#dissidia verse probably?

[a-world-in-grey]

Sola/Little Nox Dissidia au

@raven-6-10 @secret-engima

The promised trainwreck under the cut!

The Citadel's been a wreck of tension ever since Spitfire and the prince went missing. Abyssus yowling fit to wake the dead brought the on-duty glaives running to find Sola's bed empty, phone still on her bedside table and all her shoes still in her closet, all signs pointing to an unwilling departure despite a clear absence of any sign of a struggle.

They'd raised the alarm, checking on the rest of the royal family and their retinue-

-and found Prince Noctis' bed as empty as his sister's.

Then, while Citadel security was swarming like a kicked anthill, spearheaded by a blackly furious Marshal and King's Shield looking for their godschildren, those guarding the Crystal had sounded the alarm.

Which is when they'd found their missing royals, via the Crystal putting out a hologram of the two like something from a bad science fiction movie.

Tredd hasn't gotten a decent night's sleep in four days.

If it's not the palpable worry radiating from the King racking up the tension, then it's the fact that the royal children have been summoned to a desolate world to participate in what's essentially a glorified death match on opposite teams, during which Prince Noctis is in nothing but his pajamas.

No one is ever again calling Sola's insistence on keeping her deployment bags in her armiger frivolous.

Though, if Tredd has to be completely honest, Sola's younger brother's lack  of proper attire is only a fraction of what's causing the tension. No, the bulk of it goes to Spitfire's newest Uncle and now youngest brother. The once-Chancellor of Niflheim and Captain's kid. Captain's kid who's apparently the Crown Prince's clone, created from a sample Niflheim stole how knows how many years back.

Luche had dipped out to make a phone call to Axis, because those are Arra braids in Ardyn and Nox's hair, and Axis had completely neglected to mention that his recent adoptees were Lucis Caelums, leaving Tredd to watch Axis' clansmen on this fucked-up version of reality TV.

Nyx has been teaching Spitfire the Ulric Dance ever since her Rage a few months back clued them all into the fact that Spitfire's as Sky-born as anyone can get without being an actual dragon - and seriously, Tredd is this close to shaking Nyx, the idiot needs to adopt her already, for Ramuh's sake - so he's in the room whenever he's not sleeping. Which means Libertus is also here, making sure Nyx does take the time to sleep because the last thing any of them need is the twitchy Ulric doing something Dumb, aided by Abyssus literally carrying Nyx out of the room when it's time to catch some shut eye.

Crowe's anxiously watching her girlfriend fight off various monsters and champions, fingers plucking at the rubber band Crowe's worn on her wrist ever since the Burning. This hadn't been how Sola and Crowe had wanted Sola's family to find out about that particular relationship, but Crowe had adamantly refused to be barred from the room for a second until Sola came back.

Luche, like Tredd, is there as Axis' braided brother, leaving the rest of the Fourth Regiment to attend in shifts depending who's on break, with Pelagia and her Third Regiment counterpart running everything because Captain is also busy watching this clusterfuck.

The Marshal's not left since the whole thing started - has he even slept? - but the King and Shield have to leave for short periods to make token appearances lest the entire country learn the royal children have disappeared into the ether. Gladiolus and Ignis have to be forced out of the room for their studies, which has apparently resulted in temper tantrums worthy of a Raging Sola, but the two young teens have yet to convince the King, Shield, or Marshal otherwise so the process repeats every day without fail.

Sola latching on to her new uncle and brother isn't a surprise. She's Sky-born, they do that. Especially because for all that the ex-Chancellor is clearly missing more than a few lines to his sails, he equally as clearly cares for and is protective of his niece and nephews, despite his distaste for Regis and Mors.

Were it not for the danger to her brothers, Sola would probably be having fun. The chance to cut loose against other skilled fighters? No one looming over her shoulder, scrutinizing her every action and deeming anything not up to their standards as 'monstruous'? Sola would have loved that in any other scenario.

But Spitfire has two brothers to protect, and Tredd swears under his breath when Sola assigns herself to Noctis and Nox's guard team, instead letting Ardyn join the strike team. The self-sacrificing dumbass.

"Care to explain that?"

Whoops.

Tredd cringes away from the Marshal's displeasure, silently thanking the Storm-Father that the King and Lord Amicitia are off in an unavoidable meeting with one of the Councilors.

"Sola is better suited on the strike team, sir." Luche says politely, before Tredd can stick his foot further in his mouth. "She's not usually charged with guard duties in the field."

The Marshal eyes them both severely. "Izunia is stronger than Sola." He says sourly. The revelation of the former Chancellor's heritage and all it's unpleasant implications hasn't been fun for anyone. "He can take a smaller strike team, freeing more people to guard Noctis and Nox." Unsaid is the fact that neither Sola nor Ardyn will leave the princes alone with strangers.

"Yes, sir." Luche demurs. That had been the argument Sola used to convince Ardyn.

(Tredd hadn't thought anyone could be more protective than Sola of her brothers, but Ardyn has her beat by a mile. Ifrit have mercy on whoever tries to harm either of the princes in the future, because Sola and Ardyn sure as Pyre won't, and Tredd doubts there'll be enough of the moron in question afterwards to scatter their ashes.)

Tactically, the assignments have merit. As Tredd exchanges a glance with an equally grim-faced Luche, he knows tactics aren't what they - or any of the glaives - are worried about.

Spitfire doesn't do defense. It's not a matter of skill. Tredd wouldn't be worried if it was, skill they can compensate for.

No, the issue is that Sola's a damn dragon of a Sword. Her first, second, and third instinct when dealing with threats is to kill it. She can't do that on defense - her priority has to be Noctis and Nox's safety, even if it means letting her target escape.

It's not impossible. Not when she's got help.

And yet Tredd can't shake the feeling that this isn't going to end any way but badly.

.

Tredd's right.

Two days later, everything goes to Ifrit's Pyre in a gift basket.

The strike team is away, trying to complete whatever the objective is that will send them all home.

(Ardyn is a force of destruction to contend with, tearing through enemies like they're tissue paper, making the King pale with an anguished epiphany he refused to share.)

The ambush catches everyone off guard. The strange dragon-like creatures swarm the protective detail. The healers push Nox and Noctis behind them, the champions better suited for close quarters combat struggling to keep the creatures off their more vulnerable companions.

In the commotion, Tredd doesn't see what sparks it, but he sure as Pyre sees when Spitfire loses it.

A low snarl rips from her throat, gaze and focus narrowing down on the threat in front of her.

Crowe swears. "Pyre-damn it all, someone back her up-"

But none of the other champions are watching Sola's back. They're too busy with their own battles, too busy keeping the kids safe. They don’t notice how Spitfire's been drawn away from the rest of the group, don't see the blind spot left vulnerable without a glaive or Abyssus there to cover her.

If Sola's family hadn’t known before, they've sure as Pyre realized it now. It's impossible to miss the glaives' reactions - Luche's grim certainty, Libertus' hand a physical restraint on Nyx's shoulder, Nyx's hands clenching and unclenching as he resists the useless instinct to grab his kukris and throw, Crowe's snarling at people who cannot hear, the way every muscle in Tredd's frame coils as he fights off the Fury rising like a wave-

-and crests, as Spitfire staggers, the attack she doesn't see ripping through her. Magic erupts throughout the room as Sola's eyes widen and her face twists in an agonized cry that has no breath to voice.

Sola hits the ground, and Nox s c r e a m s.

Ghostly weapons tear through the remaining creatures, a constant stream of light and steel that is nothing like any armiger they've seen. Champions startle as weapons pass through them harmlessly only to shred the creatures around them, until nothing remains.

The healers rush to Sola's side, but even from here, Tredd can see that it's bad. Really bad - he doesn't know if Spitfire's going to make it even with three healers and her own regeneration trying to save her life.

There's another burst of magic and Ardyn arrives, terrified and protective - Nox's magic must have alerted him, but Tredd doesn't know what the ex-Chancellor can do that the healers can't, Lucis Caelum magic just doesn't heal…

Ardyn takes in Nox, boneless with exhaustion and sobbing in Noctis' hold. Noctis, trying to keep it together. The champions doing their best to shield them from where Sola is laying on the ground between the healers.

(None of them can see it in the blue of the Crystal's hologram, how Sola is too pale against the shock of red hair haloed around her face, nearly indistinguishable from the blood staining the grass.)

Something in Ardyn's spine steels. He strides forward, ignoring the champions' attempts to keep him back, shedding his upper layers before he kneels and gathers Sola against his bare chest.

(The scars hit Tredd like a sucker punch. They've all seen some gnarly scars, no one survived the Burning unscathed, but these… these are torture scars. Torture scars and death blows and the glowing sigil of the royal family that can't be anything other than a brand.)

(The King is white as a sheet. Tredd wants to throw up. Parents are supposed to support you, not… not this.)

(Six, no wonder Axis kept Ardyn and Nox's heritage a secret. That Ardyn is able to trust and care for any of his Kin is astounding.)

It's not until magic rises from Ardyn's skin that Tredd realized what's happening. That he realizes what the tint of the Crystal's magic had disguised. But he's seen Spitfire heal others dozens of times out in the field, he recognizes this shaping of magic, and Ardyn is so much stronger than Spitfire-

It doesn't make it any easier to watch as Ardyn's skin splits, his blooding pouring out to join Sola's painting the ground. Doesn't make it any easier to watch as his wounds close, Ardyn gasping and trembling from more than just pain as he curls over his healed but unconscious niece, even as Noctis and Nox barrel in to comfort him.

Tredd's almost relieved when the Marshal turns to them and demands, "What the fuck just happened?"

As one, every glaive turns to Nyx. He's the only Chief present, he's the only one who can make the decision to share Galahdian lore with Outsiders as he has been with Sola.

Nyx stares a few moments longer at Sola's too-still form, hands flexing. Finally, he turns to face the Marshal and the King, expression dark as a thunderstorm. "We call it the Draconian's Rage."

"We?" The King's eyes are sharp. Tredd thinks he sees something of the warrior the King must have been when he visited Galahd twenty years ago.

"Galahd. The Draconian and the Infernian weren't the only Astrals to Bless humans. The magic disappeared long before the time of the Founder, but we still Remember." Nyx glances back to where the healers are fussing over Sola and Ardyn and Nox. "You have the Draconian's Blessing. But the Draconian isn't human."

Nyx turns back to the King, storm-blue locking with armiger-blue. "The Astrals aren't human, and sometimes their Blessed aren't either."

The King's lips thin. "You're saying my daughter isn't human." Treading on dangerous ground - the King's never taken kindly to the rumors painting Sola a monster.

"Physically, she is." Nyx says, steady as the cliffs against the storm-swept tides. "In her soul? Her instincts? She's no more human than I am."

That startles the King. "You are-?"

"Ramuh's. Storm to Sola's Sky."

There were rumors that the Ulrics were Ramuh's Blessed. Coeurl-Kin. Shape-changers and Wind-Walkers and as Black as the storms in their souls.

Tredd never thought he'd hear the rumors confirmed. This is Clan History. Private Clan History only ever shared with Clan Allies. If that.

"We thought you knew." Tredd says, trying to buy some leeway for Nyx. Tredd can't reveal that he's also not-quite human. Not without his Chief's permission. He might be able to get away with telling Sola - it's only a matter of time before she joins the Clans - but King Regis? Tredd would be in serious trouble. "You have thousands of years of history. Family customs as unique as any of ours." Customs catering specifically to those non-human instincts, Tredd doesn't say.

Tredd suspected otherwise after Sola's Rage in HQ. Sola didn't know anything about her Rages, only that she'd get so angry she couldn't think beyond needing to kill something. She was terrified that she'd try to kill anyone near her, hence her retreating somewhere secluded until she could regain control over herself. When she'd come out of her Rage to find Nyx and Tredd at the end of her weapons, injured but otherwise in one piece, she'd been horrified that she might have tried to kill them.

She hadn't known that she wouldn't. That even in the deepest Rage, her instincts would recognize the difference between hers and threat. Sola would never harm an innocent bystander. Not on purpose. Not unless they provoked her first.

So Tredd had suspected. He didn't want to believe it - how could the Lucis Caelums not have any information of the Draconian's Blessed? He knows Mainlanders don't keep Tales like the Clans do, but they do keep records! Sola cannot be the first Lucis Caelum to be Skyborn!

But no. The royal family has no clue.

What a mess.

"What does that mean for Sola?" The Marshal asks while the King processes Nyx's revelation.

"She's protective." Crowe says. Tredd snorts at the understatement of the century. "She'll react violently to anything threatening her Claimed. Lethally, if she can - Skyborn don't like leaving threats alive to try again."

"Prince Noctis and Nox are her only vulnerable Claimed. Prince Nox has his uncle to protect and care for him, which will satisfy Sola's instincts." Because nothing short of an Astral will be able to get past Ardyn to harm Nox, and even then Tredd would still put his money on Ardyn. "But Sola's Sword to Prince Noctis, and the oldest and strongest of his Retinue. She's his primary protector. Not being allowed or able to kill anything threatening him will stress her instincts."

The Marshal grimaces, glancing at the King and Shield. Tredd wonders if he's thinking about how Sola came to join the Kingsglaive. She'd eventually told them the circumstances behind her joining their training, one night out on deployment. Knowing now that Sola's Skyborn, that was a really Stupid decision on the King's part, banning Sola from protecting her disabled brother. The King was lucky Sola didn't try to sneak out of Insomnia after them.

"When she's under a lot of stress, she'll lose her grasp of human language." Tredd tells them. Tredd's never had that happen to him, but he also knows that as far as Seaborn instincts go, his are fairly tame. Sola, unfortunately, is way out on the extreme end of the scale. "Sign language she can comprehend, and that empathic thing she does with her magic. She'll lose her words before she Rages, so if it's that bad don't bother talking to her. She won't hear it."

Another glance between Sola's relatives. Six, how many signs had they missed?

Tredd determinedly ignores it. "When she's Raging, either give her space to work through it or spar with her. Sola won't hold back, but she won't try to kill you. But if you need to step out of the fight, make it physically clear that you surrender. Weapons away, hands down and open, on your knees and throat bared if you have to."

The King frowns. "That seems… dangerous."

"Not with Sola." Nyx says before Tredd's temper leads him to say something snarky and unwise to the King. "She'll always recognize her own."

"Shit's starting up again." Luche suddenly says.

Everyone turns back to the Crystal, conversation tabled.

For now.

[tsckcyomi-archived]

From my wip FFXVI verse Squall. He'd be tolerant of her temper to a degree, but he's got little patience for extended times of it.

" ━ I suppose there are worse men than you out there that I could be spending time with." Like the men she is pledged to and working under. And he does still manage to fill many of the boxes, even if there is only one line.

[crisiscutie]

Dissidia Darling and JENOVA.

Going back to my last post about it, I've been thinking about the manifestation/rebirth of JENOVA within Darling in the Dissidia AU.

The Darling is essentially undergoing a similar process to what Sephiroth did with JENOVA in the Lifestream on his homeworld: Becoming one with it. And then later on in the AU, she becomes one with Sephiroth. Consider this: Sephiroth has been acting as a mentor to the Darling, shaping her into the ideal doll for him to despise everything and annihilate everything, to love him, to become his everything... This is essentially his SECOND chance to carry out what HE wanted to do in FF7, fulfilling all of his desires with no interference from his puppets and human parasites...

I've been discussing this with a friend, contemplating what Hojo would think of the Dissidia Darling and him doing a funny nature narration on her interactions with Sephiroth xD. I realized he would probably come up with a code name for her, "EVA". It's derived from JENOVA, and is also a partial anagram of it. And it's very symbolic! Within the Dissidia verse, the darling is considered JENOVA's chosen, just as Sephiroth is in his own homeworld. And in essence, she would serve as his Eve and the "mother" for those possessing JENOVA/Sephiroth cells. Bonus points for fitting the Hebrew naming tradition that Sephiroth and JENOVA started too.

Not to mention, Sephiroth would play the role of the tempting serpent quite well. The use of all caps for EVA also serves to dehumanize her further, much like it does for JENOVA.

It's also a more simple codename to use when discussing JENOVA!Dissidia Darling in a meta context.

It's just too perfect~.

[secret-engima]

@shadowdragongem asked: So I am reading through your Nox-verse tag again.  and my brain just seems to have Blood of my Blood verse constantly In the Background.  And I got to your first instance of Nox-verse Dissidia au.  and I started wondering how that would go over in Blood of my Blood verse.  because we have all of 3 royals in blood of my blood verse, and any combination of them getting split between the sides is going to result in Angst.

Dyn would probably wind up in 'and this one is too young to be here'  if he gets chosen, and it'd probably be his dad on the other side of things.  Noctis, who is Monstrously, Extremely protective and may, in fact, have lived through this plot before.  Who'd probably be the one on Spiritus' side, because even though he's a chosen, so was Dyn, before the wipe.  And I Cannot imagine Regis being summoned by Spiritus.  Noctis, though.  Noctis, who faced his foe and basically erased him from existence.  Who is where he is because he fought his Gods.  I think that might fit Spiritus' criteria fairly well.

And there's Regis.  Who, whether he's chosen or not, would be dealing with some Trauma during this.  Because he lost his son to kidnapping once already, it being Gods who are kidnapping him and / or his son / grandson does not make it better.  He's either watching via Crystal Vision and Freaking Out, or he was summoned and these people try to tell him he has to fight his family.  That whoever got summoned on the other side as his enemy is evil.

This would probably end with Noctis and / or Regis either contemplating killing these gods or trying to kill these gods.  Because there is no scenario where this family takes this event well.

Me: this would 100% be a barely containable disaster. Noctis would definitely be summoned by Spiritus, and the only way to make this Slightly less of a disaster would be if Dyn is also summoned by Spiritus because of what his soul has been through even if he doesn’t remember. Everyone picture the OUTRAGE of Materia’s warriors when they stumble on Noctis on the field, with his tiny son in a makeshift baby backpack, literally bristling with weaponry and running on pure feral energy. Noctis is ready to obliterate ANYTHING. He’s already obliterated at least two of Spiritus’s other warriors because they got too close to Dyn/looked at his son wrong.

The warriors of Materia are SO CONCERNED??? why is there a teenager and a CHILD here??? Like Onion Knight is a child, but he’s also very mature for his age and wearing armor/wielding a sword. Dyn is a wide-eyed, teary eyed smol. He should not be here. Someone dares to approach from Materia’s side of the field and is probably surprised by Noctis not attempting to skin them. It’s only because Noctis knows them from the last time he did this and is willing to trust them. At least some of them, the ones he spent the most time with last time. So that would be ... Firion and Warrior of Light iirc.

I am torn on if it is more fun for Regis to be forced to watch through Crystal Vision or if he’s HERE, and forced to fight alongside his son/forced to THINK about why his son and grandson was apparently summoned by the god of *chaos* instead of order. :3

If Regis is here, Noctis cries in guilty relief to see him. If he’s not but watching on Crystal Vision, then Regis will see how Noctis reacts to these strangers from other worlds and be- concerned by how easily and quickly Noctis folds into the ranks of these soldiers, kings, warriors, and thieves. The ones he chooses to trust near Dyn probably seem very eclectic, even if Noctis probably refuses to let Dyn out of his sight.

Noctis is also a LOT stronger than he was the last time around, so when it comes time to fight the world eater, Noctis probably stays back? He has Dyn and he’s not going to frontline, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t useful.

And Regis watches with his heart breaking in his throat as Noctis raises his hands and glows so bright his skin cracks open with it, eyes glowing easily as bright as the eyes of the gods of this world as he rains ghostly blades and fire from the sky upon the world eater. Regularly pulsing out healing spells for allies that sweep like waves across the field to reach them despite the distance.

When Noctis and Dyn are delivered home, he immediately locks himself in his room and only lets his Retinue in to see him. Not even Regis allowed in until Noctis has had time to cuddle his son and cry and calm down (until Noctis can fully put away the howling dragon in his soul that is the reason Spiritus called him instead of Materia this time).

[houseofgriffons]

Whenever im sad about zenos i think about how he's probably in the dissidia verse fighting over and over powerful beings and it's probably the most fun he's ever had in his entire existence and i feel a bit better

[terraxcloud]

No Promises to Keep

[Verse: Loren Allred] I won't say that it was fate I won't say that it was destiny But if not, what could it be That drew you towards me? Could it be chance? [Chorus: Loren Allred] Till the day That we meet again Where or when I wish I could say But believe Know that you'll find me Promises to keep We won't ever need [Chorus: Loren Allred] Till the day That we meet again At our place Just let me believe In the chance Know that you'll take my hand And never let me go

***

I have been getting that vibe that this song was prepared to be a real life FF6 Opera. Having it be sung by Aerith in-game but with Loren Allred dressed similarly to Terra is interesting due to the fact that Aerith is playing the role of "Princess Rosa", yet Aerith isn't the actual "princess" (she has said that she's not one in Remake).

In a way they just hinted on who the "princess" is, because in the back of our minds we know that it could instead be Tifa singing, even Yuffie (well, maybe). Even if it isn't and it's just Aerith singing it, remember that Aerith has her own theme and it sounds very similar to the FF6 Opera.

The lyrics make me feel like there may be a temporary "meeting" in the first stanza. She seems really confused as to what caused him to appear to her, which makes her assume that it will happen again.

This is unlike "Hollow" where Terra takes initiative but the ending of that song makes it seem like she feels hopeless:

But I, I know That you're long gone But I, I will Go on howling and hollow To never know

In essence, Terra wasn't expecting much, but "something happens". "Know that you'll take my hand" is a reference to the ending of FF7, because the only part of Aerith's song that plays during that scene is the first notes which sound the most like the FF6 Opera.

Although, the lyric "At our place" implies a ton. There's probably millions of dollars and years of sweat behind that one lyric in particular

I think that the reason they chose the word "promise" is to connect it to the "Promised Land". With a potential reference to FF7's ending, the "at our place" lyric, and the word "meet" ("Maybe I can meet her...there." "Yeah, let's meet her.)

The "Promise Scene" is important. It's either Tifa or Tina (Terra's other name :P).

Also, a main theme implies a main character in some way. The semantics of that may be confusing here, probably because it's supposed to be a mystery to everyone.

So there is a chance that the "surprise" is Cloud actually finding Terra "by chance" for a little while, but is it? What about Zack's timeline? There are quite a few hints that Terra will be involved in Zack in some way (WoFF Serah/Zack scene - FF15 DLC connection is the biggest)...perhaps there's two Terras as well? Two Clouds, Two Aeriths, but only one Zack. I think one of those Terras may die (hint from Dissidia NT, her solo WoFF intervention, and Aerith's Lost Chapter in DFFOO.)

The Krile Lost Chapter hint about Terra asking how Krile travelled to different worlds still is on my mind. Travelling by meteor isn't a weird thing as the FF5 characters, Noel in FF13-2, and Jenova used one, but with the possibility of two Terras...would one use a torsion and the other a meteor? The problem is that these hints exist, if they didn't exist I wouldn't have a question. That DFFOO scene is very, very intentional.

Considering that Jenova is her antithesis, it makes sense that she'd use a meteor. She can't end up in Cloud's timeline...can she? It would definitely change everything.

I also have to mention what the devs said about Advent Children being a part of the end. What does that even mean? Advent Children isn't about crazy battles to them, y'know. Perhaps to the fans, but not to the developers.

I believe Tifa also has to meet her as the ending of FF7 implied.

[lockea]

Fic Writers Showcase Game

Copied from @skalidra

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason.

My works page: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lockea/works

First Fic Published: "Chrystallis Memoria" (Dissidia: Final Fantasy) back in 2011. It's a 1k drabble about the different warriors in Dissidia realizing they have a lot in common with each other, and was mostly an excuse to say "hey, Final Fantasy has a lot of recurring character motifs."

Last Fic Published: "Wake the Dawn" (Final Fantasy XVI) updated yesterday/is currently being updated. This fic imagines the protagonist of FFXVI, Clive, being born a Bearer (who are kept as slaves in the world of the game). Rather than having a noble upbringing and then becoming a slave later in life, how does being born as slave and raised that way affect Clive and his choices?

Fandom/Ship I Only Wrote Once: "Sundered Country" (Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn). A re-imagining of the whole plot of Path of Radiance had Soren been raised in Goldoa by his mother's family instead of being orphaned. I do want to write more FE fics in the future, and I may once I finish my current PoF play-through with my spouse.

Favorite Fic in Popular Fandom/Ship: Similar to Skalidra, I have works in large multifaceted fandoms (DCU and Star Wars) so I'm going to discard them as parent fandoms. Once you narrow down to specific fandoms, the most popular fandom I've written in becomes Voltron Legendary Defender. "A Broken Place" is probably my favorite of the three I've written. It's a very plot focused AU taking place on Mars that's based on a webnovel called "Northern Corporate Dominion" by remiheart that I read YEARS ago. It focuses on Shiro, who is a noble trapped in a loveless marriage as his degenerative illness steals his freedom, and Keith, a slave with a complicated past who is tasked with taking care of Shiro.

Fic I Wish More People Would Read: All of them? I think I wish more people read "Family (is more than blood)" (Guild Wars 2) because it's such a fun story. It was fun to take all the world building about the Legions in the game and tell a story about Rox and Rytlock.

Fic I Agonized Over the Most: Tough choice! Most recently, "A Single Grain" (Star Wars) has filled that role. I have a whole folder of just starts and stops and rewrites where I've tried to tell the story several different ways and I just canNOT get it going. I think I've got it figured out as a mosaic series where each story just weaves a much larger picture.

Fic That Sprang Fully Formed: A few have. Mostly oneshots. "Shelter" (DCU JayDick wingfic) and "An Unwilling Sacrifice" (Star Wars JangObi Fighter/Sacrifice AU) are the two that come to mind.

Fic I'm Most Proud Of: Still "The Sound of a Heart Breaking" (Kingdom Hearts). I have joked several times that it's my magnum opus for the amount of world building I did for it. How the heck did I even have the energy for all that fic? Funny enough, I recently wrote a oneshot in the verse that I haven't posted, so even though it's from 2009, it's still on my mind on occasion.

Not tagging, but please feel free to @ me if you decide to do this meme having seen me do it!

[elysiaregal]

‘ my heart busts a nut every time someone tells me they saw something and they thought of me. ’ ( THGRFDTGHYTGDF, but this is also me too )

meme.          /          @hiraitz

          “that’s...” cute. not so much the busting-a-nut imagery, but the other parts. noct doesn’t quite get around to delivering the compliment and the sentence trails off awkwardly into the air --- far too late to salvage it now, so he mumbles, “my friends usually do that with me when they see something dumb. like that one meme of the really smug cat with the knife to its face. they’re always like ‘ha, that’s you’.” does tidus know memes? does whichever world he’s from have memes? gods, this is a disaster.          “i, uh. i hope your friends think of you for --- nicer things.” 

[sanctiichor]

@lionfated​ asked : ❝ thank you for not saying anything about my past. ❞ | ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA | No Longer Accepting 

The Warrior turned , blue eyes settling upon his companion as the two of them looked over the terrace of the Radiant Garden square, the town folk slowly making their ways home as the day slowly turned to night, leaving the two warriors in a sort of semblance of quiet as the buzz of the day ebbed. 

Earlier that day, Sora had come by on a spur of the moment visit from his usual world hopping, it was on this particular day that the Warrior of Light had made his presence known in his rare moments of emergence from the timeless realm, thus Leon made it a point to finally and formally introduce the two. The boy was amazed that the two older men seemed to be well acquainted with one another, shooting question after question, reminding the Warrior that the curiosity of a child/teenager can indeed be as formidable as any force known to man. When Light had mentioned that he had known Sq--Leon, since he was a teenager, the young keyblade wielder shot off once more another flurry of questions--more so of how Leon was like at that age. 

However, the Warrior didn’t reveal much if anything at all, to the disappointment of Sora. After all--he knew for a fact that Leon wanted as much distance from his past self as possible...and what kind of friend would he be if he were to betray that trust that they had built during their time in that desolate world? 

No, he would never do that to him. 

He gives the other man a soft hum, reaching a hand up to tuck a white lock of hair behind his ear as he turned his attention back to the flowers swaying softly in the wind, arms crossing upon his armored chest, “ You have nothing to thank me for, my friend. “ should Leon ever want to tell the young keyblade wielder his story, then it should be on his own terms. Even back then, Leon had always walked to the beat of his own drum, who was the Warrior to interrupt the flow?

“ Your past is your own, it is a tale you must tell for yourself whenever you feel you are ready, I am sure Sora would be eager to know of it. “ he chuckles then and turns his head again to meet his friend’s gaze --

“ The boy has a lot of respect for you, no doubt he would want to hear how his hero came to be where he is now. “ 

[hoshiszora-archived]

Oneday I will make a Final Fantasy/Dissidia verse. Oneday. But not today.

[yunhuntress]

@akumeis from here: [x]

"I am not. I am from a different realm altogether and one that I feel is no longer around. A place that was known as Gran Pulse." Fang remarked toward her companion.

Adjusting her stance, she shifted her long red lance down to lean upon it for support while she got her bearings. Fang still felt foggy within her mind knowing well the sensation as she went through it once before. With her body adjusting to being out of her comfort zone as well as out of crystal stasis, she looked back toward the strange man knowing he was from another place as well.

"I guess we can find out why we are here together. I have no intentions of starting trouble with you. Name's Fang by the way."

[a-world-in-grey]

@raven-6-10 @secret-engima

Sola dearly wants Nox to come back to the Citadel. He’s her brother and wherever he is now he clearly isn’t taking care of himself properly and Sola worries.

But Nox is more than a little reluctant, magic skittering with wariness-fear-grief, tangled like thorns around love-longing-want. So she doesn’t push after she makes her initial offer for Nox to come to Insomnia, resolves to put her foot down and ensure Papa and Uncle Clarus and Uncle Cor don’t force Nox to the Citadel either.

Instead she leaves Dissidia with a handful of new numbers in her phone, so she can call and make sure Nox is alright even if her brother forgets to charge his phone.

Regis, Clarus, and Cor immediately want to bring Nox into the safety of the Citadel of course, Nox is Sola’s age, only fourteen, that’s far too young to be running around without support. Sola stands up to her family and tells them to leave Nox be. He’s more than capable of defending himself, and he has support, support he actually knows and trusts. She points out that Cor was part of the Crownsguard at thirteen - Nox as a Hunter at fourteen is not that different. Arguably, Nox is safer than Cor was, because Nox isn’t part of the military during an active war and is a far better fighter than Cor was at that age.

She already let Nox know that he’s welcome at the Citadel. So let Nox be. If he wants to come, that’s his decision to make.

Besides, if they start trying to chase him down, they’ll risk alerting Niflheim to Nox’s existence. Is that a risk they want to take?

Sola tells Noctis about Nox. Noctis is excited to have an older brother, even if he doesn’t really understand why Nox won’t visit. Sola tries to explain that Nox is afraid of what people will think of him, because Papa wasn’t married to Nox’s mom and some people think that makes someone less than others whose parents are married. Noctis is promptly outraged on Nox’s behalf.

Nox does not expect, when Axis next tracks him down to force him to eat and sleep, for his Shield to shove his phone into Nox’s hand - Nox’s phone lays dead in his armiger - with an exasperated reminder to call his sister. Nox sheepishly does, because apparently it’s been almost three weeks since Sola called him to warn him that she did her best to keep Papa and Uncle Cor and Uncle Clarus off his back but she’s not sure how long her efforts will last, and she’ll try to warn him if Cor ever leaves Insomnia.

Only, instead of hanging up after updating him on the latest goings on at the Citadel, Sola says there’s someone who wants to talk to Nox. Before Nox can fully process that, a young voice comes through his phone, excitedly saying hello and telling Nox that he doesn’t care that Nox’s parents weren’t married and he still wants to meet Nox and he hopes Nox will visit soon.

Which is how Nox is first introduced to his younger counterpart.

Nox isn’t quite sure what he says to Noctis, but he must not screw it up because Noctis is happy enough when he hands the phone back to Sola. Nox, trying to breathe past the tight anxiety in his chest, asks if Noctis knows Nox is related to… Nox trails off meaningfully. Sola says Noctis doesn’t, but then bluntly asks if it matters.

That catches Nox off guard. Sure, Sola hadn’t reacted beyond a single surprised blink at hearing his surname, but her lack of questions meant that Nox hadn’t known if Sola knew how closely related he was to one of Niflheim’s highest ranking political figures.

When Nox fails to answer, Sola huffs on the other end of the line. She tells him that she’s not Uncle Cor, and Nox isn’t his relative either. Nox is Nox. And Nox is their brother. That’s all they care about.

Nox swallows past the lump in his throat and thanks Sola.

Sola tells Nox to thank Axis again for her, and to tell him that she’ll pay the long distance charge, before she ends the call.

Alas, the Marilith attack is not derailed, because the two people who know about the attack beforehand both have no sense of time and therefore forget until it’s nearly too late.

And since both Ardyn and Nox are terrible at remembering to charge their phones, neither of them get the notification from Axis, passing on Sola’s warning that if Nox wants to keep avoiding Regis to avoid Galdin Quay for Noctis’ birthday (the text Sola sends Axis is vague enough that anyone who doesn’t know who ‘Sunny’ is and that she’s Nox’s sister wouldn’t realize that the royal family will be out beyond the Wall on a day trip).

Due to security reasons, Sola and Noctis are in separate cars in the convoy. Which is why Sola isn’t able to protect Noctis from the Marilith when it attacks. But she recognizes the magic that whisks Noctis away from the wreck, and she trusts that Nox will be able to help their younger brother.

Sola joins Regis, Clarus, and Cor when they get the call from Cid. Oh, they want to leave her in the safety of the Citadel, but Sola adamantly refuses to be left behind and none of them are willing to spend the time to force her to stay.

When Nox instinctively reacts to Regis, Clarus, and Cor’s intrusion, Sola is there to wrap her magic around his in safety-reassurance-family. She’s also there when they meet Ardyn, and she goes still when she sees the scars and brand inflicted by Papa’s predecessor. She proceeds to shock everyone still awake when she not only calls Ardyn ‘Uncle’, but asks if she can hug him.

Regis is somewhat pained when he tries to tell Sola that Ardyn isn’t really her Uncle, but Sola cuts him off with a glare and a fierce remark that her brother’s uncle is her uncle. Then she turns back to Ardyn, waiting for an answer, ignoring Cid’s muffled snickers in the corner.

Ardyn… is honestly baffled by the request. He’d heard of Sola’s quick acceptance of Nox, but he’d never imagined such acceptance would extend to him.

Perhaps he takes too long to respond, or perhaps Sola can sense his bafflement, because she quietly says that he deserves kind touch too. Ardyn can’t speak through the tightness in his chest (it’s been millennia since he received such immediate compassion from family) but he manages a nod. Sola’s hug is gentle, he could step out of it easily, and yet warm in a way he can’t describe. It’s not her magic - his niece has kept it tucked beneath her skin while in his vicinity. After a moment, Ardyn hugs her back. From his sternum he hears a muffled ‘thank you’, so quiet he has to strain his ears to catch it. Ardyn says nothing in return, only briefly tightening his hold on his new niece before ending the hug, all too aware of Regis and his Sword and Shield watching with sharp eyes and tense shoulders.

Regis is unable to pry Sola away from Nox those four days he’s unconscious. Nox wakes in the Citadel with Sola curled up next to him, clinging to him like a limpet with fingers and magic both, Axis sitting in a chair on the opposite side.

Axis quietly explains, smirking as Nox tries and fails to extract himself from his sister’s grip, plopping a tray of food in Nox’s lap after Sola clings harder and Nox gives up. Apparently, Sola had sent Axis a message about Nox rescuing Noctis in Leide, and Axis immediately booked it to his location, changing destination after Sola updated him later that night about taking Nox to the Citadel to recover. Axis only just arrived a few hours ago - Sola’s been keeping everyone other than Ardyn out of his room in the meantime, since Sola knows Nox doesn’t really trust anyone else. She passed out once Axis arrived. (Axis doesn’t mention how Sola had taken one look at him and had known he was an Amicitia, merely thanking him for looking after Nox and telling him to call her Sola instead of Princess.)

Axis also informs Nox of Sola’s insistence on referring to Ardyn as her Uncle, on the basis of him being her brother’s uncle. Noctis, more than a little irritated at Regis not allowing him to see Nox despite Sola being allowed (rather, Sola wouldn’t take no for an answer) enlisted Ignis and Sola’s aid - Sola’s aid coming in the form of her giant cat Abyssus - and met Ardyn under everyone’s noses, promptly following Sola’s example and dubbing him Uncle as well.

Aka, Sola and Noctis have been cheerfully giving Regis, Clarus, and Cor grey hairs by completely disregarding any concerns of Ardyn being Niflheim’s High Chancellor.

Sola’s also promised to help Nox get out of Insomnia if he doesn’t want to stay, though she did ask that Nox stay long enough to meet Noctis properly.

Nox concedes to that, and Noctis ends up convincing Nox to stay.

Gonna make a separate post for the Little Nox Dissidia verse, once I get that fleshed out.

Well, since you said it's okay :)

Nox verse crossover! Specifically, Sola and Nox being summoned to Dissidia sometime before the entire Marilith incident.

Sola was not happy to be dragged into some weird fighting tournament, so she is more than happy to derail the entire thing to talk to her New Brother. Now if only he would stay still! Please stop running away, Brother, she has Questions!

Sola also has Questions for her Papa, once she gets back to Insomnia. Starting with how many ooops babies did you have, Papa? She wants to know if there are More Siblings out there.

(Yes, Regis, how many kids do you have running around? says Clarus while Glaring at his King. They saw the entire thing through Crystal-vision.)

Absolutely okay to keep sending in asks! Can't promise I'll get to them right away given it's finals season atm, but the asks are fun!

Putting this under a cut because I got clocked in the head with a bat by the damn plot bunnies while writing this and it got stupidly long.

Not gonna lie, this is great - Sola would lose her entire mind because brother? New brother?

New brother who has definitely not been taking care of himself properly, sit down so Sola can feed you, Pyre damn it all.

Meanwhile Nox is more than a little surprised to come face to face with a girl who looks so much like mom but with Ardyn's hair and magic and Cor's scowl. His new sister - who claims him as a brother despite giving his surname as Izunia, only blinking once at the name of Niflheim's Chancellor before she promptly calls him her little brother - fights a lot like Cor as well, which is how Nox learns that Sola's been apprenticed to Cor since she was ten, after she foiled an assassination attempt on their younger brother, Noctis.

(Nox has to swallow around a lump in his throat at how easily Sola accepts him as family, calling Noctis their little brother instead of just hers.)

Actually though, Sola has a blast while she's in Dissidia. How could she not? She got a new brother - who is definitely a Little Brother, she doesn't care that he can kick her ass with both hands behind his back, his personal care habits are atrocious and she will do her duty as Older Sister and remind him to eat Pyre damn it - got to cut loose and fight a bunch of people and creatures, and didn't have to deal with the snobs on Papa's Council.

Best vacation ever.

Sola comes back from Dissidia grinning ear to ear - she convinced Nox to exchange numbers, and even if he's bad at remembering to text or call her, Sola will remember if it means badgering her newest brother into taking care of himself better - and cheerfully asks Papa if she's got any other siblings hanging about. Regis chokes on his spit, Clarus looks like he'd also like to know the answer to that question, while Cor looks like he can't decide if his birthday's come early or he wants to preemptively break out the alcohol.

So yeah, this is great. Maybe even better than original Sola and Nox and Noctis get pulled into Dissidia while Sola is pregnant, because teenaged Sola is having so much fun.

But.

Consider.

Little!Nox 'verse.

Specifically the version where @secret-engima dropped Nox and Noctis on Materia's side and Ardyn on Spiritus' side, with Sola joining Ardyn in this case. Post-Marilith because otherwise Nox would be like, three and Noctis eight and even I'm not that mean.

So instead Noctis is ten (Materia did try to call for champions that weren't literal children and had at least some combat experience. Normally Noctis wouldn't count, but he's since got the same soul as Nox, things got kinda mixed up. Not that that excuse will save Materia from Sola and Ardyn's wrath). Nox is five, and Sola is seventeen and newly outed as a Kingsglaive to the media, and newly realized by the Galahdians as being a half-feral Sky-born instead of just a short-tempered magical teenager.

Sola arrives at the tower before Ardyn and learns from one of the less-asshole villains who may have done this whole dog-and-chocobo show before that she’s to fight her counterpart. Which makes her immediately suspicious because she doesn’t have a mortal enemy like these people. Well, most of these people. Apparently one of them is fighting his sister-in-law and former comrade while another is fighting his own son, and if Sola goes off that pattern that means her counterpart is-

Oh Pyre no.

At which point Ardyn arrives in all of his furious-terrified-where-the-fuck-is-my-nephew Scourge-magic-faced glory. Which neatly derails Sola’s impending Rage as she stares at the man that looks (and feels, and Sola never realized how lonely she was until she met another with her magic) more like her than her own father and brother and it feels like she’s been sucker punched. Because that’s the missing Chancellor of Niflheim putting the fear of him into the other champions through the sheer strength of his magic that Sola’s doesn’t have a snowball’s chance on Ifrit’s Pyre of matching.

And yet-

“Uncle?” Ardyn’s not sure how he hears it past the sheer terror and rage pounding in his ears, past the red and gold shards of magic swirling about him in a physical manifestation of come-near-me-and-die, but somehow the soft word gets his attention from where he’s seething at Spiritus. Or maybe it’s just the barest brush of hesitant-surprise-hope that has him turning to the young woman looking at him with wide blue eyes framed by achingly familiar red hair.

He remembers hearing about the Regis of this alternate world (and hadn’t that been a shock on top of everything else) having a daughter older than Noctis. He’d simply been too busy caring for Nox to look more into it. Now he wishes he had.

Noctis may look almost exactly like Somnus, but clearly his older sister takes after Ardyn.

“Niece.” He greets. He cannot muster up the effort for even his most insincere smile right now, not when he doesn’t know where Nox is.

Sola steps fearlessly into the magic swirling around him like a storm, shards of red and gold shattering harmlessly against her skin-

Is she, is she hugging him?

She is. Even though she’s old enough to know who he is, her arms are circling his torso in an encompassing hold that is nonetheless so gentle that he could break out of it with a single step.

Ardyn… doesn’t. It… feels nice. His niece is warm, her magic (so like his, he never thought anyone would ever inherit his magic) contained such that only hints of it brush up against his, and yet Ardyn can feel clearly how his niece has no fear or disdain of him.

Ardyn isn’t sure what to make of that. He awkwardly pats her shoulder.

“Who did they take?” His niece asks. “Your counterpart.”

Ardyn’s hand involuntarily tightens on Sola’s shoulder. She doesn’t flinch. Ardyn wavers on whether to tell her, because he’s been trying to keep Nox secret and he can’t do that if anyone from the royal family knows.

But this is Sola, whose reputation for being so fiercely protective of her younger brother managed to reach even the furthest reaches of the Lucian outlands. And Sola’s magic is radiating her honest desire to help him, simply because he’s family.

Ardyn prays he’s making the right choice. “My nephew.”

From where she’s clutching him like Nox does with his stuffed chocobo, Sola stills, before looking up at him with shocked blue eyes. Underneath the worry and fear for the others taken with them, hope and affection blooms. “I have another brother?”

“Nox.” Ardyn hesitates, then adds. “He’s five.”

It’s like flipping a switch. Sola’s delight is buried under a wave of protective fury that doesn’t touch him, and she bares her teeth in a snarl. “They summoned. My five year old brother?”

Ardyn hasn’t seen this kind of fury since the mother coeurl chased off a voretooth pack that had gotten too close to Nox and her other cubs. He’s darkly eager to see how much violence his niece will dish out. If he deigns to leave her anything to kill, that is. “Most likely.”

Sola whirls on Spiritus, seething. “Where are my brothers?”

.

Meanwhile, Noctis is Absolutely Not Panicking.

He’s ten now, and if Sola was able to protect him from assassins without panicking at ten then Noctis can protect his baby brother without panicking, especially because he’s got so many people looking out for him. He’s a big kid now after all.

(Noctis doesn't know that Sola very much did panic when she saved him from that assassin seven years back. That the whole incident was one blur of Kill The Threat By Any Means Possible of panicked Sky-born instincts.)

Noctis is trying so very hard to be brave for Nox, but then they’re attacked and Noctis sees the attack coming for them and he knows he can’t get his sword up in time and he wants his sister-

And then there’s magic ripping through the air, familiar-but-not even as Sola appears out of nowhere to scoop the both of them up in her arms and raise the strongest barrier she can around them, her magic quivering in relief and protective fury, reassuring them that she’s got them, they’re safe and Uncle is just outside taking care of everything, they’re safe.

Noctis bursts into tears. Nox follows in short order. Sola holds them both, rumbling low in her throat like how she used to soothe Noctis after a nightmare, and keeping her shield as opaque as she can because like Pyre she’s letting either of the kids see the absolute carnage happening on the other side. Bad enough they can hear it. Sola would rather be tearing someone apart, but someone needs to protect her brothers and Uncle is so much stronger than her. So she sits on her cranky Sword instincts and goes about comforting her brothers.

When Ardyn finally knocks on her shield, the screaming has finally stopped, and both her brothers have cried themselves to sleep. Sola’s still making that rumbling sound in her chest, a self-soothing technique she hasn't used in longer than she can remember.

In a mirror of last time, Ardyn fearlessly steps past Sola’s bristling magic and hugs her, long arms wrapping around her and the boys with ease. He doesn’t say anything - he’s never gotten the hang of comforting words, even after two years of caring for Nox - but cautiously wrapping his magic around Sola and the boys has all three of them relaxing in his arms. At which point Sola dissolves into tears, silently sobbing into Ardyn’s shoulder in an effort not to wake Nox or Noctis, but Astrals, she was so scared and they nearly didn’t make it in time and Sola doesn’t want to have to contemplate living without her brothers. And Ardyn doesn’t know how to comfort, but he can just sit there and hold his niblings while his niece cries.

.

Sola and Ardyn only met hours before, but looking at how they act with each other no one is able to tell. Because those two get along like a house on fire.

(What is this overkill you speak of? We only know keeping nephews/little brothers safe. With extreme prejudice.)

Sola is monstrously protective of her newest brother and uncle. Nox’s Sick Day has Sola and the rest of the mages capable of healing and Ice Elemancy tending to Nox around the clock, struggling to keep his temperature down, Sola once more making her rumbling approximation of a purr to try and comfort both her family and herself. Which prompts Y’shtola to actually purr whenever it’s her turn to watch over Nox because the rumbling/purring helps Nox sleep through it all.

The reveal of Ardyn’s scars sends Sola into a towering fury that she makes sure to keep away from Uncle and her brothers, and Mors is lucky he’s already dead because Sola would gut him and leave him to bleed out on the floor.

(Ardyn is surprised by Sola’s fury and grief on his behalf. He’s not surprised by the love she has for Nox, but for him? It’s been millennia since he’s received that kind of immediate and unconditional care from anyone, much less family.)

So when Sola later sits by him that night after Nox and Noctis are fast asleep, burrowing under his arm for a half-hug Ardyn can easily escape from, Ardyn doesn’t expect the soft, “You’re safe? Wherever you are?”

Ardyn looks down at his niece’s red hair in surprise, wondering what’s prompted this inquiry. But it’s easy enough to answer. “Yes.” As safe as one can be living in the outlands, which is safe enough with Axis and his family helping and Ardyn being the most powerful being on the planet short of an Astral.

Fingers tighten their grip on his coat. “…will you call?”

“Call?”

“After we go home.” Sola clarifies. “I want to know you’re both okay.”

Ardyn stills. Because she can’t mean what he thinks she means. “You won’t try to take Nox?” Not that Ardyn would let anyone take his nephew.

“You don’t trust Papa.” Sola says. Which, yes, but Ardyn didn’t expect Sola to pick up on that when he’s been keeping a lid on the vitriol he feels for most of his family, for Nox and Noctis’ sakes. “Nox is my baby brother, but he’s your nephew too, and he loves you.” A quiet sniffle. “I’ll miss you.”

“I will call.” Ardyn promises, resting a hand on Sola’s hair. “Both of us will.” He’s gotten a lot better at managing time, he can absolutely make a reminder on his phone to call his favorite niece once a week. If not, Titus can remind him.

[heartillian]

she's as gentle and kind as could possibly be, a hand intertwining with another, gripping for safety and good luck. the world is a cruel place, the war remains failing on either side and aeris is at a loss. with spiritus calling her, rightfully so to exact her anger upon cloud's failure & materia trying to remind her of the righteous causes she died for, aeris is falling. no hope left. her only stability in this world is her friend, and for that she stays close. never straying. holding tight.

Rinoa doesn’t see it coming; Aeris’ touch is so soft and so light that there is no way it should startle anybody. Yet a gasp still escapes her. It’s sharp and sudden and rough and it feels utterly undeserving of the rosy silk of Aeris’ presence. Her own hand is, for a moment, limp, as though her entire body is stunned, but she finds her bearings quickly enough to squeeze Aeris’ hand. Rinoa hopes that it is reassuring. A wide-eyed gaze takes it all in, the troubled look on Aeris’ face, the distance of it, and the way she looks as though she might fade away if Rinoa were to let go of her hand. Or is that projection? Are those lonely dreams where Rinoa finds herself abandoned and lost tainting her point of view? Unconsciously, her grip tightens further.

She hates this place. Without companions like Aeris, she’d certainly lose her wits. There’s a cruelty to it all, dragging troubled souls in from all over and forcing them to fight somebody else’s war. Did she spend all that time protesting just to wind up becoming what she hated? Are these so-called Gods truly that selfish? But, had they not brought her here, this bond would not exist. Aeris, in Rinoa’s mind, would not exist. It is a great price to pay for discovering a kindred spirit, somebody who knows what it means to be different from other humans; Aeris is a field of flowers in barren land.

At last, Rinoa lets go of Aeris’ hand. Even the strongest people fall on hard times. Everybody falters here and there. Indeed, the greatest lesson she has learned is that you never truly know what’s on a person’s mind. Guessing and assuming can only get you so far, and sometimes that isn’t very far at all, but caring for a person means being there, supporting them without having to question a thing. Small gestures aren’t Rinoa’s style, she’s as loud as she is flashy. Her arms are thrown around Aeris’ body and Rinoa pulls her in for a hug. It’s a little fidgety but it’s close and honest and warmed with good intentions.

“I wanna tell you”, she starts, her smile bright and hopeful, “I’m glad, so glad I met you!”

✉ let’s get EMOTIONAL / @castholy

[atlaslain]

⚔ fite me

challenge zack to fisticuffs    /    @kyouminaine

          “hey… you have to promise you’ll go all-out, okay?” the world demands it, after all. whatever feelings zack may have about finding himself on the opposite side from cloud — they’re repressed, for now. they’ll have to be. his heart aches and a lump’s lodged in his throat but he can do this. ( for the first time, something akin to wistfulness twists zack’s stomach at the reminder of the wedge between himself and the materia warriors. they are the heroes, the champions. zack, claimed by spiritus and fallen into place among the vicious and the bloodthirsty, must not be such a hero after all. )       seeing cloud again, in whatever sense, feels worth it anyway.           “you look — so different,” he finds himself saying, rather than lifting his sword. what a disorienting feeling, to hail from different times in the same world. ( ah, that’s right. time rushed on after zack died, huh? everything’s probably different now. ) a faint smile tugs at his lips. “still the same cloud in there, though.” finally, with a mingled sense of reluctance and anticipation, he lifts his blade and drops into a fighting stance.        “ready?”

[secret-engima]

My brain has been poking at LC Erza again. Does Jellal have his own Ostium since he is an Ulric, and do we ever meet them? Does Jellal exclusively go by Jellal as Twice Born are known thing to his people? And how high is the probability of LC Erza (and co) in Dissidia treating it like it’s the Grand Magic Games? Is Wendy still that much younger than her friends? Or is she old enough to get into the thick of things with them?

Gosh I haven't thought about this verse in a while, I'd have to skim read it myself to be sure, but I'm *pretty sure* Jellal just goes by Jellal? If not as his name in this life as well, but as a nickname his Clan know he prefers. He probably has a first life name that gets put on the paperwork when there is rare paperwork to be found, but by this point most of his Clan just call him Jellal yeah.

XD He might? I don't remember if I planned for him to have one, or if he kinda falls under poor Lucy's purview since he's Erza's husband.

While I can see them being cavalier and having a good time to some extent, they'd also be- very angry? Being ripped away from home by some uppity being and told to fight for them is not at all a thing Fairy Tail would tolerate. There would be definitely lecturing and threatening involved on their end before finally agreeing to help out.

THEN they would go enjoy themselves being a terror on the field.

Wendy is closer to them in age yes! But I ... don't remember how close I set it. She's probably in her early teens when they're in their early 20s, so maybe a 5 year difference? I genuinely do not remember so that might contradict something I wrote earlier.

But she's at least old enough to, by their standards, help throw hands and have fun. :3

[omnibraver]

i need to add this to my rules or make a dedicate page at some point but i thought i should probably talk about verses! i’ll be listing a bunch of different verses below with an explanation as to whether or not i’ll be including them on this blog so please read carefully!

TIMEFRAME-BASED VERSES (i.e; post-game, mid-game, Crisis Core, etc) -- i will be writing these! post-game (and specifically post-Advent Children, i guess?) will be my default verse, most likely. however, i am willing to write Cloud at any point in the ffvii canon if needed! crisis core isn’t a HUGE priority for me bc i’m not as invested in writing a younger Cloud but i’m not against it either so please ask!

DISSIDIA -- yes, i’m fine with this. i will say this isn’t a favourite for me bc i feel like the actual plot is pretty barebones (and therefore a little confusing bc it’s kind of vague??) and i haven’t played dissidia nt yet but i’ve at least watched through most of the cutscenes, particularly cloud’s, and i have a general grasp of the setting from having played the psp games. ultimately, i think avoiding this verse isn’t super productive since it DOES make it easier to write with a lot of other muses so i’m okay with it!

KINGDOM HEARTS -- sureee. i’d probably prefer an ordinary generic crossover just bc i’m most interested in cloud as he appears in ffvii but i do also like kingdom hearts and it seems like a shame not to include this as a verse when cloud’s. right there. in the game. i haven’t played khiii yet but i plan to replay khii and then play khiii sometime in the near future. cloud isn’t in khiii so like. that’s fine.

MODERN -- hell yeah babeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey! i don’t actually have any IDEAS yet so i might have to keep it on the backburner for now or just do something really generic.....but since ffvii is a niche setting, i would like to keep myself open to interacting with more people.

OTHER FF GAMES -- probably not? i love the franchise as a whole a lot but i’m not actually the biggest au fan -- i don’t dislike them but i just haven’t gotten that much enjoyment out of them over the years. besides the modern verse, i’d prefer to keep to canonical appearances.

this is just a super quick rundown so i might have forgotten something but this should probably be enough!