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aspoonofsugar · 4 years ago

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Semblance of the Soul: Qrow and Raven

The Branwens are two people with a shared past, that have taken different routes in life:

Ozpin: Everyone has a choice. The Branwens chose to accept their powers and the responsibilities that came with them. And later, one of them chose to abandon her duties in favor of her own self-interest.

Qrow has made an altruistic choice. He hates the crimes of his tribe and is happy to help people by working for Ozpin.

Raven has instead decided to prioritize herself and her tribe and sees Ozpin’s cause as foolish and reckless.

At the same time, they are twins, but have chosen different families. This is why the concept of family comes up so often in their interactions. After all, they first meet in the episode called Family:

Raven: Hello, brother.

Qrow: Raven. So, what do you want?

Raven: A girl can't just catch up with her family?

And their last exchange is this:

Raven: Sorry, brother. Sometimes family disappoints you like that.

Qrow: We're not family anymore.

Raven: Were we ever?

Qrow: I thought so, but I guess I was wrong.

Still, how are they doing with their families of choice? Are they happy with them? Do they have healthy relationships?

For the both of them, the answer is no. This happens because Raven and Qrow are both scared to grow close to people.

It is just that this fear is declined in opposite ways. Raven is scared for herself (selfishness), while Qrow is scared for others (selflessness).

This trait they share, but show in different ways, is well conveyed by their respective semblances. This analysis will use their powers as means to explore both characters and their foiling.

RAVEN: BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Raven’s Kindred Link perfectly embodies the saying...

Birds of a feather flock together...

...until the cat comes:

Raven: I...I'm sorry...

On one hand it lets her create portals to the people she has a strong bond with.

On the other hand she mostly uses it to run away from those bonds.

Why does she do it?

The answer is clear:

Lionheart: I'm helping her for the same reason you are - I'm afraid. We... we can't stop her... no one can...

Raven is just another version of the Cowardly Lion. She is a coward like Leo, but does not aknowledge it and prefers to hide behind a pragmatic and survivalist mask:

Raven: That's why I tried to leave when I did. I'm not afraid, I'm smart.

This is why she goes back to her tribe after she leaves Yang and Tai. She says she does so because she considers them her family and wants to protect them.

However, her motivations are implied to be more selfish. She goes to them to run away from things that scare her.

To be more specific, the tribe protects Raven psychologically in two different ways.

1) It lets her be the monster, the criminal, the most violent and powerful one:

Mercury: We’re the guys you should be afraid of.

Raven: I doubt anyone should be afraid of you.

Here, Raven mocks Mercury, but the irony is that her coping mechanism is really not that much different from his. She hides behind a Grimm mask, a universal symbol of fear, but she is the scared one.

2) She goes back to the family who raised her and neglects the family she is supposed to raise (Yang).

Deep down, Raven is just an adult, who fails at being an adult.

Mostly, this shows in her inability to make a choice:

Yang: Which is it, mom? Are you merciful, or are you a survivor?

As a matter of fact she keeps changing her mind because she is not brave enough to stick to one decision.

Initially, she is sent to Beacon, so that she could learn how to kill hunters. However, she ends up becoming a huntress herself and she accepts to fight Salem. She is considered so loyal that she is even given magical powers. Finally, she enters a relationship and has a daughter with Tai. She basically starts creating a life outside the tribe, only to leave it all behind at a certain point. It is not clear if it is because she saw something specific or if it is the result of a longer struggle.

The point is that nobody forced her to fight Salem. She could have also refused Ozpin’s powers. Finally, she could have told Ozpin and the others she wanted to stop. In any case, she did not have to leave her family to stop fighting Salem. What is more, she could have brought her family with her, when she ran away.

She chooses instead to leave everything she has built behind and goes back to the world she was a child in. It might be a violent world, but she sees it as safer.

Let’s highlight that she has the same tendency of changing idea in the series itself. She switches sides and organizes a risky plan, which puts almost all her major bonds (Qrow, Vernal and Yang) in danger. She does all that because she wants the relic, so that she has leverage against Salem. After all of this, even after Vernal’s death, she simply runs away. She is obviously shaken by her confrontation with Yang, who calls her out. However, Yang is perfectly right when she says so:

Yang: Because you're afraid of Salem!!! And if you thought having Maiden powers put a target on your back, imagine what she'll do when she finds out you have a Relic. She'll come after you with everything she has. Or she can come after me. And I'll be standing there, waiting for her.

Taking the relic would just put Raven in danger. For her it is safer to open the vault and disappear, so that someone else can take care of things. Even if this someone else is her daughter.

In other words, Raven is a failure of a mother. This is shown by her failing all three of her “daughters” (Yang, the Spring Maiden and Vernal). Moreover, it is perfectly conveyed by her being a Maiden.

The idea of maidenhood is symbolically juxtaposed to the one of motherhood. Of course, this does not have to be true in-universe for all the Maidens. Still, in Raven’s case, this juxtaposition is deliberate. Raven is an eternal Maiden, who runs away from her parental responsibilities.

This is why she received the power from her protegee instead than from a mentor figure. She is so selfish she takes from the people she should protect:

Cinder: Vernal was a decoy the whole time. The last Spring Maiden must've trusted you a great deal before she died. I bet that was a mistake...

What is more, it is strongly implied she killed the previous Maiden to take her powers. This is interesting because it ties to a second meaning of her semblance.

Her ability symbolizes the unfairness of the bonds she forges. She works to create those bonds and there is affection involved. However, these bonds are double edged swords for the other party involved because of Raven’s moodiness. She can leave when she wants and come back out of the blue. She can always go to others when she needs it, while others can never reach her. This leads to an unbalanced dynamic in Raven’s favour.

This dynamic can even become extremely dangerous for the other person:

Raven can potentially use her ability to attack the people she is bonded with. She does not use her semblance this way in the series. Still, what happened to the Spring Maiden is something similar. To receive the power of the Maiden, Raven must have been the last person in the girl’s thoughts before death. This probably happened because the two shared a close bond. A bond Raven betrayed.

In other words, the nature of Raven’s semblance hides in itself the potential of betrayal:

Raven: Aura can't protect your arm, it's Grimm. You turned yourself into a monster just for power.

Cinder: Look who's talking...

As Cinder points out, Raven too, like her, has become a monster to obtain power. The difference here is in how this montrosity is conveyed.

In Cinder’s case, she is literally turning into a Grimm. She has accepted this metamorphosis to take the Maidens’ powers.

In Raven’s case, it is ironically the opposite symbolically. She wears a Grimm mask, but the true monstrosity is the Maiden behind it:

Raven is monster-like because she stole the power from a person, who trusted her.

Let’s highlight that the motif of the Grimm mask has come up several times in the series. So far, it has been used by people, like Raven and Adam, who want to be feared. Something similar can be seen in the Hound as well, who is not really wearing a mask, but whose humanity is hidden behind his Grimm appearance.

In all three cases, the true scary thing is what is behind the Grimm-face:

It is always the humanity behind it that is scary. Be it the victim behind the monster in the Hound, society’s mistreatment of Faunus or Raven’s cowardice and what it led her to do:

Yang: You're right. I don't know you. I only know the Raven dad told me about. She was troubled, and complicated, but she fought for what she believed in, whether it was her team or her tribe! Did you kill her too?

Yang’s question is poignant and underlines how all Raven has done is simply to hurt herself. By hurting the people she loves, she has been killing a part of herself.

This is also conveyed by her emblem missing from her possessions. According to the wiki, Raven’s emblem is this:

Raven's emblem is a winged eye with a clock inside of it. This emblem has not appeared on any of her possessions so far.

This is a reference to Raven and Qrow’s allusion to Hugin and Munin, Odin’s two ravens, who travel the world and bring him information. Raven and Qrow do the same for Ozpin and they are his eyes.

Qrow is the left eye:

Salem: The last eye is blinded... you disappoint me.

While Raven used to be the right. So, her emblem is probably the right version of Qrow’s own one. Still, Raven refuses that part of herself and this is why she is not wearing her emblem.

In short, Raven used to be a bird of a feather with Qrow, but she is not flocking together with him anymore. This is because a scary cat has come:

And Raven has sacrificed her bonds out of fear. Not only that, but she has weaponized them:

Yang: You turn your back on people, you run away when things get too hard, you put others in harm's way instead of yourself!!

Raven has been using her most loved people as assets, so that she can shield herself from danger. Maybe it is because of this that she symbolically uses Omen to open portals. This even if she can apparently do so without it, since she opens them even as a bird. However, using her sword is a way to distance herself from the true nature of her ability (bonds). It is a way to reduce her ties with people to simple things she can use.

That said, this is damaging Raven herself.

To be more specific, she is making herself weaker and weaker:

Yang: Oh, shut up!! You don't know the first thing about strength! (...) You might be powerful, but that doesn't make you strong.

Raven is powerful, but weak. This weakness is symbolically conveyed by her behaving in the opposite way her semblance would need to truly shine.

Raven’s power works thanks to bonds, so it can be assumed it would be at its strongest if its user cultivated them both in quality and in numbers. However, Raven has few bonds and she is cutting them off one by one:

Yang: You can bond to certain people. And when you do, you could create a portal that takes you straight to them. You've got one for Dad. One for me. And you've got one for Qrow.

We know that Raven is also bonded with Vernal. Still, Vernal dies at the end of volume 5. Of the other ones Yang mentions, Raven has pushed away both Qrow and Yang through her actions at Heaven.

This makes this scene interesting:

Did the portal Raven opened at Heaven go to Tai? Did she go there because she felt nostalgic and missed him? Or is he the only one (both practically and symbolically) she can still run to?

QROW: A SCARE-QROW SCARED OF CROWS

Qrow’s semblance is Misfortune and it is basically a Bad Luck Charm:

I am no one's blessing I'll just bring you harm I'm a cursed black cat I'm an albatross I'm a mirror broken Sad to say I'm your bad luck charm

Qrow causes bad luck around himself. Because of this, he sees himself as a curse.

However, this conflict Qrow has with his semblance is actually symbolic of a turmoil developed on multiple levels.

Let’s begin with this:

Raven: You're the one who left. The tribe raised us, and you turned your back on them.

Qrow: They were killers and thieves.

Raven: They were your family.

Qrow: You have a very skewed perception of that word.

Qrow was born in a tribe of bandits and was taught how to kill and steal. Finally he was sent to a hunter academy, so that he could learn how to kill his classmates in the near future.

Qrow’s semblance is nothing, but the manifestation of his self-hate, that was probably partly caused by the environment he was born in. In a sense, it is his symbolical response to his childhood.

Let’s highlight that this response is very different from Raven’s. This is shown by their opposite behaviours toward their tribe. Qrow leaves it, while Raven goes back to it.

This difference can also be conveyed by how both Raven and Qrow share a specific motif, but embody it in different ways.

Both twins are associated with bad luck. Both can turn into ravens/crows, which are birds linked to misfortune. Moreover, their weapons are called respectively Omen (Raven’s) and Harbinger (Qrow’s).

The meaning is clear. The twins were born and raised with the idea that they should be symbols of violence and bad luck for their enemies. It is just that Raven wants to be a bad omen because it makes her feel strong. Qrow does not want it, but thinks he is:

I'm a harbinger, I cannot lie, I will change the color of your life.

It is to try and free himself from this curse that Qrow started working for Ozpin. He literally becomes the Scarecrow of the story to try and exorcise the bad fortune he brings. He is trying to scare the crows away. He thinks that if he does so, he’ll become a full person.

This ties with the original story of his allusion. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow wants a brain because he is told by an old crow he would be just like a real man, if only he had one. In short, the Scarecrow wants a brain to become a real man, so that he can scare crows better than he already does.

Qrow too wants to be a full person, but he believes he is not. He thinks he is cursed and as a reaction to this he has attached himself to Ozpin and to his cause:

Qrow: No one wanted me... I was cursed... I gave my life to you because you gave me a place in this world... I thought I was finally doing some good...

This is why he reacts so badly when he discovers that Ozpin (who is basically a father figure for Qrow) has hidden so many things from him. Not only that, but he feels that the impossibility of truly defeating Salem (of truly defeating evilness) makes his life meaningless.

The point is of course that this is not the case and that Qrow does not need to do anything specific to be a true person and to be loved:

Qrow: Every choice I've ever made has led me here, and I've dragged you along with me. Oz, myself, the others... We're responsible for the mess the world's in now. I shouldn't have come, shouldn't have let any of you come... What was I thinking?!

Ruby: We're all in this together, and we're all going to do the best we can. That's all anyone can do. And I know it's what you've always aimed for. We would've come whether or not you'd let us, so stop talking like we're your responsibility! We're not! But we could still use Qrow Branwen on our side.

Ruby’s confrontation with Qrow at the end of volume 6 is basically the opposite of Yang’s confrontation with Raven in the finale of volume 5.

Yang calls Raven out because she refuses her responsibilities. She pushes them on others and leaves her own daughter to fight a battle she ran away from.

Ruby calls Qrow out on taking too much responsibility on himself. The kids were not forced by him to come. Qrow should not be completely responsible for them, but should learn to fight by their side.

Later on, Qrow is basically told the same by Maria:

Maria: You weren't half bad yourself today, Qrow.

Qrow: I feel like they did all the heavy lifting.

Maria: But you were there to help when they asked for it, and you were there to catch them when they fell. Literally, if I recall.

This is important because Maria appears just after Ozpin (aka Qrow’s mentor and guide) disappears. She is the person Qrow aspired to be:

Qrow: You never used your name, never showed your face. Lots of us thought you were just layin' low. Eventually, we just came to accept that you were probably dead. But the stories about you, I based my weapon off of yours. I wanted to be as good as the Grimm Reaper.

At the same time, Maria too, like him, considers herself a failure:

Maria: Well, I'm nothing but a disappointment, so you're well on your way.

However, at the end of the volume both Maria and Qrow realize that they do not have to save the world by themselves or to be invincible heroes. They just need to be there for their loved ones and the new generations. In short, Maria mentors Qrow on how to be a proper mentor.

And it turns out that he just has to take better care of himself:

In short, Qrow became the Scarecrow to scare crows, but ironically all he needs to do is to overcome his own fear of one Qrow.

If he does not, his semblance is bound to become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as it is shown in his two fights against Tyrian (vol 4 and vol 7).

1) In volume 4 he manages to protect Ruby, but ends up injured and unable to help the kids for the rest of their journey. He goes from their protector to a wounded man they have to take care of.

Narratively, it happens because of this:

Ruby: This is a lot to take in, and it all sounds crazy, but... I'm willing to do whatever I can to help because I trust you. But why couldn't you trust me? Why couldn't you just travel with us, instead of this secrecy, and, and--

Qrow: Look, this has nothing to do with trust. I-- It's a long story, okay?

The whole fight between Tyrian and Qrow could have played out very differently if Qrow were better at communicating with his niece. He wanted her away from Tyrian and himself because of his semblance, but Ruby interpreted it as Qrow not trusting her.

2) In volume 7, the battle ends with Clover’s tragic death being framed on Qrow.

Why does it happen?

Clover: Sometimes the right decision is the hardest to make. I trust James with my life! I wanted to trust you.

Once again, the problem lies in a lack of trust.

Qrow and Clover genuinely like each other and have bonded. Still, they fail to trust each other in a key moment and make the worst possible choice.

This is true for both characters:

Clover: I enjoyed working with you, you know. Even with that endless cynicism of yours.

Qrow: I'm usually proven right.

Clover: We don't have to fight, friend.

Qrow: You don't know my friends. That's how it always goes.

Qrow: Why couldn't you just do the right thing instead of the thing you were told?

In a sense, the whole fight can be read as The Scorpion and the Frog. In the original fairy-tale, the point is that one can’t overcome their own nature. The scorpion will sting the frog even if it goes against its own survival. Here, it is the same for the characters. In order for things to go well, either Clover or Qrow should overcome their flaw, but they fail.

Clover is not able to let go of his loyalty for Ironwood, even if it is clear the orders he received are wrong.

Qrow goes back to his usual cynism and makes a pact with Tyrian:

Robyn: I’m sorry for what happened. It wasn’t your fault.

Qrow: It was, though. I made a deal with the darkness, and he paid the price. It was all happening so fast, but Clover wouldn’t let up. Could have worked together against Tyrian if Clover just...

Tyrian is the poisonous scorpion, while both Qrow and Clover are two frogs, who are hurt by him. Ironically, the frog’s mistake in the story is to trust the scorpion, while the mistake of our two frogs is that they did not trust each other.

Still, why is it so narratively? To be more specific, why is that so when it comes to Qrow’s character?

The answer is here:

Qrow: But the thing that really stings? For the first time in a while I thought, maybe, maybe I could be around somebody - anybody - without my semblance making it… complicated. And now, it just feels like a childish dream. Gone... like everybody else.

Clover is narratively this:

Blake: You have to understand that all of you are looking for simple answers to a very complicated problem.

He is a very simple answer to a very complicated problem that has its roots in Qrow’s interiority. Qrow’s flaw, what goes in the way of his relationships and happiness, is not that he is unlucky, but that he feels unlucky.

He feels worthless and thinks of himself as bad for others. This is why he keeps his distance and refrains himself from growing close to people.

He blames it on his semblance and this is why he makes an exception for Clover. It is because he sees in the other’s ability an easy fix to his struggle.

Still, he is proven wrong because in the moment of truth, they fail to communicate and everything goes to hell.

This is not to say that Qrow and Clover’s relationship was bad or that Clover deserved to die. In-universe their bond had beautiful aspects and could have grown stronger. Moreover, Clover could have developed and left his flaw behind.

Still, narratively Clover serves a specific purpose and him dying is a part of said purpose.

Clover brings a superficial harmony to a situation and a group dynamic, which is actually not harmonic at all:

Clover: What would you guys do without me?

The Ace Ops are a group of individuals repressing their own feelings and identities for the sake of an unspecified greater good. They see the world in black and white, not because they are stupid, but because they refuse complexity:

Robyn: Yeah, because you don’t care about the truth. You just want someone to be mad at. Easier than taking an honest look at what side you’re on.

Winter: Penny. The general is making hard choices so we don't have to.

This fits with them being a group based on Aesops aka short stories with a very well defined and often simplicistic message.

In short, Clover is the one that keeps his group together. Once he is gone, his group starts deteriorating. All because they refuse to aknowledge their feelings:

Ren: That’s why you lost against Team RWBY. You, you try to fight how you feel about each other, so you’ll never truly work as a team.

Once he is gone, Qrow is similarly forced to grieve and self-reflect. Luckily, he is not alone:

Robyn is the opposite of Qrow in terms of symbolism.

Qrow is associated with crows and bad luck, while Robyn is linked to robins, which bring good fortune.

She is also a symbol of unity and hope (her emblem is basically Katniss’s symbol in the Hunger Games, after all):

Tyrian: Robyn Hill. For such a little bird, you have quite the impact around here! Bringing hope and a smile wherever you go! I find it…upsetting.

Despite this, Robyn too has suffered isolation, just like Qrow:

Robyn: Believe it or not, I know a little of what that’s like. When people are worried you’re gonna sniff out their secrets, they tend to push you away. It makes a real connection… difficult.

Qrow: I-- never thought of it that way.

Robyn’s line is important for two reasons.

a) It shows Qrow that he is not the only one who has met difficulties in life because of his semblance. His case is not unique.

b) It links to the idea that trusting others is difficult and it is not something that comes without dedication and work.

As a matter of fact Robyn’s semblance is specifically symbolic of trust. It is the power to detect lies through touch, so if you are going to work with her, it means you must be ready to trust and to be trusted:

This also ties figuratively with the act of shaking one’s hand as if to make a pact (an act of trust). If Raven’s power is about asymmetrical bonds, then Robyn’s is about mutual ones.

Robyn highlights that this creates problems for her because it is not easy for people to trust. Some can’t be trusted, while others do not trust Robyn won’t cross their boundaries.

However, this also means that the relationships Robyn manages to forge are strong bonds, where everything or almost everything is out in the open. This is the exact opposite kind of environment than the one realized through Clover’s good luck semblance. It is a harmony more difficult to reach, but it is a more stable and genuine one.

It is these kinds of bonds Qrow should aim to create. In order to do so, he must accept his semblance and his past as parts of themselves. Still, he should not let them define him. Not only that, but he should learn to trust others and their strengths:

Qrow: Ruby, stop!

Ruby: I need you to trust me.

Only in this way, Qrow can truly grow. The secret is that it was never about scaring the crows away, but to learn how to live with them.

HUGIN THAT RUNS AWAY AND MUNIN THAT MAKES EVERYONE WORRIED

Raven and Qrow’s issues can be synthesized by this quote:

"Hugin and Munin fly each day over the spacious earth. I fear for Hugin, that he come not back, yet more anxious am I for Munin."

Raven never comes back, while Qrow has his loved ones fear for him because of his self-destructive tendencies.

In order to overcome these flaws, they must grow in opposite directions.

Raven must realize that her survivalism is actually self-destructive. It makes her survive, but it negates her the chance of living. She must become more selfless and trustworthy to make it up for the unfair bonds she created.

Qrow must accept that his self-destructiveness is actually selfish and damaging to his loved ones. He must start to trust others’ strengths, so that he can be brave enough to live together with them, instead of looking at them from afar.

#rwby #rwby meta #qrow branwen #raven branwen #robyn hill #clover ebi #tyrian callows #my meta #semblance of the soul

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hollywoods-golden-age-imagines · 4 years ago

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Meeting and Dating Scarecrow

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

- You meet Scarecrow when you’re transported to Oz. We all know that, in the movie, Dorothy hit her head and everything that happened was just a dream. But for the sake of these headcanons, let’s say that Oz is real.

- It had been a day like any other: you’d woken up, eaten breakfast, and gone outside to begin your work for the day. But what had initially been a normal morning, quickly became a dangerous and frightening one as the sky turned dark.

- Having lived in the town for a while, you knew exactly what this meant and headed straight for your cellar. You remained there for close to an hour, up until you couldn’t hear anything and we’re sure that the storm had passed.

- Upon trying at the cellar door, you found yourself struggling to lift the hatch. After a few minutes of shimmying, banging and pushing as hard as you could, the door finally began to lift up; though you found yourself still struggling to manage it.

- You squeezed your way through the crack you managed to form before you finally realized why you’d been struggling. The cellar was covered in grass, grass and dirt as though you’d broken through the ground itself. That was when you looked around and found that you were far from home.

- You were in the middle of some trees; very different from your farm, with bushes and flowers all around you. A few feet away, a yellow brick road led you down towards fields of corn. Well, ...you were either dead or dreaming.

- With nothing else to do, you began to walk down the road.

- Soon enough, you were led straight to the Scarecrow and much like in Dorothys case, you were shocked to find that the Scarecrow was; for all intents and purposes, alive.

- After the initial shock and your successful efforts to help him down, you explained to him what had happened to you and asked if he knew the way back to your city. Turns out, he didn’t even know where or what it was.

- With a sigh, you thanked him “anyways” and began to try and choose which direction you should walk in. As you were thinking, he cane up beside you and hesitantly suggested that he could go with you ...“if you’d like”.

- Who were you to refuse? Soon enough, the two of you were arm in arm and making your way down the yellow brick road.

- And thus began your journey, traveling through the different gardens and towns of Oz, trying to find someone or something that could bring you home. Along the way, you realize that you quite like the Scarecrow, far more than you’d anticipated.

- And that got you thinking that, perhaps, being in Oz wasn’t so bad. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a tragedy if you couldn’t find a way home. Maybe you’d like to stay.

- So when you were finally confronted with the idea of going home and the ability to do so, ...you were hesitant to take the chance. You took a long look around the fantastical place you’d traveled through; your eyes landing on the scarecrow in front of you and his teary eyes, and in a moment of revelation, you shyly confessed that you’d like to stay.

- In an instant, you were swept up into a tight hug and met with a chorus of cheers. And as your heart began to race in response to the Scarecrows joyful embrace, you realized that you were in a bit of trouble.

- So you begin your life in Oz, finding yourself a new home and trying to get situated in the whimsical place. It helps that you aren’t alone; Scarecrow comes to visit often and stays for hours on end.

- The thing about Scarecrow is, you can tell when he has a crush on someone, even before he realizes that he does himself. Though, because you don’t know a lot about Oz and the emotional range of a sentient Scarecrow, you try not to assume anything when it comes to his behavior.

“You know Scarecrow, you don’t have to come and visit me everyday if you don’t want to.” You told him one day, choosing your words carefully as to not make it seem like you didn’t want his company.

“Oh, but I do want to!” He assured you quickly and you gave him a smile.

“But don’t you ever want to spend time on your own, or with someone else? I just don’t understand why you want to spend a perfectly good day doing something boring with me when you could be doing something interesting with someone else.

“Well... I just like you a whole lot. That’s all,” He said at first before he furrowed his brows in thought. Though his next words were directed towards you, they seemed to be said more to himself than anyone else. “I like you bunches.”

“Well, I like you too.” You replied which seemed to ease his mind for the time being.

- He asked you out on a date late one morning, not too long after the two of you had that conversation. You should have seen how nervous he was, clutching a handful of flowers and fumbling with his clothing as he knocked on your door.

- He told you that he knew he was just a Scarecrow but that he liked you a lot and would like to give your relationship a try “if that was alright with you”.

- A scarecrow falling in love with a girl was surely a preposterous idea, but not as preposterous as a girl falling in love with a scarecrow which is exactly what had happened to you. All you could tell the straw man was that you “would love to” as you beamed up at him.

- You had a picnic for your first date though it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. You had to try several different places before you found one that was perfect, but you choose to forget the giggling munchkins and violent mocking apple trees.

- You had your first real kiss about a week later. Before then, you’d kissed his cheek a few times but that was about it.

- The two of you were in the cornfields, you’d been teaching him “how to frighten things” when he finally managed to “scare away” his first crow. Both of you were laughing happily when he looked over at you, quickly leaning forward and pecking you on the lips.

- While the action shocked you, you couldn’t help but smile, leaning forward and giving him a soft kiss in return. In that moment, your feelings were solidified and you couldn’t deny that you truly were in love with each other.

- He’s a very; innocently, affectionate person so expect him to always be close and/or touching you.

- Lots of hugs. It’s hard not to hug him when he’s so squishy.

- Soft, gentle kisses.

- Handholding. He finds it fascinating, mainly because your hands are so warm and soft while his are just a pair of gloves stuffed with straw.

- Locking elbows.

- Cheek kisses.

- Kissing his nose. How can you refuse something so inviting?

- Pecks on the lips. Sometimes he just pulls this face that all but forces you to do so.

- While he does like nicknames, he’ll usually just call you by your normal name. When he does call you by a pet name, it’s usually something like darling, sweetheart, and occasionally birdie.

- The two of you cuddle with your head on his chest and his arms wrapped around you. He’s pretty much a walking pillow so it’s incredibly easy to snuggle with him.

- He likes being helpful so don’t hesitate to ask him when you need some assistance; though he’ll usually offer it up on his own accord.

- He’s willing to go along with pretty much anything you’d like to do. He doesn’t manage nothing and he doesn’t mind anything either; he just likes to be with you.

- Clumsy boy. Don’t trust him with anything delicate and be prepared to try and catch him if, or rather when, he falls.

- Helping to keep him steady. You’ll have to hold him up at times, usually by wrapping his arm around your waist or shoulders when you’re walking together.

- Getting songs sung to and about you.

- Believe me, he’s clever, even if he thinks he isn’t. He gets all bashful whenever you tell him so.

- Helping him make up his mind. He thinks you’re incredibly smart.

- Visiting the tin man and cowardly lion. They grow to be very good friends of yours.

- Can we all just agree that he has a pet crow. Can we please just make that a fact. I need that in my life.

- Helping him pick up and stuff himself full of his fallen straw.

- Making faces at each other.

- He never is able to scare you, even if he thinks he’d like to. He’s just too sweet and lovable to scare anyone, especially the person who loves him the most. You reassure him that he can be frightening when he wants to be; though it’s a lie.

- He loves hearing about your world. I mean, Scarecrow hardly even knows about Oz, let alone a place that doesn’t exist where he comes from.

- Compliments. He can’t help but tell you how well he thought you did or how wonderful you look in your dress.

- Well, you’ll always know where to find him: the cornfields. He’s always jumping and excitedly greeting you whenever you come to visit.

- He loves resting his head in your lap.

- Dancing with each other.

- Picnics.

- Making flower crowns.

- Taking walks together.

- He’s honestly the easiest boyfriend you’ll ever have. He doesn’t eat, he doesn’t sleep, and he’s never any trouble.

- He knows his way around Oz and it’s many interesting creatures so he’s always got a solution when you have a problem. He always shrugs it off and tells you not to mention it when you thank him.

- You aren’t exactly sure how he “works” and how he’s alive but you sure are glad that he is. He; in turn, is fascinated by your warmth, heartbeat and breathing; i.e. everything that shows that you’re alive.

- He’s always the first one to try and comfort you when you seem upset.

- He doesn’t really get jealous; he’s too sweet and kind. He might get a little grumpy and/or insecure but he doesn’t get angry; especially not with you. You can always tell that he’s “jealous” because he’ll linger at your side and get more touchy.

- He has a habit of speaking in your defense, even when there’s really no need. He just doesn’t want to see you get cheated out of anything.

- He’s not a very scary individual; much to his displeasure, but he isn’t afraid of anything besides a lighted match so he’s almost always willing to stand up for and protect you.

- He can get sorta spiteful every now and again; though not very often. Whenever he gets like this, he’ll try his best to give you the silent treatment. The thing is, he always winds up failing because he just can’t help but say something to you when you say something to him.

“Well, you know what!”

- He’s always fairly quick to apologize when he’s upset you or is otherwise in the wrong. He might not have a brain but he certainly isnt stupid and he’s able to recognize when he’s messed up. He can be very forgiving as well so don’t be afraid to try and apologize when you’ve messed up.

- Lots of sweet and chipper I love you’s.

- Living over the rainbow with a scarecrow that loves you to death. How could life get any better.

#the wizard of Oz imagine #the wizard of Oz headcanons #the wizard of Oz headcanon #the wizard of Oz imagines #1930s movie headcanons #1930s movie headcanon #1930s movie imagines #1930s movie imagine #scarecrow imagine #scarecrow headcanons #scarecrow headcanon #scarecrow imagines #the scarecrow headcanon #the scarecrow imagine #the scarecrow imagines #the scarecrow headcanons

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homogrimoire-archive · 4 years ago

Text

The Remnant Branches

CH. 3 - Would You Like To Hear A Song? Or Perhaps See A Pretty Flower?

Parts 1 - 6

Glynda arrives in a mysterious forest, and makes acquaintance with a beautiful program. There, in a dream, her adventure begins. After her dream, she awakes in another world once more. There, she becomes acquainted with a young woman and her sisters. And eventually, she returns to Ozpin with Qrow already there, and James arriving back soon after.

AO3 Link

Glynda wakes up on cool grass, surrounded by fog. Checking her countdown, she sees that she was only out for an hour.

“Hmph. A wasted hour.” she retorts, as if he wants the hour to feel bad for being useless. But, she doesn’t dwell on it any further.

She gets up, and dusts herself off. She notices that its not fog, but steam. Alarm bells go off in her head, but she doesn’t panic. Panicking could very easily lead to death. At least the magic Ozpin used renders death in the unknown world as a trip back to Remnant. Looking around, she sees that trees and shrubs also surround her. She takes that as a good sign, but is curious as to why there is a lot of steam in a forest, and begins to walk in a direction.

As she walks, she trips over something. At first, she assumes its a root, and curses the fog and the root, but then sees that it is a pipe. From it, steam is periodically released.She sees that it extends further into the steam, and follows it. As she walks around, she notices that the forest is rather quiet, despite the amount of pipes there must be, and that she has yet to see or hear any animals.

The deeper she goes, the more humid and warm it gets, so she assumes she’s going in the right direction. However, she regrets not changing her attire more and more. Oz advised lighter clothing, but she was adamant that she would be fine. She doesn’t blame herself much though. Most don’t prepare for a forest filled with steam.

Soon, she sees more and more pipes. They all vary in size, and converge somewhere. And sooner, she sees where they converge. They all lead to a single, incredibly large tree. Although, it was a lot less organic than most trees. It reminded her of James, in a sense. It was half organic, and half inorganic, but the tree’s machinery and wood did not part cleanly down the middle. It was all entangled and intertwined. In some places, it seemed as if the metal completely integrated into the tree. Or was it that the tree seamlessly integrated into the metal? She couldn’t tell.

Regardless, she made her way to the base of the tree to inspect it further. With each step, her body grew sleepier and sleepier, despite the protest of her mind.

“I knew… I should have…” she yawned, “stole their coffee...”

Just as she touched the base of the tree, she fell into a nearby bush as she fell into the deep slumber of Sleeping Beauty.

The strange woman had finally awoken, stretching as she rose up to stand.

“What the fuck???” Glnda exclaimed, rather confused. “These are all words and sounds, and I didn’t stand up and stretch because there’s only words and sounds here!”

She continued on with her insane rambling, spouting nonsense left and right.

“I didn’t say anything more, for your information. Now, could you please explain to me what is going on? I am a very busy woman and I don’t have time for your games.”

…

“Well? Are you going to answer or not?”

…

“Ugh. Fine then. I’ll figure it out myself.”

Upon hearing the commotion outside, she stepped out of her castle and onto its front steps. Before her laid a beautiful land of plenty. Verdant plants and flowers of every color were before her. Just beyond the porch lay a yellow brick road. Seeing the beauty of her land brought a smile to her face.

“I did none of that, but the description is helpful, I suppose?”

“There she is!” shouted a voice. “Its Glinda the Good Witch of the South!”

“It’s spelled G-L-Y-N-D-A, Glynda, and I’m not a witch of the south or anything. Please cease all this nonsense. It’s starting to give me a headache.”

“My, if it isn’t Dorothy, slayer of that Wicked Witch of the West.” said the good witch as she gracefully glided down the many beautiful steps.

“Wait. I recognize that voice… Theodore? Is that you? What are you doing here?”

“My, if it isn’t Theodore, slayer of that Wicked Witch of the West.” said the good witch as she gracefully glided down the many beautiful steps.

“I guess I’m just going to have to live with this, aren’t I?.”

“How may I help you, young Theodore?” asked Glynda.

“Please, I need you to help me have to find my way home!” the young man pleaded.

“Hmph. He isn’t exactly young, you know.”

“Please, I need you to help me have to find my way home!” the YOUNG man pleaded.

“You know what… You’re just lucky he’d like to be called young.”

“But I want to help my friends first before I leave.” the dashing man explained.

“I’m the Cowardly Lion.” said the furry beast.

“Leonardo? What the hell is happening here?”

“And I want to be brave! I have to be brave, but I am not, so I need magic to make me brave!” the kingly animal said just as a cute, little mouse in blue work pants scurried at his feet. “EEK!” the lion shrieked as he jumped into the air and into the arms of the one next to him. “See! I am a Lion! I shouldn’t be afraid of a mouse. You have to help me!”

“I’m the Tinman of the Forest,” began the tin man as he gently placed the cowardly beast down. “And I need to have a heart.”

“General Ironwood?”

“To be exact, I need to have a heart of my own so I can love. I want to love, but I can’t without a heart. There was once a doctor with beautiful green eyes that visited my woods frequently to help an adjacent neighbor of mine, and we became good friends, and then we started dating. But, I can’t love, so things didn’t work out. I need a heart so I can feel love, and give it too. I saw a very beautiful flower the other day. It was a shining white and had five luscious petals. I would like to begin by loving that. Starting simple, you know?” the iron man shyly explained

“Well that’s sad.”

“Oh you poor thing.” said the good witch with an incredibly sad look on her face.

“Mmm, not that sad.”

“Oh you poor thing.” said the good witch with a sorrowful look on her face.

“Better. What’s the next person’s story?”

“And you, Mr. Scarecrow, what is it you need?”

“I need a brain, you see.” the Scarecrow told her.

“Yup. Qrow really could use one of those on occasion.”

“I want to be smart! Just the other day, a farmer boy came to me and asked for help with baking. He said it was so a girl in a red hood could give it to her grandma, but I’m not smart enough to read, so I messed up the measuring amounts and the steps. The peach pie still came out alright, but I want to be smart so I can be helpful! You’ve got to help me Glynda!” The Scareqrow said as he begged on his knees.

“Well those are words I’d never thought I’d hear in his voice. Ha. First time for everything I guess.”

“Oh you,” the witch of the west chuckled, “and you, and you, and you!” she said, pointing at each of them with her magical wand. “I may not be able to help you, but there is someone who can. You all must go to the Emerald City. There you will find Prince Ozma. He has such powerful magic, and with it, he will be able to help you. However, beware of the Wicked Witch of the West, Shalem.” The beautiful and good witch explained.

“Why thank you. I appreciate the compliment. … You know, you’re not so bad.”

“Shalem keeps her eyes on the city in hopes to destroy it and Ozma. I hear they have quite the past with each other. But, I am not one to gossip.” The gentle, serene, and most beautiful of the ensemble said as she floated back to the top of the stairs.

“Hmm, Oz and Salem… Oh, thank you, I appreciate it, I do, but you don’t need to go overboard with it for me. Besides, it makes the sentence too wordy.”

“Salem keeps her eyes on the city in hopes to destroy it and Oz. I hear they have quite the past with each other. But, I am not one to gossip.” The serene and gentle good witch said as she floated back to the top of the stairs.

“See? Better.”

“Now, all four of you have to do is follow the yellow brick road there. It will take you to The Emerald City and Oz. And remember, beware of Salem and her monsters. I wish all of you the best of luck.”

“Thank you Glynda!” the group said in unison. In the distance she could hear them singing gleefully about following the yellow brick road. She almost felt compelled to join them at their request.

…

No, she did not feel that. She didn’t want to follow them in the slightest. She had her little moment of repose, and wanted to get back to business. To do that, she needed to answer some questions first.

“Thank you. I’m glad things are moving along.”

She waited for the questions in anticipation, fearing that she would answer wrong and have to start the text all over again.

“Huh? Could you repeat that?”

1) What was the mouse wearing?

A. a pair of Blue Pants

B. a Plaid Bowtie

C. a Flower

D. A and B

E. None of the Above

“A, a pair of Blue Pants. You should know, I am a teacher. I make tests like these on a much, much, much more difficult scale than this.”

Correct.

2) What was the color of the doctor’s eyes?

A. Brown

B. Green

C. Red

D. White

E. Pink

“B, green. Huh, was that supposed to be Watts? How did you know that?”

Correct.

3) Who did the farm boy and the Scareqrow try to make a pie for?

A. a Magical Songstress

B. a Grandma

C. a Sister

D. a White Flower

E. a Girl With a Red Hood

“Ok, it’s between the grandma and the girl in red. It was made for the girl so she could give it to her grandma. Hmm, who did they make the pie for… E! Damn trick question...”

…

“Don’t … me! It’s making me nervous! And I’ll be very annoyed and angry if I have to go through that again.”

…

“Ha ha ha. Very funny.”

Correct.

“Oh thank goodness.” she said as she let out a sigh of relief. “That, is true.” she confirms with a smile.

My favorite memory: the memory of the beginning of the end. A giant of grotesque white emerges from the sky, fighting a red dragon. A chaotic song ushers in a new world, a new world that is born on the brink of death. But, it is also a world with magic. It is born from the defeat of the giant, and the death of the dragon. The red dragon falls, and is skewered onto Tokyo Tower, June 12th, 2003.

The magic born from it is called Maso, the demonic element. I will show you the power born from it. Amazing isn’t it? Not only humans wield its incredible power, but machines, and androids too. It is a shame this could not be in a better world.

The magic of the giant rains. It rains a massless white. It is a snow in summer. It is salt though, not snow. That accursed magic is a virus. Those that are infected either turn into that same weightless salt, or become a beast akin to the giant. It is a shame this came into existence at all.

Research into other worlds has shown that the beast’s magic initiates a connection to god. The god offers a pact to the unfortunate human. If they agree, they become a beast. Let me show you. … Terrifying aren't they? If they refuse… well, you just saw what happened.

There is more to this story, and you will find some of it in a distant past, in another dimension. With it, you will find what you seek.

I, Sleeping Beauty, aim to keep knowledge of the past alive, among other things. I grant you this knowledge and more. With you, the past of this world will have a greater chance of living on now. And, as a true human, I serve you, and grant you your desire to the best of my ability.

“Thank you Glynda. Stay safe.” Sleeping Beauty solemnly told her friend.

“You’re welcome. And thank you too. Tell me, isn’t there anything I can do for you?” Glynda said, sad for a reason she could not fully discern. Perhaps it was because someone finally showed some thanks to her. She laughs lightly.

“No. You’ve done more than enough. ” The program replied.

“Goodbye Sleeping Beauty. Sweet dreams.” A calm yet sad smile is on her face as she fades from her dream.

I think this dream might be my new favorite memory. Hmmm. At the very least, it’s my new favorite dream.

When Glynda awakes, she finds herself in a well furnished but simple room. She realizes that she is no longer with Sleeping Beauty. She looks around, and finds no one there. However, there is a small letter on a nearby nightstand. She picks it up and reads it,

To whom it concerns,

If you're reading this, you’re awake, I am sure you have many questions. As do I. Just wander until you find a servant. They will direct you to me. Once you find me, I will explain myself to you, and you can explain yourself to me. I am sure we will reach an understanding.

Lady One

“Lady One...” Glynda murmured to herself. She didn’t know if she could trust this Lady One person, but she didn’t have much of a choice. She could just ditch the place. It seems like it would be easy since the Lady just told her to wander. But, Glynda wanted answers. Worst comes to worst, she ends up back in Remnant with an already decent repertoire of info on the magic. So, she heads out the door.

A lavish, ornate hall is what she sees, much different from the room. She considers that this might not even be the world she was first sent to. This palace is a place that simply could not exist in the world of eternal night and day. She passes a portrait of a young girl. She wears white clothing with black accents. She has light blond hair, red eyes, and pale skin. Glynda assumes it’s the daughter of Lady One, or a painting of her younger self.

After finding a painting of a purple dragon, the paintings of four other women, and a detailed painting of a well decorated city, Glynda finally runs into a servant.

“Oh, excuse me!” she cried out, grabbing the servant’s attention. He silently ushers her to follow him, so she does.

However, she still maintains her wariness with The Disciplinarian at her side, just in case. She is led through a maze of halls, each just as beautiful as the last, but each providing information no more useful than the last. Eventually, they come upon a set of doors, which the servant opens for her to enter. Once past the doors, the servant quietly shuts them behind her.

In front of her is a large table. If it weren’t so fancy, it could be in a school cafeteria. Sitting on the left end is a girl, the same one from the painting. She sits, eating a small plate of food. It’s mostly full, so she either just started eating, or was a very slow eater. She turns her head to acknowledge Glynda.

“Please, have a seat.” she says, motioning to a chair not too far from her. In front of it is another plate of food.

“Yes, of course.” she states, and walks to the seat. The girl doesn’t say anything as she takes a seat. She just continues eating. “So, are you Lady One?” Glynda asks to break the silence.

“Yes. I am, but just call me One. You’re not a subject of mine after all.” She takes another bite of her food and swallows. “Who are you? If you don't mind telling me.”

“I don’t mind at all. My name is Glynda. Glynda Goodwitch.”

“Glynda, what brings a woman like you here?”

“I was sent on a mission to learn about magic.”

“And who could have sent you to do that?”

“My boss. A man named Ozpin. But if I remember correctly, you said in your letter that you would explain yourself to me.” Glynda said, whipping out the letter. One grabbed it, and reread it.

“Well. I did. In that case, you are in Midgard, in The Cathedral City. And I am Lady One, an Intoner. I found you on the floor asleep as I rounded a corner. I sensed the magic of a dragon around you. Which brings me to this: who are you. I know you aren’t from this world.”

“Well, how I got here is a bit convoluted, and I don't really understand it all. But, I will try my best to explain myself.” And Glynda did her best to explain herself, from Oz and his mysterious magic and even more mysterious knowledge, to Sleeping Beauty and her manufactured dreams, and the gist of the unsettling knowledge granted to her.

“I see. Well, while you are here, you are free to visit my libraries. You should be able to find plenty of information concerning magic there.”

“Really, you’d let me do that?” Glynda asked in awe. She was amazed a stranger would just let her have access to that.

“Yes. If there’s magic in your world, The Flower could be a threat there. This way, if it does show up there, your world will not be defenseless.” She said, taking a sip of tea when she finished her sentence.

“The Flower?”

“Hmm. I suppose I should give you the basics.” One summed up her story from the beginning, from Zero, The Inoners, Gabriella, and her research into magic and The Flower, only omitting her brother.

“That is… a lot, to say the least.”

“Perhaps, but I manage it well. But please, tell me more about your world. I sensed a different kind of magic on you, one I’ve yet to come across. Is it from Ozpin?”

“Most likely. He used magic to grant me the ability of telekinesis.” she said, lifting a teacup with a movement of a finger. “It’s also the same ability as my semblance, but I only really tend to use the magic when my aura has run out.”

“What is a semblance, and aura for that matter?” One asked quizzically.

“I’m guessing that’s not a thing here. Well, aura” she said, manifesting it for One to see, “is a manifestation of one’s soul. Its used as a layer of protection from things such as attacks and extreme heat. It’s also best to think of aura as a resource, as it can run out if it’s used too much. Semblances are a power that is typically unique to a person, and are intrinsically linked to aura, and possibly a person’s personality. Without aura, a semblance cannot develop. It is also best to think of them as a muscle. The more you use them, the stronger they become. However, aura is not magic, and neither is a semblance.”

“Can anyone have an aura and a semblance?”

“So long as it has a soul, yes. Aura can be developed over time, or unlocked with the help of someone who already has aura. A semblance, however, is more finicky. Sometimes, even those who had honed their aura well will not manifest a semblance.”

“Interesting… Shall we see if an Intoner can have an aura?” One questioned, eager to see if it was indeed possible.

“You have a soul, so I don’t see why not.”

“Our universes could be ruled by different laws.” One suggested.

“That is a possibility… But there’s no harm in trying. May I see your hand please?” Glynda requested as she held out her own hand. One obliged, and placed her hand in Glynda’s. Glynda closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and focused. She brought her aura up, and began to transfer it into One in an attempt to kickstart her own aura. Her efforts were successful. Purple aura began to turn red once it entered One.

“And that’s,” she huffed, “that. Congrats. You have an aura.”

One marveled at her new ability. This was the magic she sensed. It was weak compared to the magic of The Flower, but knew it could be because it was newly manifested. She focused some of it on her other palm. In it, a red barrier formed, one that felt different from a barrier formed of Song.

“It seems as if you’re a natural. That kind of technique tends to take years of training to master.”

“Is that so?”

“Very much so. If you need help in training your aura, I could help you. I’d say I’m very qualified to do so, as well.”

“I’ll take your offer, but, perhaps tomorrow. It’s getting late.”

“Yes, that would be a good idea. But do you mind if I take a visit to the library? I’ve had a lot of sleep recently, so I’ll probably be up for a while.”

“Of course.” she said. With the snap of her fingers, a servant quickly appeared. “Please escort her to the library.” she ordered him, “When you’re ready to retire, just get one of the servants or guards. They’ll escort you to your room. If you need anything of them really, just ask, and they’ll see to it.”

“Yes. Thank you One. Feel free to summon me if you need me as well.” She said. With One’s hum of approval, she went off to the library. She was glad her mission was going good, It wasn’t as planned, but still good, very good at that.

The library itself was large, as expected. She wasn’t sure where to begin, and asked the servant if he had any advice. He pointed her to a dusty book in the center of a table. It was an index of topics. Topics such as food, carpentry, and sealife. It also listed where each topic could be found in the library. Magic could be found on isle 547, so that’s where she went. She found the servants a bit odd, but did not bother to dwell on it.

On a small table by the aisle was another dusty book. It listed the subtopics and what shelf number to find the desired subtopic. Demonic magic, healing magic, elemental magic, transformation magic, alchemy, and even sexual magic were a few of the topics she saw as she scanned through the thin book. She was sure Oz didn’t plan for this level of magical knowledge. But, she had to begin somewhere, so she began with something she thought might interest Oz: Magiks Related to The Soule, as the book was titled. It was discussed, pacts, transferring souls among vessels, creating a soul, destroying a soul, and shaping souls.

Most of it proved too complex to easily understand. However, she did take pictures of some glyphs and the surrounding text. The only thing that was simple was pacts, which One briefly mentioned earlier. She found the concept interesting, and thought could have some use in Remnant. So, she went to find a book on the basics. There were many specialized beginner-friendly books, but she settled on a book on the generalities of magic.

It stated that magic was a natural ability that could not be learned. A person either had an affinity for it, or didn’t. Even then, people only had an affinity for certain magic, or multiple magics if they were lucky. Beyond that, lots of magic was connected to a writing known as Angelic Script. It was indecipherable, but otherwise well documented. It showed some basic glyphs that she took a picture of with her scroll. Magic also tended to need a conduit. This was a concept she understood well. Weapons could be a conduit for aura, and some semblances worked better with a conduit, much like her own. In passing, it mentioned that some species had innate magic, magic connected to either god, or the gods. No one was entirely sure.

It was all very mysterious, but she began to find herself feeling drowsy, and found a guard to escort her to her room. There, she slept very comfortably, glad she was making progress.

After eating, and after the woman from another world left, One was left to ponder her new ability. She focused the aura onto the tips of her fingers to form claws.

“Is that a new form of magic you learned, sister?” her brother asked.

“In a sense, yes. Its called aura, an embodiment of the soul. Remember that lady you found? She is from another world, another dimension. She said it wasn’t magic, but as far as I’m concerned, it is.” She stood up, and with the slash of an arm, sent a wave of aura that sliced through a training dummy.

“Do you think you could teach me it?” he asked.

“It can be taught, but there is a quicker way. Let me see your hand.” she requested. Just as she saw Glynda do, she held his hand and focused on transferring the aura to unlock it. It was met with success, as a darker red appeared on him.

“Do you feel it brother?” she asked. She understood why the woman seemed a bit drained after preforming the unlock, but it was hardly anything to One. She chalked up the difference to her status as an actual intoner.

“I do.” he said with amazement. He tried to bring forth a small barrier in his palm like he saw his sister do, but failed. It was faint, and flickered on and off.

“Odd. Yours is weaker.” she said, inspecting his palm.

“You said it was an embodiment of the soul right?” he asked. At that moment, she had a theory.

“Yes. I did. That means this aura is not only mine’s, but Gabriel’s as well.” She turned to look at Gabriel, who was peacefully resting.

“That could explain why yours is so strong, right sister?”

“It could, but I don’t know enough about it to know for sure. I will ask the woman tomorrow though. This could help us in our war against Zero.”

“And The Flower.”

“I don’t think this will truly help against The Flower, but we can hope, can’t we?” she said, her expression darkening.

“Sister, what else did she tell you?”

“That people with aura can develop a power unique to them, and something else. She traveled to another world before this one. That world faced something I think is related to The Flower. It was killed by a dragon, but its remains forced a pack with the gods onto people who came into contact with it. If they refused, they turned into a massless salt. If they agreed, they became a slave of the gods.”

“So even in death and defeat, The Flower can still be a threat.” Brother One stated.

“Apparently so. At the very least, we can put more trust in the Dragon-Bone weapons. Now spar with me Brother!” One commanded, putting some distance between her and her brother. “Show me you haven’t been slacking off.”

“Understood!” he shouted back, jumping to his feet, readying his Dragon-Bone Sword. In the background, the morning sun shone brightly.

One made the first move, dashing forward to slash with her chakram. Her brother parried it, countering with a thrust into a slash that One caught in her chakram. With a twist of her weapon, pulled the sword out of his hand, and into hers. She kicked him back, and pointed the sword at him. Seeing that he was defeated, he yielded.

“Well, you lasted a second longer than last time. You are improving. I will give you that.” She said as she helped him up and gave him back his sword.

“Impressive technique, One. In my world, you would no doubt be a legendary huntsman.” praised a voice.

“Oh, Glynda. I didn’t expect you to be up so early.” Said One.

“It’s a habit, but I thought you only had sisters?” she curiously questioned.

“This is my brother, Brother One. I keep him a secret because he is my failsafe, in case everything goes wrong.” she explained.

“A smart move. But, I’m honored you trust me with this.”

“With how shortly you’ll be staying here, it’s not much of a risk.”

“Fair point. But, I just finished my breakfast and came to see if you needed anything of me before I head off to the library.” Glynda explained. One thought for a moment, looking at Glynda, a teacher of combat, and then her brother, someone who needed combat training.

“Actually, yes. I’ll be gone for a few days to gather my sisters. I have word that Zero is making her way here once more. During that time, I’d like for you to train my brother. At least a few hours a day would suffice.”

“I can do that. Do you have any specific kind training in mind?” Glynda asked. She preferred to be very thorough.

“Combat training, but before I leave, would you mind having a spar with me?” Once asked of Glynda. “I’d like to gauge your strength against mine.”

“I don’t mind at all. I believe this will be a beneficial experience for both of us.” Glynda said, drawing out The Disciplinarian.

“Good. However, no magic, only our other abilities, our weapons, and our surroundings. Our spar ends when one of us is depleted of our aura. Is that agreeable?”

“Very. Now, let’s begin.”

Glynda, with an aura coated fist, hit a nearby pillar to knock a few chunks of stone out of it. Using her semblance, she sent the stones hurtling towards One with incredible speed. With skilled dexterity, One used her chakram to reduce them all to dust before they hit her. However, she did not anticipate for them to reform and hone in on her once more. She jumped just in time for the stones to crash into each other, rather than her.

“Impressive technique.” One complimented.

“Thank you. It usually gets them the first time though.” Glynda bantered.

This time, she kicked a pillar to chunk off larger pieces. They were hurled at One as she was still in the air, but she was fast with her chakram. It was obviously a weapon forged with only the best materials. It sliced through the stone like butter, cutting it up into smaller and smaller pieces. By the time she realized her error, she was being pelted by pebbles that hit hard due to the incredible velocity they were flying at. Focusing on her aura, she extended it outwards instantly in the shape of a bubble, pulverizing any remaining projectiles in the vicinity.

Free of the onslaught, she threw her chakram into the air. It was a slow move that Glynda could see she could dodge if she moved unpredictably. Unfortunately for her, One’s senses were too sharp to allow her to miss. It crashed down onto Glynda with incredible force, meteroing her into the ground. She got up as quickly as she could, but One used this opening to unleash a combo of attacks that Glynda could not defend against.

Meanwhile, Brother One was watching intently, amazed at his sister’s skill, and Glynda’s own tenacity and skill as well. He was excited for the coming days, and hoped to learn much. He wanted to make his sister proud. He was certainly proud of his sister as with one final attack infused with her aura, she shattered the aura of her opponent, winning the spar.

“Impressive.” One complemented as she helped Glynda up.

“You’re quite impressive yourself.” she returned as she dusted herself off.

“Us Intoners are rather… gifted.”

“I get the feeling that’s an understatement.”

“It is.” Brother One interjected. “With Zero on her way, you’ll be likely to see the full might of an Intoner soon.”

“In any case, I have no doubt you can teach my Brother much. Well. I should be taking my leave now. The sooner our sisters are here, the better.”

“A wise move.” Glynda commented. Then, they all heard the door to the training ground open.

“A report, My Lady.” the servant said. He only acknowledges his Intoner. Glynda notices that Brother One even doesn’t try to hide. He just looks at the exchange.

“What does it say?”

“Zero and her group have been spotted in an area a few days away. However, a soldier that managed to escape said that most of the loss was caused by her dragon, and a new member of her group: a man with a scorpion tail.” he stated. Glynda immediately perked up at the mention of Zero’s new friend.

“Tyrian… I know that man.” she told One. “Tyrian. He’s a follower of Salem. When Zero arrives, I will take care of him.”

“I am sure you will.” she tells Glynda. “Get the Dragon-Bone daggers,” she orders the servant, “and give them to her.” She returns her attention to Glynda. “Consider it a gift for instructing my Brother, and something to help your world should The Flower ever become a threat there.”

“Of course. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” One says, and looks to the sky. “Gabriel.” In mere moments, an incredible dragon appears at her call. It is unlike anything Glynda has ever seen, and stares at it in awe. One’s words had not done it any justice. With the flap of its wings, it is in the air, and out of sight in only a few minutes.

“My sister has a theory that her aura is strong because her pact partner is Gabriel.” One tells Glynda.

“Hmm...” she thinks for a moment. “That could be a factor, all things considered.”

“It’s a rather interesting way the rules of our worlds interact, don’t you think, Miss Glynda?”

“Yes, it is. But if I’m going to be your teacher, call me Miss Goodwitch.” she instructs him.

“Understood, Miss Goodwitch.”

“Hm.” she acknowledges. “Let’s begin today’s training then. First, show me what you know.”

“Mmm, to what pleasure do I owe you, my dear sister? Bored of the Cathedral city? Looking for some real fun? I do have the best brothels in the land.”

“No, Five. I’m here to gather you and our sisters. Zero is launching another attack, and I intend to finish her this time.”

“Aww, can’t we have some fun with her first? We never had any fun...” she laments.

“No again, Five.”

“Oh, all well. You’ll have prostitutes in the city, right?”

“Yes Five. There will be prostitutes.” One says.

“Oh goody!” she squealed as she claps and hops up and down, her tits bouncing uncontrollably. The servants in the room all have their eyes on her. “Let's get going then! Cathedral City, here I cum! Uwaaah!” Silently, One prays for Four.

“Eeyah! There’s my favorite, flat chested sister, Four! And my breasts are still as huge as ever, if you don’t believe my letters. Are you still doing that whole virginity thing anyways? I just have to know.” Five asks Four.

“Hello One, Five.” She greets, ignoring what Five just said.

“Hello Four.”

“Now, I imagine you have an important message or a request of me? Whatever it is, I’ll do it!” she affirms.

“Mmm, whatever? You’re so brave...” Five asked. Four turned to her to give her a death glare. I will fucking kill you, whore! She mouthed, facing away from One.

“Oh Four, so you do have it in you...” Five said pridefully, clearly misinterpreting her sister somehow. Four took in a deep breath, put a smile on her face, and turned back to her big sister.

“I’ll help you however I can One.”

“Good. Zero is attacking Cathedral City again. This time will be her last.” One said. Four immediately deflated.

“What? But One, Zero’s our sister! We can’t just kill her! Our Zero is still in there!” she reasoned.

“Four, I’m sorry. I truly am. We all want to be a family with Zero as much as you, but we just can’t.” One began, placing her hands on Four’s shoulders. “If we want to help our Zero, we have to kill the traitor Zero. That way, our Zero can rest in peace. That is all we can do.”

“I― Alright. Alright. I understand. Thank you One.” she said, giving her sister a hug. It felt so nice to have One return the hug. Then she felt a pressure on the side of her, and on her head. It was Five joining in on the hug, with her breasts resting on Four’s head.

“Mmh I just love these sisterly moments.” she said as she hugged them harder.

Four was going to fucking scream, but, she did not, at least not externally. She only hoped Five did not push her off the edge around her favorite sister, One. But even then, she wasn’t sure she would mind if that happened.

“I’ll help, of course.” Three replies sleepily. “I won’t have another chance to experiment with an Intoner in such a way, after all.”

“Oooh, I think I can help you with some Intoner experiments...” Five said salaciously.

“Science thanks you for your contribution.” She says with a clink clink clink of her scissors.

“Umm, on second thought, I just remembered I have other plans cuming up.”

“But Five! Think of all the good you’d be doing for science!” Four pointed out.

“No experimenting on Intoners. When we kill Zero, we’ll give her a proper burial. We have to give her that much respect. She’s still our sister, remember?”

“If you say so.” Three huffed, rather unhappy she would have to give up time that could have been used experimenting. Five was relieved, happy she would live another day to enjoy life and sex. Four was sad, sad that Zero would be dead soon, and that Five wouldn’t tragically die in an experiment gone wrong.

“Gone? What do you mean she’s gone!?!” One demanded to know.

“How do you lose your Intoner?!?” Four also demanded to know.

“You don’t treasure her, pleasure her, you know, the basics.” Five answered her. One and Four looked sternly at her. “What? I’m right, aren’t I?” she asked the man who had taken Two’s role as leader in her absence.

“Well, yes...” he admitted.

“See? These gigantic boobs aren’t just for looks you know.” she said as she caressed them. Four facepalmed and shook her head. One let out a sigh.

“Is that so?” Three clinked.

“Well duh! What else am I gonna think with besides my fat pussy? Oh dear sisters, you have so much to learn.” Five chuckled as she rested her head in her palm. Four clenched her fist so hard blood began to trickle. The only thing that stopped her from killing Five right then and there was One’s hand on her shoulder to hold her back.

“I believe your brain is what truly requires further study.” Clink.

“My what?”

“No, both of you.” One ordered.

“Why not? A star falls from the sky as wolf howls at the sun, and I experiment to learn.” Three explained.

“That doesn’t make any sense! That’s a terrible metaphor!” Four yelled.

“Is it Four? Isn’t it?”

“Enough bickering. We have to find Two. You, wh― Five, seduce him later.” One ordered.

“But One!” Five said as she was unbuttoning his shirt.

“Later. You, where could she be?” One demanded as Five got off him. “Oh, umm.” he began, flustered. “She can’t be too far, I imagine. But she could be very far too. She’s been gone for a while.”

“Great. Thanks.” One said plainly. “Five, can I see you for a moment? In private?”

“Ooomhhh, of course.” she said, meeting One outside the room. “What is it, my dear, dear sister?”

“He’s hiding something. I need you to fuck the information out of him.” she explained. Five lit up.

“Ooooh, consider his dick done for.” she grinned.

“Good.” One said as she opened the door. “Three, Four, lets go. Five, have fun. Show no mercy.” Five sexily sauntered in as her sisters left.

“My pussy is gonna rip your dick clean off, big man!” They could hear her yell.

“Ugh, why does she have to be like that? Why can’t she be respectable?” Four complained, uncovering her ears.

“She thinks with her fat pussy and her gigantic boobs. What do you expect?” Three reasoned.

“Quit being so vulgar!” Four shouted as she covered her ears.

“If its any consolation Four, she’s not just doing this for her own pleasure. It’s also for the mission I gave her. He’s hiding something, and Five is finding out what.”

“One! There’s a better way to do that, isn’t there?” Four questioned.

“I can think of a few ways.” Three clinked her scissors.

“Ugh. nevermind. … You’re right. This probably is the best way to do it right now. You know, I can do a mission for you too if you need me to.” Four offered. Three opened her mouth to speak. “Not you.” Four cut her off. She closed her mouth.

“I’ll let you know Four. But I’m sure there is something acceptable you could help Three with when this is all done.” One told her.

“Heh heh. Hear that Four? I have lots of acceptable things we could work on together.” Three smiled as she clinked her scissors happily.

“Of course Three, of course.” Four fake smiles. If it wasn’t for One suggesting it, she wouldn’t have smiled at all. She would have done something else.

“Found her! Poor thing, I don’t even think she’s been fucked in forever. Nice room though. The bed was great for napping, and the furniture gave me some banging ideas for the sexy pool I’m making.” Five went on as she propped Two onto Gabriel.

“Sis...ters...” Two managed to speak.

“You live by the ocean, Five. What do you need a pool for?” Four asked with disdain for her sister’s idiocy. The bright side was that the breeze that blew as they flew kept her cool enough to deal with Five, for now.

“Oh, this pool is gonna be inside another pool, and that pool is gonna be in the ocean. I’m gonna be sooo wet when it’s done, mmmhh, three times as wet...” Five moaned dreamily, then innocently giggled. That was the last straw for Four, and One could tell.

“Four, no.” It was too late. Four screamed as she launched herself at Five.

“Oooh, this scale is extra shiny!” Five gasped as she bent down to get a closer look, allowing Four to fall off of Gabriel onto the ground below.

“YOU STUPID WHOOOOOORE!” she yelled as she fell.

“I always knew I would help her scream someday. I just always thought it would be at a brothel I recommended.” Five noted. Meanwhile, Three was poking at Two’s head.

“Fascinating. She exhibits no reaction. I wonder if there is damage to her nervous system. How could an Intoner’s nervous system be damaged? What does the damage to her nervous system look like compared to a human? What does an Intoner’s nervous system look like compared to a human’s in the first place? A warm blanket smothers the cold in summer rain like the moon covers the sun, I suppose. One―”

“No.” she immediately answered as she had Gabriel fly down to catch Three. Once he caught her with his mouth by her hoodie, he threw her up to land right back on his back. “One, Four, Two, Three, Five. That’s the order we’re gonna sit in.” With swiftness, they rearranged themselves.

“You know Three, your hair is rather pretty. I’ve never noticed it before.” Five realized.

“Thank you. It’s constantly growing, like One’s senses, Two’s strength,” Three began.

“Twooo...” Two quietly repeated.

“Four’s nails, and your breasts. It is interesting that we all have something unique about us that constantly grows. I believe it is an outlet for the excess magic that courses through us, but to be sure of that would require experimentation and study… Acceptable” she emphasized for One, “experimentation and study. However, only One and Two’s traits seem to be a useful function.”

“No, my breasts are great for attracting people, and hair is just as much of a factor in attracting people as breasts!” Five explained.

“Hmm… That is sound reasoning. That would leave Four’s nails as the least useful.”

“They’ll be useful for―” she began to sing song sinisterly.

“Four.” One said.

“I was going to say they’re useful for showing how much I love all my sisters.” she smiled like she was innocent and pure.

“Did you cut them recently?” Three asked with good reason. It made Five chuckle.

“Oh Three, you’re so funny! My, you’re funny, and pretty. Why aren’t you drowning in sexy sex? Mmh! I know! Let me braid your hair!” Five offered.

“Why?” Three wondered.

“Think of it like an experiment. Watch, once I finish with your hair, you’ll be drawing in people more than ever! You can compare how many people you brought in before I braided your hair, and how many people you bring in after I finish your hair.”

“A study in human nature and what it finds attractive… Alright. You may braid it.” Three allowed.

“Eeee! This is gonna be so much fun!” Five squealed. “I just love braiding hair. It’s too bad I suck at braiding my own hair. I’ve sucked lots of things, now that I think about it.” She alluded as she began to work on Three’s hair. By now, Four had calmed down, and was able to ignore her sister’s innuendos. And to her surprise, braiding seemed to keep Five busy, and her filthy mouth shut. This, Four was grateful for.

“Cent...”

“Hmm?” Four asked.

“Miss… Cent… cock...” Two whispered weakly, so low that only Four could hear.

Four flung herself off of Gabriel, screaming into her hood as she fell to the city below.

“FOUR!?! WHAT THE HELL?!? Goddammit. Gabriel, take them home please.” she sighed as she dove to join Four.

“Huh, I guess she really likes screaming now. Good for her.” Five said, and went back to braiding.

“Perhaps her mind requires study as well. Hmm… Maybe all Intoner’s minds require study.” Four mentioned, and then shrugged the thought away and went back to nodding off peacefully as Five braided her hair.

“He he… Fun..ny…” Two laughed.

“Four...”

“Yes?” she replied sharply.

“Tell me, what’s bothering you?” One asked.

“Our sisters, what else?! Zero isn’t Zero anymore, Two somehow manages to be terrible, Three is so illogical, and Five is the worst of them all! She has no respect for herself or others! She has no self control! A sack of rocks has more brain power than her! She doesn’t care about anything except for being a selfish, sex crazed glutton!” Four shouted as they walked through the street. The people paid no mind toward her.

“Four, please forgive me for being blunt with you, but please have some empathy.” One sighed.

“I have empathy! I―”

“Perhaps you do, but you need to have it for our sisters as well, not just your people. Two’s mind is broken, Four. We have to be understanding, and help her. She would have done the same and more for any of us. And you know she would never purposefully anger you. Even if it seems odd to us, Three is just trying to help in her own way, the only way she knows how. All her science is for the benefit of all of us. If you asked her for help with an experiment or research, she would help you in an instant. I know you’re having trouble growing food in the mountains, and Three would gladly figure out a solution for you.”

“Oh. I see...” Four said quietly.

“And Five… Five is Five. I’ll let you in on a secret. Don’t tell her, but she gets on my nerves a lot too.”

“Hmph. I’m not surprised.” Four said as she rolled her eyes.

“But, we’re her big sisters. She just wants attention from us. And like Three, she just shows it in the only way she knows how. She doesn’t mean to aggravate you Four.”

“Sure seems like it.”

“Four… Has Five ever given you any indication that she hates you?”

“... No. She hasn’t.”

“Five loves you as much as she loves the rest of us. I know some of her… activities aren’t to your liking, but she just wants to spend time with you, especially you because you push her away. She doesn’t want you to leave her. She just wants for you two to be sisters.”

“I guess, when you put it like that...” she paused and began to cry. “Oh One! I have been a terrible sister! I’ve been so mean to them all this time, and I, and I―” she sobbed, unable to continue speaking. One pulled her in for a hug.

“There, there Four.” One comforted.

“T―Thank you One. I’m sorry. There’s no excuse for how I was acting.” Four shamefully admitted.

“In your defense Four, you didn’t know. But now, you know.” One stated.

“Is there even any way I can make it up to them?” Four asked.

“Just spend time with them. I’m sure Two would take comfort in knowing that you spent time with her, maybe help her with her land once and a while. She would appreciate that. Or visit an orphanage with her. She always loved that.”

“That does sound nice. I do like paperwork, and visiting the orphanage would be good for her, I think.”

“And don’t be shy to ask Three for help. Ultimately, she would be glad to work on a project with you. And visit her and see if she needs help from you. I imagine she would like to study the habitats in your land.”

“That would be fun, wouldn’t it? And we would be getting so much work done together.” Four smiled at the prospect.

“And Five. I'm not going to tell you to visit her brothels or anything, but just try to be a little nicer to her. Or at least write her back. Remember, she just wants your attention.”

“I’ll try One, I promise you, I’ll try.”

“I’m glad.” she said. She was surprised when Four pulled her in for another hug.

“Thank you so much One!” she said as she hugged her sister harder, causing her to yelp. “I don’t know what I would do without you!”

“I’m your big sister. I just want to see my younger sisters happy, together.” She said, and could feel Four loosen our grip.

“It’s too bad Zero can’t be with us...”

“It is. But, like I said before, all we can do now is help put her to rest.” They continued to walk in silence for sometime. “Oh, this reminds me!” One exclaimed as they neared her home. “Let me see your hands.”

“Of course.” Four said as she offered out her hands. She saw one close her eyes as what she could only describe as a red glow enveloped one. It moved into Four, soon turning a light green color. When she was done, Four looked at her hands and arms in amazement.

“Was that a new form of magic?” Four wondered. “It feels… different.”

“In a sense, yes. It is called Aura. A woman who traveled from another world unlocked it in me. I would have told you all sooner, but the opportunity hadn’t come up.”

“It’s alright. We were rather busy after all. Hm, I’m sure this will interest Three a lot though.”

“I imagine so, as well.” One said. They continued to walk to meet back up with their sisters. Along the way, One explained to Four what Glynda had taught her about this new form of “magic.”

“Hello One, Four.” greeted Three once they found her. Two was also with her, but no Five.

“Hello Three.” One greeted back. “Everything went well, I assume.”

“Oh, very well. I even met a woman who taught me a new form of magic. See?” she said as she brought forth a light purple glow. “Intriguing, isn’t it?” she laughed. “This will require lots of experimentation. I wonder if this can get this to affect my dolls?” she asked herself.

“I guess she told you stuff about Aura too, hmm?” One asked.

“Naturally.”

“Hey, Three, where is Five anyways?” Four questioned.

“With the woman. Five said she wanted further instructions on her new powers.” Three answered.

“Well good for her. I’m glad she’s having fun!” Four replied.

“You don’t have to try that hard Four.” One clarified.

“Oh, thank god.” Four exhaled. “If I had to do that again, I think I would have puked.”

“Do you think Two can still cook?” Three said as she looked at a spaced out Two.

“Cook...” she murmured. Just then, Four’s stomach growled.

“Only one way to find out.” Four said as she went to gather Two. “Come on Two, let’s go cook together.” Two only murmured something indiscernible.

“Wake me up when the food is done.” Four yawned as she laid down on the table before her. A couch was only a few feet away. With all her sisters busy, One went to go check on her brother. As it turns out, Glynda was an excellent teacher. Who would have guessed.

“Ohhhhhh Fooooooouuuuuuuuuur!” Five called as she was setting the table. Four prepared herself, keeping her big sister’s words in mind.

“Yes, Five?” She answered as Five breasted boobily towards her. Trailing behind her was a woman she could only assume was Miss Glynda Goodwitch.

“Look what Miss Goodwitch taught me!” She said. In an instant, her nails glowed a shimmering gold, and grew to a length that easily rivaled Four’s own nails. “See, we match now. Twinsies!” she excitedly exclaimed as her hair also glowed brightly. “She says I have to name my semblance. Ooh! What should I name it?”

Four was… shocked, dumfounded, surprised, speechless, astonished, bewildered, the whole shebang. To think Five found such joy in having something in common with her was unimaginable. They were just so, so different, near complete opposites. But this was more proof the One was right, that Five wants her sister’s attention more than anything, and that she does love her sister.

“How about… Sister’s Love.” she offered.

“You’re so silly Four!” Five giggled. “Ooooohhh I love it! It’s perfect. We can have a girl’s night painting our nails together and everything! I’ll make them so pretty you’ll have to beat the men off you! Mmmh, beat them hard.”

Four was grateful she said she didn’t have to try too hard, so she ignored that last comment. It was an improvement over ignoring her entirely. But, spending time doing each other’s nails seemed like it would be a fine time, if Five braiding Three’s hair was any indication.

“When this is over, I’ll check my schedule to see when we can have some together time. Okay?”

“Oh of course! I always knew I’d get you to spend some quality time with me. Mmm I’m sooo excited.” Five giggled once more. Yet, for some reason, the sexual nature of her words did not aggravate Four as much as they used to.

“I’m excited for dinner. Where’s dinner?” Three spoke as her head still resting on the table.

“Only the most healthy and nutritiously beneficial dinner anyone could ask for! Unfortunately, Two can’t really cook anymore, so I did all the cooking, but she was a big help!” Four explained. Two was really good at holding things in her arms, no matter how heavy. Even the centaur ribs didn’t maker her arms buckle. She was also very good at balancing bowls on her head. “Could you get off the table now? I have to put the centerpiece there.” she requested of Three. Lazily, she got up and flung herself to the floor with a thud.

“Is she okay?” Glynda asked as she took a seat at a nearby chair. Typically, seeing someone throw themselves onto the floor was cause for concern. Five just stepped over her as she led Two to the couch.

“Yeah, she’s fine. She just really likes to sleep. I know I like sleeping all over the place too.” Five answered as she placed Three on the couch, resting her head in Two’s lap. She also placed Two’s hands on Three’s head.

“S… soft...” she quietly said as she began petting Three’s hair.

“Oh aren’t they just the most adorable?! I wish I could get a painting to make it last forever!” she shouted as Three still slept peacefully.

“I think I might be able to help with that.” Glynda said as she got up. She went to where the couch, and brought out her scroll. It was the latest model, built with the newest functions. She took a picture, and with a few taps, a physical picture printed out of the bottom of it. It was not particularly large by any means, but it printed out the details of the photo well enough. She handed the photo to Five, who took it almost greedily.

“It’s wonderful.” she gasped. “Let’s do another one!” she insisted.

“I can only do this nine more times, so I’d rather be more sparse with printing a picture.”

“We have to get a picture with all five of us then!” Five insisted again.

“That does sound like a nice thing to do.” One said as she joined the group. “But we should do it after we eat. May I see?” One asks Five. She inspects the paper, then admires the serene photo. Two almost looks like her former self, with a gentle smile on her face and a soft look in her eyes. Meanwhile, Three rests peacefully in her big sister’s lap. Why it brings a tear to One’s eye, is unknown to her.

“What’s wrong?” Glynda asks.

“Huh? Oh, nothing.” she quickly answers as she wipes the tear away. “Nothing bad.” she clarifies.

“Food’s ready!” Four sings as six servants follow behind her, tearing the unwanted attention away from One.

Each servant carries a covered tray of food, and holds open a seat for each of them. Four guides Two to a seat. Once the servants had them all properly seated, they placed down the tray, and unveiled the tantalizing food beneath.

“I’m no Two when it comes to cooking, but I tried to cook like I think she would have. Its still a very balanced meal though.” she makes sure to state. Five is the first to taste the food.

“Mmmnnm It’s absolutely divine.” she moans nonsexually for once, and digs in. “What is it?”

“Centaur ribs, with centaur cheese, cooked with aged red wine and olive oil, and drizzled with strawberry jam. On the side is whole wheat bread and steamed vegetables, lightly salted.” she listed.

“...Yummy.” Two said after swallowing the bite One gave her.

“Well, Two approves.” One announces.

“Really?!” Four gasps. Two’s smile is evident of her approval. “Twooo… ” Four says as she almost bursts into tears.

“I’m not sure if it means much, but this is the best meal I’ve had in years.” Glynda after she took a bite. She never thought she'd eat a monster, or that it would taste so good.

“It’s the first cooked meal I’ve had in years.” Three comments as she slowly but surely picks away at her food.

“Three! No wonder you’re so skinny!” Four exclaims in horror.

“So you think I’m skinny? Noted for future reference.” she states.

“That settles it!” Four says as she takes a bite of her handiwork.

“Mmmhhhhnnnn… soo goood!” Five cries out.

“I’m making you a meal plan!” Four finishes.

“Not necessary. Towers shoot for the moon as god is bound by rules” Four riddles.

“But if you eat healthier,” Four begins, “you’ll be able you stay awake longer, and focus on your experiments better.” That definitely got her sister’s attention.

“Science thanks you for your contributions.” she says with eager intensity, and returns to eating. Four chuckles.

“You're welcome Three.” she says gladly as she returns to eating her food.

One looks at her sisters, all happily sitting at a table together. It’s the happiest they’ve all been in such a long time. So naturally, she is very happy. Especially now that Four and Five are on the path to being on good terms. And Three seems to be opening up to them all, and Two is no longer being neglected. There is little else she could ask for. … There is much she could ask for, but at the moment, this was all she needed. Yet, something felt missing. Someone should be there with them.

“Everyone,” she announces, “there is someone I would like you all to meet.” They all look at her with curiosity.

“Who?” The other sisters each ask in unison.

“Oh, umm, a moment please.” she requests as she runs off.

“Who do you all think it is?” Glynda asks them, eager to see their reaction.

“I hope its a slutty prostitute. Sex after a good meal always hits the spot.” Five offers as her answer.

“Five.” Four berates.

“Oh fine, a respectable, slutty prostitute.”

“Hmm…” Three says, unsure of how to respond to Five. Four was at least glad the prostitute would be respectable. She couldn’t ask for much better when it came to the matter. “Well maybe its a disciple she made on her own. Three?”

“A brother in black has a brother in black. A sister in red has a sister in red.” Three yawns. “Two?”

“A… child.”

“Ooh, spicy. I wonder how she made it, or do you think it was the stork that brought it?” Five wondered aloud.

“Babies are made through sex, Five.” Glynda told her.

“Sex? You don’t make babies through sex! Why, I’d have more kids than there is sand in Two’s land if that were true!”

“No, she’s not joking.” Four said before Glynda could ask.

“Nor is she exaggerating.” Three added.

“You ladies really have to stop thinking with that brain thing. It’s putting all sorts of ideas in your heads.”

“Everyone.” said One as she reentered the room. “I’d like for you to meet our brother.” They were all in shock as she stepped off to the side to reveal their brother.

“Hello everyone.” he waved demurely. “I’m Brother One, but just Brother will do. It’s nice to meet you.” Five was the first to get up and run towards him.

“Ohh look at you!” She said as she cupped his face. “You’re just as cute as One!” She gasped suddenly. “Mmm this means I’m a big sister! If you ever need anything at all, just let me know and I’ll be sure to get it for you, my little Brother!” Five exclaimed gleefully.

“Five, give him some space.” Four said. “Hello Brother. I’m Four, ruler of the Land of Mountains. It’s nice to finally meet you too.” She introduced herself with a handshake and a genuine smile.

“I’m Three.” Three greeted. “Don’t worry One, I won’t experiment on him. I have lots of toys you can play with. We can have fun like automatons that become clowns under an immortal sun.” She offers.

“Two… he he...”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Two.” He greets. She smiles ever so slightly. But before they can continue their introductions, they are interrupted.

“Lady One.” the servant says obliviously.

“What?” she demands to know.

“Lady Zero has infiltrated the Cathedral City. Troops are already being dispatched as we speak.”

“Dammit.” she curses. “Everyone. We proceed as planned.” With great dissatisfaction, they all begin to leave.

“Wait!” she shouted before they left the room. “When this is done, let’s all take a picture together, alright?”

One by one, she sees her sister’s songs begin in the distance. With every song, she knows Zero comes closer and closer to her. She’s done waiting.

“Gabriel.”

“It’ll be zero soon enough!” Glynda shouts, and sends the daggers flying towards Zero and Tyrian. Her target is Tyrian, but she still wants to help one however she can. Both are barely scraped, but Zero seems shocked nonetheless.

“Dragonbone… Who the hell are you, bitch?!” she spits out with her traitorous tongue.

“Miss Goodwitch, soooo nice to see you again. A shame your death won’t be permanent!” Tyrian shouts as he launches himself towards her. Swiftly, she sends some of the daggers at him, and the rest at Zero as she makes her way towards One and Gabriel. However, Tyrian just requires too much attention, and is forced to recall the ones sent after Zero.

“Come on Zero! Hop on!” she hears the dragon say. She didn’t expect him to sound like a child.

“Tch. You just had to show up and make things difficult, didn’t you?” she said in a caustic tone.

“Well I can’t defy the will of my Goddess, now can I?” he answers with a wicked smile. “Buut, I think I would have loved to show up and ruin your day anyways.”

“Figures.” she states. What else would she expect of the devout madman? She keeps throwing the large daggers at him, cycling through them to ensure that he is offered no openings.

“Can’t you be any more fun to fight? I’ve been soooo bored lately.” he complains like a murder loving child. He deflects a dagger back to her, but she tilts her head to dodge it.

“No.” Was there any other answer she would give? Yes? I’ll kill you right now, just come a little closer, deadly murderer?

“I guess I have to do allll the heavy lifting then.” he says like he’s unhappy with the task. With a berserker mindset, he goes on the offensive, but has little success. He is thrown back with magical telekinesis, though he can't tell if it was magic or semblance, not that he knew enough to even wonder that.

She uses the daggers as stairs to get far out of his reach. Using her magic, she brought forth the debris below. It would be a hailstorm of detritus that he would not be able to withstand. Broken swords, large boulders, catapults, spear tips, and a few trees targeted him like flies to honey. However, Tyrian proved to be more slippery than sticky.

She heard him scream something, but was too focused to make out what he was yelling about. She had hoped the trail mix of debris would take care of him, but things were never so easy with Tyrian. That is why she kept her Dragon-Bone Daggers by her side. Just when he thought he had her, she jammed one right into his back. He didn’t even see it coming. With her semblance, she sent him crashing down. She sent down two more daggers to penetrate his arms for good measure.

“YOU FUCKING WHORE!” she heard him wail in agony as she descended on the remaining two daggers. “I WILL NOT LOSE! MY GODDESS DEMANDS IT!” With incredible resolve, he picks himself up and lurches towards her. She could see that a random spear pierced a leg in his fall. Blood runs from his wounds and mouth, yet, he goes on. “I, WILL NOT, LET, HER DOWN! I, WILL, NOT, LET, HER, DOWN!” he repeats like it is a mantra “I, WILL―” He doesn’t finish as a dagger embeds itself in his throat. He falls to his knees.

“Tell her Ozpin sends his regards.” she tells him through heavy breathing. She sees him fade into nothingness, almost like a grimm, and hears The Final Song begin. Above her, a pretty flower can be seen blossoming: The Flower.

“What the hell did you do One?” Zero asks as they circle the Flower on their dragons.

“I, I don’t know.” she answers.

“So you don’t know how you just started breathing fire? You know, the fire tHAT FUCKING FORCED THE FLOWER OUT OF ME!?!” Zero screams out. The flower that once covered her eye is gone now. A long scar has taken its place

“It could have something to do with Aura and my and Gabriel’s pact, or it could be my semblance…” One ponderd.

“Meaning???”

“I’ll explain later. We have The Flower to kill. I’ll take care of the rings. You see if you can hurt it physically. If we’re lucky, maybe your semblance will manifest soon, and into something useful.”

“Sure. Whatever. Mikail, up.”

“Got it!”

“The Flower… It was always our enemy.” Four says solemnly as she looks at her eldest sisters in the sky above.

“And Zero. Her goal to kill us wasn’t as wicked as we believed.” Three realizes aloud.

“But why would One hide this from us?” Two, having regained her mind, wonders.

“I don’t know.” Five answers.

“For the same reason she hid Brother One: she didn’t know if she could trust you all. The Flower had its grip on all the Intoners. And with you all, the grip was tighter. But unlike Zero, One believed The Flower could be defeated with her younger sisters still alive in the end.” Glynda explains.

“So what do we do now? We just can’t stand down here and do nothing!” Four shouts.

“Now that The Flower’s power is no longer within us, I don’t think there is much we can do.” Three hypothesizes.

“Only a dragon, or an Intoner can even harm The Flower.” Two mentions. “And none of us are Intoners anymore, and none of us have dragons.”

“But, We have Dragon-Bone weapons.” She says as she brings out the daggers gifted to her. “With my magic, I can send us all up there to help.”

“WAIT!” They hear a male voice shout. “Wait!” He shouts again.

“Brother?” Five asks. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the tower?”

“I’m done hiding.” he huffs as he catches his breath. “I want to be here to help you all.” He eagerly says with determination as she unsheathes his sword.

“It’s settled then.” Glynda says as she gives the younger sisters a Flower killing dagger. “There’s no turning back now, and there’s no other way forward. We will kill this Flower. Say it! We will kill The Flower!” She orders.

“We Will Kill The Flower!” the siblings shout in unison as they all ascend to atone for the Intoners they once were.

A single flower gently sways as it falls to the ground. Its five petals are a brilliant, incomparable white. Each had birthed an image of an intoner, an image in the medium of massless salt. Each Beast had fallen, so now, its remains fall. Softly, it lands perfectly onto the cobblestone ground of the Cathedral City. Zero stabs it with her sword for good measure.

“Goodbye you fucking piece of shit.” she insults. For better measure, One sets it aflame. They all watch, bruised and bloody, as it burns an unparalleled black, the color of its predecessor, and ashes into nothingness.

“So what now?” Mikail asks, breaking the silence.

“I’m gonna crash at your place, One. Nobody bother me for a week.” Zero exaggerated as she walked to the main cathedral where One resides.

“A good rest is in order for all of you.” Glynda says. “You’ve all earned it.”

“Agreed. We can all discuss this in the morning, or whatever.” One drones out, most tired of them all probably. With that, they all weakly make their way towards One’s residence.

Brother One sleeps soundly, glad he no longer has to hide. Five falls asleep wondering what her life will be like now that The Flower no longer influences her desires. Four falls asleep almost unable to comprehend what transpired. Three falls asleep in a way that feels different than before. Two cries that she is herself once more, and that she is without Cent. One wonders what will become of her younger sisters now that they know the truth. Zero falls asleep, questioning what she will do with her life now that she has one to call her own.

Two is the first awake. She always was, as she was in charge of breakfast, and all the other cooking when she was with her sisters. When they were younger, she imagined she would always be cooking for her sisters, and cooking with the one she loved someday. For the longest time, she didn’t know what he would look or be like. Then she saw Cent, and knew he was the one. He saw her, and knew she was the one. They say it is better to have loved and lost that love, to have never loved at all. She isn’t sure what to think of the saying. The memories of them together are too painful, but she would never want to live without them, even if some of them were implanted by The Flower. Quietly, and sadly, she opens the door to the kitchen.

“Hello, Lady Three.” A voice greets, a voice she recognizes instantly.

“Cent! Oh Cent you’re alive!” She shouts with incredible joy as she runs to him and holds onto him tightly. “But how?”

“Zero. She and that other woman gathered us up and somehow turned us back. Can’t say I know how though.” He answers his lady as they embrace each other.

“All that matters is that you’re alive. I’m never letting you go ever again!” she says as she kisses him. He kisses her back, and intends to never leave her again. Together, they make a wonderful breakfast.

“Good evening Zero.” One greets as she takes a bite of eggs and bacon.

“Morning sleepyhead!” Five says as she moves onto her second plate. Was it morning, or evening then? Did it really matter?

“I made sure we saved a plate for you.” Two says as she leads Zero to her seat.

“Thanks.” she replies.

“And you have my gratitude for reviving the disciples. It will be good to have a willing test subject.” Three thanks.

“Gnnnnhh. Truly. I must thank you too, Lady Zero.” Decadus groans.

“Keep it in your pants freak, I’m trying to eat here.” Dito tells the masochist. Four wipes away a tear.

“Thank you Zero. I’m so glad I have someone who understands me.” Four says, sounding like she’s about to really cry.

“Whatever. If anything, thank the Goodwitch woman. She did most of the heavy lifting. I just did some magic mumbo jumbo Michael taught me to pull it all together.”

“Really? Then you have our thanks too, Glynda.” Brother One said, and the others thanked her as well.

“You’re all welcome. I’m just glad I could help.” She said as she returned to eating.

Zero looked around at the table. Seeing her sisters and not immediately be filled with the urge to kill them was new. It would take some getting used to. However, she could not help but feel in the back of her mind that it was all wrong. But, she there was no reason to feel that way anymore. The Flower was gone. They were no longer Intoners. They were just normal humans now, laughing, joking, wincing at the bruises than littered their body, being a family. Her goal was always to die. Even just last night, she considered it. Her life was hers now, no longer a slave to The Flower’s demise. She wasn’t even sure life would be good enough to live, but seeing her sisters, the disciples, and the woman that helped them, she knew that she at least had to try. At least for Mikhail too.

“Hey, where’s Mikhail? The big baby is probably hungry.” She said.

“With Gabrielle. He’s teaching her how to fly. Don’t worry though, they already ate.” One responded.

“Daemonification is that easy to undo huh?” Zero wondered, almost finished with her plate. She was more hungry than she thought.

“Yes, and no.” One answered with a hint of sadness. Zero didn’t press any further.

“When you arrived,” One began, “we promised we would all take a picture together when the fight was over.”

“Cocky, weren’t you?” Zero teased.

“Did someone say cock? Mmmmmhhnnnn I could really take some of that right now.” Five looked up, mid bite.

“Yeah, it’s just outside that window. You might have to lean out reeeeeal far to reach it.” Zero said. Quickly, she got up and ran to the window. Octa followed her, shouting that Zero was joking, that there was no cock outside the supposed makeshift gloryhole.

“That’s cruel, Zero... ” Five said angrily as she crossed her arms. She laughed, along with Four, Brother One, and Goodwitch. Yes, this life would be fine. It was certainly off to a better start than her previous ones.

“Alright everyone, five seconds!” Glynda shouted as she ran back to join the group. The former Intoners, the disciples, Mikail, and a baby Gabrielle readied themselves for the picture. Mikail lay regaly as Zero told him, and Gabrielle copied him as she sat in One’s lap. She was only a short matter of time before she would be too big for that.

Glynda took a spot next to One, standing tall and proud. Five posed sexily, showing her best assets, Octa Stood next to her, doing his best to accentuate her features. Four stood in a basic, refined posture, and Dito relaxed as he leaned on Three. Three was forced to stand upright at first by Four, but resumed her natural hunched state when she looked away. Decadus stood rigidly with his arms behind his back, smiling at the camera. He relished having to be in such an uncomfortable position. Two and Cent lovingly gazed into each other’s eyes as they held hands. One and Brother One sat side by side towards the front. Brother One rested his hands in his lap, while One rested hers on little Gabrielle. And lastly, Zero took a comfortable seat on Mikhail’s tail, which was spread in front of One and Brother One. She couldn't stand just looking at the device, so she looked off into the distance.

With a click, the photo was taken.

“Oh thank goodness you’re back!” Ozpin said with a sigh of relief.

“What’s wrong? I was only gone for a week.” she said.

“Noo, you’re a daaaay late. You, need a tardy slip now, hehe.” Qrow chuckled drunkenly. No surprise there.

“Odd… Well, I’m alright. And you’ll be happy to know I learned much, despite the ‘complications.’”

“Complications?”

“Well, not exactly complications, but I’ll fill you in later.”

“As long as you’re safe and sound then.” Oz says as he takes a sip of his drink. “Hopefully James returns on time then.”

“Oh, General Ironwood joined after all?” Glynda asked.

“Yes, sent to find out about the technology of that world.”

“I’m sure he learned much then. It’s surprisingly advanced.”

“Hey, G, what’d ya bring me?” Qrow asked as he noticed souvenirs.

“A kick to the dick.” she growled.

“Damn, okay, nevermind then.” he said, astonished, and went back to nursing the bottle.

“Sorry.” she apologized. “I haven’t been around the most… I've been with some people with colorful language recently. But if you must know what I brought, these are gifts from them.” A bag of beautiful seashells from Five, the centaur dish recipe from Four, a well-crafted doll from Three, a hand-knit sweater from Two, the daggers from One, a sheet of clean, exquisite fabric from Brother One, and Zero’s sword. In a pocket, she held a few thank you letters.

It’s not like I need it anymore. Just hurry up and take the damn thing already. Zero told her when she refused at first. She wasn’t going to argue after that. It was a very beautiful sword, after all.

Before they could even react, James was before them.

“Hello James h─” Ozpin paused to stare at the sword he was holding. “What is that?” he glared at the thing just as it soaked up the last of the blood. “Oh gods what happened to you!?” he cried out, just noticing the broken arm.

“I’ve been through worse.” He said as he let go of the handle and let the sword fall to the ground. He then walked over to Qrow. “Gimme.” he ordered as he snatched the bottle out of his hand.

“Hey! You’ve crossed a liiine Jimmy!” Qrow slurred as he launched himself at the cyborg. Ironwood easily dodged it and downed the thing as Qrow lay on the floor. With a groan, he tossed the bottle onto the couch, and wiped his mouth.

“General...”

“Yes, miss Goodwitch?”

“What is that in your hair?” she asked cautiously.

“Hmm? Oh, this?” he said as he held the flower out in front of him. “Hmm, a Lunar Tear. Pretty flower, aren’t they? They’re bioluminescent, and rather rae=re. I imagine they would be very popular and sell well.”

“Wooowwwwww, only one, Jimbooo? Welllll I got four!” Qrow exclaimed as he pulled four crumpled flowers out of his pocket and threw them up in the air. With deadly precision, she sent the Dragon-Bone daggers to kill the flowers.

“Umm, Miss Goodwitch? Don’t you think that was─”

“Sing.” she ordered as she pointed Zero’s Sword at them.

“Glynda, are you alright?” Oz asked with concern evident in his voice.

“Yes. I know what I’m doing. You’ll just have to trust me.” she reassures him, not taking her eyes of Ironwood for a moment. “Now sing! Or you won’t be half human for much longer.”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.” He belts out fearfully.

“Ooo, Jimmy can sing!” Qrow teases.

“You’re clear.” she states. Ironwood lets out a sigh of relief as she makes her way to Qrow.

“Start singing little birdie.” Glynda commands Qrow as she points the tip of the sword to his neck. He gulps.

“a, b, c, d, e, f, g!” Qrow screeches out.

“Dear gods, enough!” she yells as she covers her ears. “You’re clear! You’re clear!”

“H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P!” He screeches even louder.

“I will kill you to shut you up!” she tells him as she pushes the sword towards his neck. Qrow giggles as he finishes and she pulls away the sword.

“Those things,” she says, pointing towards the Lunar Tears stabbed into the wall, “are related to The Flower, a force of magic that not even you, or Salem could compare to.” Glynda tells Ozpin.

While Ozpin tends to Ironwood’s arm, she begins her story, from the forest and Sleeping beauty, to meeting One, introducing aura to that world, learning from her library, meeting the other intoners, and finally facing the Flower.

“What, the fuck?” Qrow commented as she finished.

“Correct me if I’m wrong. The most powerful magic in the world is a song.” Ironwood said as he furrowed his brows

“The Song.” she corrected.

“And it was granted by a flower.”

“The Flower.” she corrects once more.

“And The Flower, which only a dragon can kill, granted it to them so they could corrupt and destroy humanity.”

“Yes.” she confirms.

“Sure. Why not.” James sighs. “Salem’s pretty much doing the same thing, just less convoluted.”

“Mind control, angels, creating life, creating monsters, a near unstoppable disease, a pact with god, it is a truly fearful power you were dealing with.”

“Well, I took care of it with some friends. Oh yeah, and I ran into Tyrian. I told him to send Salem our regards.” She smiles.

“Nice.” he says as he hi-fives her.

“How about you Qrow? What’s your story?” James asks out of curiosity.

“Don’t remember all of it, and no, it’s not because of drinking.” he responds.

“There was an error in the magic, I believe, and it split his consciousness across multiple timelines.” Ozpin clarifies.

“Lucky me, huh?”

“Hmm, another error in the magic is probably why your arm didn’t return as it should have.”

“That portal isn’t sounding as safe as you made it out to be, Oz.” Qrow said, now more sober than before.

“In my defense, magic is fickle. Well, you all won’t have to return there ever again at least.” Ozpin stated. They all seemed a bit sad at the realization.

“That world, I know that it was pretty messed up, but it wasn’t so bad.” Qrow says. An image of Two floating books, two children, and two teens pops into his head, as does another image. This one has the two teens and the white book sitting around a campfire with a floating, clothed skeleton thing. It didn’t seem worth mentioning.

“I’ll agree with you there. It was nice, overall… Mostly. I think I’d go again, given the chance.” James said as he lay on a makeshift bed. Thinking of all the people he met, it was a blessing, but thinking of that last shade…

“It was an interesting experience, to say the least, but by no means a bad one.” Glynda comments. She thinks back to the ones she met on her journey, from the program Sleeping Beauty, to the Intoner family. “By no means a bad one.” she repeated at a slower pace. She took out a picture, to reminisce, to make sure she would always remember.

#The Remnat Branches #glynda goodwitch #rwby #nier #drakengard 3 #CH. 3 - Would You Like To Hear A Song? Or Perhaps See A Pretty Flower?#Yeah #im just gonna do the series like this now. way quicker.#I still really love how i had the intoner sisters interact #maybe ill adapt it into a fic that can stand alone from this someday #14.3k words

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peachlolitasevillacourtstuff · 5 years ago

Text

pmatga swap au (chapter 2)

It all starts in the morning at pac's school and his friends, pac as usual he always got up first to eat all his breakfast, this time he saw how his two friends chatted and tasted their breakfast, pac hardly knew that both of them they began their relationship.

"There are these two that would have occurred to you this morning"

he questioned himself, as he saw them the pac communicator started to ring, it was Sir.c who had called them, it seemed to be an emergency.

"GUYS! CALL US AT THE ROUND HOUSE!"

Scream pac towards cyli and spiral

"seriously let's go!"

Cyli said preparing

"Yes, don't forget about me!"

Spiral affirmed rising from his chair, during the direct way to the round house they could notice a large number of ambulances and police investigators, when entering the president's house they noticed much concern especially in the two guard backs of the president.

"What happened gentlemen, something happened with the president"

Cyli asked one of them.

"We do not know how it was, the president was asleep and until we heard a scream, and we intervened in his room and found him in a kind of catatonic state"

I affirm the bodyguard.

"What did they see?"

I ask again

"Obviously to the catatonic president, and if it were not the most terrifying thing, we found in his room a lot of scratches on the wall, as if a lion attacked him"

answered

"a lion would not have been betrayus"

he said clashing his fists pac

"then walk .."

the three went to president spheros, he was next to some nurses and scorers, he said what had attacked him last night, it was nothing out of the ordinary, president spheros had some bandages on his back, where he highlighted the Blood, Pac and his team only thought of one thing. Betrayus.

"Mr. President, are you better yet?"

"Yes for now"

he answered calmly

"Can you say what happened?"

"everything was fast and terrifying, it was like I came out of a movie, while I was sleeping I heard a fluid in my very cold and cutting, at first I thought it was the air conditioning, but I heard a photo break"

"could see what it was"

"Not at first, but I heard a very unbearable noise as if it were nails to the wall, until I heard a murmur in the background"

"saw what his appearance was like"

"Well, he suddenly appeared and attacked me and scratched me, I couldn't identify him, but since he had sharp claws I assumed he was my brother"

"As I suspected! betrayus was the one who did it!"

He said something annoying

"What do you propose to do boy?"

asked the president

"Betrayus has already done too much, but this was too much, enough to hit rock bottom"

"That's the way pacster is spoken!"

"Now let's go to the underworld and kick ass slime!"

Pac and his team said with much encouragement and even began to take all possible weapons and berries against betrayus, they would not let that evil ghost stun them again.

"Good luck, boys"

Sir.c said giving them a thumbs up

"there is no Sir.c"

Then Pac and his team went with the vehicle directly to the underworld to catch Lord Betrayus, on the other hand in the Sir.c round house as he had no more ideas of what to do next, he went directly to his laboratory where he began to Use among all your own things to see what ideas you had for this occasion.

"WAU! WAU! WAU!"

Fuzbits Ladro

"Oh fuzbitz are you hungry little rabbi?"

I ask

"Wau!"

he said shaking his head up and down

"That for me is a yes without a doubt"

"Excuse me Sir.c ..."

said a soft and sharp voice behind him, it was a white sphere with freckles, orange eyes, brown hair and split ends with a certain and little similarity to Lord Betrayus when he was still living.

"cedrick!"

said surprised Sir.c

"Your father has told you a dozen times not to enter this laboratory, what are you doing here?"

I ask

"He'll be fine right?"

"you know that yes son, the cut that tube was not so deep"

he replied with a kind smile

"Okay Sir.c, hello fuzbits and grinder!"

cheerfully greet you

"hahaha, there are these children now"

changing the scene we go to the side of pac and his team already in the underworld attacking and absorbing the ghosts, the ghosts tried to defend lord betrayus as best as possible, but the efforts were very futile.

"WHAT THEY DO USELESS! REINFORCE THAT DOOR!"

I yell at them Lord Betrayus.

"That we try my lord"

said one of the ghosts trying to reinforce the door

"Because that little lemon changes roles"

I beg Dr.Buttocks

"I don't know, just make him leave here!"

"You heard Master Betrayus already! Get that lemon and his team out of our master's room!"

Dr.buttocks deftly reaffirmed, however the efforts of the ghosts turned in vain and pac and his team suddenly entered ready to catch lord betrayus.

"WAAAAHHH! MAMI!"

Cowardly shout betrayus shielding buttlers.

"it's over betrayus! this time you hit bottom on us on the surface"

said pacstar approaching and at the same time devouring Dr.Buttocks very angry

"What do you mean!"

"For a long time we endured your tantrum, and now for attacking our president you will be detained on this occasion and forever"

he said turning into a cap of steel

"HAY! HAY! DO NOT STAY AWAY FROM ME"

I beg betrayus

"no, not today"

He pulled his elongated magnet tongue out of his mouth, and caught Lord Betrayus right there in his mouth, Betrayus was trying to escape, but Pac kept him very much held between his teeth and his tongue.

"now guys"

He said trying to keep Betrayus from coming out, at the same time Cylindra and Spiral were carrying a high resistance flask, when Pac vomited up Betrayus Cylindra's eyes with all his speed, he easily grabbed the floating eyes of Betrayus and put them in the flask, making it impossible for him to escape there.

"This bottle will be impossible to escape betrayus, now if we win"

later after that game won, finally after a long time they managed to do what they think impossible to take as a prisoner lord betrayus rather only his eyes, which were in a jar and right now they were about to freeze him so that the ghostly attacks would not return.

"For bringing peace and security back to the world-pac, and finally capturing my brother's wretched man, I compensate you not only as the hero of world-pac, but also as the guardian between life and death"

the president said, giving a large medal with a gem with the appearance of the planet pac, and thus showing the greatness of pacman to the whole world, and in turn that in the main square of the city they carved a large golden statue in the image and resembling pac, the yellow sphere.

"waaaaaaw .. you are not fascinated by my boy pac saved us all! and now we are free"

Pinky said vulgarly

"yes pinky, you and your fantasies"

he said in mock blinky

"Hahaha yes that blinky joke"

she said in annoyance

"Well now that betrayus has been defeated and locked up again and for life, what are we going to do?"

I question inky

"I don't know, we helped pac and his team for a long time, maybe they will return our bodies .."

said clyde excited

"If that if we go to the round house for our bodies!"

The 4 said, going to where Pac was, in the round house they all celebrated after a long time freeing themselves from the constant ghostly attacks of Lord Betrayus, and today had arrived that day.

"dear heavens, finally that idiot crybaby had that deserved, we didn't even want him here"

said his aunt spheria clapping him

"hehe don't thank me aunt .."

pac river

"Hey auntie now that Lord Betrayus is gone, what are we going to do?"

"I guess they will graduate easily, these ghostly adventures will only be forgotten"

"What do you know about love aunt?"

I ask uncomfortable

"love, well, knowing your mother and Sir.c, let's say that sometimes you become blind, but it is not so bad, at first it is a friendship, but then it becomes more profound, because you ask"

"Cyli and spi, they're dating .."

"seriously good for the 2"

he said rejoicing

"it's okay"

I reaffirm seeing how the two of them rubbed their noses, after that Pac went for a walk among the gardens of the round house without prior notice he saw that the gang of ghosts approached Pac, Pac was not afraid of them because he already knew them.

"Hello blinky, inky, pinky and clyde, what are you doing here?"

"well we were wondering if already .."

Clyde said uncomfortable

"yes what?"

"Our bodies are returned to us, it is that we help them a lot and betrayus no longer controls us, and we no longer have any sense of continuing to do it in the underworld"

"mmmmhh .. I didn't even think about that I will talk to the president"

"oh yes thanks pac! i love you"

said pinky crazy as she tries to kiss him

"HEY! Hey! Pinky not so fast!"

said pac embarrassed

"Leave her there is not going to change our crazy opinion"

I reaffirm blinky

"good, I'll come quickly"

He said going to the office of the president, when he entered, he saw everything calm as he always saw from the window of the president the view of every day, perhaps it feels like this the president spheros every day.

* CRAAACK! *

"WHAT WAS THAT!"

Pac ran to where the noise came from, it came from the president's room when he entered there was almost nothing, he thought that maybe it was a mouse or a lost bird.

"Mr. pacman, what are you doing in my room?"

said the president in surprise behind him

"Wah! Mr. President, would I like to ask you a question?"

"Which boy?"

"well now that betrayus has been detained and forever is a good time for blinky, inky, pinky and clyde ... you know, return their bodies"

"That, I'm afraid that won't be possible boy .."

replied the president

"WHAT! BUT IF I PROMISE THAT BECAUSE NOW HE SAYS NO !?"

"It is simple pac, the gang is not registered in the warehouse, they died at different times, the warehouse was built shortly after my brother died"

"Heavens, I don't know how I'm going to tell you this"

he said discouraged

"Don't worry son, be honest, they will understand ..."

Pac knowing the disappointment his ghost friends will have, he had no choice, he should have told them, but he would not know how they would react to the news.

"Boys.."

"well pac said yes!"

asked the 4 excited

"The truth, I don't know how to explain, the president told me that their bodies ..."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH !!!"

A scream was heard coming from not far away

"OH GOD! THE PRESIDENT IS IN DANGER AGAIN!"

Said he taking an ice berry and going straight to the president's room

"NO PLEASE! WHO ARE YOU! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!"

I ask scared stratos

"I've waited a long time for this moment, but I've never seen myself so cowardly in this world"

he added with an evil smile.

#pmatga #pacman and the ghostly adventures #pac man and the ghostly adventures #au #fanfic #my art #Spheros #president spheros

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dalekofchaos · 6 years ago

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List of ways they could’ve handled Luke in the Sequel Trilogy

My other Sequel trilogy wasted potential posts

Rey

Finn

Poe

Rose

Luke

Han

Leia

Kylo Ren

Hux

Captain Phasma

Snoke

Actually use Luke in The Force Awakens. Don’t waste Mark Hamill. Don’t exclude him from marketing. Don’t force him to be on a mountain and say no lines whatsoever.

Have Luke’s big reveal be on Starkiller Base. Use Mark Hamill’s suggestion. ‘You can still have me come in at the very end, but how about this. How about Leia’s trying to contact me telepathically, she gets frustrated because there’s no answers, so she rushes to the new Death Star’–that’s three, so far.”He continued, “‘And she almost gets there but she gets stopped by two Stormtroopers and, just before she’s abducted, one Stormtrooper turns to the other one, blows him away, pulls off his helmet and says “Hi, sis, I’m here to rescue you.”‘ I say, ‘It’ll blow the roof off the joint, I’m still in it at the very end.'”“I think it’s more effective to have people that really have a history with Han Solo witness his death and be unable to stop it,” the actor claimed. “His wife, the mother of his child, his best friend, instead of two characters that have known him, what, 20 minutes?”

Use Mark’s other suggestion. After Finn is knocked unconscious, have the person who lifts the Skywalker Lightsaber be Luke. Luke duels Kylo and defeats his nephew and saves Rey and Finn. I know Jedi and force sensitives are more durable than normal people, but if you are thrown into a tree, you are going to be unconscious for at least an hour. So yes Luke being the one to lift the lightsaber would’ve been much better. It would’ve been a great entrance. The entire audience would have been cheering as they witness Luke’s return. Luke helps Chewie getting Rey and Finn aboard the Falcon and returns to D’Qar. Reunites with Leia and ends with Luke, Rey and Finn flying to the Ancient Jedi Temple on Ach-To preparing to train the new Jedi.

Luke grieves for Han

Luke actually trying to help Ben as a Padawan, but it is in vain as he already turned to the dark side and made his choice.

Luke will tell Rey why he left the map behind. He wanted Leia to come and find him. It is revealed that Luke did not run away, did not even consider running away, but rather went looking for the Jedi’s beginnings find the balance of dark and light–Luke Skywalker felt Rey and Finn awaken across half the galaxy, and settled on Ach-To, and waited.

Let Luke and Rey have a meaningful mentor and student relationship. Luke trains Rey, Rey develops her skills and Rey has a father figure that shows her place in the galaxy

Reveal that Luke is Rey’s father. After Rey falls into the dark side cave, Luke finds her and brings her near the fire and is there to comfort her. Then the revelation happens. Rey says “I’ve never felt so alone.” And we get Luke telling her “the force is strong in my family. My father had it, I have it, my sister has it and my daughter has it” “There is a reason you dreamed of this place.” “You were never meant to be left on Jakku…I thought you died the night in the academy.” “All those years. I was so alone.” “I know. I’m sorry.” “Did you ever try to find me?” “Of course. For so long I searched the galaxy for you. Everyone said that you had died that night in the temple, that I should give up searching. But through the force, I could still feel you. I knew you were still alive. Every face I seen, it was your. Every voice I heard, it was yours. It drove me crazy. I came to this island, turned away from the force because it was so hard. Feeling that you were somewhere in the galaxy and being unable to find you. Seeing you in front of me right now… I’ve never felt so lucky.” And Rey with tears in her eyes. “I waited so long for you and your finally here” they embrace, father and daughter reunited.” Rey then asks about her mother. Luke sadly says “her name was Mara Jade and she loved you very much.” Rey why she was left on Jakku. “Because of your cousin Ben, Kylo Ren.” Luke tells her that after a decade of training Ben, and fighting to keep the dark side at bay, Ben turned to the dark side because his family kept the secret that Darth Vader was his grandfather. He still wanted to help his nephew and save him from Snoke. One night he went to him to talk to him, Ben saw this as Luke being afraid of his power and Ben was the one to strike first. And then he woke up to see the other Jedi Masters dead. His wife Mara Jade dead and even the younglings dead. Only six other Jedi left with Ben, those who would become the Knights Of Ren. Rey left with Ben because she trusted her cousin and she couldn’t find Luke or Mara. and Ben left her on Jakku where no one would ever find her because a part of him couldn’t kill his cousin.

If we had to have a broken Luke, what would bring him back, is his father. Basically have a Lion King moment with Anakin and Luke. "You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself Luke, you are more than what you have become." would've meant more in my opinion if it were Anakin who reached out to Luke than Yoda.

Luke wants to save Leia. He lifts his X-Wing and heads towards The Supremacy. Boards the ship and confronts Snoke. Luke will reveal his Green Lightsaber and Snoke’s own Black Lightsaber. They fight, while Rey and Kylo fights. Luke defeats Snoke, but Kylo cuts Rey’s hand off. Enraged, Luke knocks Kylo out with a force repulse. So Luke gives Chewie the signal and gets Rey to safety, while Luke heads back to his X-Wing.

On Crait as Finn is about to make his sacrifice, we see Luke’s X-Wing firing and destroying the mini death star.

Luke is actually there with his moment with Leia. He is there in person, not a force projection, he. is. there.

A true fight between Luke and Kylo. Kylo Ren orders every ship to fire on Luke AT-M6’s all firing but to everyone’s surprise, all blasts stop frozen in midair. Luke wipes the salt off his robes and sends the turbolasers right back at the AT-M6s and TIE-Fighters. Brings down the transports and Kylo’s shuttle and the Star Destroyers in orbit. Kylo descends from his crushed shuttle, preparing to kill his uncle. We have a real lightsaber battle between Luke and Kylo. Luke has his green lightsaber. Their blades clash. Their dialogue remains the same, but Luke is there. Luke is toying with Kylo, similar to how Vader toyed with him on Bespin. When Kylo makes his dramatic slut ™ lunge at Luke, but Luke dodges and cuts Kylo’s hand off. And finally Luke gives his “see you around kid” but Luke does not die, he leaves to board his X-Wing

It ends with Rey, Luke and Leia together, brother and sister holding onto Rey’s hand. A father and his daughter and her aunt. “We have everything we need

What they chose to do with Luke instead

Luke is not marketed at all in The Force Awakens and is on a mountain and is only there as a cameo with no lines whatsoever

The Force Awakens established that Luke left a map to be found. It is never brought up. Han said he left to find the Temple to the First Jedi. It is never brought up. Funny how what was established is never brought up in the movie whatsoever

Luke, Han and Leia do not reunite at all.

Luke gives up. Luke Skywalker is a beacon of hope and optimism and love against all odds, and the fact that that was twisted into being depicted as some foolish youth naivety, and that the only way to make him “human” was to retract all that and make him a bitter, jaded man is so fucking disgusting. Even more disgusting is in TLJ novelization had him dreaming of never leaving Tatooine and having him live under the Empire's dominance. He does not even care that his sister’s life and the Resistance she is leading is in danger. Jedi do not give up. You might say that Yoda and Obi-Wan also gave up. But for those two, the Sith took over the galaxy, they had to go into hiding to protect and guide Luke and Leia. Obi-Wan wanted to save Leia and guide Luke. Yoda always wanted to train Leia as a Jedi and bring Anakin back to the light. He was reluctant to train Luke but he still did his duty as a Jedi Master. They did not just give up and wanted to die and they did not betray their characters at all. Luke spends most of Last Jedi on a windswept island, brooding in solemn silence and frozen by indecision. He doesn’t connect with Rey on any meaningful level, doesn’t impart wisdom or knowledge, and never reasserts himself as the powerful Jedi he once was. A brief physical duel against Rey ends with her as the undisputed victor, completely killing his deserved mythos and her potential character arc in one fell swoop. It’s clear in that moment that he has nothing to teach her, and nothing to contribute to the overall narrative. The boundless potential that seemed poised to explode at the end of The Force Awakens fizzles here but never ignites. And without any training at all, Rey defeats Luke Skywalker and Luke acts all cowardly and begs her to leave. He does buy The Resistance time and saves his sister, but it was ultimately pointless. He wasn’t even there and he dies pointlessly. What we got was not Luke Skywalker. Luke Skywalker is hope and optimism. Luke Skywalker is showing that no matter what, compassion, faith and love will always prevail. Luke is the hero that inspired an entire generations to aspire to be better, aspire to be heroes. Luke is what we wanted to see and what we got was not Luke Skywalker. Luke is someone who thought Doctor Aphra was a good person, she proves him wrong but he still had that hope for her. Luke believed that Darth Vader of all people still had good in him and was willing to die and he was able to reach his father. In Battlefront II’s Story, Luke saves Del Meeko because he asked and he offered Del a better life, a choice. Inferno Squad has committed atrocities in the name of the Empire, yet Luke still gave Del Meeko a chance. Canon Luke Skywalker is a kind hearted hero who will never run from a fight or knowingly leave a loved one in danger and will even save his enemy. This is Luke Skywalker. Luke is compassionate, adores his family, would never leave them. The Luke Skywalker I knew would never even think about killing his nephew in his sleep when there is always another way. Luke believes in the light and was willing to die to save his father. Darth Vader committed atrocities for decades, Luke still believed there was good in him. He would never give up on his family nor would he even consider killing his own nephew in his sleep just because he sensed darkness there. He would never abandon his sister at death’s door when she needed him most. The Hero’s Journey that he was following was ignored completely and he just gave up and wanted to die. And he dies instead of reuniting with Leia properly. Mark Hamill wanted Luke to live until Episode IX where he would pass on what he learned to Rey. No big battle with Snoke, no passing on, instead Luke dies and all we’re getting is force ghost Luke. Luke Skywalker was a hero to an entire generation. Luke was the true heart of Star Wars. His was the journey we followed from idealistic farm boy dreaming of adventure, to reluctant warrior, and finally to savior of the entire galaxy. The original trilogy built him up, and The Last Jedi finally broke him down. I for one mourn my hero’s passing.

Luke Skywalker tries to murder his nephew in his sleep and is blamed for Ben Solo’s fall and Kylo Ren. Luke would not even think of trying to kill his nephew in his sleep. He would try to talk to him and try to pull him back to the light. His sister brought Ben there for protection and guidance. Even if that did fail, you did not need to make Luke attempt to murder him. You did not need to make Luke, Leia and Han at fault for Kylo Ren. Kylo is a grown ass man, he is responsible for his own actions. Kylo was going to murder the Jedi and younglings regardless, he already fell to the dark side. No one is responsible for Kylo’s actions but Kylo Ren.

Rey and Luke have no meaningful relationship. There is no teacher and student relationship. Luke teaches her nothing. Rey is already all powerful for.....reasons. He doesn’t even impart any sort of wisdom, guidance or a semblance that they even had a relationship or that he taught her anything. All he was towards Rey was a bitter old man trying to get the girl to leave her lawn. And all of a sudden “we passed on all we know” SINCE FUCKING WHEN??? Rey learned nothing all movie and we are to expect she learns everything off screen. We were deprived of a positive Rey and Luke mentor and student relationship and we were given complete garbage. What we should've gotten was Luke teaching Rey to feel the force, to build her own lightsaber and that attachments can lead you to the dark side if you let them, but they won't lead you to darkness if you control your emotions. A battle between Rey and Luke against Kylo and the Knights Of Ren. Rey abducted and Luke has to lift his X-Wing and board the Supremacy to save Rey. Luke fighting Snoke and Rey against Kylo. Rey loses her fight and loses a hand. Luke stops Snoke and takes Rey to escape. Luke blasts away the battering laser. Fights Kylo on Crait with his green lightsaber. Escapes and reunites with Leia and Rey. Instead we are given nothing.

Luke doesn’t grieve for Han. Han Solo is Luke’s best friend. They have been together for decades. We are not allowed to see Luke react to Han’s death or Luke to grieve that his best friend is dead. Han was a big influence and friend it was dismissed as if he barely knew him. To quote Mark Hamill on the matter “They had time for me to milk that big alien but to show any human emotion? Nah"

Luke’s last moment with Leia is ultimately pointless. He was there as a projection. His last moment with Leia was made meaningless. He wasn't even there. It was a great moment with Mark and Carrie, but it was ultimately a giant fuck you to everyone who loved Luke and Leia and wanted to see them reunite.

Luke’s confrontation with Kylo is ultimately meaningless. We are not allowed to see Luke Skywalker as a powerful Jedi Master. He does not wield his Green Lightsaber, he does not bring down all the AT-ATs, the transports, shuttles or bring down the star destroyers in orbit. He’s not even there thus making the confrontation with Kylo ultimately pointless. He toys with Kylo, but we don’t see a lightsaber fight between them.

Luke is only coming back as a force ghost and from the sound of it, it will only be a cameo.

Mark Hamill was ultimately disgusted with the direction they took with Luke. He is heartbroken that he never got to reunite with his friends and that Carrie is no longer with us. He now wishes that he’s done with Star Wars. He went from being excited to returning to the role that made his career and the character that he loves so much to being broken and apathetic. Crying on set and just being absolutely miserable throughout the whole affair. Mark did not return to play Luke Skywalker, he returned to play Jake Soywalker. It’s like Mark said “should’ve left well enough alone” Should’ve left the original trilogy alone and made your own story, but no, you had to break down Han, Luke and Leia to pointlessly build up these new characters. Mark Hamill and Luke Skywalker deserved better

Mark tried to warn us

youtube

#Luke Skywalker #Anti Lucasfilm #Anti JJ Abrams #Anti Rian Johnson #Anti TFA #Anti TLJ

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sweetteaanddragons · 6 years ago

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Implausible Character Interpretation: Fingon the Cowardly Lion

The fun thing about the Silmarillion is that with so little information about most of the characters, characterization is largely up to the fanfic author. Usually, though, there’s one or two characteristics that really aren’t all that arguable. Fingon, for instance, pretty much has to be valiant.

Doesn’t he?

As a fan of the Ciaphas Cain books, I knew it was possible for someone to have an impressive reputation, an impressive title, a genuine and impressive list of accomplishments . . . and still rather be absolutely anywhere other than the front lines where everyone keeps insisting on putting them.

So I decided to write this.

(If Fingon is your favorite character, please don’t take this as a genuine attack on his courage. Given the evidence, I agree that “valiant” probably is one of his main character traits. This was just done for the fun of seeing how far I could twist canon before it breaks.)

Fingon was six years old and visiting his cousins when he first heard stories about the monsters across the sea. He spent all night huddled up in his bed and watching the door with terrified eyes.

There was an uproar of some sort at breakfast - Ada and Uncle Feanor were fighting about something, he was too tired to really catch what - so Maedhros was the first one to notice the shadows under his eyes and come sit beside him. This meant Maedhros was now between him and the door that led down to the yawning maw of the cellar, so Fingon relaxed enough for the whole thing to come spilling out as soon as his older cousin asked.

He was a bit afraid Maedhros would laugh at him, but he didn’t. He just talked about how wide the ocean was separating them from the monsters, and how the elves had only gotten across it with the Valar’s help.

“And they certainly won’t help monsters cross it, will they?” Maedhros asked reasonably.

Fingon shook his head hesitantly.

“So you’ll probably never even see a monster,” Maedhros concluded. “But even if one did somehow get here, you wouldn’t have to worry about it. I’d never let it get you.”

Fingon had seen Maedhros practice with his sword, and his older cousin was already impossibly tall and might, he’d overheard, grow even more. Maedhros, he was quite sure, could protect him from just about anything.

Much cheered, he turned to his breakfast, but he made sure to stick close to Maedhros for the next few days.

Just in case.

When the light of the Trees went dark, Fingon froze.

Later, when someone else managed to get torches going and it was noticed that he, unlike most everyone else, wasn’t covered in scrapes and bruises from running around and bumping into things in the dark, he was commended on his bravery and sense.

Fingon smiled and deflected the compliments and got to work doing what needed to be done.

Sense, he told himself firmly. It had been sensible. Everyone said so.

He didn’t remember deciding to be sensible, though. He just remembered the choking terror as the illusion of safety was ripped away, and he realized that anything, absolutely anything, could be hiding in the dark.

When they got to Alqualonde, the first thing he saw was the fire.

There was a great mass of fighting on the docks, and Fingon had no idea what was going on - Was Melkor not the only one who had been hiding a monstrous face behind a fair shape? Were their Teleri kin monsters too?

He didn’t know. It was hard to know anything in a world lit only by nightmarish flames, but he saw the bright red flags of his cousins, and he could hear Maedhros calling to rally his soldiers, and if Maedhros was in the middle of it, that’s where he should be too.

It was like the stories, he told himself. Just charge into glorious battle, and victory and heroism would follow. Maybe that would wash away the memory of terror.

He charged forward. His men followed after him and then -

And then -

His sword was dripping red. His arm was dripping red too. That was probably significant.

All he could really focus on was that he’d just thrown up in an alley mostly ignored by the larger battle, and that it was only the way his hand was braced against the stone wall that was keeping him standing.

And Maedhros was there, holding his hair back from his neck, keeping a wary eye out for anyone who might try to take advantage.

“You’re alright,” he said soothingly. “It’ll be alright.”

Fingon stared down at the mess he had made and faced the terrible truth. “I’m a coward.”

“You are not,” Maedhros said firmly. “There is no shame in - We’re fighting our kin, Fingon. There is no shame in feeling the horror of that.”

Yet Maedhros had not been the one to lurch away from the battle to do this.

He couldn’t tell Maedhros that, though. He had no interest in trying to convince Maedhros he was wrong. He couldn’t bear the thought of someone looking at him and knowing about the terrible choking terror that hadn’t left him since the lights went out and knowing him for what he was.

Easier to face a battle than to face that.

He forced himself to pick his sword up from where he’d dropped it like a fool and to push himself away from the wall. “I’m ready,” he said hoarsely. “Let’s do this.”

Maedhros clapped him on the shoulder. “Stay close,” he said. “We’ll watch each other’s backs.”

You mean you’ll watch to make sure I don’t start throwing up on the enemy instead of stabbing them, Fingon thought, but his relief at the idea was far too great to argue with him.

The Valar told them to turn back. The Doom they laid was heavy, and with every word, more of Fingon’s tentative hope that this would get better was stripped away.

There was no point in going. No hope for victory. Just death and more death, and no way out.

Uncle Feanor gave a rousing speech, and it seemed to ignite everyone else.

Everyone but Uncle Finarfin and some of his people, and Fingon badly wanted to turn to his father and say, “Look, they’re leaving, it’s not too late, we can turn back too.”

But his father came up to him and thanked him for everything he’d been doing to help on the journey with weary, grieving eyes, and all Fingon’s courage fled.

“Of course,” he said and got back to work.

Fingon stared across the sea at the distant flames. Beside him, his father said Uncle Feanor’s name like a curse. “He’s abandoned us.”

Abandoned - ?

Everyone else’s angry murmurs clicked together in his head.

He had seen the flames and assumed whatever horrors awaited had burned them, but if everyone else thought it was more likely Uncle Feanor had, Fingon couldn’t argue with them. It did seem rather in character.

Uncle Feanor had burned the ships.

Shameful relief swept through him. They couldn’t possibly cross the ocean now. No one would blame them for not following.

At that moment, he could have happily hugged Uncle Feanor.

“We’ll have to cross the Ice,” his father said grimly.

His momentary shameful exultation fled and was replaced by sinking dread.

Of course. That was the courageous thing to do. They would cross the Ice.

Fingon flung himself into logistics, into supplies, into mediating disputes, into doing anything, anything at all, that meant he wouldn’t have to think.

The Grinding Ice was a slow slog of constant frozen terror kept manageable only by its monotony.

It’ll be better when we get there, Fingon told himself, told everyone who flagged or wept or looked nearly ready to give in. It’ll be better then.

What he kept to himself was the frantic thought that, It has to be.

The sun rose when they arrived, and with it came back some of Fingon’s hope. The light had come back. Surely now things really would get better.

Then Ada marched furiously into the Feanorians’ camp, and Fingon tagged along, blood tinged memories of Alqualonde playing on constant repeat. It couldn’t happen again. Not with such close kin.

Could it?

It was Maglor that came out to meet them, which surprised Fingon a bit, but maybe it shouldn’t have. Everyone knew Maglor had a gilded tongue. He was probably a good choice.

Apparently his father disagreed. “Where is Feanor?” he demanded. “I hadn’t thought he would hide behind his sons.”

Maglor’s eyes flashed. “He did not,” he agreed. “He never once hid. But the enemy’s forces did.”

Fingon’s eyes went wide as the implication hit. His father actually stumbled back a half-step.

“He’s dead?”

“Yes.”

Fingon had no idea how long it had been, but even now, it was plain it wasn’t easy for Maglor to say.

And suddenly it seemed significant that Feanor’s eldest son was also gone. “Where’s Maedhros?” he asked, the cold pit of fear that was always in his stomach now growing larger.

“Taken,” Maglor said with equal grief. “We sent out patrol after patrol to try to take him back. None of them ever - We had to stop.”

There was more to the meeting after that, Fingon knew. There must have been because he knew it ended with shouting and his father stalking off.

He didn’t hear much of it, though.

The monsters had taken Maedhros. And if they could take him, than they could take anyone, anyone at all.

He’d wanted . . . He didn’t know what he’d wanted. Some air. To feel less like he was choking on the anger still boiling in the camp. To forget.

By the time it occurred to him that he’d gone too far, he’d gotten turned around, the sun was going down, and he could hear noises that didn’t sound at all friendly coming in behind him.

Run. He had to run. Even if the only direction free to was straight towards the greatest danger of all.

He ran and ran and ran, till his sides were heaving and his breath was coming in sobbing pants.

The sun was coming up by now. The noises were gone. He could turn around. Go back.

Assuming he could find his way free from this nightmare labyrinth of cliffs.

He sang as he walked. It was stupid, he knew, but the distraction of the music was the only thing keeping him from panicking.

He paused to take a breath, and he heard a faint voice singing back in reply.

Another elf! He hurried towards it eagerly. It sounded familiar, almost like -

Maedhros.

He broke into a run.

He nearly wept when he saw his cousin hung up on the cliff. “I’ll get you out,” he promised. He’d free his cousin and then - well, surely then things would somehow turn out alright.

He went to see Maedhros in the healers’ tent as often as he could. His recovery was swifter than anyone had dared to hope.

“Thank you,” Maedhros said abruptly one day. “I know I haven’t said it before, and I should have. I wasn’t . . . in my right mind then. Thank you.”

On the cliff, he meant. When he’d asked Fingon to kill him.

“Of course you weren’t,” Fingon said in relief. “No one could have been.” Hearing Maedhros say that on the cliff had scared him in a way nothing else had, but this made it better. Of course Maedhros hadn’t meant it. “I’m glad you’re doing better now.”

Maedhros gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, but that would come in time, Fingon was sure.

“You realize this proves me right,” Maedhros said.

“About what?”

“What I said at Alqualonde.” They both flinched a little at the memory, but Maedhros pressed on. “You’re not a coward, Fingon. You never were. You walked up to Angband. Alone. You’re a hero.”

His cousin’s eyes were glowing with pride and faith, and Fingon couldn’t admit the truth now. He couldn’t.

It was an accident. I rescued you by accident, and I’m too afraid to tell you so.

“Fingon the Valiant,” Maedhros said with a smile. It reached his eyes this time. “That was the name you used to use when we played as children, wasn’t it? It’s even more fitting now.”

“Fingon the Valiant and Maedhros the Clever,” Fingon managed to say. “No monster too great.”

Of course, those monsters hadn’t been real.

It didn’t matter, he told himself. Maedhros was back now. Maedhros was overcoming the worst Morgoth could throw at him. If that wasn’t proof they could get through this, what was?

Everything was terrifying and awful, but it was a pretty consistent level of terrifying and awful with the brief exception of the dragon, so Fingon almost got used to it.

Then nightmarish fire erupted again, and his father wanted to go riding out to the very source.

No, Fingon tried to tell him. No, you can’t do this to us. You don’t get to go riding out to certain death and leave us alone.

Or at least, If you go, I’m going with you.

But he couldn’t argue with his father. Not even now. The Sons of Feanor were not alone in that.

His father did not come back, as Fingon had known he wouldn’t, and that meant -

That meant that Fingon was king.

Maedhros came as soon as he could, and Fingon’s first thought was, Oh, thank goodness, he’s come to contest the crown.

Fingon couldn’t possibly be in charge of this mess. He couldn’t even convince himself they weren’t all doomed; how was he supposed to convince everyone else?

Instead, Maedhros swore loyalty. Fingon accepted it glumly.

“I’m so sorry,” Maedhros told him later in private. “I remember - When Ada died, it felt like the end of the world.”

That was exactly the feeling.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Maedhros admitted wryly. “It’s probably why I got caught.” He hesitated.

“If this is your cautious way of leading up to a suggestion of what I should do, I assure you, I’m more than happy to hear it,” Fingon said.

“Not yet,” Maedhros said. “Not yet. But . . . maybe soon. I’ve an idea brewing.”

“Good,” Fingon said in considerable relief. “You’re the clever one, remember. It’s your job to come up with these things.”

If anyone could get them out of this, Maedhros could.

Fighting a a concentrated battle against Morgoth was . . . not Fingon’s idea of a reassuring plan, exactly.

“If we unite everyone together, we’ve got a chance,” Maedhros said as he laid out page after page of facts and figures. “And then this could finally be over.”

Over. Fingon let himself imagine the bliss of that for one precious moment. No more terror. No more monsters. Over.

Surely he could be brave just this once if it meant a chance of achieving over.

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s do it.”

#fingon #maedhros #fingolfin #fic #alternate character interpretation #canon compliant #technically

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mountphoenixrp · 7 years ago

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We have a returning citizen in Mount Phoenix:

Park Aryeh, who is also known as Leo; a 22 year old son of Brigit. He is a writer and dance instructor at Zero to Hero.

FC NAME/GROUP: Park Jimin/BTS CHARACTER NAME: Park Aryeh/Leo AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: 22/October 13, 1995 PLACE OF BIRTH: Busan, South Korea OCCUPATION: Published Author, Poetry Blogger, Dance Instructor at Zero to Hero (Leo) HEIGHT: 5’9 WEIGHT: N/A DEFINING FEATURES: Fingers often covered in paper cuts and/or scorch marks, almost never seen without a notebook or journal and a pen, always has his laptop on hand, pastel pink hair

PERSONALITY: ARYEH Some people jokingly refer to others as afraid of everything. Aryeh literally is. His fears are broad, ranging from fire to abandonment to social interaction to the dark. He finds it difficult to make friends and spends much of his life alone. It doesn’t usually bother him; he’s more or less gotten used to it. Even when he makes close friends, he doesn’t often speak his mind. Preferring not to cause any kind of conflict, he mostly sticks to what others want to hear if he has to speak at all. Only those extremely close to him will get to hear his true unfiltered thoughts. This often makes him extremely persuasive, when he is willing to draw on his wordsmithing abilities. However, he generally chooses not to; what would be persuade someone to do, anyway?

Since his run-in with some overzealous fans, Aryeh has become even more shy and withdrawn. He holds interactions with other humans to be the scariest thing, the thing that causes him most anxiety. He more often communicates silently when he is able to, or simply speaks in few words when he must. Having a complete or extensive conversation with Aryeh is almost unheard of, and wherever he goes, he does so with as little face to face communication or conversation as possible. It is possible to have an entire interaction without hearing a single word from this shy demigod.

LEO Leo is everything that Aryeh is not. His hair is black (a high-quality wig), his clothes are stylish, his posture is good, his mannerisms are charming, and his eyes are lined in thick black eyeliner. He unabashedly loves to dance, and he is willing to dance just about anything. He’s fun, he’s flirty, he’s willing to try almost anything once. When someone needs help, Leo jumps in to help however he can. He fears nearly nothing and he’s never afraid to act or speak. This persona draws on his wordsmithing powers to become persuasive and charismatic when he wants to be.

HISTORY: Once upon a time, an average man charmed a goddess. He met her in a library and commented on the book of poetry she was reading. The two became fast friends, and then fast lovers, and then the woman disappeared. The man thought nothing of the short affair, that was what college was for after all, was it not? But then nine months later a baby appeared at the door of his dorm, bearing a note containing a love poem and signed Love, Brigit. The man knew right away it was the woman he had met all those months ago. But to suddenly have a baby, and in school nonetheless? It was all he could due to take care of both, though he somehow managed it.

Flash forward through his childhood, and the boy called Aryeh turned out to be the most cowardly of lions. Try as he might, his father could find no cure for his son’s anxieties and fears. His son was merely afraid of everything. The boy had very few friends, and most of the ones he did were fellow artistic souls. Aryeh’s one outlet was his poetry, but there were times when the poetry was an outlet for something bigger and darker, and the boy often burned that poetry. It was too strange, too dark, too morbid for him. The older he got, the more often Aryeh ended up keeping the pages scratchy handwriting that came from the painful fits of torment. Most of the time, when he wasn’t afraid, he was happy enough.

Flash forward again, and the boy was now in university himself. He was studying to become a nurse, and maybe one day a doctor. Maybe he will open his own clinic, or publish books of poetry, or own a bookstore or- but his dreams were cut short when he receives news one day. His father had died in a car crash. The ever present poetic muse cried Murder! Foul Play!, but there was nothing to prove that any of it was true. Cars were now on Aryeh’s list of fears, and he could no longer afford to go to school while working to support himself. While going through his father’s belongings, Aryeh found a single love letter, written from a woman named Brigit to his father. It mentioned a place known as Mount Phoenix, saying it would be a safe place for their child should he ever need it. And so to that island he went.

Fast forward once more, and Aryeh has left that island he once called home. University life wasn’t suiting him and he had more than enough poetry to fill books upon books. It called to him much more than medicine ever really had. And so he had bound up several of his poems, taken the work to a publishing company, and not so long after that his book of poetry was published. The book took off, becoming somewhat well-known. The small following it had gathered clamored for more. Aryeh’s poetry blog exploded, leaving him with more fans and messages than he had ever known what to do with. The boy lived in fear of ever meeting an obsessed fan, though he knew his paranoia to be unfounded; after all, he didn’t have any fans like that just yet. Nobody thought that highly of his work. Except then a few people started to. His first and only encounter with a few obsessed fans left Aryeh wishing for a safe haven, and the boy returned to his old home at Mount Phoenix and opened a bookstore, seeking peace and stability. Perhaps here he would be left alone.

Before long, Aryeh’s quiet and peaceful (and lonely) life began to dissatisfy him. He was a published author with a popular blog, he had opened his own bookstore, he had hobbies and passions, and yet holding a simple conversation with a stranger could overcome him? His myriad fears were still keeping him from doing things he loved? Why? So the boy left the island once more, though this this time with a much bigger purpose in mind: To become the person he had always wanted to be. So he took up residence somewhere he had never been and adopted an alter ego, one he called Leo, and kept up the persona until it finally satisfied him. Even if Aryeh couldn’t do things because he was afraid, Leo was never afraid of anything. He spoke his mind, he pursued things that interested him, he even flirted with strangers. The brilliant shell became popular in his new home, though the boy inside was still as full of fear as ever. At least now he could try out the popular catch phrase.

“Fake it ‘til you make it.”

PANTHEON: Celtic CHILD OF: Brigit POWERS: Despite being filled with fear of his godly inclinations, Aryeh uses his alter ego Leo to practice the martial arts and smithing aspects of his inheritance that he had always feared so much. As it turns out, Aryeh is quite good at martial arts and rarely ever loses a match or fight. He has always delved deep into the poetic and medicinal abilities that are indicative of his mother. His persuasive abilities, when he chooses to use them, are on a higher level than most and make him incredibly charismatic. He is also highly skilled in medicinal arts as he has a vast knowledge of medicine both modern and natural and knows what to do to heal or take your pain away.

STRENGTHS:

Physical Strength ~ Aryeh possesses above average strength and coordination thanks to his mother’s martial arts skills

Wordsmith ~ He is extremely good with his words, though he stumbles over them when speaking to someone new; however, his writing (especially poetry) is beautiful and moving and likely to inspire emotions in its readers

Medicine ~ Aryeh has both talent and education in medicine and physical healing, so he knows just how to set a bone and what medicine to take for most kinds of pain or illness

Alter Ego ~ His alter ego Leo makes the most of Aryeh’s strengths and powers and he isn’t afraid to use them

WEAKNESSES:

Crippling Anxiety ~ Aryeh is afraid of almost everything and has trouble doing anything or talking to anyone he is not familiar with; this is especially relevant to fans who approach him with a little too much excitement

Clumsy ~ because of his anxiety, Aryeh often makes silly mistakes such as tripping over his own feet and stumbling when he’s not focused or stuttering over his words, etc.

Darkness ~ not only does he have a fear of the dark, but Aryeh also is tormented by a poetic muse so powerful and dark that it can send him into bouts of depression; these bouts don’t last long though, especially after Aryeh has gotten the poetry out of himself

Artsy Fartsy ~ paintings, art museums, people who can paint (or other styles of traditional visual arts such as watercolors) are the one thing (other than poetry) that can break him out of his shell; his other love, creating a terrible trifecta with his love of poetry and paintings, is dance. Though he loves all kinds of dance, his favorite is ballroom. He does, of course, appreciate all and every art, but those are his favorites.

#kpop rp #krp #bts #park jimin #bts jimin #mp; welcome

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queenharumiura · 7 years ago

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💐

Valentine’s day memes: [x] Send me…💐: A playlist for our muses

Look friend, I did talking. Lots of it. There are like what 9 (my fave number) songs here? This is going under a readmore for ‘Neo talks too much, shut up’ reasons:

Note: Any part of any song that may sound romantic, just consider it to be some weird contrived way of Haru’s mind translating that to familial love or whatever. I couldn’t find many songs that fit them both perfectly but hey, I tried. I found songs that fit a good amount and i’m happy with that. This is my first attempt at a playlist so go easy on me. OTL

I justcan’t wait to be king ( ‘Lion King’ movie) - I imagine that Haru watches a lot of Disney with the kids and this one reminds her of Lambo. He’s always aspiring to be a great and powerful guy, yanno? So she sees this song to be a song that fits his aspirations very well. It’s an upbeat and child-like song that fits him.

Stand by you (Rachel Platten) - This song is one that she likes because not only is the song catchy, but it lines up well with how Haru feels. She’s very supportive of the lil guy, and she will ‘stand by him’. I understand that part of the lyrics can sound romantic and all that, but let’s face it Haru translated those parts in her mind as familial love since she’s an only child and she’s always wanted a sibling so it’s like he’s all she ever wanted in a younger sibling. He’s a very cute child who is trying his very best and it makes her want to support him.

Home (Chris Daughtry) - I personally love this song since we sang it for choir, and when I was thinking on it, I felt like this may be a song that Haru found and thought: I wonder if Lambo feels this way about those of us in Namimori, does he consider us to be home?’ So she listens to this song and contemplates those thoughts. It’s like, no matter where he goes and wherever things takes him, he’ll always have home with them. There is a part: ‘I don’t regret this life I chose for me’ and she thinks about how he’s a part of the mafia and how she hopes that he won’t regret being involved.

You raise me up (Westlife)- Haru thinks it to be a bit presumptuous of her, but she put this song in the playlist because she hopes that a part of this song is relatable in Lambo’s eyes. Even if it isn’t, she will still keep it in her playlist because she can relate to the song as well in some way. It’s a song, which to her sounds like a song that states that one supports the other and makes them feel strong. Though Lambo can’t physically support her or raise her up, he does help her in some ways. When things get hard for her and she is scared, she sees how hard he’s working. He’s the one that’s involved with the mafia. He was born into it. Though so young and a bit cowardly, he’s still trying to stand tall. If he can do it, why can’t she? She can be strong, just like that lil one. Watching him gives her more emotional strength and she’s secretly grateful to him because it’s hard. Though it is, she can’t give up because he’s still doing his best and she has to live up to it if that makes sense.

Don’t Grow up too fast (Daisy Mallory)- SSHHHHHH I know it starts off with ‘If I had a lil sister’ but I promise this song is relevant regardless. This song relates to Haru’s feelings when she looks at Lambo. She can see how he’s always trying to grow up quickly. He wants to quickly catch up to the ‘big bros’ but she still wants him to enjoy his youth and have a childhood. Don’t grow up too fast. You are still a kid. Please stop hurting yourself because you want to grow up so quickly. Enjoy life some more. Okay but I love the part where the singer sings about the boys and Haru agrees. Ignore them. ‘half of what they say is really just a bunch of noise. You got your whole life waiting, so don’t get all caught up in talking about forever, it’ll happen soon enough’. YEAH IGNORE THEM. Yes, you are childish, YOU ARE A CHILD. What should they expect from you? Don’t beat yourself over this. Accept yourself and understand that it will come in time. It’ll happen soon enough, don’t rush it. Please Lambo, don’t grow up too fast, because when you do, it’ll be too late to have the carefree fun. You’ll have more responsibilities and be involved with more pain. You may lose more people close to you and what not. More than that, it’s the feelings of an older sister who is really insecure and worried that if he’s all grown up’ she may lose him one day on a mission and she has cried over that when she thought about it or had nightmares about it. She’s terrified of the fact that one day she’ll be called and told he died. I mean even during the Vongola Ring battle thing he was in the hospital. If he was involved like that as a child, what if when he’s an adult? She’s scared. Are you crying yet? I SURE AM. HAVE BEEN

My Wish (Rascal Flatts)- Another song about her feelings. This song is pretty good at describing her wishes for Lambo. She wants for the everything the lyrics talk about for him. Know somebody loves you. May you never forget the ones who love you. May you get what you want in life. Hopefully you don’t get given more than you can handle. Guess it’s just the hopeful wishings of a self-proclaimed older sister. Yay for a shorter one because it’s easy to explain. HUZZAH.

Look Through My eyes (Phil Collins- Brother Bear movie) - Look through her eyes and maybe you’ll see something new. You are always progresing and learning new things. You are steadily becoming that lightening guardian you are some day to become. She’ll be there watching over you. Don’t be afraid, you can do it. No matter how discouraged or scared you get about the future, she’ll be there by your side and help you along the way. She’ll try to guide you and help you see that you’ll get there. Every time you feel depressed and lost, she’ll remind you: you are doing great. This song is pretty passionate in the sound, I feel. Like it sounds like it’s full of action and what not. It feels like it could be like a themesong of Lambo’s journey to becoming the strong guardian. Haru definitely tries to sing along with one. When Lambo is giving himself a hard time or if someone else is giving him a hard time, she can only see a young child who is being forced to grow up too quickly. How difficult it must be for a child to get used to such things. FREAKING STARING AT YOU SHIMON BATTLE AND THE VARIA BATTLE. THAT POOR COW CHILD!! Y’all can tell me what the Hell you want, but you have to give him credit and props for trying. Yes, he was scared. He wanted to run, and in a way he did, but he still did his best to stand his ground. He’s a CHILD, there is a limit to how much he can do and how much he can handle on a mental level. She is very impressed by him and she honestly hurts a bit if and when she ever catches Lambo being hurt or feeling insecure about himself. You are doing so good. If she was put in the same situation at your age, there is no way she could handle it. You should be proud of yourself, not ashamed. Don’t be discouraged, lil one. Ignore what the others may say to you. Big sis believes in you. She honestly wants to whisk you away and hide you away from the mafia world but she knows she can’t. You were born into it. You are heavily involved and it’s too late. Oh how she wishes she could save you from it, but she can’t, so all she can do is do her best to stay with you. Protect you when she can, and raise you up. HERE I AM CRYING AGAIN, DANG IT. I’m an elder sister myself. The eldest in fact. I’m the first born of my generation so i’m legit the oldest sister of all my cousins. i’m an emotional sister type, okay? I cried harder than my parents at their graduations.

You’ll be in my Heart (Phil Collins- Tarzan movie) - Ahahaha another song which is kind of like a song for Lambo. If she ever shared this playlist with him, she’d hope he’d know those are her words to him. You’ll be in her heart as an adorable lil brother of hers. That will never change, and he’ll always have a place in her heart. They’re both zany lil characters. A lot of the times, the others don’t understand either Lambo or Haru. They still get along and can relate to each other. It doesn’t matter if they can’t understand their bond. They can just support each other. One day, in time, they’ll see him for what he’ll be. ‘When destiny calls you, you must be strong. I may not be with you, but you’ve got to hold on’. Even if she won’t be with you in a time of danger, you have o be strong. Protect yourself. Live on. Never give up. Be the best Lambo you can be to make her proud. Whether she’s away, or if she’s passed away because of being affiliated with the mafia, she’ll always be with him, watching over him. She’ll be watching over his shoulder, nudging him along.

Here I am (Bryan Adams- Spirit movie) - ‘This song reminds me of Lambo-chan’. This song is something that she thinks may line up with his feelings. It’s like a plea for the older guys to notice him. Here he is. Don’t forget me. Don’t leave me behind. I am here. Bring me along so I can be with you guys. The ‘journey’ has just begun. I guess this is a song that she things may be more relevant as he grows a bit older and is a bit stronger. Maybe she’ll show him this song as a motivational kind of thing. Being with the Vongola is where you want to be. This is what you’ve strove so hard for. You are still young, there is much to learn and new things to try out. Every day can be new with a new plan. It’s a new journey to discover yourself.

To be honest, she puts a lot of uplifting or motivational kind of songs into this playlist. Anything that makes her feel like, ‘yes i’ll watch over you,’ it’ll go into the playlist. Sometimes when she listens to them and truly listens to the lyrics and everything, she cries.

#Temposalta #Fatenet meme #notfatenet #meme answered #answered ask #Thanks for the ask!#Neo speaks #((I cried real tears while doing this.))#((This is my first playlist thing and I hope I did okay. Did I do this right?))#((I have one more to go and I hope it stays that way. This was really hard and ughhh))#((I'm also just suffering a headache because of the REAL TEARS))

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team-crtq · 7 years ago

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Volume 5 Episode 1 Review

Helllllo, RWBY Fandom! I’m Mod Quartz of the CRTQ Blog! The blog dedicated to actually critiquing RWBY!

For Volume 5 we’ll be reviewing each episode. And no, I won’t be the only one reviewing. My fellow Mods Cobalt, Regalia and Tangerine will also be reviewing alongside me. We each take an episode from the first twelve episodes and divide them between us! As for thirteen and fourteen: Well, Good ol’ Quartz managed to snatch them up so you’ll be getting a special helping of mineral this year!

But enough chit-chat: Let’s go!

First up we have the introduction to the Volume 5 which also serves as the establishing shot of Mistral. The build up with the ominous underground hallway was rather good, the detail on the bricks was pretty good, the lighting has improved immensely since before and considering all the crap that people have gone through with Volume 4: the light hearted banter before we see Mistral was relaxing. However, I do think that Ruby should have been called out for almost dying since she almost got caught by Tyrian and Jaune of all people shouldn’t be joking about death.

Then was have the heroes (and Jaune. No offense to Jauen fans, I just love making jokes about him.) actually seeing Mistral for the first time. The actual shot we get at first really captures a look of “ancient but noble Eastern city” with the beautiful but worn building sprouting out of gorgeous mountains with winding path ways and even more mountains in the background. However, I do have a small issue with the waterfall in this shot because, judging by how the water is flowing and falling, it can look like it is falling onto the walkway below and even so, I must criticize that said water would be splashing in the faces of people walking down it I know this seems nitpicky but tiny details like that can throw people off (plus I can’t spend this whole review praising RT.)

Next is the views of the city through 2-D shots. I’m pretty neutral on the whole 2-D aspect as while it’s jarring what with the establishing shot of Menagrie was in 3-D: We seem to be having longer episodes as well as two extra so this is certainly not jarring enough that I would demand resources to be moved. As for the shots themselves: They are well made still shots with plenty of detail and stuff going in the background to entrance the audience and make Mistral feel alive. I am getting a distinct The Last Airbender vibe from these shots which I must commend RT for being able to at least be reminiscent of such a beautiful show without insulting it. The character designs all follow RWBY’s rule of at least trying to make people seem distinct and unique, with hairstyles or facial features only being repeated a handful of times (one time I believe to denote familial ties) and for 53 people: that’s pretty good.

(PS: Huh. Two guys with one holding bamboo heart. ... Neat. They look nice enough together that I’ll ignore the cartoonishness of the bamboo heart.)

The dialogue in this scene mostly consists of Team RNJR making comments about Mistral while Qrow pulls a WOR and describes Mistral to them. Considering the fact that I love WOR, this works very well for me and I think Qrow did a good job of giving an overview of Mistral’s culture and functions. Of course, this isn’t enough for Mistral as a whole so I do hope we get more.

The next scene is introduced with a rather nice transition by Nora. Not too much to say about this one due to the fact that it takes place mostly inside a single room inside of a ship. It’s nice to see Weiss again and in a nice contrast to her Volume 1 self, she tries to apologize in case she’s been trouble to the pilot which is a great show of humility on her part. To also show off her development from being the selfish brat she was: Weiss hears a distress signal and asks to help them. This would normally be the part where the pilot heroically goes off to help Weiss save these people in some awesome action scene but I have to commend RWBY for doing the opposite and having him try to avoid the ship in order to just get home. I know this seems cowardly to us but that’s actually how a normal person would react to deadly monsters nearby, showcasing the difference in mindset between a Huntsman and a normal person.

The next scene focuses on introducing Lionheart. First we had a bit of build up with an empty looking Haven as the heroes relaxing as they finally make it to their destination. However, Qrow does point out latter that there is a disturbing lack of students and teachers which causes everyone to go on edge. So everyone rushes to the Headmaster’s room, with all of them preparing for battle in a pretty cool sequence of everyone drawing their weapons. Then Qrow kicks down the door and reveals...Leonard Lionheart, startled as hell. The reactions from RNJR were honestly pretty funny due to the unison scream but Qrow’s reaction was...too Looney Tunes for me. I dunno, probably just me.

Anyway, Qrow and Lionheart recover and banter a bit and afterward Team RNJR introduces themselves and I gotta say, RWBY has done a great job at body language. Lionheart gives an air of constant fear in his body language due to him being tense all the time and his actions constantly tells me “I’m afraid!” which suits his design as the cowardly lion. Meanwhile, Qrow gives off an air of easily created anger with his slouching back, fisted hands and slight leaning. And with RNJR you could get their base personalities just from hwo they move when introduced: Ruby being happy but slightly professional showing her idealistic view on being a Huntress, Jaune not moving much showing his status as the normal guy, Nora being very cheery showing her to be the energetic one and Ren putting his arms behind his back and bowing his head showing him to be the calm, collected one. Very rare you get that level of communication in simple actions.

The final part of this scene consists of Lionherat trying to shoo Qrow and RNR away by informing them that his staff is gone, Qrow getting up in his face while we have another example of good body language (IE the sudden widening of eyes the instant Qrow yells) and Qrow revealing that he filled RNJR in on the relics and maidens, which seems to disturb Lionheart. A nice little exchange to show the dubiousness of Lionheart.

The next scene is introduced with a few shots of the outside of the Belladonna household which...confuse me. they don’t really do much for the scene and the build up they offer is minimal at best. They should have cut the shots and saved the time and money.

Anyway: the true scene begins with Ghira and Sun bursting into the house yelling about how despicable and deplorable someone is. Kali makes a small comment about how they are finally agreeing on something, which causes Sun to get embarrassed and Ghira to, I’m assuming, snapping Sun in two to avoid the embarrassment when Blake comes in and tells them that everything will be alright. Between her soft but firm force, the dramatic lighting and her confident and assured stance it does give off a feeling that Blake would be a good leader so if this is build up for her taking control of the White Fang-Kudos.

Then we have Blake walking onto a balcony and dismissing a guard from her duty. ... Why we didn’t see any guards before is beyond me: this is just a mistake from the CRWBY. Then we have Illa appearing and attempting to talk with Blake. We get a bit of exposition as to what had happened before hand as Balke and her family went to try and arrest the twins from EPisode 5 but they managed to pin everything onto Illa and escape scott-free Interesting to note that Illa turns her head away when Blake mentions her taking the fall, as if she was ashamed for it. Then Illa tells Blake that she doesn’t have anyway of proving anything was true and Blake retorts by planning on showing the information to the fanaus of Menagrie to sway them against the White fang.

What comes next is a very moving scene where Illa removes her mask as she warns Blake that her plan will fail and then begging her to leave before it’s too late. This works on three levels: the first one being the most basic, the eye to eye contact in order to convey the message she is trying to get across not just to Blake but to the audience as well. It helps her face express even more than before and it touches people more easily. The second is symbolic: The White Fang were the masks because they are acting like the Grimm as they commit crimes in order to force equality. With Illa removing the mask but not tossing it away as she pleads with Blake, it enforces that behind her actions and behind her allegiance: there is a person who truly wants to help Blake while also showing her loyalty still to the White Fang. And third: it’s easy for people like us to hate the White Fang because most of them don’t really have faces. Just as we feel no empathy for the Grimm because of their disconnect from humanity, we feel less inclined to side with the White fang because without a face, we see them similar to the Grimm. By removing her mask, Illa and the writers force us to acknowledge that she is a person, just like we are ad her reasoning behind her actions is just as complex as ours are.

Sadly, Blake refusing by stating that illa will have to make her, which causes a great amount of sadness in Illa as she says “I know” before leaving: Again, enforcing she is a person. Then we end with a shot of Blake looking angry before her expression breaks and she just looks worn, showing that she can’t stay mad at Illa.

The upcoming scene is an exposition based scene with Lionheart and Qrow tading information. Usually I don’t like exposition scenes because it’s mainly just two characters talking plainly to each other (Hence why I enjoy the history lesson style of WOR) but there is enough personality in this scene to keep me interested. Lionheart goes on about the troubles that Mistral ahd to face due to the Fall Of Beacon (with a nod to Penny in there), the people they’ve lost and the difficulties they are facing now with the Grimm and the Kingdom of Atlas due to Ironwood’s actions from before and finally the issue with the Spring Maiden. Qrow retaliates and probably tried starting a fight but then Ruby comes in and shuts them down before they can fight and reassures them. Again, showing that she is deserving of the title of leader.

We then get something that many people were hoping for: An explanation on the connection to the Maidens and Relics. Apparently the relics are sealed away onside certain chambers and only a specific Seaosnal Madien can unlock it and get the relics. Now I might have been upset about such a blatant grap to connect the two but A.) This is the norm for gods, they pull this shit all the time and B.) This explains why the Maidens are so important, why Ozpin and Co. needed to protect them, why Salem is so focused on them and why Cinder is needed. SO yeah, I understand.

We also get some info on the Spring Maiden: Apparently she ran off ten years ago due to the stress of her powers and the weight they carry and seeing as she is a living key for a godly power: Yeah, that’d happen. Lionheart claims that he doesn’t even know where she is and Qrow reveals that he knows. And the news isn’t good: She’s with Raven.

(PS: Okay, what is with high tech wooden desk? there was no foreshadowing for that and Qrow just flings his scroll onto the desk as if the desk knows what is going on. Seriously man, cut out the Belladonna house shots and have Qrow type some stuff into the desk.)

Also, apparently RNJR knows who Raven exactly is as Yang’s mom. I’m guessing Ruby told them but how did Ruby know? Did Taiyang tell her when he told Yang? Did Qrow blurt it out while drunk? Did Raven try kidnapping yang when she was a child and Ruby saw it? I really hope this gets answered.

Anyway, Qrow tries to convince Lionheart to go get the Maiden from Raven but eh refuses on two fronts. One is that the Council of Mistral won’t devote resources to fighting bandits (and the whole Maiden-Relic business is very hush hush) and considering the strength of Raven and the Spring Maiden alone: Qrow can’t just rush in by himself and RNJR. He emphasizes the importance that they wait for the right time. He and Qrow trade a few verbal blows before the subject changes to that of info about Cinder and her little group which Lionheart tells that they can’t find anything valuable, just fakes and forgeries. The group of five leaves and Dr.Watts informs Lionheart that he needs to work on lying. That brings everything the Headmaster said into question as he could be a liar and trying to stall for time but due to Lionheart’s resigned expression, I also question if he’s on either side really. All in all: This keeps the audience on it’s toes.

The scene shifts to a remake of the final scene from Volume 4 so I’ll just skip that. All I have to say is; Oscar looks better this time around.

The next scene takes place somewhere else in Mistral where yang is getting a glass of water and taking a break before continuing her journey. While this happens, some really skeezy looking guy starts hitting on her, apparently missing the definition of “personal space”, “tact” and “no.” We get a nice little Goldilocks reference before he tries touching her hair and he promptly gets smack out the rest stop. The act of Yang smacking a gross perv out was damn awesome but the guy pinballing around was just terrible. It could have just been the guy landing right outside and it would have worked so much better. The owner thanks her and hands her a drink. Yang reaches out and her hand, the one that punched the guy, starts shaking and freezing up so she has to stop it. While I think this is a hint that her PTSD isn’t away yet: I can’t say for certain. But I am thankful if it is a hint that she’ll be dealing with it.

So we get a little talk from the owner about how far out from the Kingdom they are and how the only person he really sees is Yang’s mom, to which Yang replies that she knows. The owner warns her that bandits are dangerous, Yang brushes him and prepares to leave when the guy from before stops her and talks about how he heard she was looking for someone. How the guy heard her is a little dubious considering eh only just then recovered but I’m more concerned with the implication that Yang is looking for Raven than Ruby, which is what we’ve been lead to think. Yes, RT could have been misleading people but it just kind of invalidates her build up. However it can be forgiven if this road yields results.

The final scene shows us with Ren, Nora and Jaune all looking exhausted as someone knocks on the door. The three person team exchanges looks before Jaune walks up to the door and slowly turns the knob to open, building up the tension due to the rising foreboding music and the slow movement, to reveal the newest member of the cast Oscar standing there, looking rather nervous. He asks for Ruby, which makes Ren and Nora suspicious as Nora asks him why he wants to see her. Oscar stays silent for a bit until Drunkle Qrow, blitzed harder than Poland in 1939, stumbles in, mumbling about how “he found him” until he slips onto the couch while Oscar tells them that he might need some help.

Ruby storms out, apparently reading comics as she sees her uncle drunker than the country of Ireland as she facepalms and asks if he got drunk again, showing us that this is apparently a common occurrence. Oscar jumps in and seems surprised as he says that she has silver eyes, a call back to what Ozpin said when they met face to face. Ruby asks who he is and Oscar nervously explains who he is but who they probably know him as while Qrow makes drunk commentary in the background. The episode ends with Qrow triumphantly yelling “I did it!” before passing out on the floor while Nora winces. Honestly, the only way this could have gone better is if things cut to Patch with Taiyang saying “Qrow just passed out again, didn’t he?”

All in all, this was a very good beginning. There were a few missteps here and there but overall I think it was an amazing start to Volume 5!

Now I’ll see you all in Episode 5!

#rwby #rwby5 #rwby review #rwby spoilers #ruby rose #weiss schnee #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #jaune arc #nora valkyrie #lie ren #crtq #volume 5 reviews

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genogenocrazycatman · 5 years ago

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Stillwater - Chapter 7

Stillwater [Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.Net, Mibba]

Characters: Original Female Character, Monkey D. Luffy, Rorona Zoro, Vinsmoke Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Tony Tony Chopper, Nefeltari Vivi

***

"We build as only children know to build

We made a way where there's a will

No slowing down or standing still

Innocent and reckless

"How did we get so old and never notice

How did we gain the world and lose the moment

Rise and fall, the tide surrounds us

And drowns us all"

-Hands Like Houses

***

Little Garden was a whole lot harsher than it looked like from the sea. It was hot and humid. The jungle was dense, so much so that your visibility was only about ten feet. In addition, its name betrayed its nature.

So far, nothing about this island had been little. The trees and other plants were fully grown, leaves and branches spread as far as they could mange in the dense jungle, taking over other plants.

The air here was purer. Well maybe not purer exactly. There were volcanoes pumping smoke and ash into the air, but the oxygen levels were higher. I could feel it every time I took a breath. It felt like the island that my father resided on and I knew for a fact that the air there had a higher concentration of oxygen.

That explained why the bugs were so large. A dragon fly had flown over the Merry. It had to be at least a foot and a half in length, and its wings spanned over two feet. Nami and Usopp had screamed, while I had looked on in awe. Bugs hadn’t been that big, since the days of the dinosaur, way before my time.

That caused me to take a closer look at the plants. They were tropical plants, most of which had been a around for millions of years. I couldn’t be positive. I wasn’t close enough to get a good look, but I could’ve sworn that some of them shouldn’t have been there, having gone extinct. They sure looked like the plants, I had read about in my lessons with my aunt, Persie, and Cal.

As we sailed inland, a massive rodent that resembled a capybara stood at the edge of the tributary river, drinking from the banks. It was a strangely peaceful scene. That is until a monstrous saber-toothed cat pounced on it from out of the jungle, sinking its lengthy canines into the rodent and wrenching its neck. Once the creature was dead, the feline dragged the carcass back into the depths of the jungle.

It was amazing really.

Of course, what was amazing to me was absolutely terrifying to Nami and Usopp who were convinced that the island was going to be the death of us all.

I shook my head. For as smart and as innovated as those two were, they were just as cowardly it seemed. I had figured that they were both fairly easily frightened, having seen their behavior during the storm, but they had managed to deal with that fairly well, all things considered. They weren’t cool calm nor collected, but they hadn’t been near tears, jumping or screaming at every little thing, like they were now.

Luffy was practically vibrating with excitement, the new environment and prospect of an adventure fueling his desire to go out and explore.

I wanted to go out as well, to get a better look and confirm some of my suspicions, but opted not to, because of my leg. It wasn’t terribly painful, and I wasn’t too concerned about pulling my stitches. I was pretty sure that I would’ve been fine. Even if I wasn’t, I could always fix them. I was honestly more concerned about my pants. I hadn’t brought much with me, so until I could get the stain out of the pair from the night before and stitch up the hole, I was going to have to work to preserve the clothes I did have.

I settled for hearing all about the island from Luffy and Vivi, who had chosen to accompany him, along with Carue. I was happy to see Vivi taking the time to explore, and enjoy the moment. It wasn’t like she had anything better to do. We were stuck here until the log set.

Zoro had left after that, deciding to take a walk. That plan lasted about all of five seconds, before he and Sanji somehow found themselves in the middle of a pissing match- I’m sorry. A hunting competition.

That left me with Nami and Usopp. They were too afraid to go out. That was fine with me. This crew attracted trouble. I knew that the others could handle themselves if something went wrong, but it was 50/50 with Usopp and Nami. At least with me around, I knew that they wouldn’t die.

I didn’t want to sit around and do nothing though, so I decided to do an inventory of the ship to see what I could do to help out. That way, when my leg was fully healed I could get to it.

I let Usopp and Nami know. “Hey guys, I’m gonna head below deck and see what needs cleaned and organized down there, start making a list.”

“What?!” the two echoed each other.

“You’re just gonna leave us up here?” Nami cried.

“What if some giant bird tries to take off with us?” Usopp asked.

“What if a lion pounces onto the deck?”

“What if we get surrounded by a bunch of ship eating piranhas?”

I rolled my eyes at how dramatic that they were being. “Oh for goodness sake. I’m below deck, if something tries to kill you scream, and I’ll come up and save you.”

Usopp looked at me skeptically. “What about your leg?”

“It’s fine. I can climb up and down with my arms. If I need any help, I’ll holler.”

“You’ll holler, but what if…�� I tuned the two out, heading inside to start my work. I started with the kitchen/helm. I had honestly meant to make a list at the start, but as I was writing things down, I realized I could just do them. After all, the pain in my leg wasn’t that bad. As long I didn’t pull my stitches I would be fine.

The crew had a fairly decent stock of cleaning supplies. I went to work. I tidied up everyone’s things, dusted, polished furniture, disinfected the surfaces that needed it. I found comfort in the task. Everyone in my house shared chores, but cleaning tended to fall on me the most. I wasn’t bothered by the mess, but Cal was. With everything she had done for me, I felt that the least I could do was make sure that the house was in order.

I finished up the helm and headed to the bathroom. It was fairly clean, but only because Nami made sure it was, and she only did that because she also used it. I sanitized all of the surfaces, threw any dirty towels into the hamper to be laundered, sorted through the various toiletries just strewn about. As I worked, I kept note of what needed restocked.

I gave the cannon deck/anchor room similar treatment. I went through all of our, weapons, munitions and equipment tucked away in there, keeping an inventory and making a shopping list, before heading to the bedrooms.

The room I shared with Nami and now Vivi wasn’t so bad, because again Nami cleaned, and I made it a point to keep things neat. It looked better once I was done, but it hadn’t been too drastic of a transformation.

The boys’ room on the other hand was like night and day. I had raised boys before. I knew how they were, and the state of their room didn’t surprise me. After all there were four teenagers living in it. I would’ve been more concerned if it didn’t look like a war zone.

I gathered up all the laundry, picked up everyone’s belongings, which were scattered about. I tried to put them back in their places, but ended up giving many of them new homes, when I couldn’t figure out where they went. I mopped the floors, dusted, and polished furniture.

I was extremely proud of myself, when I looked around the finished room.

By that point, I was really starting to feel the ache in my leg, so I took a break. I returned up to the deck, but Usopp and Nami were no longer there. I found them in the girls’ room. Nami was tossing books off the shelf over her shoulder, Usopp behind her dodging them.

“Nami, what are you doing? You’re gonna hit me,” Usopp whined.

“I just cleaned in here,” I said from the doorway.

“I’ll put them back, when I’m done,” she said. “I could’ve sworn I read something about this place before.”

A mysterious island with lots of crazy creatures and plants sounded like the basis of a number of fairytales to me, but I let her go, deciding that it was time to finally sit down. I headed up to the deck, grabbing myself a glass of water and dragging out one of the chairs with me, so that I could relax in the sun.

I flopped onto the lounge chair and stretched my legs out in front of me. I leaned back, folding my hands under my head.

I wanted to power wash the deck, but didn’t want to waste our fresh water. We weren’t far enough up the tributary for the water to be pure. Here the river was tainted by the salty sea, making it absolutely useless to me at the moment.

I couldn’t say that it was quiet, but the sounds of the jungle seemed to lull me towards sleep rather than keep it from me. A mid day nap seemed like a pretty solid idea. Plus, it would probably help my leg loads. I settled further into my chair and closed my eyes.

My peace didn’t last long. It took less than ten minutes for Usopp to scramble out on to the deck, worriedly pacing and muttering about the dangers that lurked past the river’s banks.

“Are you looking for something to be afraid of?” I asked, cracking an eye open to look at Usopp, who was staring into the woods intently. “Why don’t you just hide inside until we leave? I can practically feel you shaking from here.”

“THE GREAT CAPTAIN USOPP NEVER HIDES!” he declared loudly, his shaking limbs and quivering voice giving away him away.

A bird flew above the Merry, letting out a terrified cry as a much larger bird chased after it. Usopp whimpered and darted behind my chair.

“Uh huh. Never.” I tried not to chuckle. There was no need to insult the kid. I patted his head, affectionately. “Relax, I’m not gonna let anything get you.”

My amusement was cut short, when I felt the water in my glass begin to move. I stared down at the glass. Normally, I would attribute the effect to the movement of the ship, but this was different. It was rhythmic. With each pulse the water was a little more active.

“Mira?” Usopp asked, looking between the glass and I.

“Something’s coming,” I said, standing up.

“What?!”

I hushed Usopp, before he could start panicking, heading over to the railing.

Nami ran on out deck, book in hand. “Guys this is bad, really bad!”

“No, it’s big,” I corrected, realizing the pattern was that of footsteps. “Really big.”

The tremors got stronger, shaking the land and the water we were in. I could hear the trees falling in the distance, branched cracking, leaves rustling, and the thump of trunks hitting the soft earth.

Something that powerful and that large would be visible soon.

I prepared myself for a fight, just in case. I didn’t have the advantage of freshwater, so I was gonna have to rely on strength and skill if it came to a fight. Durability if it got bad.

“Either be ready to get the Merry out of here, or be ready to run,” I warned the two.

It was pointless. They were frozen in fear, whimpering, eyes full of tears that just waiting for the right incentive to brim over.

The trees cleared, revealing none other than a giant.

Usopp and Nami screamed bloody murder, while I relaxed a bit. I was still wary of our visitor, never having met him before, but at least it wasn’t some mindless killing machine.

The giant let out a loud laugh. “Gababababababa! Why hello there,” he greeted, smiling down at us. “I thought I saw a ship come in. Any chance you guys have alcohol? I drank all mine.”

I allowed my tense muscles to loosen. “Hi,” I returned his greeting. “We do, but it’s the crap for cleaning and cooking. I’m sure, you could probably stomach it, but it’s not all that great. You’re welcome to it, if you’d like.”

“Good thinking, Mira. Give him what he wants and maybe he won’t eat us,” Usopp whispered in my ear.

I had forgotten how little humans really knew about creatures other than themselves. They dismissed truths as myths and accepted myths as fact. Giants were horrible man eating beasts, mermaids were beautiful maidens, and dwarves only went after your socks.

“He’s not going to eat us regardless,” I hissed back at him, not that there weren’t man eating giants out there. There were man eating humans out there too. It was clear that this giant wasn’t after our flesh.

The giant cried out in pain. The sudden shout startled me. It terrified the other two.

The giant turned to glare at a t-rex, which had bitten his back.

“That is… a surprise,” I said, looking at the reptile. I don’t know why I was so surprised. If the plants were anything to go buy, the existence of a dinosaur should’ve been a very real possibility in my brain.

The giant pulled out his weapon, an axe fit for a man of his size, slicing the head clean off the animal.

Usopp and Nami were huddled together, bawling their eyes out. “Will you two stop it?” I snapped. Their behavior was ridiculous and insulting.

The giant lifted the head of the creature, raising it high in the air. “I’m Broggy. Elbaf’s strongest warrior, the invincible!”

‘Just like I thought.’ “I’m Zale Mira Kai,” I introduced myself. “These two crybabies are Nami and Usopp.”

“Now I have dinner, and you three are invited as my guests.”

Nami and Usopp fell back onto the deck. They held perfectly still. I could hear that they were whispering to one another but couldn’t make out what they were saying.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized, creating a mental reminder to smack them later. Clearly they weren’t going to calm down any time soon. “My friends have never seen a giant before. It’s seems that they’re a bit overwhelmed. We would love to, but I’m in no shape to carry them. I’m still recovering from a bullet wound, and I can’t just leave them here alone.”

“No worries, little lady. I’ll gladly carry both you and your friends. I’m sure some food and drink will help break the ice.”

I glanced at the pair on the deck, deciding that if they would come around eventually. Broggy was nice enough, and now that I knew giants resided on this island I was a lot more curious.

“Sure. Let me go grab that alcohol for you.”

I headed down and grabbed a barrel of alcohol. There were other things we could use as a disinfectant until then. I hoisted it up on my shoulder, returning the deck.

Broggy took the barrel from me, tucking into a pouch he had been carrying. He grabbed the tail of the dinosaur with one hand and scooped the other two into the palm of the opposite hand. He set it down on the deck, so that I could get on.

It had been decades, since I had been carried around by a giant. The thrill was the same as it had been. Being up that high was like nothing else. There was just so much to see, to take in. There were volcanoes and dinosaurs and weird looking rock formation that looked like bone. It was beautiful. I would say that it was ironic considering how dangerous the island was proving to be, but that tended to be the case. The most beautiful things in life were usually the most dangerous.

I glanced at Usopp and Nami. They still hadn’t moved. Unsure of what their plan was, I decided not to bother them. Again, they would come around.

“This is gorgeous.”

Broggy laughed once more. “I guess it is a lot different to someone tiny like you. So Kai was it?

“Yep, but I prefer Mira.”

“Mira. Pretty name. You know there’s legend of a sea witch of that name?” he teased.

I chuckled, ignoring the way my heart seemed to stop beating. “No, I haven’t heard that one before.”

“Just a story I heard years ago, they say she was stranded on an island all by her lonesome and that she sinks the ships of anyone, who sails to close stranding them there with her.”

“Interesting. Well let me assure you that I am no witch, just a pirate.”

“A pirate? I guess that explains the wound.”

“I got a little distracted.”

“Rookie mistake.”

I nodded. “Yeah, but if you knew my crew, you’d get how easy it is to become distracted.”

Broggy was a very upbeat individual. He hummed and sang as he walked back to his camp, pointing things out to me as we passed and answering my questions about the island. Apparently, Little Garden was so isolated that it just stopped evolving, which was why it was still stuck in the dinosaur days.

Once, we got to his camp, he set Usopp and Nami down on a bed of hay, and me on a large stone, so that I could continue our conversation, while he broke the dinosaur down and roasted it.

“I think you’re the first human that I’ve ever met, who hasn’t been surprised by a giant,” he said, sitting down and turning the meat.

Human. If he only knew.

“Actually, I’ve met a few giants in my life. Some lived on the same island as me. Other’s just passed through as part of pirate crews.”

“You don’t say. Where are you from?”

“There’s no translation of it for me to give you.”

“Oh well then.”

“How’d you end up a pirate?”

“I ended up in the East Blue and needed a lift back. Luffy, my captain, offered me a spot on the crew, said he’d take me home after we’d sailed the Grand Line. I’m the newest member, though we do have a guest at the moment.”

“The other two are on your crew as well?”

“Yeah, they-“I stopped, having glanced over Broggy’s shoulder to check on them. “-Are missing. Damn it,” I swore.

A pair of terrified screams came from the jungle nearby.

“They’re easy to find,” I said, moving to stand.

“Sit. I’ll get them,” Broggy offered.

“Thank you.”

He returned with the two cowards in tow, sitting them on a log that I had brought over for a bench and dropping a large piece of meat in front of the three of us.

“Mira, you’re alive!” Usopp had cried, when he saw me sitting there.

“I was never in danger of losing my life. You two are just obnoxious, and even if I was in danger, you just left me. Next time I might let whatever’s after you have you.”

“You told us you weren’t going to let anything get us. He got us,” Nami snapped.

“We were invited to dinner, and I accepted on your behalf. No one took you. I agreed in your proxy.”

“Go on. Eat hearty my friends. It tastes delicious.”

We were further up the river, the water here fresh. I pulled it over, through the flames, until it boiled and then used it to slice off, three pieces of meat.

“I think I’ve lost my appetite,” Nami said, sounded dejected.

“Don’t be shy now. Dig in.”

I took a bite and was surprise by how good it was. Sanji would definitely have had fun with this. I thought about him and Zoro, wondering how their hunting was going. I had no clue, where Sanji was, but I could very faintly feel, Sandai Kitetsu. I could feel Luffy as well. He must’ve been a good ways away, because it wasn’t as strong as usual.

I couldn’t pin point either of them, but knew their general vicinity.

It would probably be handy if I could feel them better, but it had been so long since I opened up to that. I didn’t even know if I could. I had spent long closing off my mind to the world around me, its energy, I didn’t even know if I could open it back up again. I didn’t know if I wanted to. I had spent so long created that dam in my head, just to stay sane. The idea of loosening that hold was terrifying.

“Mira,” Broggy said, catching my attention.

“I’m sorry. I spaced out. What?”

“Do you like it?”

“It’s really good.” I emphasized my statement by taking another bite. “It’s sweet. I didn’t see you put anything on it.”

“Nope. Natural sweetness.”

Usopp and Nami were still crying.

“For the love of- He’s not going to eat you,” I said, sternly. “Now, quit your crying, pick up your dinner and thank Broggy for such a nice meal.”

“Eat you?” Broggy asked, before laughing. “I’m not going to eat you.”

“See. I pushed food into their hands. Eat.”

Both looked between each other, and then bit into their food.

“Sorry about them. Like I said. They’ve never met a giant before.”

“Like you have,” Usopp scoffed.

“A few of them,” I elaborated, taking another bite. “Enough to know that the whole, giants are man eating barbarian things is a stereotype, spread through ignorance and pure stupidity.”

Usopp and Nami winced at my sharp words.

“Not to say there aren’t some bad ones out there, but not all of them.”

The two cowards looked ashamed.

“Apologize.”

“We’re sorry, Mr. Broggy,” they chorused.

“And?”

“Thank you for the meal.”

I grinned, satisfied.

“No problem, young lady, young sir.”

Nami and Usopp were still nervous, but that was to be expected. After all this was a giant. He could easily kill them. They didn’t know him. They had settled considerably, which was enough for me.

“Mr. Broggy, sir? Can I ask you something?” Nami asked.

“Sure, what’s on your mind, young lady?”

“How long will it take until the log resets?”

“One whole year,” Broggy answered.

I cringed. Nami and Usopp both fell over backwards in shock.

“Yeah… That’s… Bad.” We didn’t have a year. Alabasta’s people could go to war any day now. Not only that a year on this island was sure to completely fry Usopp and Nami’s nerves, and by extension mine.

“A BIT OF AN UNDERSTATEMENT DON’T YOU THINK?!” Nami yelled at me. “WE’RE GOING TO DIE HERE!”

I forced her to sit back down. “Screaming about it doesn’t help the situation.” I looked up at Broggy. “Do you have-“

I was cut off by the eruption of a volcano.

Broggy rose to his feet, throwing the remainder of his meat in the fire. He features shifted. The easy going smile replaced by fierce determination.

“Broggy?”

“Please forgive me, but there is something that I must attend to.

“What? You’re leaving?”

“No choice. That’s the signal my opponent and I use to mark the beginning of our fight,” he explained. I had earlier inquired as to why he was on the island, so I knew the story, but to the others, it really didn’t explain anything, leading to more questions than answers.

“A fight?”

“With who? Where? And more importantly why?” Usopp asked.

“Why? I don’t remember.”

I laughed with Broggy. Oh what time does to the memory.

“Why are you laughing?” Nami snapped at you.

“I don’t remember,” I said, cracking myself up further, Broggy seeming to also find my joke funny.

“You’re a funny girl, Mira. I look forward to finishing our meal, when I return.”

“Confidence is good, but don’t get too cocky.”

“My opponent and I have been fighting for over a hundred years. I am aware of and respect his skill.” With that, he charged into the jungle towards his opponent, another giant, who had risen from his hiding place.

“A hundred years?!”

“Giants’ lifespans are three times that of humans,” I explained. “A hundred years doesn’t mean much to them. The giants of Elbaf believe that their god chooses, who wins and who loses. A loss means that they have fallen out of their god’s favor. In this case they’re fighting to see, who their god deems worthy enough to return to their home land.”

“Still a fight to the death? Why doesn’t one of them just go somewhere else? Surely someone could lose without dying.”

“Death before dishonor,” I said, watching the two behemoths go at it. The force of their blows sent shockwaves through the air, pushing us away from the epicenter of the fight. Their steps rocked the island to its core, shaking the dirt beneath our feet. Trees were torn from the ground like nothing.

A fight between giants. I had heard stories of their epic battles, but had never gotten to experience one for myself. It was a sight to behold.

“What an incredible fight! Every one of those attacks is aimed at a vital spot, just one slip from either of them and that’s it, they’re dead.”

I nodded in agreement. It was clear that these two knew each other well. That was expected after a hundred years. Each move was precise and deliberate. There was no wasted motion, no wasted effort.

“You’d think this would get old,” Nami said. “This is a good thing. This is our chance to get away.”

“You’re not still convinced he’s going to eat you are you?” I asked.

“You may trust him, but I’m not taking my chances.”

‘Ridiculous,’ I thought, turning to watch the giants again.

Unlike Nami, who was walking away from the camp, Usopp was frozen in place. I thought he was scared at first. I was fully prepared to defend Broggy once more, but then I saw his face. He wasn’t afraid, he was in awe. His eyes were wide, his jaw practically dragging on the floor.

“Usopp!” Nami called, when she realized that he wasn’t following.

“Amazing. They fight so seriously, and they don’t even know why.”

“This fight is getting annoying,” Nami whined.

“Don’t you see?” Usopp asked. “This is an example of a real battle, between real men.”

“Say what?”

“Maybe an analogy will help. It’s as if they each planted a flag in their hearts that says ‘I am a warrior.’ This flag is more important than anything, more than their lives even. They will never allow the flag to be destroyed by someone else. That’s why they’ve both continued this fight for a hundred years. Do you see it now? This is a proud duel, a legendary fight between two dedicated warriors!”

“Yeah. Whatever. That warrior stuff doesn’t really interest me in the slightest,” Nami said, dismissively.

“That’s because you can’t put a price tag on honor,” I shot.

She ignored me. “You coming?”

“No. I’m still watching this. This is my ultimate goal, this right here, to be a brave warrior, like each of these titans. Really though one day, I’ll be a proud warrior of the sea.”

I smiled at Usopp. “A proud warrior of the sea, a perfect companion for the king of the pirates.”

“So what you’re saying is you want to be a giant?”

I snorted at Nami’s interpretation. Usopp stomped over to her, yelling about her missing the point, before returning his attention to the fight.

The pair both managed to disarm each other, leaving them with only their shields and fists to fight with. They each went for a finishing blow, the punches landing at the same time, knocking them both down.

Broggy returned from his battle, battered and bloody, but alive.

Usopp began to fawn over the giant, as soon as he was near, explaining his admiration and ambition to Broggy. Broggy was surprised by Usopp at first, but seemed to accept his new found title as master well.

I idly wondered what Luffy and Vivi were doing. According to Broggy, they had befriended the other giant, Dorry. Luffy was probably just as enthralled with the epic nature of their battle of Usopp was.

The volcano they used as a signal erupted once more. “Well, there’s the signal. It’s really been active today.”

“You’re really going? But your wounds from the last battle haven’t healed.”

“Please,” Broggy scoffed. “Dorry can’t be doing any better than me. A few scratches won’t take me out of a duel. That surely would be a poor excuse for a brave warrior.”

It was a fair point.

“I guess so,” Usopp conceded.

“Alright then.”

“Now, Master Broggy, go and show this guy!” Usopp cheered.

“You bet, Usopp! I’m gonna beat him for sure this time. He hasn’t got a chance.”

“Go get him, you great warrior of Elbaf! The mighty Broggy always defeats his opponent! You can do it Broggy! You’re the mightiest warrior in the world! You can destroy him any day! Go Broggy!”

“Why does he continue this pointless fight?” Nami asked.

Usopp turned and exploded on her.

Nami was unfazed. “Well now we can get back to the ship. Waiting for a year. No freaking’ way it’s completely unacceptable. We need to get everyone on the ship and come up with a plan.”

I was in agreement as much as I wanted to watch this play out, we didn’t have time. There was never going to be a clear victor. They were too evenly matched. Plus, we had to make sure that the others were alright, and figure out how we were going to get to Alabasta.

“Now hold on a second. I for one don’t think that we stand a chance against dinosaurs. Cutting through the jungle to get back to the Merry won’t so us much good if we get killed on the way, will it?”

“Such bravado from our brave warrior of the sea, afraid of a big lizard,” I teased, standing up.

“I said that come day I’ll be a brave warrior of the sea. Besides even a brave warrior has to have enough sense not to get himself killed. Mira, Nami, listen. Even if I should lose everything someday and have to face a horribly tragic death, along on a deserted island, I will proudly say this about how I have lived, “I am Captain Usopp and know that I have been a great brave warrior of the sea!””

Usopp hit the ground with a hard thud, his fear causing him to go stiff as a board.

“Yeah. Yeah. For now can you just settle for being a dependable warrior?” Nami asked, dragging him by his satchel.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

I shook my head, following the two. “Well then I guess I’ll be on dinosaur duty. I expect you to return the favor, when you’re a brave warrior of the sea.”

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