#✵ I my duty...and honor! (main verse)

[tarnishedxknight]

If Soryn and Maris were a couple, would he want to try and bring her to Archadia when he decides to work with them after his capture?

{out of dalmasca} Tagging @wovenwaves for this one, of course! =) And below the cut as always, because I ramble on forever. XD

Oh... my goodness. That's such a complex and difficult question to answer and I love it. XD I'm honestly not even sure how to answer it because it would be such a nuanced thing for him. It would depend on how long they'd been together, are they just starting to court or are they lovers, are they married, do they have any children, like... level of commitment would play into his decision.

And then the exactly circumstances of his capture and eventual deal with Gabranth would also matter. At first, he would be a prisoner, then he'd be under duress to cooperate, then willingly cooperating but under probation for a while, and then he'd be more trusted and free to do what he wanted, especially after becoming a Judge Magister.

But then that begs the question of whether Soryn would even want to make a deal or pursue becoming a Judge Magister if he has obligations to Maris to return to her. Not that he doesn't have obligations to his king and to Dalmasca, but the arrangement offered him in Archadia will actually long-term benefit Dalmasca significantly and possibly help to end the war, which is good for all of Ivalice.

So... this would really result in a painful internal battle between Soryn's personal commitment to and love for Maris and his dedication to the greater good and having a chance to help end the war. Personal honor, morality, and faithfulness would clash with his selfless desire to be a means to an end to improve Dalmasca and help stabilize Ivalice. He cannot in good conscience choose Maris over all of Ivalice or even just all of Dalmasca, but he would want to. That battle between heart and mind, love and duty, personal desire and selflessness... would be a very tough one for him.

And... sorry to just lead you off a cliff here, but I don't have any answers, heh. It would really depend upon the nature of the thread, what the status of his relationship with Maris is, and how exactly Gabranth strikes this deal with Soryn. For example, if they've only just begun courting, then he might be inclined to stay in Archadia himself and let her think he was dead, only because to ask her to move to Archadia after what they did to Landis, and for someone she's only just begun seeing, would be too much to ask.

But if they've been seeing each other for a while, if they've been at all intimate, or if she might be pregnant, etc., that's a different level of already-established commitment that he has to her. That might deter him from even thinking about not returning to Dalmasca in the first place. But if he still did make the deal, then sure he'd want to bring her to stay with him, but... there's just no way he could ask that of her. It's too much to ask, really. Then again, making that decision for her would be wrong, so he probably should at least ask her, but... he'd already be in Archadia, because he's starting out being a prisoner with no rights/privileges. So it would be some time before he would even be permitted to send word to her at all.

And that brings up another interesting facet of all of this... Soryn's timeline. So in Maris' verse where she follows Basch to Dalmasca and she and Soryn strike up a romance before he's captured, when he's captured and how long it takes before he's free to contact her again would also affect whether or not he'd want her to join him in Archadia. If I go with the Battle of Nalbina Fortress, which is just the easiest and most consequential battle to have Soryn captured during, that would be two years before the events of the main game. It's up in the air as to how Soryn's involvement would change the course of the main game's events, and whether it would shorten or lengthen the time until the eventual end of the war.

But assuming it's about the same time, Maris would be waiting almost two years for Soryn to get to the level of trust with Gabranth, Drace, Gramis, etc. to be permitted to contact anyone in Dalmasca. After that amount of time, would she still want to be with him? Especially once she hears he's working with/for the Archadians? I can't answer that for Maris, but maybe Midge wants to weigh in on that at some point, heh. So it may change the dynamic of whatever relationship they have going on for him to be away that long. If she thinks he's dead but then turns out in Archadia as a Judge Magister, she might feel betrayed or might just not want to be a part of any of that. And I think Soryn would realize how bad that would make him look to her, given her history with Archadia after the fall of Landis.

And then there's... after the game. I'm not sure if he'd want her to join him in Archadia if he's in this precarious position and the war is still raging, but... his desire to eventually return to her in Dalmasca if he decides not to ask her to move or if she refuses to move... might also have a wrench thrown in it with Gabranth's death. Soryn's participation in things could potentially change some major events of the game, but assuming they remain mostly the same and Gabranth still dies, there's a chance he would ask Soryn to protect Larsa instead of Basch. Rather that perpetuate "Gabranth" after his death, it might be better to pass protection to Soryn, especially if he's managed to establish himself as a trusted associate of Gabranth's. He would then have Zargabaath's support and would be able to keep the others at bay. Maybe he wouldn't have the same level of influence, but he'd still be an added placeholder that might change whether Basch impersonates Gabranth after his death or not.

If Soryn is asked to watch over Larsa, he would have to accept. It's too important a task to refuse. So... that would mean he would not be able to return to Dalmasca for at least a decade, since we know that Basch was still impersonating his brother eleven years after the end of the game. There's one year in between the main game's end and the epilogue, and then there's another decade between that and the events of Fortress. So that means even eleven years out, Larsa still requires protection and/or the Judge Magisters are still prone to considering fighting amongst themselves to warrant a peacekeeper being there. Would Maris even wait that long for Soryn? I doubt it, but once again, I can't answer for Midge here, heh. If it looks like he won't be free to return to Dalmasca after the events of the main game, Soryn might want Maris to come join him, but it would be up to her as to whether she does or not.

But... going back to when he's initially making this deal with Gabranth... Maris might have to be a stipulation in it heh. Soryn may be like look, I need her provided for and kept safe or there's no deal. Whether that means that she's taken to a safe location or guarded in Dalmasca or she moves to Archadia with Soryn, I'm not sure, but if he's really involved with Maris, he may consider her family, and in that case he'd want to make sure that she knows what's become of him and that she's taken care of.

I think the upshot is that, sure, he'd want her to come stay with him, but the reality is that it may not be very easy, safe, emotionally ideal, or logistically possible to do that. It would depend on the details of the thread, the AU, and how everything turned out with his deal/position in Archadia before any of that could be determined. This was a really interesting question, though, thanks for sending this in! =D

[weeklyvocajournal]

Yuzuki Yukari Song Highlights 2023

Overall Favorite : Ryoko_14 - Chikaku Kashikoshi-ron. Zenpen (ft. Hatsune Miku, Yuzuki Yukari VOICEROID)

Great pacing with an extremely powerful and cathartic climax. Miku sets the stage, Yukari's measured and professionaly robotic speaking parts adds to the theraputic element. Probably my favorite song from last year, period.

Solo Yukari : Kashuu Ryousuke - Retro Kissa

Stilted rhythms, the producer's signature dry instruments and tuning, and probably one of the more approachable songs from them for newcomers.

Multisinger : sheeno mirin - OSINT (ft. Kaai Yuki, Yuzuki Yukari, Kasane Teto AI)

First of their songs to include Yukari singing a main line (the past few were just her on talkloid/backing duty)! Funnily enough her verse in this is probably my least favorite, but it's less of Yukari being bad and more Yuki and Teto verses being fire as hell.

Tuning : Zoofles - Death of a Sunrise

I don't listen to a lot of English Yukari, but maybe it's time I fix that. Great gradual transition from soft to powerful throughout the song, and Yukari feels at home with the song in both composition and mixing.

Cover : Anonymous Y (ft. Yuzuki Yukari, Chihiro Ishiguro) (orig. PinocchioP ft. Hatsune Miku, ARuFa)

I think a good Anonymous M cover will change the lyrics a little to suit the vsynth covering it, and this sure did! Having Yukari's voice provider doing the human bits also adds a layer of meaning.

MV : Shimizu Izuka - Kikai

The music itself is great, but the MV takes it to the next level. The black/white hand-drawn illustrations and huge decorative border (with a cute little monster!) that stays throughout most of the song is my favorite part.

Honorable Mentions:

GoBS - heights (Yukari lofi never misses)

Mada Setsunai Sekai ga Ikiru - Forever,Forever (they have a lot of good Yukaris this year but this is my fave)

Paropen - My Favorite Things (Yukari and jazz also doesn't miss! Fave Yukari entry from Vocajazz Fes 2023)

315 - Umareteshimatta no de. -Toumei Edition- (runnerup for fave overall! Emotional rock ballad)

[questionsonislam]

What is Worship and Why Are the People Held Responsible For It?

The meaning of worship is that a servant performs his duties such as offering glorification, exaltation, and praise to Almighty God in the way He orders. Giving thought to the fact that he is nurtured with the endless bounties and gifts, man is in charge of doing his duty of proclaiming God is the greatest and offering thanks to Him. It is achieved only by means of worship. A worshipper arranges his all acts and behaviors such as eating and drinking, sitting and standing and so forth in accordance with the bounds of God Almighty. He leads his life as the servant of Allah. This servitude makes him reach the rank of real humanity and dignity. After all, the main goal of the creation is to attain this honor. Indeed God Almighty says in the exalted Quran I have only created Jinn and men, that they may serve Me. (Az-Záriyát: 56). In another verse in the Quran, He says:

O ye people! Worship your Guardian Lord, who created you and those who came before you, that ye may become righteous; Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto Allah when ye know (the truth). (Al-Baqarah:21-22).

God Almighty created the heaven adorned with the sun and stars, the earth decked out with seas and lands in the best form. He placed senses each of which is more valuable than the universe into the spirit of man. Just as he bestowed on him an eye capable of seeing all beauties, a tongue which is able to take pleasures from all the tastes of the food, so too did He gift him a mind being competent to turn those delights tasted by those senses into knowledge and understanding. And He donated man a conscience that can appreciate not only the bounties filtered from the universe to help him but also physical and spiritual presents placed into his body.

Man can make out through the mind granted to him that he has not been created merely for this world and that he cannot be without any purpose or duty.

He fathoms trough his conscience that he must declare thanks and glorification to his Sustainer. He performs his worship only for Allah. He never attributes any partners to his Lord.

He feels affection solely towards Allah with his heart,; he loves all the creatures worthy of love for the sake of Him.

Even if he were not held responsible for the worship, his mind, heart and conscience would command him to offer worship and obedience to Allah. It is because only worship can gratify those senses.

It is quite obvious that God Almighty, who needs nothing, has no need of our worship. On the contrary, it is we who need to worship.

What will be our response in the Day of Judgment that willingly or unwillingly we will go through when Almighty God asks us Oh my servants! I created you out of nothing. I directed all my bounties in the earth to you in order to meet your endless needs. I fulfilled your needs all the time. My compassion and mercy had always been upon you. Whom were you then together with? Whom did you, completely ignorant of me, offer your praises and thanks to though I was truly worthy of them? Do you think the spiritual torture caused by the humiliation and being ashamed will be greater than the torment of hell? It must be the severe sense of embarrassment that makes the unbeliever utter Woe unto me! Would that I were (mere) dust!"

Just as a man cannot lead his life without religion, so too can Islam not be without performing worship. Let us exemplify this truth with an analogy. Just fancy an Islamic village where azan (call to prayer) is not called. Nobody performs prayers -neither bairam nor Friday prayers nor daily prayers-. No member of that rural community performs fasting, nor gives zakat (alms), goes to Makkah for hajj (pilgrimage). They do not read the Quran, nobody minds about what is haram (forbidden) and what is halal (licit); nobody knows what is obligation and what is incumbent. Nobody brings to his mind to proclaim praises and thanks in return to the never-ending bounties of the Allah.

Do those members of that village not enter a path absolutely contrary to commands of the Quran and the lifestyles of our Prophet (upon whom be peace), his companions, the saints and purified scholars, leading scholars and interpreters of Islamic law and mujaddids (revivers).

As a matter of fact, Islam is not a system based on only theory and conscience only. In many verses of the Revealed Quran, just following the word faith the phrase good deed is used and it is stressed out that good deed is a result of belief.

The reason of sending prophets is to teach the pillars of faith and essentials of Islam to people. That is to say, it is to teach people fully the fundamentals of faith, primarily belief in Allah, and to teach them thoroughly the duties of worship which will enable faith to reach into perfection. Only by means of these glorifications can faith of man become mature. The value of a servant in the presence of Allah depends on the sensibility he displays in his servitude to Him.

[wo1fmaid]

HEADCANON: LYANNA STARK IS A WARG WHO IS CAPABLE OF GREENSIGHT

original post date: august 22, 2019

i would like to preface this headcanon by saying that this is borne out of my own imagination + analysis of the text + conversation with my writing partners. there’s a very high possibility that i’m completely off the mark here and of course, you don’t have to agree with me on this headcanon specifically. but as far as this interpretation is concerned, i’m adapting this headcanon in all of lyanna’s main verses.

things to keep in mind before reading further ( based off of my previous headcanon ) :

lyanna is the knight of the laughing tree. i think this is as good as canon at this point.

rhaegar found out that lyanna was the knight of the laughing tree. to acknowledge her undefeated streak in the joust, he crowned her the queen of love and beauty by the end of the tourney at harrenhal, much to the dismay of all the onlookers. it doesn’t go any deeper than that ( a.k.a. they’re not secretly in-love, sorry. )

the mad king also found out and ordered for lyanna’s arrest. i’ve written extensively about this in the headcanon linked above, but i believe that the mad king's growing paranoia would have triggered him into thinking that the KOTLT ( and thus, lyanna ) was part of a more elaborate plot to mock his rule, and the pretense therefore requires punishment.

additionally, contrary to fanon:

lyanna did not run away with rhaegar to escape the betrothal with robert. while i don’t think lyanna was the most eager to be married to robert baratheon ( or to be married at all ), i also don’t think she ran away with rhaegar to escape her betrothal. she could have run away, point blank period. but with a married prince and with the intent to consort with him? i don’t think so. considering too, that lyanna’s initial reservation against robert was his inability to keep to one bed. based off of that alone, i don’t think lyanna would willingly participate in infidelity of any kind. in this separate essay i will –

lyanna was dutiful to a certain degree, but not in the same way as brandon could have been or eddard was. lyanna’s upbringing was focused on being a proper lady who would marry a highborn lord someday, so she can pop off male heirs. she won’t inherit winterfell, unlike brandon, and she’s not even next in line unlike ned. the expectations of her were quite different compared to the expectations of her brothers, thus, her idea of duty differs wildly than that of her brothers'. that being said, as the lady of the house after her mother's death, she still held her family’s honor to great esteem and she went out of her way to defend and uphold that honor.

lyanna is not a self-serving character. i see this around a lot and it’s the most mind-boggling of all. this was the girl who, at 14 years old, was ready to go against three grown squires to defend the honor of her father’s bannerman. she later fought in a tourney and won, and asked the knights that those squires served to teach them manners. if she would go that far to defend a sworn bannerman to house stark, who was not just being bullied but also discriminated upon because of his culture, then i’m pretty certain she’s the type to stand up to injustice without regard for herself. in that similar vein, i don’t think she would besmirch her family’s honor on a whim, knowing how seriously she took the meaning of that honor as made clear by her defense of howland reed.

now that we’ve gotten all of those out of the way, it’s time to dive in into the rest of it.

as is already previously established by canon, all stark children are wargs. i know this mostly pertains to the six children of eddard and catelyn stark, but i believe that anyone touched by the wolf-blood has the ability in them as well. brandon and lyanna both possess it and thus are tied very closely to the stark mythos of being descended from the first men. according to twoiaf, “greenseers had the greensight and were wargs as well.” while not all wargs are greenseers, we have evidence in bran that the greensight is definitely alive and well in the stark line ( and in the north, as evidenced by jojen reed, a crannogman, and brynden rivers a.k.a. bloodraven, whose mother was a blackwood. )

following this logic, i don’t think it’s far-fetched at all to say that lyanna might have been, at the very least, someone who is capable of having green dreams ( along with being a warg. ) the ability in bran was triggered by his fall, whereas it almost came too easily and too naturally to rickon. rickon and bran shared the same dream about ned’s death ( which they predicted even before maester luwin made the announcement ), and rickon also knew when catelyn and robb left that they would never see them again.

in lyanna’s case, i don’t think she knew what she was ( i don’t think the starks ever realized how closely they were tied to what’s left of magic in the world. ) she knew she was said to have the wolf-blood, which she thought had something to do with her temperament ( a trait she shared with brandon. ) by all accounts, lyanna was wild and brave; she thrived off of independence and did not do well with restrictions. she rode horses “like she was half a horse herself” according to roose bolton; she and brandon were described to be a pair of centaurs. and maybe that’s because they understood horses like no ordinary human could?

i’ve already headcanoned that my lyanna is a warg, so i’m going to take it a step further and say that she is capable of having green dreams as well. while she's not on par with bran or the three eyed raven ( and never will be ) she still had access to that ability, no matter how limited. this ties her up with rhaegar, who we know to be prophecy-obsessed. this even ties her up with with the ghost of high heart, who rhaegar sought out time and time again just to hear her foretell the future, no matter how disjointed and vague these predictions were.

my theory is that at some point, something triggered lyanna's greensight. this would happen shortly after harrenhal, and she would have started dreaming about the same prophecy that consumed rhaegar, with the addition of blue roses and blood, which are the imageries so closely tied to her, and which lead her to believing that the prophecy is somewhat foreshadowing her death.

in my first headcanon, i speculated that rhaegar went to rescue lyanna in the riverlands from his father’s men ( who found out she was the knight of the laughing tree. ) by this point, both of them would have been aware of the prophecy, by virtue of them having interconnected, prophectic dreams, which i wrote about here. before any plans were set in motion, they visited the ghost of high heart to confirm the prophecy, and only then did they decide that they will fulfill the prophecy for the sake of the realm.

worth noting that lyanna suspected the prophecy to mean her death, but after everything she’d seen through her green dreams and after what she’d been told by rhaegar and by the ghost of high heart, she determined that this cause — saving the world — was worth losing her life over.

something you have to understand about lyanna stark: she wanted to be more than just someone’s betrothed, someone’s wife, someone’s mother. this prophecy — to a young, idealistic, romantic, wild, and by all accounts, good girl — was almost irresistible. this was something bigger than herself; she had a real chance to do something here, to be both the maiden and the hero in a tale where she saves the realm from an ominous threat. the KOTLT incident showed us that lyanna had a strong sense of justice, and also a penchant for risky yet grand gestures of bravery. saving the world was the kind of thing that she would not even think twice of doing, no matter the cost to herself.

things lyanna did not foresee: brandon’s reaction to the news that she was missing and brandon’s fast assumption that it was rhaegar who took her. at most, lyanna expected they would notice her absence and would assume she ran away from her betrothal, but for her brother to accuse the crown prince and storm the capital while doing so… did not occur to her. also, important: lyanna and rhaegar had no idea about rickard and brandon’s death until after the battle of the bells, when gerold hightower finally found them in toj and asked rhaegar to return to king’s landing. by this time, lyanna was already pregnant. whether or not rhaegar and lyanna were right about the prophecy doesn’t really matter here. they could be completely wrong ( but we all know they were somewhat right, at least about the threat coming from the north. ) basically, this was just how they interpreted the prophecy, and they both paid in blood for it.

also very important to note that rhaelar and lyanna are never shipped during this timeline ( or during any book canon-adjacent verse. ) lyanna was miserable in that tower and i can’t imagine rhaegar was all too happy either. they’re doing what they thought they had to do, and lyanna was going into it thinking she would die. all things considered, that might have been her preferred outcome, now that she knew just how much blood she had to pay to assume the role that would make the prophecy come true. the only real consolation in the aftermath was ned’s forgiveness and the fact that jon was kept alive because her brother loved her enough to give up his honor for her. but even then, it was a bitter consolation, and lyanna would spend all her life trying to make up for her mistakes.

[roobylavender]

Kory being put in a position of motherhood would be so different and something I don’t think has really been done in regards to iconic characters in main continuity having children. Like women in comics are either the ones married to the hero and are the mother of their kids or they are the ones who get killed off at the beginning to make way for the hero. But can we honestly say that dc or marvel (I’m not to well versed there to be honest) has had a woman in that role who is super powered and is a mother and is still hero-ing with no like affiliation to like a set in place family (batfamily, Arrow fam, etc.) Like yes we have Wonder Woman but I don’t think like she has that kind of audience where a child is something people would want to see from her. And Kory doesn’t have that solo hero status but it’s not because she can’t, but because dc has failed to work with her in any way that currently can push her into this role. She’s ready for it and she has the audience for it. She literally could be the hero on par with so many others and yet nothing.

YEAH.. the way dc treats motherhood is very all or nothing like either you're a civilian mother holding down the fort with a job on the side or you're a mother and then you're dead or obv in our worst case scenarios you're a witch mother doomed to abusing your child lol. the rare standout example of imra aka saturn girl from the legion of super heroes does come to mind but ig that's on a technicality bc garth aka lightning lad decided to step in and take on more of the stay at home duties while imra maintained an active leadership role in the legion (at least as i recall. my legion reading is very sparse but i remember i had a brief phase where i was obsessed with these two and read issues for them here and there). otherwise i don't think dc gives much credence to characters who are mothers and get to be like. honored in that and their own personhood simultaneously. it's very odd bc i'm sure there's a fanbase that could relate to that yknow like there are plenty of adult women reading comics and some of them have got to be mothers so the fact that the portrayal of that experience is so.. subpar.. is really abysmal. and i really do agree kory would have been a fabulous exploration of it had writers cared it's a shame they didn't

[braskide]

some main verse wardrobe inspo and high summoner duties notes. ♥

please ignore the giant horn & unicorn that have nothing to do with what i wanted to say but — when i think about my yuna's wardrobe once she relocates in bevelle and takes on important matters as high summoner, i like to think about flowy robes that are usually tight around her waist / corsets and whatnot. so this art for immortal sword so.raka made me think about her style a lot and i thought she'd definitely wear something like these. also the general vibe of these reminded me of the farplane, which fits so much because i often think how unstable it is and how much work there has to be done there, and yuna would definitely take it upon herself to study it and remain connected to it either way.

i like to think about very intricate patterns for her dresses since she starts her work in bevelle and whatnot. the patterns usually used for her dresses all connect back to trinities and zanarkand, some are have aeons' seals hand embroidered ( by her ) on her back or at the center of her chest with the according color patterns. especially because bevelle and its temple followers' style is very similar to these in that sense — i wanna say her color pattern also varies depending on the situation and event. she retains purple & pink shades but can also fall back onto blues / red / green in honor of her father. since starting her life anew in the city she also is found carrying her braska's staff. she rarely uses her novice stuff anymore within bevelle — either she's found with nirvana or with her late father's.

[kingdomgracemedia]

Vibrant Hope: Serve the Lord Faithfully

Monday 8/12/2024

1 Samuel 12:24 (NIV) "Above all, fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you."

This verse is part of Samuel's farewell address to the Israelites. It serves as a reminder of their covenant relationship with God, emphasizing the importance of reverence and faithful service in response to God's blessings.

The verse underscores two key themes: fear of the Lord and faithful service. "Fear" here implies a deep respect and reverence for God, acknowledging His power and holiness. Serving Him "with all your heart" calls for genuine commitment and dedication. The mention of considering "what great things he has done for you" encourages reflection on God's past faithfulness, which should inspire trust and obedience.

How Do We See God Relating to Man:

God's relationship with humanity is defined by three main aspects:

-Covenant: God makes agreements with His people, promising them protection and guidance.

-Faithfulness: Despite human shortcomings, God steadfastly loves and supports His people.

-Expectations: God requires reverence and service in exchange for His blessings, emphasizing a reciprocal relationship.

Related Scriptures on the Verse:

Deuteronomy 10:12-13"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

Ecclesiastes 12:13: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind."

Psalm 103:2: "Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

Application of the Verses in Our Daily Life:

-Cultivating Reverence: We should approach our relationship with God with awe and respect, recognizing His sovereignty.

-Serving Faithfully: Engage actively in serving others and fulfilling our responsibilities in our churches and communities as an expression of our faith.

-Reflecting on Blessings: Regularly take time to remember and thank God for His past provisions and blessings, which can strengthen our faith during challenging times.

Prayer Points:

-To Show Reverence: "Lord, help me to cultivate a deep respect for You in my daily life."

-For Faithful Service: "God, grant me the strength and commitment to serve You wholeheartedly in my actions and interactions."

-To Express Gratitude: "Father, teach me to remember and appreciate the great things You have done for me, so that I may live a life of thankfulness."

-For Guidance: "Holy Spirit, guide me in my decisions so that I may honor You in all I do."

By Pastor AK Mannah

[yhwhrulz]

Wayside Chapel Daily Devotional 18th May 2023

May 18

Luke 17:7-8, 10 7"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'?

10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"

The disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith. Jesus told them it wasn't how big your faith is, but that just having a little faith is enough to do great things. He followed that with the supposition in our passage for today.

We are servants of the Most High God. We should be daily doing what He directs us to do. It may be providing for our family or serving on a mission field. Whatever we do, we do it to the best of our ability to glorify God. When our main service for the day is over, we do not turn around and ask God to serve us. We are the servants even if we are friends. He is God; we are creatures. He asks us to do another act of service and we joyfully submit. It is our pleasure to serve such a gracious and loving God.

In this service we can expect His assistance. He will not act against us when we are serving, but on our behalf. He will supply the tools and time and anything else necessary to carry out His request. That is faith. It is believing in our relationship and His ability. Lack of faith is to ask Him to serve us. He always cares for His servants.

When a great thing comes to pass because we obeyed, we don't deserve any credit or commendation. We were just doing what we were instructed to do, and all the impossible things were done by our Master. Faith is just doing our duty. It is required of servants. Growing in faith is to grow in the realization of our relationship. If we know we are serving the Almighty, we know He will enable us to complete what He asks us to do. What a great honor to serve the Lord of all!

Consider: Is verse 10 your attitude in serving the Lord?

[flammend]

@rubiakxma​

There was absolute stillness. No air stirred the grass or leaves. No clouds drifted in the sea above. No water dripped or flowed. Not a sound could be heard either close at hand or in the far off distance. Even her own breath seemed to die as soon as it left her mouth. It was an eerie sort of tranquility, so instead of being soothed her senses became heightened. What became a commotion was the person’s emotion of stress that she sensed beside her; couldn’t help but to wonder what could be wrong. She murmured out—

❝ Are you alright? ❞

[fungal-wasted]

The Great Knight are OK AU

Also known as the selfindulgent AU in which i give ghem happiness. So in this universe, through various shenanigans the Five Great Knights decide to expand on their group, but in doing so they gotta challenge their current views on themselves, their duty, and what being a Knight really means. There is a lot of adoption too, this is a happy AU.

Below the cut are a few headcanons I have on the individual Knights. It got kind of long so I will leave timeline changes for another post lol. Ah and many of these can be subject to change. I just like taking the two scraps of canon lore we have on most of them and go with my imagination c:

So all 5 came to serve the King under different circumstances and for different reasons.

Dryya

Dryya was the first, she was known as a fierce warrior, with an eye for detail and great speed.

She is a good leader and that's why she was chosen for the position.

She is the White Lady's favorite knight too.

As a quiet hobby, she likes knitting and embroidery.

She is kind of the mom of the group. A little strict but wise nonetheless.

She is the most well versed in diplomacy out of the five, leading to people to believe she is of noble birth, she won't deny or confirm.

Her biggest flaws are not taking care of herself and having a hard time to accept new ideas.

Hegemol

Hegemol joined after her. He was a common bug, but with a passion for mechanics.

He worked making the giant bug robot things you see in Crystal Peaks, but began using one as an armor since he thought it was practical. The Pale King was impressed with the achievements of this bug and granted him the position.

In a way it was his way to aknowledge hardowrking people and what they did for the Kingdom.

Hegemol is a really soft spoken guy, surprisingly, but he is quick to think and has a great sense of humor.

He hums while he works.

His biggest flaw is that he isn't great at social clues or reading the room. He will take things too seriously or not enough.

Ze'mer

Ze'mer was the third. She was a traveller that knew of many places beyond the Wastes. She didn't plan on staying for long but she fell in love with the wonders of Hallownest.

At first her presence was a bit worrying for the Pale King. Her existence basically meant that the mind PK granted wasn't unique.

She was also a strong warrior, being able to take on beasts without even getting hurt.

She could become a powerful ally. Which is why PK chose her to become a Knight to serve the Kingdom. She agreed, since it also meant that other outsider bugs like her could be welcomed in better conditions.

Her biggest flaw is that she avoids conflict too much. She doesn't like to argue or have her views challenged, and she ignores her problems until they overwhelm her.

Isma

Seeing that having allies was a good idea, the pale beings looked for other candidates.

She's a mosskin, blessed by Unn. She was a protector of the area, and was rumored to use magic drawn from a similar force then Unn's dream.

This basically means she has some power over plants and acid

She is often tasked with recuing bugs.

It was the White Lady who asked her to join. Isma saw a chance of benefiiting her people and being their protector and took it. She swore to fight for the lives of innocent bugs.

Her main flaw is that she can be condescending and thinks she understands people, even when she really doesn't.

Ogrim

I'm a little open for different headcanons for him. For this one I'll say he was a Colosseum fighter. A pretty popular one amongst bugs, for being both a champion but also a really charming guy.

He ended up regretting this life, he felt like taking down weaker fighters was not honorable at all, and hurt more than helped. He was also kind of rough and not methodic, which made him doubt his own skill.

So, after meeting Isma as she was on duty, he decided to leave his past self and start as a new man, training to be a Knight

He was welcomed by the King, both thanks to Isma's influence and the word that had spread of this defender.

Rumors say Ogrim is his favorite knight and they share a lot in common, considering they both left their previous "identity" behind.

Ogrim likes to sing.

His biggest flaw is that his loyalty sometimes blinds him, and his judgement can be skewed.

[ofhouseadama]

Do all the Bashir-Garak (Garak-Bashir?) kids have names in your mind, or just Zoya? Also, eldest sister Zoya going into Fleet like her human dad 💙 He’s so proud and so worried. What’s her division/department? Is she a doctor too?

Julian asserts that the Bashir line ended when he took Garak's last name, and they will all proudly descend from a service-class woman raised in an orphanage because fuck Richard and fuck his aspirations for the Bashir family name, all of Julian's children and Richard's grandchildren will bear the name Garak.

So Zoya is from The Last Poem of Old Cardassia verse in which Garak ends up the Kardasi version of the paterfamilias of his own house, despite his best efforts not to, with his own spouse and dependents and children and eventual grandchildren. The children are, in order of oldest to youngest: Zoya, Solyana, Semion, Lizal, Agrafena, Tolan, Daniil, Zakhar, and Mila. They're a mixed bag of deeply traumatized war orphans, Dukat's surviving half-Bajoran bastards, human-Cardassian hybrid foundlings, and medically fragile children of unknown provenance. The family line is that Garak has a fondness for "bastards, orphans, and broken things."

In The Last Poem of Old Cardassia'verse, Garak finds himself with far more of a political career than he's necessarily comfortable with out of a deal he made with Oralius in order to save Cardassia's soul. He's the Foreign Minister when it's decided that Zoya should go to Starfleet Academy to show that Cardassia is ready to rejoin intergalactic foreign affairs on the main stage and aid the family's public image abroad and show that Cardassia is ready to participate in peace and peaceful exploration. She refuses to, at any point, tell Julian what her grades are and graduates Starfleet Medical as valedictorian. In part because he doesn't care, but also in part because she's a brat. She joins what's supposed to be a science expedition alongside her friend Molly O'Brien in the Gamma Quadrant when her ship discovers Odo, near death, having been flung out of the Great Link by the Founders. They're the first vessel to receive word that a Dominion fleet has gathered at the neutral zone where, for the past twenty years, the Dominion has refused to send a representative to the annual meeting of the Federation and the Dominion. The first vessel to receive word that the Dominion fleet has attacked. The first vessel to realize that they are once again at war.

Being the eldest duty-bound daughter of the former chosen one has it's risks, after all.

She starts in medical and takes a detour through command once her CO is KIA while in deep space running reconnaissance against the Founders. Becomes an intelligence officer, discovers a Section 31 op to collaborate with the Dominion. Gets captured by the Dominion, finds her brother Tolan in the prison camp with her. Escapes. Finds the remains of Tain's fleet. Sends Tolan back to Cardassia. Becomes a pirate. Ends up back in Medical when her fragment fleet crashes into a Big Final Battle in the Gamma Quadrant, she has to abandon ship, and gets beamed aboard a Starfleet vessel commanded by Auntie Dax. Ship explodes after being boarded as the battle drags on for days, and instead of evacuating, Zoya goes back for Molly O'Brien and her rag tag crew. They don't make it off, and end up in a pocket of the ship free-floating in space. Her panic button, having been broken in the tumult, finally activates after three days of the dead man's switch not being tripped and they get picked up by Alexander Rozhenko, in command of his own Klingon war ship -- The House of Martok owes the House of Garak and Bashir a life debt, and I will repay that debt on my honor as a Klingon -- who takes them back to DS9.

Kira Nerys boxes their ears and tells them if they weren't still chasing the remnant of the Dominion Fleet, she'd take them both home herself. Instead she settles for putting Zoya and her loyal few on a shuttle to Cardassia, and make them promise to deliver her home -- and that Miles and Keiko O'Brien are already en route, so Molly better not think she's getting out of anything, here. They're all in trouble. They're all in so much trouble.

[lcorps-agents]

The Semi-Official Blog Of Lobotomy Corporation’s Agents

Welcome to the semi-official (for now?) blog belonging to currently two three four of the agents that work at L Corp’s headquarters. You will most often see short interactions between us, and our superiors. Please be respectful, and try not to do things such as trapping yourself in a vent on purpose. And yes, Basil, that was a thinly veiled call-out.

The employees behind the blog

Mason

He/him pronouns

Level 5 Agent

Uses EGO Suit: Paradise Lost and EGO Weapon: Paradise Lost

Currently assigned to Training Department. He is the captain of his department.

Mason has been here for a while now. He’s collected gift after gift, lost friend after friend. He lived in the outskirts during his childhood, so it was practically a miracle to him to get into a Wing.

Basil

They/them pronouns

Level 4 Agent

Uses EGO Suit: Faint Aroma and EGO Weapon: Feather of Honor

Currently assigned to Safety Department

Having been here for almost as long as Mason has, they’ve definitely made friends with him. It seems like Basil and Mason are practically the only two agents of that time left.

Miho

He/hu/it

Level 5 Agent

Uses EGO Suit: Adoration and Ego Weapon: Solemn Lament

Currently assigned to Extraction Department

Miho has been here for a mere few days or more, and he‘s already much more well-versed than his peers! Possibly lending to the fact he was trained before going even on shift his first day. Aside from that, hu seems notably terrified of Binah. I wonder exactly why. It tends to be a bit of a mystery. Wish them good luck!

Farrel

Any pronouns

Level 5 Agent

Uses EGO Suit: Sound Of A Star and EGO Weapon: Adoration

Currently assigned to Information Department. He is the captain of his department.

Having been here for quite a while, and being recently promoted to the captain of the department xe’s assigned to, he’s entrusted with many responsibilities.. that ae really don’t want. They’d rather just lean back and work the more laidback abnormalities. Working any others gives jem a headache. Usually stress-induced. Sometimes CENSORED-induced. Ey sometimes is off-duty. This has happened to save thons life as of recent. Even then, yo is currently busy with less dangerous work when off-duty… such is the life of a department captain.

// NOTE: Bio needs a rewrite, it kind of became inaccurate very fast when I actually started playing him ;;v v

Our superiors

@lc-manager-x

@x-manager

@netzach-irl

@yesods-a-purple-punk

@sleepy-chesed

@trainingteamsephirah

@extractiontea

@redbura

(OOC: I might of missed some, I can’t remember all of them off the top of my head, lmk in dms who else to add!)

//

OOC Section

This blog is run by me, Consta. I also run @badlcorpaus. I use they/she pronouns.

Guidelines for interaction

Nothing fully nsfw; innuendos and light-hearted jokes are okay, explicit stuff is not.

No slurs.

Please use proper rp etiquette. I.E; if you want to kill a character of mine, ask me first.

No aphobia, nbphobia, panphobia, biphobia, racism of any kind, sexism, p*dophilia/M*Ps, terfs, etc.

Brackets are used to indicate actions and thoughts.

That’s basically it. If you want a fairly even fight scene, we can go into DMs and roll dice for it like in a TTRPG.

Note, June 20th 2022: Currently not doing the RP thing. I am trying to iron out which of my OCs to use. Also, I keep accidentally rb’ing posts I mean to rb to my main.

Note, June 20th 2022: I feel like I have to note this: I made Basil before I was into Omori, I did not him off of Omori’s Basil. Omori Basil is very sweet and lovable though

Note, August 25th 2022: Anons are currently off in-universe. Anons are back on!

Note, August 27th 2022: We’re mid-arc.

[risingsouls]

@random-oc-questions-fairy​ said: You've been visited by the random OC question fairy! :D ~☆

What is true about your character's current life that would make their child self cry, either out of happiness or sadness? What about their life has surprised them, for good or for bad?

[askdljflkasdjf I don’t technically have OCs over here atm that are SOLID characters but THIS IS NICE AND I’M HONORED ANYWAY. THANK.

I’ll use Nabooru because she’s the closest to an OC on this technically Dragonball multimuse blog.

Going with the new and what will probably become the main verse for this blog, I would have to go with the fact that, despite her efforts to play the good, dutiful, and obedient soldier and go against the grain of her personality and moral compass for years, Nabooru still ends up utterly alone in the universe when Frieza destroys her home planet and people anyway. It was heart breaking enough for her present self, so her child self in which her desire to help her people blossomed would feel that cut just as deeply, if not moreso due to her lack of experience and understanding of the sort of evil and unfairness the universe is capable of. 

Lil Nabs would be happy to know she overcomes most of the anger and bitterness over it with time, though, and finding some sense of belonging with Vegeta (eventually) and the other Saiyans that my dumb ass is bringing back from the dead and no one can stop me.]

[ducavalentinos]

Hello ! Could you tell me facts about the life of Cesare Borgia? Thaanks.

So, I really wanted to make this a short list with basic facts, but somehow it ended up becoming a longer, detailed list with my favorites facts alongside facts that aren’t very well known or mentioned, here it goes: - Cesare received an outstanding, carefully planned education. He was brought up at Rome by private tutors until the age of twelve, in 1489 he left Rome to attend La Sapienza of Perugia, where he studied the foundations of law and the humanities, being placed under the charge of the preceptor Giovanni Vera of Archilla, to whom btw, he remained warmly attached until Vera’s death in 1503. In 1491 he continued his studies in Civil and Canon law at the University of Pisa, attending the lectures of Filippo Decio, one of most rated lecturer on canon law of his day. There he also became more acquainted with the Medici family, through Lorenzo de’ Medici sons: Giovanni de’ Medici and his brother Piero. - Paolo Pompilio, a Spanish scholar, dedicated his treatise on verse-writing, the Syllabica, to Cesare, where he praised him as ‘Borgiae familiae spes et decus’  (the hope and ornament of the House of Borgia).     - His father, as Cardinal and Vice-Chancellor, invested a long list of benefices upon him, to name only a few: when he was seven years old, pope Sixtus IV conferred upon him a prebend of the cathedral’s chapter of Valencia. In 1483 he received the title of rector of Gandia and archdeacon of Játiva. Later on, with pope Innocent VIII he was granted the position of treasurer of Mallorca’s cathedral, following that of canon of Lérida, Archdeacon of Tarragona and then treasurer of Cartagena’s cathedral. By 1491, Innocent at last granted him the bishopric of Pamplona. - He learned the art of bullfighting from the Spanish members of his father’s court and it became one of his life passions. Whether in Rome or in the Romagna, at any celebration, there was almost always a bullfight and he was almost always participating himself. - He also loved hunting, so he was always looking for good hunting dogs and falcons. On May 28th, 1497 he even sent one of his men, Enrico, to Germany to request from the Archbishop of Mainz some “well-trained and sagacious hunting dogs; their quality to be more important than their number.” - He was the first person in the history of the Church to resign the cardinalate, eventually becoming commander of the Papal armies. - He was briefly hostage of the Colonna during the conflicts of the French Invasion in 1494, and later on hostage of the king of France, Charles VIII. Although that time, he escaped their camp at Velletri, with the help of a man named Francesco del Sacco, officer of the Podestà of Velletri, who was waiting for him with a horse. Cesare sped back to Rome going to the house of one Antonio Flores, where he stayed for a night and informed his father of his presence. The next day, he withdrew to the city of Spoleto, and remained there until matters cooled off. - In 1497, a sword was forged for Cesare, known as “the queen of swords”, for his visit to Naples as papal legate, to crown the new king, Frederick of Naples. Its design was attributed to many artists including Michaelangelo, but it is more likely that the artist was Pinturicchio. And the blacksmith/sword engraver was Salomone da Sesso (c. 1465- c.1504–21) who after his conversion to Christianity assumed the name of Ercole dei Fedeli. (more details about the sword here x) - Cesare appeared wearing a horned mask in the guise of a unicorn during a theatrical performance, in one of the many festivities held in honor of his sister Lucrezia’s second wedding. Unicorn are known symbols of female chastity, possibly a reference to Lucrezia and her wedding night, but it also shows off Cesare’s own sense of humour, since it was well known to all present that he was anything but a chaste man lol. And the unicorn horn, according to a Greek physician had the ability of protecting people from sickness and neutralizing poison, which could have been another humourous remark from Cesare in reference to his family’s reputation of using poison to dispose of their enemies. - His best known mistress was Fiammetta Michaelis, she was a cultured courtesan from Florence, but who lived in Rome since 1473 most likely. Her relationship with Cesare was such that even after his death in 1507, she continued to sign herself as Fiammetta Ducis Valentini (of the duke Valentino). And her will in the city archives was headed ‘The Testament of La Fiammetta of Il Valentino.” - On May 10, 1499, he married Charlotte d’Albret, and before his departure from France he appointed her governor and administrator of all his lands and lorships in France and Dauphiny. He also made her heiress to all his moveable possessions in the event of his death (a little more about that here x). On December 1501, he personally selected precious gifts to be sent to her acquired from Venice. It included moulded wax, white sweetmeats, fine sugars, syrups, nine barrels of Malvoisie, oriental spices, oranges and lemons and all kinds of cloths. - Under his patronage, the first printing press of any importance was established in Italy. It was set up at Fano by Girolamo Sancino in 1501. One of the earliest works was the printing of the Statutes of Fano for the first time in January 1502. - About his administration staff, also in the year of 1501, we know he had a beautiful young woman from Bologna named Jovanna, working for him in his chancery. She’s described as a “degnissma scriptora”, she wrote letters and maybe did other secretarial duties as well for 14 ducats. - Whether it was treachery or a legit, reasonable move against Guidobaldo's own plans of treachery against him, the fact is that Cesare acquired Urbino without bloodshed in any of the towns, in a brilliant coup that amazed the whole of Italy (and terrified the nobility lol). While leaving a military contingent at Camerino, Cesare road north through the Apennines, between Nocera and Urbino he covered more or less sixty miles in forty-eight hours with a mixed force of 2.000 men. Before anyone else knew, he had already took Cagli, inside the Duchy of Urbino. Simultaneously, two other points were taken too, Montevecchio and San Lorenzo. Di Naldo, one of Cesare’s captains came from the east. These three armies converged towards the capital of Urbino then, where they met with the castilian and the garrison was rendered by him. A few hours later Cesare himself entered the city without any resistence. - The famous Sleeping Cupid by Michelangelo that Cesare gifted it to Isabella d’Este when he took Urbino in 1502 had a history together. He had previously been the owner of this piece. Cardinal Riario Sforza bought in 1496, but apparently when he found out that the piece was a modern piece and not an antique, he didn’t wanted it anymore, so it was displayed across the street of Cesare’s palace and he bought before the end of the year and later on send it as a gift to Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino. -  A popular canzona of the time, Donna contra la mia Voglia by Filippo de Lurano  (c.1470-c.1520) was Cesare’s favorite song. (There is an excellent version of it too by conductor and composer Jordi Savall). - As another step to secure the unity of the Romagna, Cesare did a reform in legal administration of great importance, he established a supreme Court of Appeal, named the Rota, influenced by the famous Court of the Vatican with the same name. He appointed as The First President, a newly created office, to Antonio di Monte Sansovino, a distinguished jurist with high integrity, and who was universally beloved. This Appeal Court sat in the seven main cities of the Romagna: Fano, Pesaro, Rimini, Cesena, Faenza, Forlì and Imola. If it was necessary, this Court would sit for as much as two months. All expenses were met by a payment from each of these judicial circuits of 200 ducats per annum. - In October 1500 Pinturicchio wrote to Cesare asking for the grant of a well to be put in one of the lands pope Alexander VI had bestow on him and his descendents at Chiusi, a city in the province of Siena, but near Perugia. Pinturicchio went himself to see Cesare at Diruta to request for all the necessary permission. Cesare issued a letter to Alfano Alfani, vice-treasurer of Perugia, making the request and saying that: “he had again taken to his service Bernardino Pinturicchio of Perosa, whom he always loved because his talent and gifts; and he desires that in all things he should be considered as ‘one of ours.” This initial request wasn’t honored so Cesare wrote again to this Alfani reinforcing his wish to be granted within that year. In 1501, Pinturicchio was given an annual payment as Cesare’s personal painter as well. - Cesare hired Leonardo da Vinci as a military architect and engineer in the spring of 1501, he entrusted him with all sorts of projects, in Cesena for example he asked that Da Vinci planned a new quarter of the city with wilder streets, sidewalks, parks, and a functioning sewage system and many other improvements. He also issued papers from the city’s headquarters for the construction in Cesena of a new university building, a palace to house the Rota. - Cesare also commissioned Da Vinci to work on an alterpiece, that is now lost unfortunately, at the Santuario della Beata Vergine del Piratello, outside of Imola. Some scholars agree that Da Vinci at the very least begun this painting, but it was not finished by him. There are some sketches he made that are called: Three views of a bearded man and it’s generally accepted to be Cesare, in what might have become a portrait of him in this alterpiece. - Right after he conquered a city, it was Cesare’s policy to issue a stem proclamation against plunder, guaranteed the property of the citizens. At Forlì he took measures to safeguard the convents, listening to all complaints of ill-treatment or robbery at the hands of the soldiery. On December 7, 1500, he hanged from the windows of his headquarters, two of his own men, a Piedmontese and a Gascon soldier, who had disobeyed his orders against plunder in the town. On the 13th of the same month, other offenders followed the same fate as the first two, which showed his zeal and the level of his commitment for the interests of his Forlivesi subjects. - At Cesena, as in other places in the Romagna, that same policy was applied, the usual disorder was put to an end, and civic automony was fully restored, along with the suppresion of aristocratic feuds, which resulted on econonical security and internal peace. - During the conquest of Faenza, the only city where Cesare met a true resistance, he retired to Cesena through the winter months while the siege kept going there. One night, he was walking around the city when he found a baby girl abandoned in the street, he commanded the baby to be nursed, and settled an ample dowry on the baby’s mother until she was of marriageable age. Afterwards, when the father refused to acknowledge the girl as his own, Cesare himself acknowledged the girl and she was baptized that day. - On March 29, 1501, when he was informed of Beatrice of Naples arrival at Cesenatico, twice Queen of Hungary and of Bohemia, and sister of Frederick of Naples, he send off his staff to greet her and to present her with a 'royal gift'. He ordered his lieutenants to honor her in every city in the Romagna and the Marche region, where she made her way back to Naples. - On 1502, Cesare and his father, Rodrigo went on a boat trip to Piombino and the island of Elba so that Rodrigo could officially take possession of these territories Cesare had recently conquered. Everything went smoothly, and they were on their way back when a violent storm began, hitting them hard. During 5 days they wandered aimlessly. Everyone, but Rodrigo, were quite anxious and scared. At the second day, the crew saw an English ship, and Cesare proposed to go to this boat to request for help, but Rodrigo refused, not wanting to request help from strangers. Eventually they made it back ashore, but it was a close call there for them for awhile.     - After the masterstroke at Senigallia, where he successfully arrested his conspiring condottiere, the city was in total confusion, and a part of Cesare’s infantry were starting to sack the city, so Cesare in full armour and on horseback gave orders for his men to stop the sacking immediately, he then gathered some of his captains and went about the city streets putting a stop to the abuses that were starting to happen, some soldiers however, refused to obey his orders, and they were promptly executed there for their disobedience. - On 25 October, 1506 he managed to escape the Castle of La Mota, in Spain, a fortress that at that time worked as State prison, of maximum security, and where he was imprisoned. With the collaboration of his chaplain, and a servant of the governor's, named Garcia, along with the outside help from Count of Benavente, a powerful lord from the neighbourhood, who visited him regularly, he managed to climb down the 40 meter high tower with a rope, and if memory doesn't fail me, he was the only prisoner to have ever managed to escape this prison lool.

[isabilightwood]

The Problem with Authority - Chapter 1

CQL!Verse, Wangxian and Yanqing, canon divergence with Qin Su sacrifice summoning JYL after Jin Rusong’s death. JYL teams up with NHS to fix things, starting with bringing back WWX. Wen Qing is alive because I said so, and LWJ gets in the way of plotting because he’s a romantic.

See my self reblog for the AO3 link/additional tags and warnings

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The problem with authority is that if you leave it lying around, others will take it. — Yoon Ha Lee, Ninefox Gambit

Qin Su was tired of the constant hovering.

Every time she set foot outside her own rooms, she was beset by disciples and the wives of subordinates, telling her over and over how very sorry they were.

It was all bullshit.

Fake, social climbing schemers, who were more concerned with the fact that Jin Guangshan’s legitimate grandson was once again the sect heir, than sorry for the death of her son. Her A-Song.

They expected her to sob constantly, to wail and tear her hair from her scalp. That they could comfort Qin Su by repeating the same trite, cloying words day-by-day. Earn a little status out of tragedy. If Qin Su had to listen to one more apology, she was going to be sick all other the offending madam’s embroidery hoop.

It was true that she still couldn’t go a day without crumbling into tears. But mostly, she was numb. Exhausted, in more ways than one. She wanted to go to sleep, and wake with her son tucked safely into bed, or not wake up at all.

The private treasury was the only place where she could be certain she would not be disturbed. Even in her own bedroom, it would only be so long before a maid was sent to find her. Only she and her husband could open the hidden entrance to the vault. Only in the treasury, could she be alone, to find something to distract herself, however briefly, from the avalanche of her grief.

There were still many items that had been claimed by her deceased father-in-law after the war that had not been cataloged. Priceless relics and weapons and irreplaceable texts alike sat neglected in trunks. Jin Guangshan had cared only for possession, occasionally touting one item or another out to show off. Ten months after A-Yao’s succession, shelves continued to sit empty. Neither she nor A-Yao had found the time, busy keeping everything running smoothly, as he made bids for projects he called progress with the gleam in his eyes that had first made her chase after him. Back when he seemed flattered by her attention, interested in her as more than a friend or colleague.

Qin Su herself managed the internal minutiae of the Sect and oversaw disciple training. The latter would traditionally fall to the Head Disciple, but they had lost one after another. The woman who had been intended to aid Jin Zixuan had resigned over some disagreement before his death. Her replacement, a second or third cousin to the main Jin Clan, married out to the leader of the Fengyang Hua Sect, a growing sect that bordered Gusu and Lanling. Their replacement died at Nightless City, along with the next dozen or so disciples in line. And so Qin Su was free to manage the training as she wished.

Or had been, until she was asked to take a step back from training, for fear her grief would destabilize her qi. It was true that she had been unable to focus. However, stewing in the unending reminders that she would never hold A-Song in her arms again was no help. Attending to her duties as a hostess only made it worse.

Sorting the looted relics was mindless work, that required none of the focus she had lacked for the forty-one days since A-Song’s death. But it was something to occupy her hands, and some small part of her thoughts.

She began with the books that day, sorting into titles that were common and could be sold, those that needed to be repaired, and those to dangerous to be held anywhere but the treasury. Qin Su moved to start a new pile, for useful, rare texts that should be copied, on a table, and a disorganized pile of notes and notebooks caught her eye.

It was the disorganization that stood out. A-Yao never left anything out like that. He must have been called away, but if he returned and saw it, that would trigger his own flood of tears.  Qin Su had heard him sobbing, late into the night, from the next room over. But each morning, he greeted his work with his habitual dedication, no matter how puffy his eyes, or how little he’d slept. A-Yao would never forgive himself if his work was delayed by his composure crumbling over a small thing out of place.

She picked up the papers, intending only to organize them into an even stack, and place them evenly between the notebooks. But their subject caught her attention.

A circular array was drawn on each paper. Identical, to her unpracticed eyes, with varied notes printed in precise calligraphy in different locations on each page.

Qin Su had always focused on the sword, leaving talismans to those with innovative minds yet weaker cores, like her husband. Yet this array made her look twice.

Sacrifice Summon was written at the top of the first page, the one with the least writing. The soul of the caster is permanently exchanged for that of a chosen spirit or ghost, fully resurrecting the deceased. It was a complex design, meant to drawn in the blood of the caster.

Voices, from the other side of the portal. A-Yao must have wanted to show an item from the vault to a guest. Her heartbeat sped up, her hands shaking as she dropped the papers back onto the table.

The last thing Qin Su wanted was to have to greet her husband’s guests, while he smiled his disappointment in her for shirking her duties.

She raised the tablecloth and ducked beneath, knocking one of the papers off the table as she did so. Catching it, she pulled it to her chest, dropping the cloth back into place just in time. It was dark in the small space, and stuffy. Her heart hammered hard enough Qin Su felt certain it must be audible throughout the room. But her presence was not discovered, and so Qin Su did not have to answer as to why Jin-furen was hiding from her own husband.

“The remainder of the He Clan has been dealt with.” Su Minshan reported. His voice was easily identifiable from the obsequiousness with which he always treated her husband. She’d asked A-Yao what he saw in him once, and he’d flashed his dimples at her and said, unfaltering loyalty is a trait I cannot afford to lose. So Qin Su tolerated Su Minshan, though he made her skin crawl. And made certain never to be caught alone with him. “Xue Yang tracked them down to the last man.”

Why he kept Xue Yang around, on the other hand, was a mystery.

“Good, that’s good,” A-Yao said. Never shy of heaping praise on his subordinates, he would be smiling up at the other man. “Tell me, what did Xue Yang bring back with him?”

“A few urchins, from town. He said they were his payment for leaving the bodies alone.” Su Minshan scoffed, disgusted.

It didn’t sound like Xue Yang had brought the children to become disciples.

There was the slap of a forehead hitting a palm. A-Yao’s voice was slightly muffled as he gave an exasperated sigh. “I told him he could experiment with animals or dead bodies or not at all. Especially not children.” There was the slightest break in his voice at the word children. “Xue Yang has outlived his usefulness. Have him disposed of and left somewhere remote.”

The command was delivered coldly, casually. He sounded nothing like the warm, if more distant than Qin Su had initially expected, husband she knew.

“Yes, Zongzhu.” A pair of disciples said, their footsteps receding as they took their leave.

“Your research is not completed, is it?” Su Minshan asked, once they were gone.

“I have better means now. My dear younger brother is eager to please, and will not dismember the test animals for kicks and giggles.” A-Yao spoke as though this was an ongoing discussion, yet Qin Su, his wife, had never heard a whisper of research on animals before that day. Only of field testing of the Yiling Patriarch’s inventions. “Or decide to run tests on townspeople and dismember them, too.”

Just what had her husband been allowing Xue Yang to do? It seemed impossible that flighty little Mo Xuanyu could achieve it, whatever it was.

“Another headache eliminated, then.” Su Minshan said. “That’s nearly all the most dangerous ones out of the way.”

There was a weighted pause before A-Yao replied, incongruously. “I did love my son, you know.”

“I did not mean to imply otherwise.” Su Minshan rushed to assure him. “I am deeply sorry this step was necessary.”

Step? What was he implying about A-Song?

“If only that woman had told you the truth earlier.” Su Minshan snarled. “Keeping it a secret while her daughter courted her own half-brother? What a selfish bitch.”

What? Qin Su clapped her hands over her mouth, stifling a choked gasp.

“Now, Minshan, please. You remember what my father was like. We were all of us his victims. A-Su, me, and both of our mothers.” For the first time, Qin Su understood what Lianfang-zun’s detractors meant when they said he dripped insincerity. “Ultimately, A-Song’s death can be placed at his feet.”

But A-Song was murdered after Jin Guangshan died, she thought stupidly. Utterly frozen in place, the short, harsh pants of her breath the only sign she had not just been dropped into hell. The two men spoke for a few more minutes, but Qin Su didn’t hear a word.

It was some time after they left that Qin Su moved, her stiff joints causing her to fall onto her side on the edge of the tablecloth.

How was she ever supposed to face the court, knowing what she did now? Look her half-brother in the face without screaming?

The honorable thing would be to expose him, and to then take her own life to restore her own honor.

She couldn’t. She couldn’t do that to her father, to her older siblings. Half-siblings, now, she supposed, with a crazed giggle. The only real siblings, the only real father Qin Su would ever have. It would be better if they never knew what had happened to their mother. To her.

But she couldn’t carry on as she had, either.

The forgotten paper crinkled in her hands. The Sacrifice Summon. Exchanging her life for another’s.

Was that the solution she was searching for? Could she?

Qin Su remembered her husband’s - her brother’s voice saying especially not children. Only breaths before declaring his own son’s death necessary.

Her A-Song was lost forever.

There was, however, another child under Lianfang-zun’s care. Another mother whose son was not lost, but who had nevertheless lost the chance to see him grow. If Qin Su exchanged her life for that woman’s, perhaps her soul would pass on quickly enough to find A-Song in another life.

Jiang Yanli would see Jin Ling grow up safely, ensure Lianfang-zun did not keep the power he had married his own sister and murdered his own son to secure.

That would be best for everyone.

Qin Su shakily extracted herself from beneath the table, returning to the one room she could be certain Lianfang-zun would never enter.

Now she knew why.

Locking the door to her room, Qin Su emptied what little was in her stomach into the chamber pot. When she was through, she began to draw the array.

 The first thing Jiang Yanli noticed was the silence. She had been on the battlefield at Nightless City, pushed A-Xian aside, and a sword went through her heart —

She had been dead. She was certain.

Oh, A-Xian. What did you do?

Slowly, Jiang Yanli sat up. She was sprawled on the floor of a well-appointed lady’s bedroom. In Koi Tower, by the color scheme, but its occupant had uncommon taste. Rather than gilded everything, there were accents of gold on the drapery and to emphasize ink paintings of the ocean and a palace she did not recognize.

There was also the matter of the array of blood that surrounded her. Demonic cultivation, which only supported her certainty that A-Xian was involved. But where was he? And if she was in Koi Tower, where was her son?

Yunmeng, something inside her whispered. Though she could not explain why, she knew it was true.

Checking herself for cuts, she found a gash across the palm of her hand. But it was already sealing, far faster than Jiang Yanli had healed from so much as a paper cut before her death.

She wasn’t an expert in raising the dead like her brother, but Jiang Yanli was fairly certain fierce corpses did not work that way. At the very least, she should have been bleeding black. Yet her blood was as red as ever.

Getting to her feet, she started to inspect the room for clues. On the way to the desk, she passed a mirror. Her gaze skipped past a mirror. And snapped back.

It was not Jiang Yanli’s face that looked back.

This woman’s face was rounder and softer than her own. Pretty, with a natural pink in her cheeks where Jiang Yanli’s had always had to be painted on, due to the frequency with which she lost her breath and grew dizzy. There, too, was a hint of the agelessness that came with a fully developed golden core. With a feeling of foreboding, Jiang Yanli felt along her meridians until she reached her core. No longer a weak, underdeveloped thing due to her inability to practice the heavily physical Jiang techniques, it shone bright and strong.

That was a point against this being A-Xian’s doing. He wouldn’t have stolen her a body, when he could simply bring back her own.

Why am I alive? Asked a voice in her head.

That would have been a reasonable question. Only it wasn’t Jiang Yanli thinking it.

Maybe resurrection came with the ability to understand spirits. The results were entirely untested, so it was possible. Yet the voice seemed certain it was alive. If her current state was due to demonic cultivation, she might as well do what A-Xian would: experiment.

“I could ask you the same question.” Jiang Yanli told the voice.

Jiang Yanli? It worked! But why am I in your head?

“Are you the one who brought me back?”  She tilted her head back, trying to place the way the voice made her head feel. Almost like the moment at the start of meditation when she began to forget her body to focus on her spirit, but with a disconnect keeping her grounded.

Yes. And then, I can hear your thoughts, the voice said, you don’t need to speak out loud.

That was disconcerting. Is this your body? She thought at the voice.

Yes. The voice said. Stop calling me that. I’m Qin Su.

Strangely, it was a relief to have a name. It made Qin Su feel more real than anything else in this surreal afterlife. So it would be more accurate to say I’m in your head. Am I possessing you?

It was supposed to be an exchange. My soul for yours.

Well clearly, it hadn’t worked that way.

Responding to her unformed question, the woman continued. The array is on the desk.

This… It was obviously A-Xian’s work, copied out by a more careful hand. But it looked incomplete, a half-developed first draft or his scattered notes on an older text that he could always piece back together perfectly, but left out crucial details for anyone else. Utterly unlike the labeled, if nearly illegible, minutiae on his complete work. Jiang Yanli would never have cast an array with so little information. Especially not one of A-Xian’s.

I didn’t know the Yiling Patriarch. And I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly.

No, she supposed not. Anyone casting this array would have to be desperate.

Everything fell apart and I just… used what I had on hand. There was the impression of a shrug, like her mind contorting itself into a new shape. My impulse decisions always have terrible consequences. That’s how I ended up pregnant and marrying the last person in the world I should have. Qin Su gave a short, harsh burst of hysterical laughter, startling Jiang Yanli into making the same noise aloud.

Telling whoever this abusive asshole was that her husband had died only a week ago, and she was certainly not performing any marital duties could wait until she figured out what Qin Su had done.

There are other pages with more notes in the treasury.

Jiang Yanli sprang to her feet. I’ll need to see them immediately.

She slid open the doors, and came face to face with a maid carrying cleaning supplies. Jiang Yanli quickly shut the doors behind her, so the maid could not catch a glimpse of the blood still staining the floor.

“Oh! Jin-furen.” The maid bowed deeply. “This one apologizes for assuming you would be out.”

It was something of a shock to be addressed by a title that had, from her perspective, belonged to her mother-in-law only yesterday. Jin-furen?

Ah, yes. I’ve been Jin-furen since Jin Guangshan… passed… ten months ago. The word “passed” came with a flash of embarrassment, telling Jiang Yanli enough for her to extrapolate the cause of death.

Jin Guangyao must be Jin-zongzhu then. Strange, he hadn’t seemed the abusive type.

Not abuse. Worse. Qin Su gagged in her mind, making Jiang Yanli do the same.

“Are you all right, Jin-furen?” The maid asked, hovering closer.

At least the gagging gave her an excuse not to allow anyone inside. “I’ll be fine. But please wait to clean until tomorrow. I’m afraid I’m not feeling well. Would you have some soup sent on a tray for my dinner?”

“Of course, Jin-furen.” The maid backed away, bowed, and hurried off.

Jiang Yanli turned to inspect the door, placing her hands on her hips. With Qin Su’s Golden Core, she could likely cast a locking spell. If she knew how, that was. She had always relied on A-Xian’s talismans, many of which he developed specifically for her. Unfortunately, she had none on hand.

That’s easy. Qin Su said. Draw the characters for lock, then modify it with…

It took Jiang Yanli a few tries to draw properly on her new core, but she was able to lock the door against casual entry. No cultivator with a sword would be kept out for long, but they would have to be willing to trespass in Jin-furen’s bedchamber.

The thin flush of victory faded the second she stepped through the treasury portal. Suibian lay on a shelf, visible from the door. A-Xian had not carried his sword for a long time. But he would never have handed it over to the Jin Clan, unless it was directly into Jiang Yanli’s arms. Something had gone terribly wrong.

Qin Su. Why is my A-Xian’s sword in the treasury? Jiang Yanli demanded. The answering silence was deafening. “Qin Su! Tell me why!”

He… died. At Nightless City. Not long after you did. Qin Su’s voice was hesitant, as though confused why she cared.

“No!” She let out a choked sob, clasping a hand over her mouth. A-Xian wasn’t — he couldn’t be —

Didn’t he kill you? I was told —

“No! Never!” A-Xian would never have hurt her. I tried to save him.

Silence, for a moment, other than Jiang Yanli’s own ragged breaths. Then, I’m sorry. I’ve learned a lot of things I believed were lies today. Perhaps what they said about him was too.

They were. A-Xian was bright, and good, and cared too much. He had never been what they thought. Jiang Yanli had not needed to ask to know A-Xuan’s death was a horrible mistake, likely the result of stepping in between his cruel, vindictive cousin and her brother at the wrong moment. If he had meant to kill Jin Zixun, A-Xian had had good reason.

I think anyone who had the misfortune of meeting Jin Zixun considered killing him. Qin Su said wryly.

Jiang Yanli had had those thoughts. She gave a watery giggle that was answered in her head. It was sweet of Qin Su to try to comfort her when she could feel that she was still reeling for her own reasons. The least Jiang Yanli could do in return was get her some answers.

On the table.

She found the stack of diagrams easily, along with a tattered notebook that appeared to contain A-Xian’s original work. Jiang Yanli flipped through that, knowing that unless had both gotten a hold of one of the few people that could read his note-taking scrawl — her, Lan Wangji, and perhaps Wen Qing, who had taken their turns as A-Xian’s sounding board in succession — and convinced them to help details would likely have been missed.

You can read that? Qin Su was incredulous.

Years of practice, she replied. Before Lan Wangji, Jiang Yanli had been the only person who took A-Xian’s inventions seriously, the only person willing to sit and listen while he bounced from idea to idea, eventually solving the problem himself.

The average person would not think it necessary to puzzle out the text under a sketch of Lan Wangji holding a child, assuming it was a caption. When it was, in fact, an absolutely crucial detail. A detail that had made A-Xian conclude the Sacrifice Summon Array should never be used.

There were perhaps a dozen variations on the array. Most worked in a similar way to what Qin Su had intended, summoning a spirit to take the caster’s place. The earliest could not target a specific soul, but A-Xian had worked that out. Luckily, Qin Su had used one of those arrays, allowing Jiang Yanli to be summoned, rather than causing the closest vengeful spirits to battle for her body. The very last caused the caster’s body to be torn apart, and replaced with a copy of the spirit’s own.

But every version had two things in common: a call for revenge, and the destruction of the caster’s soul.

In her mind, Qin Su went perfectly still.

Jiang Yanli had a theory as to why Qin Su’s soul had not been consumed by the array. It had started the job, pulling Jiang Yanli in, but Qin Su had not asked for revenge, and so the array spat most of her back out. What the consequences were, for either of their spirits, she could not begin to guess.

There was a distinctive air of panic to Qin Su’s continued silence.

Qin Su, Jiang Yanli prodded, if this had worked the way it’s written, your soul would have been consumed by it. What could have been worth this?

I didn’t know about that. I didn’t want that.

It didn’t happen. You’re still here. She attempted to reassure Qin Su, wishing there was a way to mentally pat someone on the head. That had always helped calm both her brothers.

I’m still here. Whatever the fuck that means. Qin Su giggled nervously. That wasn’t very ladylike.

I think it’s forgivable, under the circumstances. Jiang Yanli raised a sleeve to cover her smile.

You don’t know the half of it. Qin Su sighed. I didn’t think things like this happened, outside of stories.

Jiang Yanli waited for her to go on, gritting her teeth in response to a wave of bitterness.

Only a few hours ago, I found out my so-called husband is my half-brother and he murdered our son. And now here we are.

Oh. Jiang Yanli could not so much as think of a reassuring response. What the fuck is correct.

“A-Su,” Jin Guangyao said from behind her, before Qin Su could say anything more. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

[letsgofoletsgo]

Nightlife of Scilica

“Okay, got it. Thanks love, bye.”

“So, what did she say?”

“Belle says she and Masa will meet us at 6:00.” Morgan said as she slid her phone into her pocket. 

“Alright, that leaves us a couple hours.” Lamar stated. 

“So what do you guys want to do in the meantime?” Sofia asked.

“Well, I guess we could wander around and see what we can find.” He suggested. 

“Wait a sec… Isn’t Anime Reach just around the corner?” Morgan realized. 

“Anime Reach? Wasn’t that that one store you guys accidentally shoplifted from?” Sofia said. 

“I thought we weren’t gonna speak of that again!” Lamar retorted. 

“Hey, no one got arrested, so no shade from me.” Sofia teased.

“That being said, you haven’t been there before, have you Sof?” Morgan said. 

“Nope, can’t say I have.”

“In that case, you and I have a duty toward our friend here Lamar.” Morgan said confidently 

“Oh yeah! As proud Otakus, we’ll guide you through one of the most prestigious anime merch stores in all of Silica!” Lamar boasted. “Er, if that’s cool with you.”     “Sounds good to me!” Sofia smiled. 

“Then onward we go MD-5!” Morgan exclaimed.

The three proceeded through the bustling streets of Silica City. The multitude of neon signs mounted around the buildings illuminated the city in a brilliant shower of light, sparking a sense of wonder and excitement of of the nightlife scene. Indistinct chatter coming from the crowds that populated the sidewalks perpetuated the buzzing atmosphere of the night; The signature vibe of the city that MD-5 felt truly at home in. 

“We should be coming up to it now.” Lamar noted. 

“Yo, look! There’s that one gaming equipment store we looked in.” Morgan pointed to a neighboring store that looked worse for wear, complete with being decked out with glaring yellow and white neon signs that appeared to be on their last legs.

“Oh yeah, Nyla Co., was it? Let me tell you, all it took was one look for us to decide to high tail it out of there- leave their shoddy products for the next poor fool to stumble upon.” He commented. 

“Huh. Don’t need to tell me twice,” Sofia said as she eyed the place dubiously. 

“Forget Nyla- I can see Anime Reach from here!” Morgan said.

“Let’s get a move on then!” Lamar said. 

The trio made their way across the street, and they approached a large store with anime merchandise posters plastered all over the large glass windows. As they came closer, Sofia’s eyes lit up in wonder. 

“Woah… I had no idea it was so big!” She marveled. 

“Just wait ‘till you see it from the inside! Morgan said excitedly. 

The sliding doors in front of them parted, and the entered the building. Before them was a sprawling otaku paradise; for seemingly miles the shelves were stocked with figurines, posters, cardboard cutouts, art books, disc and manga sets, anything a lover of anime could want. 

“Wow, I can see why you like it here so much.” Sofia remarked as she took it all in. 

“Indeed, welcome to our little slice of heaven my friend.” Lamar beamed. 

“Lamar’s been here more times than I’ll have, so I’ll give him the main honors of showing you around.” Morgan noted.

“An honor it shall be! If you ladies would follow me, I’ve got the best bits of the store practically memorized.” 

“I would expect nothing less.” She giggled. 

Lamar led the two down the main isle, where several groups of fellow otakus were browsing the shelves. He then took a turn a little ways down, where the shelves displayed hordes of figures. The colorful figures all had a unique charm to them, and they were usually grouped with others from the same source material. While most of them were packaged in flashy but efficient boxes, there was a certain section where the figures were out in the open, and seemed to be mismatched between animes.

“Now, I like going into this aisle because you can actually find some good figures here, and they’re usually pretty hard to come by otherwise.” Lamar explained. “But there’s also a section of figures that I think are second-handed, so they go for lower than they normally would.”     “Yeah, didn’t you find a decently-made Sastsuki-Chan figure here once?” Morgan asked as they overlooked the displays. 

“That I did, little bud. I’m pretty sure I still got it in my room... Somewhere.” 

“Hey, isn’t that Nova-Chan in there?” Sofia pointed to a figure in the bunch.

“What? Nova-Chan?? Don’t worry baby! I’ll save you!”

In a rather comical endeavor, Lamar dramatically reached for the figure Sofia identified. He grabbed the blue-haired figure and cradled it gently in his hands. 

“What did they do to you, Nova-Chan?” 

As Lamar expressed his lament, Sofia and Morgan just looked at each other, not quite knowing what to make at this display of weebness. 

“Um… Is uh, is she okay?” Sofia asked after a moment. 

“Luckily, yeah, but it ain’t right for a figure that’s so high quality to end up in a pit like that.” He stated. 

“Looks like Nova-Chan wasn’t alone at least.” Morgan dug into the pile and pulled out a figure that looked similar to Nova-Chan, but had a different design scheme. 

Lamar gasped. “Comet-Chan! Not you too!” 

“Don’t worry, she’s a little chipped around the edges but seems alright as well.” Morgan said as she examined it. 

“As much as I like this store, I wish they’d treat some of their stuff a little better.” Lamar expressed. 

“You know, this actually got me thinking of that one episode near season one’s finale.” Morgan said. “Remember how the Galactica arc started?” 

“Oh yeah! The Nova explorers had to fight in Galactica’s tournament to save their galaxy, and she put Comet up against Nova for the first match!”     “You see, it was a really big plot point because this was where Comet-Chan’s jealousy towards Nova-Chan started to boil over, and we get to see what their friendship was like before the formation of the Nova Explorers.” Morgan described. 

“Then after Nova wins, we get a moment of character development where they re-learn what it means to be apart of the Nova Explorers, and made amends to their friendship.” 

“A bit cliche, but I personally think it was well done, and it solidified their friendship for the coming seasons.”

“Well now, you two are certainly well-versed in Nova Explorers lore.” Sofia joked.

“What can we say, we binged watched the first couple seasons last week.” She admitted. “Anyway, Lamar, how about I show Sofia and I look around the rest of the place, while you scour the other end for any rare merch you might have missed?”

“Sounds like a plan, little man.”

    The two shared a triumphant fist-bump, then briefly parted ways. Lamar went to searching the shelves in great detail, using his keen eye to detect anything worth noting. Morgan and Sofia went about in a more casual manner, however the former continued on about Nova Explorers lore and how it all connected to the central plot. Sofia didn’t quite understand it all, but eagerly listened nonetheless. It was fun wandering around in the store, it felt like so long since they all just let loose and had a good time. The trio almost felt as though they were kids once again running about the toy store. 

    It may have been for that reason that they nearly lost track of time; Morgan was dramatically acting out a pivotal moment in one of the latter seasons with a couple of figurines, when she abruptly remembered the schedule they were on. 

    “Hold on, Sofia!” she said, realization hitting like a brick. “What time is it?”

    “Uh- five fifty.” She stated, checking her phone.

    “Shit! We need to find Lamar and get going!”

    She nodded in agreement, and the two set off to find their Otaku friend. It took a few minutes, but they managed to spot him rummaging deeply in a shelf. 

    “Lamar! There you are!”

    “Huh- Ack!” He cried as he banged his head on the upper shelf as he came out. 

    “Dude, come on, we’re meeting the others in ten minutes!” Morgan said.     “Oh damn, we better get a move on!”

    With that, the trio hurried out of the store back onto the streets. After briefly arguing which would be the quickest path to take, MD-5 ended up cutting through a nearby alley way and out onto a major commercial lane. Despite nearly running into several people and maybe a lamppost or two, the friends eventually made it to where they agreed to meet.     “Finally! Good thing we got here in time.” Sofia said slightly out of breath, looking intently at Lamar.

“Hey, I was on a good lead towards a limited edition, so sorry if I lost track of time a bit.” Lamar defended. “Besides, we weren’t held up too badly now, were we?” 

    “I’ll say. Now where-” Morgan was interrupted by a ping from her phone. After reading it over, she looked around for a moment before spotting a couple of familiar faces. 

    “Guys, there they are!” She exclaimed. “Masa! Belle! Over here!” 

    The other two members of MD-5 turned to face the rest of their friends. 

    “Hey there, it’s about time you all showed up.” Masa said. 

    “Sorry, we spent some time at Anime Reach and got a little distracted.” Morgan smirked at Lamar. 

    “Look, a fan’s gotta do what a fan’s gotta do, okay?” He said proudly. 

    “Well, what are we all standing around for? I’m dying for some food over here.” Morgan said. 

    “Yeah! Besides, we still haven’t covered the Quazar arc from the fourth season of Nova Explorers!” Lamar said. 

    “Oh boy, here we go again.” Belle said in a half exasperated tone. 

    “Hey, that’s what you sign up for when your girlfriend and her best friend are anime fans.” Morgan said playfully. 

    “Regrettably so.” She nudged her a bit before putting an arm around her. 

“So as I was saying to Sofia, the Quazar arc really threw the fandom for a loop as it turned one of the main concepts of the series on it’s head-”

And thus she would nerd on, with only one other member of the group intently listening.