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avengerscompound · 5 years ago

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The Tower: The Queen of Asgard - 33

The Tower: The Queen of Asgard An Avengers Fanfic

Series Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Pairing: Avengers x OFC, Bruce Banner x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton x Wanda Maximoff x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x Thor x Sam Wilson x OFC (Elly Cooper)

Word Count: 2513

Warnings: Canon typical violence

Synopsis: The twins are now three and while the Avengers know that Clint and Thor are the biological father’s none of them know or care which blond, blue-eyed baby is related to which man. When Riley gets the power to control wind and it becomes evident that she is the heir to the Asgardian throne, Elly, Steve, Thor, and Tony take the twins to Asgard to train her.

Not every Asgardian is happy with their king’s choice of consort, nor the impurity of the heir’s blood. While others expect Thor to make things more official. What’s clear is, the role of Queen of Asgard is not easily filled.

Author’s Note: Written with @fanficwriter013

Chapter 33: The Battle for Asgard

We came to on the ground. The ropes that bound us were still partially in place like there had been an attempt to remove them but it had been interrupted. Around us were the sounds of battle. Metal hitting metal. Bricks crumbling. Shouting and cries of pain. Our friends and the Asgardian guards were fighting an army of what looked like angels. I couldn’t see the children anywhere but the threads that ran from me to them stretched off behind the throne with one that connected me to Loki. Standing over us was a giant grey wolf. It was snarling and attacking anyone that came near.

Steve reacted first, throwing up his arm like he had his shield to protect us from the wolf, forgetting that he didn’t actually have his shield here with him.

It didn’t matter. A large shield of light, much like Sam’s wings, spread out over all over us. Wanda’s powers glowed pink and the ropes and thread that bound us together disintegrated.

“It’s okay, Steve,” Bucky said, pulling himself to his feet. “That’s Fenrir, he’s protecting us.”

Steve didn’t lower the shield, but he looked uncertainly at Bucky as he tried to push through the shield.

“Steve, seriously. He’s fine. I can… it’s like I can understand him,” Bucky said.

Steve looked around the group and nodded. “Elise, suit up. Try and get to the kids. The rest of you, get to a weapon if you need one. Bruce, we might need Hulk in charge for this. We need to shut this down.”

Bruce nodded and his body shifted. Becoming larger and his face shape changing more as the Hulk took complete control.

I tapped the earrings and nanobots bled out of it forming my very own iron armor. Overlaying the visor was a kind of head-up display that was analyzing everything that was happening around me. “Hello, Elise. I’m charged with getting you to safety. You wanted to call me Synergy?”

“Yes, but… no… I have to help,” I said. “I can’t just run.”

“That’s not what I was designed for,” Synergy replied.

“Cut the shit,” I snapped. “I know Tony hasn’t just made me a run-away machine. We’re fighting.”

“Yes, miss,” she said and the display changed slightly. “Entering combat mode. I am able to read micro-expressions. Just move naturally. I’ll keep up.”

Steve dropped the shield and everyone scattered. Hulk charged into the fray, grabbing angels out of the air and throwing them. Sam spread his wings and took off, kicking an angel in the face and stealing their sword. Natasha disappeared but I could see the end of her thread running toward the throne where the babies were. Clint ran out, and as he broke into the crowd, Fandrall called out to him and tossed him a bow, Clint changed his direction, heading toward Fandral, I assume to get the arrows to go with it. Tony took off into the air and started blasting. Bucky touched Fenrir’s side, and the wolf crouched and let him climb onto its back. Steve ran grabbing the first thing he could find and throwing it at an attacker while Wanda took off into the air. She stopped and looked up and the ceiling disappeared. In the space above it, a large fleet of ships hovered. Carol was currently locked in battle with them and Wanda took off towards her. Thor called for Mjolnir and took off into the fray, casting lightning around him.

I leaned up and the suit took flight, I fell into synch with Tony and we began fighting back to back.

“The babies are okay?” He asked as we did a combo move, spinning in the air as we blasted the angels around us.

“Yes. Loki and Natasha are with them. She’s cloaking them,” I said.

The angels seemed to keep getting distracted by Sam - who had now worked out he could literally throw shards of light out of his wings like a weapon. They would stop fighting and watch him while talking to each other in their native tongue.

“They think he’s one of them. Like an important one,” Clint yelled up as he loosed an arrow, piercing an angel’s wing.

“Yeah, baby!” Sam called back. “I am an angel!”

We began to get an upper hand. There were so many, but there were more of us and we had a large contingency with powers. Mjolnir flew from one hand to the next. Thor used her to slam into the ground taking out a swarm of angels that were trying to overwhelm him. She flew to Natasha who used her to stealth strike some angels that were getting too close to the twins. Then to Steve who dragged a bolt of lightning through the roof and took out a large group. To me as I swung her, slamming her into someone’s face as I used an energy blast to take out another person. She followed the path of the threads that connected us like she could feel them too and knew where she was needed.

Just as it looked like we were about to subdue the last of the angels there was a loud crash at the far end of the hall and a burst of black energy. The red-headed woman strode into the room followed by what looked like a whole new army. She was flanked by a man and a woman who were dressed differently to the others. More regal. I assumed they were the king and queen of Heven.

“Enough of this!” She shouted and then spoke in what sounded like two completely different dialects. “Surrender the throne! I am the rightful heir.”

Thor flew up in front of the group and stood, squared up, not giving an inch. “What rightful heir? Why are you doing this? We have no quarrel with your people.”

“But we have a quarrel with yours. When your father conquered us. We took your heir and now we will take the nine realms,” the man said and attacked Thor. The army charged in and the woman who had attacked Riley and I led them.

“What did she say, Barton?” Tony asked as he swooped around towards Clint who had been bailed up against the wall. Tony and I took out his attackers and hovered near him while he caught his breath.

“Just that she was the firstborn child of Odin and it was her right to rule,” Clint said.

“Wasn’t the firstborn a son?” I asked.

Loki appeared beside me, giving me what felt like ten simultaneous heart attacks. “She has transitioned, fool. I would have thought that concept wouldn’t be hard to understand.”

“Jesus, Loki,” I said. “How did you sneak up on me when I’m fucking connected to you now?”

“You’re what?” She asked.

“Connected. That’s my power. I see a thread between me and my family members. I can feel them with it,” I say. “I know where they are.”

Loki looked at me with her head tilted, like she was trying to process a great deal of information. “There is a thread between you and I?”

“Yes. Here,” I said, running my hand along it.

“Is there one between you and her?” She asked.

I narrowed my eyes and watched the redhead locked in battle with T’Challa and several members of the Dora Milaje. There was a small thread of light that ran from me to her. It was faint and muddy and when I put my hand on it the feeling I got was confused and … wrong. Like they were being muted by something else.

“Yes, there’s something. It doesn’t feel right though. Plus it’s faint,” I said.

“I wonder… there should be no need if they raised her, but a connection means she is family. It’s not about blood because you have a connection with me. They might have messed with her mind,” Loki suggested.

“You two work this out. We’re gonna get back into it,” Tony said, grabbing Clint under the arms and taking off.

I put my hand on the thread that ran straight up into the air to Wanda and sent my thoughts out. “Wanda! We need you here.”

We continued fighting as Wanda floated back down through the ceiling and she turned and looked at the woman as he fought. “Yes,” she said. “Definitely mind control. I need to get closer to do something about it.”

The three of us moved in and Wanda’s eyes began to glow. Loki stepped up and began to fight the redhead pulling two long blades from the air and welding them with deadly proficiency.”

“Sister, we need not fight. Surrender to me and you may have the throne of Jotunheim as you were destined,” the woman practically purred.

“If I wanted the throne of a lonely ice planet I would take it. Just as I took the one here. I understand your cause, it’s a pity that you do not, sister,” Loki countered.

The thread got brighter and I called Mjolnir. It changed direction mid-flight and flew into my hand. I ran a current of electricity through the thread and it pierced the woman’s body. Her eyes flared pink and blue as the electricity blending with Wanda’s powers and she screamed and dropped to the floor.

The fighting paused for a moment as everyone turned to see what was happening. Wanda moved in closer putting her hands on the woman. “Angela!” The queen of Heven screamed running towards us followed by the king and several Heven warriors. Thor called Mjolnir and she pulled free of my hand, flying into Thor’s. He summoned a lightning bolt and slammed her into the ground. It threw the entire army back, giving Wanda more time to work.

The pink light faded, and Wanda helped the Red Head to her feet. The thread between us was brighter now. Just as bright as between Loki and me. She blinked slowly looking dazed and held up her hands and called out something in the language of Heven.

The angels all stopped fighting and dropped their weapons. “People!” She called again. “I apologize. The fight is over.” She turned to Thor. “Brother. I apologize most to you. If you must arrest me I shall go willingly. I was not in my right mind.”

Thor approached her. “Sif!” He called. “Take the king and queen to the dungeons.”

Sif gestured to some guards and they muscled the two rulers of Heven out of the throne room.

“Aldrif?” Thor asked, extending his hand.

She winced and shook her head. “That is my dead name. It is Angela.”

“I apologize. Angela,” he said, taking her hand. As their skin touched his whole body stiffened and his eyes glowed a bright blue. Everyone went straight to attack mode and stepped forward, but I held up my hand. This was not her attacking him.

“Wait!” I called. “He is having a vision.”

When Thor came to again he shook his head and smiled a real genuine smile. “I saw you, sister. Sitting on the throne. Ruling Asgard and the Nine Realms fairly and wisely.”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t. You are the king. It is your place to rule.”

He clapped his hand on her arm and shook her head. “Don’t you see… I don’t want it. I have never wanted it. I do it because there is no other choice. If there were anyone else capable of the job I would let them have it. I want to be with my family. I want to raise my children.”

Loki rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything. Angela looked around at the hall and up at the throne. “I shall never bear any offspring. You and your daughter will remain direct heirs to the throne.”

Thor nodded and dropped to his knees before her. “I am aware. I defer to you, sister. You are the rightful heir.”

“Get up,” she said. “You are not lesser than me, brother. We are equals. But if it is what you wish, and what your vision saw, I shall take the throne.”

“Good!” He cheered getting back to his feet and pulling her into an embrace. “We have much to organize. Many things to set right.”

“Yes, and I promise we shall,” Angela replied. “But my people did you the disservice of attacking you during your bonding. You should finish and make it official.”

Thor turned to Wanda. “Can you fix this, my love?”

She looked around and nodded, her whole body became absorbed by the pink light of her powers and spread out. Damage was undone, wounds healed. When she settled back to the ground the only sign that we’d even been in battle was the foreign army in the throne room.

The armor on Tony and I retracted leaving us back in the clothes for the ceremony and we all moved up to the throne. Bruce returned to that midway state where he was both Hulk and Bruce at the same time. Natasha brought the children to us and as the room settled and people returned to their correct places, we passed the children between us, cuddling and kissing each of them.

When the room settled again the high priest moved forward again, still visibly shaken.

“Friends and loved ones, people of Asgard and the Nine Realms,” he announced. “Our lovers have taken their journey and all have returned, stronger and knowing their place with each other. They now bear the mark of their clan and that mark shall be branded to each, a visible symbol of the bond they share.” He touched each of us in turn. When he touched me a burning sensation seared the skin on my forearm. I looked down at it and saw a symbol, it looked like part of a star over two connected circles. One of the sides of the star was missing and instead, one line formed an arrow. There was an M attached to one side. Each line was traced in a different color, so you could see the element for each person. Wanda’s M formed part of Sam’s symbol. Clint’s arrow came off of Bucky’s star that sat on Steve’s shield. One circle was half Tony’s arc and half the symbol for radiation symbolizing Bruce. There was part of Mjolnir making up the star, as was Natasha’s widow mark. Right in the center of the star was a v shape turning it into a heart.

“As above, so below,” he said, returning to his place on the platform. “These ten people are bonded. They will have this bond for the rest of their lives, sharing their highs and lows, protecting and caring for each other. None shall come between it and it will not grow weak with time. I present them to you now bound together as family. They may now seal it with a kiss.”

We smirked at each other and each person turned to the one closest. For me that was Sam. He pulled me into his arms and we kissed.

// NEXT

129 notes · View notes

longsightmyth · 4 years ago

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Aaaaaaaaaand here’s what I’ve got so far for the current readthrough of ToD for fragments etc. Sharp eyes will note that it has taken me over a year and I still haven’t finished the reread. It’s just very bad, okay? Cut for dash mercy.

June 21, 2018 – page 4

0.61% "Apparently the problem with Adarlan conquering everything was not the conquering, but the fact that they had an evil dictator in charge.

I mean, in fairness, the evil dictator probably didn't HELP, but in the kind of person who considers conquering a symptom of BEING an evil dictator, so?"

June 21, 2018 – page 15

2.27% ""That Sartaq was here... they had to have known, then. Well in advance. That she and Chaol were coming."

That reads like I hit the space bar on my iPhone a couple too many times but I swear to you that is exactly how it's written in the book. I have changed NOTHING."

June 21, 2018 – page 16

2.42% "I'm also still confused about why the captain of the royal guard was sent as an ambassador instead of staying to administer the royal guard."

June 27, 2018 – page 19

2.88% "There are so many fragments, y'all. So many."

June 27, 2018 – page 27

4.09% "For once the angst feels earned here (we know that Nesryn cares and works for the wellbeing of Rifthold and her family and we've seen it). Do I wish there were fewer Drama Fragments? Yes. Still, I'm glad we got this bit from Nesryn's PoV and for once it wasn't All About Celaena OR A Boy."

June 28, 2018 – page 30

4.55% ""My Tumelun. The words told enough about the prince's closeness with his sister."

First of all, OBVIOUSLY. Second, there really is a way to say this as if Chaol is thinking it and not as if you are explaining to the reader. For instance:

"My Tumelun. They had been close, then."

BOOM."

June 28, 2018 – page 30

4.55% "I've harped on this before, and while it's permissible for Kashin in his grief and/or naïveté to have blind spots ("no one within our lands would be stupid enough [to murder Tumelun]") Chaol has no such excuse and neither does the narrative."

June 28, 2018 – page 31

4.7% ""...Aelin had hard lines that she did not cross. Killing or harming children was one of them."

Let me refer you to that time in Heir of Fire where she threatened to burn an entire city's population alive and we were from her PoV so we know she meant it and she SAID IT WITH A SMILE."

June 28, 2018 – page 31

4.7% "Also that time she threatened to burn up the population of Rifthold."

June 28, 2018 – page 31

4.7% "Oh yeah also that manor house she said she'd kill the entire population of if even a tiny word got out about her presence or previous presence there. That place had kids too. I'm pretty sure we saw and/or heard them playing in the yard."

June 28, 2018 – page 31

4.7% "Just because she hasn't threatened or hurt a SPECIFIC CHILD for SPECIFIC REASONS does not mean that she doesn't harm or (in fairness threaten to) murder children. That's just three examples off the top of my head."

June 28, 2018 – page 33

5.0% ""Had not even considered that the shadow of Morath might have already stretched this far."

Chaol, per Queen of Shadows the Valg, whose stated intentions are to destroy the world and rule the ruins, have been out and plotting since BEFORE YOU WERE BORN. You're an idiot if you didn't consider them using over twenty years of time to, oh, WORK TOWARDS DESTROYING THE WHOLE WORLD AND RULING THE RUINS."

June 28, 2018 – page 33

5.0% "Then again the series never considered that before this point either so maybe I should cut Chaol some slack?"

June 28, 2018 – page 35

5.3% "This reads like a dude wrote it, and not a dude who thinks women are actual people."

July 9, 2018 – page 37

5.61% ""Until an unknown healer's daughter from Fenharrow [who had only been training for two years] was approached by healers old and young, who had trained their entire lives, for her advice and assistance."

Look."

July 9, 2018 – page 37

5.61% "If this was portrayed as 'they needed somebody with a hella lot of magic and guided her through things' that would be one thing, but are you telling me this chick is in her second year at the magical equivalent of medical school and all of the surgeons are coming to her for surgery advice?"

July 9, 2018 – page 37

5.61% "I think I commented on this last time but still:

"There were two such vials on the desk now, clear orbs atop silver feet fashioned after ibis legs. Being purified by the endless sunshine within the tower."

You'd think I made a mistake typing with my phone, right? Hit the space bar twice maybe and added an accidental period?

I did not. That's a direct quote from the book."

July 9, 2018 – page 44

6.67% "Are Renia and Hassar married or not, please make up your mind, book. Here Renia is referred to as Hassar's lover but I think later on it says wife without any marriage happening in between so like."

July 24, 2018 – page 53

8.03% ""Chaol had barely slept.

Partially due to the unrelenting heat, partially due to the fact that they were in a tentative ally's fraught household, full of potential spies and unknown dangers- perhaps even from Morath itself - and partially due to what had befallen Rifthold and all he held dear.

And partially due to the meeting that he was now minutes away from having.""

July 24, 2018 – page 53

8.03% "This is what happens when you rush books, don't listen to your editor, and use second drafts at best."

July 24, 2018 – page 53

8.03% ""Chaol barely slept that night. It could have been the unrelenting heat, it could have been the spies and unknown dangers of the house - or of Morath. It could have been the news of Rifthold, and the lack of news that followed. It could have been all of it.

Part of it was definitely the anxiety over the meeting that had yet to begin."

**jazz hands**"

July 24, 2018 – page 54

8.18% ""They'd asked him about the butchering of the slaves in Calaculla and Endovier at dinner.

Or the oily one, Arghun, did. Had the prince been among Chaol's new recruits to the royal guard, he would have easily gotten him to fall in line thanks to a few well-timed shows of skill and sheer dominance. But here, he had no authority to bring the conniving, haughty prince to heel.

Not even when Arghun wanted to know...""

July 24, 2018 – page 54

8.18% ""...why the former King of Adarlan had deemed it necessary to enslave his people. And then put them down like animals. Why the man had not looked to the southern continent for education on the horrors of the stain of slavery - and avoided instituting it.

Chaol had to offer curt answers on the verge of being impolite. Sartaq, the only one of them beyond Kashin whom Chaol was inclined to like, had finally tired..."

July 24, 2018 – page 54

8.18% ""...of his older brother's questioning and steered the conversation away."

Holy mackerel is there a lot to unpack there, but first of all: Arghun for president, y'all.

Second, king is improperly capitalized there. Have fun with that.

Third, why is Arghun the oily conniving one for being like 'yo why the hell did y'all keep slaves?'"

July 24, 2018 – page 54

8.18% "Fourth, it might be poor diplomacy on a technical level, but honestly Arghun and the SC contingent have all the power here. They don't have to worry about being polite, because what are Chaol and Nesryn going to do, leave? (they probably wish they would)"

July 24, 2018 – page 54

8.18% "Fifth, Chaol, suck it up. You participated in and helped to continue a regime that not only practiced slavery but encouraged it. I have no sympathy for your hurt feelings about being called on it. Aren't you supposed to be anti-slavery? Shouldn't you be going 'look man it sucked and was wrong. I know that. You know that. The new king has ended the practice even if he apparently hasn't considered reparations.'"

July 24, 2018 – page 54

8.18% "But no, Arghun is the one in the wrong here apparently?"

July 25, 2018 – page 57

8.64% "I'd forgotten Yrene's 'honey-colored' hands."

July 25, 2018 – page 66

10.0% "Still unsure why a medical professional won't just say the word penis."

July 25, 2018 – page 70

10.61% "Okay I got one mention of male healers existing. Apparently it's almost exclusively a female gift. Why? Who knows. Not the book.

Nothing mentioned about any cultural stuff surrounding it either."

July 25, 2018 – page 71

10.76% "I'm starting to wonder if the author just hasn't realized how self-aggrandizing things sound when written in third person limited or first person?"

August 26, 2018 – page 82

12.42%

August 27, 2018 – page 86

13.03% "Sure of course it's a weakness to care where the only other member of your diplomatic envoy is and if she's gone missing. Of course. It's obviously not just common sense or competence. Why are the 'politics' in these books such nonsense."

August 27, 2018 – page 87

13.18% "Other people have commented on this, but if everyone here is human why does the book keep calling everyone males and females."

August 27, 2018 – page 88

13.33% ""See how he trips over himself," Arghun muttered over Duva, her husband, and Chaol to say to Sartaq.

That makes it look like Arghun is a married woman talking over her husband, when I know that Arghun is an unmarried man. You have to specify in this case. Or you could, you know. Name your characters."

August 27, 2018 – page 89

13.48% ""Kashin shut his mouth, ever the trained soldier.

And somehow Chaol knew-that fast-that Kashin was not being considered for the throne."

First of all, SOMEHOW? You detail why in the next sentence."

August 27, 2018 – page 89

13.48% ""...he seemed decent, though. A better alternative than the sneering, aloof Arghun, or the wolflike Hasar."

Interesting how being wolflike is positive when it's men but negative when it's women.

Also, Arghun for president. He's the spymaster dude who talks to the viziers. Obviously my vote goes to Arghun."

August 27, 2018 – page 91

13.79% "I hate how Chaol lecturing Nesryn about coming in late morphs into him patronizing her about how they're fighting to make Adarlan safer for her specifically.

Listen, dickface. She's the one who apparently had ROCKS thrown at her in Adarlan. Let her enjoy walking around safely.

Also I hate that he's lecturing her about coming in late."

August 27, 2018 – page 97

14.7% "So. I appreciate that Yrene tries in this one instance to be considerate of Chaol's wants/needs, re: his disability. I appreciate MUCH LESS that it is here specifically in an attempt to contrast Yrene and Nesryn. I wouldn't even be super mad about that except that Yrene is only considerate of Chaol and his wants/needs, re: his disability when Nesryn is around to be contrasted against."

August 27, 2018 – page 97

14.7% "It only counts as a character trait if it's consistent, and it isn't. Instead it's used as a way to shame Nesryn, when Yrene does the same and worse to Chaol multiple times but is excused because 'she means well.'"

August 27, 2018 – page 99

15.0% "This is SO STUPID she is a healer DOING HER JOB why does it MATTER if she goes into his bedroom?"

August 27, 2018 – page 103

15.61% "This is a tiny thing in the grand scheme but "pure as sea-foam" made me laugh because I live in Florida and there is a lot of sea-foam. Almost none of it is 'pure'."

August 27, 2018 – page 109

16.52% "I don't care how many times it shows up. I am going to mark The Hand of the King/ The Hand of Adarlan with a red tab labeled ASoIaF EVERY TIME."

September 27, 2018 – page 113

17.12% ""You must enter where you fear to tread."

Uh-huh."

September 27, 2018 – page 115

17.42% "So while I like the idea of this scene with Yrene and the other healer, the fact remains that it has taken more than 100 pages to show us something that is ostensibly a fundamental part of Yrene's character, and from what I remember we have precious few other scenes of it later."

September 27, 2018 – page 115

17.42% "The trait? That Yrene has a drive to help people."

September 27, 2018 – page 117

17.73% ""How many meals had he himself been positioned by the doors, or out in the courtyard, monitoring his king? How many times had he laid into his men for slouching, for chattering amongst themselves, and reassigned them to lesser watches?""

September 27, 2018 – page 117

17.73% "Okay first of all, as THE (singular, only) captain of the royal guard your place is the organizing, hiring, and inspecting of the Royal guard, not the actual guarding except for special occasions, at which point you would be with the king as the visible face of the king's protection."

September 27, 2018 – page 117

17.73% "SECOND. You have never 'laid into' guards for chatting or slouching. You have in fact completely forgiven them for ABANDONING THEIR POSTS WITHOUT NOTICE because somebody else said it was fine. Your response? "Okay just don't do it again.""

September 27, 2018 – page 117

17.73% "I repeat, they abandoned their posts because a general from a conquered land told them it was fine, leaving their king completely open to attack, and you told them 'okay just don't do it again'"

September 27, 2018 – page 117

17.73% "Am I harping on this? ABSOLUTELY. Chaol's inner turmoil loses all emotional punch because he and the narrative are LYING to us. Instead of pulling my heartstrings, it just makes me angry.

This is also why Maas is the queen of the retcon, by the way."

September 27, 2018 – page 117

17.73% ""No sign - none - of any wicked force, whether dispatched from Morath or elsewhere. No sign beyond those white banners to honor their fallen princess."

I had no idea the wicked forces had a fallen princess, single separate two-sentence paragraph.

Also, it should be 'the white banners'"

September 27, 2018 – page 117

17.73% ""There was no sign of wickedness, from Morath or elsewhere - no sign but the white banners that honored the fallen princess."

It's not HARD, book."

November 30, 2018 – page 121

18.33% ""A summer storm galloped in off the sea just before midnight."

This one might be petty and I freely admit it, but that's kind of a funky way to put that."

February 11, 2019 – page 121

18.33% "I'm back!

I'd forgotten how awful the em dashes were. Like, I remembered they were BAD, I'd just forgotten HOW bad."

February 11, 2019 – page 123

18.64% "Picturing Kat's face in the section with Yrene and the 10,000+ year old document being touched with bare hands is what keeps me going y'all"

February 11, 2019 – page 127

19.24% "For someone ostensibly skeptical, Yrene sure does take every illustration in the book literally instead of even considering the possibility of metaphors or, like. Science."

February 11, 2019 – page 129

19.55% "The irony of Yrene being better at situational awareness and planning what around her could be improvised weaponry than Celaena, who ostensibly taught her these things, is not lost on me.

It's lost on the book though."

February 11, 2019 – page 132

20.0% "Why does everyone in these books have a capitalized Heir"

February 11, 2019 – page 132

20.0% "Also, the Heir Librarian as a title sounds stupid (no that's literally the title, not even Heir to the Librarian or anything)"

February 11, 2019 – page 132

20.0% "All it would take was a week observing the library to know it never closes and Bob's your uncle the 'closing toll' of the library bell jig is up.

I'm just saying."

May 4, 2019 – page 144

21.82%

July 22, 2019 – page 145

21.97% ""Either your lack on consciousness during that initial healing kept you from feeling this sort of pain, or perhaps whatever this is had not... settled."

Or Sarah Janet needed More Drama."

July 22, 2019 – page 146

22.12% "I forgot that apparently the valg magic and therefore Chaol's injury persists because it's feeding on his self hate or whatever.

See kids, all you have to do is be happy and believe in yourself and your disability will go away."

July 22, 2019 – page 146

22.12% ""It was all he could do not to shrink from that frank gaze."

Why not her frank gaze? Like, it's not grammatically incorrect - the sentence before says she's staring at him, it's referring to a gaze mentioned before - but I don't think it's strong writing."

July 22, 2019 – page 146

22.12% "Have Yrene own her frank gaze or have Chaol associate it with her directly instead of disconnecting it. "It was all he could do not to flinch from her frank gaze."

YMMV I guess."

July 22, 2019 – page 147

22.27% ""Yrene's face was an unreadable mask that would have given Dorian a run for his money."

Maybe it's my own failing, but Dorian has never been described as expressionless or unreadable in my memory, or at least not enough to stick out."

July 22, 2019 – page 148

22.42% ""Since [Nesryn's] hair fell only to her shoulders, he had difficulty braiding it back"

French braids are a thing, even if I'd object to them being called French braids in these books."

July 22, 2019 – page 150

22.73% ""A land claimed by a conquering nation, yet loved and nurtured."

Not you too, Nesryn."

July 22, 2019 – page 154

23.33% ""There is beauty in my father's lands," the prince went on while Kadara ripped into that monstrous carcass, "but there is much lurking beneath the surface, too."

Sigh.

"There is beauty in my father's lands," the prince went on while Kadara feasted on the monster, "but much lurks beneath the surface, too.""

July 23, 2019 – page 161

24.39% "Love how Yrene explicitly says "add lots of honey" but is then judgy because Kadja added too much honey."

July 25, 2019 – page 162

24.55% "There's this thing we have where we consider the endurance of pain a virtue, somehow. Even if you agree with that, bad people can still have virtues.

Yrene starts rethinking Chaol's morality because he 'did not break' over the pain when her magic was trying to heal him.

Tldr: pain endurance is not the sole province of good people, and enduring pain doesn't make you good"

July 25, 2019 – page 164

24.85% "Why ARE the valg only trying to kill Yrene if she has the same healing gift as other healers?"

July 25, 2019 – page 164

24.85% "Okay also my disability is not Chaol's disability etc etc but the narrative is poo-pooing on Nesryn and Kadja for helping him into bed when he's so tired he can barley talk, because Yrene would have made him do it himself.

Like, honestly? That makes Yrene sound an awful lot like somebody who would go 'you're out of spoons? Do it anyway'"

July 25, 2019 – page 166

25.15% "Look y'all much as I dislike Yrene on a personal level she isn't WRONG for clearly having 'personal reservations' about Chaol's 'former role in the empire'.

He not only benefitted from but actively worked to keep the aforementioned empire in power. He got FRUSTRATED when the king wouldn't let him guard the king effectively. He wasn't even just some dude off in the hinterlands: HE WAS THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD."

November 4, 2019 – page 176

26.67% "In all seriousness what is Sarah Janet Maas' beef with the word 'the'?"

November 4, 2019 – page 176

26.67% "WHITE

FUCKING

HORSES"

November 4, 2019 – page 178

26.97% "How does Yrene have a good seat and yet bounce everywhere and keep grabbing the saddle horn"

November 4, 2019 – page 184

27.88% "Oh yeah. This part."

November 4, 2019 – page 184

27.88% ""The skin was leathery - as warm as her smile."

The one time you use 'the' it's in a place that detaches the reader from a living breathing human's human-ness? HER skin, book. HER skin."

November 4, 2019 – page 186

28.18% "The page (well, this and the one before) that made me hate Yrene."

November 17, 2019 – page 187

28.33% ""She means well, my Yrene."

That doesn't matter when she literally asked a disabled man to help her with something and when he got there PROCEEDED TO LECTURE AN ENTIRE YARD ON HIS DISABILITY WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION, WHEN HE LITERALLY PHYSICALLY COULD NOT LEAVE.

And to the best of my recollection she never apologizes."

November 17, 2019 – page 187

28.33% ""Her instinct is to teach other people" How lovely maybe she could do that without LITERALLY HOLDING A DISABLED MAN THERE AGAINST HIS WILL.

"But Myth, she didn't mean to! She just wasn't thinking"

LITERALLY MY POINT"

November 17, 2019 – page 187

28.33% ""But Myth, the author didn't mean to make it like that" Maybe if she'd bothered ASKING a single disabled person instead of watching some youtube videos she might have LEARNED."

November 17, 2019 – page 190

28.79% "And look. I applaud people learning how to defend themselves and teaching others. HOWEVER. Chaol has only taught soldiers, and aside from that the idea that one or two sessions allows you to master several self-defense techniques is unlikely at best. It takes time, it takes repetition, and it takes someone who had more than one morning's instruction herself.

Just saying."

January 4, 2020 – Shelved as: assassin-rolls-do-it-better

May 30, 2020 – page 191

28.94% "It’s hard to tell with this author what distance we are in the narration. Feyre and Yrene both make snide little comments about people not caring or not doing something (in Yrene’s case, Chaol not smiling at her after her despicable behavior, in Feyre’s case Nesta not getting her a gift). I begin to suspect we aren’t supposed to see this as the character commenting on the event but the narration."

May 30, 2020 – page 191

28.94% "UNFORTUNATELY the books are written in close POV’s, Feyre’s in first and Yrene’s and Chaol’s in third. The result is that whatever the narration says is coming from the character.

This is a long way to say that Yrene continues to be terrible."

May 30, 2020 – page 193

29.24% "I don’t have enough orange tabs for this"

May 30, 2020 – page 194

29.39% "Yrene says here “[until that moment] she hadn’t felt like a barnyard animal” and I am not an expert but that seems like a Bad Thing to have about one of the only black women you haven’t killed off, Book."

May 30, 2020 – page 195

29.55% "“Did I do something to you today?”

*squints*"

May 30, 2020 – page 196

29.7% "I’m not going to pretend that Nesryn’s reaction here is perfect, but the book is trying to pretend it’s terrible and it’s not? She’s excited that Chaol can ride, she talks to Chaol directly about it, and immediately accepts that he can and says excitedly that maybe they can go see her family together. The initial disbelief might be disconcerting for some people, but she does several things Yrene does not."

May 30, 2020 – page 196

29.7% "As I said, she speaks directly to Chaol about his abilities (something Yrene doesn’t do), asks if he wants to do something together (permission is something for OTHER PEOPLE to Yrene, apparently, at least in regards to revealing someone’s medical information and literally moving people without their permission) and is immediately EXCITED that he can do something Chaol has specifically said he missed."

May 30, 2020 – page 196

29.7% "For the record these are all low bars to clear, but for all the book tries to contrast Yrene and Nesryn’s reactions to Chaol’s disability and how he works with and around it in Yrene’s favor, NESRYN IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CLEARS THE BARS.

But I’m supposed to be upset that she’s surprised that Chaol rode when he hasn’t been able to lately? Through a city that he’s never been to before? Without telling her?"

May 30, 2020 – page 196

29.7% "Not only are these two the only members of an embassy, they are romantically involved. OF COURSE SHE’S SURPRISED ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT HER KNOWING ABOUT IT."

May 30, 2020 – page 198

30.0% "At least she apologizes FINALLY but also says that it’s because so few people come in with his injury that she wanted to show her students.

So then you ASK, Yrene, what is this bullshit?"

May 30, 2020 – page 199

30.15% "“She hadn’t considered - his feelings. That he might have them.”

Excuse me, what?"

May 30, 2020 – page 199

30.15% "Yrene is worried that if she leaves the ‘rift’ between her and Chaol will never be repaired because “Healers and their patients required trust. A bond.”

It’s too bad you have repeatedly fucked that up with unprofessional, unthinking, and downright cruel behavior then isn’t it, Yrene?"

May 30, 2020 – page 199

30.15% "I’m sure some people reading this statuses will think I’m being too harsh, but let me explain: Yrene is a healer who has dealt with this kind of injury before. That’s why she was textually assigned to Chaol. Yrene is not a family member who knows nothing of medicine or patient treatment and is feeling her way through learning how to respectfully assist someone with a disability."

May 30, 2020 – page 199

30.15% "Yrene is a PROFESSIONAL, she keeps telling us. She is The Best. She has dealt with this before.

There is literally no excuse for accidentally doing this. Had Yrene been a new healer tossed into this because she just happens to have magical power enough for it and was still a student, I would buy that she maybe hadn’t had the experience to think about it. If she was portrayed as a consummate professional who..."

May 30, 2020 – page 199

30.15% "...did not care about her patients’ feelings so long as she healed their bodies, I would buy it.

She isn’t. The book keeps trying to tell me she is The Best because of temperament and skill and power, but it fails to realize that doing so puts Yrene in a terrible light because all of those things mean she should KNOW BETTER."

#myth rags on throne of glass #myth reads tower of dawn

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brain-deadx0 · 4 years ago

Text

The Lost Prince ch.3

Summary: The kingdom of Elan had once been at peace. It’s said that so long as the royal family lived the land would flourish with them on the throne. But when an unexpected enemy appeared and took the lives of the royal family many stopped believing in the legend. It was simply a ploy by a former ruler to discourage a coup. But some say that the new king sparred the young prince out of fear of the myth, and that one day the true heir would once again take the throne.

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER SUMMARY: They have a plan... it may have been a bad plan.

WARNINGS: imprisonment, forcing someone to perform demeaning acts, injury of a main character, blood, let me know if there’s anything else

As the sun began to set Virgil and Janus huddled together away from the door. As much as they appreciated the open door earlier, while looking at the flora and fauna, it was now letting in the cool evening breeze. Neither dared speak aloud outside of the safety of their room which only made ignoring their growling stomachs harder.

They hadn’t eaten since the night before and they couldn’t exactly bring along the small food stash they kept for emergencies. Virgil was actually starting to miss the stale bread when a pair of robins suddenly flew through the door.

The birds each held a small branch covered in berries as they landed in front of him and Janus. Virgil slowly held his hand out and one of the robins hopped towards him to drop the berries in his palm. Janus did the same with the other bird. The two young men nodded in thanks before the two robins flew away again.

“Didn’t know they did that.” Janus murmured before eating one of the berries.

“Unless one of them could get us the keys I don’t think we’ve needed them to anyway.”

The berries hadn’t been near enough to fill the two up, but it did help to quiet their stomachs. It took some time but eventually the two were able to doze off.

King Saul flipped though the pages of the old book while he waited for the servant to get there and translate. He couldn’t read whatever language it was written in, but the illustrations provided some clues. Most of it seemed to have something to do with the royal family and fae.

“Your Majesty, the servant is here to translate.” He heard someone call from outside his tent.

“Send him in then.”

A few moments later the servant walked through the door. “Your Majesty,” he bowed.

”Here,” King Saul said as he passed over the book, “now tell me what I need to know.”

“Of course, your Majesty.”

The servant flipped to the right page and began to translate, “If a time may come when their majesties are unable to have a child of their own volition or-“

“I don’t care for those parts. Just tell me the steps and what we need.”

“Yes, Sir.” The servant said before starting again, “The current head of the family and intended heir must share blood... Any amount will do... They then must join hands at sunset... The family head must willingly pass the bond... And both must say the spell.” He summarized.

“So we prick fingers, hold hands, and say a spell. Sounds easy enough.” King Saul mused, “And the spell?”

“I believe it’s “pactum sanguis densior sit quam ex utero sumus participes per familia necessitudines ita et in terra” your Majesty.”

“If that’s all then you may leave.” King Saul told him as he took the book back.

The servant bowed once more before exiting the kings tent. King Saul managed to locate the words of the spell and proceeded to write them down.

‘Perhaps,’ He thought to himself, ‘if the false king were not so self centered he might have realized the differences between me and the man who had originally delivered the book.’

...

By the time the sun rose on the second day, Virgil and Janus were wide awake. When the soldiers not standing guard had started waking up it was hard to ignore. Especially when they started to cook breakfast.

“Bastards...” Janus mumbled, earning a small smile from Virgil, “They could’ve at least done it down wind.”

“Some people aren’t very considerate I’m afraid.” A voice told them.

Both young men jumped and instinctively tried to move away from whoever had spoken.

“Oops, didn’t mean to startle you.” A somewhat willowy man in servants clothing told them.

Janus and Virgil shared a cautious glance at each other as the man reached into the satchel at his side before revealing a small loaf of bread. “Here,” He said as he held it out to them, “you’re probably feeling half starved by now.”

The two shared another look before Janus slowly reached forward to take the bread, “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” He told them before whispering, “your Majesty.” He winked.

“... Who are you?” Janus asked cautiously.

“You can call me Emile.” He smiled, “And you two have more people on your side than you think.”

”What?” Virgil asked.

Emile’s only response was a finger to his lips and a wink before turning and walking away.

“Well,” Janus started, “that was...”

“Weird.” Virgil finished, “That was definitely weird, right?”

Janus nodded, “Probably.”

The two of them were wary of the bread at first, but whatever fears they may have had were gone after the first bite. They silently decided the taste was because they hadn’t had fresh bread in years. But neither could remember even the freshest bread tasting so sweet.

Neither mentioned it but both felt full and surprisingly invigorated despite the small amount of food.

...

Within a few hours the camp was packed up, the wagon door was closed, and the group was on the move once again.

The weather wasn’t unpleasant and they even seemed to be making good time. That is until a loud thudding sound broke the silence.

Virgil and Janus had let themselves relax as their minds wandered with the shifting of the wagon. It wasn’t until they were suddenly flung into one corner that they realized something had happened.

“Ah what the fuck?” Virgil hissed.

“Sorry,” Janus told him as he attempted to pull himself away, “You alright?”

“Yeah, you?”

“I’m fine. My landing was a bit softer than yours.”

“Oh ha ha.” Virgil deadpanned.

“What’s going on?!” Saul boomed from somewhere ahead of the wagon, “Why are we stopped?!”

“My apologies, your Majesty, but a wheel has fallen off of the prisoners wagon. It doesn’t appear to be damaged, but we’ll have to stop for a while to fix it.” Someone standing nearby said.

“Well hurry up then!”

Janus and Virgil barely managed to get themselves upright by the time the door was opened. “Don’t get any ideas.” The soldier said as he unlocked the metal door.

“Come on we don’t have all day.” He grumbled when the two hesitated.

They shared a somewhat baffled look before Virgil moved to leave the wagon. His feet had barely touched the ground before he was grabbed by the collar and flung to the side, “Hurry up.” The man spat.

“Virgil!” Janus called when his friend hit the ground.

“I’m good.” He told him as he moved to stand up again. He was halfway up when a different soldier appeared next to him and pulled him to his feet. “The ground isn’t nearly as hard as the floor.” Virgil said when Janus joined him. Janus gave a sad smile in agreement.

While several people worked to put the wheel back, Virgil and Janus took the opportunity to soak in the feeling of the ground beneath their feet. It was so soft! And squishy! Even their bed mat was nothing compared to how comfortable the ground felt.

The soldiers were nearly done when the King road over to them on a large grey stallion. “How much longer?” He asked them.

“Almost done, your Majesty. It should be ready in just a minute.” One of them answered.

Saul nodded before turning his attention to Janus and Virgil.

Janus hated the way he looked at them. Normally it was somewhere between happy that he had taken over the kingdom and pissed that he and Virgil still existed. But now there was a bit of greed there too. By some miracle it managed to make Janus hate him more.

Virgil wished he could wipe that smug look off of Saul’s face. Preferably with a chair. But unfortunately he was not that brave and not that stupid. Also he was severely lacking in the chair department at the moment.

“The wagon is fixed, your Majesty. We are ready to continue when you are.” One of the soldiers informed.

“Good. Throw these two back in and let’s move on.” The king ordered as he turned his horse.

“Wait!” Janus said before Saul could leave.

The King paused to look at him but didn’t respond.

“Please, before we go any farther let Virgil go.”

Saul smirked, “Why would I do that?”

“Please,” Janus begged, “you don’t need him. Let him go, and let him live. I promise I will transfer the magic.”

“Why should I believe that? Besides, that scullery rat is good collateral. Why would I risk letting him go while he’s still useful?”

“I swear I will do whatever you ask. Just let him go free. Please.”

Virgil was sure Saul wasn’t actually considering letting him go. There was nothing to gain after all. He just wanted to toy with Janus. As soon as he started getting bored he’d laugh in their faces and they’d be back in the damn wagon.

Honestly he wasn’t sure whether or not to be relieved by that. On one hand he couldn’t escape, but that meant he wouldn’t have to leave Janus.

Virgil was startled out of his thoughts when Saul dismounted and walked over to them.

“Prove it.”

Janus blinked. What?

“Kneel.” Saul told him.

Janus spared a glance at Virgil who shook his head.

Despite his friends opposition Janus took a breath and dropped to one knee before bowing his head. “Please, your Majesty.” He tried again, “Let him go.”

The King’s lips curled into a cruel grin, “Kiss my boot.” He told him.

“Janus no!”

“Silence!” Saul commanded.

“Janus, don’t. Please.” Virgil begged him.

Janus closed his eyes. He hated him. God he hated Saul. He could live forever and never hate anyone more. But his love for Virgil was worth more than that hate. And his life was worth more than Janus’s own pride.

“Please, your Majesty,” he forced as he shifted to both knees.

“Janus...”

“Let my friend go free.”

Virgil couldn’t bring himself to watch. He closed his eyes and turned his head away. But that didn’t prevent the hushed laughter of the soldiers from reaching his ears.

“Someone grab a rope.” Saul ordered, “I believe we may be able to work something out.”

Virgil tried to ignore everyone and everything around him as he opened his eyes. He kneeled next to Janus and tentatively reached to grab his arm. Janus didn’t look at him.

“You shouldn’t have done that. We would’ve been ok.” Virgil choked before pulling him closer in a poor excuse for a hug.

“Just make it.” Janus told him as he attempted to hug back, “Go find that useless knight of ours and don’t look back. Please, Virgil.”

Virgil clung to him tighter, “I can’t just leave you like that.”

“You can and you will.” Janus told him, “Promise me, Virge.”

He wanted to promise. He did. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He couldn’t make that promise. He would stick to his plan and follow them. He couldn’t leave Janus behind. Not after everything.

“Please.” Janus begged.

But before Virgil even had a chance to reconsider he was pulled back by his hair. He attempted to cling to Janus, but was ripped away as if he hadn’t been holding on at all.

“Remove his chains and then tie him to a tree.” Saul ordered.

“What? No! Let him go! Please!” Janus yelled, “I did as you asked!”

“You did,” he agreed, “and I’m releasing him. Perhaps we can come back to check on him once we complete our little errand at the Delego.”

Janus watched as Virgil attempted to fight back against the soldiers trying to tie him up. All of a sudden he was eight-years old again. Being held too tightly by a man twice his size while his best friend fought tooth and nail just for the infinitesimal chance of escape. And once again he was too scared and too useless to do anything but cry and scream at the bad people to let him go.

The second the chains were off Virgil started swinging. He couldn’t let them tie him up. He wouldn’t stand a chance of helping Janus if that happened. He thrashed against the hands and ropes trying to get some sort of opening. He could vaguely hear Janus screaming something as the soldiers continued to close in on him with the rope.

Virgil sensed more than felt himself fall to the ground. He had to fight harder! They were gonna win and then they would take Janus away and he would never see him again.

He couldn’t move his arms anymore. His legs flailed harder, trying in vain to somehow prevent the inevitable. His legs were stuck now. Something was behind him- Wait something is by his face. He hears what sounds like a scream and his mouth fills with blood.

“Motherfucker!” The soldier who had attempted to gag him yelled when Virgil sunk his teeth into their hand. They quickly pulled their hand back and turned it into a fist.

“NO!” Janus screeched when Virgil’s head lolled to the side, “Virgil!”

“Little bastard.” The soldier spit on him as they clutched their injured hand.

“Remember your promise,” Saul said as Janus was pulled to his feet, “and then maybe we can come back and untie him.”

“You lying son of a bitch.” Janus spat.

He felt a blinding pain as the back of Saul’s hand landed against his face.

“We’ve wasted enough time.” Saul announced, “Let’s get moving.”

“Virgil!” Janus yelled as he was dragged back towards the wagon, “I’ll come back for you! I promise!”

The door was slammed shut and the wagon began to move.

~~~~~~NOTES~~~~~~

Good news: Virgil is no longer in immediate danger. Bad news: He’s unconscious and tied to a tree... Also Janus is still in immediate danger.

Y’all. I SWEAR there is going to be happier chapters. But we gotta get some of the bad stuff out of the way first. Next chapter might have some nice stuff but yeah. Don’t hold your breath for fluff.

#The Lost Prince #ts Sides #Sanders Sides #ts Janus #ts Virgil #brain dead writes

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sumeshi-t · 4 years ago

Text

hinata shoyou x reader | hanahaki x reincarnation au; a chaotic mix of fluff, crack, and angst.

song: lifetime by ben&ben

beta-ed by @bubbleteaa and @taeiliee iloveyou both always <3

i. 》 ii.》 iii.

*:･��✧ “Glimpse of me and you—oh, you were a good dream,” ✧･ﾟ: *

“LN Group’s Heir, getting close and personal with volleyball rookie?”

The headline was on the news, accompanied by blurred photos of you and Hinata together after his games, or of you two leaving the same car entering the same restaurant. Currently, you were sitting behind a large desk in your office, leaning comfortably against the leather, having your morning coffee.

“Director,” your secretary began, perhaps about to ask you for your next step.

“Let the media talk. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind me dating someone months after mourning?” you answered nonchalantly, savoring the bittersweet taste on your tongue.

“But what about… the suitors, FCU Corp’s—”

“This conversation is over. I don’t want to waste my time over the boring sons of CEOs. They cut ties with me and they lose everything they have. Understood?” you don’t spare your secretary a glance as you dismissed him, before proceeding to look through the stack of documents on your desk.

You would occasionally cough as you worked, but not to the point wherein you can’t handle being in a conference. Your condition hasn’t been better, for what once were just coins, were now being accompanied by bills. You decide to collect the money that you vomit out, at least put the ill-gotten fortune to good use by donating to charity or using it for tips.

Soon as you signed the last project proposal, your phone vibrates against the glass of your table. You peek, and you wondered if it was the coffee that made your heart skip a beat. You put your pen down first, then, slowly reply, “Can I call?”

“…sure,”

One, two, five rings later, Kenma picks up.

“So… you’ve heard the news,” you speak first, twirling your seat to face the glass walls overlooking the city.

“Yeah… I thought you were just sponsoring Hinata,” you hear the sound of a game in the background as you waited to see if he was going to continue. You felt somehow disappointed when that was all he said.

Did he believe the news? Was he jealous? Why was he concerned? Your brain was screaming these questions but all you gave him was silence. And this, he notices; so he replies, “Well, if it’s true, just… don’t mess up I guess.”

This wasn’t the response you wanted but it was better than nothing. With that thought, you sighed, finally regaining control of yourself. “Hopefully, I won’t. Have you asked Hinata-san about it?”

“Hm? Not really,” a pause and then, a soft chuckle. “For someone dating, you’re still so formal. But I guess that’s just how you are, y/n.”

Soon after that, Kenma drops the call to resume his own schedule.

Your face was flushed from how soft you felt inside. Not only did you get to hear Kenma’s little laugh, but perhaps this development was one step to reaching your goal. You immediately text Hinata about this milestone you’ve attained, before going back to work.

A few hours later, around half-past four in the afternoon, you received a text message and all you could do was gasp.

“I’m near the café, y/n-san! See you!”

It was Hinata. And you were confused why he would tell you that, until you scrolled up a little and saw that text you sent from that same morning: “Hinata-kun! I think it’s working, let’s meet at the usual and celebrate!”

Since when… did you type that? You only planned to tell him about the phone call. Well, you could also just cancel, say that you’re working overtime after a five-hour meeting. It was an easy excuse, an easy way out of this mess you didn’t seem to remember doing. However, as your thumb hovers over the send button, you feel your breath shorten, brows furrowing, and with a sigh you drop your phone on the table.

“Alright, I’ll see you there,” sent.

You quickly finish up your work for the day: reviewing your own schedule for tomorrow, making one last trip to one of the director’s involved in tomorrow’s meeting, and giving your secretary any last reminders or errands.

You drove your way to the antique café—the amount of times you’ve done so made it feel like a routine for you. This was your favorite place; you basically knew the owners already. But lately, it seems as though you had something, someone to look forward to. You feel your lungs constrict, seeing an image of Hinata’s face in your head—you thought you were about to spit out another set of bills and coins, but you didn’t. It was a good thing you were at a stoplight, or else you’d have stepped on the brake in the middle of an intersection.

As you crossed the street and arrived at your destination, you couldn’t help the feeling that in some way, you were still stuck in that intersection. Was this the right way? Should you have taken a U-turn at a different street? But then, brakes existed. You remember you have brakes; so you can always stop and go back anytime you feel lost.

For now, you choose to wander the winding road and see where it takes you.

The chimes ring softly as the door hits against them when you enter.

Your eyes scan the place, and yet can’t seem to find the guy you were looking for. You whip out your phone, already mid-text when a paper plane flies idly and drops by your feet, getting caught in your periphery.

Putting your phone back in your pocket, you bend down to pick the paper plane up. You didn’t even see the direction where the plane came from, and curiosity was getting the best of you. You flip one of the folds, unraveling the tiny origami in your delicate hands.

“Coffee?” The word, rather, invitation was scribbled in a mediocre way—definitely written by a man trying to pick up girls in poor taste. You looked around you again and spotted a cute girl just near you. So, you check the note once more, and notice how awfully familiar the strokes of every letter were.

You blinked once, twice, and, somehow kept seeing images from a time so long ago; you don’t remember this happening before so how do you have memories of this certain encounter? You feel your head pounding, heart racing, as your legs took you to the source of it all, hiding behind the counter.

“Hinata-kun,” ah, what’s this, why were you smiling?

The ginger male smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as he faced you with cheeks blushed. The staff simply watched on, with amused snickers and teasing looks on their faces.

You hand him the note with a raised brow, “You missed,” you say as you nod your head towards the girl you saw earlier. Hinata chuckles, and the sound seems awfully familiar, in this awfully familiar place and moment; it felt so right, so fitting—

It feels like finally coming home.

“N-Not really,” he stutters, before handing you your porcelain mug, the mug you always used, with tiny little flowers you yourself hand-painted. The smell of freshly brewed coffee reached your nose, and as your hands touched when you were taking the mug from him, you feel a surge of warmth that no coffee you’ve had before has given you.

You gasp when you look into his eyes, and all you could see was how his lips moved when he nibbled on them, how his hair was ruffled, how his nose wrinkled at the end of his sentence. You’ve seen all of this before that you knew what he was going to say.

“I don’t drink coffee, but if it’s with you I don’t mind!”

“You don’t drink coffee, but if it’s with me you won’t mind,”

The two of you say at the same time, and you had to blink twice—you could have sworn you just saw him wearing a checkered top over baggy jeans. His laugh was first to break the tension between you, and you managed to calm down a bit, especially at seeing him in his jersey jacket again.

Hinata looks more amazed than surprised at what just happened, eyes wide in fascination at his deduction— “y/n-san, is that part of your, er, sickness? Because if it is, that’s so cool!”

You also wanted to ask yourself that. The book your predecessors made never mentioned anything about these dreadfully clear episodes of déjà vu. His question was left unanswered, as the old gramps, the owner of the café, went out of the kitchen to thank Hinata for his help, and to tell you two to get to your table already.

For the rest of your date, you try to get your mind off the memory—the memory of Hinata Shoyou that wasn’t yours but seemed like they were.

Wait… date?

“I’ll do even better, y/n-san! If… if you like, you can watch the next practice match and we can… go on an obvious date again! Oh! Kenma is a Youtuber too right? What if… we…?”

Ah, that’s right. There was no need to fret. Hinata Shoyou is your “boyfriend” after all. It was right to call it a date. So were all your previous meet-ups considered a date? You’ve never been to one before, so how would you know?

You couldn’t focus on anything but on the way Hinata made you feel both on edge and at peace. Perhaps, it was the coffee; you’re drinking too much lately that’s why you’re so easily flustered. Blame the caffeine. Blame the caffeine. It’s just the caffeine in your veins��

“That’s genius! I’m in! Besides, I can promote projects that way too; kids these days like that, gossip, and advocacies,” you end with a chuckle, before taking a fork to stab at the slice of your favorite cake.

Hinata’s smile softened, and he released a silent chuckle, just looking at you from across the table. The yellow dim light casted shadows over the curves of your face, highlighting your best features. In his eyes, you will always be a porcelain doll, fragile and precious, which he vowed to protect with his own heart even if he knows you wouldn’t accept it—accept him.

“y/n… you should smile more,” his usual energetic tone was gone. He said it so gently, sweetly, sincerely—you might as well follow his words and believe the next, “You look better when you do,” he grins at you before drinking his own more-milk-than-actual-coffee.

He still has more things to say, and honestly, even if he was happy being with you, he couldn’t help but worry about himself. A part of him wishes that Kenma would just finally reciprocate your love, because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could have full control over his own emotions.

But the thought of that puts him in pain brought about by sadness —he surely didn’t want to lose Kenma but Hinata knows he couldn’t bear life if he was to lose you too.

The two of you spent the rest of the night chattering over your upcoming plan of creating your own little couple vlog, all the while your minds and hearts were both beginning to sway uneasily, without even knowing you two were starting to test new waters.

As you laid in bed that night, you were more preoccupied by the date and the images that flashed before you, than at the slim possibilities of Kozume Kenma being jealous.

You didn’t seem to notice that, for the first time in months, money and blood never slipped out your lips and you were able to enjoy an uninterrupted sleep.

That night, you were able to dream. But the subject of your dreams wasn’t the man you were truly dreaming for when you were awake. Even in your subconscious, Hinata Shoyou managed to infect his way through, he was like a new disease that has just started to grow. He was a disease that you peculiarly welcomed into your life, without knowing at the time that he could possibly be the cure.

Just like on that date, you keep seeing him from a timeline wherein you weren’t alive. The most confusing part was how you were still able to see you. And that you were the one talking to him. Distant memories of old, it was similar to skimming through an antique cinematic clip of a romcom—

“I’m sorry, y/n-san… I can’t,”

“Are you telling me that it’s my fault for falling for you, Shoyou?”

“But there’s already someone else,”

“And you’re loved in return?” you feel the urge to puke when Hinata Shoyou turns his back and walks away without an answer to satisfy you. It was too painful, your chest tightened, eyes red from held back tears, and soon, there were drops of blood on the floor below you, with coins following soon after.

You retch blood and coins all over your sheets, at five in the morning. This was the fifth time you’ve seen that dream turned nightmare and you didn’t know which haunted you more: was it a premonition or was it nothing but a reminder?

As the maid cleaned your sheets for you, you take note of how you’ve reverted back to vomiting nothing but a few measly coins. Perhaps you were getting better. But then, why has Kenma not told you anything that would hint you of his feelings? Was it because you were with Hinata? Was it time to finally end things with the ginger-haired man?

This is what you were aiming for… right?

Suddenly, you weren’t so sure.

cheese cult: @akaashichigo @drainedjaz @haikkeiji @annalyn-annalyn @sosugasweet @cali-writes-sometimes @simping4ratsumu @shishinoya @ushiwakaa @akaashit-baeji @kxgeyamasmilk @agaassi @hanibuni @cupofkenma @kawanisshi @milkandc00kiez @thiccbokuto @shinsukestan @sufiawrites @wakaitoshi @skyguy-peach @fern-writes-ig @briswriting @kawaiikraykray @bubbleteaa @miyuswriting @raevaioli @ouikarwa @hakueishirei @pineapplekween @estherwritess @keiji-n @achoohq @badlywritten-hq @mochibeaa @oinkanna @chxrry-wxne @spudicide @airybby @asranomical @karmasuna @nekoglasses

gen. taglist: @yams046

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anryuuepic · 5 years ago

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“Alright favorite Daryan Noble family?“

---

Alright! :D The first thing to explain is that there are five “major” noble households in the Daryan country. Each has their own history and role, and, as is the pattern of most important Daryan families, there’s a main line and “branch” members who are only barely considered to be part of the family. The main line is passed along through inheritance, and bloodlines are highly valued. However, birth order isn’t always a factor in who the next family head is, and it’s frequent to choose from the children based on who’s the most capable.

Now, for the five families for me to pick from...

ENDROSHAN

-The oldest still-thriving Noble family in the Daryan country. The Endroshans are known for being absolutely massive. The (highly secret) reason behind this is that they’ve been breeding with Giants, a sub-species of Dzlethians) for centuries. If the child comes out looking more like a Giant, the Giants keep it. If it passes for Daryan, the Endroshans keep it.

The Endroshans are trusted greatly by the royal family, mostly due to their long history of cooperation and loyalty. While they are fairly loyal in the present day, the Endroshans do have goals of their own, and are in it for their own gain in the end. They’re powerful and respected, with a long, complex history of high positions and successful members.

FLEETEWOOD

-The oldest functioning Noble family. They’ve been around in some form for over 1,000 years (just slightly before the Endroshans), but are quickly on the path to collapse, mostly due to lack of money, poor birth rates, and casualties in the Daryan-Dzlethian war. By now, their head is desperate to stay relevant, and will do anything to make sure that her family isn’t lost to the sands of time. Unfortunately, they’re kind of bound to die out soon.

SYLVIUS

-Overall a relatively new family. They originated from the Scarab tower’s people, and as such, have strong connections to magic in general. They fulfill roles of communication and support with the royal family, and are one of the major connections between the royals and the Scarab. The Sylvius are highly proud of their accomplishments-- perhaps a bit more than they should be. With a history as short as theirs, it’s yet to be seen whether or not they’ll make it. The next heir to the main family, though, is kind of a force of nature.

RATCLIFF

-A large family that came into power via the simple method of aggressively kissing up to the royal family until they got somewhere. They’re not exactly liked by anyone, least of all the royals, but are valued for the strong and capable people they produce. Historically, a supplier of strong, well-trained soldiers and officers during the war, which drastically improved their situation. However, their last generation was kind of a failure, leaving the new head to aggressively try to get into the royal family’s good graces again.

The current head, Maxime, pumped out eight kids, then offed her husband in an “accident” in order to take full control. The Ratcliffs have always been sort of sneaky and definitely a little disturbing in their practices, but Maxime is really surpassing any previous heads with her behavior. The only thing keeping them in power is the prospect of strong people from Maxime’s breed.

ST. JOHN

-A brand-new noble family who only rose to power in the past generation. The main reason for this being that the head of the family, Virgil, was a soldier who somehow managed to get close to the Daryan king, Aracaan, during the war. When Virgil and Aracaan became friends, Aracaan elevated Virgil’s family for no reason other than to reward him for his loyalty. Overall, Aracaan considers the St. Johns to be close friends and worthy allies.

This is why the eldest child and only son of the St. Johns, Luka, was engaged to the Daryan crown princess, and thus destined to be the future king. Unfortunately, Luka was killed in the war before he and the crown princess could marry, and with no other sons to offer, the St. Johns were out of a chance at the crown. That said, Virgil’s close relationship with Aracaan continues, and the St. John family is considered to be very close to the royals even now.

. . .

Now, as for my favorite of the five... it’s either the Ratcliff or the St. John, I think! o3o I like the Ratcliffs because they’re a thousand levels of fucked-up, and everyone knows how much I love fucked-up... but the St. Johns are just... good. Luka was a good kid, and he’s a character that I really love, even though I killed him off years ago. Soooo yeah it’s a tie between the two! Ratcliffs get a spot because of how disturbing they are, and I just love the St. Johns~

#Character Info #Culture #Daryan #Endroshan Family #Fleetewood Family #Sylvius Family #Ratcliff Family #St John Family

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diveronarpg · 6 years ago

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Congratulations, HARRY! You’ve been accepted for the role of HAMLET. Admin Jen: Ah, Harry, you can’t imagine the sheer thrill I felt while reading your application. In general, we were very excited to see Hassan but more than anything, we were excited to see a genuine understanding of him as he is such a nuanced character. And you gave us everything we were looking for and more! I could really feel your passion for Hamlet as I read and that was the main factor that amplified your portrayal and made Hassan’s voice shine. I could sense the connection you’ve felt towards him - especially in the interview which made it such a delightful sight to behold. Your analysis of his mannerisms was brilliant and I was so in love with the way you portrayed the eloquence in his speech and the way he vocalized his thoughts. I’m so enamored by your take on him! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

Out of Character Alias | Harry Age | 18 Preferred Pronouns | They/them Activity Level | I’m a full-time college student with a job and am involved with student government. However i love Shakespeare more than anything so I’ll be on literally whenever possible. Timezone | MST Current/Past RP Accounts | pucky-goodfellow.tumblr.com (the group has recently closed so my activity there has stalled however I still adore the character and the way I wrote him. It’s a lot more dialogue heavy than I imagine my writing for this being as well) In Character Character | Hamlet What drew you to this character? | Hamlet is a character that has always been torn in more directions than any man could survive and it’s this aspect that was really emphasized in the skeleton that brought me in. I feel like this particular version of Hamlet is a fusion between Prince Hal from Henry IV and the Hamlet Shakespeare originally penned. Instead of focusing on the events that occur in the source material, the skeleton takes those same things that drove the play to happen and builds upon them. What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? |

Blood and Loyalty: The same pleading in Hassan’s heart that begs him to avenge his father also begs him to not abandon the mob. A requested hit sends Hassan into an emotional tailspin where the two desires of his heart collide in spectacular fashion, threatening to burn the young heir into a shadow of himself.

What to do? What to Say?: Not all problems can be solved with a clandestine knife to the ribs, no matter how much Hassan wishes. An impossible choice is presented to him, where innocence could die no matter which choice he makes. The bottles are piling high and he’s no closer to a solution. What on Earth should he do?

The Weight of the Past: It wasn’t easy for Hassan to get where he is now. He blazed his own path, using only his father’s name, the bottle, and an will stronger than iron to send him into such a powerful position. But getting here wasn’t easy, and the past has come to enact its toll. The deeds Hassan has tried so hard to bury have returned, and this time, threaten to drag him down with them.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | Yeah, I’m completely ok with that. It could be very interesting! In Depth TWs for torture, death, violence, and alcoholism. In-Character Interview: What is your favorite place in Verona?

Hassan was in a chair no more regal than any other, but he sat in it like it was a throne. “I seem to think you believe this to be a difficult question,” Hassan pondered as he fixed the small interviewer with a calculating look. “And I don’t know why.”

He let the silence hang from the heavy tapestries like a bad omen, before he cracked that infamous smile known for putting allies and victims at ease all at once. “The family I serve has an excellent library,” he lightly joked. “And sometimes the tangled mess of my mind needs to quietly work itself out without outside interference.”

Hassan left his statement at that, choosing to allow his words to create the image of a man in quiet contemplation surrounded by the knowledge of others. He hadn’t lied, per say, but he did omit that his most frequent companion in that library was a bottle. What does your typical day look like?

He laughed. The sound was completely devoid of mirth and was only a laugh by the barest of definitions. “You do know what I do, what I control?” He laughed again. It was as cold as the last one. “There is no such thing as a typical day for a captain of the Montague family. Yes, I wake up and eat twice a day. But the time that fills those few constants is as variable as is possible in this world.”

“Why, before I came here, I tortured a man for information on a plot I think he might be planning. I haven’t the concrete proof yet, but I know it’s there, somewhere.” Hassan leaned forward, bearing down on the person across from him like an angel of death waiting to whisk away some unlucky soul.

“Yesterday, however?” He questioned without pausing for an answer. “Yesterday I was in meetings from dawn until dusk, hearing about more problems than I can possibly ever address. I wasn’t even allowed a bottle to help paint the problems into clarity. I was pointed to an impossible mess of problems and told to fix them.”

He shook his head. “And how can I fix them? I cannot look at them with clear eyes when possibilities tie themselves into knots in front of me.” Anxious fingers whirled around the man’s head as he tried to convey the chaos held inside.

“And so it is each and every day,” Hassan says. “I cannot escape the tasks given and I cannot fix the problems that arise with those tasks.” He tried to smile, though it was a desperate thing. “How can I have a typical day when each dawn is lost among the problems that arise from it?” What has been your biggest mistake thus far?

Hassan stiffened and stared at the interviewer with a cold gaze. “I fail to see why this is relevant information to you and whatever publication you represent.” His fingers itched for the knife hidden in his boot and Hassan was forced to tighten his hands on the armrest to avoid planting it into the person across from him.

He took a deep breath. And then he took another just so his body stopped itching with the desire to spill blood. There is a time and a place for every action, Hassan reminded himself. This is neither the time nor the place.

“I will tell you,” Hassan slowly says to the person across from him. “But this is on a strictly confidential basis. If you spread this, you will regret it.” He cracked his neck, the sound sharp in the heavy air of the room. And then he opened his mouth and began.

“I was sixteen when this happened. I had been successful enough that my father thought I could be trusted to conduct a full investigation into a series of protests that had disrupted trade.” Hassan snorted, the sound shocking in its unusuality. “The Itani family has an odd training program, I won’t deny that.”

The sudden flood of mirth fades as quickly as quickly as it comes. “I won’t give you the gory details. Not for my own sake, but for the person I got killed. I was wrong, you see, and a girl close enough to be like a sister to me paid the price. I visit her grave as often as I can, and I tell her what’s happening around Verona. It can help lay things into an order I wasn’t able to see by myself.” A small smile briefly flew across Hassan’s face. It was heartbreaking in its intensity and pulled at the heartstrings of whomever saw it before it was quickly crushed under the heel of steel control. “The dead are also the best secret-keepers we have. It would be a waste to not utilize that skill.” What has been the most difficult task asked of you?

Hassan looked blankly ahead, fixing the wall with a heavy gaze. Despite his silence, his mind spun, trying to create an answer that could both tell the truth and keep his secrets tucked away in their dark closet. The answer was there, heavy on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t know if he wanted this stranger, this invader, to look into his carefully-ordered life and pick it apart as was no doubt inevitable.

“You know this answer. It’s unavoidable for someone in your position, but perhaps I shall tell you the story anyways. It is no doubt better than letting you listen to the rumors that fly low and heavy across this city.” He fixed the person across from him with a glare. “If you tell anyone of this, just as if you tell anyone of the previous question, I shall know. And I can only promise that you will be very sorry.”

He sighed, intensity lost as soon as it came. He was slumped in his chair and tried to ignore his fingers and heart that itched for a bottle.

“I was always destined for the throne I hold, and though it causes me pain each time I sit upon it, I cannot help but find comfort in it. But there are no true kings, not anymore, so I could not simply expect my father to hand me this position. This is why when I was asked to kill a boy, I couldn’t say no.”

“I was thirteen when my father called me into the office and told me it was time to prove I was an Itani. There was a boy who was spreading lies about the Montague family. Usually, my father would have let this slide. But this boy was smart, and he knew exactly how to use words to paint the exact picture he wanted. And worse, he was gaining traction.”

“He said he hoped I’d be able to take care of the problem before he was forced to bring it to Lord Montague’s attention. He handed me a picture, a name, and a knife, and told me to take care of it.”

“I found the boy’s family before I found him. I claimed I was an admirer of his work and they joyfully pointed me to where he conducted his work. I entered that broken-down building, unfit though it was for rat and beast. The boy looked up at me with green eyes alight in passion. Those same green eyes quickly faded and I lunged forward and buried my knife into his throat.”

“He couldn’t say much, not as he bled out on that filthy floor. But I held him as he passed, and I couldn’t help the gentle song that poured from my lips.”

Hassan shuddered, rubbing his arms as if he can stave off the scent of blood that still haunted his nose. He composed himself after a brief moment, spine so straight it seemed likely to snap.

“It wasn’t until afterwards that I learned the boy was a month older than I was at the time. His name was Ali and he carried a locket with the photo of his younger sister inside.” A wry smile twisted Hassan’s handsome face. “I send her money each month, posing as Ali. I don’t think she’s figured it out yet. As far as she knows, he moved to a different city to pursue a lucrative career as an author.” The smile shifted into something tragic as Hassan continued.

“I still have the locket, you know. I couldn’t give it back to the family without incriminating myself. So it’s currently tucked away in an old trunk that hasn’t been opened in years. Maybe one day I’ll be able to decide what to do with it.” What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues?

Hassan rolled his eyes. It was the first display of the man under the shell of the captain that the interviewer saw. It was a shame that the interview was so near its end. “I am hardly surprised, though the fact that it has come to this causes me no small amount of pain.”

He leaned forward, fingers steepled and legs crossed as he tried to convey his beliefs without spilling any secrets. “I cannot tell you why it doesn’t surprise me, but even a citizen such as yourself must know that the tensions that have frayed the bonds of friendship and loyalty had to eventually reach a boiling point.” A brief flicker of sorrow sneaked across Hassan’s brow. “I am truly sorry it was Alvise that served as the catalyst for the fire we now find ourselves in. But we cannot allow the past to cloud our vision, as difficult as that may be. We must simply survive.” Extras:

It’s not my playlist, but the Spotify playlist Hamlet; The Fresh Prince of Denmarkdid not stop playing through the entire writing process of this app.

#accepted: hamlet #accepted

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undertale-rho · 4 years ago

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Underearth: Book 5 - Chapter 2

Calibri's eyes slid open; a bitter-cold wind wailing against the sides of the house as snow fell from the chimney. Calibri let his eyes slide closed again, though shot them open upon remembering the events of the last World.

Immediately, he shot upwards, focusing magical energy into his hand as his feet touched the wooden floor of the cabin. In the center of his palm, a small glowing white orb appeared. Calibri then closed his eyes again, though the room around him was still in his sights, albeit monochromatic, his vision now heavily obscured by his hand and his face.

Rising upwards, the orb began to fly around the room, Calibri's vision keeping pace. As it continued to fly, he opened his eyes; his vision now mixed with what lay in front of him, and what the orb obtained. Once calibrations were complete, the orb shot up the chimney and towards the Citadel, specifically the closest tower.

With the orb away, Calibri pulled a diaphone stone—a small ornamented rock attached to a string—from his pocket and poured more magical energy into it. Receiving the energy, it began to glow light blue. A few seconds later, the blue darkened to a more modest blue.

"Sans." Calibri said.

"What? What's going on?" a voice came from the stone.

"I need to talk to you, in person. It shouldn't take long."

The stone went dark.

"What is it?" Sans asked after appearing in the center of the cabin.

"A RESET has just happened."

"A RESET!? But I still remember everything you told me last time."

"That's because the power to RESET has moved on to somebody else, setting a new point as its basis. Everything I told you a couple weeks ago still holds true, except for the part regarding Flowey and time of RESET."

Sans sat down at a nearby table, pulling a hotdog out of his pocket. "Alright, so who has it now?" he asked, taking a bite.

"A Human."

Sans choked upon hearing these words. "A Human? Here?"

"Yup. Don't rush yourself too hard, I'm currently searching the Royal Watchtower for them now."

Sans swallowed, then looked down at the ground. "How long have they been here?" he asked. "What have they done? Are they... as bad as Flowey?"

Calibri took a deep, thoughtful breath. "No." he said. "No, they're alright. As for how long they've been here, I wanna say... seven Runs, maybe. This one would probably make the eighth and, hopefully, final."

"Sounds like you two got to know each-other in one of the previous Runs. Anything I should know?"

Calibri gave Sans a reprehensive look. "No, nothing too important." he said. "You two did become close friends in a previous Run, though."

Sans chuckled at that statement.

"I'm serious." Calibri reinforced. "This Human even went out of their way to befriend our brother, Papyrus, and even Undyne."

"They befriended Undyne? No, that's impossible. Undyne hates Humans more than anything else in this world. I can't think of a single thing that could possibly change this."

"What about Papyrus establishing the befriending of a Human as a great challenge?"

Sans looked back at Calibri. "You're kidding."

"Nope. It was actually quite entertaining to watch. Especially when Undyne actually took him up on that challenge and ended up blowing her house up again."

Sans began laughing. "Wow, that definitely sounds like Undyne."

"Indeed." Calibri said, his smile dropping as soon as an anthropomorphic goat climbed through an opening in a purple wall. "I've found them." he said, shifting the tone of the room again. Flying through the hole, Calibri found a Human standing distracted, staring at a nearby wall. He was unarmed, even lacking the leather gauntlets Calibri had last seen him in. Shooting past his face, the Human began looking around for the orb of light that had passed but moved on when nothing came from his brief search.

"Alright, it looks like we may be in the clear." Calibri said, his vision orb keeping close watch from a distance on the Human.

Calibri, focusing back on where he was, looked over to Sans. "While we wait for more information, could you tell me the story of the Prince and the Human? It's been some time since I last heard it."

Sans was taken aback by this strange request. Despite not knowing his brother's mind, he didn't raise question.

"A long time ago," Sans began, "a Human fell into the Citadel. Injured by its fall, the Human called out for help. Asriel, the King's son, heard the Human's call. He brought the Human back to the castle. Over time, Asriel and the Human became like siblings. The King and Queen treated the Human child as their own. The Underground was full of hope. Then... One day... The Human became very ill. The sick Human had only one request. To see the flowers from Ochyro, their village. But there was nothing we could do. The next day, the Human died. Asriel, wracked with grief, absorbed the Human's SOUL. He transformed into a being with incredible power. With the Human SOUL, Asriel crossed through the Barrier. He carried the Human's body into the sunset, back to Ochyro. Asriel reached the center of the village. There, he found a bed of golden flowers. He carried the Human onto it. Suddenly, screams rang out. The townspeople saw Asriel holding the Human's body. They thought that he had killed the child. The Humans attacked him with everything they had. He was struck with blow after blow. Asriel had the power to destroy them all. But... Asriel did not fight back. Clutching the Human... Asriel smiled and walked away. Wounded, Asriel stumbled home. He entered the palace and collapsed. His dust spread across the garden. The Kingdom fell into despair. The King and Queen had lost two children in one night. The Humans had once again taken everything from us. The King decided it was time to end our suffering. Every Human who falls down here must die. With enough SOULs, we can shatter the Barrier forever."

"I see..." Calibri said, a hand stroking his chin. "Thank you..."

Sans watched Calibri with interest throughout the story. "You look troubled." he said.

"Yeah... just a little bit."

Calibri then stood up, approaching a bookcase in the corner. From the bookcase, he pulled out an old patchwork book and brought it over to the table which Sans sat at, and sat down himself, opening it up.

"Anything you wanna tell me about? Maybe I could help."

"Gimme a few seconds, Sans." Calibri flipped through the pages.

The two sat in silence for a time, the only sounds were that of the wind outside, and the flipping of paper. After a bit, Calibri closed the book and placed it flat against the table.

"Do you know when that story was written, and by who?" Calibri asked.

"Uh... sometime after the heirs died, by Asgore I think."

"Right. So then that begs the question; how trustworthy is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"According to this personal account of those times," Calibri pointed to the old book, "things don't exactly add up all that well. Simply thinking about it brings up some holes as well. Firstly, how the use of 'castle' and 'palace' are used as they are, though this could just be the difference in timeframe between when Chara fell and when she died. Another problem that arises from this, though, is the fact that the Palace wasn't right next to the exit at this time. It was where the Oldtown Palace is right now, which is far from any exit, or entrance for that matter."

"You're saying that people should have seen Asriel leaving and returning, right? What makes you so sure they didn't?"

"The journals from the time only mention Asriel leaving, but not returning. This one," Calibri pointed at the old book again, "is from... Wing."

Sans twitched at the mention of that name. Calibri, understanding why, simply continued.

"Seeing as he was alive at the time, and even helped Asriel leave in the first place—according to his own account, it's a good resource to work from. Asriel just left one day, and next thing everyone knew, Asgore was saying that he too was dead. Being close friends with the King, Wing even got to visit where Asriel died, though the descriptions he gives are more poetic than helpful—as though he could actually feel sorrow. All I can tell is that it's most definitely not in the palace. My best guess is somewhere in Waterfall, but those caves are dark, and most haven't even been explored."

"Shame." Sans said, the lights in his eyes gone.

Calibri delved back deep into thought.

"Wait a second..." he eventually said.

"Figure something out?"

"Maybe... Do you remember the rainy area in Waterfall?"

"Kinda hard to forget. The area around Asriel Lake, right?"

"Yup." Calibri stood up. "Let's go there."

"What? Now?"

"Yeah now."

"What about the Human?"

Calibri closed his eyes. The purple hallways of the Citadel came back into focus. The Human was talking peacefully with a Froggit.

"They're good, don't worry about them." Calibri said, stretching his hand out to Sans.

Sighing, Sans took Calibri's hand and focused on Asriel Lake within Waterfall. Like the opening of a door, he sent himself through, pulling Calibri along with. Once on the other side, they both found themselves in the last bit of shelter from the rain surrounding and feeding the lake.

"Excellent!" Calibri said as he turned around and started making his way towards a rain-drenched statue. Sans simply followed after.

Once in front of the statue, Calibri kneeled down and stared at it. The upper surfaces of the statue had weathered away from centuries of rainfall.

"You don't think—" Sans started saying before Calibri shushed him.

Still staring at the statue, Calibri slowly brought his hand up over its chest, his eyes glowing red soon after. The statue, Calibri felt, was not regular stone. It felt as though it had been alive at some point before, though the only life within now seemed to be... asleep.

Calibri pulled his hand away.

"So... this was your fate, huh..." Calibri mumbled to the statue. "But what of Chara...?"

Sans simply watched with interest, making sure to not distract.

Calibri clapped his hands together, a red pulse of energy erupting from his compressed palms out into the surrounding caves. After a few seconds, he felt a presence—familiar, yet novel. Standing up, Calibri followed the thread of familiarity, which led him to a dead-end room with a piano in the corner.

"Sans." Calibri said. "What's beyond here?"

"A 'treasure room' for a puzzle Undyne set up, I think."

"Where'd she find the treasure?"

Sans shrugged his shoulders. "Nearby? She's not really the type to put a lot of effort into puzzles or their rewards."

"I see..." Calibri turned to face Sans again. "We need to go to the primary access corridor of the Royal Watchtower."

"Inside the Citadel? Why?"

"To pick up the Human, of course."

"Wha! Seriously?"

"Don't really have much time, Sans. He's getting ready to move on."

Sans grabbed Calibri's outstretched hand and opened a tunnel to within the Citadel, exiting into a long hallway with many pale-grey pillars lining the walls.

Once within, Calibri saw a rather unremarkable Human standing nearby—one who wore a blue sweater with two pink stripes running around its middle, and dark blue jeans.

Immediately, Calibri brought his white orb into the Human's view, summoning more to accompany the first. Once his attention had been captured, Calibri drew the orbs back to him, having them circle around Sans before dispelling them near his own hand.

Emergence : Inquisitor

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