#Siegfried looked a bit shocked at first

[owlsie-hoot]

Clever of you Audrey to just leave your two men alone to bond... (part one by @itssoinevitable)

[a-casual-egg]

So since I view Tristan as queer, I made up a boyfriend for him in my head called Oliver Rose. [: (click images for better quality)

About him under the cut

Oliver is a gay, ace, and trans asian-american man. He grew up hopping from one orphanage to the other. He also attempted to run away from them and grew up stealing. He's a fast runner and running away from orphanages is partly why. Oliver is quick-witted and will sometimes just blurt out a comeback before even thinking of if he should or not. He's normally pretty sarcastic but is also a sweetheart/big softie, especially when you get to know him.

After WW2, he is part of a transfer student-like thing for rich people's gardeners. Oliver is sent to work for Mrs.Pumphrey while Mrs.Pumphrey's gardener is sent to work for Oliver's boss for a while as both bosses are part of an international gardening society. Oliver experiences culture shock in Darrowby before ending up liking it. During his stay, Mrs.Pumphrey and him form a mother and son type dynamic. He's not as overly-polite as the British folks, so he says the more impolite things that Mrs.Pumphrey and the others can not bring themselves to say even though it needs to be said. In addition to that and his gardening, he also picks up small jobs around Pumphrey Manor and expands his skillset/has struggles with all the new things.

He first meets James and Tristan when they're on a vet visit to Pumphrey Manor, and Mrs.Pumphrey introduces them. James and Oliver have a nice conversation while Tristan, who only recently realized he's attracted to men, finds Oliver very handsome and just stands there staring at Oliver while he and James talk. Then Tristan struggles a bit to introduce himself and be all charismatic while James just looks at him very confused. (Mrs. Pumphrey, who I choose to believe, is an extreme queer ally, knows what's happening, and just smiles to herself). Oliver is nice to Tristan about it, though, and internally finds it quite charming.

The ride back to Skeldale House is silent, with Tristan staring out the window and James wondering how to broach the topic of what just happened. Tristan is embarrassed and later confides in Maggie or Florence, and they kinda just pat him on the back and tell him he's got it bad already. Over time, Tristan and Oliver become friends while Tristan fights down his crush on this man.

Siegfried is not a fan of Oliver for a while. He's concerned that Oliver is a bad influence on his little brother. His worries calm down when he sees Oliver's softer/gentler side. He brings in an injured stray cat and is close to crying about it. Siegfried takes the cat while Mrs. Hall takes Oliver into the kitchen for some tea.

The cat ends up fine and when Siegfried goes to the kitchen to inform Oliver of such, he sees that the younger man's eyes are puffy and that he was crying over a random stray cat (much like he or Tristan might do). Some stuff clicks in Siegfried's head, and then Oliver asks how the cat is. Siegfried explains that the cat needs rest, but she should make a full recovery. That makes Oliver cry more, but he's happy. Then Siegfried sees Oliver gently cradle the cat in his arms and talk to it very softly/sweetly, and Siegfried smiles to himself while coming to the conclusion that maybe Tristan's friend is good, actually.

Later, Tristan and Oliver actually end up dating, and Tristan continues to have it bad. He's does heart eyes at Oliver, especially when he does cool things. Oliver is gentle with Tristan while also playfully teasing him. Tristan gets hurt, and Oliver is like one of the first people to be by his side. He would gently clean his boyfriend's wounds while also making comments in the form of light jabs his way. Tristan would make light jabs back.

Oliver could wake up early and get out of bed and later, (at a time when they would share a bed), Tristan would get out of bed to find Oliver and be upset that Oliver left the bed and left him. He's not seriously upset, and Oliver knows that. He affectionately calls Tristan clingy, and Tristan sleepily mumbles that he is not into Oliver's shoulder. Then Oliver would give Tristan a small kiss.

They're very silly to me (affectionate). I hope you enjoyed learning about Oliver Rose [:

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #213

Today on Fate and Phantasms we're making the big bad of Lostbelt 2...'s fleshy meat vehicle, Sigurd! This dragon slayer is a Psi Warrior Fighter to launch his blades around as well as a Bladesinger Wizard to mix his runes in with his swordplay. He's also a Knowledge Domain Cleric for all that wisdom he's got. Is it a little complicated? Yes. But is it any good? Let's find out.

Check out Sigurd's build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

Next up: Buy one, get two free

Race and Background

Sigurd is Human (mostly), and we need ability scores more than feats, so we're just getting +1 to Everything.

Siegfried and Sigurd may or may not be the same person, so we're giving him the same background. As a Folk Hero, he gets Animal Handling and Survival proficiencies. Humble beginnings.

Ability Scores

Your highest score should be Intelligence. You have infinite wisdom in your glasses, that makes you a smrt boy. After that is Strength. You throw swords around and you literally carve your magic into people. Third is Wisdom. Again, infinite wisdom. That's worth at least a 13. Your Dexterity also has to be above average. Your diving suit does have some armory bits, but your vital organs aren't in your wrists so I'm not counting it. We're not dumping Constitution because you're not dumb. That means we're dumping Charisma. You're a pretty cold guy, and that's not just because of the weather.

Class Levels

Fighter 1: Starting as a fighter gets you proficiency with Strength and Constitution saves, as well as Athletics and Insight. We'll get the brainier proficiencies later. You also get more health to start than your other classes, and the Thrown Weapons Fighting Style. This lets you draw weapons as you throw them, and you deal an extra 2 damage with each hit. Thrown weapons are ranged attacks, but they can still use your strength, so keep that in mind. You also get a Second Wind once per short rest, letting you heal yourself as a bonus action.

Fighter 2: Second level fighters can use an Action Surge once per short rest for an extra action in your turn. Hit a little harder, or use this to swordfight and calculate differential algebra at the same time.

Fighter 3: At third level Psi Warriors awaken their Psionic Power, giving you 2x your proficiency bonus in psionic energy dice. Some of your powers roll psionic dice, some expend them, but as long as you have at least one die you can probably use your powers. You regain all your dice on a long rest, but you get get one back per short rest with a bonus action. They also get bigger as you level up. Currently you can create a protective field to reduce incoming damage for a nearby creature as a reaction, a psionic strike to launch a weapon at a creature you've hit this turn, dealing extra damage to them (not like a smite, so no crit fishing), or use telekinetic movement to move a willing creature/object that is larger or smaller up to 30' as an action. If it's tiny you can bring it straight into your hand. You can do that last one once per short rest for free- doing it again spends your dice. My god, that looks like the amount of text you'd see in a caster level.

Fighter 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to round out your Strength and Dexterity for stronger swords and a tougher AC. Maybe. Playing to character would be light armor at most, but I highly recommend heavy armor up to level 5, if only for living's sake.

Wizard 1: Bouncing over to wizard gets you Spells that you cast and prepare using your Intelligence. You also gain an Arcane Recovery, so once per long rest you can get a little magic back on a short rest as a treat. Speaking of spells, you can stuff a ton of them in your book. Grab Frostbite, Fire Bolt, and Shocking Grasp for your runes, Catapult and Magic Missile to throw weapons around without having to pick them up later, and Detect Magic, Identify, and Comprehend Languages for a bit of that infinite wisdom. Finally, you pick up one of the most important spells in this build: Mage Armor. It makes your AC 13 plus your dexterity modifier. Now you can dress in a turtleneck all you want without risking your own neck in the process.

Wizard 2: At second level of wizardry, you become a Bladesinger, giving you proficiency in Performance as well as access to the Bladesong proficiency times per long rest. You can activate it as a bonus action and it lasts a minute. During this time, as long as you are wearing light/no armor and don't use two handed attacks, you get: your intelligence modifier added to your AC and concentration saves, advantage on acrobatics checks, and an extra 10' of speed. Once again this is a big level for you, since three minutes of combat is often the most you'll have in a single day, that means you'll usually have an AC of 17, extra speed, and your buff spells (which are coming soon) are very good at staying up. Speaking of spells though, grab Ice Knife and Burning Hands for some more powerful runes.

Wizard 3: Third level wizards get second level spells, and Magic Weapon makes your sword even deadlier with a +1 to attacking and damage, plus it also cuts through nonmagical damage resistances. You also learn Cloud of Daggers so you can stop throwing the real ones around as much.

Wizard 4: Use this next ASI to bump up your Intelligence for stronger spells, better songs, and better psionic powers. You can also use Sword Burst to fling your bigger weapons around, Enhance Ability to look up relevant tips and tricks for any situation, giving a creature advantage on one kind of ability checks, and steal a bit of Icingdeath's Frost from a UA/Skadi to deal cold damage and freeze creatures in a cone. This isn't quite hold person, but it does waste a bunch of actions.

Cleric 1: We're smart, but we're not really wise yet. Let's fix that. As a first level Knowledge cleric, you get Blessings of Knowledge. This gives you doubled proficiency in Arcana and History. Boom, infinite wisdom, done and dusted. You also get another set of Spells that you cast and prepare with your Wisdom, but since they're prepared we don't have to go into too much detail. You get cantrips like Guidance for more wisdom, Mending to fix those glasses when you trip with your bad dexterity, and Toll the Dead for a bit more violence. You also get free first level spells like Identify and Command.

Cleric 2: Second level clerics can Channel Divinity once per short rest. Turn Undead is the standard, but you also gain Knowledge of the Ages. As an action, you gain proficiency with any skill or tool for 10 minutes. Kinda niche, but at least you'll never be stranded on a boat. Alternatively, you can Harness Divine Power. Once per long rest you can burn a Channel Divinity use to regain a spell slot whose level is equal to or less than half your proficiency bonus. We only ever get third level spells anyway, so it's fine.

Fighter 5: At eleventh level, fighters get an extra attack. You're still at fifth level, but you get an Extra Attack too, why not. Now you can finally attack twice per action. Also, your energy dice are d8s instead of d6s.

Fighter 6: Another ASI! Use this one to bump up your Strength for stronger attacks.

Fighter 7: Seventh level psi warriors become Telekinetic Adepts. You get two more psi energy dice uses in Psi-Powered Leaps and Telekinetic Thrusts. The former gives you a flying speed as a bonus action once per short rest for free, or by spending a die. It only lasts the turn, so it's more like jumping. If jumping could turn corners. Perfect for anime hops. The latter means your psionic strikes force a strength save (DC 8 + proficiency + intelligence save), and if the creature fails you can push them 10' in any direction or knock them prone. Attacking a prone creature gives you advantage, so it's basically a one-round hold person as far as the frontline's concerned.

Wizard 5: Remember that thing about 3rd level spells? Let's get those. Bestow Curse is really quite flexible, and as long as your DM signs off on it and the target fails a wisdom save you can pretty much screw them over however you want for up to a minute. Some suggestions include disadvantage on one kind of checks and saves, disadvantage on attack rolls against you, wasting turns if it fails a wisdom save, and taking extra damage from attacks. If you like your spells straightforward, Melf's Minute Meteors gives you a bunch of tiny fiery knives that explode on impact, and you can throw one or two per turn.

Wizard 6: Normally we wouldn't got this far into a multiclass for an Extra Attack since they don't stack, but the bladesinger's is special. You can replace one attack with a cantrip as part of your attack action. You're literally carving spells into enemies, so it only makes sense. You also learn Spirit Shroud for more cursed demon energy, and Fireball to chuck your sword and unleash the power of the sun.

Fighter 8: Use this ASI to max out your Intelligence to be the smartest boy possible for the best AC, best telekinesis, and best spells.

Fighter 9: Ninth level fighters are Indomitable, letting you re-roll a failed save once per long rest. We haven't really focused on any of the defensive ability scores this build, so you'll be needing this one a lot.

Fighter 10: Tenth level psi warriors have a Guarded Mind, giving you resistance to psychic damage. Also, if you're charmed or frightened you can spend a psi die to end every effect doing those to you.

Fighter 11: Eleventh level fighters get another Extra Attack, and to be honest I have no idea how this pairs up with bladesinger now. The hope is you get three attacks, one of which can be a cantrip, but it could also be a tradeoff? IDK. The good news is your psi dice definitely grow to d10s.

Your last level is another ASI, so round out your Constitution and Charisma for more health and to warm up to the party at long last.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

You come packing a lot of ways to mix things up in combat. Casting cantrips without wasting an entire action is huge, especially since you've got some utility cantrips that you can pull out without breaking the flow of combat.

You also have a great AC, so even with a low constitution score you're unlikely to have your concentration broken any time soon. 20 AC is pretty good for someone who isn't a monk, and it can be even more if you pick up shield of faith from being a cleric.

You've got a lot of smarts, so you'll be just as useful outside of combat as you are in it. With proficiency in pretty much anything when you need it and telekinesis, you'll have plenty of ways to solve puzzles.

Cons:

We spent so much focusing on intelligence and strength we neglected constitution, which means your health is waaay lower than we'd like on a melee fighter. But you're not totally melee, so...

Yeah no, you are. Thrown Weapons kind of suck. Being a psi warrior makes it a little better since you more than double the damage of your daggers, but still. Just hit them normally.

Mixing spellcasters with a martial class that also has stuff to keep track of just makes this entire build really complicated, especially when the casters have different casting abilities.

Good thing you're smart then. Find the optimal solution to every problem, then blast your way through with swords and magic. Just try not to get hit, I hear things go downhill fast when you're out of the picture.

[silvermoonflowers]

Swan Act I

Bucky x reader

Summary: Visiting her cousin's mansion for the summer, Y/N hopes for some peace and relaxation. Instead she discovers a secret...

Inspired by Swan Lake 

Warnings: some angst

Y/N let out a dreamy sigh as she stared out at the beautiful scenery that stood before her. A lake flowing with crystal clear water, the occasional birds hanging around and surrounded by tall trees that covered her from the dreadful sun.

This was certainly more relaxing here than the  bustling city life she was so used to.

With a giggle, Y/N settled onto the blanket that she had spread out under the giant weeping willow tree and picked up her book. But before she could start reading, she heard someone approaching her. But she already knew who the person was as she looked up and smiled at him.

“Hi Siegfried.”

“Hey cousin,” Siegfried said as he grinned back at her. “It's great that you and your family are staying here with us for the summer. It can get a bit boring in these areas, you know. It’s like nothing interesting really happens here! Where’s the adventure when you want it, huh?”

Y/N scoffed as she set the book on her lap. “‘Boring’”, huh? Then you should try living in the city. It's certainly more adventurous and hectic there. However, there isn't a lot of pretty scenery unlike here and sometimes, just living in the city can be pretty stressful.”

Siegfried put a hand to his chin as he gave thought into what Y/N had just said. She watched as various expressions formed on Siegfried’s face and she let out a giggle.

“Actually, you’re right,” Siegfried said once she put a hand to her mouth. “From what you said, I think I prefer ‘boring’ life here than city life.”

”Y/N rolled her eyes at him as he gave her a goofy grin. Then she looked at the lake. She watched as a couple of ducks flew down and landed in the water.

“But...I wish I was here instead of in the city…”

Her cousin knelt beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “If you want to, my parents have an extra house for you guys to stay in.”

Y/N flushed and waved a wand at her cousin. “Oh Siegfried. You’re so nice, but I couldn’t possibly do that…”

“Hey, we’re family, alright?” He said gently. “I’ll try my best to help you.”

“...Thank you so much Siegfried...I’ll think about it,” Y/N said as she smiled hesitantly at him. Siegfried patted her shoulder before he stood up and stretched his legs.

“Well, I’m off to go with my friend Benno for some archery lessons. Are you sure you don’t wanna come with us, Y/N?”

She glanced back at the shimmering lake again. Although Y/N had plenty of time to do fun things, she wanted to stay at this place for a while. It was just so peaceful to be here and she wanted to cherish this place in her heart forever.

“Nah, maybe some other time. But thanks!”

“Alright, have fun then cousin. And you remember the way back, right? This place is not that far from the mansion.”

“Of course. Have fun with Benno now!”

Y/N watched as her cousin gave her a thumbs up before disappearing into the trees. Then she flipped open her book and began to read. She soon found herself lost in a thrilling adventure of finding a secret kingdom.

                                                                      *~*~*

But her adventure was cut short when she felt like was being watched. At first, Y/N just thought it was her imagination, but the feeling didn’t go away. She frowned. Other than Benno, who was Siegfried’s neighbor, the place where they were was pretty much isolated from people. And all three of their parents were currently at a market. Thinking it was either one of them playing a prank on her, she looked up. However, she let out a gasp.

There, standing in front of her was a large white swan.

Y/N froze as she continued to stare at the swan in shock. She remembered her father showing her a painting of a swan from before. Her grandfather was the one who painted the picture and had given it to his son as a birthday gift.

“Y/N, did you know that swans symbolise beauty and elegance?”

After her father said that to her, Y/N decided to read several books about swans. She even asked the stars to grant her wish of seeing a swan someday.

And now it appeared that her wish finally came true.

Y/N’s breath hitched in her throat as the swan approached her. From the size alone, the swan appeared male. He stopped before her and looked at her rather curiously. Then, he came closer to her and did the unexpected; the swan laid his head on her shoulder. Warmth seeped onto her skin, causing her to drop her book. The thumping noise of the dropped book didn’t seem to bother the swan as he continued to lay there, as if basking in the comfort of her.

With a shaking hand, Y/N reached up and gently laid her hand on the crown of the swan’s head. The feathers were incredibly soft to the touch. She let out a hum and began to run her hand down the swan’s neck.

 Although Y/N knew the swan wouldn't understand her, she couldn’t help but say, “Hello.”

The swan looked up at her and then tilted his head in response. Y/N didn’t think it was impossible, but the gesture almost made the swan appear...human.

She quickly shook her head at that thought. No...it had to be the book getting to her head. She was reading a pretty magical adventure after all. There was no way the swan could be hiding a mystical secret. It just wasn’t possible.

A gentle nudge on her hand interrupted her thoughts. It was the swan again. She smiled at him and rubbed his head affectionately. However, she stopped when she noticed something.

The swan’s left wing appeared to be crumpled. Whether it was an accident or intentional, Y/N wasn’t sure, but when she tried to reach for the wing, the swan shied away, as if he was trying to hide his broken wing from her. Y/N felt saddened. But she wasn’t upset that the swan was backing away from her. She was upset at the fact that the swan got hurt. 

“You poor thing…”

As if understanding her words, the swan began to walk to her again. But before he got any closer, a rustling sound could be heard.

“Hey cousin, I’m back with Benno. I forgot to ask you something - “

“Whoa, is that a swan?! Y/N get outta there!”

“Benno, what are you doing!? Stop!”

Y/N turned around just in time to see Benno with his arrow aimed right at the swan. Without hesitation, she quickly stood up and jumped in front of the swan.

“W-what are you doing!” she said out as she held out her arms, making Benno nearly loosen his grip.

Siegfried snatched the arrow out of Benno’s and glared angrily at him. “Benno, what the hell was that all about?! You scared Y/N!”

His friend looked at him with shame. “I-I’m sorry. I thought the swan was going to attack her…”

Siegfried’s expression softened when he realized how harsh he was to him. He ran a hand through his hair before turning to his cousin.

“Y/N, are you okay?”

Y/N didn’t answer him at first. Instead she looked back to see if the swan was alright. But when she turned around, the swan wasn’t there anymore. She looked at the lake, but all she saw was a pair of ducks swimming around.

It was as if the swan had vanished into thin air.

With a heavy sigh, she answered, “...I’m fine, Siegfried.”

“Are you...sure? You seem…”

“...Let’s just go home,” was all she said as she picked up her book and bunched the blanket into a bundle. As she did this, she never once looked at Siegfried or Benno.

“Nice going, Benno,” Y/N heard Siegfried mutter to his friend. “Now you made her upset.”

“Siegfried,” She said calmly. 

“Y-Yes?”

“Please don’t blame Benno. He didn’t do anything wrong, alright? Let’s go, now.”

Siegfried raised an eyebrow at the unusual calm tone that Y/N was taking but he answered “Yes” before he and Benno followed her home.

                                                                        *~*~*

That night Y/N dreamed of walking at the lake again. But there was no swan waiting for her. Instead she saw a man appear from behind the weeping willow tree. A tall, handsome man with long dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. He wore elegant clothes that seemed a little too tight for him. This thought alone made heat rush to Y/N’s cheeks.  But the closer Y/N got to him, the more she noticed something about him.

His expression told nothing but sadness. That wasn’t the only thing Y/N had noticed.

His left sleeve was limp, which meant he was missing an arm, much to Y/N’s horror. What could’ve happened to him?

As if in distress, the man suddenly reached out to her. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He tried again. Still nothing. The man’s expression now turned into that frustration. 

Soon the world around them began to blur. The man himself was beginning to disappear also. He looked at Y/N with pleading eyes. The sight of such an expression broke Y/N’s heart. She tried to run to him, but he was fading too quickly. But before he vanished completely, he mouthed two words to her. 

Help me.

[talesofsonicasura]

Stone Novas

Ch 4: Exposition

Astra's secret is revealed to Team Monkie Kid much to her dismay! A challenge is wagered, plots are formed and soon wills shall be tested. CH3 CH5

Megapolis' Docks, Secret Base

To say Astra was upset would be an understatement. She was thoroughly pissed off for one good reason. Sun Wukong, Monkey King and 'Great Sage Equal To Heaven' didn't know how to keep his mouth shut. And the feeling to flay him grew as Mei poked at the Frontier Brain.

All of them had hustled back to the Secret Base after MK had blurted out her otherworldly origins. Luckily, no one else was there to hear it. When the young man had accidentally sent himself flying out of the Weather Station, not only did Wukong appear to take away his invulnerability but also told him about her Battle Observatory.

He didn't mention Macaque oddly enough or her taking his clothes, no doubt to keep some of his pride. The reactions from Sandy, Pigsy, Tang and Mei were expected once they got back into the base after a silent ride. Dumbfounded disbelief from MK's boss, curiosity from Tang, awe and wonderment from Sandy, as for Mei…

"Are you human or is this a disguise?! Wouldn't that make Bao Chang, Lupe, Mars, and that giant bird Siegfried alien animals?! Are there any dragon Pokemon where you're from?" A thousand questions alongside her wild poking and prodding. Astra didn't mind someone being curious but this was aggravating.

Having enough with the mildly rude treatment, the redhead grabbed Mei's hand tightly. "I would love to talk if you stop scrutinizing me like a Noctowl pellet." Astra let the raven quickly scoot away, slightly embarrassed but still had that same vigor. The Frontier Brain massaged her head, carefully picking her next words before speaking.

"I am human but from an alternate Earth. Instead of demons, we have Pokemon that can be found everywhere whether it be land, sea, sky and even space itself. During my free time, I usually explore various worlds by traveling through Ultra Space but I am actually the Frontier Brain for the Battle Observatory."

Mk had heard about the facility Astra owned from the Monkey King although neither of them knew what it really meant. Picking up on the young man's confusion, the ginger continued her explanation. "Where I'm from we have something called Pokemon Battles."

Mars connected his tail into the base's computer, the screen switching to display a battle between two trainers and their respective Pokemon: a bipedal rhinoceros covered in orange stone plates and a smaller bipedal chinchilla with large white fur that curled like locks of hair.

"Trainers bring out their Pokemon to battle and give them instructions. When all Pokemon on the opponent's team is unable to battle, the Trainer whose team is left standing wins. No Pokemon are forced to battle without their consent and no killing is allowed." The chinchilla-like Pokemon took down the much larger opponent with a strong blow to the head, spirals appearing on the eyes of the knocked out rhinoceros Pokemon.

Mars then changed the screen to display six different buildings, one of them being the Battle Observatory. A picture of Astra stood in front of the observatory as a shadow silhouette stood at the other 5 facilities. "There are tournaments that test the mettle of both Trainers and their Pokemon, the Pokemon League but we'll be discussing my domain, the Battle Frontier."

Battle Frontier, just two words that sent a shiver down the spines of everyone in the room. MK, unlike the rest of his companions, had a look of determination but also hope in his eyes. Something that made the redhead smile brightly.

"Trainers have to face the Frontier Brains, powerful trainers and their Pokemon that can rival the strength of the Champion for each respective region. Those who defeat a Frontier Brain, earn a symbol of their success, a badge for that gym. If someone manages to collect 5 of these badges, then they can become a Frontier Brain for their own facility. This is my badge, the Nova Badge!"

Astra then took something out of her pocket. It was a metal badge that resembled a fiery meteor from the red flame locale surrounding the yellow star shape and the center was a gray X bearing sharpened edges similar to a stake.

"Only those with conviction to face the burning flames of tribulation and strife can earn this badge. One of the reasons many trainers call me the Battle Frontier's Shooting Star." The redhead didn't even flinch when MK and his companions had suddenly gotten into personal space.

"Woah! That is the coolest thing I have ever seen. It looks really well made too! I wish I had my own badge but I really don't like fighting." Sandy stated with mild disappointment. Astra patted the big aquatic demon on the side and gave him a kind grin. "I can make you a custom badge if you want, Sandy. Send me a design and I'll have it ready in a few days."

The redhead chuckled at the sudden bone crushing hug she had gotten from a very happy Sandy. Pigsy was a bit indifferent to the whole otherworld thing. "As long as you come in peace then I don't really care about your origins. Plus you have a good head on your shoulders considering what happened back at the Weather Station."

Every member of the Monkie Kid team knew where the restaurant owner was getting at. All of them would've been captured by Red Son after MK got taken out of the fight. They couldn't forget about the people that might have been hurt or worse without Astra's intervention.

Something that raised a question for a certain bandana wearing young man. "Hey Astra, can I talk with you outside for a moment?" The Frontier Brain gave MK a confused look before nodding. Mars could fill in any questions the rest of the group had anyway. Neither of them said a word until the two adults were back on the boat.

It was here that Astra saw the brunette's carefree attitude dissolve into disappointment and shame. She had a bad feeling about this. "Do you think I'm worthy enough to be the Monkie Kid?" Now the Frontier Brain really hated where this was going.

"Back at the Weather Station, I was practically useless during the whole thing. I hurt Sandy with the staff and nearly got everyone captured because of my invulnerability ego. I even flung myself out of the building with my own weapon! Sometimes I feel like being able to pick up the Monkey King's Staff was a huge fluke. I…"

MK didn't get to finish when Astra gently caressed his cheek, a warm motherly expression on her face. "It's ok to feel like this, MK. You are new to this whole experience but I know for damn sure that your achievements aren't fake! I read about you saving the city from that huge Demon Bull King fiasco some time ago."

She pulled him into a side hug and turned to the open ocean. "When I first started out as a trainer, sometimes I doubted if I could even become a Frontier Brain. There were times that I wanted to give up but my friends and my Pokemon gave me the courage to keep trying. Look at me now, I achieved my goal alongside my faithful partners. Remember that 'the strongest mountain started as a stone.'"

MK then felt something metallic in his hand and stared down in shock to see a colorless Nova Badge sitting on his open palm. "I want you to hold onto this badge, little Kubfu. When you have found and mastered your full potential, face my team to fully complete that badge. If the Monkey King's training isn't sufficient, I won't mind stepping in for some proper training."

Astra's grin sharpened, the sun making her apple green eyes glow like emeralds and her flaming red hair burn like fire. "I might not have magical powers but I definitely can teach you how to wield a staff. A lot of my Pokemon would also love to help you master your newfound magic. What do you say MK? Want to take your training to the next level?"

The young man looked at the Frontier Brain. His uncertainty became hardened determination. "Please teach me how to become stronger!" MK bowed his head in respect, a sign of a student ready to learn under their master. Astra's smile grew from the young man's response. Now she had a few things to do before she started training MK.

Flower Fruit Mountain, Water Curtain Cave

Siegfried let out a mighty caw as he soared through the air. The Frontier Brain was currently seated on the Raven's Pokemon back with her goggles keeping any volcanic ash away from her eyes. All of the monkeys who saw the large Steel/Flying Type quickly scattered or watched Siegfried fly through the curtain of a waterfall.

This particular waterfall was shielding a cavern that held a small wooden shack within its stone walls, Sun Wukong's home. Once Siegfried landed and was recalled to his Pokeball, Astra went over to the house. She had spotted a large ancient mural to the side depicting Wukong alongside three other people.

A pig demon, fish demon, and a human monk riding on the back of a horse as Wukong sat on top of his cloud with a fillet on his head. It was quite eerie but not for the soft golden glow that lined the characters. No, it was the fact that they looked too much like Pigsy, Sandy and Tang that unnerved the redhead.

Astra walked up to the door of the small home and gave it a hard knock. The door opened to show a disgruntled looking Monkey King who was probably asleep earlier from the yellow pjs decorated in peaches. The demon quickly straightened himself upon seeing those apple green eyes glare into his own ambers. "Fancy seeing you here, Astra. Want to come in?" Wukong nervously laughed, he knew he was in hot water.

"You told MK about my origins WITHOUT my permission, jackass! What in the absolute Distortion World were you thinking?!" The redhead harshly poked the monkey's chest, every word burning with rage. The Monkey King raised his hands innocently despite Astra looking ready to skin his hide.

"I can't keep such information from my successor! MK had the right to know and I trust the kid to keep a secret." Wukong took a step back when the Frontier Brain snarled and dragged him down by his pajama shirt so they were at eye level.

"You are an idiot of the highest caliber and a poor teacher! I read the story about MK fighting that giant bull demon and saw him recklessly using your staff back at the Weather Station. Have you even given him proper training at all?!" Astra hissed, glaring daggers into the demon's fiery amber eyes.

Wukong nervously smiled at the accusation which didn't help with what he said next. "The kid did defeat Demon Bull King and came out of both fights completely fine. We've been practicing some hand to hand combat too. MK just needs to believe in himself, even just a tiny smidge." The Monkey King's world turned upside down in seconds as he hit the ground.

Astra sat on top of him, her legs straddled between his so he couldn't move while she held him up to her face with an iron grip. "You are an incompetent fool that clearly doesn't know what he's doing! Did you know MK asked me if he was even worthy of being your successor? That he thought of his achievements as a mere fluke, you insufferable Stunfisk?!"

Wukong's smile dissolved into a shameful frown. Did he really make his student believe that he was a failure? The mere thought made his heart sink. "I'll be taking over MK's training from now on since it's clear you are ill suited for the task." He instantly froze. Did she really just…?

"What do you mean you're taking over?" A look of anger and shock crossed Sun Wukong from the Frontier Brain's words. Astra didn't seem to care about the Monkey King's growing temper. "You heard me. Unless you start taking MK's training seriously, then my Pokemon and I will do it instead. I may not have powers but I can teach him to wield a staff. My team can handle the magic part since you're shit for this job."

Rage boiled underneath the demon's skin. What gave this human the right to say he was an unsuitable teacher? It's his powers and his staff! Who did she think she was to say that to the Monkey King, Great Sage Equal To Heaven, Sun Wukong?!! He'd- The monkey demon immediately stamped that thought before it could continue and instead turned his head away.

This wasn't about him. It was about his student MK. Astra had a point, the young man wasn't ready at all and if a tougher opponent came along… The look of remorse on Wukong's face was enough for the redhead's rage to slowly simmer down.

"How about a compromise? If you are that serious about helping MK, then battle Bao Chang." Sun Wukong immediately looked at the human woman in surprise. "It is said that someone's true intentions can be revealed in the heat of battle. Clash with my darling Monferno at the Battle Observatory on the morning of next week and show me how far you will truly go for your disciple."

The redhead got off the Monkey King so he could get back onto his feet. He could see in those apple green eyes that Astra wasn't fooling around. His only chance. "Alright. I'll accept your challenge. Where do we meet up since we're going back to your world?" Wukong's question only got him a chuckle from the Frontier Brain.

"Ask your apprentice, he'll tell you." With that said, Astra walked away from his home leaving the Monkey King to his thoughts.

Megapolis, Astra's House

The sound of a hammer hitting steel echoed across the small forest. It was from Bao Chang who was fastening a brand new windowsill to the upper floor of the old house, a paintbrush wrapped around his tail too. Astra and some of her Pokemon decided to fix up their brand new home after returning from Flower Fruit Mountain.

Bao Chang worked on replacing the windows, Lupe disposed of any garbage he found, Mars scanned for any issues with the infrastructure and Siegfried helped transport any of the heavy goods such as furniture or any stuff that can be exchanged for extra cash. Aniani kept watch in case of an accident or intruder, as for Astra…

"Sticky Web, Arachne!" A large blob of webbing struck the worn pillar. The substance slipped it into the cracks with the wood, Astra then placed a large metal sheet onto the sticky goo. "El Dorado, melt that metal a bit with Incinerate!" Quickly stepping back as a stream of fire hit the steel plate.

The intense flame caused the alloy to slowly curl around the pillar's surface until it was fully enveloped. Another stream of fire went down where the two ends to the sheet metal converged, sealing it together. With a short inspection of the plating, Astra gave a thumbs up to the two Pokemon responsible.

One Pokemon was a shockingly large black spider around 12'3 in size, six long yellow legs with the bottom half black that had medium sized water bubbles on each joint, a big water bubble that encased their head, two large blue eyes bearing light blue horizontal wave shaped pupils with three smaller triangle blue eyes on the forehead, four large fangs at the bottom of the head, a vertical tannish brown streak with two horizontal ones on the top of the abdomen and a small yellow stinger on their rear.

The other one was a 1'3 dark gold gremlin, eyes were light gold diamonds cut in an hexagon shape, two fin like ears bearing two points on each side of their head, a small emerald on their chest alongside a small jade and light gold crystals on the back, three fingered claws, three fur like spikes on the elbows and three toed bearing sharp claws. On their left arm was a dark violet wristband that held a black, red and violet jewel inside.

"Looks pretty stable. Got a few more support pillars to go, think you can handle it Arachne and El Dorado?" Astra first looked at the large spider then to the small gremlin Pokemon. The large spider Pokemon named Arachne did a small nod while the little gremlin El Dorado gave a thumbs up.

The Frontier Brain shortly paused as a serious expression overtook her face. Her focus was on the corner of the room that was unnaturally darker than the others. "Arachne, Bubblebeam over there!" The large spider took a deep breath before letting loose a rapid stream of dark blue bubbles.

In seconds, a purple outlined shadow cudgel emerges and promptly bursts every single bubble with a single swing. Macaque took a step out of the shadows, clearly impressed from the fang filled grin on his face. Astra only sighed at the sight of the shadow demon.

"I guess you do have some decent senses to detect me. Nice improvement on this dumpster pile by the way." The Frontier Brain rolled her eyes at the intruding monkey, both Pokemon beside her had their guard up. A sight that made Macaque chuckle.

"Usually I am not that defensive unless near a potential threat. I just didn't know that you used to eat humans before we met." Astra spoke, her arms crossed and an offensive edge to her voice. Dismissing the shadow cudgel from his hands, the demon gave the redhead a mischievous look.

"I knew you overheard me and Sun Wukong the other night instead of going to your room. Had me surprised when you still treated my wounds while keeping calm from your steady heartbeat. Pretty brave and bold, Apple." Macaque walked closer until he was standing in front of the Frontier Brain.

The demon could still hear her heart remain steady despite their close proximity, a thought that made his tail wag happily. "What do you want, Macaque? Because I'm pretty sure spying on someone isn't a proper visit." Astra didn't feel like playing around at the moment. One demon had already gotten on her nerves, she didn't need two.

"Straight to the point I see! What I want is to train under your tutelage." Astra looked at the shadow demon like he was crazy. She let Macaque continue with his explanation. "My clash with the Monkey King proved my training methods are ineffective, training dummies can only do so much. What's a better sparring partner other than a Frontier Brain?"

The redhead kept her eyes on the monkey as he circled around her, Arachne and El Dorado stayed silent. Both Pokemon were waiting for any sign of a threat. "So how about a deal? I help around your observatory and you let me battle your Pokemon in exchange. I can even help fix up this rusty junk heap as a bonus." Macaque offered, a calm yet manic grin etched on his face.

Astra mulled over the proposition in her head. She wasn't stupid or naive. Macaque and Wukong had a nasty history paired with a mile wide grudge. There was also the chance of manipulation for the Frontier Brain since the monkey demon might have abandonment issues, inferiority complex and probably low esteem.

Taking his offer could lead to two scenarios. He'll end up taking revenge on Sun Wukong, possibly dragging anyone associated with the Monkey King into it. Or two, she could learn their history and might be able to help both demons before their sour relationship leads to a much bigger problem down the road.

Whatever the case, these two needed help. "Fine but you must listen to what I say and respect any rules that I make. By the way, if you try to use whatever you learn against some innocent soul…" Astra's eyes sharpened, her teeth on full display from the huge snarl and a dark aura came off the redhead in waves.

The sudden malice was enough for Macaque to take a step back in instinctual fright. "I won't hesitate to show you why I'm the most feared amongst my peers in the Battle Frontier. Angels, demons or gods, nothing will save you from my wrath. Got it, little Alolan Rattata?" The shadow demon quickly nodded at the Frontier Brain's threat.

In seconds the frightening aura quickly vanished as Astra clapped her hands happily. "Splendid. For now, you'll be helping El Dorado and Arachne with enforcing the support beams. Arachne is my dear Araquanid while El Dorado is my sweet Sableye." Both Pokemon waved a hand or leg in Arachne's case in greeting to the demon monkey.

Macaque was about to say something when the redhead threw two small cards at him. Quickly catching them, dark amber slightly widened to see they were Pokedex Entries for the two Pokemon before him. Although the one for El Dorado looked different since the Sableye in that picture was violet instead of gold.

"'Araquanid, the Water Bubble Pokemon. Bug/Water Type. The water bubble around Araquanid's head can be used to carry Pokemon they consider as friends to safety or drown potential prey. It has a habit of storing things it likes in its water bubble so their trainers have to be extra careful to not get dragged in. This Pokemon likes to savor its meal and can also launch the bubbles from its legs as another way to capture live prey.'" Macaque looked warily at the giant spider before reading the other card.

"'Sableye, the Darkness Pokemon. A Ghost/Dark Type-'" The demon monkey went silent for a few seconds. 'What in the absolute hell?' Macaque shoved the thought in the back of his head before continuing his low mutters.

"'-It digs up gems with its sharp claws then uses its sharp teeth to devour them in the deep darkness of caverns. This diet caused Sableye's eyes to become gemstones and some of that material to float to the surface of their bodies. It's feared for the misconception that these Pokemon can steal the souls of people when their eyes glow a sinister color in the dark.'"

The shadow demon paused to look at the card then the small Darkness Pokemon. He blinked a few times before pocketing the Pokedex entries into his jeans. Macaque had a feeling this won't be the only time Astra decides to make him feel uneasy. Shrugging his shoulders, the monkey resigned himself to his fate and got to work with the repairs.

Megapolis, Flaming Foundry

Deep underneath Megapolis, there laid a massive factory unknown to others. This facility was the Flaming Foundry, where every mechanical creation was manufactured to assist the Demon Bull Family. A family of three who seeked to rule the world in an age of darkness and fire: Princess Iron Fan, her husband Demon Bull King and their child Red Son.

Standing in front of a large screen was Red Son alongside two others. One was a huge minotaur type bull demon around 15 in size, powerful bulging muscles to red violet fur that seemed to almost synthetic, bottom jaw covered in a heavy steel plate with similar steel under burning yellow eyes, a gold bull nose ring, gear similar to that of a barbarian: steel pauldrons, multiple straps on the chest that held a gold furnace like slot at the center, dark grey pelt around the waist similar to a barbarian's, slightly long tail, sharp clawed fingers, large fangs and strong gray hooved feet.

The other was a woman about a ft taller than Red Son, soft tan complexion, two large black horns on both sides of her head, long raven hair, red lipstick on full lips, thin but buxom form hidden under a beautiful red traditional Chinese dress, and heeled sandals. They were Red Son's parents, Princess Iron Fan and Demon Bull King. Red Son seemed mostly healed from his encounter with Team Monkie Kid minus a few bandages.

All three of them were watching the large monitor, it was on the news which covered the Weather Station. The broadcast was about none other than two of Astra's Pokemon rescuing civilians who were trapped inside. "-No one knows what these strange creatures were but the families of those who were trapped inside are truly grateful for their assistance."

Red Son then changed the feed to camera footage from the Weather Station, most of the audio was fried courtesy of Mars' hacking the mainframe earlier. "I can see why your plan went asunder, my dear son. You said this woman's name was Astra?" PIF questioned, looking at her only child.

The red haired demon did a short nod before answering. "Yes from what Noodle Boy called her during our battle. All those creatures appear to follow her command; unlike Noodle Boy's group, she's very competent in both strategy and execution. The marks of a tactician."

DBK looked inquisitively at the footage. His attention darted from Bao Chang tearing apart their soldiers using various elements, to Lupe destroying his troops with powerful acid then blasting his son away in a giant laser, Mars stealthily hack into the Weather Station's mainframe and finally Astra's conversion of a broom handle into a weapon that melted through titanium steel. He's seen that type of cleverness before, it got him trapped underneath a mountain for 500 years.

"It appears the little thief has made a powerful and dangerous ally. Get as much information on this 'Shooting Star Astra' and 'Battle Frontier'. Even better if you somehow manage to capture her." DBK glared at the Frontier Brain's picture, a dark grimace on his face.

"This human woman could change everything."

And that's it! Sun Wukong has been challenged by Astra while Macaque and MK are accepted for training as things slowly begin to change in the background with some of the LMK villains.

Astra isn't someone who would beat around the bush when seeing a possible problem. Especially considering her status as a Frontier Brain and just how dangerous this new world is proving to be.

She is the type who wants to be prepared for the worst. To her, Sun Wukong and Macaque's 'relationship' is an issue just as bad as MK's current training routine.

Moving onto Astra's Pokemon, her team is the Pokemon she had caught during her journey to become a Frontier Brain, not exclusively just six Pokemon. Her Pokemon has two different movesets which is reserved for either exploration or gym battles. I'm bringing this up now to not only clear up any confusion but especially for upcoming chapters.

And for anyone questioning why Astra didn't do anything to Sandy for hugging her, it's because only touches with any romantic sort of sense are a trigger. Stuff like hugs don't bother Astra.

Next chapter is the battle with Sun Wukong! Before I go, I am currently working on a story for my Broken Toys AU! Someone asked if I was going to release all the information first before writing it.

The answer is actually no. I will be posting some stuff for the au like the monsters MK has and his relationship to them but the really juicy ones will be coming once a few chapters are posted.

Until next time folks, see you back in Megapolis.

New Pokemon added! El Dorado the Sableye and Arachne the Araquanid

Astra's team: Bao Chang (Monferno), Siegfried (Corviknight), Lupe (Garbodor), Aniani (Necrozma), Arachne (Araquanid), Mukasa (Zarude), El Dorado (Shiny!Sableye).

[dillydedalus]

march reading

kinda forgot about this i guess. anyway feat. uh, magical ships, dubious mental health institutions (plural) & a parisian building with 99 rooms. 

the forever sea, joshua phillip johnson (forever sea #1) i firmly believe that more fantasy lit should be set on ships bc ships are inherently a sexy setting & you could have pirates which are extremely sexy. this has ships (and pirates) and also a sea made of grass? a magical plant sea on which ships sail via magical fires, so conceptually i’m very into it all. the plot is fine, but the protagonist kindred has a very bad case of Main Character Syndrome so prepare for mild annoyance throughout. also while i generally enjoy book magic vs wild magic i wish more works would treat them as two ends of a spectrum rather than ~book magic bad and boring, wild magic cool and *~natural*~. but overall i think this series has potential. 3/5

jagannath: stories, karin tidbeck ([partially?] translated from swedish by the author) really cool collection of sff stories by tidbeck, many of which veer into mild horror and some of which are influenced by swedish folklore and especially swedish fey stories. i enjoyed most of these a lot, especially the existential call centre horror story, the ‘god won’t let me die’ one, and a taxonomy of a cryptid that goes a little off the rails. 4/5

annette, ein heldinnenepos, anne weber a novel in verse about anne beaumanoir, a real person who was a résistance member during world war 2 and later supported the algerian national liberation front, for which she was sentenced to 10 years in prison (she escaped to tunisia and later algeria). she’s clearly a very impressive and interesting person & i conceptually enjoyed the idea of writing a modern hero(ine)’s epic, but i feel like the language could have been a bit more stylized to match the form. 3/5

salvage the bones, jesmyn ward (audio) bleak but ultimately hopeful novel about a black family in the days before and during hurricane katrina, although the focus is on the family dynamics, the 14-year-old narrator discovering that she is pregnant, and the kids trying to keep the puppies their dog china just had alive and well. enjoyed this, altho i did it a bit of a disservice but listening to it a lot of short chunks. 3.5/5

regeneration, pat barker (regeneration trilogy #1) set mostly at a military hospital for soldiers with shell shock during world war 1, this novel explores the existential horror of war, psychological treatment (& the horrible absurdity of treating traumatised men just enough so that you can send them straight back to Trauma Town), and the meeting between siegfried sassoon & wilfred owen. i find i don’t really have much to say about it, but it is very, very good. 4/5

how to pronounce knife, souvankham thammavongsa a short story collection mainly about refugees and migrants from laos to canada, many focusing on parent-child relationships and being forced to work in low-paid jobs, often ones that are damaging to their health. the stories are very well-observed and emotionally nuanced and detailed, but with 14 mostly very short stories, the collection as a whole felt a bit samey, which i guess is something i often experience with short story collections. 3/5

faces in the water, janet frame horrifying semi-autobiographical novel about a young woman stuck in new zealand’s mental health system, moving to different hospitals but mostly from ward to (more depressing) ward in the 40s/50s. while there is a shift in attitudes during her stay that sometimes makes the wards more tolerable, mostly the patients are neglected, abused, and the threat of electric shock therapy and lobotomy always hangs over them. 3/5

the upstairs house, julia fine fuck why did i read so many books about mental health conditions this month??? this is another entry in my casual ‘motherhood as horror’ reading project, in which a new mother develops post-partum psychosis & imagines the modernist children’s book writer she’s writing her dissertation on and her poet sometimes-lover haunting her and her child (margaret wise brown & michael strange, who are real people i was utterly unaware of). this does pretty good on the maternal horror front, but i wasn’t entirely sold on the literary haunting. 2/5

1000 serpentinen angst, olivia wenzel a very interesting novel about a woman struggling with grief over her brother’s suicide, an anxiety disorder, the (non)state of a (non)relationship and discrimination/marginalisation based on her identity as a black, east-german, bi woman (while also being, as she notes, financially privileged). much of the novel is written in a dialogue between the narrator and an unnamed (& probably internal) interlocutor, which was p effective for a novel more focused on introspection than much of a plot. 3/5

atlas: the archaeology of an imaginary city, dung kai-cheung (tr. from chinese by the author, anders hansson, bonnie mcdougall) fictitious theory about a slightly-left-of-reality version of hong kong and how maps (re)construct the city, very heavy on the postmodern poststructuralist postcolonial (and some other posts, i’m sure). in many ways my jam. unfortunately my favourite parts of this were the author’s preface and the first part (fictitious theory of mapping alternate hong kong); the rest felt very repetitive and not particularly interesting, altho i’m sure i was also just missing a lot of cultural context. 2.5/5

under the net, iris murdoch .........i liked the other two murdochs i’ve read (the sea, the sea & a severed head) quite a lot so either i was not in the mood for her very peculiar style of constructing novels and characters or, this being her first novel, she just wasn’t in full command of that peculiar style yet but man this was a slooooooooog. don’t stretch out your modern picaresque with an incredibly annoying narrator over more than 300 pages iris!!!! 2/5 bc this probably has some merit & i just wasn’t into it

the impossible revolution: making sense of the syrian tragedy, yassin al-haj saleh (tr. from arabic by i. rida mahmoud) collection of articles and essays saleh (a syrian intellectual & activist who spent 16 years in a syrian prison) wrote from 2011 to 2015, analysing the reasons for, potential and development of the revolution, as well as some background sociological discussion on the assads’ regime. very interesting, very dense, very depressing. wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a first read on the topic tho. 3/5

angels in america: millenium approaches & perestroika, tony kushner the page to tumblr darling quote ratio in this is insane (”just mangled guts pretending” and so on) and also it just really slaps on every level. also managed to get me from 0 to crying several times. brilliant work of theatre, would love to see it staged (or filmed). 4/5

life: a user’s manual, georges perec (german tr. by eugen helmlé) 99 chapters, each corresponding with a single room in a parisian apartment block; some chapters are basically ‘here’s the room, here’s a long list of objects in the room, that’s it bye :)’, some are short insights into the lives of the people living there, some (the best, mostly) are long, absolutely wild tales that are sometimes only tangentially connected to the room in question. why are the french like this. 61/99 rooms 

sisters in hate: american women on the front lines of white nationalism, seyward darby (audio) nonfiction about women’s role in white nationalist hate movements, mainly based on the stories of three women who are or have been involved with various contemporary american alt-right/racist/neonazi hate groups, while also looking at general social trends and the history of white women’s role in white supremacy. interesting and engaging if you’re interested in this kind of thing. if you’re both politically aware and internet poisoned, it’s probably not much that is completely new to you but still worth reading. 3/5

starting in april i will be Gainfully Employed (ugh) & thus probably not read as much or read even more bc i have no energy for anything else 

[captainmullin]

A Very Special Birthday (Part III)

aka me pushing my GranPercy agenda ever so slightly,,,, enjoy!

Gran’s first assignment was to talk to the Dragon Knights, loyal members of the crew and even better friends. He found Vane and Lancelot quickly, the two bantering while making�� What were they making?

“Lancelot, Vane!” Gran called out as he walked over to them, his eyes darting towards the mess of paper and lights between them. “...What are you two doing?”

“...and I’m saying that they’ll like the yellow better!” Vane huffed while Lancelot ‘tsk’ed. 

“You’ve got it wrong, I’m sure they’ll enjoy the blue just fine. Oh, hello, Gran.” Lancelot replied and he looked up at Gran. “We’re making paper lanterns for Mullin’s birthday but…” He sighed and gestured. “We can’t decide on a color.” 

This caused Gran to chuckle and sit down between the knights: “Odd to see you two having a fight… What if you did both colors; some yellow and some blue?” 

“Wha- we can do that!?” Vane said, his eyes beginning to shine: “Lancey, you didn’t tell me that was an option!”

“You seemed pretty adamant about yellow…” Lancelot replied, smiling. “Of course we can do both, I don’t see why not. We can also throw in some other colors…” 

After a few minutes of deliberation, the three had come up with some fancy arrangements for paper lanterns to set off on the captain’s birthday. Apologizing for his rush, Gran stood up and made his way out to find Percival and Siegfried. 

Surprisingly enough, the latter knight was easier to find. Gran spotted him on the Grandcypher’s deck - Siegfried’s frame looming over the railing. He seemed a bit lost in thought, so Gran decided to approach him quietly. 

“Siegfried?” Gran said once he was at his side. “You look…”

“Lost? I suppose you could say that.” Siegfried replied, finishing Gran’s sentence. “I’ve been informed it’s Mullin’s birthday soon and yet… I can’t seem to figure out what they would want.”

Huh? That’s what’s worrying him…? He looked so serious! Shrugging off his thoughts, Gran smiled: “They’d be happy with whatever you find, I promise.” 

“Ah… I guess you’re right, Gran. You and Djeeta know them better than most. Thank you, I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Seigfried’s frown turned into a small smile as an idea was already forming. 

“Oh, by the way, do you know where Percival is…?” Gran asked. Siegfried paused then pointed him towards the Grandcypher’s dining room. “Thanks!”

Percival was seated on one of the chairs, a bright red material in front of him. Frowning, the Lord of Flames seemed puzzled for the first time in his life. Gran jogged over, curious. 

“Percival…?” Gran’s heart began to speed up ever so slightly, like it often did around him. “What’re you doing?”

“Hm…? Oh, Gran. Excellent timing.” Percival said, gesturing for him to take a seat. “I’ve been tasked with helping decorate the ship when the time comes for Mullin’s birthday, but I-”

“-Streamers?” Gran interrupted, disbelief in his voice: “You- You’re making party streamers?”

“Don’t act so shocked.” Percival bristled. “I’m doing what I can to help. Birthdays only come once a year, you know.” 

“I know, I know - just… thank you, Percy.” Gran smiled and Percival couldn’t help but look away, his own embarrassment growing. 

“Mullin hasn’t had a lot of birthday celebrations growing up, so Djeeta and I are really happy everyone’s decided to pitch in,” Gran continued. “We- we couldn’t do much when we were younger, and they were always taking care of us, so…” 

“I get it.” Percival said, patting Gran on the head. “I’ll do my utmost best, for you and for them.” 

“Thank you again!”

You got the Paper Lanterns! Their colorful arrangement is sure to add some beauty and spark into the captain’s party. Gives 745 EXP to a weapon. 

You got the Party Streamers! Their blazing, red appearance reminds you of a certain someone… Hopefully they won’t actually catch on fire. Gives 745 EXP to a summon. 

day one | day two | day three | day four | day five | day six | day seven | day eight | day nine | day ten

[beckmessering]

scrambled review no.3

siegfried / bayreuth 1991/92 / directed by harry kupfer

Characters

Siegfried (Siegfried Jerusalem) – yes, I laughed about the first name coincidence. Although I’m also inclined to say it’s not a coincidence and Siegfried Jerusalem is just made to sing Siegfried. Vocally very vivacious and full of excessive energy without being a one-dimensional tyrannical bully (although Mime might object). Brings across an interesting mix of youth and contemplative maturity when left alone to ponder his parentage in the forest. Childishly keen to see the world, and yet Fafner’s death instils a sort of wonder when faced with mortality and a bit of shock at his own abilities – a welcome touch to his usual boisterousness. He just is Siegfried – literally and metaphorically.

Mime (Graham Clarke) – casting an earlier Loge as Mime is a bit weird for continuity reasons, but a stroke of genius here. Mime is an actual dwarf compared to Siegfried – pasty and sickly-looking, quick and nervous, possibly emotionally stunted but without any oafishness, rather a manic would-be poisoner out of desperation to get rid of this beastly child he’s at wit’s end with. Occasional excursions of his piercing tenor into a frustrated growly speech tone are both apt and hilarious, and I think I’ll just leave it with this image:

Alberich (Günter von Kannen) – had a bit of a vocal improvement in terms of more nuanced phrasing between Rheingold and now. Appropriately paranoid when encountering Wotan. More interestingly, he’s visibly and audibly Mime’s brother – I felt that he and Mime automatically adopted similar mannerisms and singing style, which was a very fun idea.

Wotan (John Tomlinson) – managed to sound absolutely massive and delightfully unimpressed in his visit to Mime. In Act III, there’s a snarling note of real desperation and scorn in his voice as he taunts Erda, and yet in his final scene with Siegfried he exhibits a sort of emotional control that shows this is just a part of his grand scheme, rather than a derailed confrontation. He seems to become a schemer rather than start out as one.

Erda (Birgitta Svendén) – actually sounds older and wearier upon being woken up. Her accusations sound gorgeous, as does her high note on “Meineid”. She harbours some real anger at Wotan, rather than being a sleepwalking oracle.

Brünnhilde (Anne Evans) – sleep does people well in this opera. She sounds luminous and richer than previously and conveys her fear after being woken up without panic, but with focused intensity. I’ll admit, half-hour love duets at the end are not my cup of tea, but as far as I can tell, she sailed through it wonderfully.

Fafner (Philip Kang) – gets one of my favourite death monologues, as a matter of fact, and I loved his execution of it – a weighty bass that gradually floats off but throws out a final mighty “Siegfried!”. Also sounds threatening enough to eat someone.

Forest Bird (Hilde Leidland) – carries one of my personal favourite melodies of the opera with a wonderfully light and crystalline voice.

Production

Acts I and II have fascinating set pieces. During the Act I prelude, various characters sneak around the set, which is well-synced with the appearance of various Leitmotifs. Mime’s hut in Act I and the Neidhöhle in Act II demand unparalleled athleticism from especially Siegfried and Mime, who both make it look incredibly easy. I don’t know how to describe it, so here’s a picture of Act II for the sake of saving words:

There are too many more lovely details to mention all of them, but here’s at least one: Wotan is a redhead, as all of his children, and I have an immense weakness for such continuity.

Conducting

The tempi are better chosen this time and merge into each other smoothly. Would’ve wished for a few more contrasts in volume in Act I, especially because Wagner is mesmerising when he’s quiet. It was very apparent to me during the riddle scene – could’ve done with some more quiet to make the Wanderer’s announcement that he challenges Mime to three questions more impressive. That problem dispersed later on, though. The Act II forest murmurs were beautiful and delicate and the final duet rich in contrasts. Also, a very clean horn call from a soloist of the orchestra.

Bottom line

I admit I approach Siegfried with a little trepidation because, although it’s funny, the title character usually annoys me and (as I’ve said) love duets aren’t my thing, but I actually personally liked the interpretations of these characters, so I was very entertained indeed. Definitely one of the most fun and engaging Siegfrieds I’ve ever seen, and this Siegfried-Mime combination is strong candidate for my absolute favourite so far.

[valiant-reindeer-queen]

When All Is Lost, Then All Is Found (Chapter 2)

Rating: K+ Words: 2,290 Pairing: Kristanna  Summary: Kristoff receives a head injury after coming home from ice harvesting and suffers from amnesia, leaving Anna to deal with the fear she never wanted to face. Anna learns to cope through yet another difficult circumstance, and Kristoff learns to see things through Anna’s eyes. Chapters: 1  2  3  4

Chapter Summary: A wind storm hits Arendelle and Anna anxiously waits for Kristoff to come home. She finds out why he was late in the hardest possible way.

Notes: So I was going to wait another week to post this chapter, but I figured, hey it’s New Year’s Day. Let’s kick off 2020 with some pain shall we? :)

What started out to be a nice day later on became an overcast day. Eventually dark clouds started to appear and the wind started to pick up. Anna exerted all of her energy taking care of the usual daily affairs. By end of day, the important matters had been taken care of. Now it was time for the less important, mundane things.

Anna had held up just fine thus far, but to plan for something simple like a ball that was a month away? She could barely manage to concentrate on her duties of importance! Normally Anna loved planning for balls, but knowing Kristoff should be home at any moment made planning for the ball a chore.

“What do you think, roast pork or smoked salmon?”

“Smoked salmon is fine.” Anna said as she looked down, playing with her glass of water that was almost empty.

“And what about the desserts? Krumkake or dark chocolate truffles?”

“If I may, I personally recommend the krumkake.” The young man interjected.

The other advisors looked to one another wide eyed. “Um, why don’t we see what the queen wants; Anna, what do you say, do you agree with, Siegfried?”

Anna looked up startled. “Huh? Uh, yes I do. Sounds great.” She said as she looked back down fiddling with her glass.

Everyone looked at each other confused as they turned their attention back to Anna. Except for Siegfried. He was new, he didn’t know about Anna’s obsession with chocolate yet.

Anna sensed everyone staring at her and looked up again. “What?” She said sincerely.

Kai could tell something was wrong. “Nothing your majesty.” He said as he cleared his throat. “Well, I think that should be all for tonight. After all, this engagement is nearly a month away. We can resume another night. Would that be alright with you, Queen Anna?”

“Oh yes!” Anna said a little too quickly. “I mean- yes, that would be fine.” She then stood up from her chair and bowed her head. “Thank you everyone.” She said as she left the room.

As Anna walked down the hallway to her bedroom, she could hear the wind pounding onto the windows. She looked out and it was pitch black; The only visible light she could see was coming from her own kingdom. Her expression grew more perturbed. 

Once she reached her bedroom, she opened the doors to find Olaf sitting on the floor reading a book.

“Olaf!” Anna said startled. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, hi Anna! I thought I’d keep you company until Kristoff got back. I figured once you were done with all your royal duties you’d come back in here. Pretty good assumption, right?”

“Um, yes.” Anna said with a light chuckle. “Great job, Olaf!” 

Anna made her way toward the window but decided to kneel down to Olaf’s level on the way. “Hey, thanks for keeping me company.” She said with a soft smile putting her hand on his shoulder.

Olaf smiled in return. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Anna smiled and rose from the floor; making her way toward the window. Her smile quickly disappeared as she stood in front of it. “How did the weather get this bad? It seemed like a normal day this morning.” Anna said unnerved.

“Well that’s Arendelle for you. Say Anna, have you ever read Jane Austin’s novel Pride & Prejudice?” Olaf asked.

“Uh, no Olaf. I haven’t gotten a chance to.” Anna said a bit distracted, continuing to fixate her attention out the window.

“Oh great! Let me tell you about it then. Okay, so the mom is trying to get at least one of her five daughters married to a rich guy to support the other girls because their property can only be passed down to another male heir, anyway she’s trying to-“ 

As Olaf babbled on, his voice started to become more and more faint to Anna as she zoned out into her own troublesome thoughts. 

10 minutes go by.

“And get this, her cousin wants to marry her!” Olaf shook his head laughing, “Gross huh? Well she thought so too because she turned him down flat!” He laughed again. “And then she-“

20 minutes go by.

“And this Wickham guy totally deceives her sister! He acts like he wants to marry her but he really doesn’t! And her sister completely falls for his act even though it’s so obvious! Can you believe that? Who does that!“

30 minutes go by.

“And his rich Aunt is like “No you can’t marry him!” and Elizabeth is all like “I wasn’t going to marry him!” even though she’s clearly in love with him at this point, and I’m just over here confused. Like why would she-“

“He should’ve been home by now.” Anna said not realizing Olaf was still talking.

“Kristoff? Oh Anna, he’s an expert! He’s lived out in the woods his entire life. A little storm like this is nothing to him!” Olaf said confidently.

“Just because you’re an expert at something doesn’t mean you’re certain to avoid accidents.” Anna said; her voice rising as it got a little shaky. She responded in a way that indicated she had given that response before.

Olaf was a bit taken aback by her response. He could see Anna was stressed, so he decided to get up and stand with her at the window.

Olaf looked up at her and then back out the window. “Does staring out the window help sate your rising anxieties over the fact that Kristoff isn’t home yet?” He questioned.

“What?” Anna said as she shook her head. “No, I just- maybe?” She huffed. “I don’t know! I’m just… scared.” She said finally.

Olaf thought for a moment. Maybe he could make her feel better.

“You don’t need to be scared, Anna.” He said looking up at her. “There’s probably some really good reasons why he’s not home yet. Okay, one, it’s really dark out there. He can probably hardly see anything even with his oil lamp, resulting in him taking longer.” He said with a warm tone, thinking he was comforting her.

Anna started breathing heavier.

“Or maybe because of the intense blustering wind his oil lamp blew out and he can’t see a thing, so it’s as if him and Sven are blind. That could be causing a delay.”

Again, Anna started breathing heavier.

“Or maybe an obstacle got in their way, like a tree!” Olaf pulled out a mini telescope out of nowhere and started looking out of it. One Anna gave him as a gift. “And it looks like the wind is blowing at a speed of, at or around 47 knots, enough to uproot an entire tree.”

Anna’s breathing grew even heavier. “I can’t take this anymore, I’m sending out a search party.” She said as she turned away instantly from the window and started putting on clothes appropriate for the weather.

“That works too.” Olaf said feeling only slightly defeated in his attempt. He continued to peer out the window.

“Olaf, you stay here and let me know if you see them, alright?” Anna said as she finished getting ready.

“Can do!” Olaf continued to stare out the window. Anna was just about to leave when Olaf gasped, “Anna! Come look quick! I see them!”

Anna couldn’t have gotten to the window quick enough as her eyes darted everywhere searching for them.

“See I told you, Anna! It was just a little delay. That’s all.”

Anna’s eyes finally locked onto them. Her face turned pale. She could see Sven limping and Kristoff draped over his back. “Oh no… no, no, no, no!” She fearfully exclaimed. Before Olaf knew it she was gone out of the room.

“Wow, first she’s antsy about him not being here and now she’s antsy over him being here?” Olaf shook his head chuckling as he took out his telescope again, peering through it; This time focusing on Kristoff and Sven. “Sometimes I don’t think I’ll ever understaaan- Ooh…” Olaf said as he lowered the telescope with his mouth agape.

Anna was panicking running as fast as she could, gathering everyone she could find. “Help! Please help me!” She shouted, as tears started to burst forth.

“Darling, what is it?”

“What’s going on?” 

“Is she okay?” They all inquired.

She could barely make an answer. “It’s Kristoff, he’s hurt!” Another stage of tears bubbled over as she began shaking profusely. “Please, please help me!” Is all she managed to get out before she turned and made her way out the doors and through the gates. Everyone followed after her faithfully.

Anna stumbled over to Kristoff and Sven. Sven appeared to be fine other than the limp. She could see that he looked very weak though. She put her hands around Sven’s face briefly and then went straight to Kristoff and scanned him up and down. She lightly put her hands around his face and finally saw the back of his head.

She gasped and backed away, her hands covering her mouth as she shook her head. She felt paralyzed in that moment. It felt as if her heart had stopped. She couldn’t even cry, she was in pure disbelief.

Everyone finally reached them. The men that followed Anna were already lifting Kristoff off of Sven. This snapped Anna out of her trance of shock.

“Please be careful with him, he’s bleeding! Get him a doctor immediately!” The tears came flowing through again. Anna started directing the others who were still there with her. “Get Sven a veterinarian as soon as you can, please!” 

Anna grabbed onto Sven’s face. “Thank you.” She said as she kissed his nose. “Thank you for bringing him home.”

Sven looked sadly into her eyes and then over to Kristoff’s direction. He cried out and was pulling against the direction that the servants were trying to take him. He was trying to get to Kristoff.

“Sweetie, sweetie! It’ll be okay. He’ll be okay, alright?” She said looking at Sven, petting his nose. He groaned sadly. “I know, it’s okay.” Anna said trying to sooth him.

“Come on, big guy.” One of the men said as they tugged on his reigns gently. He allowed the men and women to take him to his stable, but he kept turning his head back and crying out for Kristoff. 

Anna hurried back inside and got the attention of one of the women. “Please, send a note to my sister! Tell her to get here as soon as she possibly can.” She said with her breathing hitched.

“At once ma’am!” The moment the woman could, she began writing Elsa, explaining what had happened. Once she finished she allowed the wind spirit to take the note from there.

Anna caught up to the men carrying Kristoff into the room. Upon entering she cringed and could barely look as they set him down on the bed. The men and women were doing all they could until the doctor arrived. Anna was in a daze as she watched them dress his wound. The panic around her was faded. Her eyes were solely focused on Kristoff; wanting to make sure he was okay. 

“He’s got a pulse!” One of the men exclaimed.

Tears rolled down Anna’s face again. When one of the women trying to help noticed her standing in the distance, she moved out of the way so Anna could get closer to him. “Oh! Here, darling.” Anna immediately kneeled down next to his bedside and grabbed his hand. She gave his hand a gentle kiss as more tears flowed; Her hands were shaking holding his; she brought his hand to her forehead. “You’re going to be okay.” She said to Kristoff. “You’re going to be okay.” She repeated; this time to reassure herself.

A few minutes went by, and the doctor finally arrived. He was quick to take over. 

“How is his breathing, has it changed?” He said as he swiftly brought supplies out of his bag.

Anna was the first to answer. “No, it’s been the same.” She said with a raspy voice.

“Has he made any movements, any coughing?”

“No.”

He adjusted his pillows to elevate him slightly more. “Your majesty, would you mind waiting outside the room until I get him stable?”

“What? No! I need to be with him!”

“It shouldn’t take too long, dear. I’ll let you know right away when you can come back in. Okay?”

Anna looked away from the doctor and looked back to Kristoff. She squeezed his hand, giving it another kiss. “I’ll be back, sweetheart.” She said letting go of his hand. She arose slowly and stared at him, her expression full of concern. The doctor put his hand on her shoulder. “Come on, dear.” He said as he gently guided her away. Her eyes were still locked onto Kristoff as she took the first couple steps. She turned her head around once she heard the doors open. She walked out the room and turned back around to face the doctor. He could see how distressed she was. Her hands gripped at her upper arms as she looked down. 

“I’ll take care of him, Queen Anna.” 

She glanced back up at him. “I know.” She said shakily.

The doors closed and there was nothing but a chilling silence. Anna stood in front of the doors with an unfocused stare. It felt as if everything had come crashing down on her. She backed herself up against the door and lowered herself to the floor. As reality set in, she began sobbing. She brought her knees up and buried her head into them; wrapping her arms tightly around her legs. 

She desperately needed her sister right now.

[owlsie-hoot]

Because I am still *uck*ng shadow banned by tumblr and cannot join discussions underneath posts (yay. thanks tumblr) but have so many things on my mind, here’s a very long meta about the CS, the things that happened after the kiss and what that did to my fangirl brain.

First of all: 

Audrey considers Skeldale and Darrowby her home. Tristan and James are her surrogate sons, she is the only person in this house that can see right through Siegfried and who understands him (and also the only person he confides in, especially in series 3!). So for me there is just NO WAY that she would leave all that behind and go to effing Hull with Gerald. 

Gerald is a nice guy, kind, a good listener, he makes her laugh, he is easy to be around, they have things in common, can talk about their experience during the Great War, have an easy excuse to spend time together (walking dogs). He is also a very plain character, not difficult at all. There is simply nothing to worry about. Audrey has had her fair share of being around abusive (husband) and complicated (Siegfried) men. Perhaps that’s why she enjoys Geralds company so much. He is “low maintenance”. 

However, we know that for him, Audrey is more than a friend (remember Tristan talking to him and letting him know that Audrey is part of their family and no one is allowed to hurt her and he answers that he means a great deal to him too) to him and that’s why he hopes for more but doesn’t push his luck because that’s not in his character. 

So their relationship remains that of two dear friends until that weird moment in the Christmas Special when Gerald mentions he’s moving to Hull. Why have they stopped seeing in each other and not talked about such an important change in their relationship? Cheap plot line that was only used to make Audrey kiss him? Because she cannot bear to lose another person she holds dear (Edward, Tristan)? She is truly shocked by this revelation and comes up with this plan of the Christmas party that doesn’t actually exist so she can invite him without making it look like he’s more to her than a dear friend. (and this makes at least a bit of sense even if it hurts my shipper heart) Still, why hasn’t he let her know about his plans before? They have talked about everything before that moment (about her husband, about Edward!), why not about Hull. 

On Christmas Eve, Audrey is as nervous as she was during the 2nd Christmas special (where she made a special effort with her outfit for Gerald, because Diana suggested it). But this time there is more at stake. She wants to say a proper good bye, whatever this may look like. Probably because she hadn’t had the chance to say good bye to Edward the way she wanted to. Maybe she does not want to make that mistake a second time. Even if I still find this a bit too much, I can still get behind that idea and her behaviour. 

And then the kiss happens. Not just one kiss, but two. And that’s the moment when this stops making sense to me. She is still wearing her wedding ring, she does not talk badly about her husband, she tries to understand him (she is the patron saint of lost causes after all, not a bad word about anyone), and she is not a person that enters a relationship while still married. Her moral values are too high for that. They could have hugged. She could have told him that she would miss him and their walks and conversations. But no, she kisses him because she thinks he came back for her (at least that’s how I read her reaction when he says that he came back for his coat) and then he kisses her and she leans into that second kiss. And then it’s all over and not mentioned at all the next day. So why have them kiss then? 

That’s the one problem I have with that scene. 

Second problem: Siegfried is the only person in a house filled with people, who sees them kiss. Twice. And his face says it all. He does not smile (indicating he is happy for her), he does not look away (because he is too shocked?), he stares and to me he looks like he is hurt, surprised and shocked at the same time. Yet, he also does not mention this moment at all the next day. There is not even a tiny moment between him and Audrey that suggests that the kiss has ever happened. And yet, it affected them both A LOT when it happened. 

Why let him witness that kiss? Why make her kiss Gerald then? Because it will be part of a storyline in the upcoming series? That is likely to start with an episode set in spring, months after Christmas? If this moment was only meant to show Siegfried that Audrey can have a life outside Skeldale, to make him realise that she might not stay with him forever, then good. Let this be the catalyst for him to tell her that she is not only a housekeeper to him. 

As for Audrey, I cannot see her leaving and start a relationship with Gerald: she is still married, she would not leave Siegfried alone while Tristan is gone (Helen and James can never take care of him like she can, I think she’d be too scared that something would happen to Siegfried, should she leave). So what does she think about that kiss? How can she get out of that situation? Tell Gerald “Oh I was just having a kiss under the mistletoe?” Unlikely. She has to talk to him and there has to be some kind of explanation for this. Or it will again feel ooc. 

In any case: I do hope that we see the bond between Siegfried and Audrey grow stronger in series 4 because they both have loved ones fighting in the war. And that Gerald becomes a memory, a person that is sometimes mentioned but that’s about it. Please let that kiss only act as a catalyst? 

[historianatlarge]

1917 - Film Review

A few days ago, my wife and I went to see ‘1917’. I’m certainly a bit behind the curve in terms of writing my review of it, but the film has stayed with me since we were there, and I feel the need to get my thoughts down. Really, that in a nutshell is the best recommendation I can make to you about this film – well over a week later, I am still turning over what that moment means to me, what the memory it created will mean in the future.

I had been hesitant to go see it in theatres, in part because I had seen so very many films about the First World War. All these films had a sort of rhythm to them, an almost traditional way they played out, dependant on the country that made the film, or whom it was portraying. In short, I had expectations – certain themes, certain notes I expected ‘1917’ to strike. In the end, it was my mother who convinced me I should go see it and she was not only correct but extremely correct in urging me to do so. At every turn, ‘1917’ caught me by surprise – it struck hard and gave me a moment of renewed belief in the power of cinema to reinforce the importance of history to a mass audience.

Before I review it in further detail, I will indulge in an aside; one that represents those little moments of life that we tend to remember for a long time after as odd or strange, perhaps even a little bit humorous. We went to see the movie on the 14th – perhaps not the most obvious choice on Valentine’s Day – the same day that Sonic the Hedgehog premiered. By coincidence, 1917 was showing in the theater next to it, and both movies emptied out within a minute of each other. You can imagine the very, very odd juxtaposition between a roomful of gleeful children, teens and parents compared to the very, very somber and even sorrowful people coming from next door. In short, I now have a superb example of ‘contrast’ to use when teaching an English class.

To return to my main theme, however, all of this – even the aside – speaks to the idea of the unexpected. At its core, I believe that is the key to 1917’s power and very real feeling. It abandons many of the old tropes to focus on the moment, with a galaxy of circumstances the audience, and the movie’s characters, can’t know about all circling around in the distance. This, in a very critical way, was the First World War. To the individual, the war was beyond comprehension – and in many ways it remains difficult to understand today. A war of millions of people in a labyrinthine, mud-soaked hell couldn’t fail to be anything other than that: a grand, confused mess on which a great slaughter was carried out. Throughout the film, every character finds themselves not only part of events they do not have any control over but are surprised by it – something I can assure you happens to the audience as well.

The violence in the film is sudden, and unexpected. Death is never predictable, never something forecast – it is at once a routine part of the larger tapestry but a sudden, awful surprise in moments that arrive either with pure shock or by unusual circumstance. This emphasis on circumstance is a crucially important concept to understanding the life of the individual during the war. By abandoning the look at the big battles, director Sam Mendes has crafted something unique. It gets us past mere statistics, past stereotypes or national myths and to the crucial reminder that these were ordinary, real human beings and not just names on a cenotaph or a granite monument. Years of a family’s love and care, a bundle of hopes and memories and emotions – all of it suddenly ended in sometimes absurd ways in a war that was itself absurd and, in many ways, unreal.

This air of unreality is reflected in the reactions of the film’s characters, and the audience. The movie is all about reactions, of course, since nobody has any mastery of the world they find themselves in – another very real take on the conflict. But as they make their way through the film, practically every character must come to terms with something unreal to them. The larger event that frames the film is the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, a measure taken in 1917 to shorten the German defensive front by falling back to a heavily prepared defensive line and freeing up resources. This they achieved with near complete surprise, so much so that apparently at least one soldier left up a sign for the advancing Allies saying “don’t be angry, be amazed!”

The very idea that the Germans would retreat without making the enemy wrench territory from them inch by bloody inch is an astonishing surprise to the characters in the film, to the point where some simply don’t believe it, and you simply cannot blame them for their error. Again, these characters – these people - are not masters of their own fate. Advancing into the abandoned German defences brings yet more surprise, at the solid, clean and well-prepared nature of German positions (which often were superior to Allied entrenchments for reasons best gone into elsewhere) – and then further surprise at the nasty surprises left behind.

All of this world of surprise, of sudden and unexpected violence, or strange events that are difficult to accept, is painted onto a background created with great care and even greater skill. Much has been said about the cinematography of the film, and the long shots are certainly unique in that they keep the audience from resting. You keep watching for the sudden changes, the unexpected twist – in short, the audience undergoes a shadow of the experience of the soldiers themselves. Their world did not cut away, it remained a constant threat where the most (seemingly) inconsequential decision could result in death.

This unreal world is depicted with both the grim reality and the strange, horrible beauty that war art often evokes. The ruins of a French town illuminated by starlight shells, for instance, presents a remarkable and grand tapestry while still depicting just one small place and one small moment. It is at once beautiful and terrible, and I am certain that any dedicated student of the First World War will understand this feeling, even if they struggle to put it into words. It certainly isn’t easy. For me, it reminded me of seeing Regeneration Hall at the War Museum in Ottawa. For all the beauty of the space, for all the care in its construction and message, the statuary was disturbing – and the image of their faces has stayed with me ever since. While the Hall is explicitly about hope for a better future, it reminds us about the horrors endured to get there. This is an unspoken and complex discussion, one that the movie carries on with expert skill.

The movie also abandons the stereotype of the officers as being almost evil and unfeeling, a hallmark of many First World War movies. This is replaced instead by an officer class just as overmatched by events as the regular soldiers, just as unable to adapt to the sudden changes on the battlefield. Some of the officers you will see in other First World War movies are almost comically inept and without any human feeling whatsoever – and while these people did exist, it certainly paints a more realistic picture to show the wide range of emotional responses to the war, rather than fall back on a singular image. Once again, this is a complex discussion – and I am glad the movie provokes it.

The film does more to conceptualize the war accurately, but I will avoid discussing that to avoid revealing any major plot revelations for those still planning to see it. To sum up, then, all I can say is that this movie sticks with you. You turn it over in your mind time and time again, and that is some of the highest praise I can think of for any motion picture. It brings a vanished world back to us, one that is at once very far away and just over the horizon if we fail to learn from the past.

The score, the cinematography and the acting are all superb – and by and large beside the point. It is the frank and new way that it deals with its subject matter that makes this stand out, at least from my perspective. I cannot recommend it more highly, for it has been a very long time since I left a movie theater with the words of Siegfried Sassoon so clear in my mind:

“Sneak home and pray you'll never know

The hell where youth and laughter go.”

[caestusarchivum]

The room only illuminated by the small flicker of the television screen, two shapes had nestled into a blanket on the pullout couch, pressed into the surrounding pillows and numerous other blankets that they hadn't yet found themselves entangled in. The smaller one had been pressed against her husband for the longest time now, running her fingers through ebony locks and keeping contact as much as she could. She loved him.

Of course, she never understood why. They had met on a lit street in New York. She had picked out the vampire on sight, violet locked with blood red, and even questioned him at points. Hikari remembered him lying about his name, choosing Siegfried as an alias. Looking back, she could laugh about how dumb it was to have an alias that started with the same letter as your actual name. Of course, she wouldn't blame Straizo as she later found out the reason why, but to have that union ending so briefly, only to be asked a few weeks later about a week long marriage proposal was beyond her.

She didn't say no. Hikari did agree, and, was under the assumption that it would last a week. He wanted to learn about romantic intimacy? Sure, she could help him out. It was just advanced dating, taken up to eleven, right? Seven days, and they'd probably never see each other again, or at least become friends throughout the ordeal.

But soon, it became apparent that... she was actually falling for him in earnest. How a man could be so kind and merciless at the same time was baffling-- especially a vampire born of the Mask. Something which she previously thought entirely impossible, able to have humanity despite casting it aside. No, he was gentle with her. She wondered if he ever saw himself like this, laying down in a pullout mattress and watching a movie, a large dog on their laps, and holding each other in the dark.

A jumpscare on screen with an accompanying chord. Hikari pulled closer, clenching his hand tighter, and quietly shouting an expletive at the shock to an accompanying chuckle. Fuck, that was embarassing.

Regardless, she put her face to his chest and ran her fingers along his arm, returning an embrace. Her eyes were lazy, tired, and some quiet mumbles under her breath, "I love you," and, "Hold me closer," all the while taking him in, and enjoying the moments they had. They weren't infinite. She knew that he was going to outlive her eventually, and it was the one thing that caused her any remote discomfort.

Sometimes it made her think about becoming a vampire again.

A selfish thought, sure, but she didn't want to leave him alone after she passed. Even with the Hamon he taught her extending her life by about twenty odd years, there was no doubt she'd die first. The thought of leaving him behind in favor of a natural death, while it being what she wished while undergoing Soft Cell's trials, was chilling. It made her embrace loosen, and her body get a bit colder.

Immediately sensing his concern, she restablished herself and kept running her fingers through his hair, cupping his face with her free hand and kissing him. As deeply as she could muster. It'll be fine. That bridge will be crossed eventually, but not now. For now, in the darkness they would sit as the credits rolled, not even noticing that the movie had long since ended. Too wrapped up in their affection to really notice and, throughout the credits, simply making their presence known to each other. Culminating in Hikari slowly falling asleep on Straizo's chest.

She dreamed well that night.

[and-then-yoi-happened]

Tsar era vampire AU? 👀

Nonnie you’re spoiling me (ღ˵´◡`˵)ノ♡ Thank you so much! That aside, here’s my obligatory excuse for taking so long. I hope you and everyone else who reads this will enjoy it nonetheless. Also, I added historical figures and dates to this AU (with some freedom when it comes to accuracy ;) )

WhenYuuri was 6 years old, Minako moved back from St. Petersburg toHasetsu. For years she’d been dancing for the emperor’s ballet inRussia. Originally, she’d planned to further share and teach theart of ballet in Japan, but when she started to teach Yuuri and sawhis incredible talent, she spoke to Toshiya and Hiroko.

Fouryears, many letters, and many hours of ballet training and lessons inthe Russian language later, Yuuri and Minako travelled to St.Petersburg.

LiliaBaranovskaya inspects Yuuri and tests his talent. She finds himworthy to be trained as one of the future dancers of the emperor’sballet, and Minako gets the position to help train and educate theyoung dancers while she also stays as Yuuri’s legal guardian.

Onehundred years ago (ca. 1770) the young son of the empress CatherineII. was attacked while he was out hunting. His attacker was a vampireand rather than murdering him, he turned him into one of his own.Victor, who loved his mother, the empress very much, decided toreturn to her to tell her of his fate. Her love for her son wasstrong enough to overcome the shock and disgust, and she begged himto stay and live in the palace with her.

Aftershe handed over the rulership in 1796, he continued to rule, and allthe following “emperors” were but a public stand-in for himself.To hide the truth, they made up a sickness for Victor, that“prevented” him from taking the throne, and together with astand-in they found other solutions to hide his immortality, Victorcontinued to rule until the present.

Victoralways was a lover of various art forms, and dance had always beenone of his favourites. Therefore, he made sure to visit the Mariinskitheatre as often as he could (only the night performances and indisguise, of course).

Yuuricontinued to become the best male dancer the company had at thattime, and the age of 21 he was selected to dance the part of princeSiegfried in Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake”. It was when the St.Petersburg ballet director decided to give the formerly unsuccessfulballet piece a new chance with a better and more challengingchoreography, since Tchaikovsky’s fame and popularity grew eversince the first premiere in Moscow, which had been a disaster.

Itgoes without saying that Victor made sure to always attend thepremiere of a new piece at the Mariinski. While the ballet offeredmany breathtaking moments for the prima, he found himself mesmerisedby the dancer of the prince. He could swear that he’d never seensuch beauty and musicality in one person, and he decided that he hadto meet him.

Thepremiere was a success and Yuuri felt like fainting when it wasfinally over. But a few minutes after the final applause he wasapproached by the director. “A member of the Tsar family wishes tospeak to you in private,” the director said. Bewildered,Yuuri followed him into a private room of the theatre. In it a youngman in his twenties with beautiful, long and silver hair sat on aluxurious armchair. His skin was fair incredibly pale, and his eyeswere of a stunning blue. Yuuri felt inferior just being in hisintimidating presence, more so because he was all sweaty from hisperformance just a few moments ago.

“HisHighness,” Yuuri bowed deeply, and the director left them alone.“I quite enjoyed tonight’s premiere, which is to greatparts thanks to your outstanding performance,” the man said, allwhile thoroughly looking at Yuuri, mustering himappreciatively.“Thank you so much your Highness,” Yuuri wasdizzy, and the other’s presence and attention made his heart race,“but I am afraid you’re praising me too much.”Yuuricouldn’t forget the man who’d asked him to only call him Victor,and Victor didn’t make it easier either: he regularly sent Yuuriletters, flowers and presents, and every time he came to watch aperformance he’d request to see Yuuri. With passing time, Yuuristarted to trust Victor, and before he could stop himself, he’dfallen for the man (not that he’d really have had the power tocontrol his emotions that far). Soon, they started to meet when Yuuriwasn’t performing.

A few months later, Victor invited Yuurito a private dinner for two in his chambers, where he finallyconfessed that he’d been courting Yuuri since he first saw himperform, and that he hoped Yuuri would accept and become his partner.They shared their first kiss in the dim candle light that night.

Ayear since then passed, and Victor still hadn’t told Yuuri abouthis condition, though he knew Yuuri’d grown suspicious. He knewthat he needed to tell Yuuri soon. Still, he was afraid Yuuri wouldleave him, that he’d be horrified, disgusted, or that he’d evencome to hate Victor. When he finally told Yuuri, he was painedby the fear and betrayal in his lover’s eyes. He’d foolishlyhoped he’d never have to see that expression. Yuuri asked him fortime and distance to come to terms with this new information, andVictor let him leave.

Weekswent by until he got a letter from Yuuri. During all that time herealised how much Yuuri’d changed his life, how much more alivehe’d felt thanks to Yuuri. With dread he opened the letter, but tohis relief Yuuri asked for them to meet and talk again. Thenext evening, Yuuri visited and they talked for hours. Yuuri wantedto know everything about being a vampire, and about Victor. Heanswered everything with full honesty and didn’t leave anythingout. When he was finished, Yuuri stayed silent for a few moments,mustering him just as Victor had when they’d first met. Then hesaid, “I’ve made my decision Victor, if you want to, you may turnme into one of your kind.” It was more that Victor’d everdared to dream of—tohear those words from Yuuri—tobe able to stay with him forever…“Areyou sure?”“Yes,” Yuuri looked him firmly in theeyes.Victor reached out his hand towards Yuuri, quietly askinghim to join his side. He let Yuuri to his bed where he kissed him—ithad been so long… Later in the same night he bit Yuuri,finally tasting his delicious blood, while he turned him into avampire.

Thiswas a prompt for the ask game “send me an au and i’ll give you 5+headcanons about it”.

Other answered prompts from that ask game: boybandAU, supernatural/darkfantasy AU, Phantomof the Opera AU, RoyalAU, Royalty& arranged marriage AU, Vicchanlives AU, Wizard/MagicAU, Soulmate AU and SwanLake AU.

I’ll answer all of the six remaining AU prompts that are currently in my inbox, but please understand that I can’t answer all of them in that detailed manner, and that I also can’t accept any new ones from now on…

[silvermoonflowers]

Swan Act II

Bucky x reader

Summary: A return to the lake gives Y/N a surprise.

Inspired by Swan Lake

Warnings: angst

Act I

Darkness greeted Y/N when she woke up. That was enough to tell her that it was still nighttime.

For a while, she sat there in bed, tossing and turning once in a while. Despite the warmth and comfort of the pillows and sheets, it did nothing to soothe her uneasiness. She hadn’t even noticed that she was crying until she felt a wetness on her cheeks. With a shaky breath, Y/N wiped the tears away before closing her eyes. Her hand clamped down on the sheets as she tried to remember the eerie dream that she had just seen.

In her dream, she remembered approaching the giant weeping willow tree only for a man to suddenly appear from behind it. A man so handsome that Y/N thought he stepped right out of a fairytale. Just the sight of his vivid blue eyes and strong build made her face heat up. It was almost surreal though; Y/N just saw the man in her dream and already she was crushing on him big time. She shook her head in embarrassment.

But despite the princely young man making her feel warm on the inside, Y/N remembered something that caught her eyes the most; his sorrowful expression and his missing arm. Whatever happened to him made her heart break for him. She wanted to rush over and comfort him as much as she could. And yet, she couldn’t. For all she ever saw him was in a dream. So he couldn’t possibly be real...could he?

Her eyebrows furrowed as the image of the white swan that she saw yesterday suddenly flashed into her mind.

There was something peculiar about that swan. It wasn’t just the crumpled left wing that she noticed, it was the way the swan acted too. When Y/N first saw the swan, she panicked a little, because she remembered her father warning her that swans can attack people if angered. However, the swan acted gentle, even seeking the comfort of her.

With a huff, Y/N shoved the blankets aside and sat up. The chilled atmosphere of the room settled onto her skin, but she ignored it as she stared into the darkness.

Y/N wasn’t sure, but she had the feeling that the man from her dream and the swan had a connection to each other. But the only way to make sure was to return back to the lake. And she was very reluctant to go out in the middle of the night. Even though Siegfried had told her before that the area they were in was very safe, Y/N still had shivers whenever she peeked out of her window during the nighttime. 

A frown etched on Y/N’s lips. Okay, what she thought about it really did sound surreal. But the image of the man calling out to her for help haunted her. She had to check out the lake.

Using what little moonlight that peeked through the heavy curtains, Y/N put on her slippers and got up to make her way around the dark room. Once in a while, her slipper-covered feet would touch an object and she had to stop herself from accidentally knocking it over. She certainly didn’t want to wake anyone in the mansion up. When she finally reached the wall on the other side of the room, her hand felt the soft cloth of her sweater that hung from a coat rack. Snatching it, she put it on before quickly approaching the bedroom door. Her hand hovered over the doorknob as she took a deep breath.

She definitely needed answers.

As soon as Y/N turned the doorknob, the door swung silently open, much to her relief. She then made her way down the long, dark hallway. She was thankful that her room was on the first floor and not on the second floor. It would be a pain to carry her luggage up all those stairs. But despite trying her best not to make any noise, Y/N would occasionally step on a really old floorboard, causing it to creak. And every time that happened, Y/N would stay still to see if the noise awoke anyone. Though so far, nobody seemed to stir from the sound.

After what seemed like forever, Y/N finally reached the kitchen that also led to the backdoor. Her sandals were still where she originally left them after the events from yesterday. She slipped into them before looking back at the darkened hallway that she came out of. Gathering her confidence, Y/N opened the door and went out.

It was a little bit more chilly when she stepped outside. She shuddered as she quietly closed the door behind her. The only thing that gave her comfort was the moon. That and she reassured herself that the journey to the lake was rather short. Or was it? The more Y/N walked onto the forested path, the longer the journey felt.

However her uneasiness faded away when the giant weeping willow came into view. But she wasn’t sure enough what she was expecting, so she slowed down. 

“Why don’t you leave me?”

Y/N froze in mid step at the sound of a male’s deep voice that resonated in the air. She would’ve stayed like that if not for the sudden obnoxious laugh that followed after. It was so sudden, that Y/N quickly scrambled to the weeping willow tree and hid behind it. Her mind was blank, except for one thought; she wasn’t alone. There were two other people at the lake and she was sure one of them was the man that she saw in her dream.

“Shut up!” The man snarled. “Haven’t you caused enough damage already?! Leave me the hell alone!”

“Really James,” the woman replied in an eerie voice, causing shivers to run down Y/N’s spine. “Don’t speak to your stepmother like that. I simply came to check up on you.”

Hoping that neither one of them saw her, Y/N poked her head out a little. Her breath hitched in her throat as she saw a familiar figure standing a few feet away from the weeping willow.

The man from her dream. 

Under the moonlight, Y/N could see he looked exactly the same from the dream, with his long dark hair, sharp cheekbones, strong build, and elegant clothes. Her eyes followed to his left side and she swallowed when she saw the left sleeve of his dress shirt hanging limp, indicating his missing arm. What could’ve happened to him?

She flinched when an eerie figure dressed in a cloak suddenly appeared in front of James. How did she appear just like that? The figure came even closer to the man, as if trying to intimidate him. But he didn’t seem fazed by it. He just continued to stand there, glaring hatefully at the figure.

“...Well James, since you’re going to be like that, I’m just going to leave this basket of food for you. But I expect you to return to my house when morning arrives.”

The man rolled his eyes in reply as the basket was rudely shoved into his arm while the eerie figure slinked away into the shadows. When she disappeared, he scoffed before abruptly dropping the basket onto the ground. 

“I don’t want to eat your food either, you witch. I just want my life back!”

His statement came out quiet, but Y/N could hear the despair in his voice. His shoulders began to shake and Y/N’s heart clenched at the sight of him. She needed to comfort him. Without hesitation, she stepped out from the tree...only to step on a stick, which cracked loudly in the quiet air.

The man became stiff at the sound. Then he slowly turned around. The hatred and despair in his blue eyes faded away when he saw her. For a few minutes, the two stood there, staring at each other in shock.

“I-it’s you…” the man said as he took a step forward. “You’re the girl from yesterday…”

Y/N clasped a hand to her chest as she continued to stare at him. She knew that what she was about to say would sound silly to anyone but him. “And...you’re the...swan, right?”

The man gave her a sad smile as he nodded. Y/N stayed rooted in her spot while the man came up to her. He completely towered over her, but she wasn’t intimidated by him at all. She instead returned the man’s smile and gently touched his stubbled cheek. His arm came up and wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest. Her cheeks heated up when she realized the gravity of the situation. Here she was, still in her nightgown and out wandering in the middle of the night due to a strange dream. She had just witnessed what could only be described as a frightening confrontation and now she was in the embrace of a handsome man. That was a lot to take in. 

After a while the man pulled away slightly to look at her and said in a soft voice, “I’m sorry...I’m just…”

Y/N quickly shook her head. “No, it’s okay...it...felt nice.”

Her face flared up even more when she realized what she had just said. But the man didn’t seem to notice as he gazed at her sorrowfully. 

“...I suppose you have some questions for me...right?”

Y/N didn’t reply at first. Although she was curious, there were some things that were too painful to talk about. And this man seemed to have suffered enough. But when she looked up, she could see something hopeful in his eyes, as if he wanted her to hear his story. When she gave a reluctant nod, he squeezed her shoulder gently before taking a step back.

“Alright…”

“But wait,” Y/N interrupted. She glanced back at the forested path that led back to Siegfried’s mansion.  Then she looked at the lake. The scenery didn’t become quite so scary during the nighttime. But Y/N was still a little fearful, because now there seemed to be a wicked witch hiding somewhere. “...While we talk about this...let's go back to the mansion. Are you cold?” 

The man frowned. “I’m fine...and I’m not so sure about that…”

He stopped when both of Y/N’s hands suddenly clasped into his. 

“It’s about Benno, isn’t it? I’m really sorry about that. He means well, but he tends to do things recklessly.”

She remembered poor Benno continuing to look at her with regret on their way back to the mansion. Even Siegfried’s usual cheerfulness had washed away when he noticed how moody his cousin had suddenly become. Truth be told, Y/N was still reeling over the fact that the swan had acted very human and she didn’t know what to make of it at that time. She made a promise to herself to speak to both of them when morning arrives.

“Well,” He said as he scratched the back of his head. “The boy did give me quite a scare yesterday so I hid behind the weeping willow.”

“Oh...I thought you actually disappeared. But after seeing all of this and the knowledge of you being a swan, the act of disappearing doesn’t seem impossible as one might think, right?” Y/N scowled at herself. She didn’t mean to joke like that, especially in a situation like this. But after she just witnessed whatever happened at the lake, she couldn’t help but say it anyway.

The man, however, gave her a smile so beautiful that Y/N suddenly felt shy around him. “Ahaha, you’re probably right about that. Very well, I’ll go with you to your cousin’s mansion. I’m James, but most people who are close to me call me Bucky.”

“I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you, Bucky.”

“Pleasure to meet you too, Y/N.” He slid his hand into hers and together the two of them disappeared into the forested path. 

“Bucky...who was that..?”

“That witch?” Through the bits of moonlight peeking through the trees, Y/N could see Bucky smiling bitterly, causing her to shiver. He looked almost eerie with that expression. “That witch is my stepmother unfortunately. And she’s the reason why I become a swan every morning. 

“...But why?”

When they reached the mansion’s courtyard, Bucky stopped so suddenly and turned to Y/N. His hand came up to her shoulder and Y/N couldn’t stop herself from flinching. He then leaned ever so closer to her, his forehead nearly touching Y/N’s.

“Y/N…” His voice became a whisper. “Whatever I say to you, you must keep it yourself. I know you want to help me. But I don’t think you can. My stepmother might hurt you or your family. And I don’t want that to happen.”

“But I - !”

He gently pressed a finger to her lips. “Please listen, alright?”

Y/N blinked before silently nodding. The backdoor came into her line of sight and she motioned to it. But Bucky shook his head and instead pointed at the patio swing that stood next to it. Y/N frowned slightly, but didn’t say anything as she and Bucky sat down on.

“My mother died when I was very young. My father didn’t remarry until I became 17 years old. Then he met a woman at a market. After a while of them meeting each other daily, my father and her decided to marry each other. Little did he know that his “wife” was actually a witch. I was the one who stumbled upon her dark secret.”

Y/N watched as Bucky’s eyes became clouded with anger and despair. 

“It was so surreal though, because I didn’t think that magic could exist. And yet...magic does exist. When that witch noticed that I discovered her secret, she got so angry that…”

He closed his eyes as if he was in agony. His shoulders began to shake again and Y/N quickly held his hand. A sob left his throat as he leaned onto Y/N for support. If anyone had awoken at the sound, Y/N no longer cared. All that mattered now was trying her best to comfort this sad, broken man.

“She used her magic on me and cut my left arm off as punishment. I still remember the awful pain...then she transformed me into a swan. That witch told me she never loved my father. That she only married him so she can get his fortune. And that she had originally a plan to get my father’s fortune. But apparently I “ruined” her plan and now she took me far away from where I live. I cannot go back to where I live. For there are hunters there and I could be killed by one of them. I’ve been a swan for a year now.”

Y/N became infuriated. How dare this witch ruin the wonderful lives of a father and his son? If that witch ever returned, Y/N would make sure that she would give her a humiliating defeat. There was no way Y/N was going to let Bucky suffer in silence anymore after all this. 

“At the time, I didn’t know if that witch even got my father’s fortune or not. But one day, she told me that she had yet to get the fortune. Apparently father was too steeped into despair to give her the fortune. She wasn’t to let me go however. She was still going to use me in a way that would make father hand her the fortune...everything seemed hopeless...until I met you.”

Y/N was so still angry that she nearly missed what Bucky said. 

“Eh..?”

Bucky smiled at her as he reached over and gently brushed aside a strand of her hair. Y/N flushed at the gentle contact and she looked down at her lap rather bashfully.

“One day, I wanted to stay away from the witch as far as possible. So I flew, until I found this lake. But even being at a such a beautiful area brought me no peace. I...needed comfort from someone. Because other than that witch, I was essentially...lonely. “

His fingers slipped under Y/N’s chin and she found herself looking into Bucky’s beautiful eyes again.

“As I swam along in the lake, I saw someone. It was you, wearing a lovely dresses and reading a book underneath the giant weeping willow tree. I couldn’t help myself, so I came to you. And when I laid my head against you, it felt like like all my pain has gone away. You were so warm and inviting, unlike that awful witch.”

Y/N froze when Bucky leaned towards her and buried his face into her hair. He let out a sigh of relief as his hand ran down the length of her arm. 

“I want to say this; Y/N, thank you so much for giving me comfort.”

[hellsbovnd-archive]

#26: SLOSH

focus: Janos jen Renata wc: 870

ears......................................................

[ PDF MIRROR ]

» Curious about FFXIVWrite? Check out @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast!

Janos barely processed the question when it was posed to him, his gaze instead focused on the dark ruddy-copper liquid that sloshed around in the large glass bottle that had been thrust towards him. Which, to be fair, the pitch-dark Hrothgar who had done so didn’t give him much of a choice; the bottle had practically been shoved in his face, forcing him to bring his hands up as a shield and lean away.

And the Pureblood was glad that he didn’t even have to ask for the Hrothgar to repeat the question, and that his reaction had been taken as a hard rejection of the offered whiskey. Janos’s heart sank a bit—he hadn’t meant to be rude—but at least it seemed that the Hrothgar wasn’t particularly offended, instead retracting the offer and tipping the bottle to his lips while the plaster-pale Viera at his side inspected the rifle that her group of mercenaries had been furnished with as a reward… The reward that had led to Janos’s assignment. Which he wasn’t quite sure what to make of, if he was being honest with himself; it was obvious that kir Amanta just wanted to be rid of him for a little while. But at the same time, the walls of the castrum felt like they were collapsing further and further in on him each day, choking out any space he had to breathe.

“Do not harass the engineer, Siegfried,” the Viera warned, setting the rifle aside and narrowing her eyes at the Hrothgar. “He is the ticket to our next paycheck. Let’s see that his report to his superiors is a favorable one.”

Siegfried huffed, lowering the bottle and setting it to the side. He wiped his mouth on the back of his arm before replying, “I’m just trying to make nice, Arja. Maybe you should try it sometime… Seems like they gave us one with no spine and no stomach, though.” He peered back at Janos. “You sure you don’t want any, kid?”

Janos shook his head. He couldn’t make eye contact. “I don’t drink.”

“Boring.”

“Siegfried.”

“Fine, fine!” Siegfried bared his teeth, a growl rising in his throat. “More for me, then.”

Arja’s dark gaze settled on Janos for a moment, and she looked him over. “You know what your superiors are looking for in the wreckage, yes?” she asked in perfect Garlean, much to the chagrin of Siegfried.

But Janos was so shocked at the sound of his first language from the lips of someone who was very definitely not Garlean that he answered automatically in Common, “O-oh, yeah, there’s—I shouldn’t really go into it—”

“Right, right. I was merely curious. The job would probably go faster if you had more sets of eyes looking.” She brought up one hand and formed an O with her thumb and middle fingers. “The quicker we can get paid, and the sooner you can stop having to deal with the aan, win-win.”

“I-I’m sorry?”

“You are a Pureblood, are you not?” She taps her forehead. “Though more polite than the ones we have worked with so far. The Purebloods are always the one complaining when they get pulled away from their work to work with ‘savages,’ like our very existence is unpalatable even if the task at hand is far more important. You have no idea how much junk you have left out here, such waste would not be tolerated where I am from.”

Janos met her gaze for a moment. “O-oh… Yeah, I am, but—aside from the whiskey, I don’t think you’re ‘unpalatable…’ Maybe a little weird, but in a good way?”

“How so?”

“It’s hard to explain…” His gaze drifts upwards.

Arja lets out a sigh. “You can say you’ve never seen a Viera up close before. It is okay. Before Siegfried and I came out here to make a living after your legions came for our homes, I had never seen a Pureblood up close, either.”

“O-oh, no no no no, there are—uhm…”

“If you mean that the locals are unfriendly towards you and yours, you must know that Siegfried and I are pragmatists. We are in Empire territory. The best source of Imperial coin is through taking jobs from the Empire. No more, no less.”

Janos opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it. In truth, it was moreso a matter of Arja and Siegfried not treating him much differently than they might treat any other client (even though Janos himself had no say in what tasks he was assigned). Sitting here with them, he lacked context—but it was a comfortable lack of context that let him forget what he was going back to for a little while. And above all, it was a mirror of thoughts he knew he couldn’t admit to, but which he’d stewed over for longer than was probably healthy: that regardless of whether you had long ears or a third eye, a person was still a person.

“Well, it seems you got the answer you were looking for. Though from how red in the cheeks you are, I might suggest you take Siegfried’s offer into consideration.”

[yukiwrites]

Battle Against What Was Forgotten

The time was nigh -- Kamui’s and Xander’s efforts to rouse up the hoshidans, nohrians and vallite under a single banner with the intent of defeating their nemesis finally reached its purpose: There was only Anankos, the Forgotten Dragon, standing between them and true peace. They would all do whatever it took to win. No matter what had to be sacrificed, or whose help they had to get.

Part 1 - Part 2

No legends could have prepared Kamui's army to what was happening right before their eyes: A thousand-eyed dragon the size of the moon had launched some sort of magic at the center of the world once known as Valla, which consumed everything it touched.

Buildings, trees, clouds and even stars. Nothing escaped the black hole which grew bigger and bigger with each passing second.

"We can't give up! Not now!" Were Kamui's words before the Forgotten Dragon set its sights on her -- pursuing her, it threw its dissolving magic left and right in an attempt to erase its closest family and worst enemy.

The battle seemed hopeless: although Kamui's Seal of Flames dealt considerable damage to the dragon's ancient scales, being able to get it close enough to them without destroying the entire structure they were on proved to be their hardest challenge. Not to mention, of course, the fallen vallite soldiers Anankos summoned the very moment it lost sight of its enemies.

They couldn't fall back and regroup.

They couldn't attack head on without fearing losing their footing and falling to oblivion.

They couldn't keep that up for much longer, either. Exhaustion was starting to wear them all off.

"We need to press on -- let's go hide inside that crumbling chapel, it seems far enough from the borders of this floating island-" Kamui huffed, using the Seal of Flames as a support to help her up, her entire body aching.

"Big Sister!!" Elise and Sakura both pointed in horror to something behind the dragon princess' back, but she turned one heartbeat too late -- Anankos' magic hit her head-on. Ryoma threw himself over his little sister and his wife-to-be, protecting them from the blow at the same time Xander pulled Kamui's hand to him, close to the one standing wall that protected them from the dragon's might.

Her Yato shone with the brightness of a thousand suns, covering both her and Xander in its light, negating Anankos' dissolving magic; though not being able to protect her from its physical damage.

Consciousness slowly slipped away from the dragon princess' grasp. "X-Xander- take everyone away from here-" she didn't hear her voice say, but her lips managed to think of others before herself even without enough strength to keep her eyes open.

Kamui could hear her name being called as though through a thick glass -- the sound became farther and farther as she felt her grip on Yato lessen, the last noise she heard before passing out was the loud clang of her blade hitting the destroyed stone floor.

Xander felt his heart beat cold blood to his entire body the moment he saw Kamui being hit by that blow -- it was as though he was seeing everything in slow motion.

The way the distorted purple ray managed to dissolve the remains of the half-standing wall Kamui had just been leaning in moments before; the way he saw his hand pulling hers before his own mind could process what was happening.

The way Kamui's body felt unbearably hot due to the Yato's protection for only half of a second, then increasingly cold in the next moment -- it all wrought his entire body in physical pain.

The way she weakly raised her hand to touch his cheek, asking him to lead them while she couldn't.

The way she thought of others even during such a critical time for herself -- she was losing consciousness in the middle of battle, for the Gods' sake! -- and how she exhaled calmly as though she was falling asleep in his arms once she finally passed out.

The way her limp arms let her sword fall to the ground, the clanging sound ringing through all of their ears, making their hearts fall: every wielder of a Divine Weapon could feel their power diminishing rapidly.

Without Yato -- alas, without Kamui -- there was no power that could unite them all to bringing out their weapons' full potential. There was no 'full potential' to be brought out in the first place.

They needed her.

She was crucial.

Xander quickly adjusted Kamui in his arms, "move!!" He vociferated, the rush of battle exploding all around them, despite the stillness that invaded their bodies with the loss of Kamui. "Camilla, take Kamui's Yato; let's move quickly to the chapel she just mentioned -- we shall be safe there while she's unconscious." He ordered quickly, placing his beloved over his horse, mounting it right after. "We've no time to mourn -- Kamui will wake up in time; we must survive until then!"

"... Right!" Elise sniffled, still lying in shock as she hugged Sakura in Ryoma's arms. "C'mon, Sakura, Ryoma, I'll take you two on my horse!"

Camilla rushedly took the Yato, running towards her wyvern. "Dearie, Marishka can carry me and your sweetheart much better than your horse. Come now, Prince Ryoma."

"Of course, Princess Camilla." Ryoma finally snapped out of the desperation that had hit them all, quickly helping his betrothed to get on her feet. "Take my sister with you, Elise. I'll monitor the skies with Lady Camilla."

"And you're coming with me," Leo pulled Takumi by the arm, shoving him towards his horse.

"I'll scout the area, but we still need someone to stay behind to lead the troops!" Hinoka jumped on her pegasus and took off, not waiting to hear Silas' volunteering to take on the role.

"Proceed!" Xander held Kamui with one arm, taking out his Siegfried with the other, pointing forward. "We will survive this!"

"...my. H-... c-... hea... e? ...my!" A childish and far, faraway voice called, scratching the back of Kamui's consciousness.

Though her head throbbed a bit, her body felt light. It was as though she could feel a newfound power coursing through her veins, despite having no idea where that power came from, or how she found it.

She felt the tips of her fingers tingling; overflowing with energy -- if she so much as clenched her fists, she would feel like she were controlling the sun and the stars, making them burst into flames.

"Flames...?" Her voice groggily said, not noticing how she shook her head ever so slowly, delirious.

"The Seal of Flames, Mommy." The childish voice whispered, so close to Kamui's ear she could feel its breath. "It's right here."

A small, so very small hand held Kamui's, its tiny fingers eagerly holding two of hers.

"I didn't know I could have all this power, honestly." The voice went on, too insecure about itself, but overflowing with pride from its ancestry. "But it's all because of you and Father, Mommy. Because you two are my parents, I can reach this potential."

Kamui felt a warm tear itching down her cheek, wanting more than anything to be able to open her eyes. "You're-" she choked her breath, squeezing the baby's hand on hers. "Siegbert?"

The voice was silent for a beat, but Kamui could almost see the little boy nodding, smiling proudly. "Mhm. I'm with you, Mommy. Please, don't give up now; I want to meet you so badly."

The princess breathed heavily, the chains of unconsciousness pinning her down with an almost inhuman strength.

But her longing to meet her child; to meet hers and Xander's child was so, so very much stronger. She broke through the stillness holding her body and reached out to her stomach with her free hand, using the last of her forces to sit straight, quickly opening her eyes to finally look at her child's. "Siegbert!!"

The stillness broke.

Cold wind swept Kamui's hair apart, slapping her face. She huffed for breath, her wide eyes looking at where the child had been just a second ago, his warmth still tingling her hand.

"Hah... hahh..." The princess blinked, finding that her hand was indeed being held -- by Xander's own. She trailed her gaze from his long fingers to his arm, shoulder, neck and finally to his eyes, which met hers with surprise and relief. "X-Xander... he's here with us."

The Crown Prince opened and closed his mouth, the perpetual frown over his brow growing deep, even after lessening just as Kamui had woken up. "You are pre-" he choked on the word, widening his eyes further. "Siegbert-" he breathed out, slowly reaching out to the hand Kamui never took from her stomach.

The moment his fingers brushed on hers, they both felt a surge of power so intense and sudden, they almost jumped out of their skins.

"He's here... He's here with us!" Kamui smiled widely, her eyes shining with tears.

She looked all around herself -- all of her family looked at her in differing levels of happiness and confusion. She reached out to her Yato, properly laid beside her, and clenched its hilt. "We're going to win this, everyone! I have the blood of another one of Yato's chosen inside of me!"

The wielders of Divine Weapons felt the breath leaving their bodies, most of them crumpling on the ground due to the intensity of power coursing through them the moment Kamui brandished her Yato. It was as though their weapons had gained a heart that beat in sync with their own.

Leo, Takumi and Ryoma could barely hear the calls of their concerned family members, their astonished gazes leaning on their weapons. The samurai took out his Raijinto, staring at how it crackled with power -- the lightning surrounding it jumped from the blade to his hand, entering his body and filling it with vitality.

The mage closed his eyes, placing one hand over his tome -- he could see himself wielding it with his mind eye; he could see the power of creation he had in his hands. Minuscule roots bound the book to his hand, infusing him with the wisdom of millennia.

The archer felt his bow crackle, the magical bowstring fizzing by his ear. He but tapped on it, and the resulting sound sent waves of energy around them, breaking any remaining glass windows the ruined chapel had. He could see the bluish arrow dig deep into his hand, binding the bow into it and tackling him with the strength to shoot a thousand arrows.

The King held his beloved's hand, Siegfried pulsating by his hip -- calling for its master. He looked deep into Kamui's eyes, feeling the power of Yato coursing through her body towards his, seeping even more into his own weapon. The dark blade exhaled energy, its purple glow merging with Yato's golden light -- the moment he took it off of its scabbard and pointed it upwards, the world went still.

A barrier  big enough to cover the entire chapel seethed from Siegfried, as though its overflowing energy physically dripped out of it. The blade dug deep into Xander's hand, binding itself to him as he squeezed Kamui's hand on his. Yato did the same to her, red and yellow veins popping out of her arms so as to accommodate the overpowered sword, ready to integrate it into her own body for as long as it took to accomplish its mission.

They got up, exchanging meaningful glances. "Never leave my side, my Little Princess." Xander's voice dug into Kamui, showering her with warmth.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Xander." She smiled back at him, squeezing her hand on his. Blind to the world around them, they didn’t notice how Leo got up from his crouching position, one hand under his chin in thought.

"You know what, I think I know how to defeat that overgrown lizard now." Leo said a ways behind them. "Prince Ryoma, Prince Takumi? If you may?"

Takumi was holding back a smirk. "This power should be freaking me out, but I think I'm too high strung to realize that my bow is PHYSICALLY BOUND TO MY ARM to care right now. You had a plan?"

"I'm all ears, Prince Leo." Ryoma nodded, approaching.

“Good. So, for starters, we should lure it back to where we were first…”

The wind howled, its sound the only remaining thing that felt somehow real for all the players in that deadly -- undoubtedly their last -- game. Even the breeze was being sucked into the dark void Anankos tore in the sky, which grew ever closer to the island they stood on.

The thunder of their army's cavalry broke the sound of the world being torn asunder -- under Silas' command, the soldiers roared towards the invisible vallite soldiers. "Don't break formation! Keep them on us!"

"Draw their attention!" Hinoka barked orders to her pegasus knights, covering Silas' left flank while Camilla commanded the wyvern brigade by the right flank.

"Let us be the last thing they see!" The nohrian princess lifted her overgrown axe in a battle roar.

Mages, archers and lance throwers kept to the rear, encircling the battle formation so as to make sure no vallite escaped their pincer attack.

Barriers exploded; arrows hit their targets; lances pierced through their enemies -- flashes of magic left and right rang into their ears. The soldiers' utter and raw will to survive made each and every of them fight as though possessed, raising dust, spilling blood and dripping in sweat.

From above the battlefield, atop a borrowed kinshi, Ryoma raised his divine blade, thunder crackling in the distance. "Kamui!" His voice travelled like the lightning itself towards the dust which kept on growing amidst the battlefield.

"Do it, Ryoma!" A dignified, confident yet desperate voice rose itself from the chaos into which it mingled, but the sound of it brought a smirk to the hoshidan prince's lips.

He pierced his gaze to the far-away thousand-eyed dragon, "you die, NOW!" He vociferated, thrusting his swords upwards to the vortex of clouds that followed his command.

A lightning bolt as large as the dragon's claws thundered from Raijinto to the clouds, ramifying into thousands more -- they followed their master's command, from the clouds to the void whence the Dragon made its home, far from their reach -- but not from Ryoma's thunders.

"Get here, you coward!" Takumi yelled from below, sharing Leo's horse as they pierced through the vallites towards the edge of the island.

"One more time, Ryoma!" Kamui dispelled the dust around herself with but a wave of her Yato -- nay, of her Seal of Flames -- as Xander steered his horse under them both.

They shone with a purple glow, the barrier Siegfried emanated highlighting them from the battlefield.

"You underestimate me, Sister!" Ryoma smirked with the fervor of battle, his lightning quickly making its way to the void which Anankos protected itself into. "Look this way, beast! We are not done yet!" He bellowed, once again raising his Raijinto above his head.

Then, there was silence.

A heartbeat of a moment inside a millisecond of silence before the explosion.

Friend and foe alike had to cover their eyes for the burst of light blinded any and all who could see, the following shockwave blowing away those who hadn't their feet solidly planted on the ground. The island itself shook as though a boat amidst a storm, the ear-piercing screech the Forgotten Dragon released making soldiers hold their heads lest they split in half.

"Overdoing it, much?" Leo felt cold sweat itching down his temple, betraying his excited smirk as he got his horse into position. Behind him, Takumi kicked his feet in excitement.

"That's my Brother! I bet he could single-handedly-"

"Let us focus, yes, Prince Takumi? Your turn approaches." Leo turned his horse to the abyss a thousand meters ahead of them, his frown deep but his mind blaring with all the possible outcomes of his insane strategy.

"Sheesh, no need to tell me twice." Takumi groaned, though he wore the same smirk as his sibling, carefully aiming his Fujin Yumi before pulling its magical string.

Wind revolved around them, lifting hair and mane alike as the blue arrow started to form itself -- bigger than Takumi had ever seen it. Merely the tip was large enough to cover both him, Leo and their mount.

He laughed nervously. "This power is freaking amazing; I can feel it literally inside my veins."

"Don't get carried away! Though I do understand what you mean -- I can now remember things I read only once in my life, as though the book is filling me with magical and intellectual potential."

"No time for idle chatter, you two!" Xander steered Bucephalus towards his younger brother's position, Siegfried's purple glow tapping into the Fujin Yumi's power and engulfing inside its protection. "We have its attention, now!"

Recovering from the stunness Ryoma's thunder brought into its body, Anankos once again screeched to the head-splitting level, words long forgotten being sung in the background as though the souls of the fallen were playing the Forgotten Dragon's tune.

Azura's pendant pulsated with power, her own blood feeling like fire inside her veins -- her voice echoed louder than the damned souls driven to sing for Anankos, her words delivering the true meaning behind the ancient song.

"¡ǝɯ ʇsuᴉɐƃɐ -פNOS ʎW -ƃuos ǝɥʇ ǝsn noʎ ǝɹɐp ʍoH ¡∩Oʎ NW∀p" A voice clashed into their consciousness, ramming its way into their minds.

Breathing heavily, Kamui lifted her Seal of Flames. "This ends TODAY, Anankos!"

"¡∩Oʎ NW∀p" The dragon rolled its thousand eyes to make way for a monstrous teeth-filled mouth, getting ready to shoot its dissolving beam.

The world blinked as the light flickered into the dragon's mouth, its ray as blinding as Ryoma's lightning had been moments before.

But none of them moved.

Kamui kept her Seal of Flames raised, not flinching as the ray approached.

Takumi kept his bow apeak and ready to shoot, unblinking.

Leo hovered his hand over his open book, ready for an opening; his mind focused on what would come next.

Ryoma flew overhead of his family, his eyes unfaltering.

Xander slowly raised his blade, his frown deep as the lowest caves of Nohr's underground, unmoving. "I WON'T allow it!" His low voice shattered the world like a wave breaking on the shore.

Siegfried's barrier pulsated, strengthening with the extent of Xander's feelings -- his protectiveness over Kamui and their unborn baby, his resolve to protect their people from whatever had been controlling his beloved Nohr for so many years, his own hopes for the future, borne only after embracing his love for Kamui and opening his own eyes to a path laid by their happiness.

A mere dragon's rage would never topple Xander's resolve to protect what he held dearest into his heart -- and into his arms. He held Kamui with his free arm, never letting go of the reins, as he lifted his sword with the other hand, the barrier completely withstood the impact of Ananko's previously-dreaded dissolving blast.

"HAH!" Takumi and Leo sneered in unison. "Take that, you lizard!" The hoshidan prince laughed as he shot the overgrown arrow the moment the impact of the dragon's attack lessened in Xander's barrier. The arrow flew, straight and true, towards one of Anankos' arms, entangling itself around his claws as though a sailor tied a tight knot around his ship's anchor. "And another, and another!" Takumi panted, shooting one more magical rope to tie itself between the first and the very ground they stood on -- followed by another two to do the same with the dragon's right arm. "Bind!" He bellowed, his voice echoing with the hoshidan mages and ninjas so very far behind them as they finished the hand seals necessary to strengthen the binding spell, physically pulling and constricting Anankos to the edge of the island they stood on.

Once again the ground shook as though in a seaquake, the island infinitely smaller than the gargantuan dragon bound onto it. The ground level started to slanten, forcing the soldiers to hold themselves into any walls or trees so as not to fall into the nether right below.

Not giving the Forgotten Dragon any time to understand what was going on, Leo chanted under his breath before thrusting his book upwards. "We'll erase you!" He roared, the very island trembling in the rhythm of his breathing -- it not only stabilized itself due to the power of Brynhildr’s roots , but the forest itself rose from the ground, entangling itself around Anankos’ claws and filling the space between them, proceeding to go upwards.

"Form a path!" He panted, the strain of using so much of his weapon's power seeping into his life force, but he wasn't about to stop -- not when the roots acted as he commanded.

Not when the path was almost visible -- the stairway he willed to be unravelled itself in front of their eyes, his hands coordinating it as though a maestro guiding an orchestra.

The strain to keep Anankos stunned made Ryoma clench his teeth, as did the burden of keeping him bound drove Takumi out of his breath.

Yet, like Leo, they wouldn't stop. Not when victory lay so very close to their eyes -- the nohrian prince had but to carve the path for Kamui to reach her nemesis' head.

The Seal of Flames would do the rest.

"Onward!!" The dragon princess vociferated at the same time Xander whipped the reins, Bucephalus himself receiving much of the Yato's power to be able to withstand the shocks and explosions of that battle.

"Sister! The stairs aren't ready yet-" Leo huffed, his vision blurring and his breathing failing him. He was at least thankful that the book was physically bound into his skin, otherwise it might've fallen as well.

"I have faith you can do it, Leo! Keep going!" She smiled at him before turning to the still-forming path ahead in the split of second their mounts crossed paths.

"Hah! Failure is no option!" He renewed his breathing by sheer willpower, straightening his back to resume his conduction of Brynhildr’s roots.

"Fly, Bucephalus!" Xander spurred his horse to its limit as they ascended towards the Forgotten Dragon's head.

Without wasting any time, Anankos once again turned its thousand eyes so as to open its nightmarish mouth, ready to cast his dissolving blast at point blank.

"The path -- we are almost at its end." Xander whispered gravely by Kamui's ear, making her hurried yet attentive eyes switch from it to their goal right on ahead.

"Jump, Bucephalus! Don't falter!" She breathed out, getting ready to jump herself. Xander held onto her abdomen for support as she crouched on the horse's back -- at the very moment the stairs under them ended and the void started.

Anankos once again shot its blinding light, clashing immediately with Siegfried's force shield. "Think again, worm!" Xander made use of the very last bits of strength he had to throw Kamui upwards, aiding her in her jump.

"This ends now!" She yelled as she pointed Yato towards the still open mouth of the Forgotten Dragon, throwing herself inside -- cutting everything open in her path.

For a moment, there was nothing.

No one could remember when they had closed their eyes, but they quickly opened them again to witness the fall of the World Eater.

As though the sea before a quake, the wind was sucked into the nothingness that Anankos had become, tearing the grass from its roots towards the black hole so far up in the sky.

Stillness.

"Kamui! Xander!" Leo yelled desperately for the first time in his life, reaching out to the spot where his siblings had disappeared at, uncaring about appearances.

"Big Sister! Big Brother!!" Elise cried from behind the lines, theis voices being mirrored by one and all who still stood around them.

"May this not be the end of our Queen!" Remaining vallite people cried for their chosen ruler, echoing their nohrian counterpart's words.

"Long live King Xander!" The nohrians clamored, tears falling down their tired faces. "Long live Queen Kamui!" Their voices thunder in the stillness, their words spurred the gears of time to move again.

From far ahead them all, the black hole started dissolving itself into hundreds of thousands lights -- each one of them a single thing it consumed.

The light felt gentle, albeit far, though it didn't raise the worry from the soldier's wrung hearts. The very spot Anankos had been -- where its carcass still lay, unmoving but undoubtedly dead -- still stood, Kamui and Xander nowhere to be found.

The wind started to gush, first as a slight breeze, gaining momentum as though it brew a hurricane -- bringing the flocks of light closer.

They shone over the people's heads, flying towards this or that specific place so as to restore it to its former state -- before the Forgotten Dragon had absorbed it, but not to its former glory from time immemorial.

Islands appeared in the sky one after the other, as did half-collapsed buildings all around where they stood -- the magical display to take one’s breath away.

The world was being rebuilt all around them, but they couldn't feel happiness -- if bringing the world back meant the sacrifice of their heroes, then perhaps they should have left it to oblivion.

Too tired to even move his eyelids, but still resolute in his faith, Leo gripped at the reins, ready to climb the still-standing staircase he managed to finish after Kamui dealt the final blow.

But in that moment, breath was taken from his lungs.

Takumi and Ryoma felt it right there and then as well -- the pulsating power from the Seal of Flames telling its shield-siblings that it still lived; that its wielder still stood, all the while severing their physical binds with their hosts.

A single flock of light touched the empty carcass, quickly making it dissolve into another thousand lights. From within, one could see a purple yet gentle glow enveloping three silhouettes, protecting them from without and within.

Differing levels of surprised gasps roamed around the troops, starting from Kamui and Xander's family.

Siegfried's barrier lifted its future King, Queen and their mount towards the edge of the staircase, slowly dissolving alongside the Forgotten Dragon's dust.

On his feet, Xander pulled Bucephalus' reins as he let Kamui ride it, allowing her an early rest.

The rumble of the soldiers' clamor started as a huff of breath, quickly evolving into a quake that shook the very sky. "Long live the Queen! Long live the King!" They roared, clapped and laughed, finally feeling the high of victory.

Kamui covered her face with emotion, holding her stomach with the other hand. "T-they're calling me your Queen-" she whispered, leaning on the horse's neck so her beloved could hear.

"As they should -- for I will not allow another moment to pass without making you my lawful wife." Xander smiled softly, his heart filled with warmth.

"Oh, Xander..." Kamui's voice shook, her eyes itching with tears. Reality that they had finally beat their nemesis was yet to sink in, but to be there, beside her beloved; to be standing in front of the future whence they would be husband and wife made Kamui quickly accept it as true.

"There is much to do after a war -- for ourselves, that means our coronation. You, as my Queen-"

"And you, Xander, as my King."