had just occurred, and Shopina wasn’t intent on hiding it.

“This is a rather unbelievable achievement… You have truly done it!”

“Oh ho! Now, with this new form, I simply feel free and full of fire in my heart!” The figure responded, with a more boisterous attitude than the other Maestras, especially compared to the softer Mozarta, who greeted the newly arrived with a warm smile.

“Hardly in my life have I ever imagined something like this…It is truly special. How shall we address you, dear?”

“Schuberta! Schuberta, the Melodious Maestra! Glad to finally conduct alongside you!”

MAIAMI CITY - YUZU’S ROOM (PRESENT)

“That’s how it all came to be?!” Yuzu exclaimed, to be met with a nod from Bloom Diva. The pinkette tried to recollect: “You’ve mentioned that Schuberta was born because of Aria and Sonata’s bond… But I wouldn’t have imagined that it was LIKE THIS.”

“Yet it all happened, and it was truly joyous.” The Choir warmly responded. “Their love had reignited the Melodious’ hope further, all leading into your comeback against Masumi… And for all of us to truly blossom.”

“Because in the end, we all stepped forward.” That was also met with a nod by the Fairy, and after a bit of thinking, Yuzu said:

“You know what, I think I’ll make another step forward on Valentine’s! Don’t worry… I’ll be ready.”

“Do not be ashamed otherwise, Yuzu. Just follow your own heart.”

With these closing remarks, Yuzu would salute the Choir so she could return to her friends for the evening. Shortly after, however… A damning sensation came to her. A memory which sounded silly, but pierced her mind like a needle… And she had to make sure to remove it.

Thus, she hastily tapped Bloom Diva’s card to call her before it was too late.

“Ah, Yuzu! Is something amiss?” The Fairy responded, both acknowledging the sudden call and looking at Yuzu’s shaken expression. The pinkette would then ask:

“Bloom Diva… Remember that time I first tried to Fusion Summon against Sora…

I had Aria and Sonata on the Field…

And I couldn’t because I put Schuberta on the Main Deck instead of the Extra?”

“Ah, yes… I see, but that is of the past, Yuzu.”

“But… That must have been Aria and Sonata’s debut of their Fusion to me? Just… What did they think of my massive mistake?! Did I embarrass them as well?”

The Choir replied with a light chuckle, then reassured Yuzu: “Well… A tiny bit, but you should pay it no mind regardless.

To be more precise…”

DUEL SPIRITS’ WORLD - CONSERVATORY

Indeed Sonata and Aria fully participated in what Duel Yuzu described: at the harbor, she was to use Polymerization to fuse the two and finally form Schuberta. However… Even with Yuzu’s best efforts, the Fusion wouldn’t occur because of a single, silly mistake.

There was overall stunned silence in the Conservatory… Easily broken up by Aria’s exasperated sigh… And Sonata’s hearty laugh.

“Aw… And this was to be our debut…” Aria thought, and Sonata leaned in on her shoulder and responded:

“Don’t think much of it! It’s not your fault and it shouldn’t really be Yuzu’s either! She’s still learning, after all! You could see the hope in her voice as she chanted for our Fusion!”

“Man, good for them, but I can’t imagine myself being all cute and cuddly like this!”

“That much is true, Sonata! And next time, and every time after, we’ll be sure to give it our all… Together!”

And with this, they both warmly embraced each other, to everyone else’s approval and encouragement. Many obstacles and blunders will be had in anyone’s life; it’s just a matter of pushing through them: Yuzu would do this thanks to those dear to her… The Melodious would do so thanks to one another… And Aria and Sonata would do this especially thanks to each other.

Said Canon, confident, yet unknowing, of the future ahead.

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