#OC: Mariss

[theskylarkin]

KHOC Week Day 6 - Unique

What is special about them? That’s a touchy subject for Relai.

Art commissioned from @naab_ascanio on Instagram

Word Count: 1572

Content Warnings: Canon-typical violence

Relai had been so preoccupied with the weirdo wielding the blue and orange chainsword that she hadn’t noticed the other figure in black until it was too late.

The split second whoosh of something flying toward her was all the warning Relai got before she felt the sharp blade slice through the left side of her face. With a howl of pain, she dropped to her knees in agony, instinctively clutching the wound that burned as if whatever struck her had been coated in acid.

The pain only seemed to get worse as Relai heard the sharp click of footsteps approaching her. Looking up, Relai saw her assailant: a woman wearing the same black coat as the chainsword-wielder but with the hood removed, revealing her face. Her cold grey eyes regarded Relai with frigid contempt as she readied the strange weapon in her hands—two small scythes attached together by a red chain—ready to deliver the killing blow…

~ * ~ * ~

Mariss and Relai were identical twins, not that you’d know it now. Even before Mariss came out as nonbinary, they’d slowly been distancing themselves from Relai. The two of them barely even spoke to each other anymore when Uncle Mundi and Aunt Anima weren’t around.

Relai could recall their last real conversation, one sided as it was. Mariss had knocked on her open door one night as Relai was working on a poster design for 971zR’s next gig (as Joslyn was busy with college stuff). “Hey, Relai,” Mariss asked in a small voice, “do you think Mom and Dad would’ve been okay with me? You know, being non-binary?”

“Of course they would, don’t be stupid!” Relai snapped back, not even looking up from her desk. Mariss didn’t respond but eventually Relai heard the shuffle of their feet as they walked across the hallway to their own bedroom. She refused to feel bad about it; if Mariss didn’t try so hard to forget everything about Radiant Garden over the past four years, they’d already know what a dumb question that was.

If her twin was going to push her away out of embarrassment, then Relai was going to make sure she wasn’t like Mariss at all. They were smart, capable, and doing great in school? Relai dropped out after realizing how pointless it all was. They were having fun with their dorky bot fighting team? Relai was friends with cool adults who were creating meaningful art instead of riding the coattails of some capitalist jerk.

They were thriving in San Fransokyo while pretending their life in Radiant Garden never existed? Then Relai was going to carry those memories of where she came from, no matter how miserable they made her sometimes.

Relai hadn’t been thinking about her twin at all as she walked back home from Jos and Woo-Jin’s place late one night. The two college students tried to call her a R1de but she insisted that she could walk home herself (they could be such adults sometimes!) and beat up anyone who tried anything. In her frustration, Relai hadn’t noticed the figure following her until they cornered her in a dark alleyway.

“So, that’s where you’ve been sneaking off to.” Mariss had just gotten out of bot fighting practice by the look of things, as they were slightly out of breath from hauling the wheeled hard case carrying their drones behind them. “Did you seriously think that no one would notice that you haven’t been to school for months?” they asked snidely.

Relai was about to loudly feign astonishment that Mariss cared enough to notice but her twin cut her off. “What the heck is wrong with you? What would Mom and Dad think?”

“Don’t you dare bring Mom and Dad into this!” Relai shouted at them, stomping forward to stare Mariss down. “Why do you even care about me when you’re too busy hanging out with your new friends anyway? It’s my life and I can do what I want!”

When they were younger, Mariss would’ve backed off but they’d evidently grown enough of a spine to stand their ground against Relai when she wasn’t looking. “Why don’t you think about someone other than yourself for once! Don’t you realize what’ll happen once the school figures out you’ve stopped attending? They’ll start asking questions about Aunt Anima and Uncle Mundi, and if they do any serious background checks they’ll figure out that all of our identification paperwork is fake because we’re not from this world! Our aunt and uncle could’ve lost their their jobs if I hadn’t been covering for you!”

Relai started. Mariss had been covering for them this whole time? No, they’d only done it because it would’ve hurt their own reputation if people found out. She looked over at the case next to her twin, impassively wondering what would happen if she just grabbed Mariss’ precious drones and hurled them with all her strength into the dumpster beside her…

“Argh!” Mariss screamed in frustration, fists clenched. “Why are you like this, Relai!? Sometimes I wish that—” They froze mid sentence, eyes widening and one hand clasped over their mouth.

“You wish what, Mariss?” Relai rounded on them, forcing them to take a step back. “What’s you wish, Mariss? Huh? Huh!? Because I—”

A loud explosion in the adjacent alleyway cut her off. Mariss and Relai stood there, looking at each other in shock and confusion, until Relai brushed past her twin to check out the source of the disturbance.

Relai’s first thought upon turning the corner to find a blond girl about her age in a black and gold dress fighting a figure of similar stature in a hooded black coat with a chainsaw shaped like a sword (Chainsword? Chainsword.) was, ‘Hey, she’s kinda cute.’ Her second thought was, ‘Wait, is that a keyblade?’

The white and gold weapon in the girl’s hands was undeniably key-shaped as she raised it up to block another swing from the chainsword wielder. However, the force of the blow sent her flying back into the brick wall behind her. She slumped down, dazed or possibly knocked out, as her attacker approached with chainsword raised.

“Hey, you!” The figure in black, hood pulled up so that Relai couldn’t see their face at all, turned their head just in time to catch a metal knuckle right below their chin (or at least where their chin ought to be). Relai was rushing towards them, preparing to kick the weapon out of their reach as they fell backwards, until the woman with the chain scythes attacked.

~ * ~ * ~

Out of nowhere, a holographic blue wall of hard light manifested in front of Relai, cutting her attacker off. Relai looked up to see two of Mariss’ drones projecting the barrier, with another blocking the chainsword wielder from the blond girl, who was rising unsteadily to her feet.

“Leave them alone!” Relai had never seen Mariss so angry, even when they’d been yelling at her moments ago. They were practically quivering with rage as they walked over to Relai, face set in a determined scowl as they locked eyes with the woman who’d hurt their twin.

Off to the side, the shorter figure in black raised their chainsword to test the barrier in front of them, then leapt back as the electrical pulse the drones sent through the field surged through them the second the weapon made contact with it.

At the same time, the grey-eyed woman took a step forward. “Thunder!” Mariss yelled hoarsely and she stopped in her tracks as the bolt of lightning impacted the ground in front of her. “I-if you don’t leave now, I…I won’t miss next time!” Mariss declared even as their voice shook.

The woman regarded Mariss impassively, but motioned to her companion before the two of them disappeared into the darkness.

As Mariss’ drones powered down and the forcefields lifted, a strange sadness swept over Relai. She’d always been the one who protected Mariss, not the other way around.

“What were you thinking, Relai!? You could’ve been killed!” Mariss was shaking like a leaf even as they yelled at Relai, furiously brushing away tears from their eyes. Still a crybaby, then, but a crybaby that didn’t need their twin anymore. If there were tears in Relai’s eyes, they were from the gash in her face that was only growing more painful as time went on.

“You both could’ve been killed,” snapped a new voice. Relai watched as the blond girl walked over, stopping right in front of Relai and pointing the tip of her keyblade at her cheek. “Esuna,” she said and Relai immediately felt the burning sensation in her face die out. “I’ve cured the poison but that woman’s blades have a corrosive effect that will leave a scar I can’t heal. So please leave those villains to me.”

“The proper thing to say is, “Thank you Mariss and Relai for saving me”!” Relai retorted as she stood up. Moving her hand from her face, she gazed at her reflection in the dark glass of a storefront window. True to her word, there was a lingering vertical scar that began just below her left eye and continued down to her neck. It wasn’t anything that Relai couldn’t hide without makeup, but maybe she didn’t want to.

The scar looked pretty badass, actually. And it was something that made sure her and Mariss would never be mistaken for each other ever again.

@khoc-week

[kittygirlpaw]

Me when we see our furiends...friendly goopthing

(featuring friend: @leagueofuselessness )

[sisigull]

Fun ahhh sketches

There’s fem!maurice (marisse), my bard oc, and random side portrait

[sleepyowlwrites]

Forgive me, but you ask good questions, and then I want to hear your choices too.

What colors do you favor in your writing? Which show up the most? If you color-code your characters at all, which colors are the most prevalent?

Hope all is well in Owl-land <3

--Idea

woah, not just the Celadon swing back but literally asking me my own questions. alright.

it depends on the wip. each wip has a set of colors, independent of the colors I associate with my ocs, but I do have a lot of brick red, cerulean blue, forest green and indigo-violet, and these colors show up in most of my wips - in the sense that I feel like these are the colors of the vibes. as for what colors I actually mention? I think it's well-documented at this point that I do not, nearly often enough, mention colors or setting descriptions in my stories - or at least in the current drafts.

lemme do some research to see what comes up the most in Dirt:

it's red, but only barely. I dunno if you've gotten around to read it yet, but this doc is heavy on emotion and light on settings.

the most color mentions are probably going to be in Youth, so let's check it out:

it's yellow the most, but I think my mentions of how blue Evie's eyes are stand out more.

I feel like I mention the word "color" more than I mention specific shades, which is weird since I have such strong opinions on colors and do color-code my characters. in two ways.

I give them a palette of color to wear and I give them colors based on their vibes. so if we go back to Dirt and talk about the characters by what they get to wear vs. the colors I think they embody:

Jet - black, brown, grey and red vs. grey, dark green, burnt umber Copper - creams, purples, blues vs. goldenrod, aquamarine, lavender Rune - red, blue, green vs. silver, mauve, forget-me-not Yarrow - all colors vs. all colors Moss - muted solids vs. sage, sandy brown, charcoal Hawk - green, blue, brown vs. verdant, violet, seafoam Shadow - black and whatever Yarrow gives him vs. steel, cloud, slate, and ultramarine

and as for what colors are the most prevalent across the board (in terms of character vibes)? let's go off the top of my head:

Reds:

R

Ernest

Rhea

Erin

Jorand,

Jaino

Jemmi

Marelli

Rune

Poppy

Katherine

Ree

Jack

Oranges:

Kena

Evie

Theo

Nathaniel

Naki

Finnal

Yarrow

Sam

Adam

Yellows:

Nyks

Pellor

Shar

Caro

Pascal

Copper

Cal

Sardha

Greens:

Sebastian

Martin

Ondo

Moss

Hawk

Jae

Eshku

Vern

Tav

Iridian

Ivan

Edward

Blues:

Bell

Aiden

Marlin

Yadsmyn

Katlan

Shadow

Jessalyn

Wryn

Quental

Arkenji

Reed

Ben

Wes

Darsh

Breydan

Puples/pinks:

Savannah

Irina

Daniel

Marz

Mareye

Marisse

Natalie

Mirai

Lunetta

the immortal sorceress

Alinora

Sybil

Neutrals:

Jet

Mark

Yashel

Martain

Ty

Marden

Kyt

John

Xiyun

Margaret

William

and the winner is blues! interesting. thanks for asking me (back), Idea

[amaiguri]

Before I hop on this microtrend and tell you about my OCs signature dishes, I wanna do a quick analysis: What DOES a good signature dish do for a character? (Particularly, a Genshin character but any character will do!)

WHAT DOES A GOOD FICTIONAL SIGNATURE DISH DO?

1) Tells you about the character individually -- The dish should represent SOMETHING about their personality and tastes. Like how Sota's dish is for work-outs -- so they're probably athletic or know athletic people -- OR how Azael's is a dessert -- telling you they probably have a sweet tooth and probably money for sugar!

2) Aesthetically fit the character -- This is more for if you're drawing it, but all the Genshin dishes do this. (Alhaitham has an old rune written on it because he's a linguist. Lisa's is purple like her. Raiden doesn't have one because she doesn't exist in the physical world lol.)

3) Tell you something about the world -- What ingredients do they use? How do they combine or prepare them? Why do they do it that way? I think DragonPrinceDawn above did a particularly good job with that, especially with Lyerei's dish!

I mean, I think DragonPrinceDawn did a great job with all their dishes honestly! I'd eat all of them.

I haven't thought a lot about signature dishes for ALL my characters... but I do have one for Arlasaire. If you don't know, Arlasaire is the Burned Maiden of Nouveau Thuille -- a hitman for a noble, mafia-like house with a reputation for setting herself on fire and them everyone else. She's deeply traumatized and cynical but also, she's very loyal to the tiny handful of people she trusts. EXCEPT oops that's also the trauma lol

So, what does she cook when pressed?

Tjensa's Crab Chowder :

1. Boil a crab until the death of the King in the Saegari then dunk it in the ocean to cool it.

2. Remove the claws and carve out the gills, pour the back fat into crab roe and mix them.

3. Simmer rumateur milk with chopped Deathcamas Bulbs, seaweed, and salt.

4. Add mussels, if available, and slowly add barley and the crab-roe-fat mixture to thicken.

5. Add the crab meat last and whatever pieces of jerky you can spare.

6. For special occasions, add talons.

7. Freeze any leftovers and reheat as necessary.

So, the first thing this tells you is she was poor when she devloped this -- crab is a thing you grab out of the trash when there is nothing else to eat. Next, that first line requires you to know a cultural song to time out the boiling. The other ingredients mentioned assume you have those on hand, which -- since we know she is poor -- are presumably easy to get.

Except the talons. And talons of what bird or animal? She doesn't specify because she assumes it is obvious. It's like "eggs". Whose eggs? (The answer is Eider. She expects you to have eider lying around.)

Now, of course, the final myster is the title: "Tjen'sa's Crab Chowder". Who's that?

Well, before she was the Burned Maiden of Nouveau Thuille, Arlasaire was a normal girl in a fishing village. Neither her name nor her signature dish is from the culture or class of the people who adopted her. This is the last thing she has of the girl before she was burned...

BUT to end on a happier note, here is the recipe again in her mother tongue:

Abrauche d'Maristienne d'Tienza:

1. V'Abraunis maristienne e Luitra d'Roi di Saegari. Alicina daveneu, v'freinis maristienne di asaura fitte eissa.

2. V'Inevoivis marisse och hesapre. V'Hachenis neuse d'igrenne di oin d'maristienne och v'tegi'is.

3. V'Cezena girache d'rumateur il vedruilanienne luitracamia, asaulille, och zel'e.

4. V'Freinis seugrenne, the deusrian zairuin, och aivienne v'freinis cleussia och oin-och-neuse hachelan fitte cuima tegilanienne.

5. V'Freinis saidre d'maristienne och inerlatte saidre, the cuitreun.

6. Fitte chevalicina daveneus, v'freinis marivelle.

7. Eissa idrian ceson e eisse och v'abraunis idaneu euv vilaralen.

Okay, this got a lot more in-depth than I initially planned I'm sorry/not sorry lololol I think about food and culture literally every day. This is my jam. Thank you for indulging me!

OC Signature Dishes

A small writing exercise inspired by Genshin's Specialty Dishes; What is this character's signature dish? If they were asked to bring something to a potluck, or make a last-minute dinner for a dear friend, what's the food they would default to? The goal is to describe the flavor and texture of the dish while at the same time revealing just a bit of the character's personality.

I had a lot of fun writing these, so hopefully I'll have more soon ^^

Azael - "Special Occasion" (Honeyed Apple Tart with Peanut Butter)

A dessert specifically reserved for special occasions and jobs well done. Only the fullest, most vibrant red apples in the orchard were finely sliced and layered upon the flaky pastry with precision and care. The roasted nuttiness of the peanut base softens the tartness of the apple, and the finishing touch is a drizzle of wildflower honey with dash of sugar. Being a stranger to the kitchen, Azael had to commit a great deal of time towards putting together this deceptively simple dish. Seeing you smile as you lick honey off your fingers is their hard-earned reward.

Lyerei - Auroral Sweet Ice (Rainbow Shaved Ice)

With a whispered incantation and a simple Prestidigitation spell, a cup of mountain spring water turns into a colorful treat in the blink of an eye! The refreshingly cool flakes of ice melt onto your tongue, simulating a medley of sweet berries and other fruits. The only colors Lyerei adds are a vivid red, a deep blue, and a bright yellow. These three simple hues, when swirled together, create all the colors of the Light Bearer clan's aurora in their center.

Sota - Post Workout Pick-Me-Up (Four Seed Bread Rolls)

Fluffy, buttery bread rolls with a golden crust, cut in two and slathered with tart cherry compote. Portable and nutritious, they're the perfect snack for when you have a busy day ahead. Each family in the Blackcliff Roost has their own recipe for baking bread, and so each loaf tastes just a bit different from the one next door. But there's a particular detail that sets Sota's recipe apart from all the others - the sprinkle of sesame, flax, poppy, and sunflower seeds added just before baking that give the crisp crust a subtle, nutty flavor.

Elgimn - "Surprise Me" (Seafood Rice Balls seeped in Green Tea)

One must be extraordinarily patient to allow the fluffy rice grains to seep in green tea until they are infused with a bitingly bitter taste. But the light aroma of the rice mixed with fresh crab meat leaves a sweet aftertaste lingering on the tongue. It seems even the most battle-worn warlords cannot resist indulging in life's simple delights every once in a while...

Thank you for reading! 💙

[emsartwork]

animatic from last semester of an original story! you can see concepts for it on my patreon!

[leagueofuselessness]

My Dragoness~

[espressopatronum454]

work of art character sexualities, pronouns, and familial relations

euphemia: mtf, pansexual, she/her. parent of sirius and regulus

fleamont: ftm, gay, he/him. parent of james and remus

lyall: gay, he/him. parent of james and remus

hope: aroace, she/her. possible surrogate mother of james and remus

walburga: lesbian, she/her. parent of sirius and regulus

orion: omnisexual, he/him.

quinn harper: gay, nonbinary, he/him/they. oc.

sam wood: bisexual, he/him. grandparent of oliver wood. love interest of andy grace.

devi singh: ace, lesbian, she/her, mtf. oc.

katherine macdonald: queer/questioning, she/her. parent of mary macdonald.

marisse mckinnon: queer/questioning, she/they. parent of marlene.

mal jordan: bicurious, he/him. grandparent of lee jordan.

arabella prewett: aroace, she/they. aunt of fabian and gideon.

percy prewett: straight, he/him. parent of fabian and gideon.

harley knight: demiromantic, he/him. love interest of archie anderson.

saturn rowan ram: pansexual, nonbinary, they/them (‘he’ is accepted, but not preferred.) love interest of jude rosier (parent of evan rosier)

lee potter: demiromantic, she/they. parent of fleamont, adopted parent of euphemia.

henry potter: straight, he/him. parent of fleamont, adopted parent of euphemia.

minnie mcgonagall: pansexual, polyamorous, she/her. child of isobel.

poppy pomfrey: demiromantic, demisexual, polyamorous, she/her

pomona sprout: lesbian, polyamorous, she/they

i just came up with most of these, so if it isn’t consistent with the first few chapters, that’s why. but i am going to try and integrate it to the best of my ability.

[tsunderedoctor]

Hii! So, let me introduce you to not ye properly named crew (i call it the Pirate's Princess Crew but eh).

1)Captain

Ookami D. Mariss. 24 y/o (also her "present" is before the 2 years time skip) She is under heavy redoing rn, so i dont have her pic or i dunno if her surname will stay. But she was born as Kersley D. Mariss, to a Pirate Princess - which is basically a.. well smt like "Pirate King" in The Pirates of Carribean franchise. She has the power to lead all 4 of the Yonkos, and even tho is "born" with the title, the 4 Emperors needs to acknowledge her and swear her loyalty before she is "official". She was 15 when she got appointed as such, only 3 Emperors were present (which is minimum.) Kaido missing. And two out of three voted yes, Big Mom being the only against out of the three. She is cursed by a wolf god-like creature - tho by accident. So she can shapeshift into wolf. She wields the power of Voice (goes w/ being Pirate Princess). Also has dragon Zeyra and best wolf friend, Kasumi.

Her fav pastime is meditating.

2)Firstmate; Navigator

Then there is Ren, pic also in redoing. He is 29, nicknamed "The Knight" and wields buster sword. He honestly should get raise for all the bullshit he has to deal with in daily basis. Childhood friend of Mariss, but didnt see each other between 6 - well teen years.

He is the artist of the crew and his fav pastime is tattoing.

3)Chef, occasional healer

(Vinsmoke) Trixie. Okay she is second ever made OP OC, and i made her like.. ages ago.. before the Vinsmoke ordeal was shown but holy shit she fits right in! She doesnt uses her surname. And she is older sister to Sanji (now i say she is twin to Reiju). She is 21 y/o but was born 24 years ago. TLDR: born, got experimented on, no result - Judges accidentally "kills her" and let her drifts on sea, so it would seem like horrible accident. She then gets find by The Great Calamity - chinese dragon-like sea spirit, known to feast on souls. And spents 3 irl lives in vacuum, her soul too weak to return to her body, but cant be consumed by the spirit due to Germa testing. Here finds here Mariss, driftinh in a sea and asks the Wolf god-like thing to save her. Which happens, cursing Mariss with shapeshifting powers in the process.

Trixie wields the cursed water powers and is skilled in close comba and bo-jutsu. Beside the whole soul eating problem, the only way the Germa's experiment can be seen is cuz she usually lacks empathy towards enemies and is very prone to anger. She is nicknamed "The Water Empress".

Also cant hold her liquor. Its bad. No tolerance at all. And she loses all of her sense when drunk, it got so bad that Mariss banned her from drinking, unless there is Ren or Mariss to take care of her.

Her fav pastime is bubblegum blowing, while thinking of new recepies. Loves ice cream. And similarly to liquor, she cant handle coffee. She gets even crazier after a cup, and gets migraines.

Oh and despite her being the less stable one out of the crew, everone ways expect Rita to be the psycho of the crew. Its not. Its Trixie.

4)Gunner/Sharp Shooter

Akane Rita, 21 y/o ex-thief/killer-on-hire. Wields the power of God of Fire (based on Kagutsuchi mythology) and is skilled in firearms (Ekan still thinks its horrible idea to have the emodiment of fire dragon handle gunpowder 😂). Rita's fire actually has no shape, but to provoke Trixie she usually makes fire dragons. She has pair of pistols (Kagu and Chi) on her all the time, but also has rifle named Star, but can use huge variety of fire arms. Also has twin daggers named Sun and Moon from her thief days.

Due to her powers and Trixie powers.. the fight a lot. Usually just with snarky remarks, but sometime also with powers. Ren is on babysitting duty all the time.

Her fav pastime is cleaning guns and yes, she csn handle the spice (and is addicted to coffee)

5) Doctor

Zaviria, 18 y/o - the youngest member and only DF user. She is quiet, but touch her plants and you are dead. Her parents are surgeon and chemic with aunt as herbalist, and she got smt from all of them. Cant find notes on her DF, but basically she could manipulate plants and flowers. She is the one who supplies Alix with poison. She prefers to breed her plants into using it as sleep/poison powders, so she wouldnt have to do the dirty work. Also, can throw needles with scaring precision and for some reason is WAY too good with alcohol. Likes horror and unsolved murders podcasts.

6) Scout/Assasin/Ninja-like

Alix. Boyfriend of Ren. 24 y/o. He is pretty new so i dont know much. Is stealthy, can kill variety of weapons and is skilled in posion usage etc. Has a hawk he can ride on. No pic yet. Only that he looks lanky and boyish, kinda like Luffy...but is older. Bestie with Zaviria and thinks of her as her younger sister. They listens to unsolved murders together. Also has immpecable sense of stability. Like man can SIT while standing on pole/string.

7) Shipwright and Helmsman

Ekan, 20 y/o. They're 1/4 fishman. Grew up in grandfather's martial arts dojo and mum's shipwright company. Trained in fishman karate, can breath underwater and has weapon, but not sure what yet.

P.s. Rita/Trixie/Mariss are cold the "The Cursed Sisters". Rita has the most epiteph out of all: ^ that; "The Fire Empress" due to her powers and "The Red Death" when she briefly worked as bounty hunter when the crew was disbanded for a year.

((👉👈🥺 thats VERY brief introduction to my chaotic crew.. yet i still it might have been a bit too much. Pls dont bother to react if you would feel overloaded or smt. Have lovely dad!)) ((Also if you want to gush about your MCs, go on!)) ((Maybe.. can they handle alcohol? Are they like Trixie and absolitely not, or suprisingly well like Zaviria?))

Sorry this took so long to respond!! I wanted to wait when I got off!!

But they all sound amazing!! I think Roese and Zaviria could be friends!! Roese is a green witch so she makes medicines and talks to plants, she can also manipulate them at will, but isn't that strong yet haha!! So I think being doctors and plant lovers they would get along 💜💜💜

[theskylarkin]

KHOC Week Day 1 - Introductions

Hello! I’m back with my Scala Survivors AU from previous years again. However, this year I’m gonna advance the clock forward to five years after the events of Birth By Sleep (and thus five years before the events of KH1) to focus on two characters who’ve only been mentioned in passing a few times.

In a nutshell, the premise of my AU is a canon divergent timeline in which certain characters from Dark Road survived the events of the game and lived into the BBS era. Not that it matters now, in this period of time I’m going to call the Wilderness Era due to it taking place between BBS and KH1, as the universe has been ahem nudged back into something resembling canon.

Scala ad Caelum is no more, its proud lineage of keyblade masters and their apprentices all seemingly having fallen in battle. No one, not even the two remaining survivors of the world’s destruction, is quite sure what occurred in those last fateful days. All that anyone can be certain of is that the former stronghold of keyblade wielders has been completely and utterly destroyed.

The consequences of such an apocalyptic event can still be felt five years later. With only two active keyblade wielders (seemingly) left, the forces of darkness have begun to spread across the worlds at an alarming rate. Against such overwhelming odds, the last active keyblade master and apprentice can only do so much to hold back the inevitable wave of darkness that threatens to consume the blissfully unaware universe…

The “important players” have been guided to their proper positions as fate intended. All of the “extra pieces” have been removed from the board in anticipation of the impending game. Everything is as it should be.

Almost.

With that out of the way, meet the twins:

Art commissioned from @naab_ascanio on Instagram

Name: Mariss Gardener

Age: 15

Gender: Nonbinary (They/Them)

Species: Human

Homeworld: Born in Radiant Garden, moved to San Fransokyo

Occupation: Highschool Student (Honors Program, Field mechanic and general support of the school’s Battle Robotics Team)

Appearance: Mariss insists that they don’t care about fashion but their default style has been androgynous slightly leaning masculine ever since coming out as nonbinary. They’ve fully embraced the streetwear and cyberpunk aesthetic of their new home, especially since joining their highschool’s bot fighting team (more on that in a future post). The blue earpieces, sensor bracelets, and cuff on their left wrist are actually part of their kit: the earpieces project a holographic visor over Mariss’ silver glasses displaying the UI they use to control their robots from a safe distance.

Art commissioned from @naab_ascanio on Instagram

The wave on Mariss’ t-shirt is the symbol of their team, the South Bay Surfriders.

Personality: Between them and their identical twin Relai, Mariss is the “smart/serious/boring” twin, the Dipper to Relai’s Mabel for all you Gravity Falls fans. They’re a hardcore introvert but actively trying to become better at socializing and making friends after spending all of their childhood hiding behind their sister. Although they aren’t trying to be mean or dismissive, Mariss has a hard time considering the feelings of others over what they feel is the best course of action. They like to think they’re always in control of their emotions, but Mariss is a total worrywart and the first to freak out in stressful situations. Despite being on a bot fighting team, Mariss is a stanch pacifist like their cousin.

Likes: Salmon Poke, Reading, Video Games (Turn-Based RPGs or Strategy games, but nothing too anxiety-inducing), A sense of structure in their life

Dislikes: Low tech/No tech worlds, Cheaters, Vagueness/Indirect Communication

Hates: Passive Aggressiveness, Nobodies

Art commissioned from @naab_ascanio on Instagram

Name: Lorelai "Relai" Gardener

Age: 15

Gender: Female (She/Her)

Species: Human

Homeworld: Born in Radiant Garden, moved to San Fransokyo

Occupation: Highschool Student (allegedly)

Appearance: Instead of having a goth phase like other girls her age, Relai is currently in her vaporwave phase. She gravitated towards this counterculture aesthetic born from a desire to express hopelessness towards the future through bright neon colors, mean-spirited irony, distorted retro computer graphics, and imagery stolen/appropriated from Japanese culture out of resentment toward losing her home and all the emotional turmoil that followed. Relai’s hair is naturally the same shade as her twin’s but she’s dyed it a neon purple in order to look more like her older cousin’s. She’s learned how to fight thanks to protecting her twin from bullies when they were younger and wears a pair of metal knuckles in case she’s ever got to punch her way out of a situation.

Art commissioned from @naab_ascanio on Instagram

Personality: Between her and her identical twin Mariss, Relai is the “creative/fun/troublemaker” twin, the Stan to Mariss’ Ford. She has a very “color outside the lines” approach to life and tends to turn her nose up at authority figures on principle. Relai used to be much more sociable and emotionally attuned to others (compared to Mariss), but has become detached and sarcastic as a means of coping with her past trauma. When she’s able to let her emotional walls down, she’s great at seeing things from another point of view and winning people over.

Likes: The chocolate chip muffins her mom’s secretary used to make, Electronic Music, MMA, A sense of adventure/unpredictability in her life

Dislikes: School, Cringe comedy, Strict rules/routine

Hates: Feeling abandoned/ghosted, Nobodies

The twins, along with their aunt Anima and uncle Mundi, were lucky to escape the destruction of Radiant Garden when it fell to the heartless. Forced to flee their world with only a few prized possessions they could carry such as the journal of their lost cousin, Sophia, they wound up in San Fransokyo. All the family could do was try to rebuild their lives in this unfamiliar world.

Four years later, an unexpected encounter would bring Mariss and Relai into contact with the last remaining keyblade wielder of the Scalan lineage…

@khoc-week

[socialmediasocrates]

9, 23, 26, and 36 for

Balaste

Rhienn

Vyradra

Iraë

Mariss

and Ace

Please and thank you úwù

Gonna put this under a cut for length also cw Balaste

ty @vlasseblaster <3

OC QUESTIONS

BALASTE

9. Do you have a faceclaim / voiceclaim for your OC?

Not exactly? Balaste's appearance shifts in my head pretty often, but things that are generally true: short, even for a drow, built like a fencer, flamboyant in his personal style, with pink eyes and wavy white hair, brushing the collar of whatever ridiculous shirt he's wearing

23. What is a random fact about your OC?

He rarely eats out because he's so picky about how his food is prepared that it makes his siblings want to kill him in the middle of the restaurant.

26. Who is the most important person in their life? Why? Who is the least important to them (that still has an impact) and why?

His mother is the answer to both of these questions. He respects and despises Shrianatar in equal measure; he is also extremely afraid of her. I don't think she has a single child with whom her relationship isn't incredibly complicated, and Balaste is no exception to this rule. How he feels about her depends on the day and what she's asking him to do.

36. What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain?

I mean he needs therapy. What he wants is for his family to be cohesive and functional again, and there really aren't any ends he won't go to for that. Balaste loves his sisters, he really does, but he is his mother's son. He expresses love by being controlling and overbearing.

Rhienn

9. Do you have a faceclaim / voiceclaim for your OC?

Again, not exactly. Rhienn is a short woman with dark skin, densely curly hair to her waist and a lot of it, and deep brown eyes. From there a lot of things are left to the imagination; her appearance shifts a lot in my mind's eye.

23. What is a random fact about your OC?

She was originally a fantroll.

26. Who is the most important person in their life? Why? Who is the least important to them (that still has an impact) and why?

Rhienn's family are the most important people in her life (sans Mariss, more on her in a second). She would do anything for them, and she means everyone. Except for Mariss. Except for her younger sister. She knows she shouldn't feel so indifferent, but Mariss was a baby the last time Rhienn ever saw her. The impact of losing her echoes through Rhienn's life, just like it does for her parents, but Rhi doesn't get caught up in wondering who she might have grown into.

36. What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain?

She's pretty content with her life tbh.

Vyradra

9. Do you have a faceclaim / voiceclaim for your OC?

Not me not having any faceclaims whatsoever lmao. Vyradra is a young drow woman of average height with a face-framing haircut and golden eyes, and from there it's on ur imagination boo.

23. What is a random fact about your OC?

[redacted]

26. Who is the most important person in their life? Why? Who is the least important to them (that still has an impact) and why?

[redacted]

36. What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain?

[mega redacted]

Iraë

9. Do you have a faceclaim / voiceclaim for your OC?

Iraë is a smaller than average drow woman, a little on the chubby side with short super-curly hair, silver eyes, and golden freckles bc of sun elf heritage on her mom's side. But I don't necessarily have a set face claim for her.

23. What is a random fact about your OC?

She's a level 10 bard but I'm not telling you what school.

26. Who is the most important person in their life? Why? Who is the least important to them (that still has an impact) and why?

The most important person in her life is Uriel, for reasons you Ali are well aware of and your fellow players will find out one day. Mistress Baenep isn't super important to her anymore, but the impact she's had on Iraë's life is hard to measure or put into words.

36. What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain?

Iraë has pretty much gotten what she most wanted.

Mariss

9. Do you have a faceclaim / voiceclaim for your OC?

Mariss is a small, nervous woman with dark skin and a big cloud of curly black hair and big, dark brown eyes. She is constantly extremely skinny, and her left arm is a prosthetic of her own making, decorated with artwork depicting Summer Isler folklore.

23. What is a random fact about your OC?

She has a very nice singing voice!

26. Who is the most important person in their life? Why? Who is the least important to them (that still has an impact) and why?

The most important person to her is Beau, she just doesn't remember that at the moment; right now she'd probably say it's Booker. He's her fiancee, after all, and he did save her from the ice fields. :) The least important person with an impact on her is [redacted]

36. What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain?

Mariss really wants for very little? She's a simple woman; she wants to live a comfortable, quiet life where she can tinker with her inventions and read her books in peace.

Ace

9. Do you have a faceclaim / voiceclaim for your OC?

I made an artbreeder image of Ace, but at her base she's a young woman of mixed Asian and French descent with auburn hair and dark brown eyes and a lot of freckles. Average in height for a human woman.

23. What is a random fact about your OC?

Ace has a service dog named Monsieur, who is a Dalmatian.

26. Who is the most important person in their life? Why? Who is the least important to them (that still has an impact) and why?

Ace has short-term memory issues and the answer to this question changes a lot.

36. What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain?

[redacted]

[sleepyowlwrites]

I've got blorbos you haven't even seen | an oc masterpost

all my blorbos! in alphabetical order. literally for my own convenience, but maybe yours for ask games as well.

Current OC count: 182 (+13 floaters)

A:

Aiden Chase - Anxiety Story

Adelaide Rhiannon O'Shea - Anxiety Story

Amelia Kinsey - Inheritance Story

Alexander Gold - Magick Story

Ander Sage - Magick Story

Aristotle - Magick Story

Arthur - Princess Story

Abari - Hunter Story

Arin - College Story

Arkenji - Guild Story

Aline - Illusion Story

Alinora Briarwood - Romance Story

B:

Ben Averis - Apocalypse Story

Breydan Yusai - Guild Story

Breeka - Thief Story

Beran Sunder - Pirate Story

Briar - Pirate Story

Berry - Pirate Story

C:

Corm - Magick Story

Callum Blakesley - Youth Story

Copper - City Story

Cam - City Story

Caden - Ghost Story

Caro - Thief Story

Carmine - Princess Story

Cleo Harmon - Watermelon

D:

Dair Sin'Claybeak - Summon Story

Dahlia Starling - Magick Story

Daisy - Magick Story

(Lucas) Daniel Cardwin - Youth Story

Din/Dinah - Death Story

Darsh - Rain Story

Devin - College Story

Dreya - Thief Story

E:

Eric Heyward - Anxiety Story

Erin Da'Virya - Summon Story

Ernest Jackdaw - Magick Story

Edwin Rose - Magick Story

Eveline Veery - Youth Story

Edgar - Void Story

Emrik - Ghost Story

Eksal - Hunter Story

Eshku - Mercenary Story

Era - Portal Story

Edward Valant - Romance Story

F:

Fern - Magick Story

Fawn - City Story

Faroom - Space Story

Finnal Espris - Guild Story

Frin - Necromancy Story

G:

Ghand Sin'Blackstone - Summon Story

Grimes - Summon Story

Gareth - Princess Story

Gale - Summer Story

Greg - College Story

Garnet - Magick Story

Galinhad - Emporium Story

Gemna Hyacinth - Pirate Story

H:

Hadley James - Inheritance Story

Haezle - Emporium Story

Heidi Chorus - Magick Story

Holly - Magick Story

Hawk - City Story

I:

Imire Da'Hala - Summon Story

Isabelle Levette - Youth Story

Irina Kovalenko - Youth Story

Idrian Sarendor - Guild Story

Ivan - Thief Story

J:

Jaclyn Heyward - Anxiety Story

Jaf Ov'Beyn - Summon Story

Jessalyn Lark - Magick Story

Jaeyoung (James) Seo - Youth Story

Jet - City Story

Jalek - Space Story

Jaino - Rain Story

Jemmi - Rain Story

Jake - Summer Story

Jorand - Mercenary Story

Jack Sanderson - Romance Story

John Rusalo - Romance Story

Jorji - Emporium Story

Jaspera Ruse - Pirate Story

K:

Kyle Heron - Magick Story

Kena - Rain Story

Kyt - Rain Story

Katlan - Thief Story

Katharine Briarwood - Romance Story

Ketki Beetle - Pirate Story

L:

the Library - Magick Story

Lila - Magick Story

Lawrence Whitely - Death Story

Laisa - Hunter Story

Lin - Portal Story

Lunetta - Train Story

Lysandris Greylark - Pirate Story

M:

Marianna Heyward - Anxiety Story

Melissa O'Shea - Anxiety Story

Madi Ov'Ubaran - Summon Story

Martin Glass - Magick Story

Mark Isanz - Youth Story

Moss - City Story

Maidred - Emporium Story

Max - City Story

Mar - Death Story

Myr - Space Story

Mandy - College Story

Marz Abisos - Guild Story

Mareye Abisos - Guil Story

Martain Abisos - Guild Story

Marlin Abisos - Guild Story

Marisse Abisos - Guild Story

Marelli Abisos - Guild Story

Marden - Mercenary Story

Mirai - Mercenary Story

Margaret Canton - Romance Story

Mariyen [redacted] - Pirate Story

Maisy Beckett - Watermelon Story

N:

Nathaniel Moss - Magick Story

Natalie Birch - Magick Story

Nykolas Argyros - Youth Story

Naki - Mercenary Story

Niyah - Necromancy Story

O:

Opar - Summon Story

Ondo - Guild Story

Ormand - Necromancy Story

P:

Petirik Ov'Rine (Masryune) - Summon Story

Persimmon - Magick Story

Pim - Death Story

Penn - College Story

Pellor - Guild Story

Poppy - Thief Story

Pascal Sanderson - Romance Story

Q:

Qaz - Ghost Story

Quental Kathur - Guild Story

R:

Rhea Da'Yesul - Summon Story

Rasker Sin'Tinfinger - Summon Story

Roland Blakesley - Youth Story

Rune (Cloud) - City Story

Rowena - Princess Story

Ryland - Void Story

Rose - College Story

Reed - Thief Story

Ryu - Necromancy Story

Rudy Bradford - Watermelon Story

S:

Samuel Ledell - Anxiety Story

Shae Da'Mika - Summon Story

Savannah Li - Youth Story

Shadow - City Story

Sardha - Rain Story

Sharajai - Mercenary Story

Sebastian - Train Story

Sondran Basil - Pirate Story

Sybil Valant - Romance Story

Savro - Necromancy

T:

Theodore Heyward - Anxiety Story

Tims - Magick Story

Terence - Ghost Story

Tinmar - Hunter Story

Ty Carrow - Apocalypse Story

Toby - College Story

Teshek - Portal Story

Torash - Illusion Story

Tristaina - Necromancy

U:

Ubaran - Summon Story

Umber - Pirate Story

V:

Vivianne Oak - Magick Story

Viola Sage - Magick Story

Violet - Void Story

Vari - Space Story

Vern - Rain Story

Val - Death Story

Vyx - Emporium Story

W:

Wesley Burke - Anxiety Story

Wryn Ov'Kastek - Summon Story

Winnie - Void Story

W'yn - Space Story

William Leighton - Romance Story

X:

Xiyun Jinan - Guild Story

Xicato - Necromancy Story

Y:

Yarrow - City Story

Yendan - Rain Story

Yashel - Guild Story

Yadsmyn - Mercenary Story

Z:

Zan Ov'Opar - Summon Story

Zen Ashri - Pirate Story

Floaters:

Lexi Ayre

Sage

Lin Meili

Mireille Bellerose

Tiger

Kyra Roselle

Elsie Martin

Marion Song

Jess Rider

Tris

Kivarin Moonshade

Kirel Temir

Eira Iko

more to come, I'm sure.

[espercr---archived]

⭐️ about me !

name: marissa nickname / s: missa, a missa-tery, mariss. height: a little under 5′6″ nationality: american unfortunately, my ethnicity is- 1/2 mexican, 1/4 irish, 1/4 portuguese.  favourite fruit: i’ve always had a soft spot for bananas, but lately citrus fruits are reigning supreme in my heart- lemons, oranges, limes, but not grapefruits... i hate those. favourite season: autumn/winter ! i like it cold and foggy and rainy- the heat drives me mad... yet i live in california... so i rarely get to bundle up how i’d like to. favourite scents: lavender, vanilla, freshly baked cookies, laundry rooms, pine, petrichor.  favourite animals: western bluebirds, golden retrievers, ravens, giraffes, elephants, grizzly bears, bunnies, deer, octopuses... tea, coffee, hot cocoa:  well, all- but I gotta say i love tea the most.  average hours of sleep: if i had to pick a number it’s probably about 7 hours, but it varies greatly. sometimes if i don’t set an alarm 10... sometimes 4... when my blog was created: this is a reboot i’ve had for about 2 years but Hope’s been running around my head since about 2013. # of followers: 96 oc blogs are rough, my dudes. random fact: i auditioned for wizards of waverly place for the role of max- which was originally a female role, but they changed the gender of the character. i got called back twice.  favourite food: oh my god i have no idea... korean bbq? sushi? eggplant parmesan? cheez-its?? cupcakes?? flautas?? so many- just so many... SOURDOUGH BREAD!  favourite t.v. shows:  doctor who, gravity falls, star trek, daredevil, gilmore girls, the haunting of hill house, ghost adventures, the marvelous mrs. maisel, the umbrella academy, black mirror. favourite movie: gonna be more than one... the little mermaid, mary poppins, 500 days of summer, amélie, hush, and coco. favourite vine:  “IT’S VINEGAR” “... WHAT?!” sexuality: i’m high key bisexual. pronouns: she/her favourite book series: the harry potter series will always have a place in my heart although jk rowling is trying rly hard to spoil it for me... also i really loved the hunger games trilogy, but not the movies- still bitter about it. favourite video game / s:  portal and portal 2 are my all time favorite games and i’m still obsessed almost 10 years later. favourite subject: science ! and any lit class. i thrive there. guys or girls: i have a disappointing lack of guy friends, but i think that’s just luck? i don’t rly prefer a gender identity over any other-- nonbinary friends included. last time I cried: i cried watching jane the virgin last night... it was a sweet moment. what I should be doing: making lunch it’s one o’clock and my stomach just growled. rip. favourite fandoms: the star trek fandom seems super chill, the doctor who fandom still scares me and i’ve been here for literally almost 8 years, and the marvel fandom is generally nice. : ) 

TAGGED BY: @softestmood thanks for always tagging me in memes gosh you’re such a sweetheart. <3  TAGGING: @constablegoo & everybody else. feel free to say i tagged you !

[farfromsugafanfic]

About Alyce #2

This time we'll do a writing related one.

Probably Sutures. I am really proud of that one and it remains one of my favorite stories I've written.

This is difficult to answer because my first thought was romance. However, ask me to write a regular contemporary romance and I will fail. I also gotta mix genres. But, the romance arc is formulaic and easy to insert into almost any story.

Whatever floats your boat. As long as they don't go too far, I don't have a problem with them.

From random things. Music is probably the most consistent inspiration for me. Amadeus was inspired by Wolfgang, Sutures was inspired by a random pop song I don't even remember, Dangerous was inspired by a meme/old Jimin live. Honestly, it kinda just pops up during moments where I'm really enjoying or focused on something.

Of course, it depends what you count as a block. I get mini blocks quite frequently. Large blocks tend to be project specific and probably happen once a year or so, but it truly depends. Honestly, the reason I started writing Amadeus is that I've been blocked on my novel for almost a year.

Hmm, I've had the best response when writing for Kpop. It also allows me to make up my own worlds more than other types of fic I've written. Essentially, I take a familiar face and personality and insert it into a novel of my own instead of having constraints of an existing world. (I know non-con fic exists but I have a hard time writing non-con when it takes place before or during the work).

I always shoot for 1500 words. Lately, though my chapters have been coming in at between 2000 and 3500 on average.

As mentioned earlier, I like mixing genres. Based on my work, romance, fantasy, and historical are my favorite genres.

I tend to write for one fandom at a time, but I have written for many fandoms. Now, I kinda write for both BTS and SKZ, but am focusing on SKZ.

Yes, you can see my introduction post to see what I am currently accepting requests for :)

Probably Dangerous and Sutures. Hence why they were the first two I decided to cross post.

I'm going to save us all a lot of time and say that I don't know and am not going to count. I've been writing fanfic and other works seriously for 13 years now so uh...

Both? Like it's definitely just a hobby, but it helps me improve my other writing. I tend to work on fanfic when I'm blocked because there is less pressure with fanfic (for me at least). So, while, yes, it is technically a hobby, it is helping me improve and have the energy and passion for my "thing".

Of course. I read much more than I write.

Read and learn from what you read. Also, do not let likes, follower counts, etc stop you from writing.

No, because I read fanfiction for years before I read a smut fanfiction.

Yes

Usually, I will abandon the ones I don't like. I do think I would do Dangerous very differently now and find certain aspects problematic (more so than I intended when I wrote it).

13 years

I plead the fifth

Eh, not really. I read a lot of AUs. The only thing that bothers me is if a member is a villain or the love interest does something like r*pe the OC. I stop reading at that point. Those people in my fics are always OCs because I am not going to put something like that on someone I'm supposed to be a fan of. (Also most of my idol characters don't kill people. Occasionally, but it's always as a hero for the most part. But I will read mafia fics, so for some reason that doesn't bother me as much unless it's like a completely innocent person).

Depends on the day, hour, minute, and second.

Always in my Kpop fics. Occasionally in others.

Yes.

Of course. It's not usually consciously, but there are parts of me in all my works.

I have too many. Many of them aren't on here anymore tbh, or I can't remember their user names. But I have my regulars I will go back to for BTS. For SKZ, I'm still finding them. Any recs?

Not sure what they mean by this. I am inspired by several other writers in different ways. I wouldn't say I have just one. Marissa Meyer is probably the one that informs my writing style and genre bending most.

Yep, AUs for most of my stories. I think Sutures and Birds of a Feather (not yet crossposted) are the only idolverse stories I have. I prefer AUs for fanfiction of real life figures because then it is obvious that it is NOT the person you are writing about.

A long one shot: Probably 8-12 hours spread over 1-3 weekends. A longer novel length fic? The shortest time it took me was about 6-7 months of almost solely focusing on that fic. More realistically its about 2 years.

[ao3feed-tolkien]

Woes of the Witch

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2MGabKJ

by TrashqueenofAngmar91

"A Dúnedain will simply not do. They are self righteous, delusional crusaders who have an unhealthy and unflattering obsession with those wretched Elves. It was a pity that they weren't all wiped out with the fall of their kingdom."

In which Mariss makes her fateful choice and decides to craft herself into a suitable bride for her ancestors' lord. This follows her POV mainly and is a part of my "Of Shadows and Tenderness" series. Takes place after chapter 5 in "The House of Angmar".

Words: 2352, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 4 of Of Shadows and Tenderness

Fandoms: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Witch-King of Angmar, Reader, You, Original Human Character(s)

Relationships: Witch-King of Angmar/Reader

Additional Tags: Witchcraft, Yandere, Headcanon, OC POV, Dúnedain vs Black Númenoreans, Grudges, Crash course of the Angmar-Arnor war, Evil Old Lady is Evil, Reader is a woman, Reader is of the race of Man, Kings & Queens, Backstory, Dark fic

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2MGabKJ

[theskylarkin]

KHOC Week Day 7 - Journal

Well, diary, but same thing right?

(Thank you to the mods for hosting this event again this year! Though I wasn't as prepared as I would've liked, I always look forward to KHOC week for the chance to check out everyone's neat OCs and for the motivation to actually write something about my own kiddos!)

Art commissioned from @naab_ascanio on Instagram

Word Count: 2545

Sophia’s diary lay open on the Gardener’s dining room table, being read by another keyblade wielder for the first time in five years while the rest of the family watched in silence. The exposed edges of the pages had begun to yellow with age, the bits of ribbon and paper she’d used as bookmarks were frayed, and the dyed lavender cover was beginning to crack and peel off at the edges and along the spine. However, Sophia’s parents had done all they could to preserve the last memento they had left of their missing daughter, something Sigyn seemed to be intrinsically aware of by how carefully she flipped through the pages.

Neither of the twins had been aware that their aunt and uncle had managed to save their cousin’s diary in the chaos of Radiant Garden’s fall until Uncle Mundi decided they were old enough to read it when they began highschool two years ago. Mariss never understood why he’d chosen that as the right time for them to have that information; Aunt Anima seemed to disapprove but she didn’t stop him.

In retrospect, Mariss thought that letting Relai read Sophia’s diary had been a big mistake. Even if both of them were entitled to know the truth about their cousin, reliving Radiant Garden through Sophia’s eyes and then reading all about her journeys to other worlds as a keyblade apprentice only served to let Mariss’ twin sister retreat further into her daydreams. Relai was forever stuck on the past and what could have been, drifting further and further from Mariss as they tried to move forward.

Mariss, on the other hand, had taken something very different from their cousin’s diary. While her recollections of the worlds she’d visited and the things she’d learned were fascinating, there was still a stark contrast in Sophia’s writing before and after the event that seemed to have made her realize the gravity of her choice to become a keyblade wielder: the death of her friend, Ferrum. In the entries after, Mariss could see how Sophia struggled with the expectations of her role and the emotional toll that keeping secrets from her family and friends in Radiant Garden was taking on her.

When Mariss got to one of the final entries, the one where Sophia had visited San Fransokyo and pondered what her life would’ve been like if she’d never taken up the keyblade, they had to put down the journal and stare at their bedroom wall in silence for a bit. The thought of a single decision setting their cousin on a path of pain and destruction that she couldn’t escape from made their skin crawl.

If there was such a thing as destiny and that had been what Sophia was destined for, then Mariss wanted no part of it.

Mariss always wondered what Uncle Mundi and Aunt Anima thought of Sophia’s diary, but was too scared to ask in case it just made them more upset. The two of them sat at one end of the table, her staring ahead at their guest with an unreadable expression and him gazing down at his lost daughter’s diary with a muted melancholy.

The twins sat across from each other on either side of their aunt and uncle. Relai was trying to lean back in her chair casually, but the way her eyes darted from her aunt and uncle to Sigyn and back made it clear she could barely contain her excitement, dread, or possibly both.

As for Mariss, they weren’t really sure how to feel about it all. Heart still racing and hands still slightly shaking after the encounter in the alleyway, they elected to sit back and let the keyblade wielder at the far end of the table explain herself. Better to get the full picture before they made any decisions they might regret later.

Sigyn, second daughter of Keyblade Master Urd and the younger sister to Sophia’s friends Brandr and Virdandi, had taken on the burden of being the last wielder of the Scala ad Caelum lineage after her own world had been destroyed. Mariss had recognized her name from Sophia’s diary when she’d introduced herself in the alleyway and it was because of that same diary that Sigyn was here in the Gardener’s house, sitting in silence and utterly focused on the book in front of her with only the occasional sharp exhale of surprise as she devoured the information on the pages.

Finally, the blond girl looked up and jerked back in surprise as she realized the family had been watching her intently this whole time. “Ah… my apologies,” she stammered. “I didn’t really get to spend much time with Sophia because I wasn’t an apprentice like my siblings yet, but I always remember her constantly writing in her diary. These notes she took about Master Vor’s teachings and the about all the various worlds are so detailed, yet so easy to follow…They’re amazing! There’s so much here I’ve never learned!”

“I thought your mother was a keyblade master. Did you never learn any of this from her?” Aunt Anima asked, still staring at Sigyn intently but Mariss could swear they saw some of the lines on her face soften just a little.

“No, ma’am,” Sigyn answered sadly. “My mother wouldn’t teach me until one of my siblings earned their Mark of Mastery, which neither of them did. Master Yen Sid and his apprentice taught me all I know about the keyblade, so I never learned many of the techniques unique to the Scalan tradition that are described here. This journal might be the only surviving firsthand record of knowledge passed down by the original founder of Scala ad Caelum.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, young lady,” Uncle Mundi spoke in a choked voice, not quite meeting her eyes, “but I’m afraid I— we can’t let you take that book.”

Sigyn’s face fell for half a second before she quickly recomposed herself. “I understand completely, sir, this diary must mean the world to you. My mother’s old sash from when she was a keyblade apprentice is all I have left of her and the rest of my family after my world was destroyed.” She stood up so that the Gardeners could see the white and gold garment around her waist and then sat back down again. “I would never forgive myself if I let anything happen to it.”

“But,” she continued, “would it be alright with you if I were to just copy down the information relevant to me as a keyblade wielder? I’m sure it wouldn’t take more than a few days.”

“A few days?” Mariss repeated incredulously. “Sigyn, Sophia’s field notes are more than half of the book! It’d take several weeks at least!”

Sigyn shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “Yes, well—”

Relai, it seemed, could no longer hold herself back. “Or I can just go with Sigyn and make sure than nothing happens to Sophia’s diary!” she blurted out.

Mariss winced. Leave it to Relai to take the most dramatic option possible. “Excuse me?” Aunt Anima raised an eyebrow and even Uncle Mundi looked up in surprise.

“Yeah!” Relai continued. “I mean we’ve all read Sophia’s diary; being a keyblade wielder is hard enough even without being one of the last ones left! We can’t leave Sigyn to be harassed by those jerks again—”

“Excuse me!” Sigyn retorted, turning red. “I can handle myself just fine—”

“Oh yeah, then why did you need Mariss and I to save you earlier, huh?” Relai retorted. “And there’s—”

“Enough!” Aunt Anima bellowed, standing up from the table. “Lorelai, you are not going and that is final!”

“But Auntie!” Relai protested, rising to her feet. “I have to! There’s a chance—”

“Relai,” Mariss tried to interrupt and Sigyn shot her a concerned glance but both warnings were ignored.

“—a chance that Sophia might still be alive!”

If Mariss’ legs could reach, they would’ve kicked Relai under the table or at least poked her very, very hard.

The expression on Aunt Anima’s face was almost murderous; Mariss couldn’t recall the last time they’d seen her so angry. “What did you say?” Uncle Mundi asked in a voice barely above a whisper, some long lost flicker of emotion in his eyes.

Relai turned to Sigyn, nearly bouncing up and down with excitement. “Yeah, tell them what you heard about the other keyblade wielder!”

Sigyn shot her a furious glare that could rival Aunt Anima’s then turned to the adults, trying not to shrink in on herself in embarrassment. “I’ve been looking into rumors of another keyblade wielder who’s been spotted in various worlds,” she admitted hesitantly. “But the descriptions I’ve gotten from those who saw this person are so vague that it could just as well be one of my siblings or one of the other three apprentices that went missing around the same time as Sophia.”

“So that’s a one in six chance then,” Mariss noted, watching the reactions of their family intently.

“But…but that means there’s still a chance!” Relai protested. “Auntie! Uncle! Please!” She looked at the two of them pleadingly. “And…and even if it’s not Sophia, then we owe it to her to reunite Sigyn with her siblings! Or at least find another keyblade wielder who can watch her back against those freaks in the black coats! Please! We can’t just do nothing!”

Relai’s words were followed by a deathly silence. Aunt Anima looked away with an unreadable expression and Uncle Mundi stared down at the diary again, as if lost in thought.

As Relai waited for an answer, tears beginning to form in her eyes, Mariss flicked on their holographic visor they usually saved for bot fighting purposes. This time, hovever, they flipped through the applications with a wave of their fingers and began to type up two emails. Out of the corner of their eye, Mariss saw Sigyn staring as they moved their fingers over a keyboard interface only they could see.

“Sometimes I wish that you’d disappeared instead of Mom and Dad.” That’s what Mariss had nearly said to their twin sister in the alleyway before they’d run into Sigyn earlier. While it was true that Relai’s attitude frustrated them beyond belief and it was easier to ignore her than keep fighting, Mariss could never say that and mean it. Ever.

Aunt Anima finally spoke again after some time. “Lorelai,” she said after a long sigh, “if you think that your uncle and I are going to let another member of this family disappear—”

“Dad at least tried to find Mom when she disappeared!” Relai retorted, the desperation creeping back into her voice. “No one here would miss me anyway if something happened! I—” Relai paused mid sentence to glare daggers at her twin. “Mariss, are you seriously playing games right now? At a time like this?!”

“No, I am not,” Mariss replied through gritted teeth, putting the finishing touches on the second, much more personal email before they shut off their visor and turned their attention back toward their three remaining family members. “I’m sending an email to our highschool to get us transferred out and officially declared homeschooled, so they won’t send anyone looking for us. And,” Mariss took a deep breath before continuing, “I’m sending my official resignation from the South Bay Surfriders so I won’t have any outstanding obligations to worry about while WE look for Sophia.”

The rest of the team would probably hate Mariss forever for quitting so close to a major tournament, but Mariss wasn’t going to think about that right now. Nor were they going to think about how they were throwing away all the future plans they’d made in San Fransokyo right now. Nor again were they going to think about how there would always be a tiny part of them that would resent Relai for this moment, possibly forever.

Anything for family.

Relai’s eyes grew wide as she processed this information. Even Uncle Mundi looked up in shock at the news. “You don’t have to come with me, Mariss,” Relai finally said in a small voice. “I know you’ve actually got a life you care about here, why would you—”

“OF COURSE I HAVE TO COME WITH YOU, IDIOT!” Mariss screamed at her. Even Sigyn flinched a little this time. “If it wasn’t for me, you would’ve been sliced to ribbons by that lady earlier! You’re always rushing into things without thinking! Mom and Dad would never forgive me if something happened to you and I wasn’t around! And neither would I! So…so you’re not going unless I’m going to, is that clear!?”

Mariss was breathing like they’d just run a whole marathon as they stared down their twin in righteous anger. For once, Relai was so stunned she couldn’t even respond to their insults properly.

Sigyn cleared her throat loudly. “I’m the one with the gummi ship here,” she reminded the twins calmly, “so I’m the one who gets to chose who I take with me. And neither of you are going unless your Aunt and Uncle allow it.” She stared back resolutely as Relai shot her a betrayed look.

For one brief, shining moment, Mariss thought Aunt Anima was going to forbid the two of them from going. Then they could just send apology emails to the school and their team and pray they weren’t too mad about the “prank”, and they could get back to their normal life.

And then Uncle Mundi suddenly stood up. “Excuse us,” he said as he took Aunt Anima’s hand and lead her out of the dining room and into the hallway. She looked at him in confusion but followed, the door slamming shut behind her with a loud thud.

Time passed slowly without any noise that Mariss could hear from the hallway. At one point Relai stood up to suggest they sneak out while her aunt and uncle were occupied, but quickly sat back down when she saw Sigyn’s expression.

At last Uncle Mundi and Aunt Anima returned. “Your uncle and I,” Aunt Anima began, “have decided that the two of you can go. It’s what Sophia would have wanted.”

“Yes!” Relai screamed, leaping out of her chair. “Thank you, thank—”

“But only if,” Aunt Anime continued, cutting her celebration short, “the two of you never become keyblade wielders.”

“What?!” Relai shrieked, but Mariss understood. Their aunt and uncle didn’t want them to end up just like their cousin.

“Okay,” Sigyn said as she stood up and summoned her keyblade. “On my honor as the last keyblade wielder of the Scalan line, Mariss and Relai will not be bequeathed a keyblade by me nor any other wielder. My word is my bond.” The keyblade disappeared from her hand in a shower of golden powder as she turned back to Aunt Anima. “Is that acceptable?”

Aunt Anima nodded stiffly. Mariss glanced over at their twin, a sour expression on her face from being denied a keyblade. Relai had gotten nearly everything she wanted, and yet she was still unhappy?

Good. A petty sort of smile slid across Mariss’ face as they began to make a mental list of what they’d need on this journey they’d signed themselves up for.

To Be Continued

@khoc-week