#alas... “sorry we cannot say when there would be an opening for an appointment and you're already in the queue for psych eval dep.”

[yoiku]

am i feeling a little tingle of inspiration crawling back into my brain? sleep hasn't been great but for the past few naptimes i've been actually rotating bits of some neat stuff in my vacant husk of a brain. Please, I need more crumbs.

[guessimwritingficsagain]

To Be Seen, Part Seven

Warnings : depression

Author's note : I based my depiction of Frankie's wife on the movie Laggies that I mentioned before. It's not exactly the same thing but I liked the way the mom was depicted in the movie and how, in the end, everybody made mistakes. I'm still very sad Lynn Shelton left us. So I guess, in a way, this is dedicated to her.

Chapter One ; Chapter Two ; Chapter Three ; Chapter Four ; Chapter Five ; Chapter Six

------

Two weeks later, you broke down. You’d felt it coming, used as you were to that grey cloud slowly sneaking its way into your brain. You called in sick on a Saturday night and turned off your phone, not even feeling guilty about that.

Linda had had her meeting with her ex, and they’d both been tentatively hanging out, trying to fix something that was so broken you didn’t know if there was ever a chance it could be fixed. You’d stayed out of the way, of course. You hadn’t spoken to Linda except for the occasional text to check on her. That left a sinking feeling in your stomach, one that came with the realization that even though you considered Linda your friend, you were also her ex, first and foremost, and though she didn’t mind poking into your love life, she seemed reluctant for you to know about hers. Even though you couldn’t really blame her, that heaviness never went away. That was the first sign.

Jessie’s story was something else altogether. James and Will had set up a tight sleeping schedule at Jessie’s house - a tight schedule of following her to work and staying with her all day, too. Will had involved all the boys except Frankie. They were taking turn watching her, making sure she and her kid were safe. You’d managed to talk them out of going to the guy’s place and beating him up - barely. But you knew that couldn’t last. The way Will had vibrated when you explained the situation told you everything you needed to know about that. Talking to Jessie hadn’t been easy either, because she’d first shut you out completely and resented her brother for telling you, you for telling Will, and Will for telling everybody else. That was understandable too, but things were tense between the two of you, and since none of the men wanted to include you in what you called the Jessie Watch in your head, you were left to watch and worry from afar.

But the worst thing was the complete and utter silence from Frankie. He wouldn’t answer your texts or your calls. You kept replaying the only phone call he’d answered to just like you’d kept replaying the moment he’d offered you wine and chocolates for Christmas - God, you wished you could go back to that time.

You dial his phone number, hoping he picks up. He does, starting with :

‘Listen, now’s not a good time. I’m sorry but I got some things to deal with right now. I’ll call you back.’

Unnerved by the tone of his voice, unnerved by his answer, and thinking we don’t even see each other anymore and I thought you liked me and trusted me you bluntly answer :

‘Pope told me.’

The silence on the other end in unbearable, so you continue :

‘Frankie, talk to me. Don’t shut me out, please.’

You’re begging, and you don’t care that you are.

‘It’s fine.’ He eventually mumbles, his voice unconvincing. ‘I’ll sort this out. I just need some time.’

Some time was more than two weeks apparently, and two weeks was your breaking point.

You felt alone in a way you’d never felt before.

That led you here, right to this moment, you opening a bottle of wine, all by yourself. You sat on your couch, and drank a glass. Then, a second. By the third, you were turning on your phone and dialing your mother. When she picked up, you completely broke down. After the phone call, exhausted by all the crying, you left your phone on the couch and went to bed. The battery was empty when you woke up the next morning, feeling puffy and barely keeping it together. You didn’t bother to plug it in.

As agreed upon the night before, your father picked you up a bit before noon. Starbuck was in her bag, and you’d thrown some clothes in a luggage. You felt a wave of relief wash over you when you put it in your childhood’s bedroom, Starbuck already carefully sniffing around the house. You called your boss to ask to use all of the vacation days you had. You didn’t know what deity to thank for the fact that he agreed. You knew it was all wrong. You knew you should be here for Jessie, for everyone. You father covered that : he went to Anna and Phil, told them about the situation and made them promise not to say a word.

You had three weeks of vacation, and nothing to do but pretend you were a teenager again, living with your parents.

Your father kept in touch with Phil and Anna, if only to get news about what was going on with your friends. At the end of the first week, he came back with a letter. You felt yourself shaking until he added :

‘It’s from Anna.’

He heard your sigh of relief but didn’t say a word, turning around to leave you in peace. As he got to the door, though, he turned around and announced :

‘One of these days, I’m gonna have to have a talk with that boy of yours.’

He looked tired, and worried. Your voice wavered as you answered :

‘You won’t have to if he’s not my boy anymore, Dad.’

You felt like crying, but you didn’t. You turned your attention to the letter instead, and smiled at the first line. Anna had taken to give you your own nickname every time you compared her to Jane from Pride and Prejudice.

Dear Elizabeth,

How long and lonely are the days without you. Our dear cook is not quite himself, since you’ve been away, as he has to endure me without you to soothe the pain in his ass that I am. The counter has lost its light, and even the birds seem to sing in a more quiet manner, as if they were missing their dear friend too.

I hope your dear feline companion Starbuck is doing well in her new surroundings. I do not worry much, though: change can be difficult, but she is anything but faint-hearted.

I will keep writing to you, dear Elizabeth, if only to let you know if a respectable gentleman of good fortune ever comes in to charm me. You must promise, though, that you shall write back.

Your Jane.

The letter was so sweet and thoughtful , with Anna’s clumsy attempt at sounding Jane Austen-ish, you finally cried, only this time, the tears were not all bitter. You could call her, but this seemed more fun. You fumbled around to find a piece of paper and picked up a pen.

Dear Jane,

How sweet of you to write to me. I cannot express how much I miss you too. Do not worry about Phil, for he is softer for you than you know. I am sure you are quite exaggerating to hasten my return. Alas, I will remain where I am, for I find this retreat is beneficial to my health.

Starbuck has taken to her new life quite readily, and is currently enjoying a lovely nap in the sun.

Guard your feelings well, my dear. Experience has taught us much in this matter, recently.

I’m writing a return address on the back, so you can write to me through the post-office and avoid my poor father the task of being the delivery man.

Your Elizabeth.

You left the house for the first time this week to mail the letter.

Those three weeks went by like this.

You learnt that Linda and her ex had called it quits for good. You learnt that Will eventually drove to Jessie’s now-ex-boyfriend’s house and beat the shit out of him, and that everybody watched it happen with glee. You learnt that Frankie’s ex-wife was still in town. Staying on the couch.

You wanted to throw up all the time, these days.

You still didn’t turn on your phone. You used your parents’ line to get an appointment to the doctor. The woman only had to look at you to say :

‘Yeah, you’re not going back to work.’

You knew what she meant : you barely recognized yourself when you looked in the mirror. You didn’t sleep much, you didn’t eat much, and it all showed. When you came home, your father hesitantly said :

‘They’re starting to be worried. They’re asking a lot of questions to Anna.’

You found that you didn’t care, and a little voice at the back of your head warned you that this was worrying but you ignored it. It was so easy not to think. You enjoyed the feeling - maybe a little too much, said the voice again. You ignored it again. You were standing on that fine line : you were aware that you weren’t fine, but you weren’t doing anything about it. You knew it would only take a push to bring you to the other side : and then, you wouldn’t be aware anymore that you were not fine.

‘I got two weeks more.’ You answered instead.

———

You hadn’t seen Frankie in five weeks.

You’d been feeling better, lately, but still considered going back to work. And by that you meant going back to work at all, ever again. You weren’t good at facing your problems, you knew that, and that whole existential crisis about your future sounded a lot like running away but you didn’t have the strength to face anything right now. You wanted Frankie and your friends to make some king of grand gesture while knowing they didn’t have the means to reach you. You knew that was ridiculous and a little bit fucked up. You kept at it anyway.

Anna visited you more and more. The first time she’d shown up unannounced, she looked so hesitant it broke your heart. You’d hugged her so hard and she’d given it back the same way. She took to showing up in the morning, when your parents were on their daily stroll, though she happily stayed for lunch. Your parents, of course, adored her.

So, that morning, when someone rang at the door, you expected it to be her. You realized your mistake the second you opened it. You took a step back, speechless, and Will and Santi used your surprise to push past you and come in, very much uninvited.

On autopilot, your brain pretty much gone, you turned around and just stared at them. They stared right back, Pope with a hard look on his face. Will, though, looked like he wanted to hug you but didn’t dare. He seemed to struggle for a minute, before opening with :

‘Benny is very upset you missed his last fight. It was a big one.’

You found your tongue, even if it felt heavy in your mouth.

‘Well, I’ve been…’

‘You’ve been what ?’ Interrupted Santi, his arms crossed and his gaze unforgiving. ‘Ignoring us for five weeks ?’

‘My phone is dead.’

‘For five weeks ? Cut the crap.’

‘How did you find me ?’

You crossed your arms too. Whatever reunion you’d imagined, that wasn’t it. The reality of the situation was starting to sink in and you were trying to get angry, because if you got angry, then you wouldn’t break down. You could feel the tension building up your spine, knew exactly what it meant too : that conversation was not going to go well because whatever happened, whatever your reaction would be, the part of your brain labeled stupid and self-destructive was going to take over.

‘How did you find me ?’ You repeated, your fingers digging into the flesh of your arms to try and ground you.

Apparently, though, your brain wasn’t the only one with a part labeled stupid because instead of answering the question, Pope just decided to go with :

‘Do you realize how Jessie feels ? Do you realize how we all feel ? We had to take care of your friend, your friend because you just bailed on us while her fucking ex-boyfriend was beating the shit out of her.’

The silence that followed was heavy, as you could feel both the anger coming off of Santi and the panic that was shaking Will. Your voice was cold, emotionless, as you answered :

‘I was there. Except nobody wanted me there. I was completely useless.’

‘Bullshit. So what, you disappear ? Jesus, Frankie must have a thing for women who pull that kind of stunt because you’re the second one. The boy’s not very smart, apparently.’

‘Pope.’ Will’s voice rang loud in your ears, but you were frozen to the spot. You wanted to answer with some smartass remark, something petty along the line of well she’s back now, so who needs me anyway, just to get back at Santi because you knew in your heart Frankie wouldn’t just leave you like that. You knew there was more to the story but Frankie had completely shut you out before you went off the grid and now Santi was in front of you, scolding you as if you were a child, the whole thing feeling too much and not real at all, like you were having a really bad nightmare.

Pope ignored Will’s warning and went on :

‘You know the worst part ? He’s so worried he’s going crazy right now. We’re fucking back to square one, when I had to pick up the pieces when the other one left.’

‘Pope, stop.’ You heard Will say.

You opened your mouth, just a reflex, because your brain was empty. You couldn’t think anymore. But you opened your mouth anyway and realized too late you wouldn’t be able to contain the sob crawling up your throat. Breaking down it is, then, was your last thought before you started crying and shaking uncontrollably. So you ran to your room, leaning on the walls to avoid falling.

You were crying so hard you didn’t hear the door open, some time later. You felt the bed dip, though, when someone sat next to you.

‘Go away.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Will’s voice answered as a hand went to your hair. ‘Come on, deep breaths. Everything’s gonna be okay but I need you to breathe, okay ?’

Your hand shot up to grab his arm in a steely grip to steady yourself. You complied, though. After a while, you felt like you could breathe again. Will’s hand kept stroking your hair as he started talking :

‘Listen, Pope’s an asshole, we all know that. Anna briefed me a bit about everything. She wasn’t the one who gave us your address, by the way. I swear, the woman is unbreakable. Linda just figured you might be at your parents’ house and we looked it up. I’m a bit ashamed it took us that long to think about it, honestly.’

He chuckled, and went on :

‘Anyway, listen. Frankie’s been really overwhelmed by his ex coming back, and he didn’t react well, though I must say you answered in kind but I get it. He told me how he kept you out of the loop and I know how hard that must have been for you because I can see how much you care about him. It’s so obvious, the two of you. It was even before anything happened. I know Frankie is, you know, the quiet one, and he’s not all sharp angles and shit like the rest of us, but he turns into a puddle when you’re here. He’s unburdened when you’re around. We used to give him shit because he wouldn’t talk to the cute bartender.’

You smiled, still not looking at Will, but he was looking at you and he saw it.

‘Remember when he came to ask you, for Maria’s birthday ? We made him do it. Benny taunted him. He said that if he had to get up and ask you that, he’d also get your phone number and a date with you.’

‘I’d never go on a date with Benny.’ You replied, your voice hoarse.

‘Yeah, you’re smarter than that. Remember the Christmas presents ? Frankie was having a bloody existential crisis over this. He wanted to buy you a book. Linda gave him ideas but he was freaking out because he was scared he was going to buy you a book you wouldn’t like. I actually had to text Jessie about your favorite wine and get Frankie to go shopping with me so he would stop freaking out. Pretty sure I’ve never seen him stressed out like that and we served together.’

‘You already had Jessie’s number ?’ You asked, pretty sure Jessie would have told you right away about that.

His voice grew quiet, thoughtful.

‘Yeah. I had asked for her number one day. But I was really drunk so I never used it. Figured she’d given it to me because she felt obligated or something since I was a regular. I thought I was taking advantage. If I had made a move earlier …’

You turned your head towards Will, then, knowing you looked like a mess and not caring one bit.

‘What happened is not your fault, Will.’

And then, it hit you.

‘Wait, earlier ? That means you did it ?’

His smile was blinding. You squeezed his arm.

‘Good for you.’

You both fell silent for a moment but Will wasn’t done.

‘Listen, that thing with Frankie’s ex, it’s not what you think, even though he’s been an idiot for not telling you. Wendy came back because she’s lost. She thinks she made a mistake, leaving like that, and she’s still trying to figure out if she wants to be a mom. It’s not about Frankie and her, okay ? It’s about Maria. She wants to try, maybe. She still doesn’t know. Pope shouldn’t have talked to you like that but he’s right : Catfish is lost right now, because he misses you and he doesn’t know how to fix it. He’s too damn respectful to show up here unannounced, too. That’s why we came.’

He kept stroking your hair as your mind processed everything.

When you left the room, Santi was waiting in the garden. You went over to him and hugged him. He whispered apologies in your ear.

-------------------

Taglist :

@pedritobalmando @ubri8

[tsvestidiabolus]

the melody never changes

commission for @snurps

➵ my COMMISSIONS are open!

SUMMARY:  Robin's reflection on their newest crewmate, from Thriller Bark to Fishman Island, and Brook's growth from solitude to rockstar.

WORDCOUNT: 2529

CHARACTERS: Brook & Nico Robin

ALSO FOUND AT: ao3

Thank you for the commission!  I had a blast writing for Brook and Robin.  Theirs is a friendship that is immensely underrated.

To the charming skeleton gentleman,

First off, I’m afraid I must deny your inevitable request to see my panties.  I have self-respect, and I don’t think they would suit you.  Secondly, while we are not currently crewmates, our captain has declared you as part of the Straw Hats, and you’ll find him to be very persuasive.  Doubtless we’ll be spending more time together in the future.  In order to give you a warm welcome to the crew, I’ve decided to write a personal letter from me to you.  Partly because I know how it feels coming into this ship as a newcomer, and partly because I’m frankly interested in you.

As an archaeologist, of course.

We’ve recovered the three strongest of our crew, and those who were in the crew all the way back in the East Blue seemed to recognise the whale you mentioned.  It’s funny how life turns out that way - coincidences upon coincidences, friends meeting with friends again.  He’s called Laboon, right?  I certainly hope you’ll introduce me to him when we arrive at Twin Cape.

Nami is calling out to the crew - I believe she wants us to plan before we inevitably scrap any semblance of strategy and enter the main castle again - so I’ll have to cut this short.  If we somehow don’t survive and our mangled corpses rot on the island, which would be a shame, I’d have to hope this letter finds its way to you.

From,

Nico Robin

---

“Yohoho!”

Even now, despite all the hardships and suffering the crew had gone through in the past day, Brook laughed.  Such a melodic sound - one could almost mistake it for a song - yet it carried with it fifty years worth of promises.

The pirates were spread out across the castle of Thriller Bark, exhausted from their ordeal (yet at the moment that Luffy would shout it’s time for a party, they would be bouncing with energy) and taking their time to rest.  Some of them had been tending to their wounds with the help of Chopper, while others decided to help out those who’d been lost for years.  The Straw Hats in particular were fretting with worry over Zoro, even though they all were confident in his survival.

Brook practically danced past most of the Straw Hats, tipping his skull to those he passed by, before he settled right in front of the archaeologist of the crew, her nose stuck in a book.  Robin flipped to the next page of her novel, making no indication that she had noticed his arrival.  

“Ah, Miss Robin -”

“If you’re about to ask to see my panties, I’ll have to say no,” said Robin.  

Brook laughed. “Well, it was worth a shot!  But that’s not the reason I’m here.”

Her eyes never leaving the page, Robin arched a brow, the corners of her lips twitching upwards. “Oh?”  

“I wanted to give my thanks.  You’ve made me feel welcome to the ship already.”

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about,” Robin said, smiling.

“Yohoho!  I’ve never felt so honoured to call someone so beautiful a friend!”

With a tip of his hat, and a blank eyeless stare for a brief moment (which Robin later found out was Brook attempting to wink), Brook danced away from her, his skeletal legs skittling across the ground.  It was almost inhumane, the amount of speed the man carried in his light body, but then again their crew was full of monsters.  A living skeleton was far from the most terrifying thing in their crew.

As for the most terrifying thing?

Brook was bound to discover, sooner or later. 

---

To Brook,

Music has no language; it cannot be misinterpreted.  One strum of a guitar can tell a thousand stories and a thousand promises.  One beat of the drum speaks of a hundred wars.  One note of a violin can sing a song of sorrow in the drifting seas of time.  It is the one universal truth.

I see you sometimes, when I’m on watch duty, humming a solo that sounds so… lonely, and so melancholic, that it takes all of my effort not to climb down the mast and join you.  But I am a coward, so I leave you alone to your own devices.  To that, I am sorry.

How lonely must you have been, drifting alone on those waters for fifty years.  Only with your thoughts and determination to keep you going.  I’m amazed you can still smile, despite that (at least, I assume you’re smiling. It would be pretty strange for you to laugh without smiling).  In fact, I admire you.  And while I’m sure my words would have a better effect for you if I said them aloud, as I said before - I’m a coward.  It’s easier for me to write this down in ink.

But yet, you were on the cusp of madness, and you persevered.  You lived.  Sort of.

And to that, I want to know more.

Please, tell me your story.

From your crewmate,

Nico Robin.

---

Quietly, as the eve turned to night and the night to the dead hour, Robin slipped down the ladder from the mast.  It was Zoro’s turn now to keep watch, and she knew the swordsman would be perceptive enough to protect them in the instance of danger, despite his injuries and constant napping.  But it was not yet time to sleep, for as usual their newly appointed musician was out by his lonesome in the night, a gentle lul of the violin playing a song that reminded her of Ohara.  The song was enough to drift the boys and Nami to sleep, and Robin would have dozed off to the melody had she not felt so lonely just from the strings alone.  But it was not her loneliness that made her feel this way - she had long since accepted she was part of this crew.  That she wasn’t alone anymore.

It was Brook’s.

So, once she was safely down on the lawn of the Sunny, she joined him by the railing, leaning against the wood while he continued his solo.  His skeletal hands played the tune delicately, and in time she hummed along to it.  The nostalgia washed over her like a wave.  She closed her eyes and imagined Ohara again.  She could only imagine what Brook was thinking of.

As the last notes of the melody rang out and the song stopped, Robin opened her eyes and smiled at Brook.  He bowed his head back, setting the violin down the grass.

“Is that song known outside the West Blue?” she asked. “I’ve only ever heard it there.”

“It’s a West Blue classic!” Brook exclaimed. “Well, I say it’s a classic.  It was written by yours truly!”

Robin blinked.

“I would’ve like to tweak it before I left, but sadly there was no time.  The original music sheet must be lost as well!  I must rely on my ears now to complete it - but alas, I have no ears!  Yohoho!  Skull jo-”

“You’re from the West Blue?”

It certainly came as a surprise - after all, a majority of their crew had come from the East or the Grand Line, and she had no idea there was someone else onboard the ship that hailed from the West.  Even if he was the most recent addition.  Robin felt her curiosity peak up the more Brook revealed about himself.  His past was becoming more and more of a mystery to her, a clash between his demeanor and his tragedy.

Brook nodded his head in response, his afro bouncing as he did. “I served a royal kingdom there for sometime before I decided piracy was a better career.  Of course, I was a musician as well!”

She imagined him flashing her a grin.

“But yes, West Blue, born and raised - ah!  Miss Robin, if I recall correctly, you were from the West too, no?” he asked.

“That’s correct.”

“May I ask which is-”

“Ohara.”

She definitely said that too quickly, with too much of a snap in her tongue, that Brook paused and gave her enough time to regret it.  Before she could utter an apology, Brook picked up the bow of his violin and held it out to her.  Naturally, she was confused.  

Brook bowed his head down.

“I understand if you do not wish to talk about it,” he says. “I can assume from personal experience a deep tragedy has occurred there.”

Still, he held out the bow. 

“But know that Ohara is wonderful, and that its legacy - whatever that may be - is you.”

Curious, Robin took the bow and inspected it.  It seemed ordinary enough.  She couldn’t understand what Brook was -

Prof. Clover

Without realising, her hand had begun trembling from the overwhelming everything coming over her, and she looked up to Brook with glistening eyes.  The musician panicked.

“Miss Robin, I - I’m dreadfully sorry!” he sputtered. “I didn’t mean to upset you!  I merely - I wanted to explain that tragedies don’t have to - I’m sorry!”

“You knew the professor?” She was surprised she could manage to get even that out. “You knew Ohara?”

A relieved sigh passed through his nonexistent lips. “I stayed there for a couple years, back when I was a young man.  This violin was a parting gift from my dear friend at the time.  He’d just gotten his doctorate, and I think he wanted to show off.  Yohoho!”

Robin chuckled, wiping away a tear. 

“Ah!  But of course, this explains why you know my song!” Brook exclaimed. “Miss Robin, I knew I felt a kinship for you when I boarded this ship.  Us both being from the West Blue gives me a sense of familiarity in the crew.  I’ve never been more grateful to be alive - ah!  But I’m not alive!  Yohoho, skull joke!”

Robin was amazed, not for the first time, that Brook could joke and even dare to imply that she was the one being welcoming, when here he was, passing on Robin wisdom that she took twenty years to even consider.  It was often easy to forget that Brook had thirty years of experience out on the sea before the tragedy of the Rumbar Pirates occurred, but it was clear that those years were enough to sharpen the man’s mind and strengthen his heart.  But his heart was not made of stone, nor iron - it was laid out bare to the world, soft and beating, and his gentle lullabies sung of sorrows from his past that he dare not speak of.

So, she leaned against the railing, a slight smile gracing her lips. “Please, tell me more stories.”

And so he did.

---

Be alive.

---

She’d written the message in the dirt of the prison, pleading with whatever divine powers existed to ensure that the rest of her crew had lived.

After all, Brook owed her a concert.  One that would declare to the World that he was alright despite all the pain he’d been through.  That humans were resilient.

He’d better keep that promise.\

---

To Brook,

I do not expect this message to reach you.  The Government is constantly attempting to interfere with letters from the RA, and no doubt they’ll be trying to decipher any clues about their plans in this message (good luck, cowards).

It’s been almost two years already.  No doubt we will meet each other again soon.  I’ve been looking forward to this immensely, as no doubt you have too.  I think - I understand you, a little more.  Now that I’ve been infected with the Straw Hats’ boundless enthusiasm and joy, I can understand how you lived in isolation for all that time.  Not just because of the promise you kept to Laboon, but because dying would be spitting on their smiles, right?

Can you hear the waves crash against the shore where you are?  Do you hear seagulls, do you smell the salt?

Can you see the moon?

One day we’ll meet again.  I look forward to that day.

From Robin.

P.S. I keep hearing about this new rockstar that some of the Revolutionaries are raving about.  You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?

---

It wasn’t a soft strum that the bony hand had passed over the strings, yet it was strangely nostalgic all the same.  No, it was a thunderous sound, booming across the concert hall and somehow could be heard over the screams of adoring fans.  It was unlike anything Robin had ever heard before.  No - she never felt anything like this before.  The vibrations shook her very body, making her suddenly aware of the blood rushing through her veins, of her heart pounding against her chest.  The feeling was exhilarating.

She stared from the back of the concert hall to the star of the show.  As always, his feathered boa and skeleton-figure was instantly recognisable, as was his laugh.

“Soul King Brook, hm?” she whispered under her breath.  She couldn’t hear herself over the sound of the music.

There was something different about his music now.  She would have to ask him if he changed his muse.  Later, perhaps.

Now, it was time to find the Sunny.

---

It wasn’t hard to find Brook after the battle at Fishman Island.  Where there were cheers and melodies, there was Brook.  Robin waited by an alley, listening to the sound of Brook’s guitar as he sang a victory song for the pirates.  The tune was new, unlike anything she had ever heard before.  But there was a certain gentleness to it, despite the upbeat and heart-pounding vibrations it made.  Like Brook was unleashing happiness to the world.

When the imprupto-concert was over, and Robin could finally approach Brook, he tipped his hat and stared blankly at her.  She assumed he was grinning.

“Miss Robin!  Did you enjoy the show?” he asked. “I wasn’t sure about this song, but it looks to be a hit with the crowd!  Yohoho!”

Robin smiled back. “It was happy,” she noted.

“Mmhm!” he said. “It was inspired by our captain.”

“Luffy?” 

Brook nodded. “I suppose that’s why you picked up on the feelings I was conveying.  It’s an honour to sail under his flag, don’t you think?”  His voice took on a melancholic tone. “I would’ve never expected to find such a crew years ago.”

Neither did she.

“Are you happy, Brook?” Robin asked.  The question had just slipped out, but she was curious to know the answer.  

Brook looked at her, tilting his head. “Of course I am, Miss Robin.  How could I create such a song if I weren’t?”

Robin paused for a moment, before nodding her head slowly.  It made sense.  Brook’s music reflected his feelings at the time.  And now, as part of the Straw Hats, his tune had become one much like their captain’s.

“Now, shall we return to the party?” Brook said. “I’m sure Luffy would want to hear this too.”

Not a thing could crush Brook’s spirit.  Not being alone, not despair, not even death.  

He was alive, and he was happy, and he would make sure the world knew.

Robin couldn’t be more proud to call him a crewmate.

[thanksjro]

Dark Cybertron Chapter 12: That’s the Power of Love, Babeyyyyy

Thank fucking god, it’s almost over.

Our issue opens up with Ironhide deadnaming Slug, like the out-of-touch grandpa that he is. Everything is going to shit, the whole city’s covered in lasers like the world’s worst rave, and someone thought it was a good idea to let Swerve have a gun.

As the Ammonites try to murder everyone in sight, Whirl and Arcee have a little chat about how Whirl’s seemingly caused every problem ever in the last four million years.

…Whirl, you have been keeping up with your appointments with Rung, right? Like, I know he’s not the best therapist around by any stretch of the imagination, but surely something would be better than nothing in this case.

On the Lost Light, Hound, Perceptor, and Mainframe are keeping track of how many Ammonites have been killed. Everyone is extra British in this bit. Perceptor basically calls Hound a fucking idiot, because even with all the guys who’ve been taken out, there are still literally BILLIONS of these suckers running around.

Which seems a little overkill to me, but what do I know? Warcrimes aren’t my specialty.

Meanwhile, in the Mystical City of Making Science Cry, Starscream apparently knows what cosplay is, and takes a potshot at Jhiaxus for stealing his look. Metalhawk explains how the Ammonites got here in the first place, which, y’know, is cool. Love me some technobabble exposition.

I don’t actually love it.

I’m sorry for lying.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE FOR METALHAWK TO PUT A STOP TO THIS

BUT WE’VE GOT ANOTHER 19 PAGES TO GO

SO I GUESS LIFE JUST ISN’T FUCKING FAIR RATTRAP

While Metalhawk contemplates ending the comic event early, Starscream is getting his ass kicked by an old man who spent the war sitting on his butt in the Dead Universe.

Over with Team -Imus, Brainstorm’s taking a breather after getting Robertsed at the end of last issue. Ultra Magnus makes a pun, I guess to cope with the fact that he doesn’t understand anything that’s going on. Cyclonus is still dying, but this isn’t about him. Nightbeat is also dying. Oh, and Kup. Turns out, being a part of the Dead Universe is sort of an issue when you’re out of it.

Even though Galvatron was fine. And Jhiaxus. And Nova Prime, for the little bit he was out of it.

I feel like this plot point kinda just shows up when it’s convenient.

Anyway.

Brainstorm has shit in his lab that can help them not die, but he and Skids are gonna need help to get all these undead morons back to the Lost Light, which means that only two folks would be going to face Shockwave in this final confrontation.

Speaking of Shockwave, he’s gone full Burning Justice with that time drive shoved into his chest, as he makes fun of Megatron for being a dumb stupid idiot who gave him everything he needed to end the universe. He reveals himself to be a nihilist, claiming that a Cybertron which only exists for existence’s sake- and without any form of life- is the ultimate in perfection. Also, he’s a communist now. A nihilistic communist.

Just… whatever, Shockwave.

Megatron’s annoyed by all this posturing- which, same- but enough about him, it’s time for Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime drop down from… somewhere… to kick some ass. Shockwave promptly shoots Magnus, and is about to do the same to Optimus, when this starts happening:

Huh. Wonder what all that’s about.

Shockwave snaps out of his stupor and proceeds to fire on Optimus, yelling about being the only thing that exists as he does.

Over with Rodimus and friends, Cyclonus is bitching about Rodimus not leaving him behind so he could go fight Shockwave. Nightbeat, who I guess just doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut, tells Cyclonus to quit it, because they all know that he just misses his boyfriend. Cyclonus, though blatantly annoyed, doesn’t actually refute this claim. Brainstorm wonders aloud just how this gaggle of assholes managed to escape the Dead Universe without murdering each other.

Rodimus explains that when they heard the singing at Swerve’s, it proved they could still get out of the Dead Universe, so they desecrated Nova Prime’s corpse to make a space bridge. Brainstorm became a doorway, because he’s very nearly dead, and oh yeah, he should probably fix that when they get back to the lab, and also reconsider his lab safety protocols.

The gang reaches the outside world, and Rodimus is given a chance to spout off his personal philosophies.

Fantastic, you funky little man.

Then everyone looks up in the sky and sees some real bullshit.

Hey, Cahill? I just wanna talk, man. Just wanna talk about this boobie Windblade you’ve cursed my eyes with.

Back over with Jhiaxus and Starscream, Jhiaxus just cannot shut up. He just keeps waxing poetic about how smart Shockwave’s plan is. I couldn’t even tell you what the guy’s saying- my eyes glaze over whenever he gets a speech bubble.

Metalhawk at this point has had quite enough of all this nonsense, and decides he’s gonna throw himself into the equation that allows the Dark Cybertron prophecy to manifest.

By killing himself.

He just fuckin’… tosses himself into some heavy machinery and explodes, and that throws all the ores out of wack, since he’s got the Resurrection Ore in him. Jhiaxus is distracted by a man just straight-up dying in the same room as him, and this give Starscream the opening he needs to stab Jhiaxus in the gut.

Then the background just straight up disappears, as Rattrap lets everyone know that it’s all still going to shit, but in the opposite direction.

Really not sure about this art direction, but whatever. I’m over it.

Back outside, all the Ammonites are exploding. All of them. Billions of the little suckers, just popping off like fire crackers. The environment’s going to be ruined at this rate. Metroplex is having a great fucking time. Happy for him.

The Lost Light calls the ladies inside Metroplex’s brain room, and lets them know that they’re gonna break up Monstructor like the mediocre boy-band he is, though not without Mainframe being difficult beforehand. The ladies jump out and enter the fray, admiring Arcee’s style as they do.

Back with Rodimus and pals, Nightbeat’s being fucking cryptic, and Brainstorm gets to work making it so folks aren’t dying from being in the wrong universe, after a little prodding to his ego.

Back in Shockwave’s Super Saiyan Energy Bubble of Pure Unadulterated Logic, Shockwave says that’s he’s fucking ripped, and Optimus couldn’t beat him in a fight. Clearly, this means we’ll have to use our words to resolve this, like adults. Optimus isn’t too sure about that option, however.

I mean, do I even have to- Optimus, that’s GAY.

I have the sneaking suspicion that Roberts wrote this portion of the script. Y’know, just given his track record.

Then Megatron blasts Shockwave with his fusion cannon, and makes fun of Optimus for being a sentimental fool.

The fact that “Dark Cybertron” is telling me this makes me so mad. Like, you don’t get to talk, Exposition Central.

It’s at this point that Megatron drops a bomb on everyone present- he’s done with being a Decepticon. He’s gonna be an Autobot now.

See, ol’ Megsy here has seen the error of his ways- that by fighting the Senate, he allowed them to change him into a murderous warlord. To prove how much of a nice guy he is, he’s ripped the Autobrand off of Bumblebee’s lifeless body and duct-taped it to his chest.

Which seems a tad disrespectful, but okay.

…Megatron, you do realize that, as the leader of the Decepticons, you could just tell everyone that they need to be nice, and that would more or less be the end of it, right? You could just say “not evil anymore, I want to be loved now”, and everyone would be all “sir yes sir.” This is going to be a PR nightmare, I can already tell. Shockwave certainly seems to agree with me.

I really like this panel structure. Want to say this is the only place it happens, too. It’s just too bad it lives in “Dark Cybertron”.

Shockwave’s not having a good time right now, and he’s convinced that Optimus and Megatron have teamed up just to make him upset so he loses control of the time drive. The two spout off a little Autobot propaganda, and then Shockwave Remembers™.

Shockwave, having had his shadowplay reverse violently and abruptly, is horrified to find what he’s become. Alas, it’s too late for him- the only way to stop the time drive is for Optimus to kill him. Optimus promises to remember who Shockwave was- a callback to the line Shockwave gave him back before his empurata- and then shoots the everloving fuck out of the guy. Megatron helps.

And that’s a series wrap on Shoc-

-holy fucking shit.

The gang high-tails it outta there, IDW Optimus once again proving to be the shittiest version of everyone’s space-dad, as he leaves Bumblebee’s body to be consumed by the Shockwave Singularity. It’s looking pretty hopeless, but luckily none of these bastards can die without fucking up Season 2 of MTMTE, so the Lost Light swoops in to save the day.

Down below, Soundwave and his gaggle of small children and animals watch as the Lost Light fucks off into the distance. Soundwave’s having a time and a half, as he realizes with his balls-to-the-wall senses that Megatron’s joined the Autobots. Galvatron shows up to try to work out a deal. We won’t be seeing where this goes, because that’ll be covered later on.

The Lost Light lands in front of Metroplex, and over to the left of that are Rattrap and Starscream, climbing over the wreckage of the city. Rattrap tries to warn Starscream that things are gonna be tough, now that the Dark Cybertron prophecy has come to pass, but Starscream isn’t really having it. He’s gotten very paranoid, likely due to stress, and tells Rattrap to not play this game, because he’s the best player who’s ever lived. Then the Lost Light gang shows up and we get this face:

Sure.

Later on, Megatron and Optimus are hanging out in the Sky Roller, not-talking, until Megatron tells Optimus to get on with it, since the issue’s about to end. Megatron was totally serious about becoming an Autobot. Optimus isn’t really sure what to do with that. I don’t think anyone’s really sure what to do with that, to be honest.

Megatron, in turn, asks Optimus if he really could look past all the bullshit Shockwave pulled in the last several million years, and he gets a non-answer, because addressing your feelings is for losers, clearly. The two exit the ship, and I guess everyone else was just… standing outside waiting for them to talk it out. Weird.

...And with THAT, I am finally released from Comic Event Hell!

If you hear any distant, triumphant screeching right now, that’s likely me.

[annerly-san]

Whisky reacting to kids? (it can be whisky’s and MA ‘s child if you want 👀)

[Not sure if you wanted these answers in a story-format, but let me know what you think.  I’ll play these into both scenarios– general kids and his kid]

Whiskey felt something bump against his leg.

He looked down to see the embodiment of all the traits that disgustedhim the most in this world.  A child.

Warm and squishy it was, as it clutched onto the leg of hispants, hand stuck into its mouth with spools of saliva running down itsarms.  It was truly a disgustingcreature.  He had to withhold the urge tokick it into the void.  Perhaps Caviarcan then occupy himself with trying to find the creature.  Whiskey chuckled at the thought.

“Oh my goodness!  I’mso sorry!” he was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard someone call out;a lady came rushing towards him.  “Come here,don’t do that!  Oh my gosh, I’m sorry!”  Scooping up the child in her arms, she bowed profuselyin apology to Whiskey.

“No, not at all,” Whiskey replied with a smile.  A lie. “He’s rather… cute…”  Whiskey met eyecontact with the child, who immediately tensed up and started to wail loudly.  Whiskey couldn’t help but laugh as the motherushered her child away.

“Did you make that poor kid cry?”

Whiskey turned towards the source of the voice.  “Not at all, Master Attendant.  I can guarantee that I’m not responsible for that.”

He couldn’t resist the tug at the corner of his lips as he witnessedthe look of sheer disgust his attendant gave him.

“He saw through you, that’s why.”

“Got me there, Master Attendant~.”

The two of them watched the little creatures run around thepark with the oversight of their parents.

“Whiskey, I have something to confess.”

“Hmm?” he turned around to look at his attendant—who wasinterestingly flustered without any provocation from him.

“I’m with child.”

“Ah, congratulations Master Attendant.”  He gave them a polite smile and a slight nodof understanding.

Their gaze was still strangely focused on him.  

“Whiskey.  It’s yours.”

Whiskey tensed up.

That shouldn’t be possible.

“Master Attendant, I think you’re mistaken-“

“No, I’m not.”

Whiskey didn’t look at them at all, but he felt theirintense gaze on the side of his face; it was a burning sensation.  

“Hehe… Master Attendant… I’m confident in that you’re mistakenin appointing me as the parent of this unborn creature.”  He still felt a piercing gaze on the side ofhis face.  It was unnerving.  “I will of course, assist you in the care ofthis creature and provide both of you everything that I can afford to do-“

Despite not saying a word, he felt that his attendant wasstill not budging on their claim.

He finally turned his head and made eye contact with them beforefeeling an impending panic well up in him despite being fairly resolute in his ownclaim.  “A food soul and a human cannotconceive a child.”

“Whiskey, you’ve been the only one-“

“H-Hehe…”  That laughwas uncharacteristic of him.  He realizedthat as it came out as an attempt to deter the claims his attendant was stakingagainst him.  “L-let us go home.  If you’re with child, it’s not good for yourhealth to be putting excessive strain upon your body.”

“Whiskey-“

He immediately took their hand and intently headed for theirhome.

Throughout the several months that took place, he waseverywhere from tending to his attendant’s increasingly strange foodrequirements, sitting down and getting lectured by Peking Duck about takingcare of children, dealing with Gyoza’s and Squirrel Fish’s pestering, andresearching all about the relationships between food souls and humans andwhether or not conception between the two were even possible.

Even when it came out, he still was certain that it wasn’this.

Even though it had the same marking under its right crimsoneye, he was still absolutely convinced that he wasn’t the one that had played apart into making the child.

“Perhaps it’s because the pledge contract between humans andfood souls transfer over to the offspring-“

He barely missed the bullets that both Black Tea, Cornbreadand Champagne all fired at him.

But in all honesty, that child could never be his.

Holding it as his master attendant rested, it cooed at himand grabbed his hand with its squishy little ones.  Such a pure being could never be a byproductof himself.  It was his master attendant’sfor sure.  Aside from being the one tocarry and deliver the child, he saw the character traits of his attendant intheir little one.

However, this original impression lasted for a single hour.  Whatever light and pureness of his attendant thecreature held was nowhere to be seen.  Withthe unfolding events, he could almost believe the claim that this was hischild.  The child-  No. The demon was wreaking havoc upon the household.

The child wailed, screamed and fussed at some mysteriousforce.  Its shriek was ear-piercing and nearlycaused half of the food souls in the house to go deaf.  It then proceeded to vomit all over him andsoil its diaper which had such a putrid smell that even Whiskey was gagging.

“Just rock them back and forth-“

Whiskey proceeded to shake the child vigorously like a baristamaking a fine cocktail.

“WHISKEY NO-“

He finally managed to calm the child down an hourlater.  But by then as he was rocking thecrib gently back and forth to sedate the menacing demon, he was completelyexhausted, covered in vomit and at his wits end.  His master attendant was still sleepingsoundly, so that was a good thing for Whiskey.

If this hadn’t been his attendant’s child, he would havetossed it into the forest so that the Fallens could take care of it.  He couldn’t even expend the energy to laughat the thought.

As the child grew older and he had to worry less about the wailingand byproducts of the menace, it became slightly more tolerable.  Of course, he never showed his attendant hisdistain at the creature.

In fact, the little bugger was starting to become a point ofamusement for him.

“Dada!”  Whiskey avertedhis focus from the book he was reading to the child that had given him the call.  At this point he had stopped bothering withcorrecting the child; aside from the fact that everyone made a fuss when hetried to tell the child that he wasn’t ‘Dada’.

The child wandered over to him with one of his serpentscurled up in their arms.

“Oh wow.  You’ve gotone of my snakes, don’t you?”  Oddlyenough, the child had an affinity for his serpentine pets.  He bent down and pat the child’s head.  “Good job.”

Whiskey had to be extremely careful of how he acted aroundthe child.  According to his MasterAttendant, the child would ‘learn’ from him by imitating anything that he does.

But that wasn’t true.

He never taught the child to chase Pizza around with a scalpel,or at the very least, he never did such thing in front of them.

The child crawled onto his lap, sitting down and stroking theserpent’s head.  Whiskey wrapped an armaround them to prevent any falling from taking place.

“Hmm?”  There was anote of alcohol around them.  “Did youget in the liquor cabinet?”  He sniffedtheir head, a strange thing to do admittedly, but he caught a waft of… whiskey.

His thoughts were interrupted when his favorite food soul wasseen walking by the open door in the hallway.

“Pizza!” the child squealed as they ran towards the blondefood soul.  Pizza, though eyeing Whiskeysuspiciously, knew that the latter food soul wouldn’t do anything to him as perthe rules of not ‘teaching the child to do bad things’.

But alas, the blonde food soul was moderately traumatized bythe scalpel chasing incident and was beginning to hastily make a fair distancebetween himself and the child.

“Piiiiiizaaaaa!”  Thechild tripped and fell.  Whiskey stood upimmediately to help the child up as Pizza seized the moment to distance himselffrom “parent” and child.

“Nooo, Pizza!” the child outstretched a hand towards theescaping food soul when two large shadowy snakes came bursting out of theirhand, hitting the side of the hall and effectively scaring Pizza enough toknock him over.

Both Whiskey and Pizza froze as they stared at the gigglingchild that had now stood up and was already advancing towards Pizza with a menacinggrin on their face.

Whiskey scooped them up before they could unleased whateverwrath they had planned on the blonde food soul.

“Dada!”  The childgiggled in delight as they wrapped an arm around his neck.  They pointed at Pizza who looked absolutely horrifiedand concerned for his wellbeing.  “Pizza!  Pizza!”

Whiskey must have been sporting a horribly frightening grinon his face as Pizza took off screaming for dear life.

“Hehehehe…”  Whiskey startedto laugh much to his child’s delight.  “Yes…  That’s Pizza. Let’s play a game later with him…  Shall we?”

His child clapped their hands in delight and squealed happily.  “For now… do you want to read a book withDada?”

“Dada!”

The corners of his lips lifted into a smile.  “Yes. Dada.”  

He shifted them a little more comfortably in his arms as hecarried them back to his room to read a bedtime fairy tale.

[sole-cuore-amore-e-droga]

Lithuania brings yellow fever to Rotterdam 2021

...okay...

...I feel the rhythm...

*swoosh*

...something’s going on here...

*another swoosh*

The music flows through my ve-e-e-ve-veins𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔

---------------------

IT’S TAKING OVER MEEEEEE

oh NO IVETA WTF ARE YOU DOING HERE IN LITHUANIA REVIEW GO HOME

ARTIST & ENTRY INFO

‘Bout the fucking time I am gonna talk about our bois, eh?

The Roop formed somewhere in around 2009, back when the lead singer Vaidotas Valiukevičius probably felt like he needed to be in a band, after many years of twists and turns of being a solo pop sensation and then it all ceasing a year prior. In 2009 he did get to cross paths with the drummer Robertas and the guitarist Mantas, one of them not being very fond of working with a former pop sensation but eventually giving into it. They had a small start, kinda went nowhere, but in the end they did start get some gigs at some point, and the gigs were small. For a band existing for so long and needing recognition, something eventually happened and they ended up on the Eurovizijos 2018 with “Yes, I Do”, which is more closer to the band’s older repertoire, because of course, they hadn’t hit big with their new sound just yet.

And when I first heard it, I was mindblown how good and stylish did it sound??? Yeah, somehow, I would never have had this sort of expectation in my life that I would’ve been mesmerized by a band I’ve never heard of (but I’ve heard of its lead singer and his past career but haven’t thought of him in years), but it’s just nowadays the thing that happens to me, when artists I don’t have many expectations for by name just slay my existence. (Major paragraphs about one such act coming up on my last review before the 2021 final)

What clicked with me is that song has the undertones about overcoming depression, because Vaidotas was diagnosed with one a year earlier, and it’s coming from Lithuania of all countries... Lithuania, the fucking country that’s number 1 or at the very least top 5 in suicides in handful of categories. And I would’ve loved to see us send such anthem of hope and light for those in need of it, but alas... we preferred love story and husband on stage (who broke up with her anyway sometime later because mutual reasons idek). Not that I’m mad, but it left me miffed and clamouring for The Roop to one day make their big Eurovision break.

And they did! 2 years later we saw the group re-emerge in the new Lithuanian NF’s format, Pabandom iš naujo 2020, with a song that’s different to their usual back-then style, the sleek and quirky dance hit “On Fire”. All was swell and we were actually doing well in the odds and were many people’s faves, but once again, for The Roop it was not meant to reach their dream of reaching out to more audiences, for that Eurovision that they were going to was cancelled, but the panini didn’t stop them, and they still ended up becoming one of the biggest current Lithuanian acts, still getting gigs during the panorama and all that, and awarded for all they had to be awarded for in the Lithuanian Grammy’s equivalent M.A.M.A. This indeed was just the beginning for them. Oh right and they also won the German Eurovision event thingy in place of the real one. And got a silver plastic miniature of the Eurovision trophy. Life is fine.

Then they got a record deal with Warner Music Baltics, went to Finland to do some music work with another Warner branch, and that’s just a part of how “Discoteque”, their entry, was born. It’s a dancy upbeat song, and its lyrics are all about the freedom to dance alone. Nothing to do about quarantine eventhough the “alone”ness suggest otherwise, lol.

REVIEW

I was craving this moment ever since. Though, I kinda thought that the “Discoteque” title was weird on the first glance at the participants/entries list, and not because of it being written without an h. It’s because... The Roop? Going funky? Throwback-esque? After the modernity that “On Fire” was?? hmmm k show what you got mwah mwah xx

And then when it released, it hit me very unexpectedly. Like. Okay. This sounds weird. Very bass-driven, in a way. It has an opening monologue, and a clicking chorus with a KILLER INSTRUMENTAL SECTION???? The one where it makes their hands go crazy when it goes on???

There’s just so much that was put into “Discoteque” that makes it stand out. They even explained certain parts of their song in the music video’s description, like, the extremely syllabic staccato chorus harkens back to the Lithuanian folklore days the way the melody is sung, the bridge made up of odd beatbox noises is meant to symbolize the first human music to ever exist (possibly from mouth sounds), and there’s also this out of key tinkly tune on the bridge that I can’t help but note everytime I listen. As well as I like noting that moment when his voice glitches out in the intro before the verse, and the hi-hats clapping 4 times before the second verse stars. I just love me some little details.

The lyrics are somewhat simplistic, with still some grammar gripes (never heard a soul say “wounded soul” without indicating if it’s “a” or “my” wounded soul???), but at least somewhat better and less cliche than rhyming “fire” with “desire” WHO DOES THAT. But props to The Roop for simply just making people not mind that lyric (at least at large) and now we ended up with an OGAE voting winning song / contender with the “fire / desire” rhyme thrown in there. Mad respect lol. (Yeah and also not a huge fan of the “body’s shaking” line, I guess that’s just me that hates certain words/word combos or think they’re just too weird in context. Apologies)

No but for real, they have crafted and put down a LOT of details in this song, and not just it, but also the choreography (according to them, all inspired by their childhood) and the video (same inspirations as for the choreography), and the whole vibe, and the outfits, and the color scheme (predominantly yellow with purple backdrop and also checkered visuals)... every single thing was crafted out to perfection and I fucking adore it, and I couldn’t have wanted any other way. The MOVES are in THAT specific order they want, although hard to memorize in sequence though, no matter how many times the Roop taught us to dance like them. Also this finger fucker dance move which I still cannot practice without realizing mine are jerky:

No wonder you got them pointing at you, mister, shit’s hard to practice!

And the music video trajectory, oh the music video trajectory (that is still not uploaded on Eurovision’s Youtube channel for some reason. Has it got anything to do with Warner?). Okay, it starts with an “On Fire” callback, with the band leaving to their dressing room, and Vaidotas is by the mirror with his white turtleneck, while a riff begins and he just starts feeling the peculiarity and reveals his yellow suit, and everyone goes for a dance, firstly just with all of the crew that is back from last year (the three Roop members + dancers Marijanas and Miglė), then with a bunch of people in stylish bowl wigs, and then they go back to the dressing room for one final mirror selfie.

my absolute favourite moment is this though. ahh yeah go ahead and feel yaselves

Though I gotta ask, was this move really inspired by Arvydas Sabonis or did Arvydas Sabonis influence The Bangles to walk like an Egyptian first?

It’s yet another quirky song from them, in a somewhat less conventional but at the same time more conventional way. Might have taken me a little time to get invested in it a a bit more, but if it’s an instant success with audiences, I can’t fault them for it, absolutely.

Approval factor: Absolutely. I wanted them for a long time, I am not disappointed. Follow-up factor: Both songs from The Roop are amazing, and also, LRT trusted in them to participate in the next selection once it will be held, and so they did give in, and LRT appointed them an automatic spot in the NF final (which they haven’t done since 2008), and they won fairly and squarely with an unimaginably big amount of televotes lol. We love our Roops. So the follow-up is just as good as the previous entry, which I still sometimes do prefer and think it would’ve stood a bigger chance to win unlike “Discoteque”, but we’ll see, we’ll see. Qualification factor: lol this is like the surest we’ve been about our qualification in years. Now I don’t wanna last-minute jinx it or anything, but we do have a slick performance and a song that’s somewhat of a clicker at first listen, so yeah, there’s your reasons why we pretty much shouldn’t fail, even if as semi openers. (And mind you, the openers to Eurovision in the 2020s, at least the actually happening Eurovision! Sorry Sweden 2020, The Mamas at least started the 2020s for Melodifestivalen xx)

NF CORNER

Now, just because The Roop were the clear standouts of an otherwise so-so NF, doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any decent songs. Like for instance:

• Gebrasy - Where’d You Wanna Go? I’ve actually been slightly rooting for this guy ever since he didn’t go by his stage name yet and sang a song co-penned by Michael Schulte (yes, THAT Michael Schulte, apparently) in 2018, and now it’s just astonishing about the amount of recognition he received with his fairly competent pop ballad piece (if it wouldn’t have done a Jurijus this year) about what sounds like a road accident. Many people said that if The Roop weren’t in this year, he would’ve won easily, but if not for The Roop, who knows how else would’ve the lineup sounded?

• Gabrielius Vagelis - My Guy Sounds like a love song to a guy, is actually about your own personal cheerleader that you can call “my guy”, I guess... simple synthpop piece performed by a competent and yet also very underrated by the televotes every single year he’s competed in singer, with his constant fashion choices additionally bringing him down a slight notch. Also would be a nice future ESC candidate, who knows when though, because Gebrasy is the main focus first, I guess.

And a few other songs I kinda liked, but I don’t wanna go too much in detail about each.

NF CORNER (NON-COMPETITIVE)

Organization-wise, we gotta say that we’re getting towards a pretty neat and tidy organized NF ever since Pabandom iš naujo format had even started. Sure, there were some withdrawal dramas from before the lineup (one of them being Evelina Sašenko who represented Lithuania 10 years ago already), and also the pressure of The Roop ending up as automatic finalists, and making some competitors feel like their tries are not worth it when there’s an obvious elephant in the room? But otherwise, not much notable has happened.

Except interval acts. Some good fucking food. Each and every time. Lithuania’s refined talentry jumped out constantly. My faves were Sisters On Wire though.

Maybe they could bring the chilled out pop rock sound that The Roop tried to carry out in 2018? Who knows.

Also this guy called Voldemars Petersons sang his entry in multiple different styles, trying to give versatile genre roulette artists a run for their money. Good for him I guess

Also, manly tears on live TV

ANY LAST WORDS?

The Roop knows just how proud the nation Lithuania is of them tonight. If I know them right, they’ll stay cool, calm and collected before the show and manage to give out their best to bring Lithuania a certified final placing, and possibly a good final finish. I am grateful for them ever having had an opportunity to showcase themselves, and I will forever look back on “Discoteque” as one of the best we’ve ever sent.

SĖKMĖS LIETUVA!!! SĖKMĖS THE ROOP!!! LET’S DISCOTEQUE WOOOOOOOOOO 💛🖖💜

[fireemblemtcg]

The Cipher Frontier! Issue 31: "I am Alice! And I, Val. Debut of the New Members!"

("The Cipher Frontier! With Emma, Shade, Yuzu, Randal, Alice & Valjean" is a regular column on the Fire Emblem Cipher website which summarises upcoming news concerning Cipher and other Fire Emblem materials. It is hosted by the six mascot characters. The following is a full translation of the 31st issue of the column, originally published on the 25th of August, 2017.)

more fire emblem cipher series 10 translations!

Hello, everybody!

(Silence...)

...Oh? Where is everybody?

Milady... Did you think to confirm that this was the appointed time?

Oh, no, you're correct... This isn't the right time at all! Gah... What a bother.

We mustn't leave everybody who has come to read this page waiting. Let's begin this ourselves!

...Very well, milady.

Then, allow me to introduce myself... My name is Alice! I have bid my motherland farewell and set out on a quest to bring good tidings to all manner of lands.

My lady is the daughter of a noble household.

It will be a pleasure to make everybody's acquaintance when I join the battle in Cipher Series 10, "Crossroads", due for release on the 21st of September!

I am Valjean, a knight and steward in milady's service. Pray forgive that I, too, shall be with you in Cipher Series 10. You may call me Val, if you would prefer to address me more familiarly.

Say, Val. Surely you ought to remove that stifling helmet of yours when introducing yourself?

With all due respect, milady... I cannot. It is only prudent for a knight.

I see... Then, now that you've been introduced, perhaps you would consider doing so now?

Surely we ought to begin showcasing the items we prepared for this day?

Yes, yes, of course! Let us begin!

We shall begin with these illustrations which were showcased in-studio the other day on the Cipher special live broadcast. "Glorious Twinstrike", the 11th Cipher series, will feature "The Sacred Stones"!

First of all, allow me to present Princess Eirika and Prince Ephraim.

Next, Prince Innes and Sir Garcia.

Sir Joshua and Miss Myrrh.

And last of all, a bael: a species of monster.

My, these are all such wonderful illustrations! Perhaps I ought to hang them in the parlor at home!

Including the, er... the "vael", milady?

I'd say that one is perfectly suited to your quarters, Val! Your names even sound somewhat alike!

I, er... I see. A fine idea, milady.

Now, what do we have next... My, these ones are brand new, are they not? From "Echoes: Shadows of Valentia", also featured in Series 11... Forsyth and Python, of the Zofian Deliverance!

Additionally, the protagonists of "Fire Emblem Warriors": Prince Rowan and Princess Liana, of the Kingdom of Aytolis!

Well? Was that not magnificent?

Magnificent as ever, milady! A marvelous bout of news, to be sure!

For the sake of all in the audience, we went and had a word with our dear producer and all in the staff. Dare I say, it was well worth the effort.

H-hold on, Val! I'm not so sure you should be saying such things!

You didn't misunderstand them, did you? Some matters belong in the open, while others ought to remain secrets... And it is the duty of the aristocracy to lead the way in making such decisions! If we are to ensure that all can continue to enjoy the game, we mustn't speak of such things!

Yes, yes. I know what you mean.

Really? Do you really understand?!

Huh? Shade! Shaaaade! Looks like they've gone and started without us!

Whaaat?! But I was going to break that news before... before anyone else! Didn't they hear me?!

Oh? So, you've finally deigned to come... Late, late, late! We've nearly finished today's Cipher Frontier!

What?! We thought we had made it, and yet... We were too late?!

Hmph. It seems my liege-lady made a miscalculation when she set our meeting time...

Inconveniencing others is an act poorly befitting a lady. Alas, your allowance for the month will be docked as recompense.

Wh-what?! How can you do this?!

'Tis my responsibility as the family steward, milady.

N-nooo!

Ohohoho. So you must be Alice and Valjean... Oh, sorry. Is it Val? Nice to meet oddballs such as yourselves.

Now that we're together, The Cipher Frontier! is only going to get bigger and livelier! You'd best look forward to it!

New to this as I am, it is an honor to make your acquaintances nonetheless.

Don't worry about it. With two more hands on deck, we'll be bringing you a even more powered-up Cipher Frontier! Look forward to it!

Thank you, everybody!!!!!!

Soft, we've come to the end already? What a pity...

[adder-lykel]

The Love Game (Part 1/?)

The Royal Romance meets The Crown and The Flame! For the sake of a new peace, Kenna must choose between contenders for her future king or queen. Ships: (Eventual Kenna/Raydan, Kenna/Diavolos, Kenna/Val, Kenna/Annelyse, Kenna/Tevan, Kenna/Dominic) (Eventual Underlying Sei/Dominic, Will/Dominic, Val/Annelyse, Zenobia/Tevan, Rowan/Kai)

If she had known it will come down to this, Kenna would have eloped. It was a simple thing really, she just said she didn’t want to marry yet. Now, she was sure it was a better answer than suddenly proposing to who she pleased after winning the battle of her life but the nobility saw a way to win people over. It was barbaric, really. Breads and circuses to pass time while everything was situated was a ridiculous but effective idea. All she had to do was play a love game. With various suitors chosen by nobility. After fighting for so long she did not even have the peace to develop a relationship with a man or woman she was interested in. Nevertheless she had to give in, because for now it would solve the issue of diplomacy.

Tevan was so elated when he got the news that he appointed himself as the suitor from Fydoria. He had always admired Kenna since she saved him, but now he was able to show her people he was the right choice. He assumed it would be easy, after all he was probably the prettiest in the competition. How hard could it be after all? “I am sure the kingdoms have matters that are more important than a courting rite.” Aurryn mumbled shyly as she looked up from the book she was reading at the table.

“Which is exactly why they need it.” Tevan replied with ease as he stood up. “Romance is the best type of sto–”

“Actually mytho–”

“Hush sister.” Tevan interrupted smoothly as he walked away. He had a Queen to win over.

“No.” Noa said quickly before Kai could answer.

“Okay, I’ll do it.” she coolly replied with a smile.

“What? Kai, no.”

“Noa yes,” she reached out for him,“We need to build relations.”

“We are already rebuilding their walls! No.”

“It will be fun, it’s a strong political move, and maybe there will be love.”

And so the argument ended in silence between the two siblings, confidence radiating off of one, and worry springing from the other.

Rowan sat alone in her kingdom of thorns. It was idiotic of the Stormholt Queen really. There were better things to do. Like figure out taxes and trade. Still, she managed to find the rose in the bush. She could have a bigger presence, and establish her dominance as a queen. So, she decided silently to herself that Thorngate’s suitor would be her.

Annelyse felt hope. She had another chance with Kenna. She had always been a dear friend but she felt something stronger.

There was always this unspoken connection. Kenna provided her more satisfaction than any man would. She understood what it was like to be a powerful women. Kenna respected her and her way of ruling.

Annelyse would have been more open about these feelings but she realized three truth at that time.

Number one was she was a woman who was expected to keep the Adair line in place. Her father had no sons, or daughters, so she had to continue the social climb. At the time she met Kenna the woman with no kingdom was penniless. It didn’t mean she wanted her any less.

Number two was she had to guard her heart. When they met she knew Kenna was after funds and an army. She had to be naïve to set that aside. She let Raydan observe, just like she made him do with anyone else who was after her.

Finally, Kenna had a big heart. A big heart was a confusing heart. She saw Kenna and how other people looked at her. Though she would not say who, she knew she wasn’t confident in knowing that she was Kenna’s only. This also meant that she was right about one thing: as far as she could tell, the queen would never be satisfied.

Annelyse knew one thing that no one else did. Kenna was born on a throne of blood. She became queen in a untraditional way. Kenna had her title ripped away from her, and she only became queen by war. Until this last battle she had always been at war. Annelyse could not recall a time when she was at peace. She did not know how Kenna would rule. Would she be hungry for battle? Would she be able to handle economic diplomacy? Or would she be a stagnant queen?

Annelyse pushed all thoughts of doubt of the way as she prepared to make her way to Stormholt in hopes of Kenna returning her feelings.

“Wait, what?” Val almost exclaimed as she put a training sword back on its rack. She had just finished a training session when Whitlock made an unexpected visit to tell her that the Foundry had officially made her a suitor to Kenna.

“Cmon I know how you li-” Whitlock was immediately cut off when Val slapped her hand over his mouth with a glare.

“Someone will hear you.” She hissed as her eyes darted around the room.

Whitlock pulled her hand from his mouth and said,“Say what you want, but I’m pulling for you. They’re only taking noble’s choice and this is your only chance.”

Val looked down, weighing her options. “Fine.”

“I. Don’t. Like. You.” Sei said through gritted teeth as she glared at Dom, her eyes refusing to portray her real thoughts.

“Admit it Sei-Sei you lo-” Dom stopped immediately as he saw Anu walking towards them. Ever since the volcano the old man still has not spoke to him.

“We have new word from Stormholt.” Anu said smoothly, his gaze not meeting Don’s.

“Dom has been here for a while.”

“Yes, well it seems he has been slow on the news… Queen Kenna is going to have all the kingdoms to chose one representative and contend for her hand in marriage.”

Sei’s gaze flickered to Dom, looking for a reaction. She was disappointed. His eyes were filled with something she could describe as a mix of hurt and jealousy. She sighed and looked at her grandfather. “I know who to send.”

“Who?” Anu and Dom both said at the same time.

“Dominic Hunter.”

“I just don’t see why it has to be you.” Adder said carefully as she stared up at Diavolos. She had no feelings that radiated off of neutrality for him but she had someone else in mind.

“Who would you suggest, your spymaster brother who works under Queen Kenna in Stormholt and who has no allegiance to Abanthus.” Zenobia said smoothly with venom coating her voice.

Diavolos managed to keep his cool even though he wanted to back up his sister. With passive aggressiveness he said, “I know Kenna more than anyone else who lives here. I am of noble blood. I have fought more battles than anyone else sitting at this table for three. I am more than certain than I am qualified to compete and win her hand. Need I remind you Adder, that we only need you for decision regarding our economy.”

Diavolos’ mind was set on winning Kenna’s hand. It would be easy. He was sure he had already won her affections, and a marriage with him would be the best for all the kingdoms. He promised security for her legacy, something he was sure the other suitors would not provide.

“I am sorry Lady Lia, I am afraid I cannot.” Raydan said, his eyes not leaving the ground. He was on a diplomatic mission to the young Empress’s country when the news quickly followed him.

“Very well, but I insist we play a game before you leave.” The child said with a bright smile while Jorrin’s eyes bore into him, looking for any signs of betrayal.

“Fine, what is it.” Raydan said with a small smile, disregarding Jorrin and ruffling her white hair.

“Sly fox.” Lia said with a mischievous smile.

“I feel like I walked into that.” Raydan muttered as he averted his gaze.

“Sly fox says… You continue to have strong feeling for Kenna Rys.”

Raydan groaned,“Correct.”

“Why don’t you marry her?”

He sighed, wringing his hands together. “We are from different worlds. I live in the shadows and she walks in the light. She will have no benefit from having a King with no worth other than being a former spy. I don’t think she knows that I would give this life up for her just to stay by her side everyday.

“But love has to be enough!” Lia squeaked, almost jumping up from her bench.

“Alas it isn’t. And now it’s my turn. Sly fox says…” he looked at her growing smile and her eyes that seemed to be holding something in. He stopped a groan from coming out. “You have plans for me.”

“Correct! I would like to name you Lord Raydan of Marossi, contender for Queen Kenna’s hand.”

“Lia no.” Raydan said desperately.

“Lia yes! You love her!”

“Yes, but shouldn’t you chose an actual citizens.”

Lia looked down at her feet shyly, “Well, the actual citizens are still wary after mother’s…departure.”

“What about Jorrin?”

“Jorrin is not interested.”

“You are an empress!”

“I am an empress who believes in love and good men. I think you are a good man Raydan, and a suitor who would win Kenna’s heart and form a strong bond with my empire.” Lia said innocently.

“I can’t get out of this, can I?” Raydan sighed as he looked up at Jorrin. Jorrin shook his head with amusement in his eyes.

“Shall we get started then?” Lia said excitedly, hopping up.

“We shall.”

Raydan felt unbelievably nervous. Could he convince her that he was a good husband. Could he be enough? He dreamed of a reality where they are just common people on the street with no worries. All they had to do was love.

[seriouslyhooked]

Wedded Bliss and Asterisks (A Modern CS AU) Part 22/23

Emma Swan is an enemy of love who just happens to be an up and coming wedding dress designer. She’s convinced that a fairytale kind of romance is nowhere in her future but when she meets Killian Jones, whose magazine is covering the opening of her new boutique, things change. Suddenly Emma finds herself drawing up new plans for her life, ones that seem to all be leading towards her own form of wedded bliss. Rated M.

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six,Part Seven.Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen, Part Sixteen,Part Seventeen, Part Eighteen, Part Nineteen, Part Twenty, Part Twenty One. Also onFF Here.

A/N: Hello all! I know it has been almost a month since I updated this story (honestly where the hell did time slip off to?) but at last we are here with a new chapter. It’s so crazy to me that we are at the epilogue of this story and I cannot believe that that’s even possible, but alas, there it is. This chapter flashes nearly a year ahead and gives a glimpse into the happily ever after I always try to craft for Emma and Killian. As such it’s all cuteness all the time and it packs quite a punch of fluff and sweetness. Hope you all enjoy and thanks so much for reading!

About 10 months later…

“So I’m thinking we go with the French lace on the sleeves and the braided bodice woven like I showed you yesterday. The only question is volume. How much height did the bride say she wanted?”

Emma posed the question to Tiana as she examined the pieces of the specialty garment that were coming together in the earliest stages of this dress’ creation. It was scraps really at this point, just the bare bones of an idea not yet actualized, but Emma could see it so clearly in her mind, and once she got all of the particulars right, she knew it would be a magical gown. It was just a matter of finding the sweet spot between what a bride wanted and what Emma’s imagination was willing to envision to make a dress all that it could be.

“She was more flow oriented when we spoke,” Tiana affirmed. “But you don’t really need to be focusing on that today, Emma. I know you’re in a rush. You were just supposed to be dropping off those sketches and then getting out of here…”

“But I got sucked up into the crazy, I know, I know,” Emma stated easily. “Trust me I’m aware that if I am not ready to go in ten – crap, I mean five – minutes I will have one very disgruntled husband on my hands.”

And Emma wasn’t lying. Killian wasn’t often demanding, but today he’d been sincere in his request that Emma be quick with wrapping up things at work. They were pressed for time this morning and it was all in the service of what Emma was sure would be a truly delightful weekend away, but old habits were hard to break and try as she might Emma really didn’t like to let go of all control on any of her projects. She wanted to be right on the front lines from start to finish with every dress, but that just wasn’t possible given all the success that Bliss Boutique had found this past year and how much demand there was on their time and the time of Tiana and the rest of their designers.

“That’s all right, Ems,” Elsa’s voice said from the doorway as she held in her hand a blue box with their bakery logo on it. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it up to him.”

“You are a freaking god send, Elsa. Seriously you might just be my savior today,” Emma professed as she snuck a peek inside the box, finding an exact assortment of Killian’s favorite treats for the train ride they were taking this afternoon. These should do very nicely for winning back her man’s favor, at least until Emma could get him alone and give him a proper apology. Just the thought of that had a shiver of anticipation racing through her and Emma smiled, imagining of all the ways she could make Killian forgive her for her workaholic ways.

“That’s what sisters do, right?” Elsa teased, pulling a laugh from Emma at the mention of their newfound status.

Since Elsa and Liam had married a few months before they’d all gotten used to the idea of Elsa and Emma being actually related, and Emma couldn’t think of a better friend to call a sister, especially when Elsa was always saving her ass like this and made Killian’s older brother so incredibly happy. It was amazing to see how well Elsa and Liam had blended their lives together, and though they were incredibly different they were perfectly suited somehow. Elsa managed to dull away many of the sharp edges that most people associated with Liam, and Liam had brought out a new side of Elsa that Emma had never seen, one that was totally confident in herself and blissfully happy with her life in the way her kindhearted and loyal friend truly deserved.

“Absolutely. I just wish I had more talents other than making dresses. Your skillset seems to come in handy a lot more often,” Emma joked before the phone she had in her pocket began to vibrate. Someone was calling her and it was Emma’s initial instinct to ignore it since the only person who could need her now who wasn’t at Bliss was Killian and he’d never call when he could come sweep her off her feet in person. But when Emma saw the number of her doctor’s office flash on the screen she was concerned. Was something wrong? She accepted the call to find out, her hand trembling slightly as she did.

“Hello?” Emma answered, a little anxious about what kind of news she’d be hearing. She’d only gone in for a check up last week and there hadn’t been anything she was waiting to hear back on.

“Emma Jones?” the nurse asked through the receiver and Emma replied that it was in fact her. “I’m calling because the last of your tests results came in from your most recent appointment, and it turns out that you’re pregnant. From the blood test we ran it appears you’re already a few months along. Probably right around eleven weeks or so.”

The fact that Emma didn’t drop her phone onto the ground was a miracle because she was totally shocked. Her jaw practically hit the floor and her mind was racing in a million directions. But through all of that there was one feeling in the center of her chest that outshone all of the others and it was hope. Hope that this was really happening and that after months of wondering when the day would finally come, she and Killian were expecting the child they both so badly wanted.

“Wait, I’m sorry, could you say that again?” Emma said into the phone biting back a smile and feeling like the whole world had just gotten even brighter and more beautiful in the blink of an eye.

“You’re pregnant, Emma. Congratulations.”

It was all Emma could do to pretend to listen to the woman as she give her some more information about setting up an appointment with another doctor and follow up care in the coming weeks. Truth be told all of it went in one ear and out the other and Emma felt like her heart was going to explode as she turned back around to face her friends. She was expecting to find just Tiana and Elsa, but when she looked around she saw that Ruby and Mary Margaret were there as well and waiting on her news.

As soon as Emma hung up she wanted to tell them everything and share in this happy occasion with the friends she loved so dearly but she also knew it wouldn’t be right to tell them before Killian knew. He had to be the first person she told no matter what because he was going to be her partner in this, and that realization that they’d be taking this on as a team and that their new dream really had come to fruition brought tears to Emma’s eyes. She was practically shaking from the feelings of love and happiness coursing through her, but she had to try and play it cool or risk the words tumbling past her lips too soon.

“What’s wrong Emma? What happened?” Mary Margaret asked worriedly and Emma’s gut clenched. There was nothing wrong, only something magical knocking at her door, but she couldn’t say it and she struggled to sound convincingly unaffected.

“I’m fine, I promise. It’s just… complicated,” Emma said hoping that would be enough to pacify her friends. But she must not have realized her instinctive motion to put her hand above her tummy where her and Killian’s baby would soon be growing. All it took was one look at that gesture and the happy tears in her eyes and all four of them were guessing at once.

“Oh my god, you’re pregnant!”

“Shhh!” Emma said, shushing them and looking out the doorway to make sure that Killian wasn’t there to overhear. “And even if that were true I can’t say… because if I were pregnant there’s kind of someone else who would need to know first.”

Emma’s comments were met with understanding but that didn’t stop the almost bursting sense of excitement from all of her friends. It was clear as day that this miracle wasn’t just destined to make Emma and Killian happy but their whole family of friends as well. There were tears and some barely restrained jumping and all of her friends stood there fidgeting and trying to contain their good moods when fate came barreling in and compounding the situation all the more.

“Ms. Swan?” one of the new assistants greeted while ducking into the room with a noticeably worried look on her face.

“Technically it’s Mrs. Jones, Ariel, but don’t worry, you’ll get there,” Tiana said evenly despite her still radiating excitement for Emma.

“Oh right,” the redheaded girl said. “Well your husband is here to pick you up and he said something about not waiting another minute to get to your vacation.”

“Oh my God this is going to be the best vacation ever!” Elsa said gleefully. “Between Emma’s good news and Killian’s-,”

Whatever Elsa was about to say was interrupted by a swift slap on her arm from Ruby and a look that could kill. It told Emma that something was definitely up and that there was a very good chance her husband had something up his sleeve for this long weekend of theirs, but before she could ask questions Mary Margaret and the others were shooing Emma to the main room of the shop and then Emma was face to face with Killian and her suspicions went out the window.

Standing there in the middle of the business she’d built with the sunlight streaming in behind him, Killian was a sight to behold, and he was no less handsome today than he had been more than a year ago on that train where they first met. But it still amazed Emma that this was her real life. She’d long ago given up on pinching herself and she trusted that she was in fact this lucky, but sometimes the amount of happiness she felt surprised her. It was still so sure and constant after all of this time and the honeymoon phase that everyone said would fade was still here and it appeared it was here to stay.

“Swan,” Killian said when their eyes met and she’d crossed the room to him and Emma couldn’t resist stealing a kiss from him right there in front of everyone, audience be damned. She didn’t need an excuse to kiss her husband, after all, but right now she had the best one ever and Emma was just so thrilled at everything happening she couldn’t resist celebrating somehow and with the most important person in her world.

“I love you,” Emma whispered when they broke apart, and when she did the look on Killian’s face that made it seem like this moment with her was the best moment he’d ever known and she was the most important person in the universe prompted her to tell him right here and right now despite the slightly strange delivery of this life-changing news. “I have something I have to tell you.”

“You can tell me anything, Emma. You know that.”

As he made the promise Killian’s hand came up to cup her cheek and his eyes traced her features with all the love in the world. Emma could just imagine that love made into something new, a paternal kind of devotion that Killian would share with their kids as they all grew up into their own people with their own dreams and ambitions and wants to change the world. Emma knew that Killian would attach the same intensity of purpose to being a father that he had to being her soul mate and because of that he’d be the best Dad and the best partner she could ever have in this.

“I’m pregnant,” she confessed finally, waiting with bated breath for his response.

Emma wished she could have crafted a prettier way to express this amazing news, but she needed Killian to know about this blessing now and not at some later point where she found words to rival the ones he was always gifting her with. But in the end Killian’s reaction, even if Emma hadn’t been overly flowery in her language, was everything she’d been wanting and more. At first there was the briefest blip of shock that crossed his handsome face, but it shifted so quickly into this incredible sense of hope and wanting that Emma couldn’t think of anything that she’d ever seen that was more beautiful than this moment.

“You mean it, love? You’re really – I mean we’re really…?”

He couldn’t even finish the words but Emma nodded, the happy tears finally slipping down her cheeks as she told him he was going to be a Dad. And whatever she’d thought would happen when she told her husband about their upcoming adventure, Killian exceeded that by pulling her into his arms and spinning her around until she was laughing and holding onto him for dear life. It was a truly fantastic moment where both of them were caught up in the emotion of it all, but it soon hit a bit of a bumbling halt when Killian realized this might not be the safest of activities.

“Bloody hell, love, the baby! I shouldn’t have done that, Swan. I’m sorry I -,”

There was no need to let Killian delve into worries about his instincts, and truth be told Emma didn’t want for him to have a thing like regret anywhere near his mind. Not on this perfect, amazing day. So instead she pulled him down by the collar of his jacket and kissed him again in front of everyone and with no attempt at all at keeping it tame or appropriate for public consumption. All Emma could think was that she loved this man and wanted to feel that love and all the blessings that they’d found together as well as all of those still to come.

Eventually though, interruption did arrive in the form of Emma’s friends all needing to get their congratulations in and Emma officially ‘telling’ them about the baby. There was a chorus of glee and a happy applause that broke out through all of Bliss Boutique, but as far as real celebrations went, they would have to wait, because Emma and Killian had a date to keep and a train to catch for a trip back down memory lane.

“It couldn’t be more perfect timing,” Emma said as they arrived at the station and boarded the train that would lead them back to Misthaven.

“Aye love,” Killian replied as he brought her hand up to his lips to kiss gently. “A year ago today you made me the happiest of men by agreeing to marry me. You changed my life forever, and now you’ve done it again.”

“You changed mine too,” Emma whispered as she took her seat and curled into Killian where he sat beside her. “And now it’s all happening, just like we wanted.”

“Indeed it is love,” Killian said as he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “Indeed it is.”

………………..

At the start of today’s journey, Killian truly believed he would have the upper hand when it came to surprises. This trip to Misthaven had an intended purpose beyond a mere weekend of relaxation and restoration, one that Emma wasn’t yet aware of, but Killian never imagined that when he walked into her shop today she’d give him a gift he’d been almost scared to really hope for.

A baby. Killian and Emma were going to have a baby and it was amazing to him in every way. Their love had created something bigger than themselves and within the year their family would grow to include a whole new being that was part Emma and part him. It was crazy to think of such a wonderful twist of fate being real, but also it was the best gift anyone had ever given him save for perhaps Emma vowing to be his wife for all the days of their lives when they got married.

It honestly felt like they hadn’t a right to be this happy. Things in their world were so good and had remained that way almost since the start. There were hiccups of course, with the occasional crisis at work or short-term obstacles that every couple faced, but the bond between Emma and Killian wasn’t rattled or shaken. It had only grown stronger with each day, and in the face of this new adventure Killian was certain that it would grow even more. There was no one on earth Killian would rather raise a family with than Emma, no one he could even conceive sharing such a roll with, and he was getting his wish to have this chance with the best woman alive, a woman who had changed him for the better and continued to bring light and love into his world time and time again.

“We’re going to have make so many decisions,” Emma murmured from her spot curled up beside him on the train.

They’d been here wrapped up in each other for about an hour and they were nearly at the Misthaven station now. In that time they’d talked of so many things but none more important than their incredible joy at the prospect of this next chapter. Yet Emma, being the planner that she was, was no doubt thinking of concrete changes that would have to come before the arrival of their little boy or girl and formulating a list of things that had to be completed before the day their son or daughter was born.

“Like what, Swan?” Killian asked as his thumb ran across her hand lightly tracing over the tops of her fingers to where the two rings he’d given her always remained. He loved the idea of hashing out particulars because it would only make this feel more real and he welcomed Emma’s sharing her thoughts and wishes with him now more than anything.

“Well for starters we should probably start thinking about doctors and parenting classes and where to put a nursery…”

“All things we can handle in due time, love. But that’s not what’s foremost on your mind right now, is it?” Killian implored, wanting to know what Emma had been thinking before trailing off, because there was clearly more playing out in that brilliant mind of hers and he would always want to know her hopes in any situation.

“Well we’ll have to think about staying in the city. I thought we’d have a little more time to figure it all out but ever since the doctor told me the news I can’t get this image of us and our family and wide open spaces out of my mind.”

This confession was music to Killian’s ears even if Emma didn’t realize that it would be. She was sitting here thinking that somehow this bit of news would be an inconvenience or a massive hurdle for them to overcome, but it actually wrapped up perfectly into Killian’s plans for today. The gift he had for her might not seem as crazy as it did before with this bit of truth between them, and it would hopefully fit seamlessly into Emma’s plan and hopes for more.

“I’ve a feeling we’re on the right track, love. You just have to trust me.”

Emma grinned at Killian’s insistence and promised that she did trust him before the automated voice in the train car sounded telling them they’d arrived at their destination. Once there, however, Killian surprised Emma by insisting that they drop their bags off at the house where they’d be staying (which was the same little cottage they’d rented out a year ago) before pressing on to the real surprise. This proved rather shocking to Emma who imagined they’d get immediately to the part where they locked themselves away from the world and reveled in all the happiness today had already brought them, but as usual she accepted his leading her in a new direction and she trusted it would bring a magical moment her way if she handed over the reins to him.

“You know whatever it is your taking me isn’t going anywhere, right? This town doesn’t change, that’s why it’s so charming.” Emma joked before running her hand up his chest in an soothing gesture as they walked down the quiet streets of this cozy little hamlet.

“I know, love, but when we get there you’ll realize why I’ve no wish to wait,” Killian explained, smiling as he thought of the moment when Emma would finally understand all that he’d done for her and for their future.

“Even if it means getting me all alone to celebrate the good news?” Emma asked with every intention of seducing him to her will and distracting him from the prize that was nearly before them.

“Even then. But you have my word, Swan, I will be getting that privacy with you shortly, and when I do we’ll celebrate in a way we’ll never forget.”

This seemed to appease Emma for the time being and they picked up the pace in the direction of their destination, but even when they arrived at the front gate of the spot where their worlds had changed forever, Emma seemed to miss that this was it. The surprise was the house before them, or rather the big sign in front that bore the word ‘SOLD’ in giant white lettering, but Emma didn’t seem to understand that all of this was more than mere coincidence.

“They sold the house,” Emma whispered deflatedly as if sad for the fact that Marie and Charles would no longer be here in this magical place where Emma and Killian had promised to tie their lives forever together. “I wonder who will live here now.”

“We will, love,” Killian replied and at first Emma didn’t seem to process what he said, standing still and calm for a moment until realization dawned on her and her jaw dropped as she swung back around to look at him.

“Wait you bought a house? You bought this house?!”

“Aye, I did. I know I should have asked you and I know the summer season’s crazy right now. Your schedule’s a wreck and mine is too but we could move in the fall when things cool off again.”

With Emma tearing her attention between gaping at him and gaping at the house, Killian pulled her hands into his, bringing them up to kiss gently one by one. He expected a response from her immediately, but in her lingering shock and quiet he filled the air between them with his fantasy for what a life lived here could mean for them, hoping to illustrate for Emma all that he imagined and all he wanted to give her.

“This house is perfect, my love, and I can picture no place better to grow old and raise a family than right here. You want wide-open spaces? This house has all that and more. It’s a perfect oasis in the safety of a small town where the sky is the limit and anything can happen. We were meant to be here, Emma, and I know you felt it too when we were here last. The commute’s not great but not terrible; an hour by train both ways, but we can ride in every day together. Honestly I can think of many a worse fate to face, especially when you think of all we could make here for us and our family.”

Emma continued to stare at him with a hundred emotions flitting across her features but for some reason Killian couldn’t get a clear read on what his lovely wife was thinking. Was she angry with him about making such a large decision as this? Or was she as happy as he was? He didn’t know for certain until she rushed him and pulled him down for another kiss that rivaled the one they’d had back at Emma’s shop. Only this time there was nothing like the interruption of before, and the kiss ran longer and hotter until they were both breaking apart with their breathing ragged and their faces flushed.

“You bought us a house,” Emma whispered with a smile on her lips. “No, correction, you bought us our dream house.”

“So you like it then?” Killian teased, knowing now that he’d done just as good as he expected when he put this plan in motion months back.

“I don’t even have words right now, other than I love you. And the rest of it we’ll figure out, but this… this is perfect, Killian.”

Killian had to agree with that sentiment, and by his estimations this day might just rival their wedding day as the best one he’d ever had. But it only got better to as he took Emma’s hand and led her inside, showing her the interior of this great house that they’d visited before, which was just as charming and magnificent indoors as it was outside.

Right now the home they could officially call theirs was bare inside with no furnishings at all because Marie and Charles had already moved to be near their grandchildren earlier this month. This left what felt like a gargantuan amount of space that Killian had wanted to fill, but he was determined to give Emma the chance to do this home up as she saw fit. He would always trust her tastes more than his own, and he could just imagine the nights they’d fill dreaming up exactly how things would be if they could have everything they wanted. Emma would fill the hours with measurements and design particulars, and he’d spend his time loving her and probably distracting her more than he should. But either way it was going to be fantastic, of that he was sure.

“It’s even better than I imagined,” Emma said when they’d gone through every room and even begun picking out which one would be for them and which would be a nursery or the rooms their kids would someday claim. “But what about the gardens? I mean there’s no way, right? We can’t handle all of that. We’d never have time for anything else.”

“Much as it pains me to admit, Swan, you’re right, that’s not an option, but we found a way around it. The acreage with Charles testament of love for Marie has been donated to the town to become a public park. And there was an endowment from a private benefactor to keep it well funded and perfectly attended to for years and years to come.”

Killian could see that Emma couldn’t even begin to calculate how much money that would take. She was a smart woman, the smartest he’d ever met, so she was likely running through every question about where they would have gotten the hundreds of thousands of dollars at the very least that were needed for such an endeavor. He supposed he could let her continue to surmise about what could have happened, but Killian didn’t want to wait to grant Emma every answer, not when at the end of this reveal they could truly enjoy everything they now called theirs.

“I can see those gears of yours shifting, love, and the answer to your internal musing is one I’m guessing will surprise you. The source of the gift is your favorite neighbor.”

“Mrs. Hubbard?!” Emma asked, totally shocked, and Killian could understand the feeling. It had amazed him at first too, but then again nothing could truly astound him given all the ways his life had changed in the past year since meeting his Swan.

Yet for Emma, this revelation was of a much larger and impactful kind, and Killian felt it was best to leave any explanations to Mrs. Hubbard herself. So without further ado he pulled out the letter that Emma’s old neighbor had provided him with this morning before he’d left the city, and he enjoyed how Emma made no motion to hide it from him, extending it in a way so that he knew she wanted him to read it along with her without any sort of secrecy.

Dear Emma,

Surprise! It turns out the old lady across the hall who you’ve humored for all these years had a secret and now it’s time for it to come to light. I am – rather unfortunately in my opinion – filthy, stinkin rich. Truth be told the money that made this acquisition possible comes from my late husband’s family and we neither of us ever really knew what to do with it while he was alive. So we did the only thing we could think: we basically pretended that it wasn’t there and lived out life in relative normalcy. It was the best decision we ever made, and I attribute so much of our happiness to it.

But sometimes there are moments like these where money can make the world a better place, and when Killian told me about his wish to buy you this home and the story you two already have here, I knew I’d found an outlet that would both make me happy and do my dear departed Fitz proud. You know how much we enjoyed spending time in the Botanical Gardens and how I still go whenever I can to honor his memory. Escaping to that place was one of the only things that kept us sane enough to live in this crazy city for as long as we did and so it feels only right that we preserve another sanctuary for more people to enjoy all while I grant you and your great love the chance to grow as it deserves.

There’s all kinds of legal jargon that comes with things like this that I don’t want to bother you with – that’s what lawyers are for after all – but there was one last thing I wanted you and Killian to have: the grove of roses out behind the house in the spot where Killian meant to propose to you is yours. I’ve taken care of everything, and the same groundkeepers for the new park will keep it all in order so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Consider it a late wedding present and a wish bestowed from me to you that you have everything I had with my Fitz and more.

I know you’re probably thinking to yourself that this is too much, it’s too grand a gift, or some other nonsense, but you’re wrong, Emma. You and Killian deserve to be happy, and this will be your way, I know it will. Fill this house with children, make this house a home in a way you never had, and build the life you always wanted, my dear. Convince those friends of yours who you love to do the same so that you may never lose each other, and most of all, don’t ever let a day go by where you don’t hold the people you love close and tell them just how deeply you care. Because after all my many years upon this earth I’ve known only one thing to be really true: love is always the answer and it will get you through anything, no matter what.

All the best from your dear friend and favorite neighbor,

Lizzie Hubbard

It was completely understandable to Killian when he heard sniffling come from his wife and he watched as Emma wiped away fresh tears that had spilled onto her cheeks. This note was truly touching in its heartfelt sincerity and even he felt choked up upon reading it. Killian hadn’t known the full depths of what Mrs. Hubbard would write though he had suspected, but the woman who had always proven to be full of wisdom and sound advice came through once more with flying colors. Her ideas on how Emma and Killian should lead their lives together was exactly he wanted, right down to convincing their friends to make the move as well (which was already in the works on every front) and he knew from Emma’s reaction it was what she desired too. He just had to cut through the intensity of feeling a bit to get to the heart of that.

“All in favor of making her an honorary grandmother?” Killian said half joking but mostly serious as Emma choked back another sob and nodded, agreeing with that totally.

“Tell me this is really happening,” Emma whispered as she wiped away the rest of her tears and looked up at him again, appearing just as beautiful now as she did in every moment, tears or not.

“It is, Emma. I promise you it is,” Killian replied, meaning it from the bottom of his heart.

And with that promise and with the knowledge that life was winding down a path towards something beautiful and miraculous and so totally worth fighting for, Emma and Killian shared another kiss, cementing this moment for all eternity as one of the happiest ones they’d ever known. In the span of that kiss the world faded away, time seemed to trickle to a stand still, and all that remained was the two of them caught up together in the same happy space of love and light and every good thing.

But the best part of it all was that when they finally did break apart, and reality descended once more, none of the picture perfect feelings or the hope and joy of all of this dissipated. Instead it grew day-by-day, month-by-month, and year-by-year, until every dream they’d had for their lives and their love was made real, and they found that they had truly achieved a magical, memorable, once in a lifetime kind of wedded bliss.

Post-Note: I cannot begin to put into words what getting to the epilogue of this story means to me. It’s been such a pleasure to write it and really such a fun creative outlet for me over the first half of this year. Writing is always about trying to enjoy myself and get out of my own head for a bit, and this story was such an awesome way for me to do that. The fact that so many of you joined me on this journey and enjoyed the story along the way only makes it that much harder to say goodbye, but alas it is time…at least for now. As I’ve said before with other stories, I reserve the right to add more to the happily ever after (and since this chapter didn’t include the baby directly there’s a good chance that will happen someday featuring a bigger CS family and all their friends living in Misthaven with them), but I don’t have any set plans on when to write it. Anyway thank you all so much for all your kind words and support and I hope you all have a lovely rest of your day!

[findsarahh]

It’s a Family Affair

Sequel to As the Moon Rises.

Summary: With the Inquisition now disbanded, Isera sets her goals on stopping Solas by showing him a different way to change the world. The former Inquisitor, Banreas, has taken a smaller role to defeat Solas, if necessary, with little interest in other political affairs. Isera, with new found political influence, is using her power to collate elven associates who seek to better the elves without destroying the world. But will they be successful?

F!Lavellan x Solas

It has been over two years since her discovery of Solas’s true identity. Isera had sent ravens to every Dalish Clan she could remember. Leliana gave her contacts of elven associates, and Varric stated that he “knew of people” that could be helpful. Of those elven members within the Inquisition, if they hadn’t already disappeared, Isera called upon them to come with her. Almost all of them agreed.

Briala met her at the entrance of the Citadelle du Corbeau, the old fortress that housed the Empress’s troops during the height of the civil war in the Exalted Plains. While the Veil is not torn here, it is fragile.

Isera is sitting on her hart in the shade, staring up at the impressive gate of the keep. “We are waiting on the contacts.” She informs the Marquise. Briala traveled from the Emerald Graves, where she made her home to assist with obtaining the keep.

Briala turns to look at her. “Do you know who it is?” Isera only informed her that she had chosen two people that could be potential advisors. It is likely Briala’s contacts did not know whom she called upon.

Isera nods. “I know of one. She gave up everything to discover the old ways. And the other is a formidable warrior with strange abilities, I hear. Both associates of the Viscount in Kirkwall.” Isera turns looks at Briala who is mounted on a hart. “How is the political climate?” She asks.

There has been a surge of elven associations rising across Thedas. One of the first to join with Isera was Keeper Lanaya from Clan Alarahel who has had a settlement in southern Ferelden for almost 15 years. The Denerim associate, Shianni, the Hahren for the cities and elven advocate for King Alistair also contacted her.

First Neria of Clan Ralaferin helped settle Llomerryn in Rivain a year ago. Clan Lavellan in Wycome has established a strong political presence there thanks to Varric and the will of Keeper Deshanna. Briala had been granted a title, land, and a position within Orlais where she advocated for elves. Banreas, given his title as Herald of Andraste and his actions during the last few years, left him as an idol and hero in almost all elven eyes.

Briala rolls her eyes. “Stormy, as always. Nervous at the new found power of the elves in Orlais, crying at Celene to retract her offer, to you in particular.”

Isera chuckles at the idea. “And her response?”

Briala laughs. “Reminds them that they would be dead if it were not for the Herald of Andraste, who is elven and your brother. How she would be dead, and Oralis would have fallen if he and I didn’t come together to save Orlais.”

Isera chuckles, but both knew that Briala had been plotting against Celene. Banreas had discovered the plot and chose to show Briala in a positive light. He never shared with Isera why he elected to reunite the couple. But alas, his actions lead to their new position of power.

Isera, like most of the Inner Circle of the Inquisition, had been granted noble titles in Ferelden and Orlais. Isera was given land around the Citadelle du Corbeau in the Exalted Plains as a reward from the Empress and King Alistair…well, he said he’d give her just about anything barring illegal acts.

Briala glances around. The bodies of the fallen soldiers have long since been removed, but the land around them is struggling to live again. “Have you thought of what you will do with this place?” Briala wonders. The fortress is in ruin and disrepair in light of recent events.

“Yes.” Isera shares. “I want this to be many things. But for now, a refuge, a place of learning and a place that will be protected.”

“Would you seek to isolate?” Briala asks.

Isera shakes her head. “The Fall of the Dales showed that we cannot isolate. Learning and understanding our differences is imperative.” Isera states. During her time in the Inquisition, Isera studied the Fall of the Dales through the lens of humans who had defeated them and compared the literature to Dalish tales.

One thing stood out—the elves have no allies to call upon when the Exalted March began. There were no avenue of political power. That, in turn, assisted in their defeat once more.

Briala grins at the idea. “And, as a place of learning, what will you teach?” She teases.

Isera smiles with a sly grin. “Everything.” She knows Briala is aware of the plans for the fortress.

Briala believed her when Isera visited, about the impending doom upon the world from Solas—Fen’harel. In fact, Briala shared she met an elf that she now suspects was an agent of Fen’harel.

Isera will appoint Briala is set to be her spymaster and liaison to Orlais. Briala has greater skill in the Great Game and has been corresponding with Charter, one of the Divine’s best spies for months now. She would ensure the political power of the elves.

“And what of your General?”

“My reports say he has been hunting Tevinter magister, long before Corypheus recruited them. Former slave. Has his been leading a platoon.”

Briala frowns. “A platoon is nothing compared to leading a legion of armies.”

“No, but what elf do you know has to lead a charge with the masses?” Isera challenges. The only elf that has lead a large force would have been Banreas, yet he had Cullen as his Commander. No elf would have been raised to a stature such has led a massive army—the idea is unheard of.

“Point taken,” Briala confirms. “Would the Inquisition’s former Commander be willing to train him?”

Isera shakes her head. The idea is a good one; however, Cullen had just settled down in Honneleath with his family and begun a place for Templar who are seeking to be off of lyrium. She would not ask him to leave. “No.”

Briala frowns. “I will see what strings I can pull.”

“By the Creators! Will someone help me with this?” A voice, high and sweet calls from the bottom of the hill. “This is the right fortress, right?” The small figure looks around. She is surrounded by elven guards still wearing the Inquisition armor. They look unsure of the elf.

Isera turns, demounting her hart and walks to the woman. “Are you Merrill of Sabrea Clan?” She asks.

“Oh yes! That is me.” She beams as she turns to face Isera. “Oh my, your eyes—Varric said not to say anything…and there I go saying something.” She babbles. “Anyway, I am Merrill, former First of Clan Sabrea.” She turns to look at the caravan behind her. “I have brought everything that I have collected over the years that could be relevant.”

Isera nods with a smile. “I am Isera Lavellan, and I am the one who requested you here.”

“My goodness! You are the sister of Banreas Lavellan? Didn’t we meet before…?” Merrill hums, still staring at Isera. Merrill frowns. “Why is he called the Herald of Andraste? Did he convert?”

Isera blinks at the rapid questioning. “Let us discuss after we take control of the fortress’s defenses,” Isera asks, as she motions Merrill to follow her. “I was here when the humans had activated the defensive, causing a massacre. I believe I know how to control them, but it is a lot of magic to expel.” She explains.

Merrill smiles, staff in hand as together they open the doors. Isera motions for Briala to stay with the guards. The Marquise frowns as she watches the two disappear into the keep.

Merrill looks around the desolate fortress. “This place is quite big—are we going to get lost?”

“Ah, no. We won’t.”

The worry is evident on her face “Is it dangerous? The Veil is thin here, don’t you feel it?” Merrill states.

“Yes, I do.”

“Hm. Well, we should tread carefully. Don’t want the Dread Wolf to catch our scent.”

Isera snorts, choking back a chuckle. She now believes that Varric did not inform Merrill of exactly the reasons behind the call to the fortress. That Isera will be asking her to join her forces to prevent and save the Dread Wolf if they can.

“Up this way.” Isera points as they head up a derelict staircase. The runes of the defenses are still active and have the potential to attack at any moment due to the tampering by unskilled rune smiths and mages.

When they approach the defenses, Merrill studies the runes. “I have never seen runes like this before. How exciting!” She exclaims as she claps her hands. “Isn’t it?”

“I guess,” Isera responds as she watches Merrill. Isera is not used to the unbridled level of positivity and enthusiasm that Merrill is exhibiting. “Ah, I think to regain control of the defenses, we need to perform…” Isera begins pulling a paper out of a small bag on her back. “…this…” she passes the paper to the other mage.

Merrill studies the paper. “Oh! This is a good spell! Did you create it?” She asks, her large, bright green eyes stare up at her. “If you created it, you are quite a clever mage.”

Isera smiles tightly. “No, I found it in a book. I can show you sometime.” Isera offers.

Merrill beams at the idea as she begins preparing for the ritual.

---

The two mages walk down the steps of the fortress. There is screaming below. They glance at each other as the rush down to see an elven man with…lyrium tattooed on him yelling at one of Isera’s guards.

“Fenris!” Merrill shouts with glee as she rushes down to greet the man without hesitation. Isera falters before following. Briala is standing to the side attempting to calm the elven guards.

“What is going on?” Isera calls as she stands between the elven who is glowing blue with anger and her guard.

The glowing man glares at her. “Do you encourage your men to insult those you call for assistance?” He demands. Merrill is standing to the side of him looking concern.

“I’m sorry?” Isera says as she looks at him before looking down at her soldier. The soldier stands to his feet, his face is marked with the vallaslin, and he is glaring at the man who continues to glow blue with magic.

“He is imitating Dalish without being Dalish!” The soldier cries with a snarl. Isera stares at him—he’s young and apparently has not left the clan before now.  The man is tattooed with what is lyrium and typical elven patterns.

Isera sighs the bad blood between the Dalish and City elves run deep in some Clans. “That is unworthy of you.” She turns to stand in front of the soldier, her shoulder pulled back, in control of the situation. “Our People are one, no matter the path they took.”

The boy shakes his head in denial. “He’s not our people!” The boy cries.

Isera doesn’t flinch as her face hardens. “And who are the Dalish, boy?” She asks as her eyes narrow.

The boy is quick to answer as he stares up at her in defiance. “Those who did not live in the cities, who refused to submit!”

“No. Who are the Dalish?” She asks again

He pauses glaring at Isera. “Elves!” he replies with bitterness.

“And who are the elves who live in the cities?”

“Elves who have lost their spirit! They are no better than the humans!” He tries to argue.

“Yet, here they stand—city elves and Dalish elves standing side by side, as one, because there was a call for them. Do you see a loss of spirit, now, boy?” Isera challenges his belief.

He glances around, a sea of faces around him, some marked with the vallaslin and some not all staring at him.

A seed of doubt is sown as he glances down. “I..I..don't know.” He hesitates.

Isera shakes her head. “That is not the answer, boy. You know this to be true.” She informs him.

She pauses, looking around. “Back in formation!” Isera orders her guardsmen. “Your first task to help remove the rubble of the fortress. Now go.” Isera orders as she watches her guard march into Citadelle du Corbeau.

Isera takes a deep breath as she turns to face the injured party. “I sincerely apologize on behalf on my men. What has the ability to divide will be mended.” She tells the man. “Briala, please see to it that you create teams of four to help remove the rubble. Two Dalish per two city elves. Let’s start teaming building exercises now.”

Briala’s eyes narrow at the order, apparently wanting to observe the political interaction between Isera and the two potentials, but she departs to pass on the orders.

Isera turns to the man who is no longer glowing blue. “My name is Isera. Thank you for coming.” She introduces herself, tilting her head slightly with the greeting.

He nods. “Fenris.” He glances behind Isera. “Merrill.” He greets the other woman.

Merrill perks up at the greet, stepping forward with a smile. “How have you been? I heard you were killing the Tevinters!” She asks with a little too much enthusiasm.

Isera turns to look at Merrill in surprise. “You two know each other?”

“Yes! We met in Kirkwall!” Merrill shares still smiling. “He isn’t fond of me though.”

Isera blinks slowly at Merrill a small but tight smile forming on her face at the statement before she turns to look at Fenris in confusion. He is frowning but does not say anything.

“Ah, okay.” Isera hums awkwardly. “I am sure you are wondering what you are doing here.”

“Oh, Varric asked us to be!” Merrill replies cheerfully.

Fenris glances at Merrill. “Varric requested that we meet, to hear your request.”

Isera nods, leading them into the fortress and to a large room. There is a chill in the air. This argument is going to be hard to sell, asking two elves who know nothing of her to join her force to stop the Dread Wolf of all things.

“Merrill, as the former First, I am sure you are aware of the tales of the Dread Wolf?” Isera asks, pulling her hands behind her back to mask her nerves.

“Of course.”

Isera turns to Fenris and poses him the question as well.“And you, Fenris? Do you know the tales?”

“I have been…aquainted with them.” He answers. His level of suspicious against her is clear as day. He does not know what to make of her.

Merrill smiles. “I shared him the stories of the Dalish!”

Isera nods, dropping a cloth bag onto a dusky table with broken maps. She pauses, thinking about her words. “What if I told you, that legends and stories as we know are wrong?”

Merrill frowns at the idea. “What do you mean?” She asks.

Isera pulls out texts and papers laying them flat on the desk as she waits to answer. “What if I told you that our stories of the trickster Dread Wolf, who locked away our Gods for enjoyment, are wrong?”

Merrill scowls. “The Dalish may have forgotten parts, but they wouldn’t forget that!”

“What if only parts of the legend are true?” Isera taps the old text. A book she found in the broken library in the Crossroads a year ago with the last accounts of the ancient elvhen.

Isera can see the conflict in Merrill’s face about the idea. But Varric suggested her for a reason. Merrill, as he said, is passionate about the elves and history. She may be resistant, but she will be open-minded.

“Why do the stories matter?” Fenris questions as his level of impatience increases. “How does that relate to why we are here?”

“Fenris, you and Merrill were there when Hawke siblings fought against Corypheus, the first time, no? Could the idea that the Elvhen Gods could still exist as well?”

“The Dread Wolf is…here?” Merrill asks, her voice is small and worried at the idea.

“The Dread Wolf was once and is known by the name of Solas. He assisted with the defeat of Corypheus with Inquisition.” Isera paces back and forth. “He also helped with the discovery of the failed qunari invasion two years ago during the Exalted Council.”

The two watch her pace in silence.

“Solas did seal away the people we claimed as our Gods and crafted the Veil as we know it today. He claims we were warring amongst each other and someone murdered Mythal.” Isera briefly looks at them. “As punishment, he sealed them away for eternity. A side effect of sealing the gods away was the creation of the Veil. We began to age because we lost our connection to magic.”

“You’re lying.” Merrill accuses, her hands resting on her face in surprise.

“I wish I was.” Isera grimaces. “I am theorizing, at this point, after the separation by the Veil, that Tevinter took advance of the chaos and enslaved the elves, thus began our continued subjugation.”

“Continued?.” Fenris asks glancing at Merrill. There are no stories of the elves being enslaved before the involvement of Tevinter.

“Yes…” Isera confirms. “We were…no different than humans. We enslaved our own. Our stories of the vallaslin are right and wrong. Right in the sense that the markings did honor the Gods…but only on slaves owned by nobles.”

Merrill’s eyes narrow. “If this is what this Solas told you, who are also claiming is Fen’harel, he could be lying.”

Isera sighs. “He is not. I found reports of his actions during that time…” Isera points to the papers that she collected and saved two years ago.

“You said Mythal was murdered,” Merrill asks, her eyes still narrow as she glares at Isera.

“Yes. I do not know the details, but she yet lives.”

“You are telling me, Mythal the Protector, the All-Mother, was murdered, but is alive?” Merrill asks.

“In one sense. The Evanuris aren’t killed so easily. Mythal, after her murdered, came to a woman by the name of Flemeth—“

Merrill jumps up, her eyes wide in awe. “Asha'bellanar!” Merrill gasps in surprise. She begins pacing about the room clearly in thought at the name.

Fenris scowls, looking at Merrill. “That witch we freed all those years ago?” He asks, vaguely remembering what the witch was called.

Isera looks between them. “You’ve met her?” Isera asks with confusion.

Merrill nods. “It is a long story. Yes. I believe you.” She begins pulling at a piece of her robes.

Isera shakes her head. “Please, do not take my word. Read these,” she waves to the books. “And decide on your own.” This step is imperative for Isera—she wants them to know what she does about the Solas and the elven history.

“But why call us here?” Fenris asks once more.

Isera glances down. “Solas…seeks to renew what once was. But his belief is that, in order to restore the world as it was, would destroy what we know today—humans, dwarves,…possibly even modern day elves.”

She takes a deep breath. “I seek to stop him, show him that we can lower the Veil safety without destroying our friends.”

“It sounds simpler if we would simply kill him,” Fenris suggests. “What happens if we lower the Veil?”

She debates on sharing her relationship with them. “The easier method may not be the best method. I…want to save him…he is important to me.” She explains. “As for lowering the Veil…,I’m not sure. We were once a part of the Veil, our lives were longer, and it is said we all had magic…”

Merrill frowns in thought before bursting out, “You two were lovers!”

Isera grimaces at the announcement. She takes another deep breath. “Wouldn’t you do anything to save the one you love?” Isera presses.

Merrill sighs looking longingly at Fenris. “I would do anything for Carver. I miss him dearly.” She pauses. “You would do anything for Marian, wouldn’t you?”

Fenris roughly sighs but does not say anything. “What would you have us do?” He asks.

“I not only seek to prevent Solas from destroying this world, but I also strive to make this place a haven for elves. We have Clan Lavellan in Wycome, Briala in the Dales, the Dalish establishment in Rivain, and a settlement and representatives in Ferelden.” Isera shares.

“We will train, education, open our doors to the People. War is coming, I do not know when, but it is. We will need to prepare the elves to fight like times of old.”

Isera pauses, turning to Merrill. “Merrill, you have given up much to further your studies of our history. It is time that our People gave back to you; I want you to be the Magical Advisor for me. You would assist with newly discovered elves to practice magic safely and learn as much as you can about our history and magic of old.”

She looks to Fenris. “And Fenris, you have skills in commanding a platoon. You are a former slave rising to power—you inspire those around you. You would help train the recruits, be in charge of the army.”

“What if I do not agree with your methods?” Fenris challenges.

“I may be the face of this organization, but I do not solely lead or have the power. We will represent the People. I have called for the leaders of both the cities and the Dalish to come and be a part of a senate.”

“The People’s weakness lies in the fracturing and separation of our traditions and beliefs when more things tie us together. We will vote on the path that best represents our People as much as possible.”

“You have put a lot of thought into this.” He sighs as he glances at the old books on the table.

“I had to.”

“Let me read your books. But I feel that I should help you lead the People.” Merrill states as she moves to sit at the table.

Fenris frowns. “I’ll let you know.”

[doliveirafashionblog]

Oh, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee And I detest all my sins Because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell  But most of all because I love Thee,  And I want so badly to be good

by Madonna – Click here to play | Ready to find the best recipe for a day at the gym & an eye-catching discussion that you will thank me for?!

Fundamental to our existence – or at least recomforting for many of us – is the idea of a perfect God or a fruitful Universe. Yet, we – humans – are far from perfect & we would still be far from it even if we knew where is the Holy Grail! The Holy Grail, which I am talking about does not represent the eternity, but a Healthy Diet.

A Pure Recipe from Théos – which means God – is about opening your life – or mouth?! – to the truth that only a few have the courage to say & to get you out of the dark crowd of contemporary modus – moda /pt/, mode /fr/ – while making you think about a diaita –  meaning diet – which must be balanced between what we want to achieve & what is ideal to maintain our health status.

A diet with a great amount of proteins in all meals, with an amount of carbs adapted to the energeny expendure of each person & based on minimally processed products as meat, fish, eggs, fruit, legumes, dry fruits, whole grains and low fat dairy products*

…is the best way to fill our hopes for a healthy #BeYOUtiul body & mind.

*in VOGUE PORTUGAL N.º189 Julho 2018, words of Pedro Carvalho – Nutritionist

In that state of mind, A Pure Recipe from Théos, gives you a great present from the Gods – an amazing recipe that I adapted from Village Bakery {see here the original} while changing most of the unhealthy ingredients & replace it with plant protein powder from That Protein. For the first time, I made something like that in order to share with some of you & special some of my #instafollowers – as @soraia_filipa_g & @sruesvaenraie – who love to workout/gym as much as I do.

Let’s have a look?

#DFBlogxThatProtein

#DFBlogxThatProtein

#DFBlogxThatProtein

With only these 5 ingredients & few steps, it is a perfect recipe to initiate your baking life & boosting your energy before gym:

1 ½ cup crushed organic cereals crunchy chocolate

1 can (14 oz) low fat condensed milk

3 dessert spoons of That Protein Blissful Brown Rice and Raw Cacao Super Protein

1 dessert spoon of That Protein Nutty Nutty Peanut Butter Super Protein

1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix these ingredients together

After mixing well, place in a 9×13″ glass pan and bake at 80º C for about 45 minutes.

In the end, place in another recipient & let it cool

After a while, it will gain consistency

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THE PLUS – your muscles & body will thank you as these plant protein powder are made in the best way possible to take care of your body:

That Protein is in accordance with the best procedures scientifically reported*

They are a premium organic plant protein powders and superfoods in one amazing product. Natural and organic, cold pressed and pure. Never processed by heat over 40 degrees.

*Foods 2014, 3, 394-402; doi:10.3390/foods3030394 | Food Chemistry 194 (2016) 1089–1094; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.08.126 | Plant Biotechnology Journal (2018) 16, pp. 4–17; doi: 10.1111/pbi.12848

That Protein Blissful Brown Rice and Raw Cacao Super Protein*

It is free from added sugars, sweeteners, flavourings, dairy & gluten while preserving the delicious taste of chocolatey organic raw cacao & its physicochemical properties & antioxidant capacity. Many studies are showing a positive health benefit from the consumption of cacao-containing foods. For instance, cacao may lower blood pressure, resulting in a lower risk of cardiovascular disease; reverse endothelial dysfunction; inhibit epinephrine-stimulated platelet activation & ameliorate insulin sensitivity via improving B-cell function. Besides all of the benefits, you have to consume this as part of a healthy varied diet and in accordance to your aims. Also, if you have any health condition – as a metabolic disorder or other – you must mark an appointment with your medical doctor to ask if this is right for you. Regarding this subject, you must have the notion that there are no magical ingredients/food & sometimes what fits perfectly my body, doesn’t fit yours. A good example is the case of a person sensitised to nickel, which has a strict diet & cannot consume cacao!!! OK?! In addition to cacao, this so-called superfood is blended with the complete amino acid punch of organic brown rice protein, which is a huge advantage to whey proteins!

*Food Chemistry 194 (2016) 1089–1094; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.08.126 | Teas, Cocoa and Coffee: Plant Secondary Metabolites and Health; https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444347098.ch7 | European Heart Journal, Volume 31, Issue 13, 1 July 2010, Pages 1616–1623,https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehq068

That Protein Nutty Nutty Peanut Butter Super Protein*

It is a blend of peanut flour, organic pea protein, organic chia powder and organic palmyra nectar – it is an Indian delicious sweetness & I have to say that this powder even with a simple cup of milk is marvellous!! –  which helps to build & maintain muscles. The Plus – between other things – is the fact that reduce tiredness and fatigue – and I really can feel it if I consume before the gym. Are you craving now for the proven health benefits? So, the studies say that peanuts are a valuable source of nutrients & even might be very important to help malnutrition, especially undernutrition, in developing countries.  Peanut kernels, on average, contain 48% fat, 26% protein, 17% carbohydrates, 2% fibre, 2% ash, and 1% of vitamins and minerals which include vitamin E, niacin, folate, manganese, magnesium, and phytosterols, which have been associated with decreased risk of coronary heart disease and reduce consumption. When it comes to another trendy ingredient – CHIA, which has been applied to powders, nutrition bars, bread, and cookies – its profile is a temple built of fatty acids – where ALA is the majority – plus essential amino acids and minerals – where Magnesium, potassium and calcium are major elements while iron and Zinc were also found in the studies. Meanwhile, rutin, p-anisic acid, and hesperidin were the major polyphenolic compounds in chia. In spite of all of these, the crazy search for the perfect body blind us  – with the help of a society full of ideals – & we lose the angle of the thing – saying better, our angle becomes a tiny sharp angle (by all means) – while not thinking about our conditions or from where the products are coming from & without researching about the brand that we are buying.3

*Foods 2018, 7, 112; doi:10.3390/foods7070112 | Food Sci Nutr. 2017;5:1065–1071; doi: 10.1002/fsn3.491 

THAT PROTEIN FEELS SAFE AFTER MY SEARCH FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION WITH NO DISEASE & FOR ME, IT IS EVEN HELPING ME TO ACHIEVE MY GYM GOALS.

However, any product you buy, you must know all the important things about it. Did you know cacao can accumulate Cadmium (Cd) – it is considered to be one of the most toxic metals that exhibit adverse effects on all biological processes – and the major source of it seems to be atmospheric deposition from industries, sewage sludge, and P fertilizers or also present in the environment due to natural sources such as volcanic eruptions?! Also, make sure you know that you do not have an allergy to the components present on products. These are some examples of some of the many reasons why we should buy just the products that we trust.* 

*Environmental Pollution 229 (2017) 950e963; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.07.080 | Epidemiol. Infect., Page 1 of 10; doi:10.1017/S0950268817000504

Well, I know that “girls they just wanna have some fun”, but when it comes to what we place inside our body, all of us – girls or not – must be far far away from the crazy diets & promises of a perfect body that will never exist.

AT THE END, WHAT IS PERFECTION?

Never Forget | #BeHealthy #BeYOUty ♥

love, d’Oliveira fashion blog | Luís de Oliveira Photos | Bruno Carneiro Cooking Products, Recipes, and Tips|Village Bakery Plant Protein Powder | That Protein

DFBlog | Português Uma Receita de Théos Uma Receita de Théos - que significa Deus - é sobre algumas dicas para uma vida mais saudável, enquando fugindo a todas aquelas dietas malucas que prometem o tal corpo que desejas e que no fim do dia todos devemos fugir. Afinal, o que é o corpo perfeito? Certamente para mim é uma coisa, para ti é outra. Pensando - far far way - do que a nossa sociedade dita e abraçando o que o nosso corpo precisa no que toca a uma vida saudável, revejo-me nas palavras do nutricionista Pedro Carvalho na edição de Agosto da Vogue Portugal: "Uma dieta com boa quantidade de proteínas em todas as refeições, com uma quantidade de hidratos de carbono ajustada ao gasto energético de cada pessoa e baseada em produtos minimanente processados como carne, peixe, ovos, fruta, legumes, frutos secos, cerais integrais e laticínios magros"... "é o conselho mais acertado que o Nutricionista nos deixa." Assim, para a população geral sem problemas de saúde e com objetivo de aumentar a massa múscular - fazendo ginásio - e de melhorar a qualidade da nossa vida, deixo abaixo uma receita - recorrendo a produtos da #ThatProtein que reestruturei e que uso, por vezes, antes de fazer ginásio: - 1 ½ organic cerais crunchy chocolate; 1 ½ copo leite condensado; 3 colheres de sobremesa that protein chocolate; 1 colher de that protein amendein; 1 copo de nozes picadas. Apesar de estes produtos serem seguros e terem benefícios de saúde para a MAIORIA da população, nunca de esqueça de falar com o seu Médico para ver se é adequado aos seus objectivos. Além disso, se não conhecer determinada marca - não a consuma só porque faz parte dos tendy ingredientes - a não ser que se certifique que não lhe vais fazer mal. Muitas vezes, até o local de origem influencia o beneficio que irá retirar do produto! Bom, eu sei que "gils they just wanna have some fun" - certo Madonna? - mas quanto a questão é saúde - rapariga ou não - pense 2, 3 ou até 4 vezes antes de entrar no mundo das crazy diets ou fack products, ou até das promessas de corpo perfeito que nunca respeitam a tua identidade. Além disso, o que é o corpo perfeito?! love, d'Oliveira fashion blog | Luís de Oliveira

  A Pure Recipe from Théos Oh, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee And I detest all my sins…