#apprentice hassan

[graphicpolicy]

Choices will determine destiny in Assassin's Apprentice III

Choices will determine destiny in Assassin's Apprentice III #comics #comicbooks

Dark Horse Comics presents the third and final chapter of the comics adaptation of Robin Hobb’s beloved fantasy novel, Assassin’s Apprentice, in Assassin’s Apprentice III. This next six-issue comics arc follows Fitz as he takes his final steps towards becoming an assassin and is faced with a decision that will define his destiny. Assassin’s Apprentice III #1 arrives this December and is written…

[book--brackets]

Star Wars: Jedi Quest by Jude Watson (2001-2004)

Fourteen-year-old Anakin Skywalker is strong in the ways of the Force. His lightsaber skills are exceptional, and his piloting is legendary. He should be an ideal Jedi apprentice, and yet there is so much he still has to learn. It is up to Obi-Wan Kenobi to teach him these things. But on a mission to a planet threatened by a toxic disaster, Obi-Wan and Anakin are separated. Anakin and three other apprentices must work together in order to survive.

Wiz by Rick Cook (1989-1996)

What Wiz Zumalt could do with computers was magic on Earth. Then, one day the master computer hacker is called to a different world to help fight an evil known as the Black League. Suddenly, the Wiz finds himself in a place governed by magic--and in league with a red-headed witch who despises him.

Brotherhood of the Conch by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (2004-2009)

In a dingy shack in the less-than-desirable Indian neighborhood he calls home, twelve-year-old Anand is entrusted with a conch shell that possesses mystical powers. His task is to return the shell to its rightful home many hundreds of miles away. Accompanying him are Nisha, a headstrong but resourceful child of the streets, and a mysterious man of indeterminate age and surprising resources named Abadhyatta. His quest will take him farther from home than he's ever been and will teach him more than he ever imagined -- and it will force him to make a poignant decision that will change him forever.

The Rules by F. T. Lukens (2017-2019)

Desperate to pay for college, Bridger Whitt is willing to overlook the peculiarities of his new job--entering via the roof, the weird stacks of old books and even older scrolls, the seemingly incorporeal voices he hears from time to time--but it's pretty hard to ignore being pulled under Lake Michigan by... mermaids? Worse yet, this happens in front of his new crush, Leo, the dreamy football star who just moved to town.

Fantastic.

When he discovers his eccentric employer Pavel Chudinov is an intermediary between the human world and its myths, Bridger is plunged into a world of pixies, werewolves, and Sasquatch. The realm of myths and magic is growing increasingly unstable, and it is up to Bridger to ascertain the cause of the chaos, eliminate the problem, and help his boss keep the real world from finding the world of myths.

Wishtress by Nadine Brandes (2022)

She didn't ask to be the Wishtress.

Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. It's a big secret to keep. When a granted wish goes wrong, a curse is placed on her: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She needs to journey to the Well and break the curse before it claims her life--and before the king's militairen track her down. But in order to survive the journey, she must harden her heart to keep herself from crying even a single tear.

He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.

Bastiaan's powerful--and rare--Talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king has a job for him: find and capture the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. When he locates Myrthe, he agrees to take her to the Well in exchange for a wish. Once she's fulfilled her end of the deal, he'll turn her in. As long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don't compromise his job.

They are on a journey that can only end one way: with her death.

Everyone seems to need a wish--the king, Myrthe's cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they're ready to bully, beg, and even betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one of them, Myrthe would have to die. And if she tells them about her curse . . . they'll just kill her anyway.

In a Garden Burning Gold by Rory Power (2022)

Rhea and Lexos were born into a family unlike any other. Together with their siblings, they control the seasons, the tides, and the stars, and help their father rule their kingdom. Thanks to their magic, the family has ruled for an eternity, and plan to rule for an eternity more.

But Rhea and Lexos are special: They are twins, bonded down to the bone, and for the past hundred years, that bond has protected them as their father becomes an unpredictable tyrant—and his worsening temper threatens the family’s grip on power. 

Now, with rival nations ready to attack, and a rebel movement within their own borders, Rhea and Lexos must fight to keep the kingdom—and the family—together, even as treachery, deceit, and drama threaten to strand the twins on opposite sides of the battlefield.

The Berinfell Prophecies by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper (2009-2012)

The Seven succeeding Elven Lords of Allyra were dead, lost in the Siege of Berinfell as babes. At least that's what everyone thought until tremors from a distant world known as Earth, revealed strange signs that Elven blood lived among its peoples. With a glimmer of hope in their hearts, sentinels are sent to see if the signs are true. But theirs is not a lone errand. The ruling warlord of Allyra, the Spider King, has sent his own scouts to hunt down the Seven and finish the job they failed to complete many ages ago.

Now 13-year-olds on the brink of the Age of Reckoning when their Elven gifts will be manifest, discover the unthinkable truth that their adoptive families are not their only kin. With mysterious Sentinels revealing breathtaking secrets of the past, and dark strangers haunting their every move, will the young Elf Lords find the way back to the home of their birth? Worlds and races collide as the forces of good and evil battle. Will anyone escape the Curse of the Spider King?

I'm in Love with the Villainess by Inori (2019-2021)

Ordinary office worker Oohashi Rei wakes up in the body of the protagonist of her favorite otome game, Revolution. To her delight, the first person to greet her is also her favorite character, Claire Francois—the main antagonist of the story! Now, Rei is determined to romance Claire instead of the game’s male leads. But how will her villainous ladylove react to this new courtship?!

The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan (2023-present)

As the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts—an uncommonly magical place—Aziza El-Amin has bargained with wood nymphs, rescued palm-sized fairies from house cats, banished flesh-eating shadows from the local park. But when a dark entity awakens in the forest outside of town, eroding the invisible boundary between the human world and fairyland, run-of-the-mill fae mischief turns into outright aggression, and the danger—to herself and others—becomes too great for her to handle alone.

Leo Merritt is no stranger to magical catastrophes. On his sixteenth birthday, a dormant curse kicked in and ripped away all his memories of his true love. A miserable year has passed since then. He's road-tripped up and down the East Coast looking for a way to get his memories back and hit one dead end after another. He doesn't even know his true love's name, but he feels the absence in his life, and it's haunting.

Desperate for answers, he makes a pact with Aziza: he’ll provide much-needed backup on her nightly patrols, and in exchange, she’ll help him break the curse.

When the creature in the woods sets its sights on them, their survival depends on the aid of a mysterious young necromancer they’re not certain they can trust. But they’ll have to work together to eradicate the new threat and take back their hometown... even if it forces them to uncover deeply buried secrets and make devastating sacrifices.

Wildworld by L. J. Smith (1987-1990)

When Claudia Hodges-Bradley meets a fox, she knows it will be an extraordinary day. Not just any fox, this vixen is the magical familiar of the sorceress Morgana Shee. For years Morgana has guarded the solitary gate between Earth and the Wildworld, a shimmering parallel universe where legends still live. She alone holds the secret of the mirrors that serve as the last passage to enchantment. But Morgana has been betrayed and imprisoned in Wildworld, and the fox is determined to recruit the Hodges-Bradley kids for the rescue mission.

Armed only with courage and determination, Alys, Charles, Janie, and Claudia must save Morgana before the Winter Solstice when the evil sorcerer Cadal Forge plans to escape Wildworld and conquer Earth. And with December 21 only two weeks away, there is no time to lose....

[maritime-shadiness]

Selmmm what's in your list of jobs on the crew that need filled 👉👈👀

HI HERE'S THE CREW MANIFEST

Captain / Sailingmaster: Asu Quartermaster: Hassan Boatswain: Leaf Surgeon / Parson: Cypress

Carpenter: OPEN Master Gunner: OPEN Mate (apprentice): OPEN x5 (quartermaster, boatswain, carpenter, surgeon, gunner)

Sailors: OPEN x5-ish?

Mates are apprentices to the other jobs! so you can be a quartermaster's mate (which would also be first mate, since quartermaster is second in command to the captain)!

If you want to research sailor's duties you might have to search able-bodied sailors bc that's the official term but grr bark ableism

In the past I had a friend make a gunner but we never spoke about her again ksdhkdjf it's been like a year so I think it's safe to say that she's not on the crew?

[funrama]

Out this week! My first #1 on the stands in awhile. This is what I'm doing for the next couple years. I hope you like it. Assassin's Apprentice #1. I talk more about it on my blog: https://funrama.blogspot.com��

jody houser, robin hobb Hassan OE Jordie Bellaire Dark Horse Comics

#assassinsapprentice #robinhobb #farseertrilogy

[je-suis-problematique]

Just some Mordecai things

Good news, we found the lost notes on Mordecai's canon. They were apparently tucked away into one of the numerous About pages on our old Wesker RP blog. I am relieved that I had the bright idea to go snooping in there because I KNEW we saved those notes somewhere, even if we couldn't remember where.

Anyway, here they are:

"Mordecai is a former H.C.F. operative currently spearheading the mercenary group the Outlanders. A former IDF counter-terrorism soldier from the Oketz unit, Mordecai has extensive combat and field experience, but at Wesker’s behest, commandeers his squad from the shadows rather than risking his life on the field since he is an extremely skilled hacker whom Wesker is not quite ready to lose. At times, he does leave his nest to assist his squad in person however, leaving the hacking job to his young apprentice Kota. Normally in charge of clean-up and providing a reliable backup for Wesker, as well as collecting combat data on various B.O.W.s, the Outlanders took a more active role during RE5 where they engaged with Chris and Sheva to prevent them from advancing, and later rescued Wesker from the lava pit he nearly died in.

Nowadays, Mordecai and his squad are often dispatched by Wesker to various corners of the world to investigate B.O.W. involvement, collect samples/data, spy on persons of interest, and do Wesker’s bidding on his behalf while he remains in hiding, their most recent campaign being in Eastern Europe to investigate Miranda and the Mold. It is also important to note that, the Outlanders are all human, save for Mordecai, who was turned into a Tyrant by Wesker after the latter found him attempting suicide so he injected him with Uroboros in a desperate attempt to save Mordecai’s life. To Wesker’s relief, it worked.

Wesker and Mordecai have been a couple since as early as 1998, but their relationship is being kept extremely low key and a secret from pretty much everyone, save for the Outlanders."

All this was followed by a list of names (Mordecai's squad):

Mordecai Reznik - captain, hacking, surveillance, comms, etc.

Nakajima Kota - mordecai’s apprentice, hacking, surveillance, comms, etc.

Judah Price - second in command/lieutenant

Caroline Rose - medic

Safi Hassan - pilot, mechanic

Abigail Murphy - explosives expert

Tate Oleary - sniper

Dorian LaRue - spy, stealth/infiltration expert

I also unearthed these two moodboards we apparently made for Mordecai and Kota:

We completely forgot that Mordecai was Israeli and that he served in Oketz and I think that's pretty cool actually.

[dispatchdcu]

Assassin’s Apprentice #4 Review

Assassin’s Apprentice #4 Review #AssassinsApprentice #darkhorse #darkhorsecomics #comicbooks #news #art #info #NCBD #amazon #comicbooknews #previews #review

Writers: Robin Hobb & Jody Houser Artist: Ryan Kelly Colorist: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou Cover Artist: Anna Steinbauer Publisher: Dark Horse Price: $3.99 Release Date: March 8, 2023 A man awakens a boy in the middle of the night. His face is a map of wrinkles. He offers to teach him if the boy wishes to be a loyal servant to the king. The boy agrees without knowing what the…

[forever-eternal]

I am giving the list lol—

1. Tsukihime (Fairy Tail)

2. Andromeda (Black Butler)

3. Marianne (Avengers)

4. Robin (WTTT)

5. Adam (WTT)

6. Literally all of my WTTT AU

7. Quena (Undertale/General)

8. Riley (Undertale/General)

9. Emily (Undertale/General)

10. Nicholas (Undertale/General)

11. Liam (Harry Potter/Char. Replacement)

12. Aster (Harry Potter/Char. Replacement)

13. Jessamine (Harry Potter/Char. Replacement)

14. Dakota (Halloween/Slashers)

15. Hassan (Assassin’s Creed)

16. Tariq (Assassin’s Creed)

17. Elijah (Until Dawn) +Indie

18. Hiro (Fairy Tail)

19. Damian (Fairy Tail)

20. Crimson Knight (MLP)

21. Savannah (Sally Face)

22. Zosime (PJO)

23. Fenris (Undertale)

24. Cadenza (Undertale)

25. Cyan & Crew (Among Us)

26. Kazuya (MHA)

27. Olivia (Little Evil)

28. Haven (AC:NH)

29. Leviathan (Avengers)

30. Cat (TMNT 12)

31. Auntie (ROTTMNT)

32. Miss Ray (TMNT 87)

33. Tank (TMNT 03)

34. ‘Noona’ (Mutant Mayhem)

35. Mama Mel (Hazbin)

36. Ves (Hazbin)

37. Bianca (Hazbin)

38. Blair (Hazbin)

39. Brielle (Hazbin)

40. Ming (ATLA)

41. Peyton (FNAF)

42. Glitch (FNAF)

43. Veronica (FNAF)

44. Shade (FNAF)

45. Ares (Lust Doll/General)

46. Ariel (General)

47. Isaiah (General)

48. Juliette/Guardian Angel/Princess Papillon (MLB)

49. Eilah (HTTYD)

50. Jackie (FNAF)

51. Victoria (Family Guy)

52. Amelia (My Child; Lesbensborn)

53. Laura/Lori (DHMIS)

54. Crea (Under the Oak Tree)

55. Cheyanne (Stardew)

56. Antonella (Encanto)

57. Breanna (Encanto)

58. Ricardo (Encanto)

59. Zhenlian (ATLA)

60. The Archivist (Creepypasta/General)

61. Nadine (The Forest)

62. Dai Lu (Kung Fu Panda)

63. Daniela/Apprentice/Specialist (TF2)

64. Firefly (HTTYD)

65. Beau (DnD)

66. Merdrath (DnD)

67. Keiko (And Others for a YanSim inspired Rewrite)

68. Michael (COD/General)

69. Dylan (Subnautica)

70. Leonidas (King’s Choice)

71. Yu-Jun (Train to Busan)

Hey guys I am having Many OC Thoughts and I want to ramble, so if there are any Fandom OC’s you wanna see, I can give you the list I have of all the named OC’s that I remember rn and you can ask about them—

[apprenticehasana]

Sappy little comic I had in mind

[geekcavepodcast]

“Farseer Trilogy” Comes to Comics

Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy is getting a comic book adaptation at Dark Horse. Creator Robin Hobb will be joined by co-writer Jody Houser, artist Ryan Kelly, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou for Assassin’s Apprentice.

“Until recently, Fitz was only known as “boy.” The illegitimate son of a powerful noble, Fitz is taken in by his uncle, Prince Verity, who prepares the boy for a journey to the capital to meet his royal grandfather. But Fitz is not a normal child. An ancient power stirs inside him, something that will change the destiny of the Six Duchies forever!” (Dark Horse)

Assassin’s Apprentice #1 (of 6) goes on sale in December 14, 2022.

(Image via Dark Horse - Cover of Assassin’s Apprentice #1)

[dreamer-rena-artz]

Relic Unlocked❤️💜 A little something I was working on in the days. I wanted to make these look like figures/ statues/ trophies you could get if you complete a task for them. A fun thought 👌 I hope you like it guys. Which one is your favorite ? 💕

Art, Lily and Hassan belong to me © @dreamer-rena-artz The Arcana  © Nix Hydra My Insta is dreamer.rena My Twitter is dreamer_rena

[graphicpolicy]

Follow Fitz's first steps as an assassin in Assassin's Apprentice II

Follow Fitz's first steps as an assassin in Assassin's Apprentice II #comics #comicbooks

Dark Horse presents the next chapter of Robin Hobb‘s classic fantasy novel, now adapted in Assassin’s Apprentice II! The second graphic novel installation collects issue #1-6 of the original Assassin’s Apprentice volume 2 comic series and continues Fitz’s journey to becoming an assassin. The book is written by Robin Hobb and Jody Houser, with interior art by Ryan Kelly, cover art by Anna…

[glentheapprentice-arcanawriter]

Making Masterposts Seems to be all I’m Good at. At Least it Helps People.

THIS IS NOT MY ART. THE ART IS DONE BY AN AMAZING ARTIST NAMED @apprenticehasana​! GO CHECK THEM OUT FOR MORE BEAUTIFUL ART LIKE THIS

Now, we’re all good. Enjoy the masterpost. 

The Library Investigation.

Realizing They’re Siblings.

The Library With Julian.

First Kiss.

The Confession (the devil is literally me around my friends who’re dating)

Julian’s Possessiveness. 

Julian’s Eyes.

[zorlok-if]

Can we hear a little bit about the cast of the Summit please 👀👀👀

Well if that's what you want...

I'll go over a couple here. And...

Let's start with Joaquin Osorio then.

Joaquin Osorio, he/they, 27 (Tommy's cousin). A non-heritage, fully human Slayer. Your (MC's) partner*. Joaquin is passionately anti-supernatural. They're headstrong, passionate, impulsive, and hellbent on accomplishing his goal (protecting humanity from the threat of the supernatural by exterminating as many of them as possible).

* you get to choose what exactly that means at the start of the game (winks)

Feilan Grave-Speaker, it/they/(others). An Icelandic draugur from the 9th century (with a conspicuous immunity to silver). Feilan is literally the Speaker of the Grave, the leader of the Revenant faction (one of only two beings who represent the largest population of supernaturals on Earth). Feilan is feared by most people, like how Revenants in general are feared by most (after all, they've been known to work with Slayers). But is something intentionally hiding behind that facade, a facade that has been more or less forced upon it by the Court of Blood, a faction who despises them? Who knows? You might get to find out.

Adriana Silva, she/they. Adriana is an incredibly determined, ambitious, vivacious, and clever woman "living" in a community which is notoriously political and cutthroat. As a patasola, a kind of vampiric being from Colombia, Adriana has one prosthetic leg, fangs, and can perfectly mimic the voices of people's loved ones. She serves as your primary liaison between your employer and her boss, the Prince(ss) of the vampire court (aka, the unofficial host of the Summit). It's said by some that Adriana protects the sometimes naïve prince(ss) from the machinations of the court, but is that true (and are they possibly the one pulling all the strings)?

Cy Hassan, she/her or he/him. The Sheriff for the North American branch of the ILN. The "strong and silent type", Cy is a lycan shifter, but the identity of their shifted form is a secret they hold close to their chest. Dutiful, terse, and pessimistic, Cy isn't one who trusts people easily, but their strong morals tend to propel them to do the right thing, no matter the cost to them and their physical health.

Oriana, she/her. Classified as an "undine" or "mermaid" she is actually an alien from another world with command over the element of water and an appearance that inspired sailors of old to believe that there was a beautiful half-human, half-fish creature living beneath the waves. That's partially true, but she's actually an adorably sweet and incredibly dangerous type of being from another planet. She is a high-ranking Outsider.

Han, they/she/he (genderfluid). Han is a trickster member of the fey court (and one of the only fey friends of the Celestial). They literally live off of chaos, deception, and absurdity and, whether they wish to or not, have a habit of inducing those qualities in the world and people around them. Han is both impossible and easy to read. They just seem to want to watch the world burn. Or perhaps people/Han have just convinced themselves of that.

Elsie/Elias Milton, she/her, he/him, or they/them. Elsie is one of the apprentice mages of the new Magister. They're exceptionally bright and considered a prodigious talent in the magic community. An artificer and inventor, they create special enchanted objects for people in many factions including the glamour charms that monstrous beings can use to masquerade as human.

Pabu, she/her. A yeti and a high-ranking member of the Natural Order. A staunch adversary of climate change and a summit retreat enthusiast who adores the time spent in Antarctica perhaps more than any other guest. Pabu is incredibly kind and gregarious. She lives among humans full-time, but treasures the ability to take a break from hiding and lavish being herself, free from glamour.

Hafsah Akil, she/her. Hafsah is a sphinx advisor for the ILN and a hybrid representative. She rejects the obscure and cryptic aspects of sphinx culture, preferring instead to be extremely clear and upfront with everything she knows and thinks.

Shai, he/they. Not much is known about Shai, people tend not to ask them questions for fear of what he is. They are a totally silent being, always watching, possibly from anywhere. They are the second of the two beings who represent the Revenants.

[solarishashernoseinabook]

Okay, Ranger's Apprentice fans, gather round!

For those who don't know, on the Discord server we often make memes and jokes about Gilan's lack of appearance (though let's be real, we do that here on Tumblr too). Some months ago I decided I would keep track of how many characters were given more complete descriptions than Gilan. As a reminder, here is a comprehensive description of Gilan from everything we get in the books:

He's tall

He's clean-shaven

I only counted characters from the main Ranger's Apprentice series (books 1 - 11) and The Early Years. There is a very scientific reason for this.*

There were some stipulations put into place, those being:

"Characters" were defined as figures who had both a name and at least one thing mentioned about their appearance. There are no characters in this study who don't have an appearance at all, which is why characters like Jurgen from The Early Years were excluded. At the urging of several members of the Discord server, several animals and Serthrek'nish (the mythical creature from Siege of Macindaw) were counted as "characters"

Cover art does not count as canon depictions of characters

Only features that were explicitly mentioned got counted in the description. Thus, things like skin colour weren't counted unless it was specifically alluded to. For all characters in The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, then, even though all Nihon-Jan characters could be assumed to have black hair, hair colour was only noted down as part of the description if it was actually mentioned

Clothes don't count as a description. Similarly, anything that was not purely physical didn't count, either. For instance, Halt is said to have "steady eyes", but as this is more of a character trait than a description it wasn't counted. Similarly, "beautiful" (and variations of it) isn't a description

If a character's appearance changes over time, the change isn't counted as part of their physical description as long as it references something that was already described. For example, Old Bob is mentioned as having brown hair in The Early Years, but white hair in Ranger's Apprentice - as these are both about his hair, this is not counted as two separate items in a description. Horace is mentioned as having a scar in Siege of Macindaw, which is a new physical feature, so because it's not describing something we already know about it counts as a new item in his description.

And with that, here we go! Raw data is provided below the cut.

Enjoy ^-^

* They were the only books I had access to. That's the very scientific reason.

The Stats

Following the criteria given above, there are 134 characters in Ranger's Apprentice and The Early Years. On average, they had 4.1 items in their physical description. Most characters overall had 2 items in their physical description, on par with Gilan.

80 characters have more complete descriptions than Gilan. On average, they had 5.9 items in their physical descriptions. Most of these characters had 3 items in their descriptions. By far the character with the most complete description is Norman, a character from The Battle of Hackam Heath, who has 20 items in his physical description. The runner-up is Kona, a character from The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, who has 15 items in his description. These represent 59.7% of all characters in the study.

28 characters have the same amount of physical description as Gilan (2 items in their description) and represent 20.8% of all characters in the study, whereas 25 characters had only one item mentioned in their physical description and represent 18.6% of all characters in the study (percentages are only counted to one decimal place, so they technically add up to 99.1%, but you get the picture).

Raw data below! Some character names are used more than once, which is why you might see what appear to be duplicates on the list. If you find yourself looking at a name and going "who?", well...exactly

Norman – 20 Kona – 15 Black O'Malley – 12 Morgarath – 12 Malcolm – 11 Alyss – 10 Berrigan – 10 Halt – 10 Keren – 10 Tennyson – 10 Serthrek'nish – 10 Arald – 9 John – 9 Nils – 9 Ragnak – 9 Demon Tooth – 8 Douglas – 8 Edwina – 8 Horace – 8 Old Bob – 8 Salt Peter – 8 Yusul – 8 Luka – 7 Montague – 7 Nimatsu – 7 Rosalind – 7 Shadow – 7 Cielema – 6 Farrel – 6 Ferris – 6 Niel – 6 Rodney – 6 Trobar – 6 Atsu – 5 Cormack – 5 Crowley – 5 Delia – 5 Deparnieux – 5 Duncan – 5 Egon – 5 Erak – 5 Robard – 5 Ryan – 5 Sean – 5 Tomas – 5 Umar – 5 Will – 5 Aman – 4 Cassandra – 4 Cedric – 4 Chubb – 4 Denison – 4 Ergell – 4 George – 4 Nialls – 4 Roberta – 4 Rob – 4 Robina – 4 Shigeru – 4 Xander – 4 Sir David Davidson – 3 Ebony – 3 Eiko – 3 Hassan – 3 Hilde – 3 Kyofu – 3 Jenny – 3 Liam – 3 Mussaun – 3 Orman – 3 Pauline – 3 Petulengo – 3 Phillip – 3 Poldaric – 3 Pritchard – 3 Selethen – 3 Ulf – 3 Abelard – 2 Alda – 2 Anthony – 2 Blaze – 2 Bran – 2 Bryn – 2 Deborah – 2 Farrel – 2 Gerald – 2 Gilan – 2 Griff – 2 Handel – 2 Jerome – 2 Killeen – 2 Kord – 2 Leander – 2 Margrit – 2 Marron – 2 Martin – 2 Mound – 2 Nuttal – 2 Peller – 2 Skinner – 2 Tiller – 2 Tom – 2 Tug – 2 Tug II – 2 Yorik – 2 Abelard I – 1 Ambrose – 1 Ayagi – 1 Barnaby – 1 Bart – 1 Carney – 1 Colly – 1 Cropper II – 1 Daniel – 1 Evanlyn – 1 Jerome – 1 Jerrel – 1 Jervis – 1 Joel – 1 Kelly – 1 Mikeru – 1 Nit'zek – 1 Oswald – 1 Ryan – 1 Sandra – 1 Saoud – 1 Teezal – 1 Wallace – 1 Warlock – 1 Willet – 1

[apprenticehasana]

----

Julian and Hassan’s Upright Ending confessions 😆

[spidersmiceandeverythingnice]

She isn't going to let me go.

The words echoed in his ears. Musashi was repeating all those things she said - the Void - the feeling of being un-stuck in the universe, a wanderer with no home to call her home.

But Diarmuid was watching Zoe. Her pale, unfathomable face went from understanding to despair and it was shifting again, in these moments, into the emotion that was going to potentially end them. The decision that she would naturally make, the wrong choice. She was very still, still in a way that she never was. Her hands - her shoulders - she was poised for something. And he saw what was going to happen next so clearly - when Musashi had described this moment to him, he hadn't wanted to believe it - but now, he knew.

She isn't going to let me go.

Musashi had approached him, shortly after their defeat of Demeter. The mood was uncomfortable while Zoe was unconscious, but there was an added anxiety now. The original three - himself, Robin, and Hassan - they had no resources with which to fight the gods themselves. Diarmuid was the only one who could hold his own, but even then - even then, when all they could do was try to protect Zoe from harm...

Those were the sorts of thoughts that circled his head as he sat in the base's training simulator. His impulse was that he ought to do something, but he wasn't quite stupid enough to exhaust himself when he knew that there were at least two more gods to fight.

And Zoe, unconscious. That new weapon - they hadn't even told him about it.

Mash hadn't told him about it.

On one hand, he was only a Servant. He knew that. He understood his role within Chaldea perfectly well. But for the past two years, Zoe had always treated him like something more. It was like that for all of them. Zoe never saw them as weapons. And Mash - well, she was perhaps the only genuine apprentice he'd ever had, and so he felt that even if he was merely a Servant of Chaldea, he was justified in feeling upset that she hadn't revealed this to anyone.

Especially because it had hurt Zoe. It had nearly killed her.

Suffice to say that his mood was darker than it had been in a long, long time.

"This is my last stop," Musashi was explaining to him. Her affect was as chipper as always, even though Diarmuid felt like he'd turned to stone from the shock. "I don't really belong in this world - or any other world, for that matter. But Zoe isn't going to see it that way."

Of course she wouldn't. Diarmuid had the thought cross his mind, and then listened, astonished, as Musashi repeated:

"She'll say something like, 'You do belong in this world, because I love you, and I want you to say.' And that's sweet of her, but - it's just not true. And no amount of wishing will make it so."

She let out one of her airy, carefree laughs at this. The sound grated on his nerves. Instinctively, Diarmuid wanted to argue, and take Zoe's side. Surely there must be another way. But he couldn't speak. Couldn't pretend to be hopeful. He understood, instinctively, that what Musashi was saying was true. Perhaps it was because they were fellow swordsmen but he knew.

And he was powerless to stop it. Or her. Or anything.

"She isn't going to let me go," said Musashi. "And don't get me wrong, I realize this is a big ask - but you have to make sure she doesn't stop me."

She must have read his expression in that moment, because she waved away his concern.

"I'm not asking you to do anything crazy or hurt her or anything," said Musashi, with an awkward laugh. "Never. But - this is something I can only ask you to do. Because we're both swordsmen who love Zoe more than anything else in the world. You get what I mean, right?"

Diarmuid found himself nodding. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around the scenario she'd described.

"So," said Musashi, "no matter what - if she screams, or cries, or curses at you - you have to hold on to her with all your strength."

Finally, he stood up, shaking his head all the while.

"You really are the worst," he told her, too angry to be friendly with her now. "How can you ask me to do something like that?"

"You will, though."

It wasn't a question. Diarmuid stiffened.

He would. He would. Of course, he would.

"You're unbelievable," he told her.

And he'd tried to storm out of the room, but as he was walking away, Musashi said to him:

"Thank you. First and most honorable of the knights of Fianna - thank you from the bottom of my heart."

When he looked back, he saw her beaming, and she bowed, bending at the waist until her hair was hanging down, and her eyes were on the floor.

The sight made his blood run cold.

And now here he was again, watching as Musashi explained herself to the others. Tried to think, beyond the cacophonous buzzing in his ears - the raw, pulsating magical energy of Chaos that made him feel like he was being turned inside out -

Zoe would not let Musashi go. That much was clear.

"I don't belong in this world," she said, smiling. "Or any other."

"No."

Zoe's voice was hard. She rarely raised her voice, but she was close now. She was trembling, as if physically suppressing herself already.

"That is not true."

"It is," Musashi told her, firmly. "We always knew that, from the beginning."

"You belong in this world," Zoe replied. "You belong here because I love you and I say so. I'll find a way to make sure you can stay."

"That's sweet of you to offer. But someone's got to take care of that big ole gap in the universe for you first! And the only one who can do that is me."

Musashi shrugged, as if apologetic.

Zoe took a deep, shuddering breath.

And took a step forward.

It was unclear what she had planned to do, really. She had no Command Seals, and even if she had, they wouldn't have worked on Musashi, because she had never been properly contracted with Chaldea the way that the rest of them were. She wouldn't physically have fought Musashi, but she may have trusted that if Zoe put her arms around her, then she wouldn't have tried to throw her off right away.

In any case, it didn't matter.

Diarmuid had made a promise.

He stepped forward, and reached for Zoe.

And she did cry, and curse at him, just as Musashi had said that she might. And those things were painful, to be sure, just as it was painful to watch another one of his friends walk cheerfully into the end of their existence.

But all the same, he didn't let her go.