#because they been fighting people against GALAXIES who wants a taste of that immortality who also don't KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF IT WHICH I

[generalsmemories]

every time i see someone shit on the xianzhou story quest on twitter i die a little bit inside.

[lucky-sevens]

mechanisms fanfiction recommendations

this began as a compilation of my own works for my about, but i decided to recommend some others as well!

i have kept this list to 20 of other people’s + all of my own, because i have a lot of mechanisms fanfiction saved and didn’t want to go overboard! in addition, i’ve made sure that everyone i draw from is a different author, vs. several by the same person, for the sake of variation and giving more people a spotlight! i’ve also made sure everything is complete, which sadly means i’ve left out a few of my favorite longfics. i’ve also tried to have a decent balance of album-focused things vs crew-focused things.

a note; i’ve tried to have a variety (of both genre and length), but my tastes skew towards angst and longer oneshots, so that’ll be a lot of that sort of thing. (please mind the tags on some of these fics!) this is also all sfw, as i’m a minor, but it’s not all gen.

edit: i copy-pasted the summary from each of these works over to this post!

no matter what you do it won’t go away by AssyEr

Brian coming to terms with being made of metal.

Hatter and Hare Top 5 Gay Moments!! [NOT CLICKBAIT!!!] by shella688

Majors Hatter and Hare grinned at each other as they shook hands.

Then, all of a sudden, the grins faltered slightly as a realisation went through both their heads.

Oh no, the realisation went. He's cute.

Date Night: New Midgardian Prison Edition by OnceAndFloral

The Mechs cordially invite Lyfrassir to date night in their prison cell. And by "cordially invite" I mean "orchestrate an elaborate scheme".

eternity will see her dead by Garecc

Rose Reds are made to die, and eternity will see them dead, sent off to another bitter end.

cold as numbers by alderations

Ivy starts at the beginning.

Every morning, Ivy starts at the beginning. Rubbing alcohol, scalpel blades, sensations that should be twisting and cutting and crushing, if the words could coalesce into feelings. A subdued voice, a cool hand on her forehead. She is Ivy Alexandria. She starts at the beginning.

beat inside your heart by zinabug

Jonny and Nastya sibling oneshots part two. (Note from @lucky-sevens- they all function on their own.)

And Sew by fracnkie

The benefits of teaching your Toy Soldier to do the following: sew, do makeup, how to cure a sore throat, and how to shoot a plasma blaster.

Ashes To Ashes, Dust To Dust by CloudDreamer

It was the two of them against the world. But then the two of them against each other, and that seemed so much harder than fighting all the worlds combined.

Wayfarers by Oblivion_Wanderer

Nastya and Lyf meet in the cold of space; Nastya adrift after leaving the Mechanisms and Lyf fleeing from the destruction of the Yggdrasil system. Each feeling lost in their own way, they decide to travel together.

No Heart To Break by meteornight

The Toy Soldier was not real. It could never be real, not if it had any say in the matter. The widow had said that the toy was real, that it had once been a real man with a real heart. The toy knew that was a lie, for if it was a man, why would she treat it like a toy?

is it piety is it purity is it virtue by consumptive_sphinx

“Percy’s blunt, not stupid,“ Mordred says when Kay asks why they’re even friends, “and anyway she’s great, she never calculates anything, she just says stuff and makes everyone else deal with it. I could never be brave enough.”

This is because Mordred absolutely does calculate every word that comes out of his mouth, except sometimes when it’s two in the morning and everyone except him and Galahad and Percival has gone to sleep and he can argue as passionately in favor of peace as he wants with the only two people who won’t call him a traitor for it, and while he doesn’t not appreciate this trait of Percival’s, like hell is he going to admit to his real reason.

orpheus, the soldier, and the short-billed dowitchers by alexsandr

orpheus finds rest with an unexpected friend.

No Violins Allowed by Alienea

Lyf had been having a very peaceful and fulfilling few decades, at least in terms of work fulfillment and being able to afford to bail out of the system at the very first moment anything happened.

So of course that was when the Mechanisms appeared over the horizon.

Labyrinthine by DuskDragon39

Your story is a labyrinth.

Your story is built along wandering lines and windings so vague that you, its architect, cannot trace your way out. It is your scream at its center, your pain that fuels it.

(Or: Daedalus and the stories they tell about him.)

Baking With Goggles (Safety First!) by eminorseven

Marius tries to justify bringing Jonny and Tim to the kitchen. Brian daydreams. Jonny stabs many walnuts. Tim gets locked out and explodes things.

Typical baking stuff.

Surprising Salvage by OddmentsAndTweaks

A normal boring morning is made infinitely more exciting by the prospect of a ship boarding. The Mechanisms prepare for chaos and murder and some really good violence. What they get is one very defiantly defended ruined vessel and a morning no one expected at all.

I wanna stay here with you by SnailArmy 

Loki and Sigyn get to be wives, in stolen moments. 

As It Was by i_am_made_of_memoriies

Jonny walked down the corridor, his steps burdened by an invisible force. His face was passive, and where there was usually manic glee, there was only a hint of curiosity–someone was trying to enter through the airlocks, and he was going to kill them.

Nastya returns to the ship formerly known as the Aurora to find the mechanisms at the end of their time.

burned out from a joyride by spiralingcosmos

ashes has a nightmare; as a result, they make a new friend.

In Which Nastya Is The Narrator Of The Deaths by nonbinary_frog

(Note from @lucky-sevens: There is no summary included, but I feel like the title works well enough.)

---

my heart in your hands

How Jonny d'Ville's mechanization came about.

i’ve got a map of your eyes (but i’ve never seen your face)

That’s not the real Rose. All the memories and feelings were merely planted in her head.”

 “Very true.”

 “And given the effective age difference, it’s unlikely they’ll have much of a life together, not to mention the massive amount of trauma they’ve both endured.”

 “Absolutely.”

 “Not only that, but everyone else they’ve ever known or loved is dead and they’re trapped on a planet full of corpses in a vast interstellar empire that is going to suffer the most horrendous power vacuum and associated bloodshed the galaxy has ever seen. Oh, and they’re both known war criminals and will likely be on the run for the rest of their lives.”

“Like I said. I love a happy ending.”

-Ever After

the death of a phoenix

You are Ashes O'Reilly, and you are twenty-three, and you are dying.

an exercise in futility

Post-Lashings.

ballast

The Aurora doesn't have a daemon, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a soul.

marching ever through the black

Whoever’s uniform you wear No loyalties to hold or share No burning hate, no bitter fear No heart to break, so shed no tear

TMA Is The Mechanisms’ Podcast (series)

The Magnus Archives is a podcast distributed by the Mechanisms, a crew of immortal space pirates roaming through the galaxy having fun, violence, violence, and violence. They have an inane distaste for laws, and so refuse to put their podcast under any kind of copyright law whatsoever. Today's episode was cowritten by Ivy Alexandria and Nastya Rasputina and performed by Jonny d'Ville. It was produced by the SS Aurora and directed by Jonny d'Ville- well, no, but sometimes he wants to be in charge of things and the other Mechanisms don't find it worth arguing about. To comment on episodes, make donations, and view links, images, and show notes, simply throw yourself into space and the Mechanisms may or may not find you. Probably best if they don't. Thank you for listening, though why you choose to spend your time like this is beyond the Blogbot's understanding.

thank you for reading! i’d highly suggest trying these!

[mystech-master]

Ragna in the other BBTAG worlds

I asked a while ago for ideas as to where Ragna could end up post-CF as his “retirement” world, I’ve gotten like 3 suggestions; Bleach (mainly to pair him with Kukaku Shiba, but given everything else happening in that world he’ll have no chill there), Animal Crossing, and Mario Galaxy (on the Comet Observatory with Rosalina and the Lumas)

but today, I want to take a look at how he’d fare living in the worlds presented to us in BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle. Just for the hell of it:

Long post bellow

Persona: if Ragna were to end up living in the Persona world thing might be difficult at first, he grew up in the middle of nowhere and the woods and lived in a post-apocalyptic dystopian future, so there will be a bit of a culture shock. But if Akihiko can run around shirtless then this world will be fine with someone like Ragna. I think he might end up working with the Shadow Operatives, hey he was raised to fight so may as well put his supernatural power and fighting ability to use against the Shadows right? I mean the Kirijo group managed to make an identity for Aigis when she attended Gekkoukan High in P3, so they could make Ragna have an identity. Since the dude has Son Goku levels of education I ‘d find it funny if Mitsuru put his ass through some kind of education program or something. I mean it is never too late to get an education and I’m sure there are many real-life examples of people who couldn’t go to school for some reason or another. Also, I’ve said this before, Ragna might give of serious “Shinjiro” vibes to the Shadow Operatives, so they might be able to navigate his personality a bit better. Mitsuru can be the cool-headed one w/o being a bitch like Rachel, Akihiko would make a good sparring partner, he’ll treat Aigis and Labrys right since he treats the Murakumos like people, Yukari is pretty normal compared to most of them and can also get annoyed by their antics so Ragna might like her (he enjoys the company of average/normal people since they aren’t too zany for his tastes), Ken is pretty mature for his age, but Junpei might get on his nerves. But also, if Ragna enters around P4 Arena time, then if he stays there a few years he could be present for the Persona 5 story, and THAT would be a fun setting to play in with Ragna.

Under Night In-Birth: it being a modern world won’t be too much of an issue, like with Persona there’ll be some culture shock but lots of the people there are also kind of weirdoes. If he ends up with the main good guys (Hyde, Linne, Waldstein, and Vatista) we can just add another guy bumming around Hyde’s house.  Helping train Hyde, spar with Wald, cook for Linne (give her actual good food and she’ll be worshiping you I bet), and Vatista May remind him of Lambda so he’d be chill around her. But another idea could be him being a mercenary like Gordeau, like maybe the two becoming friendly rivals or something (I just liked how chill he was with Ragna in BBTAG’s story oka, sue me). Also, I could totally see Hilda trying to recruit Ragna into Amnesia because she hears about him being the SS-Class criminal trying to take down the keepers of the order of his world, much like how she is trying to do to Licht Kreis, she tries to get a little flirty with him, but Ragna declines b/c 1. When he was taking on the N.O.L. he was doing it for revenge, Hilda is just doing it for shits and giggles (10 points to whoever gets that reference), 2. Ragna can totally sense danger coming to from this chick, and 3. the dude is at least smart enough not to stick his dick in crazy. He and Merkava would have an interesting conversation, Merkava being a beast with a man within, and Ragna being a man with a beast within.

RWBY: Okay this might depend on where in the timeline he’s put (Pre-Volume 3 like in BBTAG, or Pre-Volume 6 like what I’ve been thinking of), but let’s stick with the Beacon arc-like in BBTAG. The current state of the world is: Cinder and her team are in disguise as Haven students, Roman is arrested, everyone thinks the threat is gone and that the Breach was the big plan, but the Ozluminati know better and are just trying to keep the peace. Ragna is a very aggressive person and easily angered, not a good thing when dealing with Grimm, which are attracted to negative emotions. Also, may I remind you that the Grimm have no souls, and thus are immune to Ragna's Soul Eater power drive which is partially what has allowed him to be such a dangerous threat in his world. In fact, his power is WAY more suitable for fighting people, considering the Huntsmen and Huntresses powers come from their Aura which comes from their soul. Like, he just grabs them and watches that Aura meter just drop FAST. Also, I’m not sure if he’d even be able to gain Aura and a Semblance himself with the Azure Grimoire also fucking his soul up. Ironwood might just say to kill/imprison this guy before he becomes a threat while Ozpin might try and be a bit more diplomatic if he at least hears about his nicer exploits (maybe from Ruby). And no, I do not know how his Soul Eater power could be used on the Maiden Powers or Ozpin’s reincarnating soul. MAYBE it could be used to kill Salem by consuming HER immortal soul instead of just physically killing her, but I do not know if it could be used to rip the Maiden Powers out of their hosts. He and Qrow might talk about their shitty lives but when Qrow offers him a drink Ragna declines b.c Ragna’s Azure Grimoire healing factor also works on toxins (seen in the Variable Heart manga where he shrugs of Shiori’s poison), also I think Ragna views Alchohol as a bitch’s way of dealing with problems. A fight between him and Raven would be interesting also, like them giving each other lectures about family: Ragna giving Raven shit for abandoning Yang (who I assume he might bond with), while Raven says that he has no right to talk about family considering the state of HIS.

There’s probably a lot more that could happen but I can’t think of anything else atm.

I’ll be skipping Arcana Heart since A. I barely know jack fuck about that series (the second game isn't even localized), B. the main powerset in that game seems to only go to girls, which leads to C. there are NO male characters, not even side NPCs, so Ragna would stick out WAY too much.

Senran Kagura: Much like Arcana Heart I don’t know much but I looked through character descriptions and some basic plot summaries here and there (mostly from TVTropes so please forgive me if I fuck something up, which I will) , so I at least get the BASIC gist of things going on. The only place I could think of Ragna going is him looking after or palling around with the Homura Crimson Squad. He isn’t one to join some big organization (the Good Ninja side won’t accept him after his MASSIVE body count in his world, and the Hebijo guys are way too intense), and depending on the timeline he could either help protect the Crimson Squad from the Hebijo team out to kill them for deserting, or he also likes to be independent and train/fight his own way. He could help Homura train for her next fight with her rival Asuka (plus she’ll be a fan of his meat cooking). He might try to get Yomi to add some more variety to her food instead of bean sprouts (cue fight). Hikage might freak him out since she looks like almost a female Hazama/Terumi, but she also struggles with socializing and likes to cook for her friends so after the initial awkwardness they might get along. Mirai hates being ignored so this might cause some annoyance to Ragna, but she’s also a bully victim. I could see him being annoyed by her but then later sees her getting picked on and his big-brother instinct kicks in and he helps, then they gain a sort of understanding. Haruka is the real beast here, the dominatrix sadist scientist who wants to make people her dolls, so Ragna might need to step up a bit to keep her under control (like I said I only know the bare minimum, she might not actually be that bad post-character development but I don’t know). Finally, just for the sake of it, I’m not too sure where on the power scale Ragna would fall in the SK universe. The most powerful person there is Sayuri/Jasmine, with I think Rin and Daidōji both sharing the second strongest spot. I’ll say Ragna is around Daidōji and Rin’s level because Sayuri/Jasmine would most likely be like Jubei level. Also because the power scaling in Blazblue is absurd so comparing the Shinobi (of whom only a few have unique powers) to the Blazblue cast (who have magical weapons and reality-fucking powers) is kind of unfair, plus it gives Ragna a sort of cap so he won’t be too unstoppable in this world. Finally, not too keen on shipping. I’ve been using the “half your age plus seven” rule of dating so to not make things weird, Ragna is 22 in my HC and the minimum age is 18 (lots of people say once your over 18 you can date whoever you want that’s older, but........no), but while a few girls in SK are 18 they are still in high school (the birthdays and ages don’t match up with their school years, and that angers me) so.....no, he just has a big brother instinct for the Crimson Squad.

I’ll also skip Akatsuki Blitzkampf b/c A. Like Arcana Heart above I barely know the story, and B. What little I have seen of the story isn’t.......much. Story Isn’t exactly a big factor in this series.

Lemme know what you guys think Ragna would get up to in these other worlds. I might add to this if another series is added to BBTAG.

[empress-of-xerxes]

Immortal Passengers

In ages past, the Blighted Lamb had sailed the void under a much more stoic name and under colors befitting it’s once regal heritage. Imperial records had defined it as a Gloriana-class battleship. One of very few such vessels to exist with the others belonging to only the greatest beings ever to walk amongst mankind. It was from this class of vessel that Primarchs waged war against the wayward and brought compliance to nearly the entire galaxy. It was also from these ships that the Primarchs sought to undo everything the Great Crusade had accomplished and the shear volume or depth of fire-power offered by these vessels were enough to cause untold devastation among any who dared fight against it.

System conquerors. Compliance bringers. Every Gloriana-class was made to personify the very being of their Legion and in turn that of their Primarch.

But the Blighted Lamb was different. In it’s many millenia since the events of the Horus Heresy, it had since shrug away any notion of belonging to a single Legion. When it found it’s crew wanting and the call for greater causes brushed against it’s hull, the Blighted Lamb made short work of those who stalked it’s passages consigning thousands to the void and untold millions to infestation or daemonic incursion. It had always been a fickle, quick to bore vessel and it’s attention was easily lost when it’s crew proved unworthy.

That was until the Immortalis had conquered it. That was... until the Daemoness had graced it’s throne.

“Blood.” Adrian whispered, sucking in recycled air and flicking his forked tongue out across his lips as if tasting a scent. A pasty coat of grey powder caked at the edges of his smile, peeling away as the humidity pressed into his skin and broke apart the painted death mask. He often daubed ash onto the radiant skin of his face as a means to preserve both his own beauty as well as that of the many bodies the ash had once been. Burned to cinders only hours ago, Adrian blissfully wore the ashen mask as he strolled through the corridors of the Blighted Lamb. Beside him walked his retinue, a motley crew of astartes salvaged from various Pentacles or Millennials complimenting a different fighting style and skill that Adrian put to great use. 

His armor was a graven-colored grey smear inlaid with finely carved obsidian and trimmed in a deep crimson. Xerxian-script, an old nearly dying language flowed across it’s many contours reciting poems and sagas from dead prophets or artists. Flowing across his chest and down his waist jingled a tabard made of gilded silver coins depicting leaders and nations from all across the galaxy. They clashed and clattered against his armor, vibrating in a noisily pleasing way that rang against Adrian’s ears and only ever caused his smile to wide.

“Yes, there was plenty spilled against these walls”, said one of his retinue. An apothecary by trade but he had long since given up such a title. Flesh-carver or Butcher seemed far more fitting in this day and age. His voice was a dull monotone and filled with the bitter touch of logic. “Records scavenged from what data banks we could salvage indicated nearly twelve different crew changes. From lowly gangers to an entire complement of legionaires. All of which have since been... expelled.” A soft grunt left the apothecaries vox grill.

Adrian nodded, not really caring about this information but saving it from later use nonetheless. All knowledge had it’s purpose after all.

A low grumble left his chest, a purr, and he continued to stalk forward taking in the sights of the newly-christened flagship. It was quite dull as far as it’s interior and it had looked as if many had tried to make their mark without permanence. As quickly as changes were wrought upon the ships walls they were reverted. “This really is a fickle bitch of a ship.” 

Helotes, the apothecary, grunted once more and tapped the end of his narthecium against a ruined tapestry that depicted a warrior in Mark II armor standing valiantly above a newly conquered world. “That is putting it lightly.”

The astartes made there way conducting the last and final checks of the important corners of the ship and found it to be in tip-top shape. No sign of external intrusion, no stirring from the thinly veiled areas of reality, and most importantly no residual constructs. The ship had done a number when an unknown factor in slaved-servitors and skitarrii elements had ambushed the Immortalis’ initial taking of the ship. They had since grown paranoid and always on the lookout for the more colorful of traps. Something that provided as much of a distraction as an opportunity for fun.

The astartes finished their checklist and began making their way back to the ships command deck. Adrian voxed ahead, “Does she still sleep?” There was worry in his voice. Concern and a hint of yearning. It was almost enough to ruin his constant smile but he kept himself in check.

The reply was curt as expected of the braggart, “Yes.”

Upon the command deck of the Blighted Lamb, two-hundred souls worked tirelessly to maintain the ship and keep all it’s needs fulfilled. This was no motley crew but the best personnel to survive the shattering of the Xerxian Empire. Navbeds, Captains from every Pentacle, expert pilots and some fifty former-Cohort members all went about their tasks muttering and whispering as the mortal kind tended to do. There was never silence on the command deck and even the astartes of the Immortalis Primus went about teasing and goading each other.

As Adrian entered, there was a modicum of decorum as a few nods and salutes were passed. But otherwise, the favored of the Shahmaran was given a wide berth and always a clear path to the throne. As he approached it, he felt a brush against his mind. A shiver of bliss and the overwhelming sensation of claws gently scraping against his brain-matter. A divine fleeing that gave him a slight pause but which was quickly followed through less he lose himself in the feeling. He made his way to stand beside the throne and he knelt down low.

“My Shahmaran, the ship has been cleansed to it’s fullest and is ready for transit.” He knew he did not need to say it, but to not do so was to lose an opportunity to hear her speak.

There was a twitch as the woman upon the throne rose to awareness. Short, silver hair crowed a regal, hawkish face. Tanned, radiant skin glistened with ethereal energies that pressed just beneath the surface always waiting to be unleashed. Twin curling horns from up then back along the woman’s scalp, their ends tipped with gilded silver. She was tall for a mortal with a body muscled and resembling an amazoness primed for war. Her armor flexed and breathed as an almost second skin with the leering snake at the center of her breastplate constantly in motion entwined with the pentacle inlaid against it.

She opened her eyes, twin crimson irises pulsing with pale-firelight. She turned to regard him and act that only further caused Adrian to shiver in glee as the full depth of her gaze swept over him. A thin, motherly smile crossed her lips and she lifted her hand to the sound of rattling scales set against the forearms. 

“We go to the Eye. There are many audiences who demand my presence and I will not leave them wanting.” Her voice was rich and deeply accented, that of a scholar with intoned fury behind every syllable. It was only then that the command deck fell silent and all attention went to the throne. The Shahmaran stood slowly from her seat of power and gestured outward at her gathered host, “You all are the survivors because the gods have willed it. What is left of Xerxes is now left within you and it with your blood and your souls that we will conquer far more than fledgling systems.”

There was a rapturous applause and the sounds of hundreds of mortals and astartes beating their breasts. Seras’ smile widened and she soaked in the admiration and the love of her people. Her gauntlets rattled once more as she reached into the warp with a simplicity that gathered disbelief and she pulled from it the weapon of Xerxes destruction. A hellsword that blazed and crackled with a molten heart as it’s core. She twisted the weapon through the air, carving fissures before her and slammed it into the decking. The ship almost seemed to groan at the action, walls creaking and floor vibrating violently.

Seras grinned now as she felt the Blighted Lamb lower it’s geller fields by her command and an even larger tear in reality emerged out in the void ready to welcome her fleet. 

“To the Eye.” She said and the remnants of the Xerxian Armada set sail once again. 

[shenzhiguang]

Star Wars and the Real World: The Jedi in Real Life

You can learn the Ways of the Force

You can become a Jedi...

Here’s how:

A little backstory: who are the Jedi?

When we look at the Jedi, we see warrior monks, who possess superhuman abilities/powers through their practice of their cultivation and connection with the mystical universal energy field known as the Force, who live by a higher moral code, and serve to protect peace and justice in the Galaxy.

In their own words, the Jedi are ‘Keepers of the Peace’ and ‘Guardians of Peace and Justice in the Galaxy’ - universal servants, who “give without any thought of reward”. Serving all life, all beings, all souls in countless planets, stars, throughout the Galaxy, unconditionally.

What is the Force? In the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “The Force is what gives a Jedi [their] power. It’s an energy field that is created by all living things... it surrounds us, and penetrates us, it binds the Galaxy together.”

If we use the definition of Jedi as being a group of warrior monks, who possess superhuman powers and abilities through their cultivation and deep connection with a universal oneness energy field, who are connected through a monastic order which has a lineage process of passing down the practices from Master to apprentice, who serve to protect peace and justice throughout the realm, who are affiliated with the government to the point of interceding in conflict of the realm, including conflict resolution and negotiations, quelling uprisings, participating in civil wars on the righteous side, participating in all-out wars on the front lines as commanders of military units, protecting the reigning leader as members of his personal guard, protecting the realm from invasion, and aiding in rebellions to overthrow the government when it falls into corruption - this description could be accurately used for the Jedi order of the Old and New Republic.

What if I told you, this description could also perfectly describe the heroes and warrior monks of Ancient China?

A long time ago, in a far away land...

In ancient times, the Zen and Dao monks would devote lifetimes of studying and practicing to develop their internal energy field, their essence, and cultivate their energy centers through deepening their connection with the universal energy field, which exists within, and connects all things in countless planets, stars, galaxies and universes - known by some as the Tao, the ‘way of all life’, oneness, by others as one’s true nature, Buddha nature, and to those in a Galaxy Far, Far Away as the Living Force.

This practice is known as Xiu Lian 修炼 . “ “Xiu” means purification of one’s soul, heart, mind and body and “lian” means practice, so Xiu Lian is purification practice. Xiu Lian is the totality of one’s spiritual journey, because the spiritual journey is a purification journey.” - Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha, Tao II: the Way of Healing Rejuvenation, Longevity and Immortality, page 76.

Now we will look at the term 侠 Xiá

Xia means someone who uses power to help others in need. Xia are similar to knights errant, skilled warriors who are champions of the common people, living by a higher moral code, riting injustice, protecting the helpless, defending the defenceless, fighting for righteous and meriteous causes, fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves, often against corrupt authorities. Bringing balance to the realm. As said by master Yoda , ‘A Jedi uses their powers for protection and defence - never for attack’.

They were part of a larger counterculture to mainstream society, called the ‘Jianghu’, consisting of vagrants, vagabonds, poets, musicians, merchants, disillusioned officials, martial artists, and cultivators.

‘Jiānghú’ 江湖 literally translates ‘rivers and lakes’, for members of this community travelled - rather than by conventional methods of road - secretly, by rivers and lakes. They lived by a code of ‘Xia’ which included chivalry, righteousness, justice, loyalty, truthfulness, virtue, benevolence, individualism, disregard for status, and places emphasis in repaying kindness which one has been given. Many were often inclined to a hermit-like existence.

Xia possessed some level of cultivation of their energy field, as the cultivation of ones mind, body, energy and spirit are inseparable from the study and practice of martial arts.

For those who wanted to Deepen their connection, to harness this, to further develop their skills, gain higher abilities and possess greater powers, they would ‘go to the mountain’ to study and practice in solitude as hermits (much like Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Luke did in their later years), or go to temples to study with great masters. 

These Xia who focused on developing their powers through cultivation were known as 修者 xiūzhě, 修士 xiūshì, and 修仙者 xiūxiānzhě, and were communally referred to as the 修真界 xiūzhēn jiè , meaning the cultivation world.

The Zen and Dao monks had highly advanced martial skills, dedicating their lives to study and practice, organized monastically, living in temples and passing on their learning from Master to apprentice through lineage, and occasionally making forays into the material world, interceding in internal conflict, defending the realm against invasion, participating in civil wars on the righteous side, serving as and training the personal bodyguards of the emperor, and even leading rebellions against corrupt governments.

The Zen and Tao monks were the most advanced martial artists, and the most powerful warriors. They were also the most peaceful and balanced of cultivators, from their years of dedication to study and practice, and thus the most qualified to use this power. They only used their power for service, as was mentioned earlier. In fact, they only received these powers by being in service, and having a good record of it: Take care of and provide for the whole, and the whole will take care of us. They knew the key to living a long healthy life was to give to others without considering what they would get in return. In return, they were given the ability to serve more and more. These include powers and abilities beyond our comprehension. The key to their service lay in the balance and harmonizing of their mind body and spirit through cultivation, practices, and developing the higher qualities of love, compassion, forgiveness, humility, harmony, gratitude, service, and more, granting them access to powers that would not be given to those with less self mastery, who could use them for selfish, amoral or unrighteous purposes - anything not in greater service to the whole.

The only reason they were given these powers was for service, to offer greater service to the whole, to be empowered as greater universal servants.

How to do Xiu Lian

There is an ancient saying , ‘Da Tao Zhi Jian’ meaning the great way (of all life) is extremely simple. So simple you may not believe it!

In the words of a great Tao Master, Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha, “If you want to know if a pear is sweet, taste it.” Why not experience it and see what you feel?

An ancient practice from around the world is mantra. A mantra is a positive message with a sustained tone that can uplift ones energetic field, one’s frequency and vibration. There have been thousands of mantras throughout humanity’s history. This is Tao Song. Tao Song is a love song to heal and transform all aspects of life. As Padawan Skywalker said, Love is ‘central to a Jedi’s life’.

This is a very powerful practice.

Moving mediation

There have been thousands of moving meditations throughout history, including tai chi, qi gong, pranic yoga, and many others. To cultivate the Living Force or life Force energy, which concentrates in centers around our bodies, known as centers of the Living Force, life Force energy centers or simply, energy centers. The purpose of these practices is to develop ones internal energy centres or fields.

“Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter,” said Master Yoda

This is the highest moving mediation I have discovered: Tao Calligraphy, which is Love Art, to heal and transform all aspects of life.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ttpcpkVmAT4

This is your first step into a larger world. I welcome you.

May the Force be with you....

[filligan-universe]

Star Wars: The Last Jedi FAQs

Spoilers ahead.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi has undergone some harsh criticisms. While I need another watch to fully form my viewpoint, I came out of the film exhilarated and happy with the direction Rian Johnson had led this franchise into. If Star Wars is to survive, it needs to grow, and growing pains are a fact of life. One of the best defenses of the film is by Jacob Hall on Slashfilm -- the crux of which is that Rian Johnson deliberately set fire to all that we know about Star Wars, burned it down to the ground, and did so as a fan of the series himself. It’s a fascinating take and one I will try to avoid repeating here -- just read the article. Instead, I simply want to answer some frequently asked questions -- or FAQs as the kids call them these days -- to soothe some of the still-lingering rage hangovers some fans have. 

Q: Why doesn’t Holdo just tell Poe her plan? She could’ve avoided all of the bad shit that happened! Right?

A: Why would she tell Poe her secret plan to ensure the literal survival of the Resistance? Poe is coming hot off a bombing run where he needlessly cost lives. His arrogance got him demoted by Leia. So explain to me why Holdo is beholden to give her answers to any stir-crazy pilot that’s crisscrossing her bridge, making demands, flailing about dramatically while questioning her ability to lead? Leia’s last conscious act beforehand was to demote Poe, but because we can see an easy way to avoid Poe’s mutiny that means Holdo as a character should? This is a case where fans keep trying to apply logic that we, as an audience, understand but the characters in the context of the film do not. Holdo owes Poe nothing. She derides his recklessness and, almost in punishment, keeps him in the dark. It comes back to bite her, but she has no reason to believe that Poe would be so reckless as to initiate a mutiny, and we can’t expect her to just because we’re on Poe’s side.

Q: Why don’t people just hyperspace kamikaze ALL of their enemies if it’s such a successful, devastating military maneuver? 

A: Some questions based on the premise of this question: How do we know this has ever been attempted before? Did Holdo, in her desperation, know what the effect would be, or was she just acting in desperation and hoping for some kind of result? But even if these questions don’t give you pause and you still think the Rebels should’ve been hyperspace-suiciding since the early days of A New Hope, what would possess the Rebels to do that? They’re a small alliance against a hopelessly overwhelming Empire, but they should just be sacrificing valuable people and ships in kamikaze attacks? Sorry, don’t buy it. Holdo’s act was the first we’ve seen of it because it was an act of desperation. She was literally out of options and possessed a ship that was doomed anyway. If the Rebels/Resistance did this all the time, they’d be depleted within a week while the Empire/First Order just builds more war vessels.

Q: Why did Finn and Rose have their side-story at all? It didn’t amount to anything!

A: It does a few things: it keeps Finn’s character arcing and it pushes him to the point where, by the end, he’s willing to sacrifice himself for the Resistance. Early on, he’s still willing to abandon ship just to save Rey. His adventure with Rose widens and shapes his perspective. Secondly, this side-story does have a direct result on the plot: the code-breaker flips them and reveals to the First Order that the Resistance is secretly escaping on transports. Some may not like that our heroes go on an adventure only to worsen everything by accident, but that’s a thread running through this whole film. To lean back and see it stretch from opening crawl to broom boy is to see Rian Johnson’s thematic intent. And maybe that’s too artsy for some, maybe that’s too thin a line to hang your film on for some, and some may not just care. But I argue Johnson’s theme of failure, which I’ll return to, deepens an already character-heavy film. The way it echoes across each storyline makes the film more cohesive than some are saying it is.

Q: But space Leia?!

A: I’m gonna be downright honest here, folks: I don’t get it. No, not this scene -- I mean you folks who are probably making Rian Johnson dummies to burn in effigy over this scene. I found the scene provocatively different, an interesting take on the concept of the Force, and a humungous pick-me-up after believing we had lost Leia so early and so simply. Those angry that we’d never seen Leia use the Force to such an extent before should be pleased that we have confirmation that, yes, the daughter and mother and sister of three of the galaxy’s most powerful Force-wielders can also, by golly, control the Force to some extent. If you’re complaining about how silly it looked, well, I mean, sure, but Star Wars is full of silly-looking stuff. I dunno, I didn’t think it looked that bad, and this really comes down to a matter of taste. But if this is the hill some fans are willing to die on? Oof, good luck, Episode 9. 

Q: Who is Snoke?!

A: Yeah, really, where did he come from? This all-powerful, evil being with untold knowledge of the Force, with powers we can’t yet comprehend, able to coax one of the galaxy’s best and brightest to the dark side -- where the hell did he come from? What’s wrong with his face? It’s all grey and melted and shit! And how the hell did he become a Senator for Naboo anyway? When the hell did that shit start? Did he just think, “Oh, yeah, Senator for Naboo -- that’s a good start to taking over the galaxy!” -- like it’s working up the chain at a Walmart or something. 

...Oh! Sorry. I thought we were talking about, uhh, someone else. Yeah, who the heck is that Snoke guy? It really matters for some reason.

Q: Luke? Luke?? LUKE?!?!

A: The time of Luke Skywalker is over. I know we all wanted to see Luke’s green lightsaber ignite into frame the moment all odds looked insurmountable. I know we wanted to see him cut a bunch of troopers down, to make the First Order tremble, to finally meet Kylo Ren in a duel. Those are the easy answers. Those are the “Darth Vader Rogue One” answers -- and though they might kick ass, they might send fans into foamy-mouthed frenzies, Star Wars needs to start subverting our expectations, it needs to stop appeasing everyone’s expectations, it needs to stop making us feel safe in our galaxy away from home, because it needs to grow out of the shadow of the Original Trilogy if it has any hope of flourishing in Disney’s hands. The decisions Johnson made with Luke in this film -- all of them mirror that. They’re smart, deeper character decisions that show us another side to the hero we grew up with, and ultimately make him a more complicated man. He bests Kylo through his mind, not brute strength, and he saves our heroes with a self-sacrifice that closes his chapter and allows new ones to continue. It’s not the epic finale to a lightsaber duel that we pictured growing up. But that’s okay. There’s kind of a beauty in the fact that this sequel trilogy is mirroring the OT -- the second act completely breaking from the good-fun-times that was its predecessor to dive into dark waters and deeper into its characters -- while trying to weed out our preconceived limits of what Star Wars should be. 

Q: Why did Rose save Finn? He would’ve saved everyone and his character would’ve had purpose!

A: Somehow not buying that if the First Order lost their battering ram canon, the Resistance would be saved. They hadn’t assumed an escape was possible until Luke showed up. As for Finn, what does delaying the inevitable slaughter of his friends do for him in the long run from a story perspective? The guy needs to reunite with Rey and Poe and apply his newfound perspective to grander purposes, not flicker out in a useless self-sacrifice. Rose saves him because the time for self-sacrifice is over. The Resistance needs every last fighter. Keeping the wolves at bay won’t do it. The wolves are still out there at your front door. Ya know, it just isn’t enough for Finn, if you ask me. I’m glad Rose saved him. I’m glad to see him fight for another Episode.

Q: Why did they bring Phasma back just to have her go out like a punk again? Boy, that was unsatisfying!

A: Yeah, I can’t believe a Star Wars film would introduce a cool-looking character and then just kill said character off in such a quick and unsatisfying way.

Q: What’s with all the humor? If this is the dark second act, why are all these cheesy jokes flyin’ at my face? They’re all such groaners, too!

A: I dunno what kind of sad audience some people saw this with. I watched this on opening night with a sold-out theatre of over 400 people, and everybody was fucking gobbling up the jokes. And by jokes, I mean every damn joke. The opening Poe/Hux dialogue, the Porg stuff, the tenser moments undercut by humor. Everybody was having a good time with it. I think it’s Rian Johnson’s natural writing, to be honest, but it’s not like they’re a far cry from what we normally get in these movies. I will take a few more jokes than normal as opposed to what George Lucas proposed as comic relief in 1999, followed by long stints of political debate in literal greyscale. By the way, has anyone watched any of the original trilogy lately? Because shit like “Laugh it up, fuzzball” and “scruffy-looking nerfherder” and C-3P0 being mistaken as a god by a bunch of teddy bears... really, all of the humor from those movies holds up and I don’t know why we don’t see more of it in modern films.

Q: But the “on hold” line from Poe, though... right? I mean, contemporary phrases in a Star Wars film? That doesn’t fit. Does that even make sense in this universe?

A: I don’t know, but if this is what broke your immersion, then in the immortal words of Han Solo, I’ll see you in hell.

Q: How did ghost Yoda conjure lightning?

A: How the fuck do ghosts anything in these movies? God! Obi-Wan sits down on a fucking tree stump in Return of the Jedi because Alec Guinness is old and tired, but lightning? From the sky?? Puppets can’t do that! I mean Force ghosts can’t do that! You guys are right on this one! It doesn’t make sense! The whole movie is ruined now. What’s that about failure, Yoda? I wasn’t paying attention to you literally telling Luke/the audience why everybody in this movie keeps failing and why that’s important for us to see and why that’s also a great message for kids to hear because twenty seconds ago you conjured lightning from the sky! That’s not how the Force works! I should know -- I’m just some guy!

Q: Rey’s parents are nobodies? That kinda sucks! What a letdown!

A: No, it’s great! It’s fantastic. People need to let go of their theories. Learn to separate them from the path the films need to follow. This whole Skywalker dynasty thing needs to end. Luke is so relatable in A New Hope because he’s a nobody from nowhere, yet he’s able to tap into the Force through his own individual talents and determination. That’s inspiring. Rey being special because she’s got Skywalker or Kenobi blood is, well, not only does it zap that relatability from her, but it’s boring. We’ve seen the bloodline stuff. It’s time to follow a different kind of destiny, a different kind of story. We need to allow Star Wars to breathe outside of the echo chamber we’ve made of the past. This decision may have been the best and wisest of them all, which is why it wouldn’t surprise me if JJ Abrams retcons it with Episode 9 to say Kylo was lying just to make some of the whiners out there happy. 

Look, folks, The Last Jedi is far from perfect. It doesn’t reach the dazzling heights of Empire, but I’ll be shocked if Disney ever gets there. The film has real issues with pacing and plot, but the most common criticisms, as I’ve just listed, are misplaced and require some more thought. That’s my only goal here: not really to change anyone’s mind, but to at least encourage some more thoughts on what people think isn’t working. I was excited about the possibilities after this film, especially Rian Johnson’s side-trilogy. But the response to this film really made me scratch my head. For the first time, I wondered how many Star Wars fans actually know Star Wars.

[fangfucked-a]

NAME: Angel Michael Graham. ALIAS: Francis Elijah Carter. NICKNAME: Frankie, Fran, Franny, asshole.

AGE: Twenty eight. BIRTHDAY: August 12th, 1990. ZODIAC: Leo. BIRTH PLACE: Charleston, South Carolina. CURRENT LOCATION: L.A, California. GENDER: Non-binary. PRONOUNS: He/him, they/them, she/her. Really does not give a shit, uses masculine pronouns because he presents very masculine and it's just easier for most people. SEXUALITY: Bisexual, biromantic. SPECIES: Vampire. POWERS: Enhanced senses ( though taste has completely shifted, blood has several different tastes depending on person, human foods taste like copper ), enhanced strength, compulsion ( mind control ), accelerated healing, limited immortality, supernatural detection to a certain degree. He can smell someone's not human or catch onto a specific scent through their blood if he's encountered their kind before, but he doesn't always know what someone is. CONS: Sunlight will cause him to burn if he's not wearing his cloaking ring though even with it on, he's sensitive to sunlight. Needs blood for survival, if he goes too long without it his body will begin to shut down; not so much to kill him but he won't be able to do anything until he gets blood. RELIGION: Christian. Raised with that faith and he still holds it very dear to him despite constantly going against what he believes in. OCCUPATION: Hitman, uses baker as a cover. LANGUAGES KNOWN: English and some Spanish. ACCENT: American. VOICE CLAIM: Dan Stevens, specifically his accent in The Ticket. FACE CLAIM: Joseph Gilgun, Dan Stevens. Just depends on who I'm in the mood to use tbh. EYE COLOR: Bright blue. HAIR COLOR: Naturally dirty blond, dyed his hair brown. It's fading so it's a bit of a mix between the two colors.. STYLE: Short, just kind of a mess. Flat and not styled. HEIGHT: 6'6". TATTOOS: Two solid black bands on his wrist, a twisted Cheshire cat that takes up most of his left leg, an arrow on his right arm, 'die with memories, not dreams' in typewriter font on his left forearm, a galaxy design on his left hand, the word FUCK on his right knuckles, a tree that takes up his back and under that tree is the name Alex in red cursive font. Never bring up the name to him. He pretty much has small random tattoos all over his body that would take me too long to list, almost anywhere you can think of has some sort of tattoo. PIERCINGS: A helix piercing on his left ear. SCARS: He has several scattered across his body from the years of constant abuse, however most are actually covered up by his tattoos. The only ones that are really noticeable anymore are one by his right eye that leads from the inner corner to the top of his cheek bone, one on his right hand that goes from his knuckles to the top of his wrist, and one going down his chest from the heart surgery he had as a child. It's mostly covered by his tree tattoo, but if you look close you can see a large scar of a cross shape on his back. CLOTHES: Surprisingly colorful. Wears a lot of skinny jeans, douchey tank tops, high tops that vary in colors. He tries to avoid wearing dark colors unless he's on a job, then he'll do whatever he can to remain unseen or unnoticed. DISTIGUISHING LOOKS: Tall figure, bright eyes, and his fangs are always out. LABEL: The dirtbag, the addict, the conard. POSITIVE TRAITS: Adaptable, fiercely loyal, loving, clever, a damn good survivor. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Impulsive, obsessive, egotistical, selfish, just an asshole tbh. GOALS: Really wants to kill Alex and give her a taste of even a little bit of what he endured through their relationship. Also to keep his family strong and knit together. FEARS: Alex, abandonment, failure, grief, and spiders. HOBBIES: Music is a huge factor in his life that he's trying to get back into and learn even more. Cooking is also a big hobby of his as well as his career, he enjoys video games from time to time, and he loves anything social. He just likes meeting and speaking to people. HABITS: Smokes heavily, bounces his leg, chews on his lip even though he can't retract his fangs. FAVORITE WEATHER: He loves the cold which is why he thrived in New York during the colder seasons, but now that he lives in California, it makes him want to Die(tm) FAVORITE MUSIC: Rap and pop tend to be his most listened to, but he can listen to most things! His favorite band is Mindless Self Indulgence. FAVORITE COLOR: Blue. FAVORITE MOVIES: He's not a movie person, he doesn't really watch them ever. He does however love Boondock Saints and will watch it continuously so he tends to watch action or romance if he does watch anything. FAVORITE SPORTS: Also not a sports person. He knows a bit about baseball, but that's mostly due to his brother's involvement back in school. PHYSICAL: None. He's very healthy despite not looking like it. MENTAL: ADHD that was diagnosed at eight. BPD and OCD were diagnosed at fifteen and seventeen. PTSD is undiagnosed. He really only has a handle on his ADHD but he's actively trying to better himself nowadays and get a better grip on his other disorders. ALLERGIES: None. SLEEPING HABITS: Doesn't sleep much. He doesn't need much anyway, but he also suffers from nightmares that will keep him up for hours after and spike his paranoia. So he tries to avoid sleeping as much as possible. EXERCISE HABITS: Occasionally goes for runs because it's good for him to clear his mind, but other than that not much exercising. His body won't change and he's already supernaturally strong so he doesn't see the point. EATING HABITS: When it comes to blood, he uses his hits as his main source for meals, but he'll also eat human food to keep up appearances. SOCIAL: Practically the definition of an extrovert. BODY: Has some muscle, but still pretty lean and doesn't look exactly healthy. ADDICTIONS: Nicotine. DRUG USE: Recovering heroin addict ( going on three years clean ) so he stays away from everything at this point. ALCOHOL: Recovering alcoholic ( one year clean ) so none anymore. MOTHER: Meghan Graham. FATHER: Nathaniel Taylor ( birth father ), Jacob Graham ( adoptive father ) SIBLINGS: A twin brother named Abel and a younger sister named Celestina, though he has no idea she exists since she was born after his disappearance. PETS: A tabby named Patches and an Egyptian Mau named Gamora. PARTNER: Faolán Mackenzie. wife. CHILDREN: Nova & Sirius Mackenzie.

Francis' backstory contains heavy mentions of abuse, murder, heroin addiction, and alcoholism.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

He wasn't always like this. So monstrous, so violent, so bloodthirsty. Nobody starts off as the villain of the story, sometimes they're made that way, and in Angel's case, that's exactly what happened. He starts off mild mannered, polite, a drive to do something great in the world, and an aspiration to fall in love. He witnessed the world through rose colored glasses, so when he meets what he sees as the perfect girl, it's easy to ignore the red flags about her. The snide comments, the little lies, the almost a little too possessive behavior --- he just shrugged it off because they're small compared to the good he sees in her. Alex gave him the love he desired, the attention he craved, and somehow always knew what to say to have him as putty in her hands. Never mind that she's older or that he has to keep her a secret from his family.

Eighteen and she forces him to move to New York with him. He wasn't sure why he said yes, but there was an overwhelming force that made him agree, so one night he packed up a bag and he was gone. Without a word to anyone. It's not long after the move that she begins to show her true colors, the violent tendencies, the controlling behavior ---- it was starting to scare him. His life became walking on eggshells, watching his every word and action around her, and he was starting to become numb to it all. She teaches him how to fight, claims it's because he should know self defense, but he's not sure if it's not just another excuse to hit him.

It gets worse with time. The physical violence was more often, but she had also shattered any resemblance of his self esteem. He was numb, apathetic, and living a life that revolved around her to try and save himself. He wanted to leave, call his family for help, anything ---- but he couldn't. There was that pull again, the one that made him do whatever she told him. The supposed love of his life had also become the scariest thing in it. He falls into bad habits, alcohol and drugs, anything to try and make things seem a little more bearable. If he was too numb then maybe it wouldn't hurt so much, maybe he wouldn't be so god damn scared, right? His life had become survival day in and day out, he wasn't alive anymore. She had drained him of anything he once had.

DEATH

Then the dreaded day came, four days after his birthday, just like when she took him away, she decides to end his life. He comes home from the bar and immediately she slams him up against the wall. He doesn't even register what she's saying, something about how she was waiting to do this for a long time, something about a game, and something about a weapon. She forces a metallic liquid down his throat and the one thing that properly processes is the pain he feels in his abdomen. The feeling of the knife twisting in his gut and the nightmare fueled grin across her face as he realizes what's happening. He was going to die and it was really going to be at the hand of her.

That's the day Angel Graham died, but it's not the end of his story.

BECOMING A MONSTER

He wakes up in a place he doesn't recognize, his hand chained to some rusty pipe. His head's pounding, teeth throbbing, and the tears couldn't be held back. The pain was unbearable, everything was so much louder than it was before, the light on his eyes made him want to tear them out, and the sudden hunger made him want to scream. He begged for mercy, death would have been kinder than whatever the hell he was feeling now. His path may have been lost at a young age, but he never imagined he deserved any of what he was experiencing. Alex shuts him up quickly, forcing more blood down his throat and covering his mouth with tape. He thinks he might be in hell, but then she explains what's happening. She changed him into something more than human, a vampire. A fucking vampire.  It's terrifying, panic quickly sets in, but he realizes there's not much he can do but succumb to whatever she has planned.

The years leading up to his death had all been setting it up. Breaking him down to the point where he didn't know who he was without her, the dependency and loyalty to her despite her cruelness, the fighting training, it was all for her. She made him into her own sick little game. Pushing him to see how far she would go, making him into a weapon for her own amusement. The bloodshed follows quickly after his turn as she teaches him how to revel into the chaos. Any sense of his human self had begun to fade away. He was just everything she wanted him to be. A violent monster, one that would attack on command, one that would do anything to please her.

 MOVING ON  

After his twenty fourth birthday, he starts to come to terms with everything. He starts to finally see past the lies and manipulation, thoughts finally fighting against her commands. This wasn't the life he wanted to lead. The compulsion she had over him was gone, he was fucking tired of it and he didn't have to sit through the abuse anymore. So he packs up one night and leaves without a word, much like he had with his own family. He&'s not done with her, but he knows that the state he was in wasn't enough to go against her. She's older and much much stronger than him. He'd have to train more, make a goal to get even.

His powers and charm get him by for a while. It's difficult at first, he's homeless but it was better than staying with his abuser. He gets a new identity to hide himself so Francis Elijah Carter is created. He's not innocent by any means, his mind still corrupted and twisted by Alex, the violence is still a part of him now, the love for chaos. He wasn't ashamed of what he had become, he reveled in it, but he would be damned if he remained a victim. He uses his skills to start killing for cash, figures a good meal and some decent cash could get him by. He even gets clean and sober after he finds himself a new family, one that treats him a hell of a lot better than the relationship he had been in for the last few years. Life's not bad, he's made it his own again, but he knows he's coming for her head as soon as he gets the chance.

[jaennsisters-blog]

First Meetings (tentative title)

A/N: This is more of a… concept piece, I guess?  I’m just feeling out the possible interactions that could happen here.  It’s probably important to note that Laedrah (who is not my Outlander) and Arcann have never personally clashed before, but Laedrah did spend the better part of five years leading the Jedi Order under his tyranny.

This would be set after the duology I’m working on with my five main OCs.

The ruins of Voss-Ka surround her.  They have the appearance of being desolate, in spite of the fact that the city has been undergoing repairs for nearly a year now.  Laedrah can almost see what the city once was underneath the desolation, but she cannot pretend that she does not sense the wounds inflicted by the attack that happened here.

She blinks once, and the sensation fades.  Instead, she is surrounded by Voss going about their day.  Some are aiding with the rebuilding, helped by the Gormak who sided with them in the fight against the Eternal Empire.  Others are simply trying to re-forge their places in this city.  They know that the easiest way to do that is to continue to live despite it all.

Laedrah is standing on a landing platform; she is expecting a shuttle any minute now.  She has left her Padawan on Tython, where he and several other more experienced Jedi Knights are in the process of arguing with the returned Satele Shan about the way things are run now.  

What she wouldn’t give to be there herself.  But she agreed to this meeting, if only because her curiosity overwhelmed her distrust of offers of negotiation.

At long last, the shuttle approaches.  It has the gold and white trappings of a Zakuulan shuttle, which doesn’t surprise her.  It does, however, get the attention of the Voss who are passing by.   The ramp lowers, revealing the now-maskless former Emperor of Zakuul.  His extensive scarring mars a face that, Laidrah notes dispassionately, would otherwise be handsome.  

Not that she’s in any position to make judgments about other people’s scars.

Arcann comes to a stop in front of her, bowing.  “Grand Master Anoli,” he says.

Laedrah examines him, not returning his bow.  She once had to kneel before this man while he sat in a throne.  This seems like an adequate repayment for that particular humiliation.

He doesn’t appear to be flustered by her regard.  “The Immortal Empress extends her gratitude to you for agreeing to this meeting,” he says.

“I could sense her sincerity in her message,” Laedrah said.  “But not even Empress Kulah’ni could have convinced me to attend if she had told me who she would be sending.”

This time, Arcann does look uncomfortable.  “She also sends her apologies for the deception.”

Laedrah lets the barest hint of a smile appear.  “She’s certainly more cunning than she appears.  I’ve secured a table at a local tea house if you’d like to talk in more detail there - unless you wish to be gawked at by most of the inhabitants of Voss-Ka.”

He nods, and she leads him away from the landing pad.  They walk up the streets with her in front, and him staying a few steps behind.  This kind of deference is not completely unexpected - she has heard the rumors from the Jedi who joined the Alliance about his changes after the first attack on Odessen, and about how many Force-sensitives he rescued from Empress Ny’lu’s desensitization program.  

In a light tone of voice she asked him, “Do you know why the Empress suggested Voss as the place for us to meet?”

His answer was immediate.  “The Alliance prevented Ny’lu from destroying their very way of life.  They hold no grudge against us.”

It’s not the only reason, but it’s close enough.  Laedrah only gives him a nod in reply.

Their table in the tea house is in a quiet corner, where people will have more difficulty in eavesdropping without being noticed.  Not that most Voss are inclined to such behavior, but Laedrah knows that some can be more curious than others.  

She orders a pot of the local brew called cataman.  She developed a taste for it when she was first sent here as an ambassador on behalf of the Jedi, and again when she started smuggling Force-sensitives who were on Zakuul’s Most Wanted list to this planet.  She doesn’t know whether Arcann has visited Voss before, but he does not protest her choice.

Laedrah speaks before he can, and lays all her cards on the table.  “The Empress wants to know what she can do in order to get the Jedi on her side and not the Republic’s.  My answer is that she can endorse me as the official Grand Master of the Jedi Order.”

Both of his eyebrows shoot up.  “Pardon me for saying so, but isn’t such a blatant power grab generally frowned upon by the Jedi?”

“Generally, yes.”  Laedrah forces her clenched hands to relax, pushing down all the usual angry protestations that threaten to surface: the Order would have been destroyed if not for me and Satele has become as gray as I have but she still cannot understand that the Will of the Force cannot be relied upon for everything.

“I don’t think that that would be that difficult for the Empress to accomplish,” Arcann says.  

Laedrah smiles.  “You say so, but I knew Kulah’ni when she was living among the Jedi.  I know that she has a high amount of respect for Satele Shan, and now that she’s back from her exile on Odessen many of the Jedi are campaigning for her to take back the title of Grand Master.”

“You believe that she will be incapable of leading the Order effectively?”

“I know she’s capable,” Laedrah says.  “The problem is that she abandoned us.  If it was that easy for her to leave when we needed her before, who’s to say that she wouldn’t do so again?  She left us floundering.”

“Until you stepped up.”

“Yes.”  Laedrah knows how that sounds.  She also knows that she’s right, however, and she can see that Arcann agrees with her.  “Those are my terms.  If the Immortal Empress agrees, then I will immediately get to work on convincing my fellow Order members to change loyalties.  We can work on the details later.”

He nods.  “I will bring what you’ve said to the Empress.”

“Thank you.”

Arcann studies her for a moment.  It’s like he’s seeing her for the first time - and maybe he is, without the lens of being the ruler of the known galaxy.  Maybe now he’s not seeing the (in)famous, not-quite-official Grand Master of the Jedi Order, but instead a woman with a face that’s just as scarred as his.

“I hope,” he says, “that we get the chance to speak again, Grand Master Anoli.”

Laedrah has never been one for niceties, but she can sense his sincerity; it surprises her.  What also surprises her is that she agrees with him.

“The feeling is mutual.”

[raavenreyes]

aeternum.

Bellamy x Raven: reincarnation / immortal au

Word count: 2, 290 words.

Description: Bellamy Blake has been alive for longer than he’d care to admit. When he refused to side with a God in a petty disagreement, the God decided to curse him with immortality. When the war resulting from the petty disagreement reaches Bellamy’s front step, the immortality benefits him but kills the love of his life. Now, thousands of years later, he’s doing his best to blend. That is, until the love of his life finds him once more. But that’s impossible, right?

Chapter 5.

Bellamy’s first love was the moon.

He knew this now, even as an adult. She was so full, so bright and showered everything in the deepest blue. It was hard not to fall in love with her, especially when his mother spoke of Selene. He imagined her not as the pale woman with dark hair most of his people painted, but as the tan, dark eyed woman he had fallen in love with in adulthood.

To him, Raven was his moon. She was high in the sky, bathing him in blue, guiding him through the dark. He had never known the darkness of a moonless night until she had died and now—

Well now, his sky was nothing but light and he could see every star. But the darkness was there, pulsing around his light and threatening to swallow him whole.

He let out a deep sigh, tipping his head back against the brick border around his windowsill he was perched upon. The sounds of the city were beneath him, foot swinging out six stories up as he watched people meander the streets in silence. Raven was asleep on her stomach, breathing gently, back rising and falling. Before he had woken up, he knew he had never slept so peacefully. She filled his sheets with the smell of vanilla and jasmine and her tongue tasted like the cheap wine he bought from the liquor store on the corner. The cigarette in his left hand signed his fingers and he hissed, dropping it over the edge of the window and watching the light at the end fade as it hurdled to the ground. He stood up and made his way to his nightstand, pulling another out of the pack and placing it between his lips.

“Bell?”

Taking the cigarette out of his mouth, he turned his attention to Raven, who had awoken in cold and confusion at the lack of a presence next to her. “I’m here.” He whispered in the dark, and she turned around, squinting her eyes until they adjusted in the low light.

“What’re you doin’ baby?” Her voice was raspy, and it pulled him in like an undertow.

“Just needed a smoke,”

“Those things’ll kill ya,”

He let out a snort of a laugh. “Sure.”

“Bellamy, I’m serious. You should quick.”

“There’s worse things than a cigarette, Raven.”

“You’re gonna destroy your body. You wanna be cancer riddled before you even have grandchildren? You—I don’t even know why we’re fighting about this. Just come back to bed.” She laid back down and he sat back on the windowsill, staring out into the night towards the horizon. “Bellamy.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Fine.” Raven pulled herself out of bed and he was quick on his feet, going to her side and gently urging her back onto the mattress. “Let me up.”

“You can’t move around too much, Rae. You got released from the hospital three days ago.”

“I want you here, in bed with me. You won’t come to bed, so I’m coming to you.”

“Sit.”

“Let me go, Bellamy.”

“Rave—”

“Let me go!” She yelled, and he locked onto the tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. “I can do this, I can walk. Let me do it. I can do it.”

“I never said you couldn’t Rae,” He said softly. “Raven, I don’t doubt your capabilities, I just think you need time to heal.”

“I don’t—I don’t wanna be coddled. I don’t want to be babied. I wanna—I’m gonna be okay. I have a shop I need to run, this isn’t gonna kill me.”

“Of course not, Raven.” Bellamy pulled her into a hug and she began sobbing into his chest, not lifting her head until his shirt became soaked with her tears. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

She lifted her head, and the dark brown in her eyes were indigo stars in the moonlight. “What did I do to deserve you?”

Bellamy smiled. “You were born.” It made her laugh, and he was thankful for that. “C’mon, let’s go to bed.” He reached behind him, grabbing the back of the collar of his shirt and tugging it over his head. He tossed it into his hamper in the corner of the room and helped Raven under the covers before sliding in behind her and enclosing himself around her form. Face buried in a seat of coffee-colored locks, he let himself drown in her.

Morning came gold and light, and he was surprised to wake up alone. He came out of his bedroom to find Raven settled on the couch, knee deep in a Netflix series and eating out of a bag of chips.

“Raven, it’s eight o’clock in the morning, why are you eating hot Cheetos? Where did you even get hot Cheetos?”

“Miller dropped some off before heading to the shop.” She explained. “Good morning.”

“Morning.” He snatched the bag from her grip and she whined, giving him a frown. “I’m cooking you a real breakfast.”

“Breakfast burritos?”

“I got…” He opened his fridge. “Eggs and coffee—and hot sauce.”

“I’ll take it.”

He wanted to say something about her getting around on her own, but decided against it. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah, I mean…after um…” She sighed. “Listen, Bell, I’m sorry for yelling at you last night, I just…it was a rough night. I’m not used to be useless, is all.”

He shut the fridge door, pressing the start button on his dingy coffee maker before going to her side. “You’re not useless, Raven. You’re a little banged up. It’s gonna be okay.” Leaning down, he caught her lips in a gentle kiss. “And if I hear somethin’ like that leave those pretty lips again, we’re gonna have a problem.”

“Maybe I wanna have a problem,”

“Don’t try to distract me. Plus, you’re injured. You’re gonna have to wait a little while for me to rock your world, Reyes.”

“Oh, we’re gettin’ cocky now, are we?” She teased and Bellamy chuckled, shaking his head as he made his way back to the kitchen to get some eggs started up. “I’m not spoiling you on anything, am I?” She asked, lifting the remote to resume her program.

“Oh, no. I’ve seen Daredevil like four times. Shit never gets old.”

“That hallway scene though,”

“Damn right that hallway scene.”

The quiet that settled between them was calming, and Bellamy couldn’t remember the last time he was this happy while sitting in silence with someone. He passed Raven a plate of buttered toast, two fried eggs and a hot cup of coffee before lowering himself into the couch next to her.

“Thanks, babe.” She grinned, patting his thigh. Bellamy slid his fork through the eggs, flooding the ceramic with yolk so he could dip his bread in it. “I wanted to ask you something,” She said suddenly, clicking pause on the remote when Bellamy was in mid-bite. He nodded for her to continue, and Raven let out a long sigh. “I feel guilty about being here. Eating your food, watching your TV, showering, all—y’know, using your resources and I can’t—I mean, I can give you money.”

“Raven,”

“No, wait—I just, I have a proposition. Stop your payments on the bike. It’s fixed. Okay? That’s it. We’re even—plus, I’m gonna take you to dinner because I’ve never, no one has ever selflessly just dropped everything to take care of me and I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

Bellamy slid his hand onto the side of her head, brushing his thumb across her bottom lip. “You’re an incredible woman, Raven Reyes. I want to see you succeed. I want to see you live. That’s all I ever wanted. But hey, I’m not gonna deny a free meal and a repair job.” He grinned. “Thank you.”

Once he finished eating, he reached behind him to the end table pressed against the back of his couch to find Raven’s medications. “Here, you gotta have two of these after breakfast.” He tapped out the two small white pills into her palm and watched her douse them back with her coffee. “When’s your next appointment?”

“Three weeks, the twenty-seventh.” Raven answered absentmindedly, staring at the television screen while hugging her warm mug. The bruises around her face were fading into green and yellow tones, making little galaxies on the high points of her features.

Knocking at his front door caused both of their heads to whip towards it. Bellamy pulled himself to his feet and went to answer it, a sigh leaving his lips at the sight of the person on the other side.

“Lexa, you have a key.”

“And you have a girlfriend now. So I’m knocking.”

She pushed passed him and into the room, and Raven sat up. “Raven, this is Lexa. Lexa, Raven,”

“Hi,” Raven answered, glancing over to Bellamy as he shut the door behind him.

“I need to talk to Bellamy for a second.” Lexa announced, pulling the man into his bedroom and shutting the door behind him. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I could ask you the same question,”

“When you told me it was Raven, I just thought you found some girl that looked like Raven but that’s—that’s Raven,” She said in a hushed whisper. Bellamy only had one thing to remember Raven by, a drawing done by a very talented artist he had commissioned of her body after death. She looked so peaceful. He had shown it to Lexa many years later, after a many painstaking years of keeping it preserved. “I saw you leave the hospital together and—”

“Stop following me.”

“Okay this time I wasn’t even following you. Clarke and I were on a date. We walked to a café across the street from the hospital after she got off from work.”

Bellamy turned his back on her, moving aside a box in his closet to reveal a safe door in the wall. He clocked in his pass code and pulled a leather-bound book from its confines. Page 38 contained the same sketch, two-thousand years old. Recreated over and over again through time, but the image never losing its lines. Raven.

Remember her face, always—it stated on the bottom of the page in his own writing, the ‘s’ in ‘always’ smudged slightly from a tear that had slid off his cheek during its writing.

“I’m afraid of what this means.” Lexa revealed. “I’m afraid for you, Bellamy. What if he’s testing us?”

“Who? The god that cursed us? He doesn’t give a shit about us, Lex. He doesn’t care. He’s probably forgotten about us.” He scoffed. “I have another chance with my wife. I’m gonna take it. It’s probably—I don’t know. I don’t know shit about spirituality or the afterlife but history is bound to repeat itself, right? Maybe this is the case. Maybe it…repeated, and I got another chance.”

Lexa pressed her lips together, attempting to stare him into submission. “Be careful.” She urged.

He nodded, tucking the book away again and locking up the safe. “That’s the love of my life, Lexa. I’m not gonna lose her again.”

The petite woman nodded, moving past him and opening up the door. “Nice meeting you, Raven.” She said calmly, before exiting the apartment.

“Unrequited love?” Raven questioned.

“No, she uh—she’s my old roommate. We’re really close. She’s like my sister.” He ran his hands over his chin, feeling the rough stubble, dry skin.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. She uh, she started dating this girl she’s been obsessing over for the last month or so. She just wanted to talk about it.” He smirked. “She’s funny.”

“Bellamy?”

“Hm?”

“What are you lying to me about?”

His heart thudded into his stomach. “Ly-Lying? I’m not lying to you about anything, Rae. She came over to talk about her.”

“Bell, your walls are paper thin. I heard my name. What are you lying to me about?”

He crossed the room and took a seat next to her, a comforting hand on her thigh. “Lexa’s protective. She just…wanted to know I was okay. She doesn’t want me to get hurt. That’s all, Raven, I promise.” She stared into his eyes for a brief moment, and then turned away. Lie after lie after lie. They were getting easier to tell, and Bellamy was worried that one day they’d become a part of him.

“Okay.” She whispered. “Don’t lie to me, Bellamy. I’m not stupid.”

“You’re not.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

“That’s your best friend. I understand. Just wish I heard about her before she came over unannounced.” Raven shrugged. “Maybe we can double date.”

“Sounds good.” He nodded. “I’m gonna go run some errands. You gonna be okay for an hour or so?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

Bellamy bent over the back of the couch, pressing a kiss to the top of Raven’s head. She leaned her head back and met his lips, giving him a smile. “Be safe.”

“Will do, Rae. See you soon.”