#SPEAKING OF i adore the lady pirate and all aboard her ship. she is so fucking cool.

[audinosaur]

ofmd season 2 is testing me

[kmomof4]

Ch7 Time and Again

We’re back y’all!!! Thank you so much for your love and support of me and this fic! I hope you enjoy the new chapter!!

Ao3 link

All the love and thanks to my besties and beta/encouraged team of @hollyethecurious and @winterbaby89!!! Love you ladies to the moon and back again!!! *mwah*

Also big shoutout to the CSSNS discord ladies for all their encouragement and help over the last few months!!!

Tagging my peeps: @hollyethecurious @winterbaby89 @snowbellewells @stahlop @resident-of-storybrooke @jennjenn615 @kingofmyheart14 @profdanglaisstuff @branlovestowrite @thisonesatellite @ultraluckycatnd @flslp87 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @let-it-raines @shireness-says @kymbersmith-90 @darkcolinodonorgasm @bethacaciakay @searchingwardrobes @ilovemesomekillianjones @teamhook @aprilqueen84 @qualitycoffeethings @superchocovian @artistic-writer @donteattheappleshook @doodlelolly0910 @seriouslyhooked @tiganasummertree

Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed

Under the cut unless Tumblr ate it.

A/N I am aware that in some places it is illegal to swim with dolphins in the wild. But this is fan fiction y'all. Just go with it.

Killian cracked the door open to Emma’s bedroom to see the blonde siren still in dreamland. She was on her tummy facing the door with her sunlit hair spread over the pillow and her face. The little whistle she released on her exhale caused the corner of his mouth to lift in an affectionate smile. He crept into the room and made his way to the windows and opened the blinds so the morning light flooded the room. “Rise and shine, sleepy head!” His exuberance obviously didn’t even register with her as all she did was snuggle her head deeper into the pillow and pull the comforter more firmly around her.

He laid down on the bed facing her, tenderly brushing her hair away from her face. “Oh Swan,” he singsonged. She finally cracked an eye open.

“Who’re you?” she slurred, still mostly asleep.

He broke into a full grin. “I’m a new day,” he exclaimed. “New opportunities. New experiences.”

“You’re insane,” she grumbled, turning away from him.

“No, I’m not,” he insisted, getting up from the bed. “Come on Swan, daylight’s a wastin’. Breakfast is ready and we need to get moving.”

“Why?” she questioned, turning back to him. She sent him a side eye as she pushed her hair out of her face and sat up. “Am I making you late for an appointment?”

“Ahh, not an appointment, per se,” he admitted, scratching behind his ear. “More of a rendezvous. Between us. With a specific activity in mind.” His eyes widened along with hers as her mouth fell open when he realized exactly what he just said. Holding his hand out and shaking his head vigorously he nearly shouted, “No, no, no, Swan! That’s not what I meant,” he justified himself, feeling his face flush. “I mean,” he stammered, looking down again, “I had an idea of how we could spend the day.” He looked up and met her skeptical gaze head on. “Deep sea fishing.”

“Deep sea fishing?” she parroted, the incredulous look on her face making him break into a grin.

“Deep sea fishing,” he reiterated. “Have you ever been? Oh, never mind,” he murmured, scratching behind his ear again. “I forgot. You’ve never been to the gulf. And I assume, no other beach as well?”

She sent him another side eye and a smirk. “You assumed correctly.” She climbed off the bed and stood before him. “What is it? A charter? What time is our reservation?”

“Nope, not a charter,” he informed her. “Right behind the pool, on the other side of all that green, is the dock.” He smiled down at her. “The Jolly Roger will be at that dock in,” he checked his watch, “less than an hour.”

Her eyes were nearly comically wide now. “The Jolly Roger?” she choked out, “Are you kidding me? What is it with you and pirates?” She shook her head.

He laughed at her dubious expression. “No, I’m not kidding you, Swan,” he said, shaking his head and waggling his eyebrows at her with a delighted twinkle in his eye. “And, I mean, you were the one who watched Black Sails. I think the name of the ship in the dream, must have been from me.” His gaze turned sheepish. “I’m sorry again for last night, Swan. I…”

“Nope,” she said. “We’re not talking about that. You have a wonderful day planned. Let’s focus on that.”

"You’re right, Swan.” He turned away and retreated to the door of her room. “Like I said, breakfast is ready, so get a move on. I’ll see you up there.” He shut the door gently behind him.

~*~*~

Killian was sitting at the table finishing his coffee when Emma finally made an appearance about thirty minutes later looking much more awake than when he had left her. She wore a red crocheted top with three-quarter sleeves over patterned shorts. Her hair was pulled into a messy braid that lay over her shoulder. The sheepish look she sent him was all kinds of adorable and caused his lips to pull into a smile as he brought his coffee cup up to his lips.

“Uhh,” she worried, “I wasn’t sure what appropriate attire was for deep sea fishing,” she finished, waving her hand vaguely over her body.

“Honestly, Swan,” he began, “your bathing suit and a t-shirt cover-up will be fine. Sunscreen and a sunhat are actually more important. Keep you from getting burned. Do you have rubber soled shoes?”

She nodded as she made her way to the coffee pot. “I brought my tennis shoes.”

“They’ll be fine,” he assured her. “There’s homemade French toast and bacon in the oven. I’ve already eaten. What do you like on it? Powdered sugar? Syrup?” he asked getting up from his chair and coming into the kitchen area.

“Syrup please,” she murmured. He got the syrup out for her and sat it down on the table. She dug in to breakfast with a gusto that surprised him.

“It’s not going anywhere, Swan,” he chuckled. “There’s plenty, and I promise to feed you again at lunch. Speaking of, what would you like me to make for us?”

She grinned around her full mouth. The unintelligible, but entirely adorable mumble that came from her pulled a full laugh out of him. After swallowing, she tried again. “French toast is my favorite. I can’t help digging into it like there’s no tomorrow. What kind of jam is there?”

He made his way to the fridge to search for jam. “We have grape, strawberry, and apple butter.” He straightened back up again. “What did you have in mind?”

“Can we make peanut butter and jelly? With the strawberry jam?” she asked. The almost guilty look on her face made his gut tighten in indignation and made him wonder what or who in her past would make her so hesitant to ask for something as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

He couldn’t let her know that though, so he smiled at her instead. “Of course we can. Do you like crunchy or smooth peanut butter?”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh smooth, please,” she enthused. Her eagerness waned slightly as she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to people really caring what I think when it comes to things like that. I mean, Ingrid, my mom, does, but…” she trailed off.

“Wounds made when we’re young tend to linger,” he conceded, nodding. “And I’d imagine that in the foster system, there wasn’t much catering to simple desires and wants. I understand,” he murmured, coming over to her, sitting down next to her, and taking her hand. His eyes met hers and he forced all the sincerity he was feeling into his eyes for her to see. “When it comes to me, Swan,” he continued, “get used to it.”

She nodded slowly, their gaze never breaking. He saw a hesitancy in her eyes that made him want to gather her in his arms and promise that nothing would ever hurt her again. But he knew that love and trust were earned and making rash and ultimately impossible to keep promises would do nothing to move him closer to that goal. So he settled for pouring everything he was thinking and feeling into his eyes and hoping that she would read it. He stood up and went back to the kitchen to prepare their lunch while his Swan finished her breakfast.

~*~*~

“I didn’t even notice this yesterday when we were touring the house,” she enthused, nearly skipping down the dock. Her obvious delight at their excursion thrilled him as well, as he tried, unsuccessfully, to smother his grin and a small chuckle.

She stopped in front of the luxury boat at the end of the dock. The grin she sent him made his heart soar. “Behold! The Jolly Roger! She’s a World Cat Glacier Bay Edition Catamaran. We could run from here to the Bahamas if we wanted to.” He passed her and climbed on holding his hand out to her to help her aboard. “And this is her Captain, Nemo Dakkar.” He indicated the tall, bald man to the side.

He bowed low as he took her hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. “Welcome to the Jolly Roger, milady. We will be heading south from the island about forty miles before we weigh anchor and spend a few hours fishing the depths. We also have snorkeling equipment aboard if you’d like to get in the water.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Captain Dakkar,” she replied, with a slight blush.

“Oh please,” he waved away her formality, “call me Nemo. Have to take advantage of a name like that,” he continued, with a twinkle in his eye.

She let out a laugh that completely relaxed the tension that he could see in her shoulders when she met Nemo. He was so good at putting people at ease, Killian was pleased to see him work his charms on his Swan.

Nemo took the small cooler that held their lunch and turned from the couple to head to the cabin. After settling himself and Emma comfortably on the bench seats behind where Nemo was seated, Killian nodded to him to start the engines.

As they pulled away from the dock, Killian watched Emma closely. She had changed clothes as he suggested into her bathing suit with a sleeveless button up top and shorts over it and tennis shoes. The straw hat on her head and sunglasses on her face did nothing to hide the joy in her wide smile. “You didn’t notice the boat yesterday because it wasn’t here, Swan,” he informed her, shouting above the roar of the twin Yamaha engines. “She’s docked on South Padre Island. I called Nemo last night and asked him to be here at ten this morning.”

“I see,” she shouted back laughing, as the wind tried to whip her hat off her head. Watching her smile and laugh as their temporary home got smaller and smaller behind them, Killian hoped that everything they experienced today would make for a day to remember.

~*~*~

“Tell me a favorite memory of you and Liam,” she asked, smiling.

“Oh, are we playing twenty questions again, Swan?” he joked, with a smirk and raised eyebrow. They had finally reached their destination in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico and had set their rods. Now they just had to wait. Emma had taken off her outer clothes and was sunning herself on the seats at the stern of the boat. The bright blue bikini left little to the imagination and Killian was having a lot of trouble keeping his thoughts from straying into uncomfortable territory. Uncomfortable territory with their audience nearby anyway. So he was thankful when Emma asked him the question.

“Hmmmm,” he pondered. “My favorite memory with Liam.” A grin broke out on his face. “You’re gonna think I’m awful for saying this, but you remember asking if I was competitive?” Emma nodded. “So, March 2004, Liam and I were skiing in Aspen. I was on spring break before I graduated.” Emma’s eyes lit up. “A pretty lass had caught Liam’s eye and he was trying to impress her, so he was being entirely too foolhardy in challenging me to a race. He should have known that I wasn’t going to take it easy on him just so he could impress his lovely lady.” He chuckled, looking down. “Once again, I handed his ass to him. And not only did I beat him, but he took a tumble as well breaking his ankle. I mean, he was fine, eventually. No lasting effects, but it certainly makes for a funny memory for a younger brother.” He looked back up with a wide grin on his face.

“March 2004?” she asked, her eyes dancing, “Do you remember exactly when? I was supposed to be on a senior trip during our spring break in Aspen.”

“Really?” he exclaimed, surprised. “I don’t remember exactly when we were there, but there was a big jazz festival going on that week.”

“Yes!” she laughed, “That’s when we were going. For the jazz festival! I didn’t get to go because I sprained my ankle the week before at a softball game.” Her face fell then. “I cried the entire week they were gone. I don’t know why. I wasn’t even that excited for the trip. I mean,” she amended, holding her hand out to him, “I was looking forward to it, don’t get me wrong,” she shrugged, “but not enough to warrant all the crying I did that week. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something. Something important.”

Killian could feel the blood draining from his face. He suddenly remembered that week, with perfect clarity, hovering in that in between state between waking and sleeping, hearing a girl cry as if her heart would break. When he would wake up fully, the crying was gone. He had forgotten about it until this very moment.

“Wait a minute,” he speculated, with a frown on his face, “I remember a group of kids there that week with these obnoxious tie dye lime green and turquoise t-shirts and yellow baseball caps. I remember them because they kept singing this NSYNC song, Bye Bye Bye, but with different words.”

“Oh my god,” she exclaimed, “Those were my friends! And I wrote those lyrics! Oh that is hysterical! That you were there the same week I would have been.” She looked over at him as realization dawned. “I should have been there when you were there.”

Before he married Milah. Before losing who, at the time, he thought, was the love of his life. Would he have met her back then? If so, would that have stopped him from marrying Milah? Sparing him that heartache that was to come? He’d never know. But he couldn’t help but think that if he had met her back then, his life would have been different. He sent her a despondent smile before shaking off his melancholy. “Ok, my turn,” he said, determined to take their conversation into a happier direction. “What was the first movie you saw in a theater?”

She laughed. “You may not believe this, but I remember seeing Aladdin in the theater. My first grade class took a field trip to see it before Christmas break. What about you?”

“My first movie was Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Favorite movie of all time?”

“The Princess Bride.” She looked down with a slight blush to her cheeks.

“What?” he inquired, as she lifted her face towards him again. “There’s no reason to be embarrassed about loving The Princess Bride. It’s one of my favorites, too.”

“Really?” The amazed hope in her eyes made him catch his breath.

“Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles… how could it not be?”

She sent him a bemused smirk. “Saw what you did there,” she murmured. Now it was his turn to blush and look down. “What about your favorite movie?”

“Star Wars, the original trilogy,” he answered definitively, with no hesitation whatsoever. “Uhhh… favorite book.”

“My book of fairy tales.” The enhanced blush on her cheeks made his heart stutter in his chest. While the blush may have given away her nervousness at revealing something so personal, she held her head high, refusing to back down from the intimacy engendered by such a revelation. “One of the few good families I had growing up gave it to me for Christmas. I was seven.” She looked down then. “All the stories in the book started with hope. Reading them over the years, helped me keep my hope alive that there was a family out there for me. Someone to love me.” She looked up again with a tremulous smile before nodding toward him for his answer. But he couldn’t. Not until he held her in his arms and assured her of his love for her. Without words of course. He rose to cross over to her when a jingle to his left caught his attention.

“I think you may have caught something, Swan,” he informed her, looking towards her rod and reel.

Emma scrambled up from where she was lounging on the padded seat to where her rod was secured on the edge of the boat.

“Oh my god,” she exclaimed. “What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?” Her excitement and trepidation were hilarious and Killian couldn’t hold back his laugh.

“Reel it in, Swan,” he encouraged. She took the rod in her hands and was nearly pulled overboard, unprepared as she was for the weight of her catch, before Killian grabbed her around her middle and pulled her in to him, securing her back to his front so she’d have the leverage to reel it in. He murmured encouragement in her ear as she leaned against him and did battle with whatever was on the other end of her line.

About ten yards from the gunwale of the boat, the fish made a mighty leap into the air, trying to free itself from Emma’s line. “Swan,” he shouted, “That’s a king mackerel! And a good size too!” Nemo had been standing by waiting for the fish to make an appearance. As Emma finished reeling it in, he pulled the fish over into the boat and unhooked it from the line.

Emma turned around and threw herself into Killian’s arms. “I did it, I did it, I did it!” she shouted. The smile that split her face made his heart soar.

He spun with her in his arms, laughing with her. “That you did, Swan. Well done!” He placed her on her feet, but continued to hug her in celebration of her success.

“Oh this is gross, Killian. We’re sticking together,” she mock complained, pulling out of his arms. She looked up into his face as he went very still. “What’s wrong?”

“That’s the first time you’ve called me Killian,” he murmured.

“Is it?” she asked, with a furrowed brow.

“Yes, Emma, it is.” His azure gaze penetrated the confusion that swirled in her jade depths. The only time he had ever called her Emma, was when she’d called him after the last dream. It was always Swan or Miss Swan in their interactions before and since. Just as it had always been Mr. Jones, Jones, or sir. With her use of his first name, he felt the need to use her first name as well. He pulled her closer again, wanting to impress upon her the importance of the moment when he was interrupted by a series of trills, clicks, and whistles off the port side.

Emma turned wide eyes toward the pod of dolphins that were frolicking and chirping in the water only a couple of feet from the boat. “Dolphins,” she exclaimed, delighted. She turned back to him and Nemo, eyes the size of saucers. “Can we get in the water with them?” she asked, a hesitant hope in her eyes.

“Of course you can, my dear,” the captain laughed. “Leave your hat and sunglasses here. I’ll get out the camera and take pictures.” Emma needed no other encouragement. As she took off her shoes and accessories, Killian got out the snorkel equipment for them both. When they were both properly outfitted, they jumped into the water.

There were ten dolphins in the water including a couple of much smaller ones. The mamas were protective of the little ones, not letting the humans get too close, but the others were eager to play. Killian was in awe of the creatures and watching Emma interact with them brought tears to his eyes and laughter to his heart. He thought his heart would burst when Emma placed a kiss to the nose of one of them. They were both taken for a ride, holding on to the dorsal fin of one of the more adventurous creatures. The animals would often look at the boat and seem to pose for Nemo with the camera. Killian was delighted that Nemo not only took pictures of him and Emma swimming and playing with them, but got pictures of just the dolphins when they were jumping out of the water. After about forty-five minutes of frolicking with the animals, the pod moved away from the boat and Killian and Emma made their way back to it.

~*~*~

Nemo helped Emma back into the boat as Killian came up right behind her. The stunned disbelief on her face melted into pure joy as she laughed at the marvelous adventure they’d had that afternoon. “I still can’t believe it,” she sighed, “I’ve never,” she shook her head, “even been that close to a wild animal before, outside the zoo. And to actually touch one…” she trailed away with a sense of wonder that she knew was all over her face.

She looked at Killian as he came up behind her. “Aye, Swan,” he agreed. “It’s something we’ll never forget.” The moment was too poignant and emotional. She stepped into his open arms and let him hold her. She held the tears she could feel gathering at the corners of her eyes back only by sheer force of will. The emotions on a rampage inside of her demanded an outlet and finally found that release in a barking sob.

“It was so beautiful,” she cried into his shoulder, “and perfect. And I’m so happy. And I’m so sad it’s over. And I’ll never forget it. As long as I live.”

“That’s right, Swan,” he murmured, “let it out. Let it all out. I’ve got you.” He continued to hold her, whispering assurances and what comfort he could in their shared experience. When her sobs finally started to taper off, he reluctantly released her and turned to Nemo. “So let’s see those pics, shall we?”

Emma wiped her eyes and hiccuped as the captain strode forward with the camera. “We also have to get a picture of Emma with her mackerel.”

“Yes, we do,” Killian agreed, smiling down at her and taking the camera. “Ready lass?” he asked. Nemo approached again with her catch and a bright smile broke through the tears at last.

“I weighed it, and this bad boy weighs 47lbs,” the captain exclaimed, his eyes lit up in approval. “Well done!”

Emma let out a watery laugh. “Thank you,” she marveled, taking her fish from Nemo. He took the camera back from Killian and took pictures of the fish, Emma holding it up, and then Emma holding it between her and Killian.

“Now, before we head for home,” he informed them, “I’ll clean it and put it in the fridge. And y’all can have king mackerel for dinner tonight.”

While they waited for Nemo to finish the arduous undertaking of cleaning the huge fish, Emma and Killian sat side by side and scrolled through the pictures of their dolphin adventure. There were also pictures of Emma reeling in her catch. She was near tears again as she looked at the images. There was one that Nemo had caught of one of the dolphins fully jumping out of the water.

“Oh, now I’m getting that one made into a canvas and putting it on the wall,” Killian promised. “Now whether it’s in my office or here or at home will remain to be seen.” He smiled widely at her.

Smiling back, she asked him, “Why not all three? I know I wouldn’t mind seeing that picture wherever I was.”

“You know, you’re right,” he agreed. “Why can’t I have that picture at all three places. Thank you Emma,” he breathed, awareness sparking in his gaze. Slowly he lowered his lips to hers. She smiled into the kiss and opened for him when his tongue requested entrance. She struggled to maintain some semblance of awareness of where they were and who was nearby as he deepened the kiss. She moaned as he lit a fire in her blood when one of his hands reached her breast. She clutched his shoulders as he pulled her closer until she was nearly sitting in his lap. Their tongues continued to duel and their hands continued to roam until they heard a loud clearing of a throat just before the engines roared to life. Breaking apart with a guilty glance back at the captain, who only smirked at them in return, they tried to bring their breathing and heart rates back under control. Killian stood up, rather awkwardly in her opinion, and began to reel in his rod. In all the excitement, they had completely forgotten about it. Once he had it stored, he gave the signal to Nemo and they were off.

Once Killian sat back down, Emma settled herself in between his spread legs and leaned back onto his chest with her head resting on his shoulder. Content just to be there and be held by him, she felt herself start to drift off, safe in the arms of the man she loved after one of the best days of her life.

[betwixt-these-pages]

Commanding His Heart (American Pirate Romances #2) by C.K. Brooke Limitless Publishing Romance / Historical / Adventure 140 Pages Publication Date: September 26th, 2017 Get a copy here!

BLURB:

In Jamestown, 1785, Emeline Winthrop dreams of marrying a dashing groom…

When Em’s parents bestow her hand to a coldhearted widower three times her age, she’s desperate. On the eve of her engagement, she escapes to the James River and stows away aboard an acquaintance’s rigger. Little does she realize, she’s found her way aboard a pirate ship.

Commander Miers Redding would never have dreamed of pirating in his naval days…

However, partnering with the unsavory Captain Crawley is the only way to complete his dangerous mission. When a young lady sneaks aboard The Black Rose, his cover is nearly blown, but the quick-thinking commander saves their skins by pretending to be her husband.

A façade as newlyweds during a dangerous, whirlwind voyage to the Caribbean is bound to convince not only the pirate crew of the couple’s affections, but possibly each other. Yet the mystifying Virginia belle is hiding something from him… And what, exactly, is Commander Redding’s mysterious mission? These secrets could end their love, their mission – and their lives.

Commanding His Heart is the second standalone novel in C.K. Brooke’s American Pirate Romance series.

Other Books in the Series:

See my review for CAPTURING THE CAPTIAN by clicking right here!

Quick Reasons: a few squirmy (though accurately-portrayed) moments; I didn’t feel as connected to these characters as past books; the romance was steamy, though a BIT rushed; YAY for pirates!; captivating, adventure-filled plot

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fishing for more

hot and steamy

entertaining

insta-love

Huge thanks to C.K. Brooke and Limitless Publishing for sending a free egalley of this title my way in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.

  And this was, as all C.K. Brooke novels seem to be, SUCH an exquisitely romantic, entertaining, and fascinating read! The plot was filled with drama, tension, and just a hint of reputation-ruining potential. Every page was wrought with action, which I absolutely adore–I was, from page one, sucked straight into the heart of the story and held captivated throughout! The horrifying realities that Em is running from put chills down my spine from the start–I was screaming for her to stand her ground, to find a way out. It’s safe to say that I connected almost instantly with her plight…though I didn’t, unfortunately, feel quite so much for most of these characters.

While the romance between our pair is just as steamy and butterfly-inducing as all of C.K. Brooke’s couples, I felt there was a bit of something off about the relationship all the same. There was, in this instance, almost too much “insta-love” for me to swallow…and I didn’t feel as if quite as much time or care went into crafting their relationship as I’ve so adored in the other novels I’ve read from this author. Perhaps this was a time constraint issue; this read was admittedly much shorter than I’m used to from C.K. Brooke, and I feel this might have played a small part in why I couldn’t fully believe the romance–it wasn’t given enough time on the stove, so to speak. Still, I really adored these characters, and was thoroughly entertained by the journey they undertake together!

  I am really digging this new pirates series from a well-loved author, and can’t wait to see where the next installment (if there is one) will lead! I’d definitely recommend this to lovers of life at sea, shady characters/happenings, and the discovery of love in unexpected places. I tip my hat to the captain of MY heart, C.K. Brooke; if you haven’t picked her up yet, Penguin readers, you definitely should!

Commanding His Heart: Exquisitely Romantic, Fascinating Read Commanding His Heart (American Pirate Romances #2) by C.K. Brooke Limitless Publishing Romance / Historical / Adventure…

[aurantia-ignis]

how do you rank the berseria characters in terms of personal favorites and why?

Okay since you asked ‘why’, I’m going to give you two versions. One with spoilers and one without.The spoiler-free rank!1. Eizen and *SPOILER CHARACTER*2. Laphicet3. Velvet4. Eleanor and Rokurou6. *SPOILER CHARACTER*7. Dyle, *SPOILER CHARACTER*, Benwick  8. Seres9. Magilou   10. Or & Toros, Percival 11. Artorius, Shigure, Kurogane, Medisa, Moana12. Oscar, Teresa, Melchior    Reveals and reasons will be under the spoiler cut

>>>>>>>MAJOR BERSERIA SPOILERS BELOW>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>1. Eizen and ZaveidThese two tie because I can’t pick between the two of them. I love Eizen’s personality: the way he makes occasional puns, his enthusiasm for adventure and loot, the way he watches over Laphicet (and later, Velvet and the rest of the party). I love the way his backstory was crafted, how he had to live with the curse of the shinigami until Aifread taught him not to fear. I love the way he came to terms with it, the way he would rather live life to its fullest with the other pirates and one day die a dragon than be immortal forever just to be ‘safe’. I love that he obviously cares for his sister a lot, but despite that he has no intention of going back to live with her because he knows that his place is aboard the Van Eltia. It’s important, I think, for there to be characters that live for themselves and what they want from life than to have it all revolve around someone they love. I love how he interacts with Zaveid, how he fought so hard to save both Theodora and Zaveid. I love how he gave himself to save the world during the Death Edge period. I love his manzai bout with Magilou. I just really, really love this man a lot. Zaveid’s personality I’ve loved ever since Zestiria, but back then I lamented the lack of screentime and character development in the game. In Berseria, we get to see him so much more. I love the way he passionately defends the seirei. I love the way he tried to watch over Silver. I love the way he kept insisting that dragons are still the serei they once were. I love how he watched over the human children with Theodora. I love the way he interacted with Aizen, learning that there are different ways to look at death. I love how he fought alongside Eizen during the Death Edge period, and ultimately tried to follow up on his promise to take care of Eizen. And of course, during Zestiria… he tried to teach Edna what Eizen taught him, too. I don’t ship these two romantically, but I love them both and I want to see them interact more and I would fight to the death for either of them ;w;b2. LaphicetTHIS CHILD. When I first saw him I merely thought ‘oh it’s a cute shota how adorable’. He seemed to have a lot of potential, a blank slate that didn’t know anything, a person who has to learn how to live. I was a little apprehensive because I didn’t know how good the writing would be, and I worried a little bit that he’d not be as good as he could be.Thankfully, Berseria wrote him wonderfully. He went from “I’m not supposed to have opinions” to “THESE ARE MY OPINIONS AND NOTHING WILL STAND IN MY WAY” in a beautiful story arc. Unlike some of the other seirei like Zaveid, who went from normal to 0 to normal due to Kanonushi’s power, Phi was born already controlled, so he really had no idea what it was like outside Teresa’s control. He learnt that from Velvet and the party, though there were multiple obstacles including Velvet’s occasional meltdown “THIS IS AN ORDER”. I was waiting for the moment when he’d stand up against Velvet for what he believed in, and I wasn’t disappointed. The scene where he yelled at Velvet and demanded for her not to give up was a most amazing scene. I loved him for becoming Maotelus to protect the world that he had learnt to love, even though it was heartbreaking ;_;Aside from that, he’s adorable, and kind-hearted, and hilarious, particularly when bugs are involved. Protect Laphicet 2k17. 3. VelvetThe only thing I dislike about this lady now it’s probably her default clothes. I can’t stand them. She spent my entire playthrough dressed in her villager outfit. =w=;;I was also very apprehensive about Velvet because she had a lot of potential… but could also go horribly wrong. I saw her as a Sasuke type; an avenger who was consumed by revenge. There’s so much room for character growth that, if done well, her entire journey would be excellent. But if badly handled, she’d end up as boring and problematic as Sasuke. Fortunately, the game managed her beautifully. She did start her journey with a narrow minded “I must kill Artorius” goal, and kept that mindset for quite a long time. But she did begin to realise that she was doing essentially what Artorius did; that her coldblooded road to vengeance was nowhere near any kind of goodness, despite how she was so angsty about Artorius being the true evil that deceived everyone. I loved her entire breakdown scene; she was going crazy, and it was so carefully crafted. Although I had originally hoped that she’d have to pick between continuing with her revenge and deciding to live for the sake of those who still live (like Laphicet), what I received in the end with her revenge itself being rendered unnecessary was still quite good. Finally, I loved her for acknowledging that she had committed so many crimes while ‘saving the world’, and that she would atone for it by going into eternal slumber with Laphi, to protect the world that she had caused so much harm to. Very few games do this (there should have been a part in Graces F where Richard has to deal with having been a bad guy, instead of the whole world just going OH IT’S K WE FORGIVE YOU NO HARM DONE), and though it’d have been nice if she could live with Phi through the years, I think it was a great end to her journey. Much love for this protagonist who was clearly and wonderfully written.4. Eleanor and RokurouI wasn’t very fond of Eleanor at first, because her character archetype didn’t appeal to me. But she was the first to get her character development clearly. She reminded me a great deal of Flynn; blindly following orders because that was all that she had known. As the days passed with the party, she slowly came to see that her whole world might be a lie, and she was honest enough to decide that she wanted to see everything through, to find out what was the truth behind Artorius and the seirei. This has to be the first time that a ‘traitor’ character gave up the betrayal before it even happened, and I laughed a lot at that XD I appreciate her well-written relationship with Velvet, and her bond with Laphicet, even though it started out as ‘I HAVE TO PROTECT THIS CHILD BECAUSE IT IS MY DUTY’. Rokurou was the other way round. I loved his character from the start because he made puns and he did jokes and he was fairly open and honest, contrasting with Velvet and Laphicet. He was the first to show immediate care and concern for Laphicet, despite his “I am a gouma I have no feelings” drivel. Which I felt was a problem as the story went on. His character writing (or lack there of) wasn’t coherent at all, and there was so much potential for him to have been an excellent character. But instead, as even his seiyuu acknowledged, he was kind of shunted to the side. The entire thing with Shigure and Kurogane could have been handled much better. Ultimately, he fell from grace for me. :6. Laphicet Crowe/KanonushiA very fascinating character. It’s been years since any game has managed to overwhelm me with a plot twist; usually I can predict what happens in the plot. But at his first appearance as Kanonushi I literally sat up straight in my chair with a HOLY CRAP WHAT because it was /that/ unexpected. I loved the way he was written, how he was shown through the prologue (and Velvet’s POV) to be such an innocent, endearing character… and yet through the narrative later we’re shown that there’s far more to him that she never saw. It’s hard to say if the Kanonushi we see is still Laphicet Crowe, or if they’re two separate people, but it’s a fact that before his ‘death’, Laphi did think and say all of that stuff to Artorius. I can never call Phi Laphi anymore even though those who haven’t played the game are still doing so as a term of endearment ;w; 7. Dyle, Van Aifread, Benwick  Dyle is my all time favourite monster NPC. He’s hilarious, and I love his gentle concern for Moana. Off the top of my head, him going “I WONDER IF THAT WAS MY ANCESTOR” when he was born a human cracked me up really hard. I’m really glad he ended up adopting Moana. Aifread is a great character, though we don’t see much of him. I liked his story with Eizen in the light novel, and I love his personality. I also love how he says that one of Eizen’s biggest failing is his refusal to introduce Edna to him XDBenwick is another adorable child. I love the way he’s written as a part of the storyline, the way he speaks to Velvet and the others throughout the plot of his own accord. He’s not just there to fill a Ship-chauffeur role, he’s there as a member of your party. I love the way he and the other pirates leaped to rescue Aifread, even though it was pretty stupid of them to do so ^^; 8. Seres/CelikaShe was a great sister. Again, it’s hard to say if Seres and Celika are the same people or two separate beings. If Seres had gotten control of her mind without the memories of Celika, would she be Celika? We’ll never know.But because she was a blank slate when she recovered Celika’s memories, I choose to believe that the being Seres was shaped by Celika’s experiences and feelings. And I loved her for believing in Velvet, for wanting to help Velvet stop Arthur. 9. MagilouHonestly, the only reason she’s here and not all the way at the bottom is because she makes me laugh sometimes, like during the manzai subevents. Magilou’s writing was messy, she got her entire ‘backstory and development’ within a single scene (much like Dezel’s was) and I honestly couldn’t care anything for it. She was the biggest disappointment for me, because I cannot find it within myself to care for someone with such shoddy writing. Even all through her heroic moment of Crowning Glory (or both times, actually), I didn’t feel anything for her at all.     10. Or & Toros, Percival,KuroganeDOGS. LOVE DOGS. LOVE THEIR LOYALTY. Prince is also kind of ok. But he was kinda nice. Also love his gryphon. Kurogane was likable, but didn’t really get a lot of screen time. I liked the idea of him using his own self as material to craft, but I wish that had gotten better developed.Let me also use this space to say I love the way the Aifread pirates + the ‘hostages’ interact. I always talk to every single NPC when I’m at base 8D; 11. Artorius, Shigure, Medisa, MoanaThe main reason Artorius is here instead of higher is because I don’t really care for him personally, but his writing is actually pretty great. He was wonderfully developed as a character, and throughout the game you get to see how he clearly grew to become Artorius the Antagonist from Arthur the good guy (which doesn’t always happen cough Heldalf). Shigure is kind of wrapped up in Rokurou’s messy underwhelming writing as well. And aside from that I also don’t care for him much. Medisa is a pain and I disliked how she was given a 180 simply because MOANA DAUGHTER SUBSTITUTE. It might have worked if she had been properly developed. Moana is here because I really don’t like childish immature selfish children. Yes, I get that they’re kids, it’s normal for them to act this way. But they still annoy the hell out of me each time they whine. And in terms of writing, she’s pretty unrealistic half the time…. 12. Oscar, Teresa, Melchior, BienfuThese people =w=Oscar and Teresa are not badly written. They’re pretty good. But they’re also terribly selfish human beings, and I just dislike their characters. Melchoir is a lot less developed than them, and he’s an asshole. Bienfu is just annoying from start to end and I found nothing to like about him whatsoever. =w=;;And that’s it. Sorry for the spam; I hadn’t realised it’d get this long ^^;