#can't wait to meet all the og golds again

[nemomo]

extremely self indulgent doodle of a buncha teenagers

[Image ID: Digital art headshots on a light yellow background of, from left to right, Seiya, Hyoga, Ikki, Shun and Shiryu from Saint Seiya. Ikki in the middle is crying, and they are all smiling up at him. /End ID.]

[princess-ibri]

So I remember you said in your Disney-Verse you were going to use the scrapped plot line of Aladdin and Mozenrath learning they were long-lost brothers and that got me wondering how Cassim and Mozenrath's mother met and ended up having relations that ended in the conceiving of Mozenrath.

@rememberingmermaids Yea! Sorry for the wait, I had some other projects I needed to finish first.

So in the og story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, Ali Baba's brother is named Cassim, and he dies when the theives discover him stealing from their cave. And Ali Baba ends up later marrying his son to his servant girl Morgiana after she helps save the family from the thieves when they try and sneak into his home to get revenge for stealing from them.

And since we know that some version of this story does happen in Aladdin's reality as Genie mentions it, I thought it made a ton of sense to have our Cassim be the son of Ali Baba. He's named for his uncle, he grew up poor and despised, so him talking about being called a streetrat and wanting more still totally works. Then his family finally gets a taste of the good life. Wealth and the comfort and security it brings.

But then something goes wrong.

Somehow the wealth fails. Maybe bad investments, bad luck. Whatever faitytale tropes befall once wealthy families to bring them low. Ali Baba can't find the magic cave again, it's moved to a new location (being magic and all). Cassim watches all that security fall away and his family that was so well respected when they were rich goes right back to being shunned once they're poor again.

His wife even leaves him. Though tbf to her, it had been an arranged marriage set up by his father. A reward for Morgiana, so he thought. Now she was a member of the family and not a servant! Never mind if maybe she'd wanted something else from her life. Like actual freedom.

Not that Cassim was a bad husband per se, he just wasn’t what she chose, nor he her. And when she sees an opportunity to forge her own life for once, she takes it.

Neither of them realize she's carrying his child.

So Cassim, desperate to regain a taste of what he'd had, goes on a desperate search to find that magical cave his father had told him stories of so many times.

Along the way he makes many friends and foes, more the later, which causes him to take up several aliases. Its under the guise of a lamp seller named "Hamid" that he meets a young adventuress named Zena, and the two soon fall in love and marry (after he's told her who he really is of course).

And for a while he's content.

But once they have a baby on the way, the old need,want,obsession comes back. He's got to find the treasure cave for the baby, for his family. To prove that he's not delusional and hasn't wasted most of his life on this.

He leaves. Fails. Comes back. They're both gone. He leaves again. And this time he finally succeeds. It doesn't feel like the success he hoped it would. But with nothing else to live for but gaining more gold, he claws his way to the top of this new incarnation of the 40 Thieves, and tries to block out the memories of his old life.

Morgiana meanwhile, has always had a talent for magic, and she uses it and her wits to get by in the world. For herself and her son. It's a hard life, constantly on the move, but it's a free one. And her young son it turns out shares her magical talent. For several years they're happy together.

Until they catch the eye of the sorcerer Destane, ruler of the Land of the Black Sand. He coveted Morgiana's power, and her beauty. When she refused him both, he turned his wrath on her, and unfortunately, his power was greater. Her son he took as his slave, and something of an apprentice, though only to make him more useful. The boy hated his captor, but was cunning, biding his time until he had learned enough in secret to overthrow him and take his place as the lord sorcerer of the Black Sands. His hatred of his erstwhile master and desperation to be his own, led him to greater and greater schemes of power. At one point to trade his true name in order to possess a magical gauntlet that would triple his power, a boon he would need if he were to achieve his goal of conquering the Seven Deserts.

And from ever on, he was known as Mozenrath.

***

Meanwhile on Jasmine's side, young sultan Hamed Bobolonius II (who's name we know from a deleted line in an earlier song draft x) was smitten the instant he saw his intended bride, the beautiful Princess Badroulbadour of Sherabad.

(So smitten, in fact, that he ended up picking a flower for his new bride from an enchanted garden, an act that ended up getting him into some hot water later on.)

The princess was unsure of her new betrothed at first but was so won over by his kindness and enthusiasm. Their story might not have as many twists and turns as Aladdin's parents did, but it had a lot of love. They were very happy together, especially when their daughter was added to their family, and were grateful for each moment they had together up until the Sultana's untimely death, soon after the appointment of the Sultan's new Royal Vizir.

(Badroulbadour, it may be supposed, was a much better judge of character then her overly trustful husband, and therefore was better off "out of the picture" in the schemes of Jafar)

[cantalooprat]

The Supporting Male Character Just Wants to Be a Tool Man

What I Liked

sweet sweet text, sweet sweet couple, it's full of sweet powdery sugar with some rock sugar hidden inside

a fully supportive cp with their own individual lives, responsibilities, hopes and dreams

han cheng as a parody of the classic overbearing ceo trope---he has the capital and the position to...almost be one, except he's really too sweet to be one. i love him tbh he's the most oppressed ceo-type gong i've ever read. the way his big bro teases him so mercilessly, the way his friends bet like "u think he's gna come back to buy the gift?" "oh yeah definitely" "let's wait for him to come back" like the dude can't catch a break sometimes lmao it's amazing. i just love how he has a healthy social circle even though his "potential love interests" are shit, and with shen qingshu coming to him, he literally has a perfect social circle hehe

shen qingshu as the classic transmigrated individual meant to be the canon fodder and tries his best to be one except the big boss ends up falling for him instead... he's also very fun to read. like at the core he doesn't have any malicious intentions against anyone in the book, in fact he just wants to live peacefully, but people just keep picking at him and that's why he... sort of harmlessly retaliates. in fact it's actually han cheng who keeps dealing the finishing blow, shen qingshu just tries to mind his own business.

they r just the sweetest rly i love mutual pampering i love how they behave like a couple even before they both realize how much they love each other i love the sourness when shen qingshu wants han cheng to get together with the og shou bc he thinks it's the best thing he can do to bring happiness to han cheng, the one who's been the best to him in this unknown world, and when he does realize that no, the og shou is also no good, and that han cheng is happiest when he's with him, they start to be a cp for real and it's just endless dog food after that

ig my favorite genre is mindless romcom huh

one of my fav moments is the first cny when shen qingshu wants to spend it w bai xuege bc he was invited n han cheng was just irrationally jealous and wouldn't let him but then han cheng realized how selfish he was being and then lets shen qingshu, but then shen qingshu was all like, thats ok, anyway he doesn't have much attachment to this world and the people in it, and if he couldn't spent it w han cheng, it's okay even if he were alone. but han cheng came to him anyway, and he was just so so happy and i was also like nghhhhhh so sweet so sweet

another fav moment is when han yu figured out car god was han cheng and han cheng spoke abt how he wanted to just stay as an anonymous fan bc sometimes validation from outsiders is more important than a lover, n he wants shen qingshu to have his own social circle and support system outside him so he can also feel his own worth and i was just so touched, he rly loves shen qingshu so much. tbh in danmei usually the gong makes or breaks my decision to read and han cheng def is S-tier in making me stay

speaking of han yu, HAN YU!!!! han yu livens up every single scene he appears in i can't stress how much i love it when he appears. he actually gave a legit golden cage for han cheng n shen qingshu lmao

im also irrationally invested in cui hao and want more scenes of him and want him to be happy... it was kind of a surprise that he n his gold master stayed together at the end, i feel like these two also have the potential to have their own story...

the "transmigrated back to his own world" part at the end... it was very very sweet, the sweetest way to end this story, that they were able to meet again and remain in love even though literally everyone else is looking at them going wtf this is too fast r u 2 right in the head?????

also: the unexpected side ship of han yu/shen qing, can i have a whole book abt them can i can i

there r actually so many more things i liked, like how chengqing were alrdy acting like a couple so obliviously even b4 they both realized they loved each other so so much, and how yuqing had an unexpected past encounter and how fate brought them back together, and how i teared up when it was mentioned that in the "book world" han cheng left first then a couple hours later shen qingshu followed him... this is rly eternal love, i love chengqing, someone adapt this wn to an audio drama n hire 大C as the main theme singer!!!!

What I Disliked

not quite dislike but things do get somewhat less exciting after they get together somehow. there's this insane manic energy when they just started out esp when they acted in all sorts of crazy adlibs that i rly liked, and after they got together it was mostly smooth sailing and kind of random descriptions of netizens reacting to their love

Notes

i mtled like from ch 180 to ch 272 im that invested in this wn

[sheep-sorbet]

meep meep meep! OP i am metaphorically kissing u on the mouf, your hc are SO good and your ship dynamic is literally how i see nagisho, your brain is so fucking galaxy tier, incredible. do u have any specific requests for the scenarios for og hanging out and/or nagisho? if not i'll just pull something outta my voluminous asshole but if you have any particular scenes that you'd like to see written, hmtfu (hit me tf up). also LEGIT thank u for the ramble, it's so much fun to see + read ____〆(✧ω✧)b

aaaa tysm!! i'm so glad i wasn't boring you (xwx")

svdkhskxng HMM my head is always so full and yet so empty...

for the OG gang hanging out: i always like to see reunion-type stuff! i think neo really missed the opportunity to go hard on how much everyone's grown in the last few years, and how badly they missed each other; i wish we got more on what everyone's been up to and how they've been coping without Neku. i especially feel like we didn't get to see nearly enough of Shiki. like, girl owns a BUSINESS now?? that's seemingly successful?? where's Eri??? (it's my personal hc that Shiki and Eri are running the business together, share a place, and are fairly well-off. Not mega rich or anything, especially cuz we don't know how far gatto nero reaches outside of Shibuya specifically, but i think they're doing really well for themselves... and that Shiki helps Neku initially afford a place now that he's back hdjdhjfy.)

with the OG gang, it's v comparable to when you meet someone in an unexpected place, hit it off, and then you don't get the chance to see each other again for a long time, maybe even ever. You had so many memories in such a short period of time and you can't help but wonder what life would be like, sometimes, if they were still in it. i think Shiki, Rhyme and Beat would have that feeling about both Neku and Joshua; wondering where they are, what they're up to, if they're safe, wishing they were here, etc. Perhaps moreso Neku than Joshua, since Joshua is a shithead and seemingly left a pretty iffy impression on them? but I'd like to think that they all consider him in a well enough light deep down, that they'd be open to getting to really know him.

As for NagiSho... i already rambled a bit about how i headcanon their relationship would be in nature so i'm not sure i have much new to say on that front shdjhdg. i think any noodle-incident type scenarios with them are gold, they're at their best when they're causing problems or being openly weird together (we love to see aut4aut representation).

OH a hc about sho that i've incorporated that i think you'll find funny: So, yknow how in a new day, Ramen Don is Sho's dad? i think it's most funny for that to still be the case in the regular twewy universe, and it just doesn't come up because he's too busy trying to murder some slightly younger teenagers. He still visits Don for the holidays, and he doesn't know Sho is dead or a reaper or anything; He was concerned about Sho disappearing for long spans of time, and all the Tattoos he was showing back up with, and freaked out thinking his son became a yakuza. He's FAILED as a FATHER. Sho gets a thorough lecture before finally cutting his dad off and saying he's not a part of the fucking yakuza, he's just an artist, and god dad you don't understand me at all--

And then suddenly he shows up with his girlfriend and then leaves after like 40 minutes of arguing because it's all so annoying and he didn't actually care to tell Don about Nagi because it's not his business and it becomes like a Whole Thing. And Nagi is just sitting there eating curry like what the fuck do you mean this is your dad?! i've been eating here every week for the past month!!! i was in his brain and you weren't there at all!!! what's going on!!!! she's dying inside.

ANYWAYS... no specific scenarios for them unfortunately but i trust you to come up with something regardless of what u go with, tysm!! i can't wait { @ ò ꈊó @}

[nextinline-if]

AAAHH-

I also kept thinking about what if C returned but someone beat me to it *pouts* Can I still send my scenario? 👉👈

So I thought of C being presumed dead as soon as he leaves and MC just gives up on love altogether after this second failed attempt (F first love route) and focus on the kingdom and it's a pretty good ruling. 10 years pass. The mission was successful and C only lost a couple people but it's a really slow and harsh way back home, trying to stay hidden and using secrets paths.

C's group show up, all dirty and ragged and with long hair and grown beards and such. MC receives them as if nothing is wrong, full ruler facade. Everyone is taken care of and sent back to their home/families, except for C. Their loved ones can see MC is shell shocked, almost catatonic from the impression even while addressing people and giving orders.

Until it's only them and C. The door of their chamber barely closes when MC throws themselves at him and cry and cry and cry.

of course you can send your scenario, im not going to deny OG Harbinger gloomcat aha

aha but TEN YEARS???? fuck lol is Constantine actually Odysseus or something? 👀

below the cut!

Every day's the same. Well, it's not. But your thoughts are. No matter what you're doing for the kingdom, your mind always takes you back to him.

Of the life you could have had if he hadn't left. If he hadn't died.

But today's thoughts are interrupted by James bursting into the council meeting, eyes crazed at they land on you.

You remain calm but nausea rolls through your stomach.

"He's back - he's really back." You don't miss the tears in your brother's eyes.

"Who?" you ask, although you suspect the answer. And hope that you're right.

"Constantine," he whispers.

For a moment, it's hard to move. But all eyes in the room are on you. You slowly rise and look around at everyone gathered. "This meeting is dismissed. Let's reconvene next week." Then you exit the room, each agonizing, slow step needed to prepare you.

James quietly walks alongside you to the throne room, where the returned party is waiting. Before the guards open the door, you instruct a servant to prepare a banquet, warm baths, and fresh clothes for them all.

When you enter, you resist the urge to look at Constantine. But you can feel his gaze on you. You can see him from the corner of your eye. But no - you can feel yourself slipping. You must stay strong.

You glance around at the brave group who has returned and address them. "Welcome home. You will be fed, bathed, clothed, and sent on your way to your families. And then next week, we will hold a large celebration in your honor, where you will be given everything that you have earned - titles, gold, and property. For now, please, rest. And please know, I am truly grateful for the sacrifices you've made for Castelon."

Speech over, you slowly inch toward a corner, needing the support because it feels like the walls you've built are crumbling around you. After a while, you glance up and meet the gaze of your concerned mother as she talks to James. You can't handle being looked at that way so as voices grow loud and servants pile in under your orders, you quietly slip out and head toward your chambers.

As the door starts to close, your head is down, lost in thought, and a voice causes you to jump.

"Look at me, love," a deep voice commands. Not a voice, his voice. The voice you've dreamt of hearing again.

You look up into those blue eyes that came to haunt you each night. Before you know it, your arms are wrapped him, causing him to stumble a bit. Tears fall from your eyes as his strong, warm frame wraps you in the love you've longed for.

And he holds you for hours as you sob. Until finally, you can't cry anymore. That's when he kisses the dried tears on your cheeks and leans his forehead against yours.

"I love you," you hoarsely whisper.

He smiles softly. "I know. And I love you, meum cor."

[dreamerandcrazy]

Ok, so I haven't been able to comment much on my Riverdale rewatch mostly bc i'm watching it with my boyfriend and we have an agreement of no cell phones when we're watching, otherwise we can't pay proper attention to it. But I wrote down some notes about the episodes I did watch (I watched up until ep 6, which is very ironic bc apparently today is its anniversary, so yay for my perfect timing). I actually remember most of the stuff that happened in s1, so here's mostly a few things I paid more attention to or noticed about the characters and the ships, or things i'm able to look at through a different view now that i've watched all the seasons. Strap in if you want to see my notes, if not just scroll please, no ship or character hate here please. Also, feel free to ignore, this is really just a personal look in some stuff I didn't notice in my first watch.

- Betty's character used to be much happier and lighter in season 1. I know we're introduced to "Dark Betty" right in episode 3, but still, I feel like the way Lili played Betty in season 1 did not hold the same "darkness" as it does in the following seasons. The scene where she is dancing happily in her bedroom because she's going to homecoming with the boy she likes? The scene where she introduces Jughead to the Blue & Gold and gets him to work with her? Her genuine innocent happiness at seeing her sister again after so much time? The way she interacted with Kevin and Veronica? Those were all chef's kiss because she actually feels like a teenager in them. In all her girly glory, she radiates youth energy and it's a thing that was sadly lacking after s1. Btw this is not a critique at Lili's acting at all, I blame it entirely on Ras and his obsession with dark Betty.

- There's actually so many indications of Cheryl being a lgbt character in the first episodes that I have no idea how I missed it the first time. But then again, there were many indications with Veronica as well, and sadly that's not the path Ras chose for her.

- Jughead in s1 is truly so superior in so many ways that it's not hard to see why he quickly became such a fan favorite. I think even if he wasn't played by Cole Sprouse, he still would have conquered many fans' hearts. Sadly, the things that made Jughead such a loving and interesting character for me also fizzled out in s2 when the writing team decided to make him a woke serpent leader instead of allowing him to sticking to his true personality as a passionate mystery lover, a dedicated friend and very nerdy, which was very cute. I feel that we got some of that back for him in s4, which was good, but sadly s1 is where my love for him really stayed to stay. But I still care for him, and s5 has a promising storyline for him which i'm excited about, so let's see if s5 Jughead can become better than s1 Jughead.

- Going back again to Cheryl for a sec, I just noticed that the red lipstick actually wasn't that common for her in s1? At least not in the first five. I wonder when did it start becoming her trademark? Anyways, it's actually a really good look her and allows you to appreciate Madelaine's natural beauty even more.

- Also, did anybody notice how Alice lowkey figured out who killed Jason in ep 2 lmao, like... in episode two she legit says she wouldn't be surprised if the Blossoms themselves had killed Jason, which... is what happened LMAO, considering we know it was his father. And even more hilarious and tragically ironic note, in ep 6 she's laughing at Betty suggesting that Hal killed Jason because "do you think your father has the stomach for it?!"... Ma'am... i'm-.... 😂😂😂😂.

- This rewatch has reminded me of how much I adored and how I much I miss Josie and the Pussycats. The girls were such a nice addition to the cast, and their songs were so beautiful. I truly wish we get to see them again someday, but at the same time I also think the actresses deserve to be at a work place where they're given the treatment they deserve and not completely ignored and treated like extras.

- Archie/Valerie was super cute and is very underrated in the fandom, but i'm glad Valerie stood up for herself and didn't take any of Archie's or Cheryl's sh*t. Still sucks because they were really good together, though.

- Why was Jason not allowed to talk, lmao? Like, i'm sure it's become a running joke in the show at this point, but back when season one was airing what was the excuse for it? He appeared in so many flashbacks and scenes and we still never heard a single word ☠️☠️☠️☠️. I just want to know what was the reason lol.

- I liked s1 Reggie, but I feel like Charles Melton's Reggie is better because he actually feels like a douche with good intentions lol, and he has more of a personality. Most of the time I even forgot about Reggie in s1, but after s2 he definitely made me more aware of him. So for that, I like Charles Melton's Reggie more. But the actor from s1 still did a good job with what he was given.

From now on I will be talking about the ships, so bear with me, and know that I am a multishipper. Yes, I have my preferences. No, my word is not law, it's just an opinion, so please respect it.

- Bughead is still super cute in s1. I feel like from s1 they will always be my otp, even if I no longer feel as strongly about them now and have a different insight as to where I would like their story to go, and now I definitely see the problem others had mentioned before of how they kind of took over the show, which is something I kind of closed my eyes to before... But I really loved them in s1. It felt like a very juvenile teenage relationship, they didn't give much thought on why and if they should be together, they just went for it like teenagers usually do, and they were very very cute together.

- I feel like if you don't count Beronica (because they really were the best no matter what you say or ship), if there's a ship that deserves "best chemistry" award for s1 is probably Varchie. I lost my interest in them years ago, but this rewatch reminded me of why I actually loved them once. They never really became an otp for me, but Kj and Camila's chemistry in s1 was VERY GOOD, and I really liked them. Their kiss in the pilot was electric and the s&xual tension was OOF, and that chemistry carries on through the season. You can easily tell something will happen between them eventually. It makes me sad bc I don't know what happened after s1, but their chemistry from s2 onwards was just... not there for me. Which is ironic bc it's the season they truly started dating and they got a lot of smexy scenes, but I just... didn't feel it. But I'll leave that comment to my s2 rewatch. For now just let me enjoy Varchie's chemistry in s1 while it lasts because it was really good.

- Now we get to Barchie, who I made clear was the reason for my rewatch, so let's get to it. I LOVED the way Barchie was written in s1. I remember when I first watched Riverdale, I was curious about their dynamic but didn't put much thought into it because I loved Bughead too much and wanted them to be together, and I thought Barchie would be the traditional "first og ship" thing and wouldn't have a big follow up, but boy was I WRONG and am I GLAD for it. I'll talk more about their development in the next seasons when I get there, so for now let's focus a bit on s1. Just in like the first two episodes, there is so much Barchie foreshadowing, like, it's legit insane how it was right there in my face and I missed it the first time! "I have never felt what i'm supposed to feel with betty", "it's not my fault he doesn't like you", "I can't give you the answer you want"... Omg, those are obvious eyebrow raising "this will come back to bite you in the a$$" moments and it's incredible how they actually DO! I would call it clever writing, but like... it's Riverdale lol. So I really am just glad that the ship was done this way, i'm glad Barchie has the back story that they do, they've really come a LONG way and i'm happy I get to experience their whole growing storyline. It's also especially good because s1 actually provides you with scenes that show you their friendship and how they're so close, you see them hanging out, talking, their pictures together, everything was just really done well with them. Still have a bit of critique with the way Archie contradicted himself sometimes regardinf his feelings for Betty, but let's be honest, we've watched enough Riverdale to know that's just a problem with the writing.

- Kevin/Joaquin is still my favorite Kevin ship, i'm sad it's completely impossible to go back to them someday so for now i'll just be really glad it existed and that I got to see them even if it was short-lived. They had great chemistry and their kiss scenes always outsold.

- Beronica... sigh. Beronica. The most wasted chemistry i've ever seen on CW and I've watched a LOT of CW shows. There was so much potential there, s1 was practically overflowing with them and it's one of the reasons it became some popular. I remember when the Beronica fandom was the biggest one, ah, good times. Veronica and Betty were easily the best part of season 1, their friendship, their lowkey romantic moments, they were just superior in every way. This ship deserved better, not even just as a ship, but as a friendship.

- Veronica's s1 hair >>> Veronica's hair in seasons 2-4. I loved the side part and I am glad it's back in season 5, it looks so much better like that.

- Cheryl, as always, deserves better. Can't wait for her to meet Toni so I can watch again Cheryl finally get to love someone and be loved back, which is exactly what she deserves.

For now, that is all! I will probably make another post soon when i'm done with season one and from season two on I will be live-blogging the episodes since I will be watching it alone. Once again, pls, no hate, my thoughts are my thoughts. Peace.

[storydays]

Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins p1

The elven king, Xaius stands on the parapet of a great citadel overlooking a massive, smoldering battlefield. "Archers! Fire on my signal! Catapults! Hold for the next wave!" He turned to give an order, when a hideous creature, a gargoyle made of twisting shadow, swoops in toward him.  Xaius reaches for his sword,as a blast of light catches the gargoyle in the side, blowing it into nothingness. The king turned to see his second-in-command, the battle mage Ellara, approaching with a gentle smile. "It looked like you needed a hand, my love" "I had it handled. What's your status?" Xaius asked. 

"The Shadow forces are many, but they're weak. Our front lines are driving them back. " The elvlen woman smiled wearily. "I-I can't believe it..but we might actually win this th--" She gasped hearing a thunderous roar in the distance. "Gods above...it's the DreadLord! Those madmen actually summoned the DreadLord." Xaius gasped, but looked down to see Ellara's gentle but firm grip. "My love, what do we do?" She whispered.  Xaius turned to her, eyes sparkling, his face hard and stoic. "We fight. We die.  And we pray that some day, a hero will rise to avenge us..someday." 

*Two thousand years later*

In a quaint little tavern in the town of Riverbend, a grinning pair of brothers downed their drinks, as the younger continued telling one of his favorite stories."So what happened next?" chuckled a 21 year old Ezra. His white hair had now grown down to his bottom but he kept it in a braid that hung around his shoulder, bangs brushed to the left side of his face, covering his birthmark, but allowed his gold eyes to peek out. He set down his mug of wine, and locked eyes with his brother across the table.

"The Dreadlord strode down the battlefield, boom,boom BOOM! And then--" His brother was cut off by the grumpy bartender. "We've been hearing this story for years, Kade. The Dreadlord attacked and destroyed the great elven empire." He stated, wiping down a nearby table. Kade scoffed. "Well, yeah, that's the short version....but you don't have the flair for storytelling that I do." Kade crossed his arms and pouted like a child, instead of the 16 year old he was. 

Ezra leaned back in his seat, and looked around. They were sitting at their favorite table in the Dancing Pig Tavern, listening to his brother tell another story. 'It's crazy to think that 10 years ago, we were watching over Kade through his sickness...now he's here telling tall tales like those books he likes to read.'  Kade and Ezra weren't only brothers, but they were also best friends. Kade was well known through Riverbend but not everyone was as easily amused as the elf was. Kade blended in well with the humans, with his short brown hair, bright green eyes, and freckles splashed across his face, while Ezra stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Ezra tuned back into the conversation to hear: "I don't care how well you spin your tales! You still need to pay for your drink." The bartender gruffed at the smaller human. "Barkeep, you wound me." Kade huffed, his mood darkening slightly. Chuckling, Ezra paid his half of the tab and gave the younger a look. "Pay up, Kade. Mother taught us better than that." He stated seriously. "You too, Ezra? I swear, no one in this town appreciates the value of a good tale! Fine, I'll pay. But we're not coming back here!" Kade cried dramatically. 

"Yes we are." Ezra and the bartender laughed louder when Kade added at the end, "Well, not tonight at least!" Ezra downed his wine and Kade finished his soda, before paying his side of the tab, and the two left the bar for the night. Ezra looked around their humble village before letting out a long sigh. "Another night in Riverbend. Same as any other." He mumbled gloomily. "That's not true. Some nights I manage to get us free drinks." Ezra barked a laugh before shoving his brother playfully, unable to stay gloomy around his brother. 

"You know what I'm--" Ezra's sentence was cut off when he bumped into a tall human heading towards the outskirts of the village. "Hey, watch it!" "Ugh, sorry 'bout that."  Ezra stepped back, eyeing the person in front of him. He was a rugged looking man with tanned skin,wavy shoulder length brown hair, glowering brown eyes, and he had a scar on his left eyebrow. He was wearing a cream long sleeved shirt, shoulder guards, wrist gauntlets, green cargo like pants, with a dagger on his left hip. 

"Who're you?"Ezra asked, while the man retorted, " None of your business, that's who." Two people that the elf did recognize followed the handsome man. Town Constable Angus and his tough as nails apprentice Grenn. "This here's Mal Volari, from Whitetower." The elder man  explained. "He's a world-famous adventurer!" Grenn grinned. "Wait, really?" Kade asked shocked. "Well..I wouldn't say world famous, more like continent-famous really." Mal snickered to himself. 

"Well, it's nice to meet you." Ezra said, minding his manners. His poor mother would be rolling in her grave if he didn't at least pretend to be nice. "Yeah, great, nice to meet you too. Now if you don't mind, we've got some important business to get to..." Mal was interrupted by Kade, "Adventurer business? Around here?" "Mal's got a lead on a powerful ancient artifact in the elven ruins to the south! If we can get it, it'll sell for a fortune!" Grenn said excitedly. "Damn the Gods, Grenn, keep it down!" Hissed Angus, "You want everyone in this town to hear about it?" "No need to be so nasty about it." Ezra mumbled, noticing Mal's raised eyebrow at him. 

"You mean...to the north, right? There's no ruins to the south." Kade corrected.  Mal shoots Angus a glare and the man shrugs. "Y-Yes! To the north! That's what she meant!" He fumbled over his words. "Hang on...there's a powerful ancient relic somewhere around here? And you're going to get it?" Ezra spoke up, excitement coloring his voice. "I got a tip, okay? A good one. From someone willing to pay a whole lot of gold. Angus and Grenn here, they're going to help me claim it. Now if you don't mind..." Mal made to leave again when Ezra gasped the man's arm, and stated, "We'd like to come along." "E-Ezra!" Kade gaped. 

"What? It's the chance of a lifetime." Gold eyes playfully sparkle at his brother's expression. Mal eyed the elf before letting out a weary sigh. "No can do. This is dangerous ancient crypt business. I can't have some rookie along bumbling things up." The human noted how the elf stiffened, and prepare himself for an argument.

"I'm not a rookie." glared Ezra. "Really? Ever pried a jewel from the hands of a cursed skeleton, knowing one wrong move would bring the whole room down on your head?" Mal challenged, making Ezra falter. "I mean, not technically.." He deflated. "Ever stabbed a snarling croctopus through the eye on the deck of a burning ship?" Mal continued. "I don't..know what that is." admitted Ezra. "How about this? You ever killed a man? You ever been in a real fight?" Ezra hesitated. ""Yes, I have to both of those." He said darkly, sending chills down everyone's back. "That's what I thought. I like your hustle, I really do. But I don't have time for some kit who's still wet behind the ears." " 'Kit?' " wondered the elf. 

"It's a term for new adventurers..you know, like an apprentice?" Kade whispered." "See? You don't even know the terms. Which means you've got a long way ahead of you. Get out there, have some adventures of your own, learn some skills. Then come find me, we'll talk." Mal walked off towards the village gate, Angus laughing as he followed, Grenn sending her old friend a sad look. "Sorry, Ezra." "Well, that was a thing that happened." Kade laughed nervously at Ezra's silent fuming.  "He's wrong. I could've done it. I'm the one who taught Grenn to be the adventurer she is today! Angus is an old drunk ass who can barely stay on his feet half the time! 'Learn some skills' I've got plenty of skills!"

The duo began walking again, when Kade asked aloud, "Like..what?" "Well Father taught us to fight bare hand, and I've learned some things about wielding a sword from my travels with Mother. I'm not useless." Ezra ran a finger over the silver ring on his left ring finger in habit. "That Mal guy really got under your skin, didn't he?" astonished the green eyed brother. "I don't know, I suppose I'm just jealous. I want to go on grand adventures and explore." He sighed dreamily. "And get fabulously rich." Kade grinned, Ezra matching him. "That too." 

"Aw, don't be hard on Riverbend. This town's been good to us! Not every human village would take such care of a couple of kids like us." 'Or would allow an elf to stay without being treated horribly.' went unsaid between the two. "I know, Kade! And it'll always be my home. I just...want to experience something more. It's not like a great adventure is just going to drop into my lap." Ezra huffed, brushing his bangs to the side again. Green eyes watch his older brother for a moment before clapping his shoulder. "Well, don't worry, brother. We'll experience it all together. " Ezra chuckled softly. "I can always count on you, Kade."

"But for now, all we've got is Riverbend. So, where do you want to start tonight?" Ezra grinned, "Let's head to the night market." "Uh, did you miss the part about having little coin?" Kade raised a eyebrow. "And you think I'm going to let that stop me? Come now, brother, you know me better than that." 

The brothers weaved their way through the  bustling night market, listening to vendors call out what was for sale: Fruits, meats, silks from the capital, and fish from the shore. An elderly food vendor turned and shook her head at the boys with a warm smile. "Well, well. If it isn't my two favorite customers. Two copper pieces will get you the finest pears we have." "Watch this." Ezra mumbled to Kade, before confidently walking towards the vendor, with a sly grin.

"My dear vendor, we don't have any coin..but is coin what really matters in this world?" "Excuse me?" The vendor chuckled, used to the young man's antics. "Love...passion...a moment of intimacy. Why, what is coin compared to that? Surely a beauty like you can understand." The white haired elf purred, his voice smooth like silk, eyes aglow. The woman barked a laugh at Ezra. "You are an absolute rascal, you know that? Now take these and get out of here boys." Laughing, she handed him two fresh pears, as he winked his thanks. 

Ezra bit into his as Kade stared at his back with wide eyes. "How? How did that possibly work?" He raced to catch up with Ezra. "What can I say? I'm the best flirt in Riverbend." His brother laughed before finally eating his pear, walking to the town square when he spoke up again. 

"You see? Riverbend isn't so bad. They've taken good care of us." "You're right. I just wish--" "HELP! Please HELP!" A shout echoed through the air. The duo turned to see a young woman in priestess's robes ran into the town square, before grabbing into Ezra, gripping his arms to keep herself from falling,Ezra eyes her. 

She had long red hair the fell down to her armpits in ringlets, some strands falling into her face, framing her light brown eyes. She was wearing light pink robes, with a silver and violet necklace on her neck. "You need to help me! Please!" She begged. "Whoa there, what's wrong?" Ezra asked. The woman straightened herself out, standing tall. But Ezra could see behind her disciplined posture, was a hint of fear. 

"I am Nia Ellarious, a priestess of the Light. My mentor and I are on a pilgrimage...but we were attacked by an owlbear on the road! I managed to escape while he distracted the beast. But he needs help! Now!" "Have no fear, young priestess..we are brave adventures." "Really?" Kade snorted at his brother's antics. "Shh! Don't mess this up!" hissed Ezra as Nia smiled in relief. "Thank you so much! Please, hurry now. He's just down the road." She began rushing off as Ezra and Kade shared a hesitant look before running after the ginger, but not before Ezra grabbed his sword on the way, strapping it to his left hip. 

"Let's go."

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