#and that concludes the side-quest Knight of the Dark

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

Knight of the Dark

Epilogue

This chapter has 1.900 words.

"Hey! I am so sorry for being late. The General... he just didn't want to listen to reason and stop work when he should, so it took me a bit of convincing today."

Valen stopped himself from enthusiastically running into the bar counter and panted for a bit helplessly instead. He had just sprinted all the way from the Heroic Order into the Traveler's Light to make sure he wasn't missing out on this dinner. It's been nearly a month since the incident in the capital and in the last couple of days Lavinia had been around to have a look at Holistone. Today was her last day and he hoped to hear her decision. She looked back at him with a somewhat questioning smile. 
 "Is that so? Or did he try to make you finish your reports from yesterday?"

Valen raised his hands in not so mocked defence, for he had actually been finished in time today.

"All done and dusted an hour ago! I am telling you seriously, sometimes you need to force his well-being onto the General, or else he'd never get it."

Lavinia relented willingly and readjusted her position on the bar stool. "Alright, alright. I do take your word for it. So, first dinner was on you, last one will be on me. What will you have?"

Of course, Valen did consider the possibility that she meant the last dinner during her visit, but he was too curious not to try and get it out of her as soon as possible. 

"What do you mean 'last one'? Are you not coming to join us here? I was really hoping you would..." 

He added a bit of disappointment to his expression for good measure. She reacted with a slight shake of the head.

"No, Valen, not the 'last dinner' ever. I just meant for now. I do have to go back to the capital tomorrow."

Since that didn't work straight away, Valen now leaned onto the counter adopting a more suave look.

"And you'll be back next week, right?"

Lavinia chuckled and again, shook her head. She placed her hands on the counter and thoughtfully moved her fingers over the wood. He could tell that while she clearly did not refuse a transfer to Holistone, there were concerns on her mind that prevented her from being enthusiastic about joining them here. And he completely understood. He did want to help her recover but if she didn't come here, he could not do as much as he would like. That's why he tried to convince her to resume service here in Holistone.

"I've already organised your room, it'll be ready for you in no time."

"Valen..." she sighed.

"The General's got your schedule nearly done, too, and you'll be doing some fantastic patrol shifts with me!", he added as he moved a tad closer.  Since he was not trying to hide his intention anymore, he threw in a compliment as well. 

"Holistone's going to be an even better place with you now than what it became since I got here."

Lavinia inhaled abruptly and then buried her face in her hands with a shaky groan. She quickly turned around to face him, finally nodding her head rather than shaking it.

"Oh, alright. I'll be back. You're insufferable being inquisitive like that."

She suppressed a chuckle and turned away again. Valen ignored her little jab and spread his arms in salvation and sighed thankfully. 

"Ah, it was very well worth my efforts. I can't wait to see you in uniform. Since that would mark the fulfilment of all our dreams, we should make sure to celebrate accordingly. How about we have the General join, too? We could throw an entire evening at the--"

He had to stop talking suddenly because Lavinia's hand covered his lower face for a moment but he continued to chuckle a little.

"Stop it, you are getting way ahead of yourself. I am not even here yet and you already think about the socializing. Besides, I really am not in the mental state at the moment to enjoy all of that the same way you do. You're the only one I can tolerate right now, so please, no party or anything like that."

He knew that. He certainly wasn't unable to read other's emotions and he wouldn't seriously bring her or anyone into a situation they did not appreciate. But he noticed that him treating her a little over the top did do her good, even if she didn't want to admit that.

"I know, I know. Don't worry, I shall not do that. But I might get a nice slice of cake from the bakery to leave on your night table as a welcome gift."

Lavinia gave him a grateful nod and sighed visibly relieved. She accepted that cake so easily, maybe he should throw in a welcome card and some flowers, too? The more distracted she was from her worries, the better. 

When the barmaid ran past them, Valen quickly caught her attention and they managed to make their order. The moment the barmaid was gone again, Lavinia continued to ponder.

"I think I am ready for whatever awaits me here, but I do wonder one thing: how does the General cope with you and your mouth?" Lavinia taunted.

"Very well, I would say. It's been of great use to him, like me convincing you to stay."

He wasn't so easily offended.

"Well, that's--  true, I suppose."

"There, you see? And it not only worked, but you like it, too."

"No, I don't."

"Yeah, you do."

Lavinia chuckled in defeat and ran her hand through her hair to collect herself.

"Gah! Maybe a little. I am hungry, hope food's coming soon!"

"Agreed! That's our second dinner and according to my inner 'guide to being a gentleman' that's gotta be on me."

Lavinia raised her finger at him and gave him a wink. 

"Too late, I already made a payment in advance. Since I have an inkling that we might be enjoying after-work dinners together regularly from now on, I decided to settle my debt before you can object."

"Ah, it'll be a double slice of cake for you then."

Valen answered easily. She would never get away from being spoiled a little bit. He just loved riling her up a little as much now as he thought it was funny back then.

"Safe your money to spoil the right people."

"You are a right person. In fact, I have missed out on the last 10 years of spoiling to do, so I gotta catch up."

Lavinia buried her face in her hands once more, chuckling in despair.

"Ugh, what shall I do with you? Please tell me you don't intend on showering me with your ... err, comments on duty as well? I will be forced to give you the cold shoulder, you know that."

"Yes, but as long as I can see you smile about it, I will do so. It amuses you, so you can surely give me that much credit? Hm?"

Lavinia clearly couldn't help the broad smile on her lips, even though she tried hard to compose herself. 

"Yeah. You're good at that, I suppose. I would have kicked you in the legs and ran away a long time ago if I didn't find your presence amusing, trust me. I don't think I can forget the darkness so quickly, but with you around at least I have plenty of distraction."

Valen was pleased to hear it. He leaned forward and wiggled his eyebrows as he had one more thing to say.

"You will have much more distraction from the rest of the guys than from me, I can tell you that. But no worries, I will keep you updated about the various bets going on in the background of who'll woo you first."

Lavinia threw her hands over her face in playful agony and moaned.

"Oh by Dura's name. I have neither time nor mind for such things right now. If this wasn't preferable over ... whatever else I would do... I would not do it."

She sighed again, shielding her eyes with her hand once more. Then she turned around to Valen and her sudden sly expression surprised him.

"To make this a fair game, I should let you know that a list of suitable partners for you has been created and approved by your colleagues as well. How about the two of us get some bets going on who's settled first? 

"Ha!"

Now it was her turn to make him chuckle and sweat in despair. He knew very well that she wasn't that serious, as neither was he, but topics about serious romance that included him were just a tad uncomfortable, still. Time to change the subject.

"Speaking about settling down... do send me a message before you arrive next week. Your room is sorted, I was serious about that. I can come round with another pair of strong hands if you have anything heavy to carry."

"Oh, that with the room works out?" Lavinia became serious in an instant. "Then, yes, I shall make sure to send you a message. I won't have much to bring, though, so I don't think I need any help."

Thankfully Lavinia did not insist on the previous topic and drinks arriving just at the same time, helped to divert the attention away from the teasing. After Valen bantered for a moment with Lavinia about the split percentage of future dinners, they moved on to a more relaxed conversation for the rest of the evening until it was time to part.

As he wasn't going to see her the next day to say goodbye, he decided to pull Lavinia into a hug when they stood outside the tavern. He knew that she'd probably resist because such tender gestures always provoked her tough and invulnerable side. But his agenda was to force her well-being onto her as much as the General's onto him, so when she did try to wiggle herself out of his embrace, he just squeezed her even tighter.

"Urgh, Va-len, pleeease."

"Alright, alright, lass. Now, do give my regards to your mother and stay out of trouble until next week, okay?"

When he finally let her go, her flustered reaction produced a big grin on his face. She sighed and adopted a defensive stance when she responded as if to warn him of her planned resistance in future events like that.

"Will do. Now, get some rest, you're on duty tomorrow."

"Hey, I always sleep like a baby, no need to worry. Take care, Lavi, and see you soon!"

"Yeah, see you soon."

Lavinia lifted her hand for a faint wave and after a thankful smile, she turned around to walk to her guesthouse. Valen began to move in the opposite direction towards his flat, but he did look back on occasion to see her disappear behind a street corner.

He felt glad that they had met once more and that their goodbyes were now within their control. He wasn't afraid to never see her again this time. In fact, they would be seeing a whole lot of each other and he couldn't wait for next week to come. Valen wasn't too sure what to expect from the future but one thing he was certain about: Lavinia was going to be serious competition and he had to make sure he was ready to be a worthy match for her.

[nohrianseneschal]

Let the Ashes Crumble (WIP)

DS3 fanfic with Eygon/Irina

excerpted wip below the cut

“Eygon?”

He did not reply, but she could tell he was listening. After traveling together for so long, one could sense these things — the slight shift in his weight, or the attentive grip of his gaze. Irina wished he would show her his wound and let her heal it with her palm, imbued with the lost souls of ages past.

In the face of his stubbornness, she inched closer. “What if,” she began, but before she could continue, she bit down on her lower lip. Irina averted her face, letting the loose strands of her silver hair billow over her eyes.

“What?”

“What if I failed?”

Again, silence.

Irina understood silence. She could read in it the tumultuous churn of his emotions. Confusion, astonishment, and, unexpectedly, wonder. Eygon wasn’t entirely displeased by this question, but she knew he resisted the temptation to push it further; to stoke the fire she had unwittingly lit.

“You can’t fail,” he eventually answered. “Besides, I don’t see how. One more step, and we’re almost at the kindling.”

Irina smiled. Of course, it wasn’t a matter of whether or not she could. It was a question of volition. What if, in the end, Irina no longer wanted to bind herself to sacrifice? To be a firekeeper meant to conclude her journey. By extension, it would be the end of Eygon’s, and Irina was well aware of what happened to knights who have fulfilled their duty. 

Nothing but an end. The finality of death. Freedom from the undying curse, and an eternity where they must be parted, their souls divided through the many cycles of rekindling.

She wished she could relay these fears, these nightmares which plagued her with each passing day. They had left Carim together on a mission, but now Irina no longer knew if it mattered. Carim must have become ruins since they left, and the people they once loved might be long dead. They had no one else left. She had no one else left, and once Eygon is gone, there will only be darkness, and the writhing souls that nip and bite at the sanctuary of her mind.

With a sigh, Irina sat on a boulder next to Eygon. She sensed his discomfort, his body growing rigid now that she drew closer. 

“What if,” she tried again, “I want to fail?”

To her surprise, his answer came quickly.

“Then it is my sworn duty,” he said, “to put you to rest.”

Irina expected as much. She felt neither dread nor fear. Only relief. If she had to die, let it be by his hand; let it be by his side. Better than to wait, forever alone for a Chosen Unkindled, trapped in the memories of countless Firekeepers before her. 

“I’m glad, dear friend,” she said, her breath light and airy. “If it’s by your hand, I don’t mind. Only,” she hesitated, tilting her head so it rested on his pauldron, “touch me one last time before you fulfill your oath.”

Next to her, Eygon is unmoved. Beneath his helm, he seemed to mull it over. What turmoil must he be going through? She wondered. She would never know, of course. He would never remove his helm or his armor. They would never know each other beyond the roles they failed to play.

“So this is it, then?” Eygon muttered under his breath. His tone was churlish, as if she had asked him to complete a tedious chore. “You’ll give up, just like that? This knight wasn’t sworn to protect a failure.”

Irina chuckled at that. “I know. You deserve a better maiden — one who would not fail you.”

He scoffed at that, as if her sentiments were a nuisance to him. Then, just as suddenly, his shoulders went slack. Only then did Irina notice that he had not moved her hand away from his pauldron. 

“You did not fail me,” he said, a little more pensively. “Perhaps it is I— no, no use arguing about that now.”

Irina nodded. She understood. They both failed, in the end. They both found devotion in something other than their quest, and in Carim, that was the most profane act of all.

“Then let us stay here,” she said, moving her hand so that her palm rested atop his knuckles. “Let us wait and keep our lonely watch. So long as you’re with me, I won’t mind the dark.”

His heavy armor clinked raucously as he turned and rose abruptly. “I will agree to no such thing,” he solemnly declared. Without another word, he marched right off. 

Irina called out to him. She shot her hand out, hoping it would graze his figure.

There was nothing. Eventually, the sound of his footsteps faded. He left her alone. Unable to perform his duty as a knight, he had abandoned her. Perhaps, she thought with great comfort, he would make the return journey home. 

[lorddeathofmurdermountain]

This of course is also very interesting to explore in different media types. For example, games have initially had a very simple story structure - if at all, since arcade games would often do the bare minimum just to keep you putting more coins in, just enough to keep you invested. In those kinds of games, the story was literally "what you do while playing the game". No cutscenes. No dialogue, even. Just what's happening on screen - the inputs you're doing and how the various elements of the game interact with that.

Then, over a long long time, games began telling their story in what we like to call the "movie format" - story wise, all the drama happens in cutscenes, mini-movies essentially, while the characters ironically get to breathe and have lighthearted quips and unwind predominantly during COMBAT. Also known as; when you're playing the game. This is, basically, the game letting you have all the fun in both cases - you get to have the FUN fun of telling jokes and milli g baddies and you get to see all the MESSED UP fun when the cutscenes happen. Pretty cool, right?

But some games go and say: "No. This isn't what I'm about. I don't want to be an interactive movie. I want to be a GAME." Now, under pain of being labeled the typical fanboy, I will talk about Dark Souls, or more recently Elden Ring.

Every time a new Souls-type game from FromSoftware comes out, you get an influx of new players for whom this is their FIRST. For me, that was Bloodborne. God I fucking love Bloodborne. But you see, Elden Ring had the biggest surge of new players at launch to date. So many people who sometimes only ever knew about these games from reputation - reputation that can often be misleading. So naturally, SOME people came expecting another movie-like masterpiece. When they didn't get that, they were confused; so confused, in fact, that they decried ER's style of storytelling as BAD. No, not just bad, they'd say there WAS NO STORY. And that rubbed fans the wrong way - because for us it was obvious, and not only was it obvious but it was unprecedented to have so many "clueless" newcomers. Because usually newcomers would KIND OF know what they were coming into. One of the selling points almost every Dark Souls player brings up is that you have to piece the story together yourself, because nobody ever tells you the whole thing, bits and pieces at most.

After some time, we (the fans) concluded what the newcomers wanted was clear, consistent, EXPLICIT lore, as opposed to the oblique style we all love. Because the story? The story is what you do in the game. Kind of just like those old arcade games.

Spoilers ahead. Lots of them. Because I want to prove a point.

The story isn't that Rykard once rebelled against the Erdtree in open war; it's that now, when his supporters are the fewest yet the most sinister, that we either join or kill him. The story is us murdering Istvan, Raleigh, and Juno Hoslow (among other side quests like Tragoth and Varg) in the name of the Recusants. The story is us finding a ghost of a former Gelmir Knight begging us to wield the mighty Serpent Hunter.

"Worthy Tarnished, brandish the spear, and run him through.

The great serpent...that unspeakable monstrosity."

"That horrendous serpent... Praetor Rykard..."

And when you go fight Rykard, and from some other clues you find, you can unravel the lore, the BACKGROUND, but the story is what you DO. Do you leave the great God Devouring Serpant, and the man, the demigod it ate and fused with, alone? Do you serve it, until it acknowledges your strength and tries to eat you, too? Do you run it through like the Volcano Manor Apparition asked, or do you just leave, content to leave that blasphemous yet lazy schemer sit in his volcanic demesne, awaiting further champions to consume?

This is indicative of all encounters. Few are to the point, and some genuinely have no answer because Miyazaki's modus operandi necessitates that the full story be partially erased, so we never truly know what happened in full. Why are Marika and Radagon the same person? HOW are they the same person? Were they always so, or did they become so? But the period in which they have most likely been merged is also the period in which they are officially married and have kids - for whom it is stated that only those born to the same god can be Empyrians. But then even that plot point is contested, because a child from Radagon's previous marriage is ALSO chosen for candidacy - not just the twins Miquella and Malenia, who were born to Radagon and Marika, but also Ranni, born to Radagon and Renalla, whom he left as soon as he was recalled to the Capital, Leyndell - but all accounts indicate a happy, genuine family that Radagon built with the royalty of Caria. Why was he so loyal to a God that took everything from him, and why was Marika so disloyal to the same God that gave her everything she had? So many questions. Innumerable questions left unanswered.

My point is, this obviously isn't for everyone, but people chafed a lot when it was called "bad" just because it was unfamiliar or misunderstood. I try not to worry too much about it since it's old news, and I was gonna stop caring for it, but this is a repetitive narrative for FromSoft games that is now even spilling into their other games - like Act Man, jokingly or not, claiming that Armored Core 6 has no story, but that he doesn't care because he's just there to shoot robots. When in fact AC6 has a much more traditional way of telling the story - though the cutscenes are still comparatively short and scarce compared to, say, God of War (the new ones), most plot points are literally told to you straight to your face - the intrigue, rather, is part of the story, and you CAN figure it out on your own, but if you don't you get told in time for the big finale. It's much more direct and honest, while Elden Ring lore and story tends to be more ambiguous and, dare I say, intentionally misleading.

The point, however, is to see what the players will come up with when they find all the holes in the lore. It's built a community of theory-crafting that keeps the games alive for years and years after release. Though it's also given birth to braindead takes like "Godfrey is Marika's first child".

He was her first husband and since she's a "god" he became a demigod after marrying her, and one character says that "Each and every demigod is the direct offspring of Queen Marika." Keep in mind only one obscure item calls Godfrey a demigod and besides that instance the term "demigod" exclusively refers to the children Radagon and Marika had with their spouses - in-game, nobody ever refers to Godfrey as a demigod, they only show the same level of veneration for his position of Elden Lord - aka, the spouse of a god, in this case Marika. Notice I use god with a small g because Marika is effectively an initially mortal individual ascended to near-godhood through the power of an ACTUAL God, in this case the "Greater Will", which was the dominant deity in those lands for as far back as perceivable history, though other Outer Gods (the full title) do vie for power and often establish cults - like the Blood Cult of Mohg and other similar cults worshipping the Mother of Truth / Formless Mother / Blood Star, or the insane, will-less husks who "worship" the Flame of Frenzy, or the various mortuary cults that existed before the Erdtree like the ones belonging to the Helphen, Death Birds, or various other, more mundane burial methods that were eventually superseded by the Erdtree Burial tradition that came from Marika literally removing the concept of Death from the world and imbuing it into a sword for her most loyal subject - which she summarily sequestered away as far as possible, though presumably still used him to administer True Death, or Destined Death, to those found too... Problematic. Assumedly, anyway, since it would make sense but we don't actually get any indication of that last bit.

Anyway sorry for the story dump I just really love it and NEED to prove that it exists. There's so much. So so fucking much. Like picking one person and making a two-hour long video about just them alone. Admittedly it's more for the big players and not Side Character I who you meet once to deliver her letter to her dad and when you do you find her murdered because her dad thinks an old heap of junk that could loosely be called a "legendary sword" is more important than his daughter whose entire protection detail got butchered and who is now stuck sitting on some rock at the side of the road, near said butchery, because she's too blind to move on her own. Then her dad swears to get revenge but attacks you later in the game as if it were your fault. Yet even still these two have a pretty detailed history too, which I haven't nearly completely told here.

TL;DR ER much story, such wow, it isn't "traditional" but that doesn't make it bad

[hartillyfleurir]

Return To Where It All Began

I just finished the final job quest for Dark Knight. It ended with a bittersweet moment that really caught me off guard. I almost shed a tear again during the final cutscene.

"Do you recall how we came to this place? At a friend's behest, in the midst of a raging blizzard? As we drew closer the gates faded into vision, and the towering spires, the man bowed low and bade us follow him, up the winding stair, from still smoldering ruin to untouched splendor. There found a warm home and warm hearth, and warm hearts…"

Before continuing with the final cutscene, I saw this quest log, and it reminded me of my sprout days, when I was so emotionally invested in the MSQ. How could I ever forget that first intro to Heavensward?

DRK's job quests are definitely one of the best job quests I have ever completed in this game, and I really loved how it connected to the main story. Though there will be an additional side quest to conclude the side story, it's still sad to see that it just ends there, the same as the rest of the jobs.

I think I have a few combat job quests left for my other healer jobs, like Sage. But the rest are already completed, and I’m already missing the NPCs. I have yet to complete all my DOH/L job quests too... I think the only one I have fully finished is the CUL. There are so many things to do in this game... not that I’m complaining, LOL. I'm feeling scatterbrained again and might end up freezing my responsiveness.

[PHOTO] Some pictures I took while doing the quests. So cute and dorky.

Speaking of side quests, I also just finished that one from Tataru's questline, which I actually forgot where I initially got after leaving it in my quest journal for months. I had a few laughs here and there, especially when I had to disguise myself during the quest and at the point where some NPCs ran away after discovering my WoL's real identity. This game never fails to amuse me. I think it also wraps up the side story of AR in Heavensward. I still need to progress in the Four Lords questline as well as the questline in ShB. I have so much to do. I haven’t even finished the MSQ in 7.0! (╥﹏╥)

This is why I find it odd when people say that this game lacks content. I mean, maybe if you're playing it 24/7, no cap, with no break since the release of ARR. Not shaming or anything, you do you. But for people like me, who tend to play at our own pace, we can really see how much more content there is to do, and some may even get overwhelmed by how overflowing the content is from ARR to DT. Maybe try exploring other content outside of raiding or combat too? If it's not your cup of tea, there’s always another game/hobby for you while you wait for the next patch of combat content. Just don't ruin the fun for others by saying how useless other content is besides combat and raiding.

I am already at DT, and I haven’t even finished some of the optional dungeons, normal raids, or ARs from the previous expansions, let alone side quests and featured quests. I’m still unsure whether or not to touch savage/ult raids since I have very limited time on my plate, but the fact that there are still other things I can do in-game excites me nonetheless.

I hope everyone enjoys whatever they do in-game without looking down on others who play differently. Take breaks if needed to avoid burning yourself out and growing to hate the game. As always, have fun!

Thanks and take care!

~ neir

[catiuapavel]

balxephon

The one and only Balxephon V. Rahms??

Why I like them

First of all he’s got everything I love in a man: slimy politician, manipulative, willing to ruin the lives of his loved ones, a lying sack of fleas. Additionally, Balxephon is a lesson on how to give a character an incredible presence in your narrative with minimal careful exposition. He makes himself scarce, but whenever he comes onto the scene, it feels impactful. It also helps that he’s pretty much behind every action Lanselot takes and the two are in perfect coordination so when Lanselot does anything, you can guess it was in consort with his fellow snake.

Why I don’t

He’s a slimy manipulative politician, willing to ruin the lives of his loved ones, overall a lying sack of fleas? (I love him but I hate him but I love him but I hate him but mostly I love him)

Favorite scene

Obviously his battle in Phidoc castle but... more on that in the next question.

The runner-up is “Ozma’s return home” simply because it is haunting. To have someone as stern and unfeeling as Balxephon speak words of love to his fiancée but in a context that makes you want to throw him to the sharks... Simply unsurpassed in the “whiplash of emotions” and “incredibly twisted video game moment” departments.

Favorite route

Almost all the Balxephon is concentrated in Lawful route so... Obviously Lawful route. They made a fantastic decision when they added him to the final fight of Chapter 3 alongside Oz because: 

1. It added a layer to Oz by giving him this implicit complicity with Balxephon (who comes off as something of a respected mentor figure) and, if Oz knows about Balxephon assassinating his father and putting the blame on Hobyrim... That means he has his confidence... which leads me to think he is on Lanselot & Balxephon’s plan for Valeria and knows they hold the Brynhildr.  Of course, he dies before any of this is verified but Balxephon’s involvement with him on Lawful suggests so much.

2. All of what Lawful route is about, trending a dangerous violent path to reach your goal. Revolutionizing a system by staining your hands, sacrificing innocent people and sacrificing your loved ones for the cause is found in Balxephon. He recognizes the same “qualities” he possesses in Denam and that should give both Denam and the player a lot to think about. Denam’s thoughts that conclude Lawful route are written as if they’re a direct answer to Balxephon as well which really just... hammers the nail right through the wall.

For reference, on SNES, you duel Oz during this fight, all on your own. But the rework of that fight during the remake has done wonders for Lawful route’s narrative.

Favorite line

This is the heart of the conqueror! This is you!

(for aforementioned Lawful thematics reasons)

OTP

Balxephon/Ozma. Obviously. Who doesn’t like miserable arranged marriages mixed in with lies, betrayals, one-sided affections, duty-bound people, a related third party on a quest for revenge, a deranged twin brother fourth party?

Brotp

Balxephon/Lanselot. Obiously. Who doesn’t like the beautiful symbiosis between two machiavellian minds lying to their subordinates hands in hands to accomplish their goals, using violence whenever they deem it necessary (very often), torching villages, etc etc? Just friendship goals, really.

Head Canon

(EDITED: I accidentally skipped this) I’ll repeat what I said above but he is absolutely one of the only people Oz respects and he islet in on the little Balxephon schemes.

Unpopular opinion

There is no popular Balxephon opinion, there is also no unpopular Balxephon opinion. I have to create my own discourse and fight with myself in the shower about bad takes no one ever uttered.

I’ll say though my opinion is people should absolutely give him a second look and consider that a lot of what Lanselot does is in consort with him.

And there is something incredible about the game opening on the torching of Golyat committed by the Dark Knights under Lanselot’s command, having your first impression of Lanselot shaped around that event, having echos to that event throughout the game... Only to end your post-game chapters with a flashback of Balxephon giving the order. 

This really summarizes all his character is: someone who is behind everything but you aren’t made aware of it.

A wish

If there is ever a continuation of the game (directed by no other writer than Matsuno :) as it should be), I think I deserve a follow-up to Hobyrim and Ozma going back to Lodis to murder him. We all deserve it.

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen:

Don’t let his boat sink in the middle of the sea, never to return to Lodis. The loss of narrative potential would be immense (even though... alright, it would be pretty funny).

5 words to best describe them

Bastard (x5)

[cactusnymph]

matters of the heart

“Sir Caroline, I must ask your advice in an important matter.”

 “You don’t have to call me ‘Sir’ anymore, Angelo. We’ve been over this.”

 “Excuse me, Caroline. Now, this important matter—“

 “Is this about Ale? Because, and I cannot stress this enough, I do not want to hear anything about your love life, Angelo.”

 Angelo has to admit that this is not the way he had hoped the conversation to go. He feels himself deflate a little as he looks at Caroline’s disapproving face.

 “But S—Caroline, I wouldn’t know who else to ask! Usually my best friend and former rival would be my first choice, but he’s not available at the moment.”

 Caroline looks at him for a moment then sighs, lowering her head into her hands for a heartbeat before looking up at him again.

 “Fine. Just this once. Next time you can just write Damien a letter.”

 “Yes, Sir—I mean. Yes, Caroline.”

 Caroline starts massaging her temple.

 “So. Spit it out. What is it?”

 “I almost can’t believe that I am saying this—truly, I think it is the first time I understand my friend Damien. I must speak my heart—“

 “Oh, for the love of—“

 “You are married to Miss Quanyii, are you not, Caroline?”

 “Yes, I am. What does that have to do with anything?”

 “So you must be well-versed in matters of the heart! How did you court your wife? I admit, I have never attempted this before and I have no idea how to go about courting a man—“

 “And why should it be different than courting a woman, Angelo?”

 Angelo pauses for a second. It was brought to his attention many times now that the distinctions between men and women he has learned about all his life might not actually be as accurate as many people make them out to be. Truly, Caroline is the best example. And now he has met Ale and Miss Quanyii, who is sometimes not Miss Quanyii but Mr Quanyii.

 Angelo considers Caroline’s words.

 “So you’re saying I should court Ale in the exact same way I would court a woman”, he says.

 Caroline rolls her eyes.

 “I do not see how gender has anything to do with this, Angelo. The way you court a person depends on the person. Not all women care for flowers and candles and love letters. I have no idea what Ale would prefer as courting; maybe he doesn’t want to be courted at all.”

 “Like Sir Talfryn, yes. I have learned about this. You are correct, Caroline and I am glad to have asked you. I shall speak to Ale about this to make sure that I am not overstepping any boundaries! I thank you for your wisdom! Hophophophophophop.”

 *

 Angelo is not afraid of anything.

 He’s not afraid of pain or fighting or dying or even things as complicated as numbers even though he is not very good at them. But when he finds Ale sitting next to Olala, showing her how to start a campfire with her little hands, something tightens in Angelo’s chest and all he can do is stare.

 Ale is beautiful. Dark skin, long hair, big eyes and long lashes, a soft smile as he tells little Olala that she’s doing well.

 Angelo feels his stomach drop; a sensation that is very similar to falling and his heart beats so rapidly in his chest that he has trouble breathing for a moment.

 Maybe he should have rehearsed this. Maybe it would be better if little Olala was not there with Ale. Maybe he was hasty when he concluded that speaking directly to Ale would be the best course of action. A warrior’s approach. Head on. The same way he always approaches difficulties.

 Ale looks up when he notices Angelo and he flashes him a grin that makes Angelo’s insides squirm around like very lively snakes. Saints, if he starts using more metaphors for how Ale makes him feel he might turn into Damien before he knows it.

 “Hey schoolboy, what can we do for you?”

 Angelo isn’t sure why it makes him feel warm and tingly when Ale calls him ‘schoolboy’, but it absolutely does.

 He clears his throat.

 “I was about to—hm. Well.”

 Angelo wishes Damien were here so he could tell him how to find the right words for this. Damien has such a knack for language and beautiful words, while Angelo—well. Angelo has never in his life understood one poem that Damien showed to him.

 “We’re making fire, Sir Angelo! I made a small flame, all without magic! Look!”, Olala proclaims excitedly and waves at the little wisp of smoke her efforts have conjured.

 “Very good, Olala. I—uh. I must take my leave.”

 And for the first time in his life, Sir Angelo The Strong turns around and flees.

 *

 “Aw, Angelo, what is it?”

 Angelo looks up as Quanyii appears out of nowhere right beside him.

 “I am afraid that I have become a coward, Miss Quanyii”, he says as he looks down at his big hands.

 “I highly doubt that, sweetie. Is this about our beautiful vigilante boy?”, Quanyii wants to know as she scoots closer to Angelo, her colorful hair surrounding her head like a cloud.

 “Yes. I have spoken to Si—to Caroline about this and she gave me important insight on the matter of courting rituals.”

“She did?”, Quanyii asks, sounding surprised.

 “Yes. She explained that courting is not a matter of gender but of the individual’s personality. She also pointed out that Ale might have no interest in romantic relationships which I had not considered before.”

 Quanyii puts her index finger to her lips and taps them thoughtfully.

 “Yes, yes, such wisdom. But have you considered asking me about this? Romance is a magical thing after all and sweetheart, I’m a witch! Caroline doesn’t know one itsy-bitsy thing about romance, let me tell you that”, Quanyii says and pouts a little.

 Angelo raises his head.

 “So you would help me in this quest to court Ale?”, he asks. The grin that spreads on Quanyii’s face makes Angelo pause. This might not be a good idea.

 “Oh, sweetie, don’t you worry your silly little head. I will give you one tip for free because we have become such good friends during those past few weeks! I know a little secret and that is that Ale does like romance!”

 Angelo feels his face light up with a smile as relief courses through his entire body. He feels like he could do a hundred push-ups right here and now. Maybe even lift Porthos. Or the whole, fallen tree he’s sitting on.

 “Why thank you, Miss Quanyii, that is most helpful!”

 He grabs both of her hands and shakes them as Quanyii giggles.

“You are so very welcome, Angelo. For every other piece of help I’m going to require a little bit of payment. A witch has to make do, you know.”

 Angelo doesn’t really understand but he nods anyway and gets up from the fallen tree trunk.

 “I do not believe that I will need further assistance, now that the issue of romantic attraction has been resolved! Sir Angelo The Strong is back on his feet! Ha ha! Hophophophophophop.”

 “Good luck, brave knight!”, Quanyii calls after him as Angelo runs back towards the camp.

 *

 Now that Angelo knows that Ale is not generally opposed to romance the path seems clear. That is, at least until Angelo arrives back at the place where Ale and Olala made their little fire before.

 The two of them are still there, but both of them are asleep. Ale is sitting with his back against a tree, his legs spread, and Olala has curled up between his legs, her tail gently snoring. Caroline sits by the fire and sharpens her blade.

 She looks up as Angelo enters the clearing.

 “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Angelo”, she says as Angelo stares at Ale’s sleeping form. His long lashes are feathered out on his cheeks and for a second Angelo imagines to brush his fingers over Ale’s cheek and give him a kiss.

 The thought immediately sends his heart into another gallop that would make Porthos proud and Angelo swallows heavily.

 “I cannot report any ghost sightings at this point, Sir—I mean. Caroline.”

 Angelo notices how Caroline’s eyes narrow as she looks him up and down and since Caroline has stated that she has no interest to know anything about Angelo’s love life he tries very hard to respect her wishes and to not look at Ale as if he’s the most beautiful thing that Angelo has ever seen.

 Which he very definitely is.

 “Oh for fuck’s sake, sit down, you oaf”, Caroline snaps and Angelo, still as an automatic response to her authoritative voice, walks over to the fire and sits down next to her.

 “Did you talk to Quanyii?”, she wants to know.

 “Yes. She cleared up a question I had and I thought it would make things easier, but as it turns out, it did not.”

 “I wouldn’t make any deals with her, witches are fickle and cunning creatures.”

 “Babe, you’re being so mean!”

 “Oh, shut it. You know it’s true.”

 “Yes, but when you say it like that it’s mean, mean, mean!”

 Angelo watches them bicker for a while before his eyes drift back over to Ale and Olala. Ale’s hand is resting on Olala’s back and Angelo looks at it for a while. Ale’s hand is much smaller than his and Angelo wonders what it would feel like to hold it. It must be rough from all the sword-fighting, much like Angelo’s hand.

 Maybe Ale doesn’t have any interest in holding Angelo’s hand. Maybe Ale doesn’t like men.

 “What is it now, Angelo”, Caroline asks with an expression on her face that says she might regret asking.

 “I forgot to consider another important thing regarding this whole courting business”, Angelo says and looks at Caroline. Quanyii seems to have vanished into thin air—something Angelo has seen happening multiple times during those last few weeks.

 “Which is?”

 “You made me aware of the possibility of Ale being averse to romantic relationships, but I forgot to consider whether or not Ale would be opposed to romantic relationships to men. I only ever knew one man who liked another man. Lizard. Does it count as a man if it is a lizard? I certainly don’t know. My point stands, though.”

 Caroline sighs deeply and cards through her short her.

 “It seems highly unlike you to ask all these questions instead of simply acting, Angelo”, she says and looks at him with a stern gaze.

 Angelo sighs.

 “Yes, I know. I am afraid I have found my most lethal opponent yet! Matters of the heart! No monster could ever best me in combat, but my own heart is betraying me.”

 Caroline puts her blade to the side and leans forward, her elbows resting on her knees as she looks at Angelo with her piercing eyes.

 “Just talk to him. It’s that easy. No one can ever truly know another person’s heart or thoughts unless they speak them out loud.”

 “Unless you’re a witch”, comes a disembodied sing-song from somewhere above them.

 “Unless you’re a witch in which case you should stay out of people’s heads”, Caroline barks up the tree and looks back at Angelo.

 “I cannot believe that I should turn into a coward for something as simple as talking. It seems highly ridiculous.”

 Caroline shrugs.

 “Emotions are hard. And I... understand your hesitance. But you should not let your feelings rule over your rational thoughts.”

 “That is a very Caroline thing to say, Sir Caroline.”

 “Stop calling me ‘Sir’ already!”

 “Certainly, Sir Caroline.”

 “Ugh.”

 *

 “Ale, can I ask you a personal question?”

 “You can ask anything you want, schoolboy. I can decide whether or not I want to answer.”

 “Oh—yes. That is very reasonable. Thank you. Uh—“

 “Sir knight, are you alright? Did you get sunburnt? Sir Caroline says it is important to not stay outside in the sun for too long!”

 “I am not sunburnt, little Olala.”

 “Ask your question, schoolboy. Is this about gender again?”

 “Uh—no. Not—huh. I suppose it is! But not in the way you think!”

 “Well then, shoot.”

 “This is more about the genders of others, I suppose! A potential paramour, one might say! I have a friend who has a fiancée but who is also involved with a man. Lizard. Male lizard? I am not entirely certain about the lizard’s gender and I was told not to assume. Anyway. What I wanted to ask—“

 “You want to know if I like lizards?”

 “No, that’s not—“

 “I was joking, schoolboy. Calm down. You want to know what kind of people I’m attracted to.”

 “Yes.”

 “I don’t much care about gender, but it doesn’t happen often that I’m attracted to people. Either romantically or sexually.”

 “Oh.”

 “I just don’t fall in love easily. And I don’t find many people hot.”

 “Hm.”

 “Any more questions?”

 “Yes, but I am afraid they would be borderline offensive and highly invasive.”

 “Well then. Let’s keep it at that, schoolboy.”

 *

 “Sir knight, are you feeling okay?”

 “Yes, little Olala.”

 “It’s just that you are usually very loud but you have been very quiet for a while. I recently learned about heatstrokes and it sounds awful and I hope you don’t have a heatstroke, Sir knight.”

 “I don’t think I have anything of the kind, Olala.”

 Olala sits down next to Angelo. He’s leaning against Porthos who’s lying down and nibbling on some grass. Ale and Caroline are investigating something and since Angelo is not the best at clues he offered to stay behind to guard their belongings and also Olala.

 “Most adults do not like to tell children why they’re sad. But if you wanted to, I would certainly listen.”

 “That’s very kind of you, Olala. Have you ever liked someone?”

 “Of course! I like so many people!”

 “Ah, yes. Hm. And were you ever scared to tell any of these people that you like them?”

 “No, Sir knight. I grew up in the Garden of Graves and we tended to the dead and my sisters always taught me that it is important to speak your heart while the people you love are alive, for you never know when they might die and then you can’t tell them anymore.”

 “That is... very wise, Olala.”

 “Thank you, Sir knight! My sisters taught me a great many things and I am honored to pass their wisdom on to others.”

 Angelo looks down at Olala’s small form and ruffles her hair.

 “I will take it to heart!”, he promises.

 *

 “Hey, Angelo. Can I talk to you for a moment?”

 They make camp by a river and Caroline takes Olala for a bath. Angelo turns around to look at Ale, who tied his long braids into a top knot. He’s wearing a white tunic that is a little too big for him and allows Angelo a view of Ale’s collarbone.

 Angelo tries very hard not to stare because he refuses to be disrespectful any more than he already was when they first met.

 “Of course, Ale.”

 Ale looks at him. Angelo would never trust himself to read people’s behavior—that has never been his forté. But he could swear that Ale looks almost a bit nervous; something that Angelo hasn’t seen on him so far.

 “So, remember that talk we had? About how I might like lizards or not?”, Ale begins and Angelo winces a little.

 “It was poorly worded and I apologize—“

 “It’s fine, Angelo. That’s not what this is about. But... you remember what I said. About not being attracted to people often?”

 “Yes. I remember.”

 “Why did you want to know that?”

 Angelo takes a deep breath and scratches the back of his head.

 “I—uh. Well”, he starts, then doesn’t know how to continue. He remembers the talks he had with Caroline and Olala and straightens his back. Sir Angelo the Strong will not back down from a challenge. Any challenge!

 “I would like to court you, Ale.”

 Ale blinks. Once, twice, three times.

 He opens his mouth, then closes it again.

 “You—what?”

 “Courting. I would like to court you. Woo you. Win you over. In the romantic sense. But I was not sure if that was something that would make you uncomfortable, so I tried to figure out if you might be opposed against courtship. By men. Or anyone.”

 Ale takes two steps towards him and Angelo has the great need to spread his arms and pull Ale close to him, but he doesn’t. He’s asking for permission and he will not ruin this by overstepping boundaries.

 A slight chuckle pulls him back to reality and he sees Ale’s eyes twinkle, the corners of his lips turned upwards.

 “Are you asking me on a date, schoolboy?”, Ale asks. His playful smile is doing things to Angelo he can’t describe because he is not Damien. But man, he almost feels the need to write a poem about that smile. That is how badly smitten he is with this wonderful, splendid man standing in front of him.

 “I suppose so! Ale, will you allow me to take you on a date?”

 Ale takes another step and raises his hand to softly flip one finger against Angelo’s forehead.

 “I thought you’d never ask.”

[sexysilverstrider]

Thawed Heart (Kaelumi)

  He doesn’t deserve to be loved.

  “You’re not my brother!!”

  Those words ring clear in his mind no matter how many times he tries to shake it off.

  A twisted smile curls the corners of his mouth. How pitiful it feels, to know that the grim memory will always plague him no matter the amount of alcohol, no matter the amount of knight work he has drowned himself in. The brutal reminder that he was at fault—he is, still. The sickening images of him clashing steels against the young boy whose innocence he has killed. The cruel slap of reality that he felt no guilt, but instead satisfaction at the death of the man who took him in.

  He doesn’t deserve to be happy.

  “Kaeya?”

  And yet, happiness is what mocks him at arm’s reach.

  Crystal blue eye gazes at the young woman next to him. “Yes, my fair hero?” he responds, simple and sweet, just as the smile that he so craftly curls due to years and years of practice.

  It seems to pass right through her.

  “It’s getting dark.” She simply states. Her head cocks upwards, amber eyes gazing at the orange hue. “Let’s find a place to camp out.” Her voice is as cold as ice, yet laced with gentle sternness that radiates her entire being. Giving her head a turn to the left, she spots Paimon and Razor eyeing a couple of wild hogs not far from where they are standing.

  Judging by the glazed looks and drooling mouths, Lumine stands firm on her suggestion.

  “Let’s go hunt for dinner and then I’ll ask Amber to build a campfire.” Not waiting for the knight captain’s response, she finally brings her gaze back to him.

  She always seems as if she is looking past the mask he so deliberately wears.

  And yet, “Your orders, Ms Lumine.” His smile remains in place.

---

  Moonstadt doesn’t have seasons as far as he remembers, but the weathers can differ between long months. And as luck pushes it, their little quest together is brought upon a season that is warmer than usual. Thankfully, they are shrouded in a land filled with thick trees, but even that brings sweat and fatigue faster than usual for the group.

  Amber doesn’t seem to mind, though, but Kaeya figures it must be the vision in her that makes her adapt to the hot weather.

  The crackle of fire soothes their sights. After a hearty dinner, both Amber and Paimon are knocked out for the day. The pyro-user snuggles with her doll, all while huddling into a sleeping bag that Lumine assumes has thinner material considering the low heat for tonight. Paimon is sprawled next to Amber, tiny arms and legs spread apart as if she is making a dirt angel on the grass beneath her. Razor remains awake as he stands on a nearby cliff, keeping night-watch as usual despite Lumine’s disapproval.  

  “I keep Lupical safe.” He merely answered when she insisted that he should rest before their journey for tomorrow. Before Lumine could retort further, Razor simply ran away and kept watch at a distance so that she wasn’t able to lecture him.

  Smart boy, Kaeya thinks back with a twitch of a smile.

  “Are you not sleeping?”

  Her voice, soothing as it is, brings him back to reality. “Ah,” he replies, head turns to the left, “maybe in the next hour? I do want to enjoy these precious moments with the most famous hero in Moonstadt.” There it is again with her sugar-coated words, with the perfect curve of a masked smile.

  It always goes through her.

  “You don’t have to push yourself.” Amber eyes are fixated in the flickering flames. “I saw that you fought your hardest when we faced that Oceanid. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think we were able to face those stupid water creatures without slowing them down.” God, she still feels the ache on her lower back every time she thinks back about the water crab. Stretching her legs forward, Lumine sighs slowly.

  Her actions somewhat tickle his throat.

  “It was all thanks to your brilliant planning.” Though he was at shock when she told him that they were going to face the dreaded Cyro creature today, Kaeya was—in rare cases—at lost for words at the amount of times they faced the Oceanid today. As calm as she looks, the knight captain oftentimes forgets how…ruthless the mysterious traveller can be.

  Well, they all survive, so that’s what really matters.

  “So,” he eyes the abundance of materials piled up next to Amber and Paimon, “what’s the occasion? I don’t think you wanting to annihilate that Oceanid 5 times per day is some sort of new dangerous hobby?”

  He sees her shift.

  “It’s…” Hesitance bites her tongue, “for a friend.”

  Crack.

  He ignores the slight twitch in the corner of his good eye.

  “Ahhh…” A simple reply and a single nod. Curiosity clouds his mind. An emotion he does not wish to acknowledge flicks his heart. “And dare I assume that this friend didn’t actually request all of those materials?” Legs crossed, Kaeya leans further to get a closer look. The light of the fire allows him to see the shape of her face, the shape of her body. Though legs are bent and brought closer to her chest, he can see the tiny frown that tugs the corners of her mouth.

  She looks absolutely adorable.

  “No.” She shakes her head. “It’s more of a gift. He helped me a lot back in Liyue and I figured all these materials will help repay him for his cooperation.” Slender arms hug her knees. “Besides, he did show me around in Liyue, so all the more reason I should repay him for all the kind deeds he did for me.”

  Crack. Crack.

  Kaeya ignores it as best as he can.

  “I see.” His tone dips quietly. “That’s a shame. And here I thought I showed you a great time in Moonstadt despite the lack of rewards.” His words are masked with a smile. His words are hiding the aching vibrations in his chest.

  He sees her eyes roll.

  “I did pay you back. Remember that time we fought that Cryo Regisvine?” Oh, she especially does not want to remember that, either. “I couldn’t feel my fingers for a few days after fighting it. Amber almost had half a mind to shoot an arrow of fire at me if it means I get to feel warm.”

  Oh, he definitely remembers her gifts, alright. That was one of the days where it actually brought a sense of surprise from the knight captain.

  It seems that he is…unnerved that he isn’t the only one with the special treatment.

  “Ah, but I joined that fight too, remember? So it felt less like a surprise and more like a task.” Beautiful lips curve to a playful frown. The action brings back another roll of her eyes. Cute.

  “Are you suggesting you don’t want to join me in those quests then?”

  His eye widens. “Now how did you conclude to that idea?”

  Her head lowers until her chin rests on her knees. “Because it sounds like one.”

  Fuck, his rapid heartbeat is betraying him.

  His mouth holds back a smirk. “Now, now, Lumine.” Slowly he slides closer, itching to feel her warmth that soothes his traitorous heart. “Don’t sulk, my dear. I was merely teasing.” The light of the fire illuminates the curve of her nose, the glint in her eyes. Strands of blonde locks cascade down the side of her head, and his fingers itch to gently brush it to the back of her ear.

  He wonders if she feels the throbbing in her chest too.

  “Hmm…” Either lazy or tired to respond properly, Lumine looks back at the fire. Despite night has blanketed the sky, she still feels trickles of sweat on her neck and chest. Discomfort causes a tiny growl that bubbles behind gritted teeth. Legs once again stretched forward, Lumine wipes away the sweat on her neck.

  “Uncomfortable?”

  Her palm moves to her collarbone. His eye follows her movement.

  “A bit.” She isn’t a fan of hot weathers, anyways. Her other hand fans the open spots on her chest.

  Crystal blue eye remains silently on the place she is fanning.

  Emotions hidden behind the dim light of the fire, Kaeya then opens his mouth, “Do you want me to cool you off?”

  That ceases her wiping and fanning. “I’m sorry?” Quickly she looks to the side, amber eyes finally meeting a single glint of such mesmerizing azure.

  He should stop himself. He should brush it off again as a joke.

  “I’m a Cryo user.” Instead, he continues. “My body basically radiates cool.” Lost between the fine line of jest and seriousness, Kaeya spreads his arms open. “See? I’m not even sweating.” A smile he so proudly wears beams next to the dancing fire. “If you need to cool off, your personal cooler is right here.”

  He stops. Finally. He should have stopped at her quizzical response. He should have stopped before he could even breathe the first question out loud. As much as many Kaeya is also famous for his flirtatious advances, he should know that Lumine, of all people, would ignore—or in some rare cases, tease back—his shameless teasing—

  His heart thumps the hardest when he feels something—someone—moving closer to him.

  Immediately his eye opens, widens, at the petite figure that huddles closer to his chest. A fluff of blonde fills his vision. A flow of warmth caresses his stiff body.

  “You’re right,” she peeps, meek and softer than usual, “you are cool.” Slim fingers flinch and curl into small fists, Lumine bents her legs closer to her chest. He was taller than her, her head barely reaching his neck as she lightly bumps her cheek against his chest. She is careful as to not hit his bare chest, afraid and nervous that she is invading his privacy even more than she already is.

  Her body welcomes the soothing breeze. A sigh slurs unwarily to feel such cooling comfort seeping into her skin. Momentarily forgetting about her invasion of space, Lumine finally feels fatigue enveloping her.

  Her heart continues to thump madly, to scream in shame at her thoughtless action. A part of her was taking vengeance in all the constant teasing he had given her. Another part jumps to the invitation, despite knowing it was just Kaeya being Kaeya with his playfully empty words.

  She wants nothing more than to look at him now, to gauge his reaction. But the deed has been done, and Lumine knows she will be in deep shit if she were to pull back now after her foolish action.

  So with arms tight around her legs, Lumine hides her face on his chest.

  Her nuzzling merely causes a single flinch from him.

  She’s warm. The only thought occupies his mind like a beacon in a dark storm. Arms still spread apart, Kaeya gawks at the tiny hero on his chest. He wonders if she can hear his screaming heart. He wonders if she can feel the heat that starts to melt the ice within.

  He then suddenly hears a small snore.

  “Lumine…?” Her name feels so right on his tongue. Arms slowly dropped to the sides, Kaeya casts a peek. Shock continues to intensify to see her finally succumbing to slumber. He cannot believe it. To know, to feel, to see that she has put so much trust in him to be this vulnerable, Kaeya almost feels a laugh rumbling out of him.

  He doesn’t deserve to feel this happy.

  His smile wavers. His eye dims under the faint light. “Oh dear…” Feeling sluggish, defeated by the beautiful warrior so close to him, Kaeya slowly wraps his arms around her. One arm caresses the side of her waist. The other brushes her shoulder until his hand pats the back of her head.

  She feels so warm.

  “How dare you!!!”

  How cruel, he thinks, that the grim memory starts to play in his mind right now.

  She looks so innocent, so content with her dreams. The furrow in her brows is gone, revealing a creaseless forehead that entices him. The curve of her nose catches his eye, observing, memorizing the perfect shape until it rids the one memory he so deeply wishes to forget. Her breathing is gentle, even, caressing the open space in his chest, causing prickles in his skin until he forces a sigh.

  His eye then stops at the sight of her lips, pink, full, hypnotizing him with a desire that burns deep into the pit of his stomach.

  He wets his suddenly dry lips.

  Finally, Kaeya sighs, feeling tired as ever. Though his vision has prevented him from having a proper body heat, he finds it ironic how to feel hot from top to bottom.

  He doesn’t deserve this at all.

  His muscles feel sore. His heart aches terribly in his chest. The memory keeps playing on and on, taunting him as long as he walks on this very earth.

  And yet, his smile softens to a genuine curve at the sight of her.

  “Goodnight, Lumine…” He doesn’t deserve her. Any of this. He knows. “Sweet dreams…” So he decides to be selfish, decides to be foolish as he lowers his head.

  Chup… His lips meet her forehead, then lingers for a few seconds longer so that he can memorize the soft taste of her skin.

  Before succumbing to the screams of his past, Kaeya tightens his embrace and closes his eye.

  He wonders if this temporary happiness can stay forever.

END

[elbiotipo]

MANDALORIAN SPOILERS, OBVIOUSLY

ALSO LONG POST

Ok so my problem with Ahsoka refusing to train Jorge Gorgu is the lack of Change for the Jedi

The old EU was full of very stupid things, but the Jedi changed through time. The Republic Jedi Order was a terrible organization, with very good people for the most part, but it was self-centered, arrogant, it was unflexible and unable to deal with new challenges or even political issues like slavery, and of course there’s the whole “kidnapping children” thing

And yes, the “fucking is inmoral” thing which no doubt let to a lot of sexual frustration, but I don’t think that’s as bad as the main thing the prohibition of “”attachment”” implies: the Jedi Order was against its core value of love and compassion. Anakin wasn’t allowed to love Padmé, of course, but he also wasn’t allowed to love his mother, or to trust into his master or his padawan. And this led to the downfall of the Jedi Order. This isn’t just me projecting btw, it’s a subtext through all the prequels and even explicitly told to us in Attack of the Clones. George Lucas practicaly hits you with a stick and tells you that the problem isn’t that Anakin Can’t Fuck you dumbass, it’s that Anakin Can’t Love.

And thus the Order falls, and the Empire rises. And when Luke comes along, Luke who loves his friends, who loves his father despite everything, who tries to see the best in people and adheres to the Jedi values of love, compassion and justice, defeats the Empire, he refounds the Jedi Order and tries to correct the errors of the past. Now, Luke’s Jedi Order in the old EU had a lot of problems (the EU in general had them) but he TRIES, OH MY GOD DOES HE TRY to do things better than the previous order. And that was the whole point, the Jedi changed, things change.

So what does this all has to do with Ahsoka and the Mandalorian?

Well the thing is that Ahsoka is an amazing character with an amazing arc. She starts as the optimistic padawan of Anakin Skywalker, one of the order’s most powerful jedi, and ends up disillusioned with the Jedi Order, but instead of falling to the Dark Side, she tries to find her own path in the Force and becomes a knight errant and leader of the rebellion, helping people through the galaxy in her own way. She is a wandering hero who has doubtlessly experienced much, walked down a lot of paths, and sees the Force beyond the dogmatic way she was taught as a child.

And what happens after 40+ years of wandering and seeking her own path when she returns in The Mandalorian? She concludes that just like Yoda said, Attachment is Bad, and you should start training Jedi as newborns or else they will be contamintated by the evil spirit of, having a family I guess. Basically parroting the same lines of the failed order she left long ago.

If she had said “I cannot train him, I’m busy with my own quest” or “I am not sure I can train anybody, but maybe someone else can help you...” (because of course, we can’t end the series just with her taking baby yoda away in the middle of the season, I understand that) it would have been bad writing but tolerable. But instead, they confirm that the closeminded dettachment they taught was right, and her own experience during all those years of exile was wrong. This is such a disrepect to the character because it erases the path she had walked through decades. It’s just bad.

But it’s also bad because it also tries to confirm that being “detached”, loveless, and rejecting family and any connections is also a core trait of the Jedi now, something that all Jedi Must Do. The fact that that lack of connections led Anakin to the Dark Side is brushed away, the fact that it was Luke’s attachment and connection what led to the ultimate defeat of the Sith is also brushed away. There is no change. It also confirms that the old Jedi were “right”, despite the narrative telling us again and again that it wasn’t the case.

So does this mean that being a Jedi is now just wearing a bathrobe, using a blue-green lightsaber and being a virgin? After all that, we return to the same thing? We haven’t seen much if anything of Luke’s Jedi Order, but the writing seems to imply that. If so, what was the point of all this, of just returning to square one and remaking the Jedi like they were before, a closed order of arrogant mystics?

(well, it doesn’t matter because according to Disney Kyle killed them all later lol... but that’s a whole other problem)

ok maybe I’m ranting too much but whatever, my point is that the entire Star Wars narrative makes it clear that the old Jedi had flaws, and that the new Jedi should avoid them. Justifying the terrible teachings of the old Jedi order is just bad writing, and is just another example of Disney trying to write the same thing again and again (see: the entire Sequel trilogy) instead of meaningful change.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #472

Top Ten Suggestions for Future Star Wars Games

Concluding an accidental trilogy of Top Ten lists that feature the word “Star”, here we journey back to a galaxy far, far away. This is also one of those lists that’s been bubbling under for quite a while, since the announcement (feels like ages ago now) that Disney have shopped the Star Wars licence around to a number of developers, and we’ll get future games from companies other than EA. But really it goes back even further, because for me Star Wars and gaming are inexorably linked. I associate my teenage PC gaming phase very closely with Star Wars, because it occurred in the mid-nineties, when Star Wars games were truly ascendent. In a run that I would argue stretched from the release of X-Wing in 1993, right through to Knights of the Old Republic in 2003, it felt like just about every genre was getting a nod from the House of Skywalker, and generally speaking the games were excellent. This time also saw the resurgence of Star Wars as a multimedia powerhouse, with the films getting reissued on video (and in Widescreen!) before the 1997 release of the Special Editions, the subsequent DVD releases, and then in 1999, the beginnings of the Prequel Trilogy with The Phantom Menace. You could argue that that’s when the wheels fell off, because even with the “Han Shot First” controversy and mixed reaction to some of the new effects shots, the late-nineties releases had been warmly received, Star Wars felt cool and exciting all the time, and anticipation was building to fever pitch at the thought of new movies. Amidst the Jar Jar hatred there was, I think, a bit more antipathy towards stories set in the Clone Wars, and although there were still some very good games being released (the first LEGO Star Wars came out in 2005!), the spark of the Golden Age was mostly absent.

Could we be entering a new Golden Age, or at least a Silver Age? Maybe; hopefully! I really, really enjoyed Jedi: Fallen Order and Squadrons, even though neither are perfect and both have plenty of rough edges. Now that the Skywalker Saga is out of the way and the franchise as a whole is spreading out into new areas (check out the number of Disney+ shows on the way), perhaps we’ll see all different facets of the galaxy explored in games too. And that’s what this list is: ten possible games, set in the Star Wars universe, that I think would be cool.

For the most part I’m not trying to invent a whole game; rather, it’s “Star Wars in this genre” or “Star Wars with this hook”. There’s probably an exception or two here and there, but you’ll get the drift. Some of these have been in my mental wishlist for years, from right back to when I first played X-Wing on my mate’s Mac, or when I installed a friend’s copy of Dark Forces from floppy disk (we, er, did that in those days). One of the best things about Star Wars is that it contains multitudes; George Lucas really did create a whole galaxy full of weird side characters, intriguing backstory, and funky-looking locations (aided and abetted, of course, by a bevy of talented collaborators). What corner of the universe couldn’t support a game of some kind?

So here’s to the future, to the newly-rechristened Lucasfilm Games, and to ten titles that could all benefit from beginning with those classic blue words on a black background.

Jedi Padawan RPG: I’ve wanted a game like this for about twenty years: a third-person action-RPG where you play a Padawan. You create your character and build your lightsaber, and then follow your master on missions around the Republic, learning the ways of the Force and developing your character. In a way, Fallen Order has adopted some of these ideas; the fact you only use a lightsaber and Force powers, for instance. But in my mind this is more similar to something like the first Fable, or maybe Mass Effect, where you’d have a hub to return to (the Jedi Temple) and then go off on missions that you could choose. All the while there’d be a plot bubbling up, and an arc to follow, and all sorts of quasi-open-world Jedi shenanigans. It’d be cool if they could make lightsabers feel like the really dangerous one-hit-kill weapons they are in the films, or if you could use them to, y’know, open doors and stuff. Maybe this could be set in the “High Republic” era we’re starting to explore.

Deus Ex-style first-person RPG: I suppose this one could be reductively called “Cyberpunk on Coruscant”, but the idea is you’d play someone – not a Jedi, in my mind – going on quests or solving some kind of mystery, shooting people in first person whilst also upgrading your body and abilities in typical RPG style. I wouldn’t want it to be too dark; I don’t like it when people try to make Star Wars “edgy”. But that Mandalorian or Rogue One tone of seriousness interspersed with Star Wars’ typical melodrama and weirdness would be good. I see your character as a small-time crook or maybe a minor mercenary who by circumstance is forced to take missions for either the Rebels or the Empire (or maybe First Order and Resistance); perhaps mirroring Poe Dameron’s journey from spice smuggler to X-Wing superstar. It’d be cool if there was Fallout-style hit-modelling on characters, and if your arm or whatever got damaged, you could have it replaced with a robot one.

Star Wars meets Elite: I even have a title for this one: “Scoundrel”. Basically, like I say, it’s Elite but in the Star Wars universe; you have a ship, you fly from planet to planet, you trade goods or offer passage, you spend your money on upgrading your ship or buying a new one. You’re Han Solo, basically; hence “Scoundrel”. In my mind it’s set at the dawn of the Rebellion, so you can choose where your allegiances – and your ethics – lie. Take on official Imperial assignments? Help their war effort? Stay neutral but legal? Stay out of the politics, but, y’know, smuggle a little bit? Run a bit of spice? Or do you go all-in and work for the Rebellion – even take part in military action? Maybe it could even run all the way up to Return of the Jedi and give you the chance to fight in the Battle of Endor! C’mon, this one has “hit” written all over it.

Clone Troopers turn-based “Tactics” game: by “Tactics” I mean like X-COM or, well, Gears Tactics; turn-based team combat games. I think of all the groups of military characters most suited to this style, it would be the Clone Troopers; they’re a well-organised military force that functions as part of a team. We know there are loads of types of Troopers, with different uniforms for different jobs, so there’s lots of room for customising your team, as well as experimenting with different classes. Plus if they die there’s more to come, they’re just in vats! Get Temuera Morrison to voice them all for added authenticity.

A point-and-click adventure: this was the first ever idea I had for a Star Wars game, because at the time I was really, really into adventures. This could be anything; I’m not too fussed on the plot. Some kind of mystery obviously lends itself to the format. Whether you play as the same character all the way through or switch protagonists (a common genre trope), I don’t mind. But I want it to be a fairly straightforward, old-fashioned point-and-click game, with no action or QTEs. Make it look like Thimbleweed Park, make it look like Clone Wars or Rebels, make it look as real as possible, it’s all fine; just give me a slow-burn narrative adventure story in the Star Wars universe please.

Lemmings, but with porgs: yeah, there’s nothing more to add to this. Maybe you play one of the Space Nuns, or even Chewbacca, and you have to help out all these crazy porgs? They’re just wandering around, getting into mischief, chewing on the Falcon or playing with a lightsaber, and they’ll kill themselves if you don’t help. That’s it. That’s the game. Lemmings, but with porgs.

Rebel base construction/management game: my template here would be stuff like Evil Genius or Two Point Hospital: real-time games where you build different rooms or services in a given play space. So, the Rebels are constantly darting all over the galaxy, setting up shop temporarily and then evacuating when the Empire comes a-calling; here, you have to kit out the different bases, often to service different aims (a recon base, an aerial support base, a training centre, etc), and in different planetary conditions (think Hoth, Yavin, or Crait). Obviously there are essentials: communication, power, accommodation. Then you can build starship docks, weapons arrays, bacta tanks, astromech services, even Jedi training rooms. Instead of attracting “customers” the idea is to be recruiting new Rebels, so the bigger and better your base, the more troops you have. Maybe there can even be some kind of meta-game where the progress of the war is smoother if your bases are better? But there’d be virtually no combat, apart from maybe shooting probe droids or scaring away wampas. Anyway, I think it sounds cool.

Rebel Commandos cover-shooter: I guess this could also be a Clone Trooper game, but we’ve already had a Clone FPS, and I just invented Clone Tactics up the page a bit, so let’s spread the love. It’s basically Gears of War but with the Rebel Alliance. Think about the Battle of Endor or the Battle of Scarif; teams of well-trained and battle-hardened troopers up against superior odds but still kickin’ ass. Unlike the rent-a-clone nature of the Tactics game, this would be more story-driven, with a small team (four, maybe, as it’s a good number for co-op) who have to infiltrate and/or assault heavily-fortified enemy positions. I think this could be good with a nice narrative behind it, fleshing out the Star Wars universe, and maybe offering a bit of those Rogue One-style shades of grey.

Fallout Shelter-style Jawa Sandcrawler management game: utini! Jawas are great aren’t they? Whether it’s electrocuting Artoo, cheering at podracers, or just eating the shit out of a great big egg, everyone loves a good Jawa. How can you make a game about Jawas? Well, what about if you’re this tribe or group or whatever of Jawas, and you’ve got your own knackered sandcrawler. And as part of the game you have to develop it, tart it up a bit, recruit new bands of Jawas, and then, y’know, rob droids and flog ‘em. Like Fallout Shelter, you have to build and maintain different rooms in the sandcrawler to grow your people and earn more cash from droids, but you’re constrained a little by size. The sandcrawler can’t be expanded too much, and although you could upgrade to bigger ones, you have to make strategic decisions about where to allocate precious space. I see this as being quite low-fi and stylised (bring back Yoda Stories!), and working as a kind of chilled-out time-wasting game on Switch or something.

Homeworld, but in the Clone Wars: and we’re back to the Clone Wars again! But here, we kind of have to, as it’s the only war in the Star Wars wars that features two huge and evenly-matched armadas (Rebels vs Empire and Resistance vs First Order are both very much “scrappy underdogs up against vast organised militaries”). Playing as the Republic or the Separatists, you have to maintain huge fleets of capital ships, support craft, fighters and bombers, and go on missions to attack, defend, or escort. It’s probably the best way to recreate the feeling of that absolutely vast battles we see in the opening minutes of Revenge of the Sith. Maybe an add-on could even give us ground battles too, recreating scenes such as the Battle of Geonosis. Anyway, sounds cool don’t you think?

Incidentally – and speaking of the Star Wars of it all – this is the first week that we’re not watching a War for our family movie night. We’ve done ‘em all! All the episodes of the Skywalker Saga, the two live-action spin-off movies, and even (well, me an’ the eldest) the animated Clone Wars movie. I might do another Top Ten ranking them, based on the kids’ opinions; that’d be interesting. Although – of course – we’ve only got a couple of weeks to wait until the two Ewok movies hit Disney+. What a time to be alive!

Now, the Ewoks – there’s a good idea for a game there…

[laureviewer]

Dragons Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age—A Review

WARNING: (not full) spoilers below.

‘We did it darliiiings!’

That’s what I cried, a-la the Great Sylvando, once I finished this game. 112 hours in, and all the way through it showed no signs of slowing. Which, for a shameless JRPG-lover like myself, is exactly what I want in a game. Hours and hours of combat, exploration through stunning scenery, empathetic and deep characters and, most importantly, a completely immersive and entertaining story that I can’t wait to see the climax—but, crucially, I can.

The Chosen One

The story begins in Erdrea, where monsters have invaded the fantastical world—why, we’re not quite sure. All we know, as the infant protagonist, is that we are found washed up on the riverbank by a kindly old man named Chalky, who takes us to his village and gives us to our adoptive mother, Amber.

And, guess what? He’s the Chosen One—the Luminary. You’d have thought our hero would have realised something was different about him with the presence of a very specific birthmark tattooed on the back of his hand, but he and his childhood friend Gemma do come from a sheltered town with very little knowledge of the outside world, after all. True to form for a lot of adventure games, he’s the only one who can save the world. After finding this out in a coming-of-age ceremony a few years later, Amber tells him to go to King Carnelian of Heliodor, who is sure to help him understand what all this means. Right?

If our silent protagonist could talk, this is where he would be screaming, ‘I’m not the Darkspawn!’ as King Carnelian throws him in the dungeon. But thank Yggdrasil he did, or we wouldn’t meet our first companion in our band of loveable misfits.

The Power of Friendship

I’m still unsure why, after so many hours of gameplay, why Erik endears himself the most to me, but he does. Sure, he’s the first one you meet, and you team up to escape the dungeon (running from a giant dragon along the way!), but he’s also a dishonest thief. Throughout the game, you never quite know if he’s in it for himself or to help you save the world. I’ve concluded that he’s actually doing it for you, and your budding bromance…or, at least, that’s my own head cannon. He’s misunderstood. His cutting sarcasm is welcome in a story of overly keen optimists (see: Sylvando). And he’s who the hero seems to look at whenever there’s a sweet, sentimental moment in the story, cementing their true friendship.

Or, maybe it’s because Akira Toriyama drew these characters, and his colourful hair and spunky attitude remind me of my childhood DBZ crush, Trunks. Either way, I’m Team Erik, with his knife-wielding, quick-thinking style of fighting, all the way. My only gripe is that his damage wasn’t that great for me until endgame, unfortunately.

Even though we don’t meet Sylvando until later, it seems that my mind demands he be the next to discuss—much like Sylvando demands much of the attention within the game. We first meet him at the circus, where he is a beloved performer. His quest is to make the people of the world smile—a noble endeavour in a world where the Dark One is coming to rid the world of happiness for good. He is the absolute epitome of flamboyance: he calls your band of companions ‘darlings’; he has a half-naked ship captain with bulging muscles and a pink face mask called Dave, of all things; and he even leads a peacock-feathered parade at a certain point in the game, which the hero must cheerily join in, feathers and sassy sway absolutely necessary.

And yet, he doesn’t simply function as comic relief. He is brave, charming, sympathetic, and quite often the heart of the group. He is always the one to ask if a character is okay, or if they need help, and has conviction that only Henrik, our resident knight in shining armour, would rival. Plus, he’s fantastic with a whip (because of course he is) and has some fabulous healing moves that have saved me more than once in a tough fight. The group would be nothing without Sylvando—and he absolutely knows it!

Veronica & Serena serve as our other characters who are bound by destiny. They are Keepers, born to protect aid the Luminary on his quest. As twins, you’d expect them to look the same…but, after an encounter with monsters, Veronica was turned into a child, and is stuck that way. As an offensive mage who hates being treated like a child, she serves as the brash one of the group, quick to anger, much like her fiery spells.

Serena, on the other hand, serves as the yin to Veronica’s yang. She is temperate and always willing to help, if somewhat hapless. The primary healer of the group, she excels in restorative and defensive magic, and has a harp to while away the less hopeful days. As a pair, these two are steadfast, loyal, and…to be honest, aren’t much more interesting than that, unless Veronica is being goaded into an argument.

Until the later game, anyway. I won’t spoil that here, but will just say I underestimated both their spell casting abilities and their importance in the story. 

You know how the hero is the Chosen One, the Luminary and the absolute saviour of the world? Well, he also happens to be a Prince of Dundrasil. Had the fates been kinder, he might have been brought up in a huge castle, with loving royal family around to raise and guide him.

Rab, a fierce, playful and wise old man (with a banging Scottish accent) is ready to heal, attack with offensive magic, and guide our hero around the expansive world. And, as we find out after defeating him and his sexy companion in a battle competition in Octagonia (see: Jade), he is also grandfather to our hero, and thus a Lord of Dundrasil himself. He may seem old, but not only does he have royal blood, but he is a capable spell-caster and martial artist, making it apparent that he is one of the most capable companions in the game. If I were to ask anyone for advice, knowing that he would neither mince his words nor omit anything important, I would go to Rab.

You know what any game directed at kids needs? That’s right, a sexy warrior princess that you can stick in a bunny costume for most of the game. Even if you choose not to do that, her combat outfit doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

Thankfully, Jade isn’t just eye-candy. She has far more going for her. She’s a Princess of Heliodor, the hero’s childhood companion who lost him as a baby. She just wants to find him, her younger brother figure (sadly), and help him fulfil his destiny. Plus, as a battle and spear fighter, she has some of the strongest moves in the game—albeit mostly from her sexy, love-based moves such as ‘Hip Thrust’ and ‘Sexy Beam’, only comparable with Sylvando’s equally as sexy and flamboyant ‘Lashings of Love’ and ‘That’s Amore’ moves. She’s a badass bitch who takes no crap from lovestruck men or monsters.

Though, she has her very own Princess Leia moment, where she is captured by a horrific, giant, evil and ugly monster and made to wear a sexy outfit (hey, there’s that bunny girl outfit again). It is heavily implied she has been under his mind control, and that he’s been having his ‘wicked way’ with her. Good thing she comes out of it with sexy vampire powers, isn’t it?

HEAVY SPOILERS NOW. I warn you, don’t go any further if you care about that kind of thing.

Our final companion is one who doesn’t show up until late game. Sir Henrik, a Knight of Heliodor, is the hero we all need. He defends his ruler to the last (which, spoiler alert, nearly ended up being his fatal flaw), is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of all, and defends the weak: a true knight, with chivalry, bravery, and total care for all others. It’s a shame he hated the hero for the first half of the game, really.

But do I care about that? No, I care that his greatsword abilities make him an absolute tank. On a one-on-one fight, I needed him front and centre of every battle just for his incredible damage output. Against multiple enemies, he is less useful, but with his supplementary healing and defence skills, he isn’t just an attacker, but a true defender of the people to the last.  

Calm it with the Combat

My god, this game has a lot of battles. While that’s expected for a turn-based JRPG, and there were a lot, unlike others such as Pokémon, you can choose which battles to avoid as the figures traverse the overworld. This is useful in such a slow-burning game, and also helps you find the monsters you want—again, a definite improvement on the way Pokémon works, as it saves you having to fight hundreds of creatures you don’t want to find the ones with the best EXP.

A notable exception to this is when you have to find and defeat a rare monster for a quest, which don’t traverse the overworld. This means you have to fight potentially hundreds of more common monsters to find the one you want, which can be frustrating, especially as it is all done on chance and not on how many you have defeated. While you can increase your chances with various items or equipment, it still adds a frustrating amount of time to an already long game.

Another vague annoyance is how much harder the game gets post-game. I actually did not have an issue with this, as a friend told me how to farm the elusive and high-EXP metal slimes using a particular Hero-Erik-Jade Pep Power and so I could use this ability throughout post-game. However, for those not in the know, the potentially grinding at the end of the game may put some people off finishing an already saturated game.

What I loved about the combat was how it kept getting harder and harder. I never worried about over-levelling (as said above, I was more worried about being under levelled) and that meant I could do what I do best: do all side-quests before the end of the main story. In other JRPGs, the completionist in me has always made me want to do all side-quests, but this has meant the final boss has been underwhelming and easier than it should be.

The variation of powers and attacks was also really interesting. You can spec into different forms of fighting for each character—I went for Swords with the hero, Whips for Sylvando, Boomerangs with Erik (after using Daggers for most of the game), Heavy Wands for Rab and Veronica, Wands for Serena, Spears for Jade, and Greatswords for Henrik—and this makes all the combinations of them in the party very cool. I normally just controlled the hero during the fights and let the others fight wisely, unless there was a specific quest to fulfil or a particularly hard boss. Not only did this speed up combat, but it also helped me to learn which of their moves were the most effective against which monsters automatically and quickly, which was easier than picking moves and trying them out myself. It’s easy, with enough gold, to respec if you like, and this I’m sure could make the game fee different every time if you wanted to play with different specs.

Pep powers were also a lot of fun. While it was sometimes annoying waiting for some or all of the characters to pep up and therefore use these moves that combine different characters’ moves for ‘Ultimate’ attacks, they provided fun cutscenes and made the battles more interesting. Plus, they reminded me a lot of DBZ moves, especially the epic ones with the hero and Rab!

Top tip: you can swap out characters and they will keep their pepped-up status. I wish I’d known about that a lot earlier!

The monster designs are great, as per usual Akira Toriyama style. There are lots of different kinds, from slimes, to mechs, to really weird ones like the kissy lip monster and the Bongo Drongos. The bosses are also amazing. Just all the character designs, from human to monster, to anything else. I see a lot of DBZ in all of them, which is fantastic.

You know what? Here’s some pictures. You’re welcome.

Mini Games & Challenges: Hey, I actually want to do these!

I often have issues with mini games, as sometimes they are so different from the main game that I just don’t want to spend time playing them. Gwent in another of my favourite games, The Witcher 3 is a good example: I never really learnt the rules, which I’m sure would have helped, but it was so detached from the main game I just didn’t care. Plus, it had no effect on the story or game at large, so what was the point?

In DQ11, sure, you don’t need to rack up 500,000 casino tokens in poker or the slots to buy better gear. You don’t have to finish first in all five Gallopolis horse races. Forging items isn’t totally needed to advance the game. It’s not necessary to win all five rounds of the Wheel of Harma in a certain number of moves (though this is much more like the rest of the game than the other mini games). But I did all of these, and it was great fun. It’s what’s helped make the game such a time suck (especially the casino) but I never felt like they were a chore.

Apart from the crossbow bullseyes. I did none of them as apparently I only noticed about three out of however many there are. They can suck my Sword of Light.  

 What’s a good JRPG without me questioning the point of life after it’s over?

JRPGs do it best—fight me.

The story of DQ11 is immersive, interesting, intricate and, at times, incredibly heart-breaking. Following the hero and his friends for over 100 hours really means you get to dive into their adventure, and more so, their relationships. You truly believe why they have chosen to follow each other into danger, to protect each other as well as the world. Sure, he’s the Luminary, so Serena & Veronica, the Luminary’s guides, at least have a reason to follow him to the end. The fact he’s the Luminary at may mean the characters have more faith in him than they would anyone else without lightning powers. But, even without that, you get the impression that they trust him for his innocent and yet resolute determination to do the right thing, whatever the cost.

The NPCs in the game also provide variety and are a lot of fun. There’s a lovesick mermaid, a brilliantly incompetent prince, two brothers in Laguna di Gondolia who are trying to sell the same things to you for different prices, and Silvando’s Smile Brigade, to name just a few. Their backstories, personalities and current stories all bring life to a game already chock full of it, and makes even simple fetch quests interesting and well worth doing, if you value a good story like I do. These little touches explain why the game clocks in at well over 100+ hours, but at the same time gives true justification to why that is. It’s the difference between a boring game, and one I loved to turn on and just relax of an evening. I might not have done all that much in three hours, but I still enjoyed every minute.

With everything considered, I will remember DQ11 fondly as one of my favourite JRPGs to date. The storyline, characters, combat and score are all fantastic and makes me wish I played the older games. Thank you, Dragon Quest, for giving me 112 hours of fun. 

[theplayersxp]

done playing genshin impact today!

i just want to share some of my experience while playing the game.

its about an unknown person called traveller, who being trapped with his twin sister in the other world called teyvat.

that is where he met paimon, seems like his personal assistant in that world and with him teaching some basic in teyvat world.

eventually in not some distant level or quest.. he will also meet amber.. the beautiful archer wearing red sleeves with combination of dark brown, red ribbon and white stacking with color red on top.

that's the girl will grant glider license to main character they called traveller. after he pass the exam and at the same time the quest chasing the thief called raptor.

before the boss fight against raptor, there is a scene in the game like sink or swim, or two choices that will left question in the players mind.

because amber, paimon and traveller chasing raptor and raptor is on the other side and really far and in first look, its impossible to reach the other side using wind glider because its really far.

while the thief (raptor) confusing and teasing amber to go home and told let the leader of the knight guild will handle him and he will immediately surrender.

amber did not listen in a obvious lie from raptor, and think deep and remember her book about flying.

its all about courage.

there is two or three choices every time amber finished talking or asking question.

and i answer it immediately.

but because the thief (raptor) is starting to leave and to escape. and there is no way but to glide to reach the other side.

our party jump and start to glide to chase the thief. and when i get near to the other side there is wind current upward to make us fly again high.

i think that's the secret why raptor reach the other side, because of not obvious or visible wind current upward near the other side or lets just call it cliff.

and before that amber also remember the saying of a wise man, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

because there is no other way but to glide and seems like impossible, amber use her courage and we chase the thief. (raptor)

but if i will think deeply and they live in that world and following the God of wind. amber can easily notice there is a wind current near the other side of the cliff. because she think deep and use her ears because she close her eyes.

therefore, in this case.. i conclude that.. not only courage is amber used. but also her experience living in their world to be specific.. growing up with the wind current and flying using air glider.

that is why she notice the wind current but not 100% sure and she use her courage.

all impossible is eliminated by checking the surrounding and thinking the thief used some hook or something to get to the other side of the cliff.

and there is no way but to glide.

if we apply this in real life, and we use only courage in everything we do without thinking. there is possibility we will put ourselves in a danger or risk our life.

amber book about flying is really needed because no guts, no glory they said. we need courage but we also need to think also not courage only. :)

and the traveller got his glider license after that quest.

[make-me-imagine]

Lost

🕸13 Days of Halloween: Day 12

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

Prompt: “I’m calling it, we are lost in the woods”

Pairing: Sir Percival (BBC Merlin) x Reader

Requested by: Anonymous

Gender: Neutral            Triggers: 

Theme: A little angst, little fluff, little humor.

Note 1: Surprise surprise, it’s not Halloween themed, of course. Almost none of them have been lol, mostly just angsty and/or spooky.  Note 2: The creature described in this story is similar to that of the Barghest, a mythological dog-like creature from English folklore.

You smiled as you approached Percival. He was standing tall, though he didn’t necessarily have to try and do that, he was a giant after all. He brushed off some mud from the armor on his shoulders as he looked around, nodding to a group of people who wandered by as he gripped the horse bridles in his hands. You took the moment to watch him. Ever since you had met Percival you felt something for him, and you felt as though he returned that feeling. But the two of you were relatively shy, which was not a great combination in this kind of thing. You were friends, you joked with each other and teased each other, but neither of you could admit what you felt. 

When you told Merlin and Arthur that you needed an escort through the forest to the next town to pick up some trade items, they both volunteered Percival. You knew that if you had asked him, which you wanted too, that he would say yes, but you didn’t want to inconvenience him. But fortunately for you, Merlin and Arthur did it for you.

“Percival” you finally greeted him gently, gaining his attention immediately. 

You smiled widely at him in greeting, he returned it. Looking down at the basket you were carrying he frowned “I thought you were picking up items there, not taking them?”

“Oh, no, this is for us” you smiled, opening the lid “I made us some pastries with fruit, and sandwiches for the journey, since it’s quite a lengthy journey”

His smile widened “That’s very kind of you Y/n”

You smiled at each other for a moment before he cleared his throat “All ready then?” you nodded as he helped you safely onto your horse. You spared one more glance at the castle, seeing Merlin and Arthur peaking from the windows. You waved at them before heading towards the castle gates.

After travelling for a couple of hours you decided to take a break, mostly for the horses sake. Stopping next to creek you tied the horses and wandered over to the water. Stretching, you sighed “I’m glad it’s a nice day, it would have been horrible if it was raining, though it does appear to be clouding up”

Percival sat down on a large boulder near by as he looked to the sky “I don’t think it will rain on us”

“Don’t jinx us Percival” you walked over to him, crouching down to get some food from the basket.

“Do you believe in jinxes?” he asked amused, as you handed him a pastry.

“It depends on the context, but in this case, yes.” You sat next to him “Every time I have announced that something bad will definitely not happen, it does”

He chuckled “Well noting bad is going to happen”

You smacked him lightly on the arm “You did it again!”

He laughed this time, shaking his head “I’m sorry” he apologized, though not wholeheartedly.

“I know you think I’m being silly, but there’s nothing wrong with being cautious”

“Or paranoid?” he mocked, causing you to glare at him as the two of you broke into giggles.

After eating and resting, you began your journey again, not travelling for much longer before you came across a road block of Camelot guards. “What happened here?” Percival interrogated as you approached.

“There was a death up ahead, we believe it too have been an animal attack, we are searching the area” You and Percival shared a look as the guard continued “I suggest not going this way Sir, if you have to pass, you can take that last path left and go around, though it is sure to lengthen your journey”

Percival knew how important this shipment was for your job so he nodded at the man and turned “How late can you be to take the shipment”

“At least five hours, I told them in my last message the road was long, I am sure they would not mind holding it for much longer”

“Alright, then we will go around”

Another hour had passed before you started to loose track of the path, the terrain getting rougher “Have you been this way before Percival?”

He shook his head “No, but I assume the path should pick up again soon”

“Or we’re lost?”

“We are definitely not lost” he concluded, though you could hear the doubt in his tone at the statement.

Another couple of miles and the path hadn’t appeared again “Okay, sorry Percival but I am calling it, we are lost in the woods”

You heard him sight “I know” he admitted “I’m sorry”

You trotted up next to him “Don’t worry, I’m sure we will run into someone soon, and get back on our way. I don’t blame you, things just happen”

He smiled lightly at you “It’s just another adventure right?” he quoted you, something you said a few months ago when you went with the knights on a quest, mostly because you held hopefully information, of course, as usual, something went wrong.

“Exactly” you smiled. In the distance you heard a rumble of thunder, making you and Percival share another look “If it starts raining, that, I will definitely blame you for” 

He chuckled as you entered a small clearing “Lets take a quick break, the horses are beginning to slow down”

Agreeing, you let the horses rest, and gave them some water before you and Percival sat on the ground. You watched the incoming dark clouds, trying not to give into the thought that you might end up lost in a rain storm. Though, you would admit, you could be with worse company. 

You glanced over at Percival seeing him lost in thought, a frown on his face “You’re not still blaming yourself are you?”

“Hmm? Oh, no” he sighed “It’s just...there was something I intended to do on this trip, but with us getting lost, I’m not sure I can now”

“What was it you wanted to do?”

Looking over at you, you saw him contemplating for a moment before he opened his mouth to speak “I wanted to-”

Suddenly a loud noise came from within the woods behind you, almost a growl or a grunt, animalistic in nature. You spun around as Percival stood quickly, unsheathing his sword. You stood and moved behind him, having come unarmed. The horses began to trot around nervously, sensing whatever it was in the woods.

“What was that?” you spoke quietly, your eyes searching the dense woods for any movement. 

“I don’t know” his voice was equally as low “It sounded like some sort of creature”

“Do you think it’s the thing that killed that man back towards Camelot?”

“Possibly” he looked around “We should go, get away from here”

You nodded as you moved to untie the horses. They moved incessantly as you tried to mount them. After you had, you and Percival moved quietly out of the clearing before riding faster in the opposite direction.

After riding for a short while you slowed down, reaching what appeared to be an old path “I think we may have found the path again” you said encouragingly.

Percival looked behind you, back in the forest before eyeing the path “Good” he muttered as the two of you began to move along again.

Only a short moment passed before you heard an echoing noise throughout the forest, causing the horses to jump and whinny in fear. It was a howl, deep and long, louder than any you had heard from any wolf.

You and Percival shared a look of shock before immediately began riding down the path, headed in whichever direction took you away from the creature. Not long passed before another howl was heard, this one sharper, combined with a noise similar to a growl.

As you headed down a slope, you felt rain drops hitting your hair. Glancing up, you saw the dark clouds building over head as the once distance thunder boomed above you.

“Keep going!” Percival called as you encouraged the horses to keep running, though you knew they would not stop either way, they were just as frightened as you were.

Finding a clearer road you began following it, ended up against the cliff side of a mountain. As you rode, alongside of you to the left of the path, you saw small rocks rolling down the hill. Looking up, through the deepening rainfall and trees, you saw a large black creature running above you along the cliffs edge. 

“Percival!” you called out to him.

Following your line of sight, he saw the creature as well, it was hunting you, if it got in front of you it would cut you off. Looking ahead, he saw that the road branched off “Take the right path!” he called.

You egged the horses on, faster, the two of you taking the right road, hearing another howl come from the creature, the aggravation of its prey getting further evident in the deep guttural sound. 

The rain was harsh and thick, soaking you to the core as you kept riding, as you rounded a corner you saw a town in the distance, looking at Percival you two shared a knowing look as you made your way closer to the town.

Just as you began to feel a sense of relief, the creature jumped out in the road in front of you. Your horse reared itself up whinnying in fear as you fell from it’s back, landing harshly on the ground. Your horse bolted from the area, into the woods towards the town. The creature looked from the horse back to you, as it stood it’s ground.

It was a large hound like creature, with a short, tangled mane gliding from its head down it’s back. It’s fur was as dark as obsidian, it’s eyes only visible due to the glare they emitted. It bared it’s teeth at you, emitting a deep growl.

You heard Percival cry out as he swung his sword at the creature, it jumped back in defense before clawing at him. Percival lunged his sword again, the hound only moved away further, not backing down, he needed a clear shot.

Standing, you picked up a large rock and threw it at the creature with all your might. Sticking the hound in it’s head it yelped slightly before drawing it’s attention to you. Throwing another stone you hit it in the face again, giving Percival enough time to lunge his sword once again, this time striking the creature in the neck. It yelped again as it yanked away before running off into the woods, deciding that it could not handle the two of you at once. 

Taking no time, you moved towards Percival. He reached down and grabbed your arm and pulled you onto the back of his horse. Wrapping your arms securely around him you rode off as fast as you could towards the town.

It only took you a few more moments before you made it into the gates of the town and to safety. The rain had almost stopped completely, only existing in a light sprinkle. Entering the town, and stopping in front of an inn, you dismounted, leaning against a fence you took a few deep breaths, Percival doing the same. Moving in front of you he placed his hands gently on your shoulders as you looked up at him “Are you alright?”

You nodded “Just glad to be safe” you gave him a weak smile before your eyes were drawn behind him.

Following your gaze he sees a man waving at the two of you, standing by some bags, the shipment you came to get “I almost forgot why we came” you admitted. Pausing you looked at Percival “I don’t want to go back out there”

“We wont” he answered quickly “At least not today, it’s already getting dark out” he looked around at the slowly darkening sky “We will stay here tonight. Tonight I will ask around about a travel party, perhaps there are hunters or guards here that can guide us back, possibly go after the creature. Once we get back to Camelot, I will tell Arthur about what happened, maybe we will come back to hunt the creature ourselves.” You nodded, relived at the idea. There was no way you were going out there again with that thing lurking around the town. “Lets pick up your shipment and then find a place to stay alright?”

“Sounds good to me” you stood taking a breath before the two of you walked over to the man you came to meet. 

After settling in at the nearby inn, and after Percival warned the towns guards of the creature, he made a deal with them to escort the two of you back to Camelot, and to form a guard with Camelots guards to hunt the creature down. 

The two of you now stood outside, the air was brisk from the rain. You leaned against the wall of the inn before taking a deep breath and looking over at Percival “Have you ever seen a creature like that?”

He shook his head “No. I’ve heard of countless hound like animals in stories, but never thought any of them existed. Then again, Griffins do, so why not large black hounds?”

You smiled lightly, pausing for a moment “Well, this certainly did turn into an adventure after all didn’t it?”

He chuckled at the comment “Not necessarily a good one. Though we did make it out alright”

Another moment of comfortable silence passed before a thought entered your mind, the creature interrupted you and Percival in the clearing “You never finished telling me what it was you originally wanted to do on this trip”

This comment caught him off guard as he twisted his mug of mead around with his hands “It was nothing”

You eyed him for a moment “It couldn’t have been nothing. I could see it in your face that you were disappointed” He adjusted his stance nervously “What is it Percival?”

“I-” he hesitated “I was going to ask you something”

“What?” you faced him, giving him your full attention.

He looked down at you, your eyes locking for only a moment before he looked nervously down at his feet “I know I don’t hide it very well, and I know that you know...that I have feelings for you. And I have hoped that you felt the same...and, I wanted to ask...” he finally looked up, seeing your expression, a small smile crossing your face, not judging or confused, nor was it shocked or disgusted “If I could court you”

Your smile widened at the confession, relief ran through him at the sight of your reaction. You stood on your tip-toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek “I thought you’d never ask”

-

End.

I don’t know why, but I always have to end things with fluff lol. Hope you liked it.

[traditional-with-a-twist]

xxi. Beauty and Her Beast

<<Previous || first arc || AO3 || Next>>

A prince rarely passes a moment alone.

At his breakfast table, Izana entertained a council of lords from minor holdings, lately arrived in advance of the state ceremony.

Over morning tea, he received a report of Sereg Knight Base’s revised defense strategy.

He took lunch at his desk, where he authorized expenditures from the royal treasury in relief of those subjects facing failed harvests, from ruined fields or military requisitions, as the year deepened into summer.

That afternoon, he met personally with the committee appointed for the decoration of Clarinese knights and soldiers who had demonstrated exemplary courage in battle. 

By the time they concluded their discussion of selections for the minor stars and ribbons, he had fallen behind schedule. He dismissed the committee with a promise to affix his signature to the proclamation of the awards first thing in the morning.

Then he summoned the royal tailor to reschedule his fitting for a new ceremonial dress.

The man wore away a further quarter of an hour in protests and appeals to the privileges of artistry. 

In the end, Lord Haruka was made to deliver his daily briefing over the sounds of clacking pins, muttered measurements, and whispered orders to ‘please incline your head to the left, your highness--just there.’

Dinner was forgotten.

...

The room was crowded, for Izana was now attended at all times, within and without whichever space he occupied, by a specially appointed trio of armed guards, who rotated regularly and rarely spoke.

In addition, pages and clerks came and went continuously, carrying in notices, memos, and appeals, bearing away stamps, signatures, and courteous refusals.

The maids were engaged in outfitting the antechamber of Izana’s office for the still more distinguished visitors he expected the following day.

A server edged in with a tray of wine and glass, the prince’s typical evening refreshment. He was chased away from the usual side table by the tailor’s assistants, quailed at the battery of papers arrayed on the desk, and settled his burden at last on a low bookshelf.

...

As the sun sank into retirement, a bevy of maids arrived to light the tapers, but Izana stayed them with a gesture. “Not tonight, thank you.”

The tailor, who had been increasingly despairing of the lighting conditions in any case, took this as his signal of departure.

Silk, velvet, and jewels rolled, folded, and nestled into their resting places. The room gradually emptied.

Haruka alone persevered, struggling on in the deepening dusk. Izana heard the last of the day’s briefing by starlight.

...

Wine in hand, gaze fixed thoughtfully on the tree line, he stirred only when the lord shut his portfolio with a snap.

“My compliments, Lord Haruka, that was admirably done.”

“Your highness,” the other replied, choosing not to question whether the prince referred to the content of his report or the delivery of it.

...

“Guards,” Izana addressed himself to the two currently within earshot, “kindly accompany Lord Haruka as he returns to his quarters.”

The knights hid their confusion better than Lord Haruka did. “Your highness?” he asked in surprise.

With a glimmer of a smile, the prince answered, “These are dark and dangerous days, my lord. A man with your history of service to Clarines, to say nothing of the promise of future contributions, ought not take any risks.”

As they filed out, he added quietly, “Shut the door.”

...

Izana drank his wine. He wore no coat, as he had not replaced it since the fitting; a silver scabbard gleamed at his hip.

Setting down the empty cup, he strolled to the vast glass doors that opened onto the balcony.

Noiseless as a cat, he let himself out into the night air.

...

For the first time since the tinkle of the maid’s bell that morning, it was quiet.

There were no servants, soldiers, tailors, attendants, lords, or plaintiffs. The air was still, the night soft. Shadows embraced everywhere but the patch of moonlight where Izana positioned himself.

His fair hair and white attire were silhouetted against the sparkling sky. Like a single white-barked tree in a dark wood, he stood, resplendent and solitary.

He was not, however, alone.

...

All that day, from the moment he emerged from his bedchamber, Izana had sensed a foreign presence.

The breath of silent lungs mingled with the conversation over the breakfast table. A fifth ear listened in during the Sereg captain’s report. A shadow, quick and restless, flitted across his desk as he signed papers. Something stirred the air of the committee room as if an invisible form lingered in the corners.

At the fitting, all the while as he bent an elbow and straightened a knee, as the tailor adjusted the line of his cuff here and let out a hem there, Izana had felt the glare of burning eyes, marking his every movement.

...

Just out of sight, too quiet to mark yet too hostile to ignore, the presence had dogged his every step.

It searched in vain for an opening, a lapse in the protective net that surrounded the prince, a gap in the machinery of the Clarinese administrative state.

There was no sign of him now, and yet a quest of such unwavering intent could not have faltered on the brink of realizing victory.

...

Into the darkness, Izana spoke: “Was it not your intention to seek an audience?”

...

He might have blinked.

One moment, nothing but blank tiles accompanied him on the balcony. The next, a man dressed in black and green crouched there.

It could have been a posture of respect, deference, even subservience, with his knee bent and his head down -- but he had neglected to lower his eyes.

Gold like an animal’s, they regarded Izana with a blood-chilling stillness--the fixed gaze of a predator trained to kill, when violence has lost its thrill and ceased to excite anything but steady resolve and certain success.

...

Izana received him without a flicker of surprise. He spread his hands, palms upturned and empty. “Let us not stand on ceremony,” he suggested, “as you are neither my subject nor my employee.”

Obi rose. His left hand hung loose and relaxed at his side.

In his right hand, he carried a naked sword.

...

Once, not long ago, in a place not far from here, Obi had met a prince, not unlike this one, with a sword in hand. On that occasion, they had crossed wood, not steel, pouring their whole hearts into a match decided by toy weapons.

This time, it was different.

Obi knew better than to take on a snake with a stick.

...

Izana surveyed his visitor, noting the camouflaged clothing that had concealed Obi for so long from general detection, the loose layers that confused the eye from tracking his movement, the easy grace with which he wielded the unfamiliar weapon one-handed.

The man was poured in the mould of an assassin, a trained killer, loose on the castle grounds.

Izana knew enough about Obi to recognize that the sword represented a message, not a threat, however. If Obi had intended a mortal encounter, he would have equipped himself with the knives that cut like the wind, not a long and cumbersome blade. 

If he had come to kill, he would have struck before he had let himself be seen.

As if bored, Izana let his gaze drift. Relaxing his weight into a lopsided stance, he turned over his left hand and examined the nails.

His luxurious voice clipped with impatience, he prodded, “What is it that you want?”

...

Obi’s eyes narrowed as he watched the snake weave its mesmerizing dance. Now it seemed to retreat, even sleep--but all the time, it kept its long line of muscle coiled, ready to strike.

At any moment, Izana might raise his voice for a guard, or simply draw his own sword and show himself its master.

Obi couldn’t afford to rush, couldn’t risk dawdling. When he spoke, he confined himself to a single sentence, a dozen words he had been practicing since the night before:

“Prince Izana, I challenge you for the hand of the lady Shirayuki.”

So saying, he raised the sword and pointed it at Izana’s heart.

[talesfromthecycle]

Vengeful Chapter 2 “Starlight In Hiding

The larger presence with an outline of devil’s horns atop their head stepped into the alley and momentarily blocked out the lights shining in through the alley. Yet once they entered, the light returned and reflected onto the silver skin and hulking armor of the visitor. They dressed neck to toe in a cold black plate armor with their face peering out from the chestplate like a kitten peering out of a basket.

“Clair,” The armored woman with black horns upon her head spoke, “What’s the hold up? Don’t tell me you’re tired already, we just- Wait what happened here?” She took a look around the alley at Nessa and the unconscious thief.

“In your fury for exercise you passed up an obvious scene, am I to believe you were running this whole time with your eyes closed?” The priestess referred to as Clair retorted back in a snarky tone. “I was just telling this civilian to gather her things and leave.” She shot a glare back to Nessa who nodded and began gathering up her satchel and picking up the slew of papers and supplies that fell out during the struggle.

“Perceptive as always, but how about you take the culprit to the authorities while I help clean up.” The knight walked forward accompanied by the clanging of her armor clashing together. The priestess scoffed and haphazardly dragged the thief away out of the alley and disappeared around the corner.

The knight stood over Nessa and held out a tattered book with a smile on her face, “I believe this is yours, I’d hate to lose a tome of this volume.”

Nessa smiled back and took the offered book and put it back in her satchel which she carried gripping on the top of the bag with the broken strap hanging off to the side, “Oh, thank you ma’am, I’m surprised you could tell it’s a tome at this point honestly.” She laughed it off as she stood up much shorter than the knight in front of her. 

“Well if I’m being frank, I only assumed, given your wand is still over in the corner as well.” The knight pointed to the still sparking wand fizzling with purple flashes.

Nessa whipped her head and swore under her breath, rushing to pick it up. With the wand in hand, she made a dialing motion with her finger as the light dimmed until it returned to a normal state.

“I’m really sorry, this whole situation has me all stressed out,” Nessa went on as the two stepped out into the street, “Thank you so much, both you and your friend were a great help. Is there anything I can do to repay-”

“Nonsense, really it was nothing on our part. Now then, how about we head back to the guild and put this behind us.” A moment of silence passed over the two of them briefly.

“Oh. Well, uh,” Nessa stammered in response, “I’m not a guild member actually, ma’am.”

The knight’s silver face was washed in a wave of red for a moment, “Oh right, sorry. Guess I just assumed you were one of the new recruits this year with you being a mage an’ all.” She spoke quickly and struggled to find the point of her words, “Well the offer is still there, kind of. I can escort you home for all the trouble you’ve been through. It’s the least I can do.” 

“I guess I’ll take you up on that offer then, but you haven’t told me your name even.” She chuckled and eased up after the knight’s accidental assumption. Even if for a moment, it gave her a flash of joy to have been mistaken for an adventurer in any capacity. Nessa began to head home with the knight at her side.

“Oh my apologies, I’m Hela,” The knight politely raised her hand to her plated chest and bowed her head slightly, “I’m a guild member for Hidden Star which you could probably tell. And you?” As Hela finished speaking, Nessa noticed the familiar comet emblem pinned to the shoulder of a cloak that Hela wore.

“My name’s Nessa. I’m just a simple paper girl honestly, nothing too exciting going on with me.” She sheepishly responded with her attention seemingly darting around as they slowly ascended the grand stairs out of the lower districts.

“Nessa?” Hela repeated and pondered for a moment, “I could’ve sworn I heard that name somewhere before.”  

Nessa’s heart stopped for a moment as a nervous shock passed over her, “Well um, you might’ve seen me from time to time updating the quest boards. Heard gossip because I screw it up all the time? Something along those lines?” She desperately tried to cover up any recognition that Hela might’ve found in her. “No that’s not it,” The knight appeared oblivious to Nessa’s paranoia as they both scaled the stairs, “Oh now I remember, this explains everything!” Hela snapped into recollection which paralyzed Nessa in fear. “I recall seeing an admission form back at the guild for a Nessa just a few weeks ago. The picture looked a bit like you, and even shared your name. No wonder I thought you were a new recruit,” The situation clicked slowly in Hela’s head as Nessa sighed in subtle relief but still appeared distressed, “So many similarities, but you said you don’t apprentice at the guild, right?”

As the two reached the end of the stairs, Nessa’s pace slowed and her gaze turned away from the seemingly piercing glare of the knight. Despite her attempt to respond she couldn’t come up with an excuse fast enough before Hela broke the silence.

“Sorry, I really shouldn’t have dwelled on that. I just thought-”

“It’s alright, you didn’t mean anything by it I know.” Still refusing to keep eye contact, Nessa interrupted, “The truth is, I did sign up for an apprenticeship at Hidden Star. I ended up not showing up to the entrance exams though. I just chickened out of the process because I didn’t think I’d get in.” She looked up to see a tower connected to the ceiling of the cavern and began to lead through the residential district towards it. 

“Excuse me for being brash Nessa, but that’s some nonsense if I’ve ever heard it,” Hela retorted which surprised Nessa into turning around to look the knight in the face once more, “Nobody, not even my team and I, started off working for the guild with the experience we got on our backs now. If you don’t put yourself in danger of failure, you can’t succeed. I bet you’d do great as an adventurer if you put your mind to it, same with anyone really.” Hela kept a genuine and reassuring smile on her face through her encouragement, the contagious smile spread to Nessa quickly.

“I guess you do have a point Hela, but I kinda still missed my chance this year. Not to mention with each year I’d fit less and less in. I basically missed the boat several times over.” Nessa joked as they both stopped at a grand fenced area housing an old dilapidated manor with a single stone tower protruding from one of its corners. Stepping towards the gate, Nessa pushed and moved one of the gate doors forward slightly and walked through.

She shakes her head and whispers under her breath, “When is he going to learn to lock this stupid thing,” Nessa looked back to Hela who still stood behind the gate, “Thank you again for the escort and back there with the thief, I really appreciate it.”

Hela looked past her in awe at the sheer size of the manor behind Nessa before snapping back to attention to the conversation, “Oh, of course. Wow, I hadn’t realized folks moved back into this old place. I thought it was still abandoned.” Nessa gripped one hand onto the gate and leaned into it searching for the right response to give, “Well, I,” Her eyes darted from the floor, her hands, and back to Hela again as she struggled with what to say, “It’s still technically abandoned. My little brother and I just sort of hide out here ever since the original owners left to the surface about a decade back. I know you’re a guild member and all but I hope you’d keep this a secret between us if you could.”

Hela took a long look at the manor, it slowly faded into darkness as the crystalline sun slowly dimmed with the coming of night hours. She then looked back to Nessa but not with her usual innocent smile and instead with what Nessa could only understand as a determined gaze. 

“Of course I won’t tell anyone. What you’re doing isn’t bringing any harm to anyone. But I wouldn’t be doing my job right if I didn’t do something about it. So I’m going to cash in a favor with my guildmaster and see if he can open up another apprenticeship spot. I’m not going to force you to come or anything like that. But the guild can provide a better life for the both of you than this. Feel free to stop by if that interests you.” Hela stepped away from the gate and gave a three fingered wave to Nessa as she departed.

“Stay safe.” Hela concluded making her way away from the manor.

Nessa was nearly left speechless, the offer and kindness stuck in her mind like a pin on a board as she watched the knight leave. With those words still playing over and over, Nessa wandered towards the tower and pulled a rusted key from one of the pockets on her uniform. After a moment of jamming the key into the beaten up door, she opened it up and stepped inside and locked the door behind her. Climbing the spiral stairs up the dark and dusty tower she eventually reached a well lit room seemingly split down the middle with a clear divide of messes and piles of assorted objects on one side and neatly organized bookshelves and unlit candles on the other. 

“You forgot to lock the gate again, Mair.” Nessa said drearily as she hung her satchel on the back of a chair and then leaned against a wall with her arms crossed looking over at the other side of the room.

Lying on a rickety bed with face buried in an unlabeled book, a full blooded night elf teen jumped slightly but remained hidden behind his book, “Oh sorry sis, completely slipped my mind.” Mair responded casually.

Nessa simply sighed while stepping cautiously onto her brother’s side of the room, dropping some of the candies she received earlier on his nightstand. Before his hand reached out to swipe the sweets she cupped her hand over them halting the advance, “On the topic of mind slips, did you finish your school work this time around?”

“I did,” Mair elongated his admission in annoyance, “I miss one assignment and suddenly you go in mom mode.” He snarkily added in keeping his face hidden behind the book still even as Nessa was standing right next to him.

Without even a retort, Nessa pulled the book down out of the young teen’s face, causing him to wince after being removed from his disguise. Though the discoloration was faint on his already dark violet face, his swollen eye was a clear indication of a bruise starting up.

“Shoot,” Mair whispered under his breath and smiled his usual disarming grin with his standard missing tooth, “I can explain.”

Nessa walked off back to her side of the room rubbing her temples as she began to pace, “I don’t get how you even manage to find more people to fight at this rate. Did you start it? Did you get in trouble? Am I going to get another letter about this crap?”

“No, kinda, maybe. In that order.” Mair sat up on his bed and seemed to spring to life, “It was that one upperclassman again, he was pushing around my friend and I had to intervene. I taught him a lesson though, you totally should’ve seen the look on his face it was priceless. That one professor that I’m cool with backed my side of the story so it’s a total win win.” He told the story with a series of acting out punches and dodges like he was acting a one man play.

Nessa simply watched and kept silent through his explanation before finally giving her case, “Just be more careful in the future please, you don’t know when someone might carry a knife or some magic on them. Then suddenly a little brawl is a trip to the infirmary, or worse. I don’t need you getting suspended over this either.” She sat down at her desk. She placed her satchel on the desk in front of her and gathered a mass of sewing supplies to work on the broken strap.

Mair thought over his sister’s words before taking notice of her side of the room, “Alright alright, I get it. Hey, what happened to your bag?”

“Some thief slashed it up earlier today. Luckily some adventurers from Hidden Star helped me out.” She answered casually as she began to fix up the broken strap.

“Woah you actually got saved by some adventurers. That must’ve been awesome. But, uh, how come you didn’t just zap the thief with some magic or something? That would’ve been cool as hell.”

“I wouldn’t call an attempted mugging awesome, rocks for brains. Besides, the bastard got a hold of my tome so it’s not like I had anything useful to cast on hand.” Nessa rolled her eyes and slouched over her desk.

“Ah, just another piece of evidence that warriors trump mages in every avenue. Don’t need no dumb book to beat up a lowlife.” Mair jokingly flexed his arms to annoy his sister and then returned to his side of the room.

“Keep telling yourself that buddy,” Nessa laughed off the remark but silently paused her work and then turned around in her chair to face her brother, “Speaking of those adventurers, I talked to one of them and she said she can try and open up an apprenticeship spot over at Hidden Star. Thought you’d want to sign up since you just barely missed the age requirement a few weeks back.”

Mair’s eyes lit up with excitement at the offer, “Seriously, no way! I wouldn’t have to waste a whole year just waiting around. That’d be so cool!” He calmed down a bit and looked to Nessa with a confused stare, “But wait, wouldn’t you want to take that spot too? I mean, you’ve been waiting longer than me, it’d feel a bit unfair, honestly.” 

Nessa stood up and walked over to the northern edge of the room where a rickety ladder leads higher up in their old tower and stood just beneath the ladder. She smiled at Mair and just shook her head, “How about you just think it over for now, if you’re interested we can see if both of us can go in together and try out from there. If not I’ll be fine waiting another year, won’t kill me.” She put one hand on one of the rungs and began to scale the ladder, “I’ll be back down in a minute, how about you actually start on your schoolwork now.” She remarked on her way up which only led her brother to groan and rummage through a pile of his books.

Nessa climbed to the topmost floor of the manor’s tower, looking out at a view from the shattered stone wall that led out to the entire city in the ravine. She slowly approached the gap in the wall to look at the dimly lit web of stone connecting the ravine together. The crystalline sun had dimmed to only but the shine of a moon, with several more crystals making their debut as stars on the darkened ceiling. The artificial stars reflected in the cold black waters of the ravine back up below the streets as if the sky surrounded the suspended world. In the middle of the city, a grand hall remained lit as a bonfire. It stood as the beating heart of the night city, the lone spider to tend to the web of bridges. Nessa’s view could only barely capture the hall behind the hundreds of bridges weaved over it’s lights. She stood there, staring in thought, basking in false starlight.

[lilacmoon83]

Dreaming Out Loud

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 122: Quest for the Key, Pt. 1

As they followed Hades, they noticed he was leading them toward their old loft, causing Snow and David to exchange a glance.

"Wait...you think Hook has a key to the Land of Untold Stories?" David asked.

"No...but he still has the compass that he and Cora stole from Anton to get to this land. And we need that to get to the land we have to go to in order to find the person that may have the key we need," Hades answered.

"So...the key is in another realm entirely?" Emma asked.

"Yes...another one that fortunately was excluded from the United Realms. Trust me," he replied.

"Papa Hades...where is this key?" Snow asked. He sighed.

"Possibly Transylvania...a land of sheer terror and monsters," he said with a wince.

"We're going to Transylvania?" Emma asked, as her eyebrows were in her hair.

"Gods no...you three are staying here. Your grandmother and I will go get the key and then come back for all of you," he replied. Persephone nodded.

"Hey wait...you don't just get to leave us behind. We're coming with you," Snow said.

"She's right...my parents will be perfectly willing to watch the kids," David added.

"You three are not coming to Transylvania with us," Persephone argued.

"Mother...I've been to the Underworld, at least in the alternate reality. I grew up there half the time. How much worse can Transylvania be?" Snow asked.

"A thousand times worse, Snowdrop. When your mother and I were raising you in the Underworld, we were the rulers there. Everyone knew that even thinking about touching you was a one way trip into the pits of Tartarus or worse...getting made into a chew toy for Cerberus," Hades quipped.

"Yes...and we do not have that kind of pull in Transylvania. The monsters do not fear the threat of eternal damnation in Tartarus there," Persephone added.

"Maybe not, but we're still coming," Snow insisted.

"No...you're not," Eli chimed in.

"But Daddy…" she started to say and Emma had to suppress her own laughter. Her mother sounded exactly like she did when she was trying to get her way with her own father.

"Except that you may need them," Demeter chimed in.

"Mother…" Persephone chided.

"Need us?" David inquired curiously and she sighed.

"The man we need to speak to...I wronged him in the originally time line and we had quite the falling out. He won't be happy to see me. However, he has much respect for heroes, so meeting Prometheus' new champion will have its appeal and Snow actually has met him as a child,' Hades said.

"He adored you...but then most do," Persephone added fondly.

"So we should go," David said.

"No," Hades refuted.

"Yes...because you will never get him to give you the key," Demeter responded.

"But Mother...Hades has changed since then and in the alternate reality, they made amends," Persephone reminded.

"And in the original, Hades cursed him to remain in Transylvania and he is forever trapped in it," Demeter countered.

"Who the hell are we talking about?" Emma asked, as they knocked on Hook's door.

"Later," Hades deflected, as Hook answered the door with Alice in his arms.

"Hello…" he said, with a bit of trepidation.

"Relax Hook...do you still have that compass that you and Cora stole from the giant?" Hades asked.

"Aye...does the giant want it back or something?" he asked, gesturing them in.

"No...we need it to visit another land that has something else we need," Persephone answered, as the former pirate retrieved the compass from a bedside table.

"Anything I can help with?" he offered.

"Not unless you've ever navigated to Transylvania," Demeter said.

"Why in bloody hell would you want to go to that nightmare?" he questioned.

"Unfortunately, there is something there we need," Hades answered.

"Well...good luck with that. I think I'll opt out of this adventure," he said, as they thanked him again and left.

"Are you going to tell us who we're looking for?" Emma asked impatiently.

"Especially since we're clearly going with you," Snow added. Hades sighed.

"We're going to Transylvania, because the only person I know that has a key, besides Jekyll himself, is Van Helsing," he announced.

"Wait...like the Van Helsing the monster hunter?" Henry asked.

"One in the same," he answered.

"Awesome...can I go?" Henry asked.

"No way in hell,"

"Absolutely not,"

"Not in a million years," were the responses and his shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"Van Helsing...that leaves me out," Rumple muttered.

"What did you do him, Rumple?" Belle asked.

"Nothing...honestly," he responded.

"Then why can't you go?" Neal asked.

"Because he'll hunt me. He considers me one of his monsters," Rumple replied.

"Maybe that's best anyway. We need someone looking over everything while we're gone," Snow said. David nodded.

"I'll stay with the kids and man the station then," Neal offered and Emma nodded and kissed him tenderly.

"Please be safe," he pleaded. He hated letting her go without him, but knew not only that she could take care of herself, but that her parents would never let anything happen to her.

"I will," she promised.

"Okay...pack some things and say goodbye to the children. We'll leave in an hour," Persephone said, as they headed for their castle to do so.

~*~

The Land of Untold Stories

"Entry number three hundred twenty six. The latest attempt of my serum has yielded failed results. The homeless victims from the Land Without Magic have all experienced various side effects upon injection with the common denominator of death," Jekyll reported into the recording device.

"Each autopsy I performed has revealed various ailments in some victims, while others were in optimal health. However, each one died of heart failure due to the serum's effects," he continued.

"I have concluded that I need a stronger type of control group for my tests. But this is not easily accomplished," Jekyll stated, as he put a hand to his forehead to fight off another headache.

"I have been told that the magical realms have all been joined together and going there presents a conundrum. Getting a stronger type of test subject, one born in a magical land, would be quite difficult in this new United Realms. I have word that it is policed by powerful figures and ruled by Gods," he reported.

"Normally, my medical logs are not filled with such fantastical talk, but this is the information relayed to me by my contact, a magical entity himself," he said.

"He assures me that he has ways for me to continue my testing and I await more information from him," Jekyll concluded, as he put away his research and the headache became much more intense. He could no longer fight it and his entire body convulsed, as his glasses dropped from his face. His body began to change quite dramatically, as he grew taller and thinner. His blonde hair became brown and his blue eyes red. His clothing changed too, from a tan vest and slacks, with his white overcoat, to a dark suit with a red tie. Gone was Dr. Jekyll and in his place was Mr. Edward Hyde.

"Mr. Poole...I'll be making a trip to New York. Please keep a good watch on the asylum," he instructed, as he extracted an ornate looking key from his inside jacket pocket.

He and Dr. Jekyll had one similar interest and that was being separate from each other to live their own lives. Jekyll wished to pursue his science and experiments, while Hyde's interests were more in obtaining powerful artifacts and information pertaining to magic. He loved power and he always wanted more. He was not as violent as the legends of his suggested, though he had his moments when he did lose his temper and as a result, destruction usually resulted, due to his superhuman strength. But Dr. Jekyll, though he feigned he was the good half, could be just as violent at times when he lost his temper as well.

Once outside the asylum, he used the key and a doorway appeared. He turned the key and unlocked a portal to his destination, before stepping through.

~*~

They gathered in the atrium of Snow and David's castle, as they hugged David's parents and Snow's father.

"I really don't like this," Eli fretted.

"We'll be okay, Daddy," Snow assured, but that did not lessen his worry.

"We don't like this either, but it may be necessary to have them with us," Hades said reluctantly, as Persephone appeared with a velvet pouch.

"Anton gave us several beans so we'll have extras in case there's trouble," Persephone said, as they said goodbye again, before Persephone tossed a bean down. A horizontal orange portal appeared before them, as Hades willed the compass to the place they needed to go. They all joined hands and stepped through the portal.

~*~

The pounding sound of the hooves of horses drew closer, until the sound was roaring in his ears. He had thought the forests surrounding Camelot were going to be fairly safe. He wanted to study and experiment with the waters of Avalon, but someone must have spotted him, because he now had the Knights of the Roundtable on his tail.

"Stop fugitive!" Sir Percival called, as he and Sir Tristan cornered him. He was then surprised to see King Arthur approach on his horse and dismount the animal.

"I warn you, Your Majesty...I may not the Chernabog anymore, but I am still a formidable opponent," Frollo challenged.

"At ease, Judge Frollo...we're not here to arrest you," Arthur stated and the older man looked skeptical.

"I am here to acquire your assistance in solving my problems with Excalibur," he added. Frollo looked very intrigued by that.

"You want to hire me?" Frollo questioned.

"Next to Merlin, you are now the most knowledgeable Sorcerer in all the realms, save for the Dark One, but he is obviously not an option. Merlin will never help me do what I need to do either, so he must never be freed. That leaves you to help me fix Excalibur," Arthur explained.

"I must learn how I can repair it. There must be an alternate way...and if there is not, I will need your help to force King David to use the Promethean flame to do it," the King added. Frollo smirked.

"I have done extensive reading on this subject and I think I can help," he responded.

"Then name your price," Arthur said.

"I do require a large library and place to work. I would also like all the creature comforts with a lucrative salary and free time to work on my own interests," Frollo said, making his demands.

"Done," Arthur agreed.

"Good...then I will follow you to Camelot," Frollo said.

"You said that you have done extensive reading on this subject. What exactly do you know?" Percival inquired. Frollo smirked.

"There is more than one way to skin a Dark One," the Judge said cryptically.

~*~

They arrived through the portal and looked around at the barren landscape. The sky was gray and murky, making for a very depressing sight.

"I thought you said this is Transylvania...not the Land Without Color," Emma quipped.

"Oh it is and they have color," Hades replied, as they heard a roaring, as some sort of winged creature flew far above them.

"They love red here...blood red," he said.

"That's not disturbing or anything," Snow said, as David clutched her hand.

"Okay...so where is this Van Helsing guy?" Emma asked. Hades gestured ahead of them and there was what looked like a village in the near distance.

"Probably the nearest tavern," Persephone said, as they started walking there.

"So...do you remember meeting this man? In the other reality?" David asked his wife curiously. She nodded.

"I do...he was very intimidating. But kind to me," she recalled, as she remembered one particular time.

~*~

Many years ago

Zelena's alternate time line

Hades sighed, as he saw another boat full of souls arrive with Charon upon the river Styx. He picked up his staff and tapped it on the ground. He was mostly passive to death now and his cold, stern gaze often made the souls fearful. As God of the Underworld, many naturally equated him to be evil and there was a time when that would have been a very astute assertion. But love had long ago melted the ice around his heart, though many would never know that.

As he tapped his staff, the few wicked souls in the boat were immediately cast into the river of lost souls. Others looked at him wearily, as they ascended to Asphodel Meadows. Those left behind were ushered to the realm above them that was for those with unfinished business.

Many of the unfortunate victims as of late were from Paris. Judge Frollo had been waging his religious war against secular groups and calling it a cleansing of the city. As much as he would have loved to stop him, he could do nothing and could only hope that someone would eventually rise against him. He had hopes it would be Quasimodo and that the unfortunate man would expose his hypocrisy.

At that moment, he heard someone else appear in his Throne room and he suppressed a growl, as Van Helsing littered his Throne room with various monster limbs and entrails.

"I had a busy day," he said, as he went straight to Hades liquor cabinet and smelled the scotch, before downing it straight from the bottle, even as the God of the Dead glared at him.

"What? I made quite a haul today. A Basilisk that was terrorizing Rome for weeks, a dark Elf in Weselton, and an out of control Chimera in Thebes. Not to mention the banshees I exorcised from a church in Nottingham," he boasted.

"I didn't say it wasn't good work, but you can't just come dropping body parts in my Throne room! Snow could walk in here any minute and I do not want her to see...this," he said in disgust, as he used his blue fire to incinerate the grisly sight.

"Sorry...I can never remember when she's here," he claimed.

"Well, it's winter so that should be a pretty good clue, but then I suppose you need to be sober for that," he said.

"Hey...the duties you task me with are not easy. You'd want to be drunk most of the time too," he argued. Hades sighed.

"You are the best monster hunter in all the realms and it's something that must be done. As ruler of the Underworld, part of my job is seeing that there is balance between good and evil. And we both know my stupid brother is too busy with his conquests to rule effectively," he reminded. Van Helsing nodded in acknowledgment to that. He couldn't disagree. He had once worked for Zeus, but when he called him out and challenged him, he was cast out of the heavens and to Earth, briefly stripped of his powers. It was hundreds of years ago and with his work being undone, monsters began to run rampant over the Earth, making it a very dark time for mortals.

Then Hades, in direct defiance of Zeus, restored Van Helsing to his former power, and since that day, he had reported to the God of the Underworld and kept balance in the realms. Van Helsing took another drink, as Cerberus clomped into the Throne room with an eight-year-old Snow on his back. She giggled and hopped down, as the three-headed dog nuzzled her gently.

"Papa Hades!" she called, as he smiled and scooped her up.

"Did you have a fun visit in town, Snowdrop?" he asked.

"Uh huh...mama helped three people move on and she said I helped too," Snow replied.

"That's wonderful...your light is very welcome to those troubled souls," he said, as she noticed the other man.

"Mr. Van Helsing...did you kill a lot of bad monsters today?" she asked.

"I did little Miss Snow," he replied in a softened tone. Snow was about the only one that he wasn't gruff with, though he had a great amount of respect for Persephone and showed such when the Queen entered the chamber.

"My Queen," he greeted.

"Hello Van...that was good work today. Did you happen to get me anymore information on Dr. Frankenstein?" Persephone inquired.

"Ah...the Land Without Color, a monochrome bore that place is. But yes...his experiments are raising eyebrows and not the good kind. His father is threatening to disown him and only hasn't, because Gerhardt has begged him not to," he reported.

"Then he is still experimenting with the dead?" she said in a troubled tone.

"I'm afraid so...I plan to pay him a visit and warn him against it, before heading to Transylvania. The vampire problem there is starting to get out of hand," he mentioned.

"We eradicated vampires for a reason and if we had power in Transylvania, we would do so there. But since we don't...that's where you come in," Hades said.

"Don't worry, the blood suckers are on my radar in a bad way," he said bitterly. And they knew he was serious since he had lost the woman he once loved to a vampire.

"We appreciate your efforts in helping us to block their realm from accessing the other realms," Persephone said. He nodded, tipping his hat to her, before he made his way toward his portal exit.

"Bye Mr. Van Helsing!" Snow called.

"Goodbye little Snow," he called back.

~*~

"Wow Mom...I had no idea you knew Van Helsing!" Emma said in amazement. Snow shrugged.

"I guess I didn't think about it. I only met him a handful of times," she said.

"Don't expect a warm reception. He won't be happy we're here," Hades warned.

"Why? Did you two have a falling out or something?" Emma asked. Hades winced.

"Not in the alternate time line, but in the original, we came to blows when I resurrected and created Deimos. He was livid and rightfully so. I pulled a Zeus and banished him back to Transylvania permanently," Hades explained.

"He fared much better in the alternate time line obviously, but he's still sore about what I did in the original one," he added, as they noticed all eyes on them once they were walking through the village.

"I suppose we do stick out in our Storybrooke clothes," Snow said, as they approached the tavern. They walked in and all eyes were on them, as they strolled toward the bar.

"Well, this isn't unnerving or anything," Emma commented.

"They probably think we're witches and in their defense, they have a right to be leery. Vampires and monsters terrorize their villages on a regular basis," Persephone said.

"There he is...we need to make this quick," Hades said, as they approached the bar.

"You think these people are going to attack us?" Emma asked.

"No...they're too afraid. I'm not worried about them," Hades replied.

"Then who do you think may come?" Snow asked.

"The covens," the man at the bar said, as he lifted the bill of his hat slightly.

"Coming here was a mistake...this place is worse than ever," Van Helsing warned.

"We need your help with something and then we'll be gone," Hades promised.

"It's too late," he hissed.

"They would have smelled the demi-Goddess blood scent rolling off these two the moment you stepped into this realm," Van Helsing growled.

"What is he talking about?" David asked.

"Demi-God blood is like the ultimate feast to them," Persephone answered.

"It's why we were reluctant to bring you," Hades added.

"And him...not a Demi-God, but there's definitely something that will attract them too," Van Helsing commented. Persephone winced.

"Promethean fire," she told him and he threw up his arms.

"Perfect...they'll all be in a frenzy," he snapped, as they heard screeching in the distance.

"Damn you...I think your presence might have even brought the King of them all out and that's saying something. He usually sends the minions out," he said, as he opened his coat, revealing silver stakes and he picked up his cross bow, which was loaded with silver tipped arrows.

"We wouldn't have come if it wasn't important," Hades said.

"Save it...they're here!" he snapped. Persephone's hands glowed and she used her magic to coat Emma's sword with silver and Snow's arrow tips as well.

"What about David's sword?" Snow asked.

"Promethean fire is as good as silver with them," she answered, as people screamed when the roof of the tavern was literally ripped off and they were dive bombed by the winged monsters.

~*~

Special Agent Zach O'Bryan sat at his desk, finishing some paperwork from a former case, when his superior approached and put a file on his desk.

"Have you looked into this cold case yet?" his supervisor asked.

"I ran the coordinates that my contact sent me, but it's in the middle of the Maine woods. There's no town there," Zach replied.

"Which is fishy at best. I want you to check this out," his supervisor stated.

"No disrespect, Ma'am...but this thing is a ghost hunt. It's thirty-year-old bones and a traumatized kid that's now a highly disturbed, traumatized man," Zach argued.

"Who insists that he can point us to a killer. If you were able to close a cold case from over thirty-years-ago, there might be accommodations for us all," Supervising Special Agent Paulo said. He sighed.

"All right...can I least leave in the morning?" he asked. She smirked.

"Sorry O'Bryan...get your go bag. You leave now and you'll be taking Agent Quinn with you. She needs to get her feet wet," he answered. He sighed.

"Great...a rookie," he complained, though he himself had only been with the bureau for three years. He grabbed his go bag and met their newest agent at the elevator.

"Ready for a big old wild goose chase?" he asked her. She smiled.

"I'm just anxious to get into the field, Sir," she responded.

"Ugh...don't call me, Sir. I'm like five years older than you," he complained.

"Fine...only if you don't call me rookie the whole time," she quipped.

"We'll see," he said, as they boarded the elevator. Maine was their destination and he expected absolutely nothing to come of this other than wasted time. He couldn't know, however, that he would be exceptionally mistaken...

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 15 July 2019

Quick Bits:

Age of X-Man: Omega #1 concludes the event with this finale one-shot from Zac Thompson, Lonnie Nadler, Simone Buonfantino, Tríona Farrell, and Clayton Cowles. It’s a confrontation between many of the groups within this world and X-Man as they discover the nature of the world and discuss some philosophical concepts of conflict and identity.

| Published by Marvel

Aquaman #50 begins “Amnesty” from Kelly Sue DeConnick, Robson Rocha, Eduardo Pansica, Daniel Henriques, Julio Ferreira, Sunny Gho, and Clayton Cowles. It’s damn good. Arthur returns home here and there’s a reintegration of old supporting cast members, Wonder Woman, and further information about what’s going on in Atlantis. Also the set up for an interesting story possibly further down the line. Great art from Rocha, Pansica, Henriques, Ferreira, and Gho.

| Published by DC Comics

Assassin Nation #5 is the end to what has been a fun and humorous action-packed series from Kyle Starks, Erica Henderson, and Deron Bennett. More great action with some surprises along the way.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Batman #75 begins “City of Bane” from Tom King, Tony S. Daniel, Mitch Gerads, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles. It sets up a new status quo in Gotham with Bane at the helm and a bizarre slotting of various villains into traditional roles.

| Published by DC Comics

Black Badge #12 concludes this series with one last mission from the combined forces of all of colour badges, showing us how a coordinated effort really should have taken place before the groups’ purpose was co-opted. This has been a great series from Matt Kindt, Tyler Jenkins, Hilary Jenkins, and Jim Campbell.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Black Science #41 sets up an interesting and somewhat surprising new reality after last issue. I kind of expect that we’ll see another big twist as we head towards the finale in the next two issues. Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera, Moreno Dinisio, and Rus Wooton give us an interesting look at “paradise” this issue.

| Published by Image / Giant Generator

Blade Runner 2019 #1 begins a new time period and introduces a new Blade Runner in this alt-present tale from Michael Green, Mike Johnson, Andres Guinaldo, Marco Lesko, and Jim Campbell. Ash is an interesting character and this interpretation of the mythos is wonderful. Also, the artwork from Guinaldo and Lesko perfectly fits this neon apocalypse world.

| Published by Titan

Bloodborne #13 begins the next arc, “The Veil, Torn Asunder”, as an unnamed veteran searches through the madness of Yarnham and beyond. Beautiful artwork from Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson, really bringing the existential horrors to life.

| Published by Titan

Daredevil #8 goes in a very interesting direction as Matt accepts a dinner invitation from the married bookseller he keeps flirting with, leading to an assassination attempt and captivating dinner conversation about rules and responsibility. Chip Zdarsky, Lalit Kumar Sharma, Jay Leisten, Java Tartaglia, and Clayton Cowles are really delivering an interesting story here.

| Published by Marvel

Excellence #3 delves into some of the details of how the Aegis deals with rogue magic users. Brandon Thomas, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, and Deron Bennett are doing some very interesting world and character building here.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Fairlady #4 is another great issue. The humour that Brian Schirmer provides in the dialogue is wonderful. This one dives into the mystery of mystery novel missing its final page and there’s one hell of an ending.

| Published by Image

Ghost Tree #4 concludes this excellent series from Bobby Curnow, Simon Gane, Ian Herring, Becka Kinzie, and Chris Mowry. There are a lot of goodbyes in this issue, some pleasant, some not, and some heartrending choices and consequences. Very well done.

| Published by IDW

Gideon Falls #15 checks in with Father Fred’s nightmares. The different time periods and streams, and their crossings-over at this point, are fascinating, even as things become even more chaotic and horrifying. Gorgeous art from Andrea Sorrentino and Dave Stewart.

| Published by Image

Immortal Hulk #21 has gorgeous guest art from Ryan Bodenheim as we get a story filling in this past of Fortean and a dangerous change in the present. Al Ewing also brings forward some of the recurring subtext of form and substance through the Bible and Kabbalah to give a deeper understanding of some of the themes here.

| Published by Marvel

Infinite Dark #8 brings an end to the second arc, with a revelation of the nightmarish creatures trying to destroy the station and a choice for how to proceed with the potential survival or annihilation of the remaining human race. Wonderful work from Ryan Cady, Andrea Mutti, K. Michael Russel, and Troy Peteri.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Invaders #7 begins a new arc, “Dead in the Water”, dealing with the fallout of Atlantis’ assault on the surface. There are some more hints of Namor’s problems, the return of another Invader, and hints at some nefarious things on the horizon. I love the introduction of Tony Stark into the mess in the present, adding another conflict to deal with. Chip Zdarsky, Carlos Magno, Butch Guice, Alex Guimarães, and Travis Lanham continue to deliver some solid storytelling here.

| Published by Marvel

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Sirens #4 features an interpretation of the myth of Lorelei by Aud Koch (with letters from Jim Campbell). It’s wonderfully told, with beautiful, magical artwork.

| Published by Boom Entertainment / Archaia

Justice League #28 concludes “Apex Predator” from James Tynion IV, Javier Fernandez, Daniel Sampere, Juan Albarran, Hi-Fi, and Tom Napolitano. This one’s basically integral to the core “Year of the Villain” story as Lex gives his offer to J’onn. 

| Published by DC Comics

The Life & Death of Toyo Harada #5 picks up some of the pieces for the remaining few of Toyo’s forces, as they try to make a plan for what’s to come next. It should be interesting to see what the next step is in the finale. Gorgeous artwork from CAFU, Kano, and Andrew Dalhouse.

| Published by Valiant

Little Bird #5 brings this ambitious and unique story from Darcy Van Poelgeest, Ian Bertram, Matt Hollingsworth, and Aditya Bidikar to an end. The personal nature of this story as Little Bird comes to terms with her family has been a very enthralling element in this fight for freedom, and the sacrifices that one makes. Stunning artwork from Bertram and Hollingsworth.

| Published by Image

Loki #1 is an entertaining beginning to this new series spinning out of War of the Realms from Daniel Kibblesmith, Oscar Bazaldua, David Curiel, and Clayton Cowles. It dives in to Loki’s new role as King of Jotunheim and how he’s humorously approaching his duties. There’s a nice set-up for something coming that’s dismissed as a trick.

| Published by Marvel

Outpost Zero #11 reveals the discovery of life outside of the outpost, which leads to an unexpected reaction and sign of more conspiracies to keep the entire populace in the dark. Sean Kelly McKeever has been seeding little hints that something not right has been going on for a long time within the colony and there is more evidence of it here.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Pearl #11 sets us up for the end as Pearl returns to San Francisco to take care of the Endo Twins. Also, a game changer of a cliffhanger. Love the double page spreads from Michael Gaydos.

| Published by DC Comics / Jinxworld

Promethee 13:13 #1 is a digital-original prequel to Christophe Bec’s Promethee series from Andy Diggle, Shawn Martinbrough, Dave Stewart, and Simon Bowland. You don’t need to have read the original to follow this, but I still highly recommend it. This is an interesting starting point, with even more of a conspiratorial/espionage feel than the sci-fi of the main series. It’s good and I’m very interested to see where this goes.

| Published by Delcourt / Soleil

Ragnarok: The Breaking of Helheim #1 is a welcome return of Walter Simonson’s new take on Thor and Norse Mythology, pushing the story in new directions as Thor gains a vision of the end from his father and sets out for Hel. Simonson, Laura Martin, and John Workman work together as a seamless team here delivering a wonderful next chapter to the story. For those new to this series, there’s also a rather nice Q&A section that helps with some of the details.

| Published by IDW

Resonant #1 is an intriguing debut from David Andry, Alejandro Aragon, Jason Wordie, and Deron Bennett. This first issue sets up a different, very interesting post-apocalyptic world that we’re kind of uncertain of, but with the core of a single father trying to protect his children. The art from Aragon and Wordie is incredible.

| Published by Vault

Road of Bones #3 goes even harder into the brutal horror of three men trying to survive without any resources in a harsh landscape devoid of life. Rich Douek, Alex Cormack, and Justin Birch elevate the terror nicely this issue.

| Published by IDW

Rumble #14 unleashes the Last Knight of the Scourge Knights upon the world, bringing with him death through oblivion. John Arcudi, David Rubín, Dave Stewart, and Joe Sabino are definitely raising the stakes here, especially with Rathraq distracted by a personal conflict.

| Published by Image

Sera and the Royal Stars #1 is a fantastic debut of this fantasy series from Jon Tsuei, Audrey Mok, Raul Angulo, and Jim Campbell. It draws on Persian history and folklore as Sera is called upon by Mitra to fulfill a quest to prevent the end of everyone.

| Published by Vault

Silver Surfer: Black #2 continues to build the mythology around Knull. I love this blend of the seed from Venom with what’s been going on in the cosmic side from Guardians of the Galaxy, Donny Cates is doing a great job of reinforcing an evolving shared universe feel. Also, the art from Tradd Moore and Dave Stewart is phenomenal. 

| Published by Marvel

Sonata #2 unveils some more mysteries about the planet, including some incredible monsters out to kill and eat everyone. The art from Brian Haberlin and Geirrod Van Dyke is very nice.

| Published by Image / Shadowline

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #1 is a fun debut from Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber, Nathan Fairbairn, and Clayton Cowles that brings back a lot of the ridiculousness of the old Jimmy Olsen stories, seeing Jimmy in bizarre and humorous predicaments. There’s also an interesting exploration of Jimmy’s family’s history in Metropolis. And wonderful artwork from Lieber and Fairbairn.

| Published by DC Comics

Usagi Yojimbo #2 continues “Bunraku” as the investigation into the puppets continues. The supernatural aspect that Stan Sakai is bringing to this lead off arc for the new volume is engrossing and the colour from Tom Luth is growing on me.

| Published by IDW

Vampirella #1 is kind of a weird start (excepting the zero issue) to this new volume from Christopher Priest, Ergün Gündüz, and Willie Schubert. It’s framed as Vampirella seeking help from a psychiatrist following the trauma of the plane that she was on in the zero issue crashing, a disbelieving psychiatrist, and it’s certainly different.

| Published by Dynamite

X-Force #10 concludes “The Counterfeit King” and with it the series (at least for now). Ed Brisson, Dylan Burnett, Jesus Aburtov, and Cory Petit go out with a bang as X-Force have a final confrontation with Stryfe and his remaining forces. Also, wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: Animosity #22, Ask for Mercy: Season Two #1, Bags (or a story thereof), Blossoms 666 #5, Bronze Age Boogie #4, Captain Marvel #8, Clue: Candlestick #3, Collapser #1, Cyber Force #11, Deadpool #15, Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor #10, Domino: Hot Shots #5, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark #7, Evolution #17, Faithless #4, Firefly #8, From Hell: Master Edition #6, GI Joe: A Real American Hero #264, Hit-Girl: Season 2 #6, Infinity 8 #13, Invader Zim #45, James Bond 007 #9, Joe Golem: Occult Detective - The Conjurors #3, Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica #3, Jughead’s Time Police #2, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest #6, Love & Rockets #7, Lucifer #10, Mary Shelley: Monster Hunter #4, Port of Earth #12, The Punisher Annual #1, The Ride: Burning Desire #2, Secret Warps: Ghost Panther Annual #1, Spider-Man: Life Story #5, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #34, Star Wars: Tie Fighter #4, Superior Spider-Man #9, Teen Titans #32, They Called Us Enemy, Transformers #9, Transformers/Ghostbusters #2, Turok #4, Uncanny X-Men #22, The Unstoppable Wasp #10, The Warning #9, Wonder Woman: Come Back to Me #1

Recommended Collections: BPRD: The Devil You Know - Volume 3: Ragna Rok, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, By Night - Volume 2, Dead Kings - Volume 1, Die!Die!Die! - Volume 1, The Empty Man: Recurrence, Grumble - Volume 1: You’re the Dog Now, Man, Gunning for Hits, Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown, Jughead: The Hunger - Volume 3, LaGuardia, Miles Morales: Spider-Man - Volume 1: Straight out of Brooklyn, Princeless - Volume 8: Princesses, Vindication, Ronin Island - Volume 1, The Witcher - Volume 4: Of Flesh & Flame, Wolverine: The Long Night, Wonder Woman - Volume 9: The Enemy of Both Sides

d. emerson eddy might currently qualify as a liquid.