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roguebox-writes · 2 years ago

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A God's Will - Chapter 2

Story Description: Being one of Il Dottore’s “projects” never ends. Even after he finishes his inhuman experiments, the only difference is now, Nadine must pretend to be what he made her to be, hiding that she regained control of her mind long ago. However, that becomes difficult when a traveler and his team show up in her life. Why do his teammates look familiar?

Word Count: 3748

Warnings: Posted on Main Page

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??? POV

As I stared at the wooden entrance that led into Angel’s Share, I couldn’t help but be filled with nervousness.

“What are you waiting for?” My floating companion snapped me from my worries.

“What if he says no?” I ask her.

“You won’t know until you ask him.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” I rolled my eyes at her before working up the courage to open the door.

The first thing I see when walking into the tavern is a familiar head of fiery red hair that lifts his head to greet us.

“Hi Master Diluc! Paimon didn’t know you were working tonight.” Paimon squealed.

"Aether." Diluc nodded in my direction from behind the bar, completely ignoring the floating pixie’s statement.

Paimon shouts "Rude!" after I shoo her away, cutting off her protests.

"I have a question for you if you don't mind.” I continued, “well, it's more of a request."

"No, I'm not giving you any free drinks." Diluc replied.

"That wasn't what I was going to ask... I was going to ask you if you would accompany us to Liyue, in search of my sister. I know you're busy with the tavern and protecting Mondstadt and-"

"I'll join you."

"That's alright, I don't wanna force you or- wait, what?"

Diluc’s eyes met mine for a moment, and I could’ve sworn that a flash of sadness graced his features, but just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

"I said I'll join you."

"Wow. Paimon thought that would be a lot harder than that." Paimon expressed.

Honestly, so did I.

“Well… Great!” I clapped my hands together. “I really appreciate it. Our next stop will be Liyue to attend the Rite of Descension to talk to the Lord of Geo. We’ll leave in the morning, so we’ll meet you tomorrow at the waypoint by the main fountain. We’ll see you in the morning!”

Before giving the redhead a chance to change his mind, I grab Paimon and dash out of the tavern as quickly as possible. I let out a sigh of relief as we walked to our next stop.

“Do you think we should’ve told him we also invited Kaeya?” Paimon asked.

"I'm sure it'll probably be fine... probably." I shrugged.

“Say probably one more time, and maybe Paimon will believe you.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

“Probably…” I added.

“Great. So, what are we doing now, Aether? Shouldn’t we be going back to the Inn to pack?”

“I want to say bye to Venti before we leave.”

Venti, also known as Barbatos, the God of Wind, was a good friend. After helping us deal with Davalin, things have been more peaceful in the City of Freedom. However, when I asked him about my sister, he told me he didn’t know anything about her whereabouts. I shouldn’t be surprised… It’s been so long since we’ve been separated; it’s not hard to believe that not many people will know where she is, but I can’t help but to hope that the Archons would know something.

I shook my head upon reaching the Statue of Barbatos outside the cathedral. I shouldn’t be thinking negatively. Venti is only the first Archon of seven that I’ve talked to. Undoubtedly one of them knows something about the unknown god that took Lumine…

Looking up at the Statue, a familiar green figure sat in the outstretched hands. Upon noticing our presence, Venti jumped down, forming a wind column to slow his descent to the ground.

"Aether, my friend! How are you faring today? Anything I can mend?"

"Hey, Venti! Actually, we just wanted to come to talk and say goodbye because we'll be leaving in the morning for Liyue.

"Ah, I see. Oh, how I wish I could accompany you, but alas, I must stay here and watch over Mondstadt... Then again, I suppose I'm not technically the Archon anymore, am I?" He chuckled at his grim words.

It had been over a year since Venti’s gnosis was taken by that rotten Fatui Harbinger. Thinking back on it, I can remember the feeling of utter helplessness as that woman struck him. The only thing I could never understand was why Venti didn’t fight back. The Archon had only stopped in his tracks upon seeing her. Was he afraid? The way her eyes glowed then sent chills down my spine even if I wasn’t the one on the receiving end of her wrath. I tried to ask Venti later what she had said to him when she took his Gnosis, but he told me it was merely a threat and that it didn’t matter. I still couldn’t tell if the lack of color in his face was due to his suddenly weakened state or what she said to him. I suppose I’ll never know.

"Perhaps I shall visit you in Liyue at some point along your journey." He snapped me out of my thoughts.

"That would be nice, Venti." I smiled at him.

“I only ask you promise to come back at some point.”

“Of course, we’ll come back, tone-deaf bard!” Paimon reassures him.

“I’ll hold you both to that, ehe.” Venti gave us a closed-eyed smile.

After talking with Venti for a while, Paimon and I bid our farewells to the bard in green. Promising we'll be back to visit.

First thing in the morning, Paimon and I waited by the waypoint above the town fountain. I watched the people of Mondstadt start their days. The merchants opened their shop while Sara from Good Hunder sold breakfast to those who had time to sit and eat in the morning. I wished longingly for some fisherman's toast, some sort of Mondstat food before we left, but we need to move on.

The sound of the two Fatui diplomats gossiping by the railing overlooking the fountain roused me from my thoughts.

"You know how the Rite of Descension is today, right? Well, did you hear that two of the Harbingers are now in Liyue?" The woman’s voice was hushed as she spoke to the man across from her.

"Wait, really? Two of them? Do you know which two?"

The fatui woman had just shook their head in response.

Two harbingers in one place? Maybe they're trying to get to the God of Contracts' gnosis next? That has to be it.

The sound of bickering shook me out of my thoughts to see both Kaeya and Diluc approaching Paimon and me, and boy, one of them did not look happy. Ten guesses who…

"Aether! You didn't tell me you invited the pirate."

Kaeya dramatically put a hand to his chest.

"Now, now, Diluc. No need for name-calling."

"Sorry I didn't tell you, but I knew you wouldn't accept if I had told you. We could really use your help." I pleaded with him, desperately hoping that he wouldn't back out now.

With a frustrated sigh, Diluc paused and looked between my pleading eyes and the cavalry captain.

"...Fine. Let's hurry up and get going, or we'll miss the ceremony."

Oh, thank the archons.

Without wasting any more time, the three of us, or rather three and a half, activated the waypoint that teleported us to a hill just before the entrance of Liyue.

"This'll be fun," Kaeya said, staring at the city.

No one's POV - Four hours earlier

An hour before the sun was to rise, Liyue welcomed the Harbingers into its harbor. Childe and Marz stepped through the waypoint that left them next to some Liyue restaurants.

The woman had to focus more than usual to keep her expected lifeless expression as she glanced at the city around her.

It's beautiful. So many lights and smells.

She thought to herself. The sun hadn't risen yet, so lanterns lit up the stone streets of Liyue Harbor. Marz’s eyes sparkled from the lights as she spun around, admiring the way orange and yellow leaves fell from trees around the city. It was a welcome change from the endless white of Snezhnaya.

"You like it? I know this is your first time here, as far as you know anyway." The Eleventh Harbinger had known his best friend well enough to read the emotion and excitement in her eyes, even though none of it appeared on her face.

"It's very... colorful." He knew that was her way of saying yes.

"Great! Well, follow me. We have a while before the ceremony, so we can head to my apartment and unpack, then go to the bank to decide how we plan on doing this."

The two walked through the streets of Liyue. The woman’s white braid flowed around as she couldn't help looking around her. Childe had purposely slowed down his pace so she could take in the city. He enjoyed seeing her happy, especially since that emotion didn't come to her easily.

There were so many things overloading her senses. Between the sailors and fishermen that she could hear at the docks in the distance, to the incredible smells that came from a certain restaurant the pair passed next to the adventures guild.

Marz stopped when the pair arrived at a building near the docks.

“Well, here we are. It’s not much, but it’s home.” Childe opened the door for her, allowing her inside.

She followed the small hallway before turning into the living room. It was cozy with a lot of fall colors that matched the Liyue theme. However, she could see pictures and small trinkets that were clearly from his homeland. Behind the living room there was a kitchen with an island that separated the living room and the kitchen.

“Follow me this way. The bedroom is down this hall.”

Childe led Marz into the bedroom, allowing her to unpack her bags. He cleared out a few of his drawers to allow space for the woman's clothing, even if she insisted she didn’t need that much space. All she had was her uniforms after all.

“How are you feeling? I know it’s been a while since you’ve been away from Snezhnaya.” Childe asked as he watched her fold her clothes neatly into the drawers he cleared for her while he leaned against one of the walls.

“Well, this is my first time being away from Snezhnaya since I’ve actually been awake…” She reminded him.

“That’s right… I forgot about that.”

A little over a year ago Marzanna stole the Anemo Archon’s Gnosis. Nadine wasn’t awake at this time, so she has no recollection of this happening. She just knows it did based on the things Childe has mentioned.

“It’s… strange,” Marz started. “It feels strange to not be watched all the time. Dottore isn’t here.”

“No he isn’t. Maybe that means we can actually do some things you enjoy while being here.”

“Things I enjoy? I don’t even know what that means.” She chuckled. “Besides, we are here to work, remember?”

“Please,” Childe merely scoffed. “We can still work. Plus you enjoy some things! You like singing, art, and reading. I’m sure we can explore other things while you’re here.”

“Ajax…” She sighed.

“Come on. We’ll be careful. No one will see.” He encouraged me.

Even if they were in a forgien land, that didn’t mean Marz wasn’t still afraid of being spotted doing anything that was unexpected of her. If she did anything out of character and word got back to Dottore… who knows what would happen.

“I’ll think about it…” She sighed, closing the drawer.

Childe smiled brightly at her. He knew she could never truly say no to him. Especially when she knew that all Childe really wanted was for her to be happy.

“Come on… Let’s head to the bank.” She grumbled under her breath, walking past him.

Arriving at the bank, the guards fumbled to bow to greet the two powerful and feared people, clearly surprised to see not only The Eleventh harbinger, but The Second as well.

Upon knowing who they were, seeing Tartaglia or Marzanna was scary enough, but seeing them together was terrifying to anyone who knew the pair, for hydro and cryo are quite a deadly combination.

If only one of the Harbingers knew a certain yaksha could sense her presence as soon as she had taken one step into Liyue.

In Liyue, there were beings known as Adepti. Divine beings that signed a contract with the Geo Archon Rex Lapis. They were contracted to protect the people who called Liyue home. Some were called upon for the same reason but at a higher price.

There was only one of those protectors remaining in Teyvat. The rest had fallen prey one by one to the darkness that they had fought against so long ago. Today, the last Yaksha, Xiao, continued to fulfill his contract as he observed a woman he’s never seen before from one of the many roofs in Liyue Harbor.

This doesn't make any sense. She's just a foolish mortal.

Xiao couldn’t make sense of the small figure he watched from a distance. Previously, he sensed a strong demonic aura from the city that appeared out of nowhere, but as he continued to follow the woman, nothing seemed out of place about her. She was a mortal; there was no doubt about that. Her white hair swayed in its braid as she walked side by side with a man the Yaksha had seen around Liyue a few times. He knew enough about mortal affairs to be able to tell their uniforms meant they were Fatui, but he couldn’t tell why their uniforms were different from the normal ones he’d seen.

Perhaps she had a run-in with some demons at some point or another.

Even as the Adeptus tried to convince himself of that, he knew it didn’t make any sense. Yet, he didn’t have a better explanation as to why he could sense her like he could sense demons.

Suddenly, the hair on the back of the Yaksha’s neck stood as the woman stopped in her tracks and snapped her head in his direction, making him teleport back to Wangshu Inn.

Marz’s eyes narrowed at the roof of one of the antique shops.

Someone was watching me.

She thought to herself. Marz’s senses were heightened, which made it easy for her to feel when someone’s eyes were on her… However, as she gazed at the roof, no one was there.

Childe turned when he realized his friend wasn’t next to him anymore. He returned to her side, raising an eyebrow at how she peered at the roofs of all the shops in the area.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yes. I'm okay, sorry." Marz returned her attention to the ginger.

"Well, are you coming, or do you wanna keep looking at agriculture?"

"Yes, yes, hush." Marz subtly rolled her eyes and continued walking to the ceremony site.

"I mean, it is a pretty interesting building." He teased as he followed.

The Harbingers blended into a crowd of people well despite their uniforms. They observed the area until something caught the ginger’s eye.

"Look over there."

Marz followed the direction he nodded, seeing a blonde man on the other side of the site, accompanied by some type of floating creature.

"You think that's the traveler that her majesty had mentioned?" Marz asked.

"I'm not sure, but considering I can't place where the clothing he's wearing is from, I think it's a safe bet to say yes."

Marz’s caramel eyes stayed trained on the man from afar. If the Tsaritsa herself warned them to stay alert to him, that meant he was dangerous in some way. Yet, Marz had a strange feeling as she continued to study him.

"I know him," Marz whispered to her partner.

"What? How?"

"I'm not sure, but I can't help but feel like I know him."

"You think you met him when she was in control?"

"I think that it's highly likely. If that's the case, it might be best if he didn't see me."

"Right. I think you should scout from one of the roofs. It'll make your part of the plan better anyway."

"Alright, I'll see you at the meeting point then."

Marz left her partner’s side and looked around for a decent spot to watch the ceremony. Eventually, she found a place on a roof that overlooked the site perfectly.

Finally settling on the roof, her mind couldn’t help but wander to the feeling she had gotten while walking with Childe. Marz knew that her instincts rarely failed her. Someone was definitely watching her; she was sure of it.

Her mind began to race. Was it Dottore? Perhaps he sent someone to watch her to ensure she was, as he put it, ‘working properly’ even when he wasn’t around.

Marz shook her head, stopping her spiraling thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to get worked up over something she wasn’t even sure about. Yes, someone was watching her, but that didn’t mean it had anything to do with Il Dottore.

The Harbinger was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the ceremony begin. Clouds gathered over the table they prepared for the Geo Archon, but the clouds overhead quickly turned dark. Marz didn’t think anything of it until she saw the face of the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. She could see how the woman’s eyes flashed between confusion and concern as she tried to figure out what was happening.

Before Marz or the Liyue Qixing could figure out what was happening, a dragon fell from the clouds with a large crash destroying the table it landed on. The crowd gasped and screamed in confusion, whispering amongst themselves. Even Marz found it challenging to keep her usually stoic expression as she stared at the scene with her mouth agape. She turned to find Childe in the crowd with a similar expression.

Childe shook his head, signaling that the plan was clearly not going to happen. Marz nodded her head once before leaping off the roof, hearing a voice that spoke the words no one wanted to hear.

"Rex Lapis has been killed! Seal the exits!"

She worried for Childe, who was still up there, but she trusted his abilities to escape without being seen. So, she continued to walk down the main street of Liyue Harbor until someone bumped into her.

"Oh pardon me, Miss-“ The man began apologizing until stopping abruptly.

Marz raised an eyebrow at the way his golden eyes seemed to pierce into her.

"It's alright, sir." She assured him.

Marz ignored how his eyes stayed trained on her back as she walked away from him, resuming her walk back to Childe’s house.

The man from before watched and observed her as she walked away from him before catching himself staring. He straightened his suit before continuing his own journey to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He knew today would be a busy day, but even so, his mind continued pondering on the aura surrounding the woman he bumped into.

Walking through the front door of Childe’s apartment, Marz tried to push down the worry that filled her that her friend wasn’t back yet.

She decided to put that aside for now. Perhaps he was still thinking of how to escape undetected? A sigh left her lips as she collapsed onto the couch in the living room.

He better not have gotten caught.

Instead of worrying about Childe, she decided to try and figure out what happened at the ceremony. Killing the Geo Archon was never a part of their plan. So she could rule out anyone in the Fatui doing it. As of right now, Childe and Marz are the only Harbingers in Liyue, which means that they have the highest ranking authority. So no one would dare do anything under their noses.

So who would have the motivation to kill a god?

At some point in her time waiting for Childe, Marz began to pace the room. It had been an hour since the ceremony, and he still wasn’t back yet. The woman started to contemplate if she’d rather do a strategic prison break or if she just wanted to go in and cut down anything that got in her way.

Her mind stopped spiraling when she heard the front door open. When Childe entered the living room, Marz let out a relieved breath she didn’t even know she was holding.

"Finally! You were stressing me out!"

"Aw, you were worried about me?"

"No,” Yes. “I just didn't wanna go through the hassle of breaking you out of prison. What happened?" She pressed.

"Well, I met the traveler."

"What? How?"

"He was trying to sneak away from the ceremony site, but the Millelith saw him, so naturally, being the good samaritan that I am, came in to get him out of there." Childe gave her a dramatic bow that she chose to ignore.

"I suppose this is good, right? You are getting on his good side."

"Yea, I'll be able to keep a closer eye on him, but we need to figure out what we're gonna do about the Gnosis. The Qixing have taken the Exuvia somewhere, and I'm sure wherever that is will be heavily guarded."

"Great. That just makes our job that much harder." She sighed.

The pair slumped on the couch with a huff. Both of their minds wandered to the day they had, and their thoughts ran, trying to devise a decent plan.

Childe thought of the traveler. Aether told him before that he was looking to speak with all of the Archons. Perhaps that could be an advantage for them.

Ajax was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Nadine rest her head on his shoulder. He chuckled at the action.

“Tired?” He teased.

“A bit. A lot happened today.”

“I’m pretty sure a god falling from the sky is an everyday occurrence.”

Nadine laughed at his joke.

“Actually, I’m used to gods falling from the sky only every other Monday. Today’s Thursday.” She smiled to herself.

“Ah… I can see how today could be considered shocking then.”

The woman hummed in amusement before closing her eyes, relishing in the warmth of her friend.

"You okay?" Ajax asked.

Nadine nodded, scooting closer to the man as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Good. Now rest; you need it."

That was the last thing Nadine heard before drifting off into a deep sleep.

#genshin impact #kaeya #kaeya alberich #diluc #genshin kaeya #genshin diluc #genshin aether #genshin xiao #genshin childe #genshin tartaglia #dottore #il dottore #genshin dottore #childe x oc #xiao x oc #genshin angst #genshin hurt/comfort #genshin fanfic #fanfic

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casper-the-rose · 2 years ago

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If you dont know what the movie Rock-A-Doodle is I'm offended

Anyhow here are some of my favorite quotes :)

Once upon a time,

back before I knew how to tie my shoes....

Oh my daddy taught me how to sing and that's why this voice means everything

Are we close? Are we near the city? Us Magpies are just made for the city.

-We are not looking for the city, we are looking for Chanticleer

Well he's in the city isn't he? Girls, they think they know everything. Why don't you run home, be a mousewife, make cheese.

My lisp elevates me and makes me a rare specimen

If I killed my nephew, would that be murder or charity?

You ever get that feeling when you're looking for something that it's right under your sniffer?

I know it seems crazy, but it was almost like we could hear his voice calling to us.

Chanticleer was a star, all right.

But it's hard to be happy without friends, even if you are famous.

I guess I'm just a little lonely, that's all.

-Lonely? Are you crazy?

-There's 20,000 people out there screaming your name, and you're lonely?

Must you bother me whilst I dine?

Oh, heavens! Where have you been all my life?

Lasagna ala pasta!

Look, he's lonely, he needs a friend. And that bad little kitty wants to steal him away.

You don't want that, do you?

That's why I'm treasure hunting

Treasure hunting For my love

You promise no one gets hurt?

-No one gets hurt.

-You just do the number, make him happy

Deep deep, the trouble you're in

I'll throw you to the sharks And you can't swim

Oh, and waiter? We asked for a light cola.

This stuff weighs a ton!

There was just one problem with their plan, of course,

Goldie was only supposed to pretend to fall in love

Love has said hello

You don't know

What that means

Really means to me

Enough mush. Let's go eat!

-Eat? How can you think of food at a time like this?

Lasagna!

[Goldie screaming like her life depends on it]

What happened?

-Ah, she's a woman.

Wh... What?

Oh, but King,

I got a lot of money tied up in this picture!

I don't want to lose my money, and you don't want to lose your friends.

-That's blackmail!

That's showbiz!

Also appreciation post for that one sexist magpie because lets face it he got me through my childhood

Also we stan Goldie. You're right girl you are too good for the chorus. Honestly this oddly sexy bird may or may not have been apart of my gay awakening.

#rock a doodle #Casper types things on the internet for all to see

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beautifulterriblequeen · 3 years ago

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B2:S - Chapter 5

Much of this series will be about the differences and additions in the novel version, and how they contribute to my understanding of story canon. But there will be character appreciation, the odd theory and headcanon, and suchlike as well.

Here be lots of Viren deets, Best Boy Soren deets, some writing/continuity stuff, worldbuilding appreciation and half of a theory, Detective Rayla, Moon Temple geeking, Claudium and dark magic, and more!

Spoilers for Book Two: Sky below.

(I know for darn sure that I wrote up a post for chapter 4, but I can't find it anywhere so I guess Tumblr ate it and I'll have to redo it at some point, but today is not that day)

Viren, my evil dude, my bad guy, coming in clutch with the worldbuilding and backstory again! If you want to know decades of information, you gotta talk to Viren. Or read his scenes, at least. Here, he seems to not sleep much when he has a big problem to analyze his way through. Solutions trump pretty much everything else in this guy's life, and he's had a really hard week with a lot of new and complicated problems. Of course he's getting sleep-deprived trying to find his way through them all.

Harrow put so much trust in Viren when he made him High Mage! He just threw himself extra hard at that Lady Justice blindfold, didn't he? Didn't really want to see what Viren was doing in his magic study, so he left Viren to his devices. And Viren has a lot of devices.

Also, this is fascinating: Viren made the secret passage to his "less official study" in Katolis Castle! And he was inspired to do so by the way his own mentor kept the Puzzle House. What else could a Puzzle House be, except a place with secret passages? Yay! secret headcanon that "the Puzzle House" is just "Katolis Castle" from Kid Viren's perspective tho

So either Viren built all of those passageways, or at least the ones to his dungeon. Which means he has to have, or know where to get, a stash of those glowing blue Moonshadow crystals. Hmmm.

I can't wait to learn more about Kpp'Ar and young Viren, btw. From this description of Viren and all his literal secret ways, it feels like another parallel between Viren and Runaan, with the whole "secretive paths, members only, insider knowledge" type stuff. Only the really cool members of this cult club get to know the secrets, and guess what, kid, you're cool now but you can never tell anyone, okay? Our secret.

Yeahhh, that'll never backfire in any way for either of them.

Kpp'Ar calling puzzles and secrets "man-made magic," though. Yes sir, knowledge is indeed power.

This chapter mentions Runaan by name, from Viren's perspective. Generally that would imply that Viren knows his name, even though assassins do not share their names, and Runaan didn't seem to give his to Viren in the first book. However, there was a scene in book one where the last paragraph switched perspective from Viren to Runaan - a technique that's very common in visual media like movies and shows and gives you that "ohoho they left the room and didn't notice this, but you do!" vibe. Using Runaan's name there in book one, where Viren couldn't see it but readers could, helps them keep track of the assassin's story arc while maintaining Viren's racism.

So in book two, in which Runaan has no onscreen scenes (alas), using his name in a scene that calls back to the events in book one helps us remember what happened in that dungeon cell. It would be a bit muddier to recall the specifics if Viren kept thinking about Runaan as "Elf." So I'm cool with the perspective nudge because it serves a narrative purpose: clarity. But I'm also enjoying the angst of considering that, somehow, Viren learned Runaan's name either during or after the coining spell. Mwa ha ha haaa. (Obligatory "Keep my pretty name outta your mouth" goes here)

Okay, back to Viren's scheming! He took the mirror because it was human-sized in a dragon lair. He knew it didn't really fit there, and that made it interesting, so he stole it. But he realized it was really powerful when Runaan wouldn't tell him squat about it - the assassin's instinct to protect Xadian secrets from human hands meant that Viren was holding a very powerful Xadian secret. And that just made him want it all the more. Ah, Runaan, if only your relationship with lying was, like, the exact opposite of what it is. Nyx could've spun Viren a believable tale in 2 minutes flat.

Also of interest: Viren considers his cursed coins to be a final fate. He expects Runaan to remain in his coin forever. With the Chekhov's coins still extant in the storyline, we can assume that they'll come up again eventually, but Viren has no current plans to do anything with his elf money except carry it around.

It's worth noting that Viren admits that he got impatient when he trapped Runaan in the coin. Runaan's first fate in Katolis was supposed to be death at Soren's hands, but Claudia "saved" him from that. His next fate was to become spell components, but Viren's frustration with his stubbornness "saved" him from that fate, too. So now he's in a coin, where no one can chop him up at all. Yay? No, boo!

We get one last line about Runaan before Viren shifts gears: he makes a point of noting for us that Runaan's shackles are still locked shut. However much of Runaan made it into that coin - body, soul, hair care products - he was magicked there, pulled right out of his restraints.

The creepy black liquid that Viren pours right into his eyes is the last of a powerful potion he got from Kpp'Ar, and its recipe is ancient! Humans used it back in the age of Elarion to see through the illusions of the world. And we get a delightfully creepy bit of description about the preparation of this serum, which makes it abundantly clear that it's a Moon magic-based concoction, harvested from eyeless vipers on a moonless night, with the threat of irrevocable madness ("madness" by whose definition, though) if it's done wrong-

Hang on. Hold up. This is a Plato's Cave reference. OH MY GOD.

No no I'm fine, this is brilliant. Sorry, sorry, I couldn't figure why there was so much description for a potion prep that Viren didn't even have to perform himself. But now I get it. I see the light. HA. I should make a separate post for this, it's amazing.

Anyway, for reference, the humans who used this serum were called the Oracles of Ophidia, and Ophidia is a taxonomy group that includes all modern snakes. Can you say "creepy ancient snake rites"? I can! Woo!

Viren activates the serum with a spell, but apparently he's never done it before. He's not sure if it's supposed to be hot and bubbly, and he worries that it's been tainted by moonlight.

Oh, I do hope so.

The magic potion hurts, a lot. Viren will do just about anything, to himself or anyone, to do what he believes is necessary. He just risked madness and blindness to find out what this mirror does! Viren. Can you just. Take a nap or something. Have a Snickers.

This chapter gives us a fun clue that I don't remember from the show: when Viren's vision clears and he can see, his reflection has white pupils and the room reflected in the mirror has inverted colors. You know where else has inverted colors?

You know who else got white pupils for a hot second?

Okay, now it makes sense! Viren and Lujanne were both seeing into the realm beyond life and death. Him with his moon magic potion, and her with her moon powers on a full moon night at the Moon Nexus. Which is Very Interesting! Is it a direct hint about Aaravos's location, or just a separate cool detail? Orrr, does it look like a direct hint because Aaravos is actually trapped in the world beyond life and death, but it's actually separate and we'll see something about white pupils again later on?

Viren really does have self-esteem issues, we all picked up on it with his rant at his reflection. He throws a fit when he catches himself wondering if he's actually worthless. In the book version of his tantrum, he shoves the mirror and hurls a candelabra instead of flipping a table. He didn't need to shove the mirror to set the fire, but it's in here. Foreshadowing that perhaps, if push comes to shove, Viren will choose himself over Aaravos? Giving Aaravos time to peek through and see that the coast is clear?

Soren, my boyyyyy. He has a rough night at the Moon Nexus because two sides of him are fighting with each other. He struggles to understand Callum's friendship with Rayla, and he also fantasizes about chopping off Rayla's head. One of these is a pretty ordinary thing to do. The other is Soren's internalization of what he needs to do to gain his father's approval. If he brought his dad a chopped off elf head every week, he'd probably feel a lot more confident because Viren would praise him a lot more.

Okay, okay, omg, is it just me, or does the "Moonshadow Madness" story, as it's told in the book, seem like Soren just doesn't know what a monsterfucker is? He thinks an elf bite puts humans under a spell. But vampires are sexy, and some people want them to do more to them than just bite them. A passionate kiss under the moonlight could look very bitey, especially if one of the participants has horns and you're already culturally trained to hate them. No yeah, I'm already headcanoning an actual human-elf kiss that got misunderstood by an observer long ago.

it's Lujanne isn't it, we all know, because what is a love spell but a sweet soft illusion, I mean how else does she get supplies for her Caldera, I ask you, and also Corvus was totally sent to investigate once and he told Soren at camp what he saw

And then back to magefam angst: Soren pretending that his sister's nose-tapping is stupid, even though he actually thinks it's cool, just because their dad thinks it's stupid. Viren, istg. Let your kids like harmless things. It's so cute that Soren taps his nose back at her, though! Like they have their own sibling code. I hope we get to see the nose tap again, especially now that they've chosen different sides. It could mean so much, that they're not too far apart yet.

Rayla knows what buttery pancakes smell like. I love this. Do Moonshadow elves have butter and pancakes, does Rayla eat a stack of eight giant pancakes in the morning? Orrrr it is just illusion food? I don't care, let Rayla have pancakes! Everyone loves pancakes. Pancakes will save the world. this message brought to you by the fact that I can't eat pancakes rn, send help

I love that Rayla is both sus of the pancakes and hungry, and that combines into a very motivated "I will get to the bottom of this" attitude. She kind of goes into Poirot Mode when she inserts herself into Soren and Ellis's conversation about Ava, explaining about the wolf's illusion leg and segueing into her claim that the pancakes taste sus. Claudia confirms she used dark magic, and Rayla is furious. It's different than the show's version in that it puts Rayla in detective mode, as the only Moonshadow elf in the scene, and boy does she take that role seriously. Also, she doesn't actually swallow the dark magic pancake bite. It ends up on the ground just like Lujanne's grubs from that earlier meal. These poor kids are so nutrient-starved. You guys gotta eat!!

Rayla's determination and prejudices and the fact that she super knows Harrow is dead all dovetail to make her try repeatedly to persuade Callum that Soren and Claudia are Not To Be Trusted. It's nice that the book keeps taking the time to point out that Rayla is Well Intentioned But Flawed, just like Callum and pretty much every other character in the show. No one is Right All The Time, no one Knows More Than Everyone Else.

Callum loving the sound of Claudia's unique voice is so wholesome. When you like someone, it only makes sense that you like all the things about them that they can't change - like the sound of Claudia's voice. Her choices with dark magic, not so much!

Claudia seems to have the same concerns Soren does about Callum's relationship with Rayla, but she comes out and asks him. The inherent possession implied in "your elf" is interesting, though. Elves are not people to Claudia. They're enemies who can be disassembled for the magic inside them. So maybe more like robots than living beings, if she knew what a robot was. Maybe she heard Soren's "Moonshadow Madness" story and realized he totally missed the kissing implications - but she didn't, and now she's genuinely worried that Rayla could kiss Callum under a full moon and enchant him to do her will. Good thing it's only a half moon, then!

Okay, Callum nervously making a puppet hand and then not knowing what to do with his hands and freaking out about itching and moving and pointy elbows is such a ND mood. The sudden stress of knowing that someone else is noticing your existence and maybe you're Not Existing Right, amirite? Ugh, poor Callum.

The Moon Temple! Omg it's so pretty in the description! Made to be beautiful and useful, full of knowledge but also allowing light and life inside (butterflies and vines). Lujanne, when can I move in, please? Also, it's all the more angsty because Lujanne is the only one who gets to see this beautiful place, but it has lots of chairs and shelves and tables, and it was meant to be used by lots of people. :(((

Claudia knows some of the runes on the walls. She isn't in a hurry to copy the rest of them down or anything, either. Her spellwriting is very precise, and she's a skilled mage. Her father would have made sure she was aware of the dangers of drawing sloppy runes, as much as he made her aware of the dangers of doing dark magic wrong. And the whole point of dark magic is that it's easier to learn than primal magic. Claudia supports her dad and their shared knowledge and life path. She's not gonna go nuts over an elf library she can't translate.

Side note: Between Claudia knowing some Moon runes and Viren building a secret passageway and a dungeon and lighting it with the same blue crystals that Lujanne and Ethari use for light--and Claudia exclaiming that she loves ruins--I wonder once more if there are really Moonshadow ruins somewhere in Katolis, which Viren has found and looted. Father-daughter relic hunting trip, maybe while Soren is away at camp? Omgsh that would be so wild!

Callum out here having a Viren moment with his "I feel powerless unless I've got magic that lets me help" vibes. God. I love their complicated mirroring. One of the hard differences between them is that Callum is very sure dark magic is bad because you have to kill stuff and take its power to cast spells, and he doesn't want to be a person who kills and takes like that. The line he walks to be nice to Claudia on their tour of the Cursed Caldera because he likes her, while telling her that he doesn't want to do her magic, like, ever, is so fine that it might as well be a shifting shadow on the ground. It's a very fitting conversation to be having during the half moon, with its tricks and little white lies.

Callum being out of the castle and his comfort zone, having to deal with the fact that the Claudia he loves is not quite the Claudia who's chasing him down across the kingdom, but of the two of them, he's the only one with a problem with this.

They say that if you really want to get to know someone, you should spend time with them outside their comfort zone - in heavy traffic, with a small baby, taking care of a new pet, trying a new skill, following unfamiliar directions, etc. While the castle is familiar territory for them both, Callum's never really found his comfort zone yet, while Claudia is pretty comfortable with her growing skill set. The creepy part starts to kick in when Callum begins to realize that Claudia's comfort zone encompasses a whole bunch of stuff that seems like it should make her uncomfortable... but it doesn't. But that'll be for a future chapter!

#book two: sky spoilers #book two: sky #b2:s #tdp spoilers #viren #harrow #rayla #runaan #callum #claudia #soren #lujanne #moonshadow elves #aaravos

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moonlit-grove · 3 years ago

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OC Interview: Count Dubhan

Draw (or use an old drawing, don’t worry!) or take a screen of your character in an interview setting and make them answer the following questions!

INTRODUCTION

"What do you want?! I gave orders not to both- How did you even get past my guards? ... Ha... Fine, I'll indulge you. But if you don't run fast enough, none of this will matter."

Can you introduce yourself?:

"Dubhan, Count of Bleeding Hearts. One of the Grand Duchess' favorite of the nobility, I can assure you."

What is your gender identity, orientation and relationship status?:

"Odd... you must not know much of my court. Humans would use the term 'homosexual panromantic'." He emphasizes the words with air quotes, while rolling his eyes. "My relationship status is so much more than merely taken."

Where and when were you born?:

"A bit outside the Grove. There's a jest of spiders actually that... you know what, I'm not going into that. Ah, a few years after my old raven. Though heh was off galavanting by the time I woke."

What is your weapon of choice and fighting style?:

He chuckles, grabbing the greatsword leaning on his throne. "Would you like me to show you? We have a few prisoners I wouldn't mind disposing of in a spar."

Lastly, are you happy?:

"I'd be happier if my Knights were here, but alas..."

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

What’s your family like? What is your relationship with them?:

He scoffs, then laughs as he leans back and crosses a leg over the other. "Family? What a human concept. I have no need of a family!"

He pauses, looking as if he's thinking. "Though, I suppose my seedlings do count. They are my pride, my prince and princess. I wouldn't have them any other way." His gaze darkens, glaring directly at the recording device, "and if they're harmed, I will slaughter any involved."

Have you ever ran away from home?:

"It was hardly running away when I left. Yes, it was was middle of the night, but no one paid attention. I had a patrol that night, I simply didn't return from it."

Would you consider marriage or having children?:

He scowls, "I just told you I have children you- [REDACTED]"

"Yes, I have children. I do not need to marry my Knights."

Do you secretly hate one of your friend?:

"I'd hardly call Sariel a friend. More someone I enjoy tormenting."

Which friend knows everything about you?:

"A Count does not have friends. I have subordinates and my toys. Even they do not know everything. No one does. And I wouldn't allow anyone to."

ASKED BY FANS

Are you literate? Have you been to school?:

He scoffs, glaring as he leans back and crosses his arms, "Of course I'm literate. I have no need for human concepts as school."

The eeriest prediction you made that later came true?:

His gaze darkened, staring through the interviewer, "No comment."

What is something you were embarrassingly late to realize?:

"Other than Nightmare?" he chuckled, shooting a wink to someone off-camera, "Oh, I'm sure my dear Knight said the same... But... how lovely it is to hear someone begging me to stop hurting their loved one."

Do you have mental health or physical issues?:

"If you value your life- [REDACTED]

What is your current main goal?:

"Conversion... And, well, at the moment, moving my Court. The Grand Duchess has decreed my court move, we move."

CHOICES

Drink or food?:

"Many sylvari can survive a month without solid food. Liquid however... They will begin to wither and wilt after even just a day."

Cats or dogs?:

"The stalkers bring me such wonderful gifts, the struggling valiants and wardens..."

Early bird or night owl?:

"Depends on the season."

Optimist or pessimist?:

"What?"

Sassy or sarcastic?:

"Hm, I daresay both. I believe my Knights are both, after all."

HAVE YOU EVER

Been caught sneaking out:

"I don't sneak anywhere. I have no need."

Broke a bone:

"Several, yes. What? No, not mine!"

Received flowers:

"My little Oleander quite enjoys bringing me flowers... And my raven used to give me some."

Ghosted someone:

"Ah... Oh yes. Some courtiers just don't get it."

Pretended to laugh at a joke you didn’t get:

"No."

#count dubhan #gw2 #nightmare court

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fifteenskies15 · 5 years ago

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Twisted Kaguya Hime

(Tokito Muichiro x Demon! Reader)

Summary: Demons and humans never belong together, so does demon slayer and their enemy

Admin's Note: Wow, clearly I'm on roll today, I published two stories in one day, anyways, I have come back with Muichiro's content to feed to you all Muichiro stans, this might be kinda angst since reader will be a demon unde Kokushibo control but they manage to develop a feelings for Muichiro, but let's pretend that Koku had met Mui and that Muichiro have grown up now (approximately 18-20 y/o) here, as per usual, this story is gender neutral

Also, Muichiro might be a bit lovestruck here

"Muichiro...let me tell you a little story..."

"What is it mom?"

"This is a tale of a beautiful princess called, princess Kaguya... Once upon a time... There was an old and poor bamboo cutter called Taketori no Okina, he and his wife didn't have a child and they live in poverty..."

"One day, the old man Taketori found a shining bamboo stalk he cutted it and do you know what he saw? It's a baby girl in size of his thumb, old man Taketori was so elated, he and his wife raised her like she was their daughter and not only that, there's a small gold nugget inside, so... Taketori and his wife is no longer live in poverty, and their daughter, Kaguya has grown up into a woman with an extraordinary beauty..."

"This is the part where Kaguya get her lover, right mom?"

"Many hopeful youngsters did wanted to take Kaguya as their wife, but alas she rejected them all, even with five princes lined up to offer her hand of marriage, she rejected them all regardless, the emperor Mikado is also fell in love with the beautiful princess Kaguya, but alas she's also rejected him, saying that she cannot stay in the palace, but they stay in contact together"

"But do you know, Muichiro? Every summer night when it's full moon, Princess Kaguya is always crying, her adoptive parents were greatly concerned about her, but she was unable to say what's wrong to them, until she revealed that she was not of this world and must return to her people on the Moon..."

"So that means she had to left her parents?"

"Sadly yes... Kaguya hime loves her parents and her friends in earthly being friends, she was very sad but this has to be done...the Earth is not where she belongs, however, the capital of the moon is where she belongs..."

"Even so... Kaguya always missed the protectorate and the kind humans that see her of who she is..."

------

"Muichiro..."

...

"Muichiro..."

...

"Muichiro, my dear...are you okay?"

Muichiro tear his gaze away from the moon and turn his attention to you.

A demon...

But you're more than just a demon to him and he's more than just a human to you, even though you're a demon, a being he should be hated, obliterated and sent to hell, you manage to develop a feeling towards him

...Somehow...

Somehow he manage to grow something inside you, inside your soulless and supposed to be numb body

It's none other than love...

It's been quite a while since you feel something like this, or maybe because it's the first time you feel this, all emotions you could ever remember is sadness and rage especially what your family had done to you back then...

"Fufu... You have been gazing upon the full moon, is everything okay?"

Muichiro just give you a smile "Ah, just remembered the tale my mom used to tell when I was a kid..."

"Enlighten me..."

Muichiro rest his chin on his hand, smiling at you "The tale of Princess Kaguya"

A warm smile spread on your face "Ah, I have heard that story from an old couple I met once, it's sad that Princess Kaguya had to go back to the moon to join her people..."

Muichiro nodded, looking wistful "If she's real, I wonder what she's thinking about the humanity now..."

You didn't care much about humans (except for him, of course) but you know exactly what he meant "I don't mean to be presumptuous, but she could be weeping at how humanity change in a terrible way..."

Muichiro nodded and sighed "either it demons and people the Earth is not the same as she remembered, it's quite sad when you think about it..."

"Mmh... My so called parents are one of those people," you said laying down on the grass while looking at the moon "Poor Kaguya had to face the reality of how this world is soiled"

Muichiro lay down next to you, his mint colored eyes find your (E/C) ones "Say (name) if you are Princess Kaguya and I'm the lucky man who manage to have you as my wife/husband, but you're still had to go to the moon what will you say or do?"

You looked at him with a smile and looked at the moon "even if the heavenly beings told me to stay with them, I will not listen to them, that's probably sounds bold and too forward, but what can I say?" You grabbed his hand as your fingers intertwined.

"I'm head over heels for you, and if I'm being forced to go to the moon, I will make my way just to see you even if it means I had to rope the Earth closer to the moon"

Muichiro smiled warmly at you as he gripped your hand tighter "I would too... I know you're a demon but I can't help but having strong feelings towards you..."

He sighed and looked at the moon again "It as if it was yesterday I almost killed you, I mean, well, you did almost slaughter entire village, I don't even know what came into me and... Well... Here we are, being closer and didn't care about who we are..." He said, his face illuminated by the moon.

"If...if there is a chance you could become a human again...(Name)...will you..."

Muichiro stopped, he seems unsure about continuing his word and this is so not like him, is he...being nervous? Agitated even?

"Will I... what, Muichiro?"

He took a deep breath, he sat up then look at you, directly into your eyes "I know it's been a half of year since we met but... I have been thinking... I don't want to lose you just yet, so...will you marry me?"

You widen your eyes, and you have strange feeling inside your chest...

Was it your heart beating?

...How?

How is it possible?

But you couldn't help it and you smiled...

"Muichiro..."

"Well, isn't that sickeningly sweet?"

All too familiar voice cutted you before you could say yes, and to see upper moon one.

Your creator, Kokushibo.

"Kokushibo-sama!" Your body went autopilot and bowed at him, Muichiro just froze, but it's obvious his eyes are gleaming with rage

"Now it's clear why you have been disappearing lately" his eyes looked at Muichiro who looked like he's veins about to pop, Muichiro gritted his teeth as he saw an upper moon in front of his eyes "You have been doing some disgusting thing with my descendant, I see... That behavior is clearly not something to be forgiven"

Kokushibo slowly unsheathed his sword and glaring down at you "You're awfully aware that his Lordship is not pleased with your tomfoolery, (name)..."

You gulped and freeze in fear, you have once got the taste of a punishment from your Creator and you can't imagine when his master knows about what have you been doing behind his back, before you know it, his grotesque looking sword were swung towards your head and to be blocked by Muichiro.

"Like hell I would let you touch her/him, I don't care if you're an upper moon, but if you touch her/him, I won't hesitate to fight you here and now..."

"M-Muichiro..."

Kokushibo looked at his descendant in amusement, he manage to parry his attack, causing Muichiro backed away from the impact.

"How valiant, you think you have what it takes to defeat me?"

Muichiro disregard him and looked at you "(name), are you alright, my dear?" You just nod, a warm tears trickle down from your (E/C) eyes, Kokushibo just clicked his tongue and hit Muichiro's pulse point

"Muichiro!!"

He nonchalantly stepped over him and grabbed you by your collar, as he glared at you

"(Name), I'm sure you're aware that this place is not for you and no longer your home, and on the note, humans and demons doesn't belong together..." He said as he glowered at you, you swore you could hear venom dripping from his words "...and whether you like it or not, you don't belong to him" Kokushibo said pointing at the unconscious Muichiro, and pointed his sword on his chest.

"Even though he's my descendant, my kin, he's the enemy of his Lordship, I won't hesitate to kill him right in the spot" he pressed the tip of his sword as if he was going to pierce his sword through Muichiro's beating heart.

"I'm still merciful enough because I like you (name), it's your choice... Come with me and I'll let him live... For now...or..." He pressed his blade slightly harder that blood sapping out, slowly tainted his uniform "No, no, no!! Don't kill him, please!! I will come with you, but please spare him, Kokushibo-sama!"

Kokushibo looked at you then put his sword back to his sheath, walking towards you with a smile, it's rather mocking... "It wasn't so hard now wasn't it?" He said as he put his hand on your cheek

"And I am a man of my word, I won't kill him, at least for now, and you..." He paused for a bit "...you will stay with me till that day comes" he turn his heel and looked at the sky, "The moon is beautiful, but as beautiful as it is, in few hours the moon will sink and the sun will rise, we better go unless you wanted a worse death than being killed by his Lordship"

Honestly you would rather die because of the sunshine than come with him (despite the fact he's your creator) but if it means he kept Muichiro stay alive...

Then you had no choice

You looked back at Muichiro's unconscious form and teared up slightly, and dropped something in purpose as you followed Kokushibo to fortress of infinity...

"I'm sorry, Muichiro..."

----

Few hours pass, Muichiro came back to his senses, he jolted awake and looked around "(Name)?! (name)!! Where are you?!" He winced when he felt sting on his chest.

"That bastard..."

He looked around for you and to see something gleaming under the moonlight

It's your amulet necklace...

He took it and looked at it, it has (F/F), hollyhock and ginko leaves symbol on it, he remembered the day you showed it to him

"See this amulet, Muichiro? I made it myself, I added the ginko leaves because for some reason it reminded me of you..."

"Oh really? And I could guess that (F/F) is your favorite flower... Is that supposed to be the symbol of our unification?"

"Maybe? Okay, yeah, maybe it is..."

Somehow he could feel sadness radiating off the inanimate object he's currently holding.

He knows...

He knows that you won't see each other from now on.

"(Name), my love..."

A single tear fell on the amulet as he gripped on it, sadness replaced with rage as he gaze upon the imposing, full moon

"Just like princess Kaguya, you left me to be somewhere you belong to..."

He looked at the amulet as he remembered that tonight is the last night he see you

"Just like princess Kaguya, someone take me away from you just like how they separate her from the emperor..."

He put the amulet around his neck and gripped his sword

"Of all the things had happened, I will twist the tale, just you wait, my dear..."

His once full of life mint eyes turn back into his lifeless one but it gleamed with desire and vengeance

"I will came to you, and make sure you fall into my arms once again..."

----

Admin 15: Oh damn, Mui is a lovestruck yandere in the end,....and I kinda live for it, maybe I should make something with yandere trope for my next story, hehe

Anyways, I'm so sorry that this story make no sense, I might be on roll but I guess I'm being overexcited about it

#kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba x reader #kimetsu no yaiba fanfiction #kimetsu no yaiba scenarios #kimetsu no yaiba imagines #tokito muichiro #tokito muichiro x reader

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